Best for FCP/AfterEffects-laptop or desktop?

Hey folks, I'm putting a suite together for Final Cut/After Effects productions in length of 5-10 min. What kind of performance difference will I see between using a macbook pro (2x2.33 ghz/3Gb ram) VS mac pro desktop (2x3 ghz/2Gb ram)?
I appreciate your responses, and I have received alot of good advice from this forum so far
imac   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   ready for upgrade!

Welcome to the forums.
Desktop. It will run circles around the MacBook Pro in terms of rendering. Huge for After Effects. If you don't need the portability, get the MacPro.
But know that After Effects isn't built for the Intels yet, so it won't function as fast as it could, because it has to work under Rosetta.
Shane

Similar Messages

  • Quicktime version best for FCP 3

    Which version of quicktime is best for FCP 3?

    Well, QT 5 was the one that was out when FCP 3 was popular. But I think you can use QT 6.5 with it as well. Since that is the only one still available at the Apple site, that is the one to try to use.
    And really you should be either on Mac OS 10.1 or 10.2...
    Shane

  • What RAID setup is best for FCP 6?

    I'm new to high-def editing, having evolved out of Canon XL1s mini-DV work on a G4. Now I'm using FCP 6 in OSX 10.5 on a MacPro 2.8gb 8-core, 10gb RAM, RAID card and four 500gb drives. Footage will be from my Sony PMW-EX1 at full resolution 24p (35mbs). I'll be using a tiny bit of very moderate effects including overcranked shots to be slo-mo.
    My question: what would be the best RAID array for me to set up? (Obviously drive 1 will have the apps, so I'm asking: what do I do with drives 2, 3 and 4? Stripe? Raid 5? And should music stay on drive 1?)
    Thanks,
    Shan

    Good question on your part. Thanks. My timeline's going to hover around 90 minutes in length and the video tracks will be around 3 deep. That said, I imagine it might be overkill to set up a RAID but since I'm shooting at a ratio of 20 to 1, my total media storage needs are only about 30 hours. Wouldn't a RAID help ease this edit session? ( <= Not a rhetorical question.)

  • Best computer (laptop or desktop) for Arch

    The title basically says it...what are some computers, either laptops or desktops, that everything works straight out of the box with Archlinux? I'm talking 3D support and everything. Thanks!! (Looking at the hardware compatibility list, it looks like the Dell Latitude D620 completely works :-)

    cpslanet wrote:
    My experience is that pretty much everything works painlessly with linux these days. The only thing you might have to look out for include 1) Soundcard, if you want higher fidelity than some onboard chip. Check alsa status when in doubt. 2) Any other "exotic" hardware such as raid controllers and the like, a quick google should tell you wether a driver exists for the hardware in question. 3) As someone pointed out the proprietary nvidia driver is by far the best at the moment, so better go with that. It should support pretty much any nvidia card out there.
    Choosing arch should mean that even more hardware should be supported since packages are near bleeding edge.
    Pretty much. For some parts you might have to taint your kernel, for example nvidia cards and broadcom wireless chipsets.

  • Best Setup for FCP X

    So...I have a Mac Pro, Dual 2.8 Quad Core with 24 GB of RAM.  I beefed up the video card and the RAM just for FCP X....but I swear, it runs painfully slow.  I'm about to boot this thing and go for portability.  Will the high end Macbook Pro deliver what I think FCP X should be like?

    I feel your pain sszeto.  I still have my old MAC Clone.  Remember the UMAX 900?  I have that in my sailboat and I'm still using it.  Kinda useless but it does the job.
    I still feel that going SSD is the way to go.  Clinton might back me up on this one.
    I believe, and still do that desktop are faster than laptops.  I have a 4 year old i7 920 Windows desktop that is faster in Photoshop than my late 2011 MB Pro.  I just went portable because I travel too much and I hate lugging around my desktop.
    My suggestion: try out the SSD on your Mac PRO and if you feel that it's not helping, when you get your new MB Pro, you can install that SSD in your MB Pro and really see the difference in speed.
    Makes sense?

  • Best computer for FCP

    Greetings,
    I have been editing feature films and video projects on my PowerMac G4 867Mhz for 5 years. I use FCP 5.1 and DVD Studio Pro mostly.
    To replace my computer, I would like to buy a 24" iMac with a 7200rpm Hard Drive for smooth handling of HD footage. Does anyone know how this model performs with Final Cut Studio apps?
    Also, I gave some thought to a MacPro, but it just seems like too much power for what I usually do.
    I was thinking of buying a MacBook Pro, since I mostly do straight cuts and little 3D effects. Also, being mobile is a plus, but the price is a bit steep.
    In addition to the iMac, I would like to buy a MacBook, where I could do simple cuts on the go (I know it is not supported, but many collegues have said FCP works fine on MacBook).
    Any advice/ experience stories are appreciated.
    Thanks in advance.

    While some use the iMac for FCP, it is not an ideal solution as you can not add any additional internal disks for scratch drives nor add a pci firewire card or to isolate the camera from the external drive it is highly recommended you have. In addition, if you do decide to work at higher datarate formats, there is no way to add a pci esata card or an HD card either.
    All in all, not a 'best computer for fcp'.
    Go with a MacBookPro 17" which has a large enough screen to edit with on the go or a MacPro desktop. Both allow for expansion of capabilities.
    good luck.
    x

  • Recommendation on laptop and desktops capable enough for full Adobe suite

    To: Adobe Community
    BACKGROUND:
    I've been using Creative Cloud for about 1 year now, and many of the CS6 titles.  One thing this has exposed with my
    laptop and my desktop is that they no longer have the memory or GPU horsepower to keep up with the software.  For
    example,  Photoshop has many very GPU intensive features, and my sad little Dell Latitude D630 (yes, a 4 year old
    laptop) doesn't even have a GPU that will work, and I can't really add one on for this sad little laptop.  I also have
    a Dell XPS with 2 older nVidia GPUs, and I can use all the new features, but my GPUs sound like they are going to take
    off when the processing gets intense.  So,  I'm looking to get 2 new systems (a desktop and laptop).   
    I've looked at some of the higher end gaming systems, but I'm not really a gamer.  My preference would be to
    get a laptop and desktop that have similar specs so my work can sync through my cloud account as I work on it.
    Too bad this syncronizaton agent is out and won't come back until June 17, anyway, I digress.
    I've been looking at some of these new Intel inspired systems, but haven't really dug into what GPUs they have.
    For the desktop, I need to drive 4 displays.
    QUESTION TO THE COMMUNITY:
    - If anyone has been in a simular situation, and have acquired a new high end system (desktop, laptop, or both)
    to use the Adobe CS6 suite to its max, what system configuration did you go with?
    - Make/model/price, and specs would be appreciated.
    - If you are like me, you probably spend more time and energy researching a system than what it is worth, and compare
    specifications, reviews, etc.  So my goal of this post is to see if folks that have done this research and are
    very happy with what they acquired would be willing to share with others who want to make similar IT upgrades.
    Thanks in advance to anyone who can contriute this info.  Yes, you would be giving away your homework, but making
    others very happy in the process.
    John

    I suggest you go to the Adobe Hardware Forum and see what has been asked many times. Also consult the FAQ section there and look at the popular discussions on the right hand side. Lots of info there. Another source for some ideas may be Intro Part 1 and all of the following pages. Also look at Adobe Community: What PC to build? An update...
    The basic information lacking in your post is available budget for the desktop and budget for the laptop. Without that info, it is impossible to suggest a high end system, also because you don't mention what kind of workflows you have in mind.
    What is high-end for what purpose and with what budget? If the bulk of your work is with Illustrator and PS then high-end means something completely different than using mainly AE and PR. In the latter case the nature of your source material makes a huge difference. Editing 4K material and using multicam edits quite often means a completely different high-end system than single track HDV or P2 material. It can mean the difference between a $ 2K, $ 7K or even a $ 25K machine.
    General advise: Don't buy from a tier 1 company like Dell or HP unless you have a big budget. If you want to save money, build it yourself. If you think you need to buy a system, consider a custom builder. (I have a high-end DIY system, I think, at around € 7K and getting a system with the same performance from HP would cost around € 25K).
    If you want to get the best 'Bang for the Buck', BFTB, you need to build it yourself, assuming video editing is part of your workflow.

  • HT1386 I have upgraded from  an iPhone 4 to a 5 i have an itunes account on my laptop for the 4 and have set up a new account for the 5 on my desktop how do I get my contacts , music, apps and photos over to the 5 from the 4?

    I have upgraded from an iphone to a 5. I have an itunes account on my laptop for the 4 and have started a new itunes account for the 5 on my desktop at work as the laptop was being fixed. I want to transfer all the contacts, apps and music, photos etc from the 4 to the 5 How do I go about this (in dummies language please!)

    iOS: Transferring information from your current iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to a new device

  • If I purchase Adobe Creative Cloud for student, can I have the programmes on both my laptop and desktop for the same price?

    If I purchase Adobe Creative Cloud for student, can I have the programmes on both my laptop and desktop for the same price?

    Cloud License allows 2 activations http://www.adobe.com/legal/licenses-terms.html
    -Install on a 2nd computer http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1452292?tstart=0
    -Windows or Mac does not matter... 2 on the same operating system, or 1 on each

  • Can i use my creative cloud membership on laptop and desktop? Or is one membership needed for each device?

    Can i use my creative cloud membership on laptop and desktop? Or is one membership needed for each device?

    Yes you can!

  • How can I set the Reminders app so that it does not shown my AppleID password as the header for my lists on my desktop or laptop screen?!?

    My Reminders app which I sync with iPad shows my AppleID password as a heading for my lists when I have it open on my screen of my laptop or desktop. The iPad does not reveal the password the same way. Desktop is not so worrisome, but I don't understand why this would happen and is especially weird if I have the app open in public on my laptop.  Is this a default? What do I do to make sure the list does not show by password?  I understand that sharing the Reminders via the iCloud may cause a need to show what Reminder lists are being shared between a device and laptop, but why not a user name instead of the PASSWORD!!!?

    Where in the Reminder's window are you seeing the password.  Here's what my Reminder's window looks like?
    That's Reminders V2.0 on 10.9.4.

  • Hi, I planned to purchase a laptop for me to use for graphic design ..could let me know which laptop would be the best for me to use ? Thank you!

    Hi, I planned to purchase a laptop for me to use for graphic design ..could let me know which laptop would be the best for me to use ? Thank you! Pro or Air

    Someday - and no one knows when that day will come - maybe all applications will be able to take advantage of the Retina display. But for the present, not many do: including all Adobe applications. There was a demo of Photoshop at the Apple World Wide Developers Conference of Photoshop running at native Retina resolutions but no one at Adobe in marketing is saying when, if or how the upgrade may be coming. It could be a week, it could be a year, it could be 2-3 years. No one knows. And only Apple app's (for the main part) are really utilizing the native Retina display.
    I've seen some demos of some applications (Apple's) that take advantage of the Retina display and they're awesome. But in actually working in the here-and-now I've heard quite a few gripes, particularly on the Photoshop forum, of menus looking pixelated and/or 'blurry' so I'm not quite ready to jump into the Retina display boat just now. Don't get me wrong - others have ad are very, very pleased with their selection. But until Retina displays are available on larger monitors, the maximum work area that you're going to be able to use is 15" - and that's simply not enough room for full-blown graphic design. Then there's the cost factor - for the $4,000+ you spend for a completely full-blown Retina kit, you can get a standard MacBook Pro, 16 GB of RAM, a fast SSD and even the Apple Thunderbolt Display for the same amount.
    The standard MacBook Pro isn't better than the Retina display: it's just different. And I think (and this is only my opinion - other graphic designers should feel free to jump in here) that it's the best computer that you can get for your specific purposes. And, towards that goal, I have to recommend a very good external monitor (there's nothing more annoying than having to use InDesign in a single-page mode rather than side-by-side because your monitor isn't big enough).
    Remember that this is only my opinion and that others might jump in with their own. But I was in the electronic pre-press business for more years than I care to admit and we always - always - worked with at least 19" monitors (and that's back when dinosaurs actually ruled the world).
    I hope that others will jump in with their comments. I'm going to follow this thread and see!
    Good luck,
    Clinton

  • Best Camcorder For FCP and FCE

    Right, so I have a rough budget of £500 and I need the best camcorder I can get for money. It must be compatible with FCP and Express. Can anyone out there help me with my predicament??
    Many Thanks

    Better information, you'll get better responses over the next few days, keep reading.
    Best for me includes excellent low light functions and excellent glass. I need neither digital zoom nor auto gain.
    Decide on an acquisition format by determining what you expect to do with the movies you create. You may not need full 1080 but can get by with 720. Resist cameras that record in a codec that must be transcoded before editing.
    bogiesan

  • Need advise on best settings for FCP 7!

    I am looking for some advice on the best settings for FCP 7 when I am syncing sound using pluraleyes, exporting into quicktime as one file and then importing that new file into FCP 7 for editing. I have noticed that sometimes my Quicktime files are very large (20 gb) and sometimes they are much smaller (130 MB), but I never changed the settings.
    I am working on FCP 7 and shot using my Panasonic GH3 at 24 fps (which comes to 23.98). My frame size is 1920x1080. Compressor is H.264. Data rate: 8.6 MB/sec. Audio rate: 48.0 KHz.  I have heard that FCP 7 does not properly deal with H.264. So, I am wondering, what should my settings be?  Should I set to "Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) 1920x1080 24p 48 kHz"?  Is there anything I need to know when I export to Quicktime 7 Pro in order to not reduce the quality of the video? Should I be changing my video files first before I even start to work on them?
    I haven't edited in almost ten years so I am desperate need of some guidance!
    Final Cut Pro 7, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

    Hi Shane Ross,
    Thanks for your help.  So, I already synced all of my interviews in FCP 7 (using pluraleyes) before I changed the video to ProRess 422.  Can I just go into FCP (in the same project) and compress the video footage, import the new video files and throw it into the timeline? Or will this cause issues? I tried this as a test and it seems to be okay but I just want to check that there aren't any issues that I am not considering.
    Also, when I do compress, it seems to take forever (sometimes two hours). Is there any way to make this move along faster?
    Thanks so much!

  • Best screen capture resolution for FCP

    I'm making some tutorials of various computer software.
    I'm going to edit them with FCP.
    I'm using the MAC built in SHIFT-COMMAND - 3 or 4
    in order to snap stills off my screen, and then
    import into Final Cut Pro to edit the tutorials with.
    The stills, once in the timeline, look pretty fuzzy and
    unuseable.
    What have others used in terms of resolution, format and such in order to end up with captures off your screen that you'll bring into FCP that end up looking good if you're
    going to end up going to video or DVD?
    I also have SNAP PRO X to work with, but I still haven't
    found the right format or resolution to get around this problem.
    Any input would be appreciated.
    Thanks.

    Without going into DPI (which is really meaningless in FCP land...as has been argued again and again and again...although if you MUST apply a value just stick in 72, but really it has no effect) the pixel dimensions of stills to import for FCP FULL FRAME are 720x534. Because stills have square pixels and FCP uses rectangular ones. If you want to do any movement on the stills, just increase the dimensions PROPORTIONALLY. 2x would be 1440 x 1064.
    Oh, and as for the blurry issue:
    #2 Playback is blurry
    Shane's Stock Answer #2:
    ONLY JUDGE THE QUALITY OF YOUR MATERIAL ON AN EXTERNAL NTSC MONITOR, OR AT LEAST A TV.
    1. Disable overlays on the canvas
    2. Make sure you've rendered everything (no green bars at the top of the timeline
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=24787
    DV footage requires large amounts of data and many computations. In order to maintain frame rate and be viewable at a normal size, only about one-fourth of the DV data is used in displaying the movie to the screen. However, the DV footage is still at full quality, and is best viewed thru a TV or NTSC monitor routed thru your camera or deck.
    For this, and other exciting stock answers visit www.proapptips.com

Maybe you are looking for