[ Updated July 9, 2023, to reflect recent testing of an M2 Max Mac Studio and the release of the M2 Ultra SoC. ]
Using computers for video production and editing no longer requires state-of-the-art hardware. That is a hard sentence to write, but it is most certainly true.
For more than two decades recording, editing, and playing digital video on a computer took the fastest hardware available – and then some. But no longer. Today, virtually any computer or mobile device can play and record video. While not all of them edit video equally well, even editing has become commonplace on most devices.
We only need to scroll through endless Facebook pages to realize that videos are ubiquitous.
This is not to say that, when it comes to professional work, faster computers or larger storage are not necessary. But, unlike the early years of this century where meeting the demands of video editors required Apple to keep improving its technology, those days are gone.
The state-of-the-art has moved on to other areas of computing.
All images courtesy: Apple, Inc.
When Apple silicon chips are described as simultaneously playing almost 20 streams of 8K ProRes video, you know that this hardware is more than adequate for virtually every filmmaker. That, I suspect, is why Apple no longer uses Final Cut Pro when showcasing new chips. Once a chip is fast enough, there’s not a whole lot new to show. (I mean, really, how often are you streaming more than a dozen 8K ProRes video clips in an edit?)
Instead, Apple highlights software for 3D modeling, Photoshop rendering, or compiling code. Today’s computers are more than fast enough for video editing.
REVIEWS
The new M2 family of chips are exciting. They edit smoother, render faster and output more quickly than any other system. Faster than an M1 system and DRAMATICALLY faster than Intel gear.
For example, I was editing a recent webinar, which used ProRes 4444 for source files. I recently souped-up my MacBook Pro system, running an M1 Pro SoC, with an SSD RAID. I was seeing render speeds up to 900 MB/second. Exports were running around 350 MB/second. Editing was smooth and I didn’t need to render to see most effects.
The system was a delight. Then I bought a new M2 Mac Studio and discovered it was even faster!
Given that, here are my thoughts on hardware as you look to upgrade your system. You can spend as much as you want – but you don’t need the top-of-the-line to get your work done.
THOUGHTS ON WHAT TO BUY
Intel Systems
If you are still on an Intel system, at some point you’ll need to upgrade to Apple silicon. There are already features that only run on newer systems. This is not to say that your existing Intel gear is no good, simply that you’ll benefit from the newer hardware. The speed benefits are dramatic and instantaneous.
When you do, keep your existing Intel gear and don’t upgrade it. That way, you have an older system to refer to when you need to open an older project.
M2 – M2 Pro – M2 Max – M2 Ultra
When the Mac Studio was announced, I realized that, for video editing, the M1 Max was more than sufficient. Yes, the M1 Ultra was faster, but the M1 Max did everything we needed for virtually all editing – even that atypical 8K job.
The same reasoning applies to the M2 family. The M2 Ultra is amazing, but, as video editors we don’t need it.
Based on what I read, the specs of the M2 Max are only slightly less powerful than the M1 Ultra. And based on my tests, the M2 Max edits every form of video up to 12K at 60 fps and supports dozens of 4K multicam streams! You don’t need the M2 Ultra to get your work done.
The big differences between the M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max and M2 Ultra are memory bandwidth (100, 200, 400 or 800 GB/s), total RAM, media engines (1 vs. 2) and Thunderbolt ports (4, 6, or 8). The media engines support HEVC, H.264 and ProRes encoding and decoding.
NOTE: Cinema style editing benefits from the single media engine. Multicam editing will benefit from the second media engine in the M2 Max/Ultra. However, in either case, if your media is not HEVC, H.264 or ProRes, having a media engine won’t make any difference. Switching to optimizing media or creating ProRes proxies will benefit from the speed of this built-in media engine.
CPU core counts are the same for both M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The CPU is used for managing the interface, importing clips, editing tools and timeline, positioning and scaling clips. The GPUs are used to change the look of pixels. For example, dissolves, color grading and effects renders.
Both the M2 Pro and M2 Max are more than sufficient for 4K (and smaller frame size) editing. Both are more than sufficient for multicam editing (provided your storage is fast enough). Larger multicam projects with larger frame sizes will benefit from using the M2 Max.
For multicam editing, the gating factor isn’t the CPU, it’s the size and speed of your storage. For any multicam editing of more than a few streams, an SSD RAID is essential.
CPU & GPU Cores
Based on watching Activity Monitor during an edit, I have not seen where any software – Final Cut, Premiere, or DaVinci – maxes out CPU or GPU core usage of an M-series system.
Remember, regardless of the number of GPU cores, the image quality is the same. More cores gets you more speed – assuming that all cores are fully involved. What I’ve seen, however, is that many cores are not busy during render or output.
RAM
My current 16″ MacBook Pro has 32 GB of RAM and I’ve had zero problems editing. What extra RAM gets you is more file cacheing. That is, portions of clips are loaded into RAM, which makes access during editing faster. However, if you store files on the internal drive of your Mac, or an external SSD, that storage is SO fast that cacheing has only limited benefits. If you are using spinning media, you’ll benefit from more RAM. But, if you are using internal or external SSD storage, the benefits of cacheing are reduced.
My recommendation is to get a system with 32 or 64 GB of RAM. You can get more, but you won’t see a boost in performance.
Storage
Apple charges a ridiculous amount for internal SSD storage. More storage is good, however, you need to balance the cost of internal vs. external storage.
Most video projects today require multiple terabytes of storage. This means that, in most cases, you’ll need to add storage to your system.
I recently upgrading my main editing system to an M2 Mac Studio, which currently has:
Adding the SSD RAID made a big improvement in the responsiveness of my system.
My recommendation is an editing system with 1 – 2 TB of internal storage.
Other Options
I am very grateful that Apple added more ports to their hardware. That simplifies my life a lot – especially on the road. However, I’ve also found the CalDigit TS-4 dock to be extremely useful with its 13 ports of connectivity.
A 10G Ethernet connector provides faster access to servers, provided your network is configured to support the faster speed.
And while smaller screens travel more easily, I find larger screens more helpful in video editing simply because the interface is easier to see and work with.
SUMMARY
Digital video no longer requires state-of-the-art hardware. We no longer need the biggest, fastest, most powerful system to get our work done. Rather, these latest systems continue to get faster which means that we continue to save time in getting our work done.
But we don’t need to spend extra money to get the top-of-the-line. The very best no longer makes a significant difference in how long it takes to get our work done. A mid-range choice is fine.
Just my thoughts.
94 Responses to How to Configure M2 Macs for Video Production and Editing
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Marc Batschkus says:
January 23, 2023 at 3:51 am
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Larry says:
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Newer Comments →Dear Larry,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments on current hardware, performance, and the actual needs for video editing. That is (as always) very helpful and clear.
Since you also mention “cold storage” I would like to point out that this is for a lot of productions an area to look at and improve. Files are getting so big that it makes less sense to keep completed projects on larger RAIDs. It simply is too costly (power, capacity, upgrades etc.). For this LTO tape is a much more attractive solution with a lower price point per TB, a very long shelf life and virtually no electric power cost.
Additionally, once a tape is written and on the shelf it is also totally secure from any online attack and ransomware. Add a powerful archive software like Archiware P5 and you get a MAM-like catalog of all completed media and projects to restore at any time a returning customer asks for it. This perspective easily gets overlooked when looking at new editing speeds and options. Completed work needs to be around and is expected by existing customers to be safely stored. (Conflict of interest declared: I work for Archiware)
Marc:
It is always good to hear from you. And, you are correct. Archiving projects you need to keep, but don’t need to access, is the perfect reason for using LTO tape.
Larry
Checking the prices of LTO drives and tapes, it seems rather illogical to consider that route unless you are a big hollywood producer.
Christopher:
You are partially correct. While an LTO tape is far less than the cost of a hard drive, the cost of the LTO drive itself is high. Worse, they only connect via SAS, which means that we need to spend almost as much again to get a Thunderbolt or USB-C connection. The big benefit to LTO, though, is that tapes last 30-35 years, a tape library is infinitely expandable and the software to archive and access stored files continues getting better.
I wouldn’t class LTO as at the Hollywood Producer level, but any production company that creates five to six figure projects could easily add one to their budget.
Larry
Larry, what are your thoughts regarding an M2 or the potential price savings on an outgoing M1?
Tom:
Any M system should be fine for editing. Currently, the Mac Studio only has M1 chips inside – but they are still blindly fast. I think you should buy the M2 Mac Mini over the M1. I think either the M1 or M2 MacBook Pros are fine for editing.
I would avoid a simple M1 or M2, and opt for an M1 Pro/Max or M2 Pro/Max instead. Not because the M1/M2 is bad, simply that they Pro/Max versions have much more power.
Larry
Happy New Year! You must have read my mind with this article. I reached out to you back in Sept.’22 about buying a new MacBook Pro and you suggested I wait. That was great advice! So now I am ready to buy and your article answered many questions regarding Ram, Cores and avoiding the standard M1/M2. As I am doing mostly simple single camera editing (with an occasional 3 camera shoot) and deliver in HD/4K, I need to make a decision between the older M1 and newer M2. Like a previous comment, any last words?
Seth:
An older M1 Pro/Max vs and new M2 Pro/Max? Either one will easily do what you need to do. I’m totally happy with my M1 Pro MacBook Pro. But, if I were buying now, and I could afford it – which is not always the case – I’d get the M2 Pro or Max for a laptop.
Larry
Thanks Larry. Exactly the advice I was looking for. Have a great day.
Larry,
Really appreciate your thoughts on this. I was just about to pull the trigger on a business lease for a Mac Studio. These only have the M1 chip, but I suspect that is fine. I’m wondering about the difference between the M1 Max and the M1 Ultra. I was going for the Ultra, but after reading this post, I’m thinking that might be overkill and I could save a little money with the Max and still get work done. I AM a professional user, feature films and television work, not a whole lot of multicam, but do have have a feature coming up that will be two-cameras at times, and also in the middle of a feature I’ve been cutting in DaVinci Resolve.
Do you think I can probably make this work with the Studio M1 Max – 64 gig RAM – instead of the ULTRA? Could save me some money. Appreciate your response.
In thinking about this further, I’ve read your previous comments now, and I’m wondering if the Studio is overkill in itself? Based on what you’ve written – do you think a M2 MINI with the Pro chip, 32gb GPU, and a 1tb hard-drive would be enough for a Pro User? Of course I don’t know if my favored APPs – Avid, primarily, DaVinci, and Adobe – have been qualified for the M2 chip yet – so that is also a concern.
You will not be blamed. I take full responsibility for my decisions. 🙂
Paul:
If you aren’t doing multicam, the M1 Max will be more than fine. I agree, 64 GB of RAM is worth the extra money. You could also use an M2 Mac mini (32 GB RAM, M2 Pro, 1 TB). Feature film editing is creatively challenging, but doesn’t require high-end hardware. As always, lots of fast storage is key. A high-end Mac Mini is $1899. A mid-range Mac Studio is $2599 ($2999 with 2 TB storage). I lean toward the mid-range Mac Studio, but you could go either way.
Thank you for you thoughts, Larry. I appreciate them.
Cheers,
Paul
Paul:
Happy to help.
Larry
The research you have been sharing in your newsletter the past couple months has been very informative. I have the intel 27 iMac and want to upgrade. I recently bought a Sony A1, and shoot most of my video in 8K. I am trying to decide on the new Mac mini M2 Pro to the Studio M1 Max, any thoughts or recommendations?
Jay:
What codec does the Canon shoot? What software are you using to edit it? Are you using proxies during the rough cut? And is this single camera or multicam?
Larry
Just out of curiosity, what monitors are people using with the Mac Studios or Mac minis? Or even as a monitor for MacBook Pro editing?
Kristen:
Popular Mac monitors are made by Apple, LG and Samsung. Dell and ViewSonic are very popular on PCs.
Larry
So many choices!!! I’d love to hear which other editors are using…if anyone wants to share. I have always used Apple displays but considering new Mac Studio or mini and looking to not pay Apple monitor price.
Serendipity strikes again? After 26+ crashes in a row with a 5-cam project using both HD and 4K source media, I was persuaded to replace my 2013 27″ iMac running Mojave and FCPX 14.6 with a 2021 24″ iMac with an M1 8-core CPU and 16GB RAM, pairing it with a Samsung T-7 SSD for editing. I upgraded to FCP 10.6.5 and Ventura with no crashes since, but have experienced significant, annoying pauses and balking due to effects rendering, clip placement, etc.
Then Apple made the M2 announcement (still within the 14-day return window!) so tomorrow I’m picking up a Mac Mini with Apple M2 Pro with 10‑core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine, 16GB unified memory.
My question for you — will this configuration likely solve my problem and/or should I replace the T-7 with a faster and/or RAID editing drive? Many, many thanks in advance, not to mention the nick of time!
Tom:
Hmm…. something else is causing the spinning beach ball. The T-7 is PLENTY fast for multicam editing. I don’t initially suspect it. Make sure it is formatted as APFS, NOT HFS+.
The Mac mini should FLY through this project. If you are still getting spinning beach balls, you either have a corrupted project or bad media. This article may help.
https://larryjordan.com/articles/heres-an-undocumented-project-repair-feature-in-final-cut-pro/
Larry
Great thoughts! I’m looking to upgrade my 27″ intel iMac and am looking at the Mac Mini (for the first time). My question is this: what do you suggest for an external RAID system? You mention your system is an “5 TB external SSD RAID.” Any recommendations?
James.
That depends. Hard disk RAIDs are fine me for HD and 4K. But an SSD RAID is necessary for larger frame sizes or serious multicam work.
I like RAIDs from OWC and Promise Technology.
Larry
Hi, Larry. Just stumbled across your article since I’m wondering what the best option for an entry-level Mac for video editing would be.
I’m hoping to get into editing for purely hobbyist projects, likely 30+ minute projects done with short recordings, stock clips, and transitions and some soft editing. Part of me is tempted by a base-spec M2 Pro Mini but the more I look into things the more I hear conflicting information about how much investment into the specs is necessary. Upgrade the chip and stick on 32GB RAM and 1TB Storage and the Mini is now the same price as a refurbished M1 Max Studio, and at that point I really worry I’m buying into hardware I won’t need at this stage.
What’s your recommendation for an amateur’s model? Where’s the line between having enough without wasting money on having too much?
Appreciated.
Aaron:
Like all things in tech, the answer “depends.”
It depends upon whether you are editing single camera or multicam, HD or 4K images, SDR or HDR, daily or every so often, and so on.
However, the CPU of any computer released in the last five years can edit video. Key areas to focus on are the amount of RAM (I recommend 32 GB), the speed of the GPU and the speed and capacity of your storage. Based on your description, the Mac mini meets your needs. You can buy the Mac Studio, but you don’t NEED the Mac Studio. Personally, I would get the M2 Pro version of the Mac mini, but, again, you don’t need it, the M2 Mac mini (with sufficient RAM and 1 TB of storage) will be enough.
Larry