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

• Looking to configure an M4 Mac Studio? Read this.
• How I configured the Mac mini that I bought, why I chose those specs, and what I would change now that my tests are complete.
• Performance tests of Apple Final Cut Pro 11 running on four different Macs.
• Performance tests of Adobe Premiere Pro 25 running on four different Macs.
• Performance tests of DaVinci Resolve 19.1 running on four different Macs.
• Performance comparison between Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro and Resolve.

SO, SHOULD YOU BUY ONE?

Maybe.

• If you are on an Intel-based Mac, absolutely. The performance benefits are amazing. In one of my tests, the M4 Pro was 92X!! faster than an i7 Mac mini. That’s just ridiculous. At a minimum, you can expect speed increases between 10X – 25X, along with support for large frame sizes, faster frame rates, and more multicam streams.
• If your current system is not performing well, upgrade. (I provide configuration suggestions below.)
• If you are on an M1, M2, or M3 system, the choice is trickier. If money is tight and your current system meets your needs, don’t upgrade. All M-series Macs support the same level of features in all NLEs and Apple Intelligence.
• If you have an M1, you’ll see a performance benefit to upgrading, but it won’t be huge; about 1.5X to 2.5X faster.
• If you have an M2 or M3 system, I’d recommend you stay put. The M4, while faster, doesn’t justify the cost of the new gear.

Another big benefit to M4-computers – in addition to faster speed – 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 or docks.

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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.