I can´t decide between the Mac Mini (Intel Core i5, 2.5GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB and AMD Radeon HD 6630M) or the Macbook Pro 13" (2.5 GHz, Intel Core i5, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 4000). I´m planning to use Adobe Premiere CS6 for editing and Adobe After Effects CS6 for compositing...most of the time I will edit on my house, but don´t know which one to buy. Also, I will be using 1080 60fps footage from my Canon Vixia HFS200. Help!
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac mini or Macbook Pro 13´ for HD Video Editing?
- Thread starter titilula
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
First if your going for a mac mini then wait for the updates. Now both machines will do what you want I use photoshop cs6 fine on my MBP specs below. The main question is do you want to carry round your mac and use it wherever you are if yes then get the MBP if no the wait for the new mini. Bear in mind the mini is just that there is no screen, keyboard, mouse, or speakers so factor that in when your looking at price. Hope this helps 
mbp for sure, i got the baseline early 2011 mbp 13" i5, i upgraded ram to 8gb from crucial, then i purchased a 750gb hybrid (ssd) momentus HDD and for what i do in video, AE, Motion, Final cut pro, its a killer combo, try get the cheapest baseline model then upgrade, i don't like mac minis so its a biased decision
I would not bother with the 13inch mbp why because it has that intell graphics ****.
Wait for a mini update or go with a 15inch mbp
...if you are mainly editing at home, I would just go with a desktop system to be honest. I would go with mini even if its last years.
Wait for a mini update or go with a 15inch mbp
...if you are mainly editing at home, I would just go with a desktop system to be honest. I would go with mini even if its last years.
You know the intel HD4000 is comparable if not faster than a Nvidia 9600m GT which was a dedicated chip in a 15inch MacBook a couple of years a go.
its still a intergrated intell chip. They will not work with stuff that requores a dedicated chip, and plus they do not run as fast.
Well it will run everything the 9600m GT could and in some cases it's faster. So it may not be able to keep up with the new dedicated chips but for most people who want power and portablitly it does the job.
Its still better to go with a chip thats not intergrated..
To be honest. I've had bad luck with Intel graphics chips.
To be honest. I've had bad luck with Intel graphics chips.
That may be the case, but why compare it to something from a couple of years ago? I have a 13" mbp and I can tell you the one limitation you can't get around is only having an integrated gpu. I'd decide between a 2011 15" mbp or a mac mini if you are really into video work with after effects or motion. I'm currently looking to sell my 13" mbp right now for a 15".
Because the intel HD 4000 will do the job. You shouldn't just write it off because it's intergrated. The 15 inch is 24% heavier than a 13 inch which is noticable if you have to carry it round everyday. If you only need to carry you laptop around once or twice a week then go for the 15 inch.
Well, he mentions in the original post that mobility isn't too critical which is why he is considering the mac mini. So I don't think weight will be an issue, but that's for him to decide. I've heard the HD 4000 is really good for being an integrated graphics card, but I still stand by initial belief that if you are going into after effects or any other intensive program, you will want something with a dedicated graphics card. Just this week I was hoping to use Davinci Resolve Lite for some color correcting, but found out the 13" mbp isn't supported because it doesn't have a dedicated gpu. I have the HD 3000 model in mine, and I really feel it's weakness in motion after I get a few layers moving around at the same time. Ram preview only helps so much.
The 13" is a great machine for editing on, but if you are looking into doing anything more advanced, save yourself the trouble and get something with the dedicated gpu the first time around.
Yer your right there so if he is only going to want a small amount of portability then a 15 inch would suit him better with more power, a bigger screen and portability if he needed it.
Ive not tried that program that you listed I mainly just use CS6 and a bit of aperture here and there.
It will perform noticeably better at certain things than the mac mini or 13" mbp. It has a quad core processor which will really cut down on encoding times. I'd go with a high end early 2011 or either version of the late 2011.