#Best mac pro for 4k video software
#Best mac pro for 4k video series

For everyday computing use, the speed difference between an SSD and a spinning-platter hard drive is vast, since an SSD's main skill is decreasing boot times and making apps load faster. In essentially all cases these days, this means configuring a laptop with a solid-state drive (SSD), which can access data much faster than older spinning drives. To complete the trifecta of principal specs, you'll want a fast boot drive. Should I Get a Hard Drive or an SSD (or Both) in a Video Editing Laptop? The cost is often prohibitive, however, and we think the money is better spent on a faster CPU, so we're calling 16GB the sweet spot. For many consumer ultraportables, this is the limit, although you can now order creator-class laptops with 32GB or more. AMD and Intel use the same conventions (barring the 'G' in AMD's case) on their mobile CPUs.Īs for main system memory, a good rule of thumb is that you should select a laptop with 16GB of RAM. They offer more addressable cores and threads, higher voltages, and sometimes faster clock speeds than alternatives designed for thin-and-light laptops (the U series, which nowadays end in a 'U' or 'G,' with the G followed by a number).

#Best mac pro for 4k video series

In general, CPUs with the power-laptop-oriented H series from AMD or Intel (look for an 'H' toward the end of the CPU's model name) will be the best match for video editing. The principle is the same for video-editing software such as Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, which are engineered to distribute compute tasks over multiple cores just like Cinebench.

Although multiple factors can influence the score, in general, the more (and faster) cores the CPU has and the more addressable threads it supports, the quicker the image renders.

#Best mac pro for 4k video software

This test uses software from video-effects titan Maxon to spit out a proprietary score based on how quickly the PC can render a 3D image. (For a broader overview of laptop CPUs, check out our deep-dive guide on understanding the CPUs that go into notebooks.)įor a bird's-eye view of how a higher processor core count increases performance, you'll want to check out how well the laptop you're considering fares on our Cinebench benchmark, which is listed in the performance section of each review.

High-end laptop chips can support up to eight cores and 16 threads. Any chip that you are eyeing for serious video work should have at least four cores and support multithreading for eight concurrent threads of processing. To find out more about the CPU in the laptop you're eyeing, look it up in Intel's product directory or an AMD's Ryzen CPU product pages. Multithreading, which enables each core to handle two processing threads simultaneously, is also important. Most applications are optimized to take advantage of modern multi-core CPUs, which usually means that the more cores you have, the better. The two most important laptop components for video editors are the CPU and memory. The Key Engines of Editing: CPU and Memory Neither will you get much use out of a touch screen or a convertible laptop that doubles as a tablet, unless you're looking for a machine that you'll also use for web browsing and watching videos after the end of a long day of shooting and editing. If editing on the road is a must, you might want a spare power adapter for hotel rooms, and make sure your flight has in-seat power outlets before you buy a ticket. Chief among them is battery life, since video editing consumes so much power that your laptop will probably spend most of its time plugged in. A comfortable keyboard is a must, too, since keyboard shortcuts help streamline many editing tasks, from starting and stopping playback to adding keyframes.įinally, there are a few features common on laptops that you don't need to worry about when buying a mobile video-editing station. So is weight, since even a few extra pounds could push your already heavy bag over an airline's weight limit or make your carry-on too fat to fit into an overhead bin.ĭisplay specs are especially important, especially if you plan on using your laptop for more advanced editing tasks such as shading and color correction. Best Malware Removal and Protection Softwareĭevoting most of your budget to a powerful CPU, a buffed-up graphics card, and many gigabytes of memory is a safe bet, but ancillary features such as storage, input/output options, and the operating system are far more important factors for you than they are for the average laptop shopper.