Best Mac for Video Editing
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Macs are fantastic for a wide variety of creative endeavours, including video editing. In addition to having speedy CPUs and the ability to encode video files in a short amount of time, these devices are sleek and well-built.
When you buy an iMac or a MacBook, you also receive a wonderful screen with high quality, which is ideal for producing video content and playing it back on your computer.
How you want to edit videos will have a significant impact on the minimum and maximum amounts of processing power that you’ll need. As soon as you begin adding additional effects, animations, and 3D content, you will notice that your requirements quickly increase.
There is a good reason why most high-end Mac Pros are in the hands of professional film editors. However, not everyone has a requirement for that much raw power. As a result, in this section, we will suggest a selection of Mac models that are appropriate for a variety of price points and skill levels.
Even though they are more expensive than computers made by Apple’s competitors, many professionals and enthusiasts select Apple computers even if there is an excellent reason for doing so.
- Customers can have confidence in the longevity and consistency of Apple laptops.
- Each Apple product features cutting-edge hardware, a sleek and portable design, outstanding battery life, and some of the most impressive screens available on any personal computer.
Check out our comprehensive guide, which is included in this post, for additional information on what to look for in a machine designed for video editing and how we concluded which Macs are the best for video editing.
NOTE: Please take into consideration that the criteria we used to compile this list of the top 10 best Macs for video editing include: Specs, Price , features, real-world performance, user reviews, and Popularity
What is the Best Mac for Video Editing in 2023
MacBook Pro – best for Impressive performance for Video editing
- Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021) — The MacBook Best for high-end performance( Our Top Pick)
- Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) — The best MacBook on a budget
- Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) — The best-value Macbook for video editing
- Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) — The best Macbook for beginners & On a Budget
iMac – best all-in-one desktop
- Apple iMac (24-inch, 2021) — The best iMac for video editing[Overall]
- Apple iMac (27-inch, 2020) — The best Mac for video editing with a Big display
- Apple Mac Studio Desktop 2022 — The best Apple Desktop Workstation for video editing
MacBook Air – best for video editing on the move
- Apple MacBook Air 2022 — The best Lightweight MacBook with a cool design
- Apple MacBook Air 2020 — The most On-the-go Mac for video editing
Mac mini – best for video editing on a budget
Apple Mac Mini 2020 — The best Mac on a budget for video editing
Mac Pro– the best High-end performance mac for Film Editors
7+ best Mac for Video Editing in 2023
2021 Apple MacBook Pro
The 2021 MacBook Pro is the most recent iteration of Apple's flagship laptop, and it is an extremely capable device that can perform virtually any task.
It is four times faster than the version that came before it thanks to a groundbreaking performance chip known as the M1 Pro or M1 Max.
This chip has support for up to 32GB of RAM and can accommodate up to 32 cores in the graphics processing unit.
If you combine that with Apple's ProRes technology, you will be able to flawlessly edit up to seven streams of 8K video at the same time.
The MacBook Pro is offered in two different screen sizes, 14 inches, and 16 inches. I
t has a stunning liquid retina XDR display that is bright with 1600 nits of peak brightness and sharp, which makes editing videos on it a real pleasure to do.
The display also has a high contrast ratio.
Choose the resolution that is the best fit for your video, and you won't experience any lag while working on it even though the ProMotion technology can deliver refresh rates of up to 120Hz.
2021 Apple iMac (24-inch)
We believe that the new M1 iMac is the best option for video editing on a Mac, despite the fact that the Intel-based iMac Pro is also an excellent choice in this regard.
If you are going to purchase an iMac, we recommend that you go with the M1 model.
The display on this model measures 24 inches rather than 27 inches like the display on the iMac Pro, but it is still an excellent size.
Additionally, the 4.5K Retina resolution makes it an excellent choice for video editing.
The incorporation of Apple's very own M1 processor design is, of course, the most significant difference.
These chips are very efficient in terms of both speed and power consumption.
The more expensive Intel Xeon chips that are used in Mac Pros and iMac Pros have been defeated by M1 processors in a number of tests.
- There is a diverse selection of colors available Excellent value for the price
- Comes with both a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse and Best-in-class 4.5K retina display
- No Ports available
2022 Apple MacBook Air Laptop with M2 chip
This MacBook Air, which is built on the M1 chip, is the best option to go with if you're looking for a portable laptop that's not just light but also powerful.
It is a 13-inch laptop with an option of two versions of the M1 CPU, including one with a seven-core GPU and one with an eight-core GPU.
The price for this model begins at $999. In any scenario, it will readily handle the majority of video editing chores, and the 2560x1600 display will make the edited videos appear fantastic.
You have the option of selecting either 8GB or 16GB of unified RAM, much like with previous M1 Macs.
You also have the option of selecting SSD storage with capacities ranging from 256 gigabytes up to two terabytes; however, the cost increases substantially as you select more space.
Apple Mac Mini with Apple M1 Chip
If you are interested in using a Mac for editing photography but have a limited budget, the M1 edition of the Mac mini is the best option for you to go with. It starts at just $699, yet it has more than enough power to run picture editing programs like Photoshop.
The beginning price is very reasonable.
If you choose to go with the standard model, you will be provided with an eight-core M1 CPU that already incorporates an eight-core GPU.
In addition to that, it has 8GB of unified memory that can be increased all the way up to 16GB, as well as a 256GB SSD that can be expanded all the way up to 2TB.
Even with 2 terabytes of storage space, it's possible that you won't have enough space for all of your photographs and videos if you take a lot of them.
Apple iMac 27 Inch with Retina 5K Display
The Apple iMac 27-inch (2020), in comparison to its predecessor, features a number of significant upgrades to its specifications, and it appears to have the potential to become Apple's best all-in-one computer to date.
Anyone who works from home will especially appreciate the enhancements that have been made to the webcam and microphones.
On the other hand, Apple has remained faithful to the design of its earlier models, and it's high time that we saw an updated appearance.
- An absolute joy – beautiful, elegant, powerful and versatile – it's iconic!
- The Big screen is brilliant, Really makes working on it so much easier
- Dated Design
- Comes with Just two Thunderbolt ports
1 GB |Model MXWU2LL/A-6 |Processor Type
Apple |Processor Speed 1 GHz |Hard Drive Capacity1 GB
The Mac Pro– the best for High-end performance [ Pricey option]
The Mac Pro provides the highest levels of performance across the board, be it a central processing unit, random access memory, graphics, or storage.
The base model comes equipped with an eight-core Intel Xeon processor that operates at 3.5GHz, 32GB of RAM, 256GB of solid-state storage, and a Radeon Pro 580X graphics card. This arrangement has an almost unbounded amount of room for further expansion. On the other hand, a 12-core processor and 96 GB of RAM appear to be the most suitable for the requirements of video editing.
It is necessary to purchase a screen separately because the Mac Pro does not come with one. Since an Apple display can be purchased for a price that is comparable to that of an iMac Pro, there is not much value in purchasing an Apple display.
You have the option of purchasing a more affordable model that offers nearly the same benefits, such as a Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q.
Mac for Video editing – Buying Guide
When it comes to video editing, which is more important: the GPU or the CPU?
You need to concentrate on the activity at hand in order to determine whether the central processing unit (CPU) or the graphics processing unit (GPU) is more necessary for video editing.
The process of data retrieval, modification, and storage that is involved in video editing calls for a significant amount of computing power. When it comes to editing, the central processing unit (CPU), which is your source of processing power, is more significant than the graphics processing unit (GPU).
How do you decide which Mac laptop is best for editing videos?
If you want to edit videos on a Mac laptop, you should opt for one that has the most desirable features at a price you can afford.
The ideal configuration for your editing Mac is a Retina display, an M1 or Intel Core i9 processor, at least 32 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of video RAM (VRAM).
However, if you intend to work with 4K or 8K content, you must ensure that the Mac is configured to its greatest possible specifications.
How should one go about selecting a processor for use in video editing?
When searching for a processor for video editing, you need to pay attention to both the resolution you work with and your graphics processing unit (GPU).
The general rule is that the higher the resolution, the more processing power the device needs. In the same vein, a GPU that isn’t very powerful could become a bottleneck, which would reduce the performance of the video editing process.
As a result, you should work towards striking a balance between the two.
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About the Author:
Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your Goto place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Design Tools & Gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast & Tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art & Design by crafting memorable 3d Sculpts & 2D Design & Art.
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