Mac Mini & Final Cut Pro X: Intel Core i5 vs. Intel Core i7?

The Intel Core i5 is a dual-core, while the Intel Core i7 is a quad-core. Which one should I get and which one is more beneficial? Will I notice a difference in performance between the two? Besides FCPX, I'm also going to be listening to music, browsing the Internet, creating discs, and playing games. I know that the Macs no longer have a disc drive, but I am going to be buying an external disc drive.

Like woodmeister50, I generally buy the top of the model line (I have a late 2012 Mac mini with the 2.6GHz i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and Fusion drive) on the theory it will perform well enough to last through at least one more generation before I am longing for an upgrade. That said, given what you say you are planning to do with your Mac mini you are unlikely to notice a difference in performance between the i5 and i7 processors. However, you are likely to notice a difference between the model with only an HDD and one with a Fusion Drive. The Fusion drive will yield disk I/O performance that feels like a SSD but with the capacity of an HD. That could be a noticeable difference using FCPX.
NOTE: You mentioned games and with highly graphic intensive RPGs you may not be satisfied with the performance of the Intel video processor in the mini. If you are a serious gamer I would recommend you consider an iMac or even a Mac Pro for their superior video performance.

Similar Messages

Mac Mini - Final Cut Pro HD rendering

Hi
I have the late 2009 model mac mini, which I'm using to edit with final cut pro 7.
Up until recently I have always used DV footage, but I'm currently editing a project using HD footage from two cameras, one filmed at 720p the other with 1080p. The 720 footage is fine but the 1080 footage requires rendering each time I make any changes at all. I currently have the RT set to safe, and the playback set to dynamic. I've tried changing these settings which result in no change.
My question is - if I upgrade my mac mini to 8gb of ram instead of the 4gb currently installed, will this solve my issue?

NO. 8GB RAM is ideal for HD editing. But RAM isn't invovled in RT playback. The CPU and hard drive are. On an iMac you are stuck with FW800 external as your Scratch Disk, and this is just barely fast enough to deal with HD editing.
To make things run more efficiently, I'd make sure the codec of both camera footage match. That will save your CPU and hard drive a lot of work. I'm going to get the 720 is DVCPRO-HD and the 1080 is HDV? Any Long-GOP footage is going to bog down on FW800, so change it to either ProRes. Or if the 720 footage is Panasonic DVCPRO-HD then transcode it to that. That FW800 drive, and the GPU on that model of iMac are simply the best for HD video editing.
Set RT to Unlimited, Dynamic, you'll get the most playback out of it you can, once the codec issue is settled.

Not quite buyers remorse, but... Mac Mini, final cut pro x

Yesterday I bought my first mac, a late 2012 mac mini 2.3 GHz i7 with 4GB RAM. I do some very semi-professional video work and for years have been using a PC I built with Sony Vegas and it was time to get mac.
I know I took a chance with the mac mini, considering it doesn't have dedicated GPU, but it's not as snappy as I expected. To be fair, I've ordered RAM to get this machine up to 16GB, so maybe it will get better.
What I'm wondering is if there's any other mac mini users who have are using final cut pro x and adobe photoshop with similar specs?
I may be returning this and building my own PC again, I don't know. I really want this mac to be as awesome as I think it can be. Any experiences is appreciated.

Not FinalCut, but I do use Adobe Premiere, Encore and AfterEffects as well as PS, Dreamweaver and Audition.
PS was terribly slow with the OEM 4Gb. My Mini is a Corei5.
I first bumped up to 8Gb and that helped, but Premiere was still slow rendering. Photoshop worked well.
I have 16Gb now and I can run PS or Premiere with a Virtual Machine running too, and no lag at all.

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

Is Adobe Lightroom compatible with Mac's Final Cut Pro?
I have 27" Mac Pro and I'm a Fine Art Photographer. I need features similar to LR. But I need to know ~ is it is compatible with my Final Cut Pro & iPhoto?

What kind of compatibility are you looking for?

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7. I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs" How do I get it?

I have two "MACs" and Final Cut Pro 7.
I need a license to use this same software on both "Macs"
How do I get it?

You don't. You can install the same copy of FCP-7 on two macs (as long as you own both macs). You can't operate both copies at the same time.
MtD

Final cut pro for intel mac

hey i have a macbook and have final cut pro 5 HD powerpc version and i was wondering will it work on my mac? isen't there a program called rosetta on the intel macs the lets the power pc programs work on the intel macs? help please.

The question has come up daily since the Intel Macs were shipped so you might try searching back a few weeks for more definitive information and check the FCP marketing/upgrade pages for a clear explanation of minimum system requirements
No. Your older version will not run on your new Intel Mac using Rosetta. You must upgrade to 5.1.1., the universal version.
bogiesan

Upgrade final cut pro for intel macbook pro

Hi I need help i have the old software for a G5 i just got a g4 intel macbook pro i install final cut express version 1 and then i got a upgrade to final cut pro 4, i install this software but runs too slow and there is te problem with agp card i know if you hit esc will run but too slow, which is the best upgrade that i can do for this laptop, since i call apple they advs me to go to http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/ and get the $199 upgrade of Final Cut Studio 5.1 Universal. will this work on my g5 and my new intel mac "will it run faster on the intel mac after doing the upgrade.

apple they advs me to go to
http://www.apple.com/universal/crossgrade/ and get
the $199 upgrade of Final Cut Studio 5.1 Universal.
Yes, this is what you should do.
will this work on my g5 and my new intel mac "will it
run faster on the intel mac after doing the upgrade.
Yes.

Ok I am looking at macs for final cut pro

I want to find the best option to run final cut pro x and motion, can anyone give me any advice...
the iMacs are simply not powerful enough
I am waiting for the next edition of MacPros from Apple in Europe
and the other option is looking at Hackintosh
can anyone suggest the following
RAM?
Disk?
Graphics Card?
Sound Card for Logic?
Thanks

Hi there
Your characterization that "iMacs are simply not powerful enough" is not accurate. You can customize the iMac to be very powerful if you want to spend the money.
Processor
Get amazing performance from the quad-core Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, which features four processor cores on a single chip. Choose the speed and processor you want.
Processor
3.2GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz [Add $200.00]
Memory
More memory (RAM) increases performance and enables your computer to perform faster and better. Choose additional 1600MHz DDR3 memory for your iMac.
Memory
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB [Add $200.00]
32GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x8GB [Add $600.00]
Storage
Configure your iMac with a large Serial ATA hard drive. Or choose flash storage for greater performance. Or get the best of both worlds and select Fusion Drive.
Storage
1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
3TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm [Add $150.00]
1TB Fusion Drive [Add $250.00]
3TB Fusion Drive [Add $400.00]
768GB Flash Storage [Add $900.00]
Graphics
Your iMac features next-generation NVIDIA graphics based on the Kepler architecture. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX with 1GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory comes standard for superior graphics performance. For even better graphics response, configure your iMac with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory.
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1GB GDDR5
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5 [Add $150.00]
In fact I'm using a late 2007 model iMac and it seems to work fine with FCPX.
See here for specifications. http://support.apple.com/kb/SP624
IMHO buy the best equipment you can afford rather than waiting for some undetermined time for a product update that may or may not come. And, I'd stay away from the Frankentosh. You may end up spending a lot of time and money not to mention frustration using one of those machines.
Carl

Suitable macs for final cut pro?

Hello everybody,
I decided to switch to a MAC, in order to learn Final Cut Pro, but I need a clarification.
I'm interested in an iMAC 21.5inch, base model, so with a graphic card "NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory" (taken from the site).
I'm afraid that final cut pro is not supporting such a system, can you please confirm (or not) my impression?
Thank you very much!

Final Cut Pro will work perfectly on the cheapest iMac.
The graphics card may impinge on the performance of Color (one of the apps included in Final Cut Studio) but if you are an amateur you are unlikely to be too bothered about that.

Premiere Pro CS3 on Mac versus Final Cut Pro

Any of you working on a mac with Premiere Pro CS3? If so, why did you choose Premiere over Final Cut Pro?
I'm currently using a Matrox RTX100 on a custom made PC that has all the correct pieces of hardware to make it work. It's running PPro 1.5 and I'm looking to upgrade to a new computer and wanted to know if PPro CS3 runs better or like butter on a Mac versus a PC. I will be using a Raid 0 1TB drive from G-Raid. For Mac the other option is Final Cut Studio 2.
I've been a Premiere user since 1999-2000 and have had my share of grief with it but have grown to like it very much especially with the integration with AE.
I want to know what your thoughts are if you were in the same position.
Thanks,
Frank

I'm using PP CS3 on the Mac, having recently switched from a Windows machine. Since I already owned the Windows version of CS3 Adobe allowed me to "crossgrade" to Mac for the cost of shipping. I took a look at FCP but saw no compelling reason to make the switch in editing programs. If you do a lot of editing in HD it might be a different story as PP doesn't include an intermediate codec (FCP does), has issues with HDV video/audio sync and lacks native support for XDCAM. Hopefully these particular weaknesses in PP will be addressed soon.
PP CS3 on the Mac has worked very well for me so far. The integration with AE is excellent. One other thing to note is that PP is available as a stand only app. This is no longer true of FCP, where you are forced to buy the entire Studio 2.

Slim 2010 Mac mini & Final Cut Studio 3

Hello all,
Is anyone running Final Cut Studio 3 on one of the new 2010 slim Mac minis or mini server? Is it really slow or is it running OK.
Thank you all very much.
Message was edited by: MLCinema

Some things to consider when you are deciding what to buy...
What are your needs?
Are you playing with FCS or will it be paying the bills?
If you are planning on doing a lot of work then you will need an additional hard drive to your system drive either internal or external.
Some machines don't allow for adding internal hard drives.
You will want at least 2G's of RAM to run FCS
Make sure you get a video card that can handle Motion if you plan on using that app.
There are plenty more gotchas that can pop up depending on what your plans are so think it through and remember sometimes going cheaper can cost you more in the long run than if you had just shelled out a little more in the beginning

If I buy a used Mac with Final Cut Pro and other software pre-installed, will they be updateable?

I want to buy a used Mac for video editing and there are alot of them with FCPX and other software already installed. If I buy one of these will I be able to do future updates to the software?

If they were downloaded from the Mac App store, no. In fact, the licenses are not transferable. Technically, it's not legal to sell you the machine with apps from the Mac App store still installed.

Resetting mac os x Leopard and Final cut pro

My Boss has a Mac Rental company that rents out Macs with Final Cut Pro. Is there a way that we can reset the OS to remove the user information or user account with out reformatting each time? Also the same for final cut pro. Need to remove the registration information from the user when we get them back. Any info or help would be great. Thanks

There is no registration required for OS X, so unless you mean returning to the Setup Assistant state Deep Freeze should work for you.
To return to the Setup Assistant at startup do this:
1. Boot to single-user mode by restarting and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-S keys until a black screen with white type appears.
2. At the prompt, type the following commands pressing return after each command line:
/sbin/fsck -yf
If you do not receive a "Filesystem OK" message then repeat this command until you do. If after seven tries you still do not receive a "Filesystem OK" message, then the system is corrupted and needs to be reinstalled.
mount -uw /
cd /private/var/db/netinfo
mv local.nidb local.old
rm ../.AppleSetupDone
shutdown -r now
The second-to-last command above will cause OS X to think that the operating system is newly installed, and when the new owner starts up the computer it will send him/her to the startup wizard where he/she can start a new user without reinstalling.
I believe this will not work in Leopard.

Editing HDCAM with final cut pro 6?

Hi all,
We have been offered some post work on a music video shot in HDCAM, we use Final cut pro 6 and have a HDCAM capture deck (Sony J-H3 (JH3) HDCAM Compact Player), I am in the process of researching this work flow.
Would any one be able to shed some light on editing HDCAM in final cut Pro 6, the settings, things to look out for, and the overall work flow,
i very much appreciate your help
The mac to be used is a Mac Pro, mac os x 10.5.6 with final cut pro 6, duel core intel 2.66 Ghz, 8 GB memory, 2 NVIDIA GeFource 8800GT, with a 3 TB of internal HD Space

we don't take in HDcam, but we do use it for output archive and transmition.
the workflow we use is, Shoot in AVCintra 50 onto P2 cards transfer into FCP 6
edit in Apple Pro Res 1080i50 and output to HDcam via an AJA Kona card sending out as HD-SDI
ian

MPG to Final Cut Pro , convert mpg files to FCP freely

Why need to convert/import MPG files to Final Cut Pro?
Final Cut Pro is the premium choice for any Mac video editing, and it is widely used by Mac users now. These MPEG standard files can be these different codes and cause failure in importing to Final Cut Pro. If anyone comes across the situation, the best solution is to get aids from MPEG/MPG to FCP converter for Mac, which can help you to convert MPEG group files to FCP compatible video format and then files can be easily imported for editing job.
As we know that Final Cut Pro don't natively support MPG, MPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 files, it can import MPEG-4 files (but need to be rendered once you place them on your timeline) and MOV files (without rendering). Therefore, to import MPG to Final Cut Pro directly, the best way is to convert MPG to Final Cut Pro supported Apple ProRes MOV files.
How to convert MPG to Final Cut Pro(fcp)
Step 1: Import MPG files
Download the latest version of MPG to Final Cut Pro Converter, install and run. And then, click Add Files to import MPG files to FCP, or you can also drag MPG files directly to MPG to Final Cut Pro directly.
Step 2: Choose output format and directory
You can click the drop-down list of Convert Toto select output format as "Final Cut Pro"-> "Apple ProRes MOV ". After that, click "…" of Save Toto designate a directory to save your converted files.
Step 3: Convert MPG to Final Cut Pro (X)
Click Convert to transcode MPG to MOV for editing in Final Cut Pro.
MPG to Final Cut Pro Converter is a practical tool for you to convert MPG, MPEG files to Final Cut Pro supported MOV files in order to free import MPG to Final Cut Pro (X) , FCE, iMovie on Mac OS X Mountain Lion . Besides, it is also able to convert MPG to other video files AVI, WMV, MP4, MKV FLV, DV, 3GP, ASF, RM etc.
Related Article:
MOV to FCP: How to convert MOV to FCP
How to convert mp4 files to fcp freely

Import unsupported MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 to Final Cut Pro 7/X, Final Cut Express
Summary:If you are looking for the best way to transcode MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 videos to ProRes MOV for FCP 7/X and FCE, you can follow this post, it has offered best solutions for editing MPEG videos on Mac in Final Cut Pro 7/X, Final Cut Express.
Cases:
The following are two problems when some users import MPEG-1/MPEG-2 to Final Cut:
"I am trying to import MPEG-2 files into Final Cut Pro X. I have the raw files from a Sony Handicam HDR-SR5 as well as raw files from an Sony Handicam MDR-CX560. These files were recorded as MPEG-2 files and copied from the camera hard drives (entire folders were copied containind the MPEG-2 fies) to a local hard drive on my computer. Final Cut Pro X does not recognize the files and will not import them. I have tried to use Compressor to conver the fies. I am using the very latest version that touts being able to export to Final Cut X format. I don't see that option anywhere in the settings."
Question:
Is there a way to get MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 files into Final Cut Pro X without having to convert them?
Answer:
Don't try to work with (highly compressed) MPEG 2 in FCP X. Use software to convert to ProRes 422 first, it's best codec for final cut pro or final cut express. Life will be much easier for you if you do. ProRes 422 is roughly between 5 and 8 times bigger than native camera footage - sometimes as much as 10 times, I believe, but it's well worth it for editing, effects and playback quality. The time required depends largely on your processor power but 30 mins sounds realistic.
Software you need:
Pavtube HD Video Converter for Mac
This software can convert MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 to Apple ProRes 422 codec for Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Pro 7, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Expr editing without rendering.
Step by step guide:
1. Download and install the best MPEG1/MPEG2 to ProRes Converter and launch it to add your videos to it.
2. Choose output format. Click on the “Format”> Final Cut Pro, Apple PreRes 422(HQ), Apple PreRes 422, Apple ProRes 422(LT), etc are all the proper choice for you.
3. Click "Settings" to adjust the parameters as you want, like Video Codec, bit rate, frame rate, Audio codec, sample rate, bit rate, channels. Set the video frame rate as 30fps, video size as 1920*1080 will be better.
4. Click Convert button to start MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 to Final Cut friendly Apple ProRes 422 for native editing on Mac OS X.
5. When the conversion ends, you can run the Final Cut Pro and click File --> Import --> Files to import the resulted MOV files and edit them in FCP easily, you can follow this import video to fcp guide.
From the steps above, I think you got the point to convert and import MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 files to Apple ProRes 422 for Final Cut editing, please have a try, this software will solve you MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 importing and editing problems, and then you can import and use your MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 in Final Cut Pro 7, Final Cut Pro X or Final Cut Express on Mac without any problems.
Now you can get DVD Creator which can help you easily burn video to DVD disc/ISO files.
Buy One Get Another Free?! Yes, just join Pavtube's Special Offers to get the promotion.
PS. If you have any problem, pls contact with [email protected] to get more information. You also can leave a message on Pavtube Community or Pavtube Facebook, we will answer your questions as soon as possilble.
Learn more Cameras/Camcorders related tutorial, pls view our FCP Column, etc. on http://www.pavtube.com/hot-topics/

Mac Mini & Final Cut Pro X: Intel Core i5 vs. Intel Core i7?

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