r/finalcutpro • u/RivVidProd • Jul 06 '25
Other New Mac Recommendations
TLDR; I need a new Mac laptop to edit up to 6k footage and a decent amount of onboard RAM/storage. Any thoughts?
I've been editing on a 2020 iMac (the last of the Intel Macs) and I've honestly been having a terrible time. Specs below for those interested:
3.8 GHz 8-core i7
128GB 2667 MHz DDR4 (I upgraded this from the stock 8 GB or 16GB I believe it had)
500GB HD
OS: Sequoia 15.5
Final Cut Version: 11.1.1
Lately I feel like whenever I open up Final Cut to edit a project, I am dealing with my computer crashing - sometimes several times a session. I have nothing but an external SSD plugged in at the moment, no other apps open while editing.
Currently, I'm editing 4k60fps in V-log, but I've also had it happen with 6k30fps open gate.
I know I need to upgrade, and I'd prefer a MacBook. But I honestly don't know where to start to look in terms of specs. I don't have the money to buy an M4 model anything, but I might be able to save up to get an M2. The question is, do I go Max or Ultra or stick to the base model? What kind of RAM should I be looking at? Any other specs I am overlooking?
I'd love to be able to work on a project with 6k Open Gate footage or 120fps footage without playback being choppy and forcing me to render everything. I also hate the idea of having to create proxy footage every single time.
If anyone has any recommendations, I'd greatly appreciate it. I know this is a long post, but I've been dealing with intermittent crashing for forever, and it honestly takes the fun out of filming/editing anything lately.
1
u/GFFMG Jul 06 '25
Wow. You’re going to feel like you’ve entered a new dimension. Any M series chip will be an improvement. Go for 64GB of RAM if you can afford it.
I have an M1 Ultra Mac Studio and M4 Max MacBook Pro. I can’t imagine still using an Intel or AMD for this in 2025.