Question M1, Ryzen 9 or i7-4790 for DaVinci Resolve?

[TalSO]

I've been using resolve on a desktop computer with the following specs:
i7-4790 CPU
RX580 8GB GPU
16GB RAM
Samsung NVMe
I mostly use it to edit 1080p timelines with 4k source materials. The videos that I edit are not very long (usually under 30 minutes), the timelines aren't complex (usually no more than 2 video tracks, some fairly basic fusion clips, maybe very basic color correction).
Also, render speed isn't very important to me. I mainly care about smooth playback while editing and quick jumps between pages, etc. Also, I'm fine with using lower resolution proxies.

Now, my 10YO ThinkPad is approaching its end of life, and I'm thinking of spending a bit more on my next laptop, if it could also replace my editing desktop.
I'm currently considering either a 16GB M1 Macbook Air or an ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with a Ryzen 9 and RTX 2060 (also open to other suggestions around the $1000 mark, but from what I gather, these seem like the best options currently available).
My questions are:

1. Would there be any significant difference between these two options?
2. Would they give me performance that is similar\better\worse, compared to what I'm getting now from my i7-4790 desktop? (again, not really caring about rendering - the important part is smooth workflow with a 1080p timeline)

 

[Lutfij]

In general, Mac's are more geared towards productivity and the ecosystem that it operates in is often for people who don't want to game or have the time to game. It's sleek design is also something you have at board meetings, much an exotic sportscar.

The Asus and their ilk are more geared towards being an all rounder, being able to game and also do productivity work due to the (beefy)specs they often come laden with. Anything you buy now, will be miles ahead of your 4th Gen Intel based desktop platform. Desktop parts purchased today will be light years ahead of your desktop now.

Hope that answers your question(s).

 

[TalSO]

Thanks for your answer.
Gaming really isn't part of my use case. Everything else - is. A lot of web browsing, some MS Office (or a Mac equivalent), streaming, video conferencing, sometimes basic audio and image editing, all occurring at the same time, but DaVinci Resolve is by far the most demanding, and the most specific in terms of hardware needs.
So, to make sure I understand correctly - you're saying that for my use case, there should really be very little difference, if any, interms of performance, between the Mac and the Zephyrus, but that they would both be much better than my desktop setup (I know my desktop is 4th gen i7, but from what I'd read, the 4790 is supposed to be miles ahead of its generation, isn't it?)?
In other words - I should go for one of those laptops, and it basically comes down to the choice between Mac and Windows?

 

[Evary]

Basing myself on this video, you should go with a M1 MacBook. The Zephyrus' discrete GPU would really only be useful in some situations, and you would benefit from better portability and a better battery life. I'm also pretty sure that the M1 could be cheaper

 

[TalSO]

Actually, in this video he seems to say that the G14 would do a better job with video editing - which makes sense, but his tests are focused on far bigger files than mine. I am leaning more toward the M1, because I believe that the G14's prowess would probably really not make much of a difference if any with 1080p timelines, but it seems that no one actually talks about those. Everyone wants to compare 4K. 6K, 8K performance, and then, obviously, the dGPU wins over integrated graphics.

 

[geofelt]

High performance laptops with graphics cards are likely to encounter heat issues and throttling.
Laptop coolers must, of necessity be small and light.
They are also relatively underpowered.

You may want to look at this article on recommended hardware for Davinci Resolve:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/recomm...-DaVinci-Resolve-187/Hardware-Recommendations