-
iMac 27″ or MBP 17″ for student learning Resolve Lite?
Gentlemen,
I’m going to be learning Resolve over the next year or so and I would like some suggestions on which would be the best set up within my budget.
I’m a student, not a professional Colorist, but I am serious about learning. I’ll be working mostly on 2k footage and below (DSLR, Sony F3 & FS100, Canon C300, etc…) and I’ll also be using FCPX and Motion. I already have a FSI reference monitor for accurate color, so now I just need to update my old computer.
My choices are the best available options for custom iMacs or MBPs on the Apple website, excluding the memory which I will buy form third party sources…
17″ MBP with 2.5GHz Quad-Core i7 with 8GB SDRAM and 256GB SSD. AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory. Intel HD Graphics 3000 with 384MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory with automatic graphics switching. $3,500.00
27″ iMac with 3.4GHz Quad-Core i7 with 16GB SDRAM. 256GB SSD. AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5. $2,800.00
I know that graphics cards are essential for Resolve, but I’m confused about are the graphic card specs between the iMac and MBP. The way it’s worded, it almost sounds like the MBP has better graphics, but that can’t be, can it?
How much better is the iMac or MBP in relation to the other, in regard to Resolve and NLEs? Will I notice a significant difference performance between the two? I admit that if the difference is only minor, then I would probably want to go with the MBP for the simple reason of portability, even though it cost more.
Dezzy
-
4 Replies
-
Resolve is built with CUDA, which is NVidia only. Apple only comes with AMD graphics cards these days so there’s no difference with wither one of the Macs you mention.
If you want an NVidia you will have to get an external one connected through Thunderbolt or get a MacPro.
Don’t expect any miracles from FCPX either.
So if you’re a student and on a budget, I’d get the cheapest option.To be honest, maybe you should reconsider getting a Mac.
-
[Arno Beekman] “To be honest, maybe you should reconsider getting a Mac.”
Seconding this. You could build a killer PC with two GPUs for less money than the cheapest option you’re looking at currently.
-
Oh really? I like the sound of that… any suggestions?
I’m sick of feeling beholden to Apple. They make great products, but there is always a catch. I think this year will really reveal if Apple intends to stay with the professional market or not. For this reason, I’m glad that I haven’t fully invested myself in the Apple platform as of yet.
With PCs, I can work with Adobe, Avid and now Resolve…
Dezzy
-
[Desmond Ford] “I think this year will really reveal if Apple intends to stay with the professional market or not.”
There’s been a lot of discussion about this on Creative Cow. Walt Biscardi wrote a great article about the shakeup since FCP X you may find interesting. Personally, I think since Apple is finding such success with their iDevices, they no longer see the need to pay much attention to the pro market.
But anyway, about a PC: Consult the Black Magic Configuration Guide here for ideas. Personally, at home my PC currently has 16GB RAM, two Nvidia GTX 580s, Intel Core i7 870 overclocked to 3.2GHz, and Black Magic Intensity Pro for monitoring and it is just fantastic with Resolve Lite and Avid Media Composer 6.
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up