M2 Max, M3 Max or M4 Max for 4K ProRes RAW in DaVinci Resolve?

[weddingsvideo]

Hello!

I'm about to buy a new Mac as I'm upgrading my video equipment. I’ll be filming with a Sony FX3 and FX30, using the Atomos Ninja Ultra to record in 12-bit ProRes RAW at 50fps in 4K. I mainly shoot weddings, and the videos I produce are usually 10 to 20 minute recaps of the day. I edit in DaVinci Resolve, but I’m currently unsure which Mac would be the best fit.

Ideally, I’d like to keep the budget somewhat tight since I’ve just invested heavily in new gear. At the same time, I don’t want to go too cheap and regret the decision a year from now.

Here are the setups I’m considering:

• M2 Max (used, with warranty) – 12-Core CPU | 38-Core GPU | 64 GB RAM | 4 TB SSD ~ 3 120 euro
• M3 Max (used, with warranty) – 14-Core CPU | 30-Core GPU | 36 GB RAM | 2 TB SSD ~ 3 970 euro
• M4 Max (new) – 14-Core CPU | 16-Core GPU | 36 GB RAM | 1 TB SSD ~ 3 900 euro

I’m leaning toward the M2 Max because of the larger SSD and more RAM, but I’m not entirely sure. Has anyone here worked with any of these configurations for similar projects?

Currently, I’m using a MacBook Pro M1 Pro with 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD. It has handled 10 bit 4K 50fps LOG footage okay, a bit slow, quite a lot of lag during playback, and it tends to choke under heavier workloads. It worked with some patience, but now with the new equipment, I really feel it's time to upgrade.

Any advice or personal experience would be super helpful, especially when it comes to DaVinci Resolve and ProRes RAW performance.

Thanks in advance. I truly appreciate any input!

 

[raythompsontn]

Get the M4 Max and a fast external SSD.

 

[Surenmunoo]

I agree with above comment. I currently have the M2Max with 32GB ram and do video editing on Da Vinci, Filmora 11 and Movavi and it works but sometimes it struggles. The M4 will be much better and price is not that more expensive.

 

[sevoneone]

Something is off with the M4 you have listed. The 16-Core GPU option is a Pro configuration, not a Max. 36GB of RAM is only available on the 14-Core Max with a 32-Core GPU. The pricing aligns with the M4 Max though. Just double check your specs.

Really it will be all about your workflow what balance of RAM, Storage and GPU you will benefit from. Any Max variant, M1 to M4, is going to give video editing in Resolve a nice lift vs your M1 Pro because of the extra GPU cores and because the Max chips have a second Media Engine for encoding/decoding H.265 and ProRes.

The M4 Max will absolutely kill it for same day edits.

Something I would not underestimate though is 64GB of RAM. It's like macOS multi-tasking God Mode. Like, exporting a huge timeline from Resolve and enough overhead to pop open a few images in Photoshop, maybe a quick vector in Illustrator and have your full tab stack in Chrome without skipping a beat.