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Choosing a System
I know this is a topic that has been talked to death but here it goes anyway…
I am a recent film school graduate who is trying to decide on the best computer for my needs. I have been looking at iMacs, Mac Book Pros, and Mac Pros and am hoping there are some people out there willing to share their thoughts and professional opinions. This computer would be functioning as my main editing station for any freelance video or photo work I might do. My max budget is about $1600 (Not nearly as much as I’d like but film school tends to do that to you). I plan on editing mostly with Final Cut Pro 6 and doing work with Adobe CS4 (mostly Photoshop). The footage I will be working with for the most part will be DVC PRO HD 720 24p from P2. For photography I’ll be working with 10-15 MP Raw files in Lightroom and doing simple layering and photo manipulation in Photoshop. The main questions I have are these:How much does the graphics card weigh into the equation vs. the overall processing specs of the machine? (I.E. is a 2.66 Ghz 4GB system with a Gforce 8600 going to run better than 2.4 Ghz 2GB with a Gforce 9600 etc.)
How much faster machine will I get within my budget by going Mac Pro or iMac v.s Mac Book Pro? Is it worth the reduced mobility.
Should I factor in the upgradability of the system into my decision or just plan on buying a new computer when the time comes? Are there significant differences in the upgrade potential of the New Mac Book Pros vs. the older ones? How much more upward potential does the Mac Pro have as opposed to the iMac or Mac Book Pro?
How much horsepower do I really need? Is it achievable within my limited budget?
What are the best options for external monitoring final output with these different systems.
Any thoughts or insight would be genuinely appreciated.
“Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.” -Jean-Luc Godard
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2 Replies
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The speed of computers and graphic cards is a moot point these days unless you intend on doing insane 3d or compositing work. Rule of thumb in this world is RAM trumps all. Buy the most computer you can afford while maxing out the RAM. If you don’t max out the ram, you have to at least make sure you upgrade the amount you have in pairs with identacle sticks…i.e. 4GB of ram is better than 5GB, but not as good as 6GB, because the 4GB is in matched pairs, whereas the 5 has an odd-man-out thing going for it.
Mac Pro has the most going for it for upgradeability. If you go with an iMac of Macbook, just make sure you have at least two things: Firewire ports and expresscard slot. The expresscard is vital if you set yourself up with a good RAID, since I haven’t seen a Mac come with an esata port yet (though I don’t follow the features when models are released), or if you want to get a capture card (i think blackmagic has a setup for expresscard, but I’m probably wrong with that).
As far as mobility, that’s for you to decide. If you think it would be valuable to have your laptop on location, or if you think your business plan will include editing at the client’s site, then that’s for you. If you forsee all your work being done in your office, then go with the workhorse.
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With Macs, my rule of thumb is- buy the biggest, baddest machine you can afford that fits your needs. I have also used my macs up until I bought a new one, and then the older gradually gathered dust. Upgradability is usually limited to RAM, and very occasionally, processors.
I’ve edited DVCProHD on all the systems you listed, even my sluggy little Powerbook. The good news is that the footage cuts well, moves well, on all of those systems. The bog down occurs when you do alot of filtering, compression, rendering from AFX, Motion, etc. Laptops CRAWL compared to desktop machines when it comes to rendering and compressing. Is that worth it for you? Can you wait? RAM is part of the equation, sure, but so is processing power.
You can do some damage with the 24″ iMac. It’s probably the best bang for your buck right now, but buy more RAM (not from Apple). It’s the cheapest and easiest way to boost your machine’s potential. And if you really had to move the system somewhere near a plug, I knew someone who would just toss hers in the box and walk around with it when needed.
Dennis answered some of your other questions, I can’t really speak on graphics cards. As for monitoring final output- are you looking to monitor in SD or HD? I’m assuming that budget is separate from the machine cost?
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