Choosing the right Mac for heavy multitasking and professional software.

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Hey everyone,

I’m looking to upgrade my current setup and really dive deep into the Mac ecosystem for my professional work. I’m a video editor and graphic designer, and my workflows can get pretty demanding – often juggling multiple large applications like Final Cut Pro, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), and sometimes even some 3D rendering software.

My current aging Windows PC is starting to show its limits, and I’m convinced a powerful Mac is the way to go for a smoother and more integrated experience, especially considering the optimizations for creative software.

I’m trying to figure out what the best Mac setup would be for someone like me. Should I be looking at a high-end MacBook Pro for a balance of power and portability, or would something like an iMac or even a Mac Studio be a better investment for sustained performance at a desk? What kind of specs (RAM, processor type like M3 Max vs M3 Pro, storage speed/size) are truly crucial for these kinds of demanding tasks without going completely overboard on budget if possible?

Any Mac power users here who can share their experiences or recommend a specific configuration or direction that handles heavy creative work well? I’m open to suggestions and want to make sure I invest in something that will serve me well for the next few years.

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I’m using the M1 Mac Studio that I bought back when it was released. Think I have the 64GB model with the 2TB SSD. It is still rock solid for Photoshop, Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve. Getting the M4-version today would probably last you a long time for the future.

Of course, if you truly need a portable set-up the MacBook Pro would be the way to go. I personally don’t like laptops for ergonomic reasons, so I also invested in the Studio Display with the VESA mount to get it off my desk and at a good viewing height (using a monitor arm).

The sticker shock is real, but also, the production rig you get is really powerful and stable.

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Replacing an aging PC, anything you choose will be an amazing upgrade.

Standard Mac advice - ram is hardwired, if making tradeoffs in configuration, buy the largest ram capacity you can afford.

Buy at least a 1 TB or 2 GB internal SSD. Anything less will be painful. Anything larger (4 TB or 8 TB) will be awesome but painful for the wallet.

For CPU/GPU configuration, Apple typically has three choices. Lowest choice, most affordable but a little tight on performance, middle choice is the sweet spot, highest end choice will have absolutely best performance but only marginally better for a huge increase in cost.

Portable versus desktop - depends on your budget and need. Can you afford two setups (a desktop system and a laptop) or only one that must serve all needs?

When I upgraded from my aging Intel iMac 27" retina, I chose the Mac Studio M1 Mac with Apple Studio Display. Amazing performance - renders from Adobe Premiere Pro went from 13 hours to 1 hour for projects with intensive effects and processing.

Last year, I decided to consolidate my aging Intel Macbook Pro and second desktop (identical 27" iMac) with a laptop. Got a MacBook Air (wanted the lightest thing to carry around) and another Mac Studio for home use.

The performance of the M3 Air is on par with my Mac Studio and I don’t regret not getting the larger/heavier Macbook Pro (but I do miss the larger laptop screen when using it on the go).

Next upgrade cycle, seriously considering replacing the Mac Studio with a Mac Mini as the Mac Studio seems almost overkill and is much more expensive.

All photo and video apps run very fast and I haven’t hit any speed bumps or limits other than my own skills.

The other data point is to figure out your upgrade cycle. Buy and hold for multiple years, or buy and keep trading up every year or so?

Macs hold their value very well. If trading up frequently, you’ll get a decent trade-in or private sale price so the upgrade cycles won’t be as financially painful.

OTOH, if buying and hold, you can amortize the purchase price over 4 to 5 years or more.

So the choice of whether to buy the most affordable versus maximum configuration, might also be weighted by the upgrade cycle. If upgrading frequently and you find you over-bought or under-bought, you can adjust on the next purchase cycle.

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My 2c on only one question you had …

Power and portability should be combined as absolute requirements, not as alluring lyrical enticements. If you truly need to do production work while on the road, get a MacBook Pro and correspondingly set up a home configuration with an attached monitor. Otherwise, keep work where it belongs … in a desktop setup.

–
JJW

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Agree with the above - unless you are doing a lot of video editing on the road, I’d get a Mac Studio and the cheapest MacBook Air you like for travel.

I have two Mac Studios (one at work and one at home) and the MacBook Air is good enough when traveling (or can VNC into one of the Studios if I absolutely have to do something with more power).

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