Which new iMac to buy for video editing in FCPx and Davinci?

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PeterR

Member
I don't have a budget for the Mac Pro and was wondering whether the new iMac's are suitable for video editing 4k files? I"m considering the 5k version, but honestly the resolution is not that important for me and would be willing to get a normal resolution iMac assuming it would be equal or faster than the 5k version. I would likely max out the ram at 32GB.

I want to be able to edit 4k files in FCPx and grade in Davinci without relying on a proxy workflow.
 
We just replaced an old MacPro tower in our edit suite with a new 5K iMac (specs maxed out). It cuts 4K from the GH4 like a charm, and working at 1/2 resolution it cuts RED Epic footage with no issues at all. I can't speak specifically to FCPx, as we work in Premiere. But I'd imagine it would be just as smooth in FCPx.
 
Stephen Mick said:
We just replaced an old MacPro tower in our edit suite with a new 5K iMac (specs maxed out). It cuts 4K from the GH4 like a charm, and working at 1/2 resolution it cuts RED Epic footage with no issues at all. I can't speak specifically to FCPx, as we work in Premiere. But I'd imagine it would be just as smooth in FCPx.
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Wow. I'm wondering if 5k is really necessary? I mean, can I get the same/better specs on a non-5k iMac for less (given it's not a 5k screen)? Also, are you editing off external drives? If so, what's your setup?
 
PeterR said:
Wow. I'm wondering if 5k is really necessary? I mean, can I get the same/better specs on a non-5k iMac for less (given it's not a 5k screen)? Also, are you editing off external drives? If so, what's your setup?
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Well, I wouldn't say 5K is "necessary," but it is awesome.

As far as setup goes, we've got a Promise Pegasus2 12TB Thunderbolt-2 RAID setup we work from. We're also feeding one of the Thunderbolt ports to a Blackmagic MiniMonitor so we can run an SDI monitor for playback/grading.
 
Did you decide on the 5k purely for the screen resolution, or were there other factors? I need to buy this today and want to make a good choice. My eye sight isn't good enough to appreciate 5k anyway (lol) so Im just not sure if it's worth spending extra on it if I can get the same specs with a normal screen for less. Unless the 5k model comes with specs that are better for video than the non 5k version... hhmmmmmmm.

That's a nice drive. Pricey though. Im looking at something more affordable. I need help putting together a video editing system.
 
PeterR said:
Did you decide on the 5k purely for the screen resolution, or were there other factors? I need to buy this today and want to make a good choice. My eye sight isn't good enough to appreciate 5k anyway (lol) so Im just not sure if it's worth spending extra on it if I can get the same specs with a normal screen for less. Unless the 5k model comes with specs that are better for video than the non 5k version... hhmmmmmmm.

That's a nice drive. Pricey though. Im looking at something more affordable. I need help putting together a video editing system.
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Well, we find ourselves editing more and more 4K footage natively, so the higher-resolution screen made sense for us. The only way to really judge it is to see for yourself, if you can.

And there are cheaper storage options for sure, but we've had great experience with Promise and decided to stay with them. OWC would be a great place to look for more budget-friendly options.
 
The 5k retina iMac will make the GUI smaller.
Spec ur iMac with the i7 & the 780m
4k MX files in a 1080 sequence play real time
at Full off USB 3.0 in Pr CC
 
I spent the last couple days spec'ing a hackintosh and, if anyone is interested, I can confirm that to recreate the iMac with components (well, the graphics card is better in this spec hackintosh) costs $3115 + $200 to have a hackintosh guy help me install Yosemite = $3315. And that's including taxes/shipping. But keep in mind that I would get a bunch of components that I would have to assemble and then do some coding to prepare the computer for OS X. All in all, a headache.

In comparison, the iMac spec'd to the max (4.4GHz, 32GB ram, faster graphics card option, 5k screen), runs $3978 taxes/shipping in. That's a $663 difference--and I get a 5k screen which alone makes it a deal when compared to standalone 5k screen prices. For me, the headache of putting a hackintosh toether and then not even being sure it would run after OS X updates (apparently, when apple does an update, hackintosh's need to be tweaked occasionally) just doesn't make the savings worth it. (But, being able to upgrade components is an argument in favor of hackintosh if you're technically inclines and know what you're doing).

It is possibly worth building a hackintosh if you're building a slower machine... something like the entry level iMac's or Macbook's. The the cost difference may be bigger.

Now I just have to look into a thunderbolt raid drive that won't eat my wallet like the Pegasus. Any specific advantage of the Pegasus M4 over cheaper raids? What about this one? http://ca.startech.com/HDD/Enclosures/thunderbolt-2-4-bay-raid-enclosure~S354SMTB2R

Thank you all!
 
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