Imac 5K VS Macbook Pro For Editing?

Hello, my name is Sam and I am currently editing on my mid 2009 macbook pro 17" laptop. I have a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and I upgraded my ram to 8GB. I have been using this laptop for editing videos since I got it in 2009.
Up until now I have been shooting on DSLR and recording and editing in H.264 using Premier Pro CS6. Now I am starting to shoot higher quality videos in RAW and editing in prores 422. I just shot a music video using a Canon 5D Mark 3 with magic lantern shooting RAW and now that I am in the editing stage I find my computer is very slow. I can easily scrub through the footage in the timeline or when I want to preview it but when I want to use magic bullet looks, denoiser or anything of the sort, it takes 30 seconds to render one frame of footage. This video will be about 6 minutes long so 8,640 frames given that I am editing at 24fps. So if I use my computer it will take roughly 259,200 seconds (4,320 minutes) to render which is equivalent to exactly 72 hours or 3 days.
So I think it is time to update my system but after comparing the new iMac 5K to the 15" macbook pro with similar specs, it looks like the macbook pro is a better machine and is $630 cheaper.
Below is a photo of the two computers and the specs I would upgrade (Also the specs were chosen to make them as similar as possible). The only real difference in the hardware are the graphic cards as the iMac has the option to upgrade to the AMD Radeon R9 M295X 4GB GDDR5 instead of the 2GB which only added $250 to the system. So the Macbook Pro is still $380 cheaper.
So basically, I don't know which computer would be better a better choice for edit video on in Premiere Pro. Besides the obvious fact that the iMac has a 27" 5K monitor, what system will perform better for what I am doing? And mobility is not an issue so it doesn't matter if I can travel with it or not. I just want the computer that can handle the job.
Thank you,
Sam

thebigother wrote:
Thanks. At this point, portability isn't that important which is why I'm thinking of the upgrade. How do you figure that the iMac is better. The specs on my MBP are still superior with the i7 at 2.5GHz vs the iMacs i5 at 3.5GHz.... hm.. isn't the i7 faster than the i5?
Not in this case. The iMac has a "Haswell' CPU whereas the MBP has a 'Sandy Bridge' CPU, two different generations of processors. To graphically illustrate the performance differences between the two options look at the respective machines in this link:
https://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks
Note that the iMac registers a score of 3893 vs the MBP score of 2700. In real world terms, differences of a couple of hundred points often is inconsequential, but here we are dealing with a very significant difference of over a thousand points.
If portability is not a requirement and the bank account is fat, the iMac is by far the better choice. A larger and better display combined with much superior CPU and GPU.
Ciao.

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An Intel iMac AND a MacBook Pro for Logic Pro?

I am torturing myself over this issue lately so any input you guys could offer would be welcome!
This is the situation:
After 3 months of serious debating whether to purchase a 20" Intel iMac or a MacBook Pro for Logic Pro, I went ahead about 3 weeks ago and got the iMac. My reasoning behind this was that even though I found the portability of the MBP very desirable, the iMac simply represented a better value with the big screen and bigger hard drive. Since getting it, I must say I love this machine and I have not had one single problem with it. Logic 7.2 runs like a dream on it. By the way, aside from maintaing my iTunes Library, occasional iLife stuff and web surfing with Safari, this iMac is for music production only.
But here's the problem:
Still, I can't seem to shake the desire for OCCASSIONAL portability. Keep in mind, I am only a "serious" music hobbyist; I create instrumental hip-hop, trip-hop, electronica style of music mainly with software instruments, loops and breakbeats. So needless to say, I don't tour or do a lot of travelling. But the prospect of being able to compose tracks or make beats in Logic anywhere is DESIRABLE to say the least. I could compose while sitting on the couch watching a game or laying in bed - even though I have no idea of how often I'd actually do that, just having the ability to do it is VERY APPEALING to me. Throw in the fact that the iMac currently shares deskspace with a PC that my wife uses - meaning that I often have to stop what I'm doing to let her use the space. With a laptop, I could move and still continue my flow. Lastly, I unfortunately have bad knees and a bad back so after a couple of hours (or 3 or 4) of sitting at the desk working on Logic, I am seriously hurting. Not comfortable at all. At least owning a MacBook would give me the option to move around to some place more comfortable if I desire.
So...
Even though I recently bought a wonderful iMac that works great, I'm seriously considering getting a 1.83 MBP with at least 1GB of RAM and the 100GB/7200 RPM drive to accompany it just for the portability factor. Sure, I could get a used G4 PowerBook or iBook, but all I own is the Universal Binary of Logic Pro; I would have a hard time accepting the decrease in speed I've gotten use to on the Core Duo. Besides, I inherently have a problem buying something (even used) that I know is old and out of date when the latest and greatest is available.
So here is the $25,000 question: Am I nuts for even considering this? Am I placing too much of a premium on the portability as I would use it?
This could easily be justified if I was a working musician on the road, but that ain't me. And you can believe that I'm definately not rich and thus don't have money lying around.
But I have obsessed over this so much lately, I feel that I almost have to get it just to put my mind at ease! I even briefly considered putting the iMac on eBay and just buying a MBP to replace it, but I love the screen real estate I get with the 20" iMac and I question if I'll be truly satisfied with a 15.4" screen FULL TIME. 17" might be better, but I doubt if I can wait until June for them to arrive. In addition, everything would connected via my wireless LAN and .Mac so file sharing should not be an issue.
Help!!!
What would you do? Sell the iMac or just get a MBP as cheap as I can?
Opinions, Please!
20" iMac Core Duo, 2GHz, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HD, 128MB VRAM Mac OS X (10.4.4)

I love the portability my powerbook gives me. You can use a PB in your setup. You can run an external monitor for either PB or MBP. You can node. Universal Binary menas it is an application which has the components written for both PPC and Intel chips-so you don't need to do conversion. Nodes won't require you buy a nother license. so the answer is down to how much the 2 upgrades and 1 crossgrades will set you back vs how much use you'll get out of them. IMO the iMac is inexpensive (I mean that in a good way-worth hooding on to). Maybe just look at a refurb PB unless you really have the extra cash.

IMac vs. Macbook Pro for Art and Design Student

Hello,
first off, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong section of the forums - it seemed like the best place, but I wasn't entirely sure.
Secondly, I can imagine you guys get asked this question a lot, so i guess I'm sorry for that!
Here's the situation - I'm going to College in England this September. I need a computer to accompany me with my course, and what I'll be doing with it. I'm studying Art and Design, but I already have a strong interest and a lot of experience in graphic design, vector illustration and web design - so it needs to fit my personal use as well.
I knew instantly that I not only wanted but needed an iMac. I saved up, compared the models and then, rather unfortunately, came to a stop.
Here's the problem - I need the processing power to handle the full Adobe CS5 suite, some 3D modelling and rendering and plenty of photos and music. However, Portability would be nice... although my college has 3 Mac suites, I think that being able to carry my work around and edit on the go will be an obvious plus. If I do go for the iMac, do you recommend me getting the 21.5" or the 27"? I (just) have money for either so that isn't really a problem, but is it worth the extra money for a larger screen and better graphics? Is the Macbook Pro powerful enough? The way I see it, I'm spending £2000+ To only get near the power of the iMac...
I hope you guys can help me out here, and thank-you in advance!
(And sorry for the long post...!)
Message was edited by: ubermatik

Hi Bee!
Thanks very much for your advice!
However, why do you suggest the 21.5" over the 27"? Do you think it is worth the extra screen size, because I can afford either?
It seemed to me that the iMac was the best option also - I'm in need of the power, but I'm still deliberating over size.
Also, on a side note, do you know of any iPhone apps that can help me with transferring files from home to college I'm getting an iPod Touch as part of the new deal Apple are running and I just wondered if there were any apps that I would find handy for transporting files etc.?
Thanks again!

Looking to buy new MacBook Pro for editing with Premiere/After Effects, but wondering about trade-off between Processor Speed and Graphics Card

I'm a professional video editor (using Premiere and After Effects) looking to buy a new MacBook Pro and am deciding between two models. The slightly older model has a 2.8GHZ i7 (3rd generation) Quad Core processor with a 1GB SDRAM of NVIDIA GE FORCE GT 650M Graphics Card. Then newer model has a 2.3GHZ i7 (4th generation) Quad Core preocessor with 2GB SDRAM of NVIDIA GE FORCE 750M/Intel Iris Pro Graphics Card.
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Poikkeus wrote:
1. Your MBP will be somewhat slower than your iMac, as reflected in the general speed; desktop Macs have more RAM and storage.
You recon? If he get's the 17", he would have up to 8x more RAM, 4 x more GPU,, and a bit faster CPU;.
2. Be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of extra RAM. Loading up the slot will make juggling multiple applications easier, like Photoshop, VLC, and Safari. However, more than 4gigs of RAM will make loading your MBP on startup twice as slow - at least a minute, probably longer. That's why a MBP user with extra RAM should sleep their machine nearly always when not in use, rather than powering off.
I did not know this, I just upgraded from 4gb to 8gb the other day. Have not noticed it being slower, but I don't often shut it down. It's nice to not even have to bother with ifreemem.
3. Additional storage and RAM will maximize the basic capabilities of your MBP, but you won't be able to make a 2.3ghz machine any faster than it already is.
SSD
4. I still feel that your iMac will be faster than your prospective MBP. The only way to dramatically increase the speed would be the installation of a SSD drive (like the lauded OWC series). But they're not cheap.
I don't want to rain on your parade, but want you to get a more realistic idea of your performance.
I chose a macbook pro, 17" of cause. I use it for gaming. Yes a iMac is better for gaming. But, it's nice to be able to move around. Set up a man cave in the lounge 1 week, or in the bedroom, the next. But you fork out a lot more dosh for that luxury. And yes, not as much power as Poikkeus has said.

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- or do I require a Macbook Pro with its separate graphics card?
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I'd like to buy a macbook pro for video editing on the go and with all the available features, I can't tell which is best.
I use final cut pro 7 and all footage is HD.
RAM?
7200rpm vs. 5400 ?
DUAL CORE vs. QUAD
INTEL GRAPHICS?
RETINA?
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- Get either a 7200 or SSD internal drive
*You'll need an external hard drive that runs at least 7200rpm for your media (scratch disk)
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- Slower CPU with more RAM means that procesess get covered by the additonal RAM, but will take longer to render and preview during editing.
*So when choosing CPU and RAM, do not sacrifice one for the other.
You can always upgrade RAM later if you can't afford it now.
- Retina? Doesn't make much of a difference for you. You're not editing 4k video so chose what you like better, or can afford.
Here a post that goes over some basics

What upgrades should I get for my MacBook pro for video editing?, What upgrades should I get for my MacBook pro for video editing?

Hi,
i am a student and I will use my MacBook pro to edit my movies, I will go to a film school and I think the preview of my previous works has to be professionally done. But I don't know what upgrades should I get to make the editing smooth, and have enough storage.

as an hobbyist on a shoestring budget, but with the head in the sky, based on my own experience:
8GB Ram is ok, 16GB is nice
most important, aside 'skills': …
<voice of Steve Balmer> ext HDD, ext HDD, ext HDD, ext HDD!!!
I'm handling here 4k material on a MacMini, which doesn't even have a dedicated GPU. In Multicam.
Distribute your materials on several hard drives, make a plan first, before editing, what & where, you get instantly messy and lost without a plan.
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For professional 'look' care for the other stuff :
tripod with 'fluid head', lights, more lights, ND filters set, ext. microphone(s) at last a shotgun and a lav, ext audio recorder (I'm abusing my ol' iPhone4 and a tiny box called iRig, which offer XLR connector), did I mention lights? , a good bag and a waterproof, lockable aluminium box, soft boxes for light, maybe a shoulder rig (starting at 80€), 200sq ft of some green cloth for green screening (if your school doesn't offer a 'studio') FCPX does marvel with even really bad lighted green screens, those handy foldable 'brighteners'/reflectors, to bounce light ('Rembrandt lightning') … finally tons of odds and ends, starting with gaffer tape, ending with SDcards ...
And DO things, try things, play with your stuff, make experiments just for the trash bin!
Enjoy your film school (I'm envy… )

How to optimize macbook pro for video editing and 3d animation

Hello Everybody - I've had a macbook pro for about 5 years now. It works great, havn't had any issues with it yet, but I've started doing more video editing and 3D animation work on it with FCP7 and Blender (usually using photoshop at the same time). Even when I quit all other programs, it's not really able to handle many things I try to do in Blender (for example cloth simulation) and I end up waiting a while with the wheel of death and then having to force quit. I'm not in the position to buy an entirely new macbook pro right now - so I'm wondering if there are any ways I can modify my current macbook to render it more able to handle the heavy processing load?
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Memory - 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
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so I'm wondering if there are any ways I can modify my current macbook to render it more able to handle the heavy processing load?
Honestly, IMO, no. Even if you were to upgrade your HDD to a SSD, and increase your RAM, your CPU and GPU just aren't equipped for the tasks you ask of it (and there is no way to upgrade either your CPU or GPU). It would improve performance to upgrade these parts on your machine, no question, but ultimately, the processors would act as a bottleneck for performance/
The latest high end 15'' Macbook Pro vs your model:
The CPU is 7X faster in Geekbench 3 64bit multicore benchmarks
8X the dedicated VRAM as your GPU
Almost 2X the RAM speed for compatible DIMMS.
PCIe storage = 7X the RW speed of your HDD
From Geekbench:

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hey there wintermute,
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What is the best macbook pro for video editing dslr footage?

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It is the GPU that is important. All the CPU's will be fast enough. If you can affords it, the 15" with the NVIDIA GPU is the best.
Ciao.

Macbook pro versus new Mac pro for editing

Hi there,
I have been using my Macbook pro to edit some video I shot on a Canon 5D MarkII. It can be slow...
I was contemplating getting a Mac Pro and tried to find some good info on speed difference between a Macbook pro and a Mac Pro. Obviously RAM, hard drive space will make a difference but I would like to get a general idea. I love the portability of my Macbook pro but could I dramatically increase speed in editing with a Mac Pro? Any good info or links with good info will help!
Best
Paolo

Are you storing your camera footage on the computer's internal system disk?
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Best macbook pro for gopro editing

hi. i am new to the editing world and would like to get a macbook pro, i would use it for homevideo editing from a gopro, holding music and possibly watching the odd movie on it.
i have no clue on what sort of macbook pro id need but id like a retina display? what are the pros and cons of retina? and i would also like the macbook pro to not be slow or lag or crash while im edititng.
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Ross

The best one is the model without the word "Book" in it...
You don't say what you want to edit, but in general, editing is a horsepower game so you'll want a lot of RAM, a fast system disk/SSD and the fastest processors and video board available. Don't expect to do much on the battery because all those resources (plus your external media drives) will severely limit your battery life.
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Backup your user files and folders manually (drag and drop) from all partitions/OS's installed to a external powered drive and disconnect this drive, before proceeding in addition to TimeMachine, Bootable Clones etc.
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BackupLion
http://www.eggfreckles.net/tech/burning-a-lion-boot-disc/
http://eggfreckles.net/tech/installing-lion-clean/
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Other Lion FAQ's answered.
No"Rosetta" sorry.
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iMac4,1Early(Jan-Sept) 2006 17"
iMac4,1Early(Jan-Sept) 2006 20"
iMac4,2Mid(July-Sept) 2006 17"
MacMini1,1(Feb-Sept) Early 2006
MacMini1,1(Sept-Aug) Late 2006
MacBook1,113"(May-Nov 2006)
MacBookPro1,115" A1150 (Jan-May 2006)
MacBookPro1,217" A1151 (Aprl-Oct 2006)
MacBookPro1,115" A1175 (May-Oct 2006)
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These are user to user support forums and Apple doesn't respond here,
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It's possible Apple could be spacing out the downloads as not to knock theservers offline. So be patient.
If after a week or so when the initial rush is over, and you still haven't gotten your Lion, I suggest you contact Apple.
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