27 inch iMac settings for FCPX 4k editting

[schloerg]

You can't future proof a computer. If the cheapest option today is 10% slower than the most expensive option, it will be only 10% slower than today's most expensive option 5 years from now. Unless you're doing it professionally, save the money.

One other point. There's a performance penalty for pushing all those retina iMac pixels around. I saw a youtube video where a video editor compared a top non retina iMac to a top retina iMac, and the non retina iMac smoked the retina iMac, and the retina iMac did not deliver smooth 4k previews. That wasn't the most recent top retina iMac, but it's possible that the latest top retina iMac still underperforms.

Do your homework.

hey fa8362.
Can you give us the adress of the video on youtube of the comparation with the non retina iMac?

 

[joema2]

PS Using Premiere Pro now and with iStat menus, using about 3GB VRAM editing and color correcting 4K footage. With a LUT and an effect, footage begins to drop frames. Fine with one or the other, but not both.

And this is single-stream H.264 material on a 4Ghz i7 and M395X? What is your playback resolution in Premiere? If that is already at 1/4, what is the solution for multicam?

Just curious because most of our editors are on FCP X but we have a couple on Premiere and as we go to 4k this is increasingly a problem. On FCP X we can use the built-in proxy feature but on Premiere it would require a manual proxy workflow.

 

[Sirmausalot]

full resolution playback of blackmagic 4k in pro res hq. but premiere pro and el capitain have some serious graphics issues that adobe and apple are sorting out. the extra effects play back fine in 1/2 resolution. yes 395x and skylake i7

 

[fathergll]

The bigger SSD only makes sense for programs and of course files you need frequently. But in truth, you don't need anywhere near 512GB frequently. And that's not big enough for a media drive. For video editing, I think the best advice is to go with the 2TB fusion and the highest end CPU and GPU. You can add RAM and an external SSD later. I do this professionally and this is my professional advice.

Wouldn't a 256gb SSD and external storage for media be a slightly more ideal setup over the 2TB and external storage?

 

[AppleHater]

1. I5 3.3Ghz CPU, m395 GPU, 512GB SSD
Decent CPU, GPU and SSD

2. I7 4.0Ghz CPU, m390 GPU, 2TB Fusion Drive
Max CPU, ok GPU, and fusion drive

How about between the two choices, which will outlast the other as a Lightroom-FCP-X machine?

 

[Sirmausalot]

Wouldn't a 256gb SSD and external storage for media be a slightly more ideal setup over the 2TB and external storage?

Perhaps you're right. And it's 100 cheaper.

 

[joema2]

full resolution playback of blackmagic 4k in pro res hq. but premiere pro and el capitain have some serious graphics issues that adobe and apple are sorting out. the extra effects play back fine in 1/2 resolution. yes 395x and skylake i7

How does your 2015 iMac 27 playback 4k H264 material? If there is lag, what about 1/2 or 1/4 resolution? Have you tried 4k H264 multicam? Is it ever necessary to fully render the timeline and if so does that help? Just curious what the performance of a top-spec iMac is on this type of material in Premiere.

On my top spec 2015 iMac 27, in FCP X a single stream of 4k H264 is doable but a little sluggish. Multicam absolutely requires proxy media. I can often get by without rendering the timeline, but to see the exact behavior of the effect it is sometimes necessary to render it.

 

[Sirmausalot]

1. I5 3.3Ghz CPU, m395 GPU, 512GB SSD
Decent CPU, GPU and SSD

2. I7 4.0Ghz CPU, m390 GPU, 2TB Fusion Drive
Max CPU, ok GPU, and fusion drive

How about between the two choices, which will outlast the other as a Lightroom-FCP-X machine?

Here's what I vote for (again) i7 395 and 256GB SSD ($2549)

How does your 2015 iMac 27 playback 4k H264 material? If there is lag, what about 1/2 or 1/4 resolution? Have you tried 4k H264 multicam? Is it ever necessary to fully render the timeline and if so does that help? Just curious what the performance of a top-spec iMac is on this type of material in Premiere.

On my top spec 2015 iMac 27, in FCP X a single stream of 4k H264 is doable but a little sluggish. Multicam absolutely requires proxy media. I can often get by without rendering the timeline, but to see the exact behavior of the effect it is sometimes necessary to render it.

H264 is fine, single stream (from GH4 in 4K 8bit). Adding a LUT is fine, but then a color effect in addition causes some frames to drop. Also, not perfect with picture in picture. However, I think Apple (and Adobe) have work to do to optimize El Capitain (lots of problems for people) and Premiere. I think you will see performance improve.

Dropping to 1/2 resolution, then PIP, LUT and color effect all together play back smoothly on H264 media on Premiere Pro.