Are you a video editor? If yes, are you specifically looking for what is the best Mac laptop for video editing? Then you’ve come to the right place. Mac laptops are generally designed to meet the hardware needs of video editing tools and software. No wonder why video editors prefer to invest in a Mac. However, with a wide range of options to select from, choosing the best laptop for video editing can be quite a challenge. You may wonder, “Is 8gb RAM enough for video editing?” and “Which MAC is best for video editing?”
CameraBag Pro is a lightweight video editing tool for Mac, once claiming the second spot for the Apple Mac App of the Year. It nicely fills the gap between a simple photo editor and complex video editor, resulting in slick software that perfectly meets the needs of most at-home users.
- For comfortable video editing on a Mac, you need at least 8GB of RAM (16GB is required for 4K editing, 3D work, and 360 ° video editing). SSD Capacity The speed and capacity of the internal drive will provide instant access to the material.
- Which MacBook is best for video editing. I heard imacs and MacBooks are good for video editing but I need a laptop for school work as well so which MacBook would be best for video editing. Asked by Rodney T from Lightning Ridge; Jul 18, 2015 Flag as inappropriate Which MacBook is best for video editing.
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It is for that reason that this buying guide is created. We will take a closer look at the different Mac laptop models and find out if they are great for making and editing videos.
What to Look for in a Video Editing Laptop
Laptops come with different specs and features. So, to be able to find the best video editing laptop, you have to know what to look for.
Graphics
Do you know what the key is to a fast render? It is the dedicated graphics card. Although you can still perform basic video editing tasks with an integrated graphics card, only a dedicated card can do beyond simple YouTube home videos or vlogs. With a dedicated graphics card, your laptop can utilize the RAM for higher-quality projects and visuals that need rendering.
Processor
Every single piece of detail of your video will be handled by the processor. That means you should be looking towards the most recent generations of the Intel i5 and i7 processors. And because the majority of video editing software utilizes multiple threads, you can benefit from the latest processors as well.
RAM
The RAM or the Random Access Memory is one of the most important elements that can make or break your MacBook’s performance, especially when working on a video editing project. Because the RAM is widely used by your computer, particularly when it comes to processes, you will need a minimum of 8GB memory for basic work and 16GB memory power for professional video editing projects.
Our Best Mac Laptop Picks
Here are four of our best MacBook picks for your video editing needs:
1. 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD (Without Touch Bar)
If your task is mainly for editing simple videos to be uploaded to YouTube or any home video content for that matter, you don’t need any advanced software or video editing programs. That means the 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM 256SSD is more than enough to achieve your video editing goals without compromising the quality of your final visual output.
Advantage: The 13″ MacBook Pro model is lightweight and portable. So, you have all the editing power you need right at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. In addition, its 8GB RAM is just enough for amateur video editors because it saves and renders videos faster than computers with a physical hard disk drive.
Disadvantage: An SSD is a bit pricey. So, to make it not so expensive, the 13″ MacBook Pro is designed with only 256GB disk space. With such a small amount of space, you might need to purchase another external hard drive to store all your videos. This model also utilizes an integrated graphics card, making it ideal for new video editors – not professionals.
2. 13″ MacBook Pro with 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD (With Touch Bar)
Whether you are still learning the fundamentals of video editing or an aspiring short-film director, you need an advanced and professional video editing setup. This MacBook model comes with Apple’s latest Touch Bar and ID technology, all fitted into a portable 13″ sized laptop but powered by an 8GB RAM and an integrated graphics card.
Advantage: If what you are after are power and portability, this advanced laptop has it all. Its advanced specs allow you to complete your video editing task without all the unnecessary workload. Not to mention, it has the latest Touch Bar technology that can be integrated with video editing tools such as Adobe Suite or Final Cut Pro.
Disadvantage: Yes, the disk space is a bit bigger compared to the 256GB model. However, it’s still too small to store large video and other visual files. It also has an integrated graphics card, which is less than what’s recommended for a professional video editing finish.
3. 13″ MacBook Air with 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Apple has a reputation for being pricey but you don’t really need to spend all your cash for one of its sleek and powerful machines for video editing, the lightweight and slim 13″ MacBook Air.
Advantage: With its 8GB RAM, you can process videos smoothly and export them lightning-quick. Compared with other MacBook Air models, this one is noticeably powerful with an epic battery life. It also comes with more connection ports than other MacBooks, 2 USB 3.0 ports, an SD card slot, and a Thunderbolt 2 slot.
Disadvantage: Like the 13″ MacBook Pro, the MacBook Air only has 256GB of disk space. Thus, if you edit larger video files, you will run out of space sometime soon. In the long run, you might need to get an external hard drive for file storage.
4. 15″ MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, 4GB Radeon Pro
Truly one of the priciest machines of its kind, the 15″ MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM and 4GB Radeon Pro is designed to perfection. It has a quad-core i7 processor that can withstand even the most complicated process you throw at it. Plus, it comes with a 16GB RAM and a 4GB Radeon Pro Graphics card, which is top-of-the-line.
Advantage: This 15″ MacBook Pro is unbeatable. All thanks to the powerful mix of a topnotch processor, dGPU, and RAM. Other great features of this machine include the 15″ screen that is capable of producing accurate colors and the responsive touch bar that allows you to effectively and efficiently edit videos. If you feel the need to have more storage space, you can do so.
Disadvantage: If you are editing videos, a widescreen size is a plus. However, at the moment, no laptop can offer all the screen space you need, not even the 15″ MacBook Pro. If you really need a wider screen so bad, you need to use an additional external monitor.
The Best Mac for Video Editing Is…
What Mac laptop should you get? Well, the answer depends on whether you are a passionate amateur or a professional video editor with lots of deadlines to meet. But, the good thing is that laptops today have become powerful and flexible enough to handle even the most complicated video editing task. While these laptops are expensive, you get your money’s worth. It is true that you will never find the perfect device that perfectly matches your needs but at the very least, you can choose a Mac and make it work for you.
As an added bonus, to help your Mac to always be in top shape and run efficiently while performing video editing tasks, scan your machine with 3rd party cleaning tools like Tweakbit MacRepair. They are designed to identify apps that take up too much of your RAM’s space, so you can get rid of them easily. Anyway, we hope our buying guide helped you decide which Mac to choose for when it comes to your video editing needs.
What laptop do you use for editing videos? Let us know by commenting and sharing with us the specs of your chosen device.
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What Is the Best Mac for Video Editing?
Macs are known for their ability to handle multimedia projects, such as photo and video production, without having to install separate software. However, with access to third-party editing software such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, Mac users are able to edit their projects to the highest degree.
Whether its an influencer editing a video for their YouTube channel, or a professional video editor putting together a short film, finding the best fitting computer is an important part of the creative process. The user can’t find the perfect computer unless they know what they want. Listed below are the variables to take into consideration when trying to find a Mac that is most compatible for the user.
Portability
Whether it’s editing, organizing, or posting videos, being able to have an accessible and compact computer with optimal storage is important. Mac took these needs into consideration and designed products that complemented the needs of their consumers on the go. Regardless of whether mobility is essential for your projects, it always pays to keep close tabs on your storage and keep harddrives free of old, unnecessary files — or back up things you need to keep and free local storage for works in progress. Combining a portable video editing station with a file-cleaning application like CleanMyMac X will help keep your machine running smooth on the go.
MacBook Pro
Starting at $1,299 the MacBook Pro takes performance and portability to a new level. The high-performance processors, memory, and advanced graphics make the MacBook Pro an ideal portable work station for those who edit feature-length material or similarly complex projects and need a reliable laptop to accommodate their busy lifestyle. The MacBook Pro comes with:
- 4-, 9-, and 18-core Intel processors;
- Up to 32GB of memory for running multiple apps;
- Retina display with True Tone technology;
- Touch Bar and Touch ID, allowing users to flip between programs, giving them more control over their productivity.
Users have their choice of a 13-inch (3lbs) or 15-inch (4lbs) model, both allowing them to utilize a large screen to better impact their editing, without having to carry around the extra weight. The MacBook Pro also gives users the ability to create shortcuts that are saved to the control strip, which increases the work pace.
MacBook Air
Weighing only 2.75 lbs and being 15.6mm thin, the MacBook Air is the lightest of its kind, making it the best for portability. Aside from it being perfect packing size, the compact laptop comes in three colors — space gray, gold, and silver — and is created from 100% recycled aluminum, making it the “greenest” Mac to date. Starting at $1,099, the MacBook Air has:
- 13.3-inch high-resolution retina display;
- True Tone technology;
- Touch ID for better security;
- Force Touch trackpad;
- Up to 16GB memory;
- Eighth-generation Intel Core i5 processor;
- Up to 12 hours of battery life.
The MacBook Pro is user-friendly with easy to operate programs, allowing you to do things like edit videos with iMovie, designed for easy sharing and uploading. With a lower price point and compact size, the MacBook Pro might be ideal for social media influencers or anyone else beginning a career in video editing.
Performance
Even though laptops are wonderful for everyday use, professionals sometimes prefer to use desktop computers for larger video editing projects. The more memory a computer has, the better it can perform, which is a key component of high-end video production editing. And just like with all computers, it’s important to perform maintenance on your MacBook to ensure it’s running at full capacity.
iMac Pro
The iMac Pro is an all-in-one that was designed to turn the biggest ideas into the greatest works. One of the benefits of the iMac Pro is that it can handle multiple video and audio editing programs at once — an important feature for professional editors. The iMac Pro features:
- 8-,10-,14-,or 18-core Xeon processor;
- Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, meaning that you can render images, edit up to 8K video, manipulate photos, and create real-time audio effects much faster than before;
- Up to 42MB cache;
- 8GB or 16GB high bandwidth memory;
- 3D rendering and special effects support.
The computer has four channels of memory that can now accommodate up to 256GB. This means that video editors can create multiple test environments for cross-platform development, all while keeping multiple apps open at the same time.
The iMac Pro starts at $4,999 and goes up from there depending on features and options. However, that much memory, graphic quality, and video editing abilities, makes it worth every penny.
Mac Pro
As of Fall 2019, the Mac Pro boasts the best performance and expansion yet. This computer is specifically designed with maximum performance in mind. The Mac Pro will have:
- Up to 140GB/s memory bandwidth;
- Six-channel memory system;
- 28-core processor.
Similar to the iMac Pro, the Mac Pro will have the capability to execute tasks like animating 3D film assets, compositing 8K scenes, and building lifelike gaming environments while running other applications without worry. Video editing can be quick to take up storage space with back-ups, old projects, extra programs, and applications. Therefore, users may need help keeping on top of drive management and eliminate junk files by making sure to digitally clean up Mac. For that, there is a good cleaner app called CleanMyMac X, which cleans up all system junk files just in several clicks. Here is how it works.
- Download CleanMyMac X for free and launch it
- Select System Junk tab
- Click Scan, and then Clean.
Affordability
Price shouldn’t be the determining factor when setting yourself up for success. Even though some of the best Macs for video editing are costly, there are also options that are less pricey that still will allow video editors to work successfully.
iMac
Much like the iMac Pro, the original iMac allows for speed and high-end performance — except at half the cost. The iMac is an all-in-one that comes in a 21.5-inch Retina 4K or 27-inch Retina 5K display, allowing 1 billion colors to be shown off with more precision. This makes it an ideal computer for video editors since it has a similar power at half the cost of higher-end models. Starting at $1,099 the iMac has a 4-,6-, and 8-core processor with turbo speeds up to 5.0GHz. The iMac also has:
- Four USB 3.0 ports;
- Ultrafast three-stream Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless technology;
- Built-in apps such as Safari, Siri, Facetime, and more.
Mac Mini
Starting at $799, the Mac Mini is a new eighth-generation 4- and 6-core processor with up to 64GB of memory. The Mac Mini has the same connectivity as the iMac and also can run many programs at once. The Apple T2 security chip consolidates several controllers into one. It includes room for an ethernet cord, HDMI 2.0, and has two USB 3.0 ports. It boasts high-performance memory and can connect to more SSD memory quickly to save multiple program and project files.
Mac Alternatives
Unless you’re a professional, spending money on a laptop or desktop computer isn’t always necessary in order to make successful video edits. Other Mac products such as the ones listed below are an alternative not only for video editing but for your wallet as well.
iPhone 11 Pro
With a retail value starting at $999, the newest iPhone 11 Pro has a triple camera system that adds more capability to the phone, without it being too complex. To name a few features of the iPhone:
- Ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto camera;
- 4K video with extended dynamic range and cinematic video stabilization;
- Real-time processing;
- Audio zoom;
- Smart HDR;
- 458 pixels per inch;
- Ability to charge up to 50% in about 30 minutes with fast charge.
The beneficial qualities of this cell phone allow the user to create and edit YouTube videos all in the palm of their hand. This Mac product would be most ideal for influencers or video amateurs.
iPad Pro
The iPad Pro is the perfect product for the social media influencer that wants a small Mac product that’s still big enough to make edits and visualize the final product with a clear image. Being one of the less expensive Mac products, the iPad Pro starts at just $799 for their 11-inch display. The iPad Pro also includes 4K video recording and can capture 7-megapixel photos along with a portrait mode and auto image stabilization. There is an Apple pencil that comes with the iPad Pro, allowing the user to have more control over brainstorming and editing.
Best Video Editing For Macbook
No matter the level of video editing expertise, there is a Mac product that is perfect for each user’s needs. Knowing the difference between each product and being aware is just as important as the video-editing process itself. Take advantage of CleanMyMac X to keep your video editing machine running at full speed.