Blackmagic Forum

Happy Saturday Guys,

Long story short...I’m in the market for a new lap top that I’ll be essentially be doing freelance work from home with. Have 3 options to choose from an would love to see what all the users in the forum would advise..

Option 1. Buy the current higher end MacBook Pro.
Specs aren’t the worst. (2.4GHz 8‑core 9th‑generation Intel Core i9 processor, Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz
64GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory
AMD Radeon Pro 5600M with 8GB of HBM2 memory
8TB SSD storage.) it would run HD no problem and possibly 4K real time with a EGPU.

Option 2. Wait for the new MacBook Pro announcement next month. Couple of issues with this...
Apparently they’re switching from intel chips over to apple made ones. Apparently there’s a bunch of possibilities of software not running on these new chips. Another issue is no one knows anything good or bad about these.

Option 3. Buy a beefed up Lenevo lap top. For a cheaper price I could buy a lap top that will have a better processor, more ram, better graphics cards, etc. issue with this is it’ll be a PC and creating ProRes files will be a pain. Not impossible but will have to do work arounds

Whatever information, recommendations, suggestions you guys can give I would greatly appreciate.

As always, thanks guys!

My 2 cents, for what it's worth:

Option 1 is a big no for me. The current line of new Intel Macs are dead men walking. This is a classic example of the Osborne effect - without Apple going bust of course . The new Mac chips are a game changer. Within a year or two I predict that the current versions of third party software will no longer be supported and the resale value of the current Intel Macs will be negligible. That's exactly what happened last time when Apple switched to Intel from Motorola, and I don't see why it should be much different this time.

Option 2 is what I would do if you are a confirmed Mac user and don't mind waiting a few months. The new chips are the future and while there will undoubtedly be teething troubles, they will be sorted out quickly. It's in everyone's interest to make this big change as seamless as possible.

Option 3 is also good if you don't mind switching to PC. Plenty of people have made the switch and loved it, others hate it and revert to Apple as soon as they can. It's just a personal matter of opinion. That said, unless you need a laptop for travelling purposes, I would always prefer a full desktop PC if you are working from a desk at home; you get way more bang for the buck and they can be upgraded when newer & better GPUs and CPUs appear, giving them a longer lifespan than a laptop.

Even as a Mac user, I second this.
But be aware that any laptop will be hot, loud and eat batteries like a hungy lion if you run Resolve on it. So, I also suggest getting a desktop if possible. BTW, "realtime" is relative, you can bring any machine to a crawl with demanding effects (even more so in 4K). An MBP with 8 GB VRAM will be able to handle 4K when editing or doing some mild grading, that's all.

Since you won't be running for long off battery anyway, a Mac Mini with an eGPU might be an alternative.
Get one second-hand while you wait for the future.

Finally, why do you need ProRes? Clients demand or just personal preference? Cineform or DNxHR are just as good.

If you are working from home it makes no sense to get any kind of laptop to run resolve on as it will be severely compromised in performance compared to a desktop.

+1

If you wait for the next 'gamechanging' hardware you'll have to wait forever.

Apple will support Intel propably 5 more years after they stop selling them. That's what they tell us.
The MacPro and others will be sold next year still.
So you'll have Intel support at least until 2026 and then your machine won't stop working either.

Even if Apple introduces a better CPU it's the GPU that's important for most of the processing in Resolve.

Thank you all for the replies.

The ProRes factor is because a lot of my deliverables in gener (whether it be a client or studio) are usually some flavor of ProRes. Again, not a HUGE deal if I go the PC route because there is always work arounds but it’s just an extra step I’m trying to avoid.

-I know the desktop route is always a better option but I’m going to also be using this lap top for everyday use as well.

A short while ago I would have seconded that it's never worth waiting for the next generation. Moore's Law...

2 things made me change my mind this time:

1) Apple T2 Chip Exploit
This one surfaced a couple of days ago. Apple built all the security features into the "T2" hardware chip. Making it virtually impossible to hack remotely. Turns out this is a huge disaster now that people found a hardware hack if you get physical access. For the time being Macs are defenceless. Even password protection is useless if the attacker has physical access and knows the exploit. And since it's hardware it cannot be updated via software updates. Being a frequent traveler this is now a no-go for me.

2) Apple Silicon performance
Recent articles suggest that performance of the new Macs could blow Intel Macs out of the water if the benchmark performance of the latest iPhones is any indication. Add to that the fact that the "X" version of these chips which will be put into the next gen of iPad Pros has historically increased performance by another 50% or more. CPU and GPU. Without needing a fan. One can only imagine what they can do with the more space and cooling available in Mac hardware.

For these reasons I would wait for the new MBP announcements. And then decide if price / availability / performance / security architecture redesign is worth waiting for - or if I'd chose a PC instead.

Or, if you need it now, like NOW, get a second-hand model without the T2 chip.

Or like me you ignore all and just run out as fast as you can and replace your aging 2013 mbp workhorse that gave you 7 years of absolute bliss and buy the latest 16' mbp (i9 8core 8gb cpu 64g mem model) and enjoy another 7 years and move on.
Recieved mine last week and its an absolute joy.
Just in time before the new crap comes out and kills lots of my software for sure that i am depending on. Already have an iphone so dont need another one in the shape of a laptop.
Also bought it now to make sure it can still run catalina (lost some software in that move already). If you wait you are out of luck and locked into BigNothing. (which may kill off even more sofware then crapalina did as no more 3rd party kext support , unless you run it with sip disabled, which in latest betas thankfuly is still possible fingers crossed)

Buy what you need today and not what you think you need in a few years. Waste of braincells.

p.s. at the same time I decommissioned my last of my 2 mac minis 2011 i7 server that have been running 24x7 for 9 years (including for years render jobs that lasted with peaked cpus for days) !! with zero issues, zero crashes (helped by still running older proper working os versions) . Best computers apple ever made. EVER !!

Right you are, my Mac mini from that time is still serving the family as a DVR and video server. 24/7, no problems.
But a bit underpowered for Resolve.

Erik Wittbusch wrote:Apple will support Intel propably 5 more years after they stop selling them. That's what they tell us.

I'm sitting here typing this on a 2010 Mac Pro - about 12 years old.

While it is by now showing its age and I do plan on replacing it, my laptop is more than 5 years old too.

I plan on my primary computer purchases to last longer than 5 years, so that is still a good reason to hold out for the new chips.

John Griffin wrote:Even if Apple introduces a better CPU it's the GPU that's important for most of the processing in Resolve.

Yes, and the new Apple Silicon chips will have new Apple-designed GPUs as well. Jury is out on just how they will perform compared to the heavy hitters, but I suspect they will be an improvement over what I am currently using regardless.

The short answer is wait.
There are a couple of considerations to think about.

1) The new Apple silicon will be much faster, cooler running and WAY MORE power efficient. They are estimating batter life of up to 15 hours with standard use and up to 6 hours with heavy use. Because of the more efficient power usage they will inherently run much cooler. Look at the iPad pro and how cool it runs even under heavy load with only passive cooling. The new apple silicon based tech will blow anything else out of the water.

2) Cost savings. With the new technology being all in house the design efficiency will increase as well as apple silicon being cheaper than having to buy 3rd party processors. This will allow them to increase processing power and speed and yet also reduce cost while still increasing their profit margin which is a win/win situation for all of us.

3) Backwards compatibility. From reports I've seen, the virtual x86 translation layer called Rosetta Stone 2 it actually runs x86 apps faster than they run natively, even for windows 10 installations on dual boot setups. In addition to running faster, there is virtually no compatibility issues I have heard about.

IF you need a new system now and can get away without portability for awhile, consider building a 'Hackintosh'. With the new AMD Ryzen 5000 series chips coming November 5 it is a better option than intel as the performance gains over Ryzen 3000 series makes them faster than anything intel has now or is likely to release anytime soon, even for gaming.

Guess it can't hurt to wait and see what Apple comes out with.

I have used MAC's for about 20 years. However having gone through the same exercise as the OP I went for a PC not another MAC. My reasons are
1 I saw what happened when they did the PPC to X86 change. The problem is all new versions of 90% of the apps for a MAC always use the latest version of the OS. This very quickly means you won't be able to update any SW on the (now obsolete) x86 Macs. So even if BMD keep backward compatibility for updates of Resolve you will find that due to Sod's Law and Murphy's Law you won't be able to update your other "essential" apps.
Within about 12 months a lot of the apps on my PPC mac's were not getting updates.

Also you may find some perpetual license apps won't be ported to the new Macs and the only option is to move to the subscription versions.

2 Having seen the some of the design decisions Apple has made of the the last 5 years. Particularity the new MAC Pro and trying to close down the ability of 3rd parties to repair macs. For example by using custom parts to replace standard IC's where it is not needed. Also the fixed memory on the macbooks. I don't like the way they are going. They seem to be chasing the form over function trendy market.

3 I can get double the performance for half the price on a PC compared to a MAC (currently). So it was either wait for one of the new A14X and A15 Macs and see what happens in 2021 (or 2022 depending on Pandemics and Economics) or get a PC this year. I went with the PC.

Should go PC. Windows runs on any hardware; doesn't care who made the chip or anything else. Windows updates might like to mess up your audio drivers and screw up all your carefully crafted privacy settings and other tweaks you made, but at least you can restore them.

Byron Dickens wrote:Should go PC. Windows runs on any hardware; doesn't care who made the chip or anything else. Windows updates might like to mess up your audio drivers and screw up all your carefully crafted privacy settings and other tweaks you made, but at least you can restore them.

Yes pro's and con's it is not all plain sailing.
The advantage with a PC is that not only does it cost a LOT less but you can custom build any PC you like to suite your own needs and pocket and then easily upgrade components as finances and needs permit. I can easily upgrade memory, hard drives, swap out power supplies, graphics cards etc etc . You can fairly easily swap out a CD drive for a DVD drive for an M-disc for archiving as technology advances and it is a 99.999% certainty there will be windows drivers for it. Also the PC versions are always less expensive than the mac versions where there is a mac version. As I discovered with Mac Graphics cards (you get what they give you).

The downside is that if you have auto update on Windows can occasionally mess up your settings. Also there is a caveat that not all hardware combinations work well together. IE some motherboards want an AMD CPU others want an Intel and this dictates the range of Graphics cards. Though these combinations tend to be well documented and commented on.