Macbook pro choice for uni video editing?

[kiario]

My current early 2011 Macbook pro has slowed down a fair bit over the two years I have had it. This wouldn't be a major issue, but as I am commencing a film course at my uni, an upgrade would be good idea. That being said, I would like to keep the budget low. This means no retina display. I have done some playing around on the apple store and found that 8gb ram would be essential. However, I am stumped as to whether I will need some of the upgrades that I want for the new computer. Some of these include:

- Upgrading the graphics card to 1gb and the processor up to 2.6 or 2.7.
- Choosing the 7500rpm 750gb hard drive over the 5400rpm 750gb drive.
- Upgrading to the high-res or anti glare screen.

Does anyone have any idea as to whether these upgrades (if any) would be seen as necessary for some intense video editing, photo editing and other multimedia things. Thank you

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Ok, I guess I lied. The retina display Macbook pro would be an option if it came with more than 256mb storage and upgrading to more didnt cost over $700.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

No need for a CPU upgrade, the basic CPU will be fine.
Depending on what applications you use, 512 MB VRAM might be fine.
And while a faster HDD is beneficial with your applications and such, also know, that using the same HDD to store the OS to also use as scratch disk for video footage you work with is not advised. Better use an extra internal HDD via Optibay (I have one SSD and one HDD in my 2009 MBP to store the OS and video footage I currently work on) or an external USB 3.0 or Firewire 800 or Thunderbolt HDD to store your footage on.

As for the RAM, do no pay the Apple price, it is easy to upgrade RAM to 8 or 16 GB for less than what Apple wants and it does not void the warranty.

Here are RAM and HDD upgrade guides:

Upgrading RAM in MacBooks and MacBook Pros​

MacBook, MacBook Pro: Replacing the Hard Disk Drive, transferring data to the new HDD​

And depending on your video editing knowledge and hunger for new knowledge, the following article might help:

Video Compression
Why It Matters & How To Make The Most Of It

which includes the following sections:

• GOPs, Macroblocks & Wavelets
• Acquisition Formats
• Editing & Post Formats
• Final Cut Pro
• Avid Media Composer
• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Which Codec Should I Edit With?
• Conclusion
• Camera Codec Summary
• Apple ProRes Variations
• Avid DNxHD Codecs

 

[kiario]

Cheers, that was invaluable information!

 

[takeshi74]

Does anyone have any idea as to whether these upgrades (if any) would be seen as necessary for some intense video editing, photo editing and other multimedia things.

Using what apps?

Have you looked into cleaning up your early 2011?

 

[nitromac]

If you are going to be doing a lot of After-Effects type editing, then the 1GB of video RAM will help. The processor will do fine (as long as you get mid-2012 or newer) and RAM is easily upgradable. I haven't done much in terms of video on my MBP (specs below) since I use my desktop PC for that, but from what I've tried (simple Premiere/AE rendering) it performs very, very well.

Since you're doing video, a retina display isn't really necessary and might hog your performance when previewing. I'd go with the classic MBP with a hi-res screen (antiglare or glossy is up to you). It gives much more workspace over a regular screen, and that's crucial in video editing when you are dealing with multiple windows/areas. Ideally you'd get a large 1920x1200 or 1080p monitor for better color reproduction and even more workspace, but a hi-res will suffice.

Oh, and an optibay is essential for a cMBP. I bought an enclosure for the superdrive I took out, and I've used it ~2 times since last summer. Both for ripping some CDs to iTunes. Other than that, I haven't found the need to use a CD/DVD ever. My MBP boots up in approx. 6-10 seconds on my SSD -- power button to login screen. Then it takes about 2 seconds after logging in for the dock and everything to show up.