Configure an M4 Mac for Video Editing

[ Update, Nov. 18, 2024. I just finished testing all three video editors. Based on what I’ve learned, I’ve changed my opinion on RAM and GPUs. I also added new comments and modified my hardware recommendations. ]

After finishing my performance testing of both NLE software and a range of Macs, it is clear that the M4-series Macs continue Apple’s tradition of delivering outstanding computer performance in a variety of form factors at (mostly) affordable prices.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

SO, SHOULD YOU BUY ONE?

Maybe.

The big benefit to M4-computers is support for more and larger monitors and, on M4 Pro and M4 Max systems, support for Thunderbolt 5. However, Thunderbolt 5 also requires buying Thunderbolt 5 storage hardware.

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INTERNAL STORAGE PERFORMANCE

I looked at the speeds of various internal drives. All M-series computers have internal drives roughly equivalent to the fastest Thunderbolt 5 external unit, which is about 6,000 MB/second.

However, tests using both Final Cut and Premiere also show that they are not exporting data anywhere close to Thunderbolt 5 speeds. FCP exports max out around 1.2 GB/second. Resolve and Premiere are both slower.

In general, buy enough internal storage to hold the operating system, all applications and work files. I have a 2 TB system on my M2 Max Mac Studio and I’m using 500 GB of it. Use external storage for all projects and media.

The big benefit to Thunderbolt 5 – currently – is that file transfers using Finder or other third-party file transfer software will come close to filling a Thunderbolt 5 pipe – assuming the storage hardware is fast enough to support that speed. This makes handling giant files much easier and faster. But it won’t make much difference – yet – to your NLE.

PLANNING YOUR CONFIGURATION

As you plan your new system, here are some considerations to keep in mind:

Laptop or Desktop

If you need portability, buy a laptop. If not, desktops will cost less and, generally, have better heat management. All M4 Macs include a monitor and keyboard, except for the Mac mini.

M4 vs. M4 Pro vs. M4 Max

If you are a hobbyist, with a limited budget, or don’t edit that much, or principally need it for office work – web, word processing, spreadsheets, databases and the like – the M4 is TOTALLY perfect.

If you need/want Thunderbolt 5 – and the additional external monitors it supports – you must get a system with an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip.

If you are doing massive multicam edits, working with gigantic frame sizes, have zero time for anything to render, work with 3D space, or create animated videos; all of these will benefit from an M4 Pro or M4 Max chip. (The M4 Max is nice to have for media editing, but it has power you’ll never use.)

If you have the budget, but don’t know – yet – what you want to do with it, get a system with the M4 Pro chip.

CPU Cores

More cores provides more performance. But even base-level systems have more than enough performance for media editing. Keep in mind that, in general, M4 systems are roughly as fast as M2 systems and 10X, or more, faster than any Intel system.

UPDATE: Regarding efficiency vs. performance cores, no software maxes out all the cores all the time. So, there’s no reason to spend extra for more CPU cores. I generally recommend something in the middle. In fact, both FCP and Resolve use efficiency cores more than performance cores for playback and rendering.

GPU Cores

Increasingly, our NLEs are using GPUs more effectively. More GPUs will help both simple and complex projects with rendering and export.

UPDATE: I used to say the number of GPUs doesn’t really matter. In this round of testing, they matter a lot. Once you have at least 24 GB of RAM, if you need to choose between more RAM or more GPU cores, buy more GPU cores. More RAM is nice, but more GPUs boost performance.

RAM

In the past, 16 GB of RAM was the minimum for video editing. The 8 GB that Apple shipped was OK for office applications, but far too limiting for editing. Today, with the new unified memory of M-series chips, I recommend 16 GB for straightforward editing regardless of frame size. I recommend more RAM for multicam editing or large frame sizes. The exception is Premiere which is much more RAM hungry than FCP or Resolve.

Again, based on my testing, you won’t see a significant improvement in media editing or rendering performance with more than 24 GB of RAM. Remember, all NLE software was designed to run in 8 GB of RAM. What more RAM gets you is larger cache files.

UPDATE: Based on my testing of Final Cut, Premiere and Resolve, systems with more RAM, but fewer GPU cores are not as fast as systems with relatively less RAM and more GPU cores. At a minimum, get 24 GB of RAM. Then, if you have to choose, buy more GPU cores before you buy more RAM.

Storage

Media files are gigantic. Regardless of how much internal storage you buy, you’ll need more. Rather than spend excessive dollars boosting internal storage, buy enough internal storage to give your system room to work, then supplement it with external storage.

UPDATE: The minimum internal storage I recommend for media is 1 TB. Yes, you can get away with  512 GB but your space will be crunched sooner than you expect. At the high-end, I recommend 2 TB. For media, buying more internal storage than 2 TB is wasting money.

In my office, I have a Mac Studio with 2 TB internal, an external  8 TB SSD RAID, an external 48 TB HDD RAID, and a 160 TB HDD network server. And that’s just for me – you can never have enough storage.

Ethernet

Unless you have a network optimized for 10G, which requires a 10G switch, 10G server connections, and 10G cables, a 1G Ethernet port on the computer will be fine.

Because I like playing with blinking lights, my office network is optimized for 10G.

CONFIGURATION RECOMMENDATIONS

If you have the money, buy whatever you want. There’s no harm in buying more than these specs; load your system however you want. However, if you are on a budget, here’s what I recommend as the best way to allocate your limited dollars.

NOTE: I ended up buying one of these systems. Here’s what I bought and why.

To Save Money – but still be productive editing video.

MacBook Pro – UPDATED
Size: 14″
CPU: M4 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Price: $1,999.00 (US)

iMac
CPU: M4 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Gigabit Ethernet
Price: $1,699.00 (US)

Mac mini
CPU: M4 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Price: $999.00 (US)

Better Performance

MacBook Pro – UPDATED
CPU: M4 Pro, 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU
Size: 16″ (easier to see the interface)
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Price: $2,699.00 (US)

iMac
CPU: M4 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Price: $2,099.00 (US)

Mac mini – UPDATED
CPU: M4 Pro 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 1 TB
Gigabit Ethernet
Price: $1,599.00 (US)

High-End

MacBook Pro – UPDATED
CPU: M4 Max, 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU
Size: 16″ (easier to see the interface)
RAM: 36 GB
Storage: 2 TB
Price: $3,899.00 (US)

iMac
CPU: M4 10-core
RAM: 32 GB
Storage: 2 TB
Price: $2,699.00 (US)

Mac mini – UPDATED
CPU: M4 Pro 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU
RAM: 24 GB
Storage: 2 TB
1G Ethernet (10G if your network supports it)
Thunderbolt 5
Price: $2,199.00 (US)

SUMMARY

It’s important to remember that you don’t need to buy the fully-loaded version of any system to get serious work done. Apple charges a fortune for RAM and storage. You can buy more RAM, but I wouldn’t buy more than 48 GB; your system won’t use it for video editing. More GPUs are better than boodles of RAM.

Also, it is FAR cheaper to buy external storage, while providing room on your internal drive for macOS, applications and work files. If you need real speed, buy external Thunderbolt 5 SSDs when they become available.


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59 Responses to Configure an M4 Mac for Video Editing

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  1. Ethan says:

    Hi Larry,
    I’m debating going with an m4 pro Mac mini (or possibly studio) with 48 gb ram or a 265k intel ultra pc build with a b580 12gb GPU for my next editing machine. Id like to future proof 4K to 6k projects with vfx and 3D modeling and possible work with unreal engine. I don’t have any loyalty to Mac or windows and have used both in the past and am just wondering which would be the more powerful editing/vfx station.

    Thanks

    • Larry says:

      Ethan:

      I’ve never used Windows for video editing or 3D work, so I can’t provide a comparison. However, based on my tests, if the speed of your storage supports it, the M4 Pro Mac mini easily edits frame sizes up to 12K, multicam up to the limit of the NLE, and provides power to burn for any application optimized for Apple silicon systems.

      And there’s the rub: 1. Storage speed is more important that computer chip. 2. applications running in Rosetta (i.e. still using Intel code) are not as fast as Apple silicon native. 3. More GPUs provide better performance than more RAM; there’s no reason to buy the maximum RAM, but lots of reasons to buy the most GPUS. 4. Inherent software limitations affect performance more than hardware limitations. For example, no NLE exports faster than about 1.2 GB/second, regardless of hardware. 5. For maximum future proofing, get a system that supports Thunderbolt 5; i.e. M4 Pro or M4 Max.

      Just my thoughts.

      Larry

  2. Tom says:

    Hi Larry,
    I have an iMac 2017 but is getting slow (even booting from a 2Tb Samsung T7). I’m going to invest in an Apple Studio Display and Mac mini, so I can switch every 4-5 years the mini and still have the gorgeous 5k screen.

    I mostly do webdesign with dreamweaver, some Lightroom and illustrator, real estate videos with lots of Motion VFX effects (2min max) and short instagram video reels and trying getting into music with Logic Pro.

    I don’t see the Mac mini M4 – 10CPU, 10GPU 24 RAM 512GB on the list, isn’t it between budget and better performance or is 24 RAM on the base 10CPU 10GPU not worth it? The apple studio is expensive so trying to save money on the mini for now …

    Thanks!

    • Larry says:

      Tom:

      Thanks for writing. There are multiple ways to build any Mac, I picked those that made the most sense. Here are my thoughts on your proposed system.

      1. ABSOLUTELY, upgrade your gear. Life will be faster and easier.
      2. For your work, the M4 Mac mini is an excellent choice. You are doing a lot of creative work, but from the computer’s point of view, there’s no heavy lifting.
      3. 512 GB is too small. Yes, I know, it’s cheap. But getting this is penny wise and pound foolish. Get the 1 TB version. Truly.
      4. 24 GB of RAM is fine.
      5. The Apple Studio Display is long in the tooth and overpriced. It is rumored to be replaced in the next few months. It also is not fully color accurate for sRGB (stills) or Rec. 709 (video). You also pay extra for the stupid stand. Take a look at monitors from BenQ – cheaper, more accurate, better stand and fully Mac compatible. I own one and like it.

      Keep your T7 – you’ll be able to use it with your new gear. Have fun with it.

      Larry

      • Tom says:

        Thanks for the fast answer.
        Yes, I was looking at the new BenQ 4K 27” | MA270U, a lot cheaper and still Mac friendly. And the ViewFinity S9 27″ Samsung 5K seems also a good alternative but seen a lot of bad reviews …
        The new Apple Studio Display is rumoured but will it be the same price and color accurate … maybe they just update to 120ghz and double the price

  3. Tom says:

    Just reading that the BenQ MA270U doesn’t have a thunderbolt connection but they say it is Mac friendly?
    The PD2725U does have one, so this model would be a better buy right?

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