MacBook Pro 15" - FCPX - RX560X

[armut]

Hello people,

I'm editing videos in 4K and using my Mac at home.
I'm thinking to buy a 2018 MacBook Pro (RX560X) but not sure if this machine can handle my video editing with 4K due to performance.

I know that exporting of a project will take more time than on a mac but what about the editing process?
Is this smooth. Do I need to render for each effect to playback the video?
On my Mac, I'm creating optimized media to have a better/smooth playback/performance!

I would be happy if you could share your experience in FCP X 4K editing on a MacBook Pro.

Many thanks in advance!

 

[e1me5]

I edit FS7II, DJI drone, gopro and Iphone 4K footage on a 2012 15" cMBP with an old nvidia 650GT flawlessly on FCPX and I don't have any problems with performace. The new MBP has a GPU that's more than a 1000% faster than mine so I am pretty sure that it will handle 4k like a charm.

 

[armut]

Thanks for reply?
My concern is only gpu related. Othervise the new MBP are very nice

What about your media? Are you using optimized media or just H264/H265?
I mostly will use effects/functions like color correction, color grading, luts, retiming and optical flow.

Most people are making benchmarks with BruceX etc. but I don't understand why?
It's more important to how smooth you can edit your timeline!

 

[e1me5]

Thanks for reply?
My concern is only gpu related. Othervise the new MBP are very nice

What about your media? Are you using optimized media or just H264/H265?
I mostly will use effects/functions like color correction, color grading, luts, retiming and optical flow.

Most people are making benchmarks with BruceX etc. but I don't understand why?
It's more important to how smooth you can edit your timeline!

No, I never use optimised/proxy media on my MBP. The performance is acceptable to use the media straight from the card. Most of the media is H264 from the drone and gopro and the XAVC codec from the Sony. H265 hangs the system, due to being an old hardware and lacks H265 hardware accelerators, that the new one has. I have smooth performance with LUTS as I shoot LOG and FCPX adds the correct LUT automatically. Color correction/grade depends of how much I mess with it, but for normal corrections I don't have any problems, although sometimes I let it to render the corrections. Retiming/ optical flow takes some time (usually 1-2 minutes for 10 sec of footage, but again is a 7 year old hardware). Exports take a long time though if I export 4k from 4k timeline with 4k footage (1080p export from 4k timeline is much faster). This is because my system lacks optimised for 4k hardware encoders, that the new MBPs have already.

Generally, as I see it, the combo of hardware and software make the new MBP is a solid 4K machine that can last for the next 7 years at least. I am getting one as well because it worths the upgrade and the investment.

 

[armut]

No, I never use optimised/proxy media on my MBP. The performance is acceptable to use the media straight from the card. Most of the media is H264 from the drone and gopro and the XAVC codec from the Sony. H265 hangs the system, due to being an old hardware and lacks H265 hardware accelerators, that the new one has. I have smooth performance with LUTS as I shoot LOG and FCPX adds the correct LUT automatically. Color correction/grade depends of how much I mess with it, but for normal corrections I don't have any problems, although sometimes I let it to render the corrections. Retiming/ optical flow takes some time (usually 1-2 minutes for 10 sec of footage, but again is a 7 year old hardware). Exports take a long time though if I export 4k from 4k timeline with 4k footage (1080p export from 4k timeline is much faster). This is because my system lacks optimised for 4k hardware encoders, that the new MBPs have already.

Generally, as I see it, the combo of hardware and software make the new MBP is a solid 4K machine that can last for the next 7 years at least. I am getting one as well because it worths the upgrade and the investment.

Very interesting and also helpful asnwer!
To be honest, I'm surprised that you can work smoothly with not optimized/proxy media.
I also had a MBPr 2012 with gt650 and it was nearly not possible to playback the timeline when I applied an effect.
But that could be the time, wehre FCPX was not optimized as today.

Export times are not important for me because this do not has any influence to my workflow smoothness.
Rendering some retiming and optical flow I can understand on 2012 machine.

There many reviews about export and render performances but "no one" is taking care about working smoothness.
But thanks for you. This is very helpfull!

 

[e1me5]

Very interesting and also helpful asnwer!
To be honest, I'm surprised that you can work smoothly with not optimized/proxy media.
I also had a MBPr 2012 with gt650 and it was nearly not possible to playback the timeline when I applied an effect.
But that could be the time, wehre FCPX was not optimized as today.

Export times are not important for me because this do not has any influence to my workflow smoothness.
Rendering some retiming and optical flow I can understand on 2012 machine.

There many reviews about export and render performances but "no one" is taking care about working smoothness.
But thanks for you. This is very helpfull!

I am glad I was able to help!
Something I forgot to mention, I always try to work with the fastest storage I can get. Usually I store my footage on RAID 0 hard drives and lately I bought an EVO 850 SSD. Storage is one of the bottlenecks of an editing system so try to keep those read/write numbers high!
All the best!

 

[armut]

I am glad I was able to help!
Something I forgot to mention, I always try to work with the fastest storage I can get. Usually I store my footage on RAID 0 hard drives and lately I bought an EVO 850 SSD. Storage is one of the bottlenecks of an editing system so try to keep those read/write numbers high!
All the best!

Of course, many thanks. Your experience is very helpfull.
You're right, storage is one of the most important point in video editing. I'm using an m.2 external SSD Raid 0 device to also be mobile.
Many thanks again!