Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing [With a Buyer’s Guide 2024]

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Apple’s MacBook Pros offer efficient performance and tight integration with video editing software like Adobe Creative Cloud, making them ideal laptops for video editing at any level. Their streamlined experience works well for freelancers or industry video editors.

Is MacBook Pro Good for Video Editing

In this case, it isn’t about whether or not a Mac will be effective for video editing but a matter of how much power you really need.

If you just plan on doing minor work for YouTube, you won’t be troubled by extensive renders or clamoring for screen estate, so it doesn’t make sense to pay for specs built for something ten times as processor-intensive.

However, if you plan on doing digital animation or working in 4K, it’s definitely time to look at higher-end machines that will be able to handle what you’re throwing at them.

If you’re not planning on editing video in some way, you should not treat this article as a collection of the most powerful MacBooks overall.

Intensive computer work demands different specs, such as better battery life, depending on what you plan on doing, so you can’t assume the best for editing will be the best for, say, gaming.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing in 2024: Our Picks

1. Casual Video Editing: Apple MacBook Pro – 13.3 inches – 8 GB RAM

If you’re going to be editing home videos and content for YouTube, you probably won’t be doing intensive 3D renders or completely utilizing heavy programs, even if they are installed.

This version of the 13″ MacBook Pro comes with Apple-made M1 chip processing power to reach your goal without unnecessarily overcompensating.

Pros:

• The 13″ model is extremely portable, so you’ll have editing power at your fingertips wherever you go. It is very similar to the Apple Mac mini
• RAM is the perfect amount for this type of user and should last several years.
• SSD drive means that renders and saves will be completed faster than with a physical HDD disk.

Cons:

• SSD is pricey, which is why this model only comes with 256 GB of disk space. You’ll definitely want to purchase an external drive to compensate for this when storing your videos.
• Additionally, this model uses an integrated graphics card, which will be fine for this level of editing but doesn’t offer room for growth.

2. For Amateur Movie Making: Apple MacBook Pro – 14 inches – 16 GB RAM

Whether college students or budding short-film directors, you need power and a modern flair without the expense of a professional video editing setup.

This model of MacBook Pro is a great compromise, offering Apple’s latest touch bar and touch ID technology packed into a 14″ body powered by an Apple-made M1 or M1 Max chip.

Pros:

• Offering both portability and power, this modern masterpiece has all the specs to get you where you want to go without any unnecessary bulk.
• The brand-new touch bar is also included and known to have great integrations when working in Final Cut Pro or the Adobe Suite.

Cons:

• It also has an integrated graphics card, which is slightly less than ideal.

3. For Professional Creatives: Apple MacBook Pro – 16 inches – 16 GB RAM

Truly a top-of-the-line machine, this MacBook Pro model was built for precision and nothing less. The 8-core i9 processor can stand up to just about anything you throw at it; it has a powerful graphics card, UHD Graphics 630. The 16″ screen offers some more real estate than the smaller 13″ models.

Pros:

• It has nearly unbeatable power between the mix of RAM, dGPU, and processor.
• The beautiful screen will produce accurate colors, and the touch bar will allow you to work even more effectively in your favorite editing programs.

Cons:

• When editing professionally, you need all the screen space you can get, and no size laptop is going to be able to offer that. If you don’t have an external monitor, check out our recommendations.

Useful Mac Video Editing Resources

Just getting started with editing your own videos? LifeWire offers a great tutorial on getting started, from which software will be the most useful to whether you’ll fare better with some peripherals.

A fan of iMovie? MacWorld has made a fantastic list of best tips on how to get the most out of Apple’s Mac for video editing software for macOS.

You could also check out this list of free and paid Mac video editing apps (TechRadar), which will let you experiment before deciding exactly what you need in a paid program.

Looking to buy the best MacBook Pro for gaming? Check out this roundup review in case you end up getting the wrong one.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing: What to Consider

Graphics

The key to a fast render is a high-quality dedicated graphics card, and while lower-level work will likely be fine using an integrated card, you’ll want a dedicated one for anything beyond the casual home video or YouTube vlog.

Dedicated graphics allow your computer to utilize RAM (Random Access Memory) specifically for the high-quality visuals you’ll be rendered as effectively as possible. Rendering time also depends on the file types. If you don’t know how to convert mov to mp4 on Mac, then you can check out our article.

Processor

The processor is going to be handling every detail of your video as you build it, so you’re going to want to look towards the latest generations of the Apple-made M1 chip and intel core i7. Since video software can make use of multiple threads as well, these will benefit you while creating your project.

RAM

The final element that will make or break the performance of your MacBook while working on video editing is RAM. It’s used in every aspect of your computer’s execution of processes, and you’ll want a minimum of 8GB RAM for amateur work, with a goal of 16GB if you’re editing professionally.

And if you are concerned about a hard disk and don’t know if 512 GB is enough for a MacBook Pro, then you can check out this article.

Final Words

Video editing is a prime example of technical work that eats RAM and CPU power like no other. Luckily, a MacBook Pro was made to stand up to these things and is sure to perform if you’ve picked an adequate model.

What setup do you currently use to edit videos? Let us know and share which specs you think are most important for productive work.

Eric currently uses a 15-inch MacBook Pro for both work and personal errands. He did all the research and testing to make sure all the fixes and optimization tips shared on the blog are relevant to Apple’s latest macOS updates as well as fact-checking.