Laptop Video Processor question

mavicblue · Mar 7, 2018

Hope this is not off topic for this section of the forum.

From a video editing perspective (for MavicPro videos, etc.), would there a significant benefit to one of these notebooks over the other?

MacBook Pro 15", Intel Iris Pro 5200 graphics, 16GB RAM, 2.2GHz (MJLQ2LL/A)

MacBook Pro 15", Radeon Pro 550, 16GB RAM, 2.8GHz (MPTR2LL/A)

This laptop/notebook is a reward related gift so I can get the first one for free or pay an extra $400-500 to get the newer, upgraded MacBook Pro. I don't think I'll be video editing on a daily basis, but maybe once a week at most. I'm aware of the new bells and whistles on the newer one, but want to base the decision on the video editing performance when using an Apple, Adobe or Corel application.

I'm thinking there will be some benefit with the newer one, but is it significant enough to warrant an extra $400-$500? What do you think?

Mossiback · Mar 7, 2018

Your video editing software will list the minimum requirements for the graphics card so look there first.

mavicblue · Mar 7, 2018

Yes, I'll be looking at the system requirements. Maybe someone here has first hand experience too.

Datadogie · Mar 7, 2018

System requirements.

droneworx · Mar 7, 2018

I use a 2016 MB Pro 15" 16GB, 2.7Ghz with the Radeon 455 Model number MLH42LL/A and Final Cut Pro X, and it just blows through video editing like hot knife through butter, even full 4K/60FPS, so I would imagine either one of those being higher than mine would do equally or better.

mavicblue · Mar 7, 2018

droneworx said:
I use a 2016 MB Pro 15" 16GB, 2.7Ghz with the Radeon 455 Model number MLH42LL/A and Final Cut Pro X, and it just blows through video editing like hot knife through butter, even full 4K/60FPS, so I would imagine either one of those being higher than mine would do equally or better.

Thanks. I believe your dedicated video processor has more capability than the first one I mentioned since it was a mid-year 2015 before the tweaks. I did read how well (rendering fast) Final Cut Pro X works with the MacBook Pro, which is nice.

droneworx · Mar 7, 2018

mavicblue said:
Thanks. I believe your dedicated video processor has more capability than the first one I mentioned since it was a mid-year 2015 before the tweaks. I did read how well (rendering fast) Final Cut Pro X works with the MacBook Pro, which is nice.

sorry I didnt click both links, I only clicked the lower one and saw it was a 2017, so I assumed you were comparing two 2017 models. However, final cut is not heavy on the graphics processor, its more CPU intensive, and many benchmarks out there put the 2015 at almost equal in performance to the 2016 one, and with FCPX being Mac optimized as you said, I think the extra money isn't worth it. for my desktop, I use a mid 2014 Mac mini with a i5 and 8GB of Ram and a generic intel graphics, and while it isn't nearly as speedy as my Pro, is still does pretty dang good. I use my desktop many times when I'm rendering out 1080 or lower if my MB isn't handy, and it pretty much blows through that, 4K, it struggles a little, but still does it, and I never experience dropped frames. I would use the extra 400 to buy a good SSD or TB storage unit.

People will say that Adobe Premiere is better than Final Cut, and well.. it kinda is, but Premiere is really difficult to run on a Mac, it has to pre-render anything 4K, it renders really slow, and just overall the experience is horrible on a Mac, and not worth the extra bells and whistles it has. Stick with FCPX.

mavicblue · Mar 7, 2018

Hey, that’s very helpful! Thank you much. I think from what I’m reading elsewhere and your comments, I’m probably fine with the older model. Doesn’t mean I won’t pony up, but at least it wouldn’t be simply for the performance aspect. Don’t you just love <sarcasm> the rapid changes in technology and cost that goes with it? Can’t wait to get more videos made and to view them on a new notebook that has more speed than what my existing machines have now.