New 21.5 iMac for video editing - which graphics

I am thinking of upgrading a 3 year old Intel iMac to one of the new ones. The only beefy think I want to do on it is video editing with iMovie. My main question is whether I would benefit significantly from specifying the ATI graphics rather than Nvidia for this task. I suspect that it will be more than good enough with the cheaper graphics, but any thoughts ?

Simon (UK) wrote:
Choosing a faster discreet GPU with its own memory is always the way to go, especially for video
So is first class air travel and 5* hotels However, there is a law of diminishing returns on the cash outlay. If I admit it my 3 year old Mac is up to the job, but I like shiny new Macs. Just wanted a feel for whether I would actually notice a significant performance improvement between those machines when running iMovie.

Similar Messages

  • What is the best set hard drive set up on an iMac for video editing?

    what is the best set hard drive set up on an iMac for video editing? i only have one internal 2tb hard drive.

    CIANCIO.mov wrote:
    so is it best to edit directly off your LaCie fire wire drive, or off the internal HD and store on the external?
    The second.
    Which one is faster to edit with?
    The internal will operate  faster but editing uses both the Final Cut Application (on the internal), and the external which is used to store and access the video that you have shot and on which is stored the Capture Caches, and which also stores and accesses the various other caches such as Video Render, Waveform etc.
    Does a faster hard drive decrease rendering time?
    I think it must, but I have never timed it.
    whats Faster, having another internal drive or a thunderbolt or firewire 800 external drive?
    I think that a second internal drive would be faster than an external Firewire drive. However, a Thunderbolt drive is said to be very fast, but I do not know whether it would be faster than a conventional internal drive. This question would best be asked of the Final Cut Discussion Groups because thay might have experience.
    i would love some specs, and input on different drive setups for an imac with a single 2TB Hard dirve.
    Again, the discussion groups would be the best place to answer this.
    enyone. thanks,
    Rendering long sections of video in the Final Cut software does take a long time, especially when it is imported from another source, such as a .mov, and when something simple like a transition is inserted or even moved or altered, or a filter is applied, rendering must be carried out in that area to see the effect properly. So you are on the right lines in thinking about how to speed it up.

  • Which of these would be the best iMac for video editing?

    Hello, pretty simple question, which of these 2 iMac configurations would be best suited for video editing? I want to use Final Cut Pro X and Adobe After Effects (not cutting edge effects just simple stuff).
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    3.1GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz
    16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X8GB
    1TB Fusion Drive
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M 1GB GDDR5
    Option 2 - 27 inch
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    8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2X4GB
    1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 775M 2GB GDDR5
    For some reason Apple don't offer more than 1GB of dedicated video ram in anything but the maxed out 27inch. Personally, I’m not fussed about the bigger screen and  I would say that having the faster processor, double the ram and a fusion drive would be more beneficial than the extra gig in the video card  but I’m not 100% sure, what do you guys think?
    Thanks.

    If you do a significant amount of video editing the larger display is nice but not absolutely necessary. I’d also recommend an SSD or Fusion drive rather than the stock mechanical drive which really is dog slow. If you choose an SSD 8GB will be plenty though 16GB is better if you go with the smaller model.

  • Which iMac for Video Editing?

    Hi Folks,
    After about 7 years with my Dell 4550 I am close to making a purchase of a new Mac and leaving the Windows world - Yeah!!! My decision is now coming down to how much I should spend on the video card. Basically it is a 300-500 premium to upgrade to the discrete video cards compared to the integrated graphics in the 2.66 model (granted you do get a ~10% faster processor at 2.93 as well).
    What I am wondering is that for video editing (using iMovie) is there a significant difference in performance of the machine based on the video card? I do not play video games on the computer much as I have a Wii and XBOX already to have that area covered. Primarily I will use it for iTunes, iPhoto and HD Video (have a new baby we need to record!)
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    iMac, 24-inch, 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Part Number: Z0FP
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    4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
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    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
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    iMac, 24-inch, 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Part Number: Z0FQ
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    4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
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    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256MB
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    iMac, 24-inch, 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Part Number: Z0FQ
    2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
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    NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 512MB
    $2049
    iMac, 24-inch, 2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Part Number: Z0FQ
    2.93GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
    1.0TB Serial ATA Drive
    ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB
    $2099
    Since I will not be gaming, are the more expensive video cards worth the premium in relation to video editing, iTunes and iPhoto main purposes of the computer?

    I wouldn't stress it much. I recently bought a new iMac, but for years I have been editing my home movies with iMovie on my old G4 eMac. Granted these are standard def movies, not HD, but the point is, a lot of video editing doesn't require a lot of video horsepower. Most of your time will be spent scanning through thumbnails, picking parts to cut out, etc. None of it requires fantastic video displays and most of the time you are not paying attention to the quality of the playback (as long as it isn't stuttering) and are more concentrating on the content to figure out what you want to keep, trim, edit, etc. 90+% of the time you are not actually watching a lot of video simply playing.
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    Have fun,
    Patrick

  • IMac for Video Editing

    Hi all,
    I've been a PC user for the last 15 years, and have been looking for a system to support my interest in photography and film-making.
    Being an iPhone/iPad user, I would like to expand my 'appleification' to a new Mac. Whilst I can't afford a MacPro, would someone be as kind to suggest what iMac specification would be best suited to this use?
    The video I would like to edit is 1080P 25fps (.MOV MPEG-4 AVC, H.264), I already have a ReadyNAS for storage, and would be looking at the 27" screen only. I need performance that will easily cope with the full HD video, without noticeable lag whilst editing. I'm assuming that if the system can handle this task, my RAW photo-editing, web-design etc.. will also be fine.
    Many thanks for your help.

    I use a 27" 3.06 Intel Core Duo iMac with 4 Mb RAM running 10.5.8 to edit HD Video using Final Cut Pro 6.0.6 and have no problems editing. For storing media I have a Western Digital 1Tb external Firewire Hard Drive. Capturing the video is via a "Log & Transfer" procedure which can take a bit of time as the video is automatically transcoded into a codec that Final Cut Pro can use (I have it set to use ProRes 422). Once captured, editing is smooth and quick and actions are undertaken by the Mac almost instantaneously. Output is relatively easy as well. As with all HD Video the huge amount of data manipulation makes heavy demands on any system but I have no complaints. I would imagine that the latest iMacs and the latest versions of the Operating System and editing programs are even more efficient than my set up. For editing simple jobs I have found that Apple's iMovie is pretty effective and use it where I don't need all the bells and whistles of a high end editing program. I also run Adobe Photoshop CS4 which easily deals with RAW and of course Apple's iPhoto.
    Although I don't do any web design however, in view of the above, I expect that the iMac you are considering will handle anything you throw at it.
    If you can get to either an Apple Store or an authorised retailer tap their expertise to help you decide which programs you need as Final Cut Express and Photshop Elements (which are much cheaper) may be sufficient. There are I believe other non-apple/ non- adobe editing and photo manipulation programs which run on Macs but I have no experince of them so a little research might be advisable to see if any of them fit your requirements.
    I hope that helps.

  • Which configurations are really important for video editing?

    Hi everyone,
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    3. MacBook Pro 17'' (early 2011)
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    AMD Radeon HD 6750M 1024 MB
    Intel HD Graphics 3000 512 MB
    500 GB SATA Storage
    How important is the duo- or quad-core?
    Which graphic card would be the best suited for video editing and graphics on FCPX/AfterEffects?
    Which one would you go for if looking for a stable, strong performance for up to 5 years?
    Thanks in advance for any tips!

    I would also post here:
    https://discussions.apple.com/community/professional_applications/final_cut_pro_ x

  • Which video card for video editing?

    I am about to order my first iMac. I've always had MacBook Pros and have never had to choose a video card as I always just got the one that came with the laptop. I will primarlily use the iMac for video editing using FCPX
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    I do not play video games and I do not create complex 3D graphics.
    Will I notice any better performance if I go for the faster, more expensive video card that is offered for the iMac?

    AppleBrianJones wrote:
    …  will I notice a difference in performance if I go for the faster, more expensive video card…?
    not on edit.
    on Im-/Export, a 'faster' GPU with more VRam could make a difference.
    but ... 'waiting' 12 or 15minutes? ... is a 20% improvement, but less than a coffee/cigarette/hello-my-dear-texting. Plus,you can do other things meanwhile ...

  • Going from iMac to MBP retina for video editing

    I appreciate that this question probably gets asked reasonably regularly but I have a few specific points I'd like some help on.
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    16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
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    Better screen res (although I have some questions on that).
    More graphics RAM (1GB against 512mb)
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    How should the screens compare. The MBP obviously has a massive PPI boost but.....is the colour balancing meant to be good enough. So far I've been more than happy to use the iMac for colour grading).
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    Am I just being stupid getting rid of a desktop for a notebook as my main working computer...?
    Any help that you knowledagable people can give me will be massivly appreciated...
    Thank you!
    Alex

    I think the MBP Retina would outperform the 2011 iMac as far as CPU due to the updated Ivy Bridge processor. Since the CPU's are similar (hyper threading) the clock speed is important, but the MBP Retina can have TurboBoost of up to over 3GHz. That's faster. Remember, the iMac is still in the 2011 model. The MBP Retina is a 2012 model.
    GPU Wise, the NVidia GeForce 650 outperforms the Radeon 6775. http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-GT-650M.71887.0.html. Now, the Intel HD 4000 isn't really about performance (in my opinion), so if you do get the MBP Retina, turn off automatic graphic switching.
    Editing photo or video on the MBP Retina would be amazing. The display is really quite vibrant. Have you had the chance to see a MBP Retina in action? I would definitely do it, if you're serious about dropping that kind of cash.
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  • How to set up multiple hard drives for video editing?

    I have recently purchase a new custom built PC for video editing with Premiere.
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    I do not know where to begin to set this up as recommended.
    Thanks in advance.

    Todd_Kopriva wrote:
    I go through this in this video:
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    Is that necessary?
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    Your video definately helped.

  • What is the best Monitor for Video editing & Graphic Design?

    Hi every one,
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    Thanks very much

    I don't want 2 monitors, so a single 27inch model just what I need... plenty of room for PPro, or I can have a Word document and a Text file open and side by side
    John,
    That is personal taste and there is no discussing taste. However, from my perspective, and that is personal, I prefer 3840 x 1080 resolution with dual monitors over 1920 x 1080 with a single monitor, but that is because I very often have Firefox, Filezilla, Dreamweaver and some other applications open at the same time, switching between the Adobe forums, Gmail accounts, Notebook results from the PPBM5 data submissions, PPBM5 form submissions, MySQL access, phpadmin pages to update the database, the PPBM5 results pages and various DW .php pages for the maintenance of our database and switching back and forth between various versions of PR. I occasionally really run out of real estate with all these applications and could not consider a single monitor with only 1920 x 1080 resolution, even if it were a 105" screen. In the future I would even like to have a four monitor setup (with MPE hardware support) in a two by two configuration, so that I can freely move my application screens around.
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  • Which Macbook Pro for Video Editing

    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?
    It's all very confusing, especially since I haven't looked into buying another mac since I purchased an iMac in '07 (which still rocks).

    - 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)
    - If you can affor it, go with a Quad Core
    - For graphics, I believe all the new MacBook Pros come with Intel HD Graphics 4000
    - As for CPU speed and RAM, they really go hand in hand with video editing.
    - CPU speed doesn't help if you do not have sufficient RAM cover all of needed video/audio/effect editing and rendering processes.
    - 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

  • Which of these macs would you choose for video editing?

    The main difference is the MBP has an Serial ATA drive, and the Air has a Flash drive.  Also the MPB has 2.9Ghz, and the Air has only 2.0Ghz.  Which one would you pick for editing with Final Cut Pro X? (Also curious which one you would pick even if video editing wasn't a concern for you, thanks!)
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    Originally released June 2012
    13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1280-by-800 resolution
    8GB (2 x 4GB) of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM
    750GB Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm
    8x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
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    Or
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    13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution
    8GB memory
    512GB flash storage
    720p FaceTime HD camera
    Intel HD Graphics 4000

    Zenman1969 wrote:
    Thanks for the answer.  Didn't realize the 13" MBPs differed from the 15" MBPs.  I thought the screen was the only major difference. 
    Apple fools a lot of people with that. The 13" is really a MacBook and not a "Pro" machine.
    The best machine for video editing depends upon what your going to do, full on production or casual home stuff.
    A 15" MacBook Pro and a iMac for the casual lightweight stuff and iMove can do the job.
    The new MacPro coming out for the heavy duty stuff.
    The industry seems to be moving away from Final Cut Pro X as it's been consumerized or something, lacking needed features and moving towards Avid on powerful Mac's or Windows 7 towers.
    http://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/07/does-apple-still-care-about-creative-pros/
    http://www.avid.com/US/
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  • New mac suggestions for video editing

    I have been looking at getting a new mac to do mostly video editing and DVD authoring. I currently have a 450mhz g4 sawtooth that I thought about upgrading, but figured with the costs to just retire it. I have about a $1200 budget so I am unable to splurge and get a mac pro. Does anybody have any suggestions on what would work best for the money i.e. G5, G4 DP MDD, Macbook.
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    A refurbished MacBook Pro is a little more than your budget (at $1,449), but I think it's a better choice than the MacBook, as the MacBook has no expansion slot and an inferior graphics card.
    I eliminate the iMac for the same reason - no expansion slots.
    Basically, it's not recommended to capture video to your built-in drive, so you'd need to connect either a FireWire drive or an eSATA drive (with an ExpressCard adapter). However, your video camera is also likely to be FireWire, so you'd be trying to daisy chain a camera through the FireWire drive which is likely to cause performance problems. Even if the MacBook had two FireWire ports (the newest models do, a FW400 and a FW800, but the refurbs are the previous generation) they still share the same FireWire bus, so it's wise to get a FireWire ExpressCard adapter to add a second FireWire bus to the computer. That way, the drive can use one bus and the camera can use the other. Most cameras operate at 100 Mbps speeds, and slow everything else on the same bus down to those speeds as well. While DV is only 25 Mbps, you still have much less headroom to work with if the bus is operating a 100 Mbps speeds.
    If you go with a MBP (or any Intel Mac) and you don't already have Final Cut Studio 5.1, you'll need to order the crossgrade. For users of Final Cut Studio 5, it's only a $49 upgrade, but you have to take advantage of it before the end of the year.
    Adobe's CS suite will run slower on an Intel Mac than on a PPC due to having to run under Rosetta, but most of those apps should still be tolerable. I don't think I'd want to use After Effects under Rosetta, however.

  • Which G5 for Video Editing?

    Hello, I've decided not to wait for an Intel MacPro, but would like to buy a G5 in the next 5 mos (by July) for standard-definition video editing using FCP 5 Studio. I have a few questions:
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    2) Which G5 would work effectively for my purposes? Kindly advise on clock-speed, RAM, Video card, hard disk etc. I take it I will not need RAID for SD, but only high-definition? I would need to use this machine for at least 3 years. Do you see Apple discontinuing hardware or FCP support for this platform during this time?
    3) How would the 23" screen be for video-editing? Are there any rumors about a 25" screen replacing it?
    4) Lastly, are there any Apple conventions in the next 6 mos (where new products could be announced), which I should wait for, before purchasing?
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    G4 Quicksilver   Mac OS X (10.3.5)   Dual 1 Gz, 1 Gb Ram, 2 x 80 Gb ATA

    Hello, I've decided not to wait for an Intel MacPro, but would like to buy a G5 in the next 5 mos (by July) for standard-definition video editing using FCP 5 Studio. I have a few questions:
    Get a Quad and get one fast, with a PPC machine you'll have lots of media copying freedom as you have control over your hardware. With the new EFI Mactels, trusted computing and HDCP coming you will not.
    Actually I wouldn't waste money on a PowerMactel machine until the whole "Blueray/HD-DVD" thing gets straightened out too, that's going to have a lot of baggage associated with it. When they do at least you'll have a Quad to be able to do things you won't be allowed on the PowerMactel w/BlueRay.
    Standard definition is going "bye-bye" in the US mandatory by 2009, mostly by 2007. You'll need to go HD as all the new TV sets being sold are HD/digital ready and all the content will switch as well. (HD Is really nice too, but eats hard drive space fast)
    1) Currently, I have a Quicksilver G4 with dual 1 Gz, 1 Gb ram and 160 Gb ATA drive. Would FCP 5 Studio work effectively on this machine (for editing, color-correction, motion graphics, rendering to DVD etc)? If not, is it worth investing more money into this machine, or should I switch to a G5?
    Yes sure, but if time = money, you'll need CPU muscle to render faster and large RAM to burn faster.
    I say get a PPC Quad, a large stock drive with 16MB of cache and a Western Digital 150GB 10,000 RPM RaptorX for a boot/app and "bare bones" home drive, keeping your video on the large stock drive. Get yourself 4Gb of RAM or slightly more, install it yourself and save money by visiting Crucial.com. (no comp)
    2) Which G5 would work effectively for my purposes? Kindly advise on clock-speed, RAM, Video card, hard disk etc. I take it I will not need RAID for SD, but only high-definition? I would need to use this machine for at least 3 years. Do you see Apple discontinuing hardware or FCP support for this platform during this time?
    Apple will support PPC based hardware for a long time, so will a lot of third party software makers because it's the majority platform. Not much software is available for the Mactel based machines, so PPC and the Quad is the best longterm professional choice at this time. I would also not get the stock card but the next one up.
    RAID you can play with later, rolling your own mini-raid set or if you have volume and require speed then a X-RAID.
    3) How would the 23" screen be for video-editing? Are there any rumors about a 25" screen replacing it?
    I had a 23", it's small, but it will do the job. A couple of inches increase won't make much of a difference IMO. If you got the bucks get a 30", it's awesome and better than two monitors as you don't need to turn your head back and forth. Just sit back and take it all in.
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    We just had one, Macworld, where the Mactels were announced, supposely Intel will release a 64 bit dual core around September, Adobe Photoshop supposely won't be ready with a Mactel version for another 14 months it's been estimated.
    Apple is working on universal versions of their apps, some are ready already.
    http://appleintelfaq.com/
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    I always advise people to clone their boot drives
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  • For video editing, is the new 13" MBP enough? Or should I go for 15"?

    For video editing, I will be using both Final Cut Pro 7, and Adobe CS5.
    Is the new 13" Macbook Pro enough? I'm asking both for the lower-end and higher-end 13". Or should I just go with the 15"?
    I'm just seeking for opinions from more experienced mac users, since this is my first transfer from Windows to Mac. Also, I'm taking into consideration in the price difference among these different models.
    Thank you very much

    It will render much faster on the new quad cores then any other MBP ever made. This new release is really a pretty major deal in the laptop world to my thinking. If I didn't just get a new iMac, I would be probably getting one. I don't do a lot of video and I use FCE not Pro so my need isn't as great, but I do a lot of photography and with several things open at once so the power matched with sufficient ram is pretty amazing. But is it absolutely a must? I had a friend who just until this year was a film music editor and he was using Pro Tools on a G4 Power Book though he had to start working around the machine limitations at the end of the day, but it is possible. Still for the money, the new machines are a great deal at pretty much the same price as what they are replacing. I know I'm advocating here, but I'm just a user not and employee:)

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