The higher-end Mac that you buy, the better you will be able to make music. PC Most PCs do not come with any multitrack recording programs, so you will have to purchase production software from a third party.
I'll be frank: Unless you fit into a few, very specific categories,. That said, there are a few who are going to want to pick up this version of Apple's aging pro tower before the company has a chance to reinvent it — and if you're one of them, here's what you want to take into account. More for your money While officially the 2013-chassis Mac Pro hasn't been discounted, you now get a lot more system for your money than you once did. While it works on the next generation of Mac Pro, Apple has essentially discounted formerly paid upgrades by $1000+, making them the default option for new buyers. The $3999 system is now available for just $2999, and a fully-upgraded kit will cost you less overall. It's worth noting that these upgrades aren't new components for the Mac Pro — since 2013, you've been able to build the Mac Pro to order with higher-core Xeon processors and FirePro D700 GPUs. Before, $2999 would get you a 3.7 GHz Intel 4-core Xeon processor; now, for the same price you'll get a 3.5 GHz 6-core processor with 12MB of L3 cache.
You'll also see an upgrade to the Mac Pro's internal graphics cards — moving from AMD's D300 dual graphics processors to the company's D500 chips with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Comparing Mac Pro models All Mac Pro models look the same on the outside: They're 11 pound cylindrical black towers, with four USB 3 ports, 6 Thunderbolt 2 ports, dual Gigabit Ethernet port, an HDMI 1.4 port capable of connecting to a 4K 'UltraHD' display, optical digital audio output, headphone minijack, 802.11ac Wi-Fi networking, and Bluetooth 4.0. It's the inside that matters here, though: Each of the two Mac Pro models — priced at $2999 and $3999, respectively — have different processors and GPUs. The $2999 model, as noted above, comes with a 3.5 GHz 6-core processor, 12MB of L3 cache, and AMD's D500 dual graphics processors with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM.
Its $3999 sibling bumps that up to a 3.0GHz 8-core processor, 25MB of L3 cache, and AMD's D700 dual graphics processors with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM. Both models ship with 16GB (four 4GB sticks) of DDR3 ECC memory and a 256GB SSD. Like the Mac mini, the Mac Pro does not come with its own display, keyboard, or trackpad — you'll have to pick up those on your own. Upgrading the Intel Xeon processors Apple's current Mac Pro uses an Intel Xeon processor, like its predecessors. Xeon processors were built for heavy-duty use in servers and workstations — environments demanding more extreme performance and operational criteria. The Xeon processors in the new Mac Pro are based on Intel's Ivy Bridge-EP architecture.
It also has beefier Level 3 cache for frequently accessed instructions, saving the CPU from having to page to slower system memory. What's important to understand here is that the Mac Pro is designed for parallel processing. Each core in a CPU can operate its own separate instruction; six cores can execute six instructions simultaneously. Applications that are tuned to support multiple cores will benefit the most from this — video editing software like Final Cut Pro, data compression and transformation software, 3D rendering, scientific software, and other apps.
Starting with Apple's base model $2999 six-core Mac Pro, you can upgrade the following:. Base: 3.5GHz 6-core with 12MB of L3 cache. +$800: 3.0GHz 8-core with 25MB of L3 cache. +$2000: 2.7GHz 12-core with 30MB of L3 cache These are both discounts on the original pricing for 2013's upgrades — the 8-core upgrade originally cost $1500, with the 12-core coming in at a whopping $3000. D700: AMD's FirePro graphics performance. The heavy duty CPU is one important element of the Mac Pro's performance capabilities.
Another is its dual graphics processors, powered by AMD's FirePro system. These aren't the sort of processors you'll find in a gaming system: They're designed for high-end graphics workstations, thoroughly optimized not only to render graphics well with impressive pixel and texture fill rates, but also providing full-on compute engines that can help the Mac Pro process raw data. AMD's system hooks into OpenCL, a standard that Apple has supported since Snow Leopard; apps with OpenCL support can take advantage of the programmability of the FirePro GPUs.
3D rendering apps, physics simulations, numerical analysis, data analysis — all of these can benefit from the beefy FirePro graphics. (It's worth noting that AMD does not support Intel's CUDA platform, on account of, y'know, not being Intel.) Starting with Apple's base model $2999 AMD FirePro D500 Mac Pro, you can upgrade the following:. Base: Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs (3GB of GDDR5 VRAM each). +$200: Dual AMD FirePro D700 GPUs (6GB of GDDR5 VRAM each) Again, this is a discount on the original pricing, which saw D700 GPU upgrades offered at $600. RAM price vs performance The Mac Pro can accommodate up to 64 GB of RAM using four DIMMs (memory modules) in separate slots. The RAM itself is DDR3 Error Correcting Code (ECC) RAM clocked at 1866 MHz — very fast memory aimed at the server-workstation market. Apple uses ECC memory in the Mac Pro to avoid transient memory errors that can cause systems to crash or produce erroneous data.
Like just about everything else, the 2017 bump brings the base-level $2999 Mac Pro from 12GB to 16GB of RAM; you can upgrade the following:. Base: 16GB (4x4GB). +$400: 32GB (4x8GB). +$1200: 64GB (4x16GB) Just a small discount on RAM from the 2013 to 2017 models: $100 less than their original $500 and $1300 entry costs. Memory designed to work in the new Mac Pro is already available from third-party vendors; you may very well be able to save yourself significant money — hundreds of dollars — by waiting to upgrade the system yourself with more RAM later.
1 TB Flash Storage The new Mac Pro is incredibly compact and designed for maximum throughput, so it employs PCI Express (PCIe)-based flash storage, the same kind of technology used in other Mac models equipped with flash storage. It's considerably faster than the Serial ATA (SATA)-based flash storage it replaces. The Mac Pro comes with 256 GB on a single drive, but you can upgrade the following:. Base: 256GB. +$200: 512GB. +$600: 1TB This is a discount of $100 and $200, respectively, from the original $300 and $800 prices found on the 2013 Mac Pro. Any other queries about upgrading the 2017 Mac Pro?
Let us know in the comments. Updated April 2017: Included the new pricing structure for the 2017 speed bumped Mac Pro.
Digital video editing has long been associated with massive machines packed with the most expensive components on the market, and with good reason. Dark and musty rooms crammed with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment have been par for the course in the realm of high-end editing for decades. However, that’s been changing in recent years as laptops have become much more powerful. No longer are editors lashed to desks while working on a new project. Instead, they can actually join the rest of the world, and edit on the go. Gigantic towers aren’t the only game in town anymore. But what exactly should an editor look for in a work laptop?
The processor, RAM, storage, and display all play an important part of the equation. But more than anything, you need to pick a laptop that fits your specific on-the-job needs. Your budget, your existing workflow, and the needs of co-workers or clients all come into play here. It’s impossible to recommend just one laptop to fit every editor, so here is a selection of four laptops that offer a variety of features at different price points. Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar The can make any video editor drool. Available in both 13-inch and 15-inch configurations, the Retina displays are superb.
On the smaller model, the screen sports a 2560×1600 resolution (227 ppi), and the larger one jumps up to 2880×1800 (220 ppi). Which ever you prefer, you can edit in 1080p while the user interface of your editing suite stays on screen — incredible clarity packed into relatively small screens. The display isn’t the only impressive aspect of this laptop though.
The highest-end 15-inch configuration ships with a 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 2TB of flash storage, 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and a discrete AMD Radeon Pro 560 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5 all in a thin aluminum case that weighs just 4.02 pounds. Unfortunately, all of that power comes at a cost — a whopping $4,199 when you max it out. It’s worth mentioning that the most recent major revamp is a bit controversial. The top row of the keyboard has been done away with in favor of a dynamic Touch Bar that’s actually quite well-suited for scrubbing through footage. And the ports?
Everything but the headphone jack has been removed in favor of four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports. On the upside, that’s a ton of bandwidth for accessories to use. The downside? You’ll need specialty cables for anything that doesn’t have a USB-C port built-in.
Adobe’s will work on both Windows and OS X, but Apple’s video editing products are only available for OS X. If you want to use Final Cut Pro X, Motion, and Compressor, you’ll need a Mac. Depending on your work environment, a MacBook Pro might be your only suitable option for portable editing. Price: $1,499 and up. Dell XPS 15 Not content to let Apple hog all of the spotlight, Dell has really stepped up its game. If you’re looking for a high-res laptop with a slightly lower price point, the 15.6-inch Dell XPS 15 is no slouch. For $2,099.99, the suped-up configuration gets you an ultra HD 3840×2160 display, a 2.80GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, a 512GB solid-state drive, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 GPU with 4GB of GDDR5.
This machine is made out of high-end materials like machined aluminum, carbon fiber, and Corning Gorilla Glass, so it can remain very sturdy despite only weighing about 4.5 pounds. And while this model only sports a single Thunderbolt 3 port, it does have quite a few additional ports on offer.
You’ll also find a USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader. Price: $999 and up. HP ZBook 17 Workstation Want a full-fledged desktop replacement? Try out the ZBook 17 Workstation from HP. The top-tier option has a huge 17.3-inch 1080p display, a 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Xeon E3-1535M v6 processor, a 512 GB solid-state drive, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and an Nvidia Quadro P4000 with 8GB of GDDR5 for $3,309. Keep in mind, this is a huge laptop not suited for heavy traveling. It weighs in at about 6.9 pounds, and has an enormous footprint, so don’t expect to be able to edit on a crowded flight.
However, this is an extremely powerful laptop for video editors, and HP doesn’t skip on the ports. It has three USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, an HDMI port, an ethernet port, and a headphone jack. It also includes a built-in SD card reader, so your import and export options are numerous. Price: $1,367 and up. ThinkPad P70 Mobile Workstation Lenovo certainly isn’t out of the game, and the P70 Workstation proves it. With the top-end configuration, it can go head-to-head with just about any other laptop.
Coming in at over $4,300, you end up with a 17.3-inch ultra high definition (3840×2160) display, a 2.8GHz quad-core Intel Xeon Processor E3-1505M v5 CPU, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, a 512GB solid state drive, and an Nvidia Quadro M5000M graphics card with 8GB of GDDR5. It does weigh over 7.5 pounds, so that does hamper portability quite a bit. Even so, the performance and outstanding display are worth the additional weight when deadlines are right around the corner. And if you need lots of external storage or additional displays, you’ll be well-covered with the P70.
This model has four USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, an HDMI 1.4 port, a Mini DisplayPort 1.2, an ethernet port, a connector for a dock, a headphone jack, a 34mm ExpressCard slot, and an SD card reader. What else could you possibly need?.
Price: $1,890 and up. The best of the best Video editing is definitely resource intensive, but laptops have finally become flexible and powerful enough to handle the task with aplomb. Even though these machines are expensive when compared with the average laptop, you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck. There will never be a single machine that fits everyone’s needs perfectly, but with variety like this, that’s not so bad. And truth be told, we’d be more than happy to use any of these machines to edit.