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Configure a 2020 27″ iMac for Video Editing – Should You Buy?

Posted on August 15, 2020 by Larry

Last week, Apple updated both the 27″ iMac and the iMac Pro; though the iMac Pro got only a minor processor update. The question is, with the coming transition to Apple silicon, what should we do with these new systems?

Initially, there was a big kerfuffle about these new Macs using the existing hardware design, as if the size of a computer’s bezels somehow affects its ability to process data. Design is valuable, but I don’t buy a Mac because of how it looks, I buy it for what it can do. Looks are good, performance is gooder.

I am not losing any sleep over the fact that the bezels on both my 2017 iMac and the new 2020 iMac are an inch wide. And the “chin” (lower silver part) of the system? That’s  the best possible place to park all my yellow sticky notes.

NOTE: Apple updated the 27″ iMac, but not the 21″. The smaller system is very capable, but for video editing the larger screen, combined with the ability to upgrade RAM after the fact, make the 27″ iMac a better choice.


(All iMac images courtesy of Apple, Inc.)

So the first question we need to ask is: If I buy this iMac now, will it be obsolete in the future? Of course you know the answer: Absolutely yes. That’s been true of every computer made by every manufacturer for the last fifty years. The trend of continual hardware obsolescence will last long into the future.

A better question, though, is to ask: If I buy this Mac today, will I be able to use it for several years before it needs replacement? Here, again, the answer is: Yes. Every day I get emails from editors who are running their business on 2010, 2009, even 2008 Mac Pros and getting work done.

Macs are well-designed, well-built and any Mac you buy today will run for years. Period. You may not be able to fully upgrade it after a while, just as most 2010 Mac Pros are unable to run the latest version of the MacOS. However, you don’t need to run the latest OS to get productive work done. Even the oldest system is still fully capable of editing media on a daily basis.

You don’t need the latest gear to edit SD or HD video.

However, as we move into the world of HDR, 8K and 12K media and displays the size of moving vans, not to mention streaming multicam edits for these COVID times, you’ll need computers with more heft. 8K video pushes a lot of pixels. 12K media requires a mind-bending 75 MILLION pixels per frame!

NOTE: According to recent articles, the human eye is roughly equivalent to a frame size of 100 million pixels. So, we probably aren’t at the end of the “frame size race.”

So, why buy the latest 27″ iMac? According to an analysis published by AppleInsider.com, the iMac released by Apple last week has essentially the same power as the current Mac Pro, for about half the price.

In this new system, Apple boosted the CPU, GPU, RAM and storage. These systems are designed for power users who create stuff – from video to audio to code. If all you need is word processing, spreadsheets or browsing the web, these systems are overkill.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BUY?

To start, here’s Apple’s description of the latest systems.

Buying a new computer is always a balancing act between what you’d like and the money you have. Assuming you don’t have an unlimited budget, here’s how I suggest you spend it:

Processor. These iMacs offer i5, i7 and i9 processors. There is a BIG difference between an i5 and i9. I prefer an i7, simply for the price compared to an i9. Video editing does not require an i9. However, after using an i7 for years, then moving to an i5, I was surprised at the drop in interface responsiveness.

After a while, I stopped noticing. But, initially, the difference was dramatic. My next system will not have an i5 in it.

RAM. Apple RAM is desperately overpriced. There is no need to spend your dollars with Apple where, for half the price, or less, you can get far more RAM from OWC or Kingston or Crucial. It is easy to upgrade RAM in the 27″ iMac, unlike almost all other Apple devices. If this process makes you nervous, ask a friendly high school student to do it for you.

However, in your planning, I would aim for 32 GB of RAM. 16 GB is the minimum and there’s no advantage to getting more than 64 GB – except for bragging rights. Your editing will never need it.

GPU. The sweet spot for most GPUs is the middle choice. In this case, the Radeon Pro 5700 with 8 GB of VRAM. If you are doing effects heavy work, that you KNOW uses the GPU, spend the extra $200 for more VRAM. However, for most of us, save your money for more storage.

NOTE: Not all apps use the GPU for graphics work. If the apps you rely on use the CPU, then an i9 processor will be a better choice. I’d still go for the mid-range GPU, though, because Apple is really encouraging developers to leverage the GPU as much as possible when they upgrade their applications.

Storage. Regardless of how much storage you buy, it is never enough. You will ALWAYS need to purchase external storage. My current iMac has 2 TB of storage; however, I’m only using 400 GB of it. Why? Because I have 150 TB of external storage. I recommend 1 TB for internal storage. This provides plenty of space for your apps, plus lots of room for work files. The difference in price between 512GB and 1 TB is minor, while the performance is worth it. You can spend more, but, again, you’ll still need external storage. Save your dollars for a fast RAID or NVMe SSDs.

Ethernet. Unless you are hard-wired to a fast server, there’s no need for 10 Gb Ethernet. WiFi doesn’t provide that level of speed. However, if you, like me, are planning to upgrade your network to 10 Gb Ethernet, then this option makes sense. 10 Gb Ethernet will not make any difference in the speed with which you access the web.

Nano-Texture glass. Um, which is easier – spending $500 or turning your Mac so it doesn’t face any windows?

Mice. I am not a fan of Magic Mice. I prefer third-party mice with an Apple keyboard. And I’ve never seen the benefit of trackpads for video editing. But that’s just me.

PRICING

I started with the 27″ iMac with the i7 processor. (It’s the iMac on the far right of Apple’s iMac page.)

I kept the RAM at 8 GB so I can add 32 GB of third-party RAM (using 2 sticks) later. This would bring my total RAM to 40 GB, because the iMac holds up to 4 sticks of RAM.

NOTE: 32GB of additional RAM from OWC costs $119.76 vs. $600 from Apple.

I would add the mid-range GPU, along with 1 TB storage.

My final system is $2,799, plus $120 for OWC for a rough total of $2,920 (US).

WHAT ABOUT APPLE SILICON?

(An illustration of an Apple silicon processor. Courtesy of Henriok / CC0.)

I am very excited about the potential for Apple silicon. I think it will change our industry. But, it isn’t shipping yet. In fact, new iMac systems using Apple silicon have not yet started generating rumors. This means that high-end iMacs are not likely to be shipping for many, MANY months yet.

If you don’t need a Mac “right now,” think about this: Apple would not make the transition to Apple silicon in order to create systems with lower prices. That has never been their strategy. In every CPU transition – from 68K to PowerPC to Intel – performance has ALWAYS improved, while prices held steady.

NOTE: The original 128K Mac, released back in 1984, was priced at $2,499. And, yes, I bought one.

My expectation is that with these new systems prices will remain roughly the same, but performance will be SIGNIFICANTLY faster. But, Apple silicon is unknown technology. Apple’s keynote not withstanding, until Apple actually ships a computer we can use for every day work, as opposed to systems for developers to test products, we won’t actually know what the results of the move to Apple silicon will be.

So, if you are looking to make a safe choice, or you need a computer right now, the new 27″ iMac is an excellent choice. It runs all current Mac and, if needed, Windows software. It is proven technology in an established form-factor. You can be up and running 30 minutes after you open the box.

Plus, it has performance to burn.

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128 Responses to Configure a 2020 27″ iMac for Video Editing – Should You Buy?

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  1. Carlos says:
    August 31, 2020 at 9:02 am

    Hello, thanks for your help, I was wondering if this configuration is ok to edit videos with the new Sony a7siii I will be as well 4k. 60 and 120. I don’t know if 8 core is enough for I show have gotten 10 core thank you

    3.8GHz 8-core 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
    64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
    1TB SSD storage
    Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory

    Reply
  2. Jun says:
    September 7, 2020 at 9:37 pm

    Hello Larry,

    Thank you for your informative article. It’s really helpful.  I’m having trouble deciding  which graphics card to get the 5700 or the 5700XT 16gb. I’m afraid to overkill and get something that I’m not going to use so much or is not that big of a difference in performance.  I won’t be doing any heavy 3D rendering, animation or gaming. I mostly want to make short or feature films and edit 4k footage. Maybe 6k or 8k in the future. 
     
    I also want to use Final Cut,  Photoshop, Premiere, Davinci Resolve for color grading, and do some basic effects & motion graphics using After Effects or Motion. I’m hoping to use this new Imac for 4 or 5 years. Do you think the i7 8 core with the 5700 is more than enough to handle those softwares and get me through the next few years? Or should I go with the 5700XT 16gb with the i7 8 core to run with those softwares and edit the 6k and 8k footage in the future. Thank you in advance!

    Reply
  3. Victoria Caseley says:
    September 14, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    Hi looking at getting a 27 inch iMac with an i7 processor for photo editing only and some general internet use. I use Lightroom CC, Photoshop, Topaz AI and Nik Software. I am not sure what graphics card I should get. Should I get the Radeon Pro 5500 XT or the Radeon Pro 5700. I dont want to over spec for my needs now and in forseeable future.

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      September 14, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      Victoria:

      For photo editing, you are getting a great system. The less expensive GPU will be fine. Buy 8 GB of RAM from Apple, then get more from OWC. 16 – 24 GB of RAM will make Photoshop sing.

      Larry

      Reply
  4. Billy says:
    September 24, 2020 at 9:52 am

    Hi Larry! Thanks for all your incite over the years! You are such a great resource! Quick related question regarding SSD. On my macbook pro (2016, Thunderbolt 3), I use FCX and edit using an external Glyph SSD (950 write speeds). It works great but is full an I am in the market for another SSD. Can I edit on the Samsung T5? Would it be fast enough? Any other suggestions? I appreciate your time!

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      September 24, 2020 at 9:59 am

      Billy:

      I have a Samsung T-5 and get about 450 MB/sec read/write. Depending upon the media you are editing it “should” be fast enough. Keep in mind that read speeds are more important for editing than write speeds.

      Larry

      Reply
  5. Ben says:
    November 5, 2020 at 9:33 am

    Hi, I am looking at replacing my old windows laptop with a Mac in some format. I do basic browsing, occasional word processing and home movies, nothing too extravagant, mainly short videos (1hr max) combining family photos and videos with a few captions/title cards and some background music. I used to use Windows Movie Maker before it was deleted but imagine I could achieve what I want with iMovie. Could you advise on whether an iMac would be an ideal choice for these requirements and what spec you would recommend or if a MacBook Air/Pro would be a better choice, many thanks

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      November 5, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Ben:

      Your video editing needs are not huge, any Mac – laptop or iMac – should do the trick. Just get as much RAM as you can afford. The rest of the standard Mac configuration will be fine. You can spend more, but all you are getting is more speed, not higher quality.

      As for iMovie, I haven’t used it in years, but it should be more than capable to do what you need done.

      Larry

      Reply
  6. Andrew says:
    November 8, 2020 at 7:52 am

    Hello there, I’m very glad to have found this articles as I’m about to purchase a new iMac 27″ and I’m currently looking to get the best setup possible.

    My main use for it it’s going to be video editing (mostly Full HD with a bit of 4K — probably increasing in the future) with softwares from the Adobe Suite.
    I’ll be also doing motion graphics and animations with After Effects.

    I’m trying to learn some 3D modeling as well but that’s not going to be a big part of my main workflow anyway.

    Right now the settings I’m considering are:

    *3.8GHz 8-core 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz

    *8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory (going to upgrade it to 128gb with OWC, I know it’s a tad too much but it’s something I want to be at peace with)

    *1TB SSD storage

    *Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory

    *10 Gigabit ethernet (I have a NAS system for a lot of my work stuff and a fast connection with ethernet cable in my office)

    My biggest question mark right now is whether I should downgrade the GPU to the middle model (5700 with 8gb) and upgrade to i9 10 cores instead.

    What do you think?

    Thank you so much already for the big help your article gave me!

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      November 8, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Andrew:

      For what you tell me you want to do, the system you’ve spec’d is perfect.

      Stay with the i7, you really don’t need more than 64 GB of RAM, even less would be OK. But, buy what makes you feel good.

      Stay with the 5700XT. You won’t need it for video editing, but exploring 3D modeling will use it.

      I agree, 10 G Ethernet is a good way to future proof.

      Larry

      Reply
      • Andrew says:
        November 8, 2020 at 2:43 pm

        Thank you once again for your fast reply!

        Leaving aside the 3D thing, if we were to talk merely about video editing and you were to suggest me a “plus” in the specs would you still pick the top GPU over the i9 or viceversa?

        Thanks, you’re helping me out a lot!

        Reply
        • Larry says:
          November 8, 2020 at 2:58 pm

          Andrew:

          If you can afford it, buy the i9. However, you don’t need it. Your frame sizes are so small, you don’t need the extra horsepower.

          If you can afford it, buy the 5700XT, however, for standard HD, you’ll never need it. All a “better” GPU does is complete it’s work faster. There is no quality difference between them.

          If you can afford it, buy 128 GB of RAM, however, you’ll never use more than 32-40 GB.

          So, it depends on how you decide to allocate your money. None of your choices are bad, at all. But they are not necessary for what you want to do, or plan to do in the future.

          Larry

          Reply
  7. MarkA says:
    November 9, 2020 at 8:33 am

    Hi, I’m a photographer, and I’ve been working on a hackintosh Mac Pro 5.1 for the past few years and it’s starting to struggle, particularly as I’ve just started doing video. I’m shooting 4K on a Nikon D850 and a Mavic drone. I’m looking at either a new iMac or a new Mac Pro – obviously there’s a bit a price difference, but I like the fact that the Mac Pro is something I’m used to, and can be upgraded easily in the future. Short version – is it worth the extra 3k?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      November 9, 2020 at 8:35 am

      Mark A:

      The short answer back is: Do you have the money? If so, yes, the new Mac Pro is worth it. What you are buying is extreme speed and configuration flexibility.

      But if you don’t have the money, the iMac is an outstanding value. Not as configurable, not as fast, but extremely competent for the work you want to do.

      Larry

      Reply
    • Larry says:
      November 9, 2020 at 8:37 am

      Mark A:

      The short answer is: Do you have the money? If you do, the Mac Pro is extremely fast, extremely configurable and state of the art.

      If you don’t, then the iMac is an excellent choice. Not quite as fast, not quite as configurable, but extremely competent for the work you want to do. You can not go wrong with either choice. But, for the media you are creating, the iMac is a good fit.

      Larry

      Reply
  8. Oswald says:
    November 15, 2020 at 11:33 am

    Hi, Great and informative article.
    I have a question on the RAM.

    Doe it not pose any issues mixing the RAM shipped with the machine with third party RAM?

    I have just bought the 27′ with the standard 8G of RAM with the hope of upgrading.

    Reply
  9. Gidon says:
    November 19, 2020 at 3:56 am

    Hey Larry,
    Thanks for the great info here. Im about to buy the I-Mac 27″ for photo and video editing puposes (not long videos, mostly short, like an 1hr max)/
    My only “problem” is that Im not sure about the graphic card, is the Radeone Pro 5500 is enogh for me? Im not sure wich one to buy, the Radeom pro 5500 or Radeon pro 5700xt?
    Would love to hear you opinion.

    Reply
  10. Alan M says:
    November 27, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    Thank you for your review, Larry. How well does Premiere run on iMac 2020 even though included graphics card not on Adobe recommended list? I’m concerned that the Apple provided graphics card might not work since I guess Adobe does not support them.

    Reply
    • Larry says:
      November 27, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      Alan:

      Adobe fully supports the iMac 2020 – it still runs on an Intel chip. What Premiere does NOT support are the new M1 Apple silicon computers. They are still testing and tweaking their code and have not announced a ship date yet.

      However, you CAN run Premiere on an M-1 Mac using Rosetta 2 – Apple’s Intel emulator. Adobe says that should work fine.

      Larry

      Reply
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