Video Editing Build (Mac vs Pc)

RaisingTheBarHD

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May 8, 2013
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So i am looking for a new video editing pc, little to no gaming and what i am going to be doing on this will be HD Video editing/rendering and some 3D work. I currently have a gaming pc and a late 2009 macbook and i have always liked using final cut pro compared to sony vegas pro. So i was wondering if i should wait and save up for a new Mac Pro coming later this year, a 27" imac with a i7 and 1tb fusion drive, 680mx gpu, or should i make an i7 pc with maybe a 760 and a ssd to boot with a 2tb HD. What are your opinions on what will be handle video editing. Thanks
 
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Go for a PC. You will have a better ability to upgrade components that you need to speed up performance. You sound like you know what your PC will have in it anyways - and that's a good idea you have there.
 


i am very familiar with pc building and components, i might just end up making a hackintosh though since i am a lot more fond of final cut, and i had no issues with my macbook yet but my pc has had a few internet issues, random blue screens after rending video and a few other errors.
 


Well that depends on a lot of things. First, how much coin do you want to spend? Second, what version of FCP are you going to use? Third, what are your expectations of the system? There are many other caveats to the system choices that you will have to address to make the best choice for you.
As one who has worked with both types of hardware I have found the best choice for me was a hybrid system. A PC that runs OSX. It has returned me with the best bang for the buck. It offers hardware upgradability with the ability to run the OSX software and any video editing that I throw at it. The bonus is that it is considerably more cost effective (cheaper) than a Mac and can be overclocked to achieve faster render times. As an example the monster workstation that Apple has that is over $32,000 can be built AND made faster with better rendering times for under $19,000. This pretty much true for the entire Apple desktop line. There are drawbacks but they are few IF you have the willingness to learn how to construct such a machine. As for me, I am VERY happy with my "hackintosh" and it SMOKES it's equivalent in a Mac.
 




im trying to not spend over $3000 but when i came up with a pc build i was able to build one to my standards withing a $1200 range. What are the specs of your hackintosh and how much did it end up costing you? I am currently using FCP 7 since i did not like the updates (downgrades for me) in FCP X
 
I would invest in an imac, but the fact that I game stops me. Overall, I would suggest getting a nice 27" imac for yourself... Final Cut is awesome, but a hackintosh will be unstable. i built one, and it was an endless sea of troubleshooting and late nights 😉
The other pro of the imac is its retina screen. This will REALLY pay off with video editing, and probably with 3d modelling too!
Frankly - the mac pro is overkill. Save the extra cash and get an Air as well...

The one thing to take into account is that a Haswell refresh is overdue, so wait a bit. It should be out quite soon though.
 


i would be waiting for the new haswell i7 chipset and would go with the i7, the pro is i would get a 1440p retina 27" screen which would be amazing for editing and i love my current mac pros screen quality compared to my current 27" 1080p monitor. As much as i would like a hackintosh i would obviously want the real thing.
 


Pretty much any PC can beat an iMac at a lower price point.

Broadwell is coming out sometime next year. It's not overdue.

"Retina screen" is false advertising, with the savings from a decent PC that outperforms the iMac you also could fit in a 27" 1440p/1600p Dell UltraSharp or Asus PB Series monitor which would kick the snot out of the "Retina display".
 


the retina display in the new apple products does have a noticable difference in picture quality from my POV, the imac comes with a 1440p screen and i dont like the ultrasharp monitors, i use them at work and i just cant find any settings that please my eye.
 
I did not like the updates as well and I am also using FCP 7. I have 3 seperate "hackintosh" builds. One is a Dell laptop that will kill it's 2008 macbook equal and keep pace with a 2010 macbook. Another one is a buget build (below $700) and the last is my workstation build. My workstation has dual xeon processors and lots of horsepower. It was built for under $4500. You may want to look here for information: http://lifehacker.com/5919132/build-the-mac-pro-that-you-wish-apple-released?tag=hackintosh. Hope you find what you are seeking
 
Top-end iMac (not customized) is $1999?

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BK 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler ($81.00 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: A-Data XPG Gaming Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($164.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 630 (Matte Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($161.58 @ TigerDirect)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($554.10 @ Amazon)
Total: $1956.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-10 09:45 EDT-0400)

Vastly superior in pretty much every way to the iMac (besides size, but who cares). Swap the 7970 for a 770 if you prefer CUDA applications (Adobe CS).



Dell UltraSharps (and other high-end monitors too) need to be calibrated for best color quality. The Retina Display may look a bit better out of the box, but calibrating changes that entirely.
 


i already tried adjusting the settings and i still cant find a setting, i also dont have access to a microcenter.
 
Might i ask at this point: are there any major flaws you can see of either the mac or the pc? Such as cost, or performance. While you can get better performance for the same price, as Larry Bob correctly stated, you will never need a 7970, nor a 4770k for what you are doing. So put it this way - you can get a sub-par operating system on better hardware that you will not use, or a dedicated machine that is tried and tested in your field. Its a compromise both ways, but you can always put windows on the mac if you feel the need.
 


My problems are: Pc = driver support, sony vegas, building time, customer support. Mac = upgrade ability later on. I would much rather work with FCP 7 than sony vegas or adobe any day but thats just preference. I would most likely wait for the new chipset in the imac which should be released later this month. plus i like apple keyboards hah
 


Your first comment is too ambiguous. Most PCs do not have i7s and 680s in them. The imac performs well enough and is well suited to the task at hand. Why would the majority of video editors and photographers use them if they were not? Quoted from Cnet:

"...this is a computer for serious, performance-driven users, particularly those who need a high-resolution display, and fast graphics and disk performance."

This was what was asked from the OP

I stated "Haswell" and not Broadwell. Wake up.

Retina Display is excellent. The competition in this range might be equal or slightly better, but I think you have overestimated the savings. The displays you mentioned will cost upwards of $900.

The imac cannot be compared to custom built PCs, because it is an all-in-one. If you want a fair comparison, bring in the Mac Pro.
 
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all of your points are correct plus the imac is literally smaller than my monitor so i dont need to move my setup to accommodate for a tower, if you bring in a mac pro vs a custom built for editing a mac pro will smoke a pc and idc how much you put into a pc, a mac pro is literally a tank, and the new one is a mini garbage can lol
 


Those are very valid points, and I shall try my best to assuage them.

PC:
-Drivers often give users problems. Scroll through the GPU section on this website, and you will be shocked. Even experienced users have issues sometimes.

-Software choice is really up to you, but since you prefer Final cut, I would aim for that.

-Building time is not really an issue. You can have a working PC in an hour or so.

-There is no customer support. A warranty is the best you will get. Nothing more.

Mac:
-Updatability is an issue, but you can get a decent resale price in a few years. You will be able to upgrade the entire machine with this lump sum of money, pl;us a bit extra.

Frankly, a mac is better for you. Before the rest of the posters get angry, take a look at my rig below this post. Yes, your eyes don't deceive you - that is a windows build! I also have a macbook, and of the two, I would pick my old 2011 MacBook Pro over my awesome gaming rig any day! I would be all-mac if it weren't for the fact that I gamed.

Back to the question - you should work backwards. If you are going to be using a specialized piece of software, then go for the one you prefer. The rest of the build will fall into place.
 


yeaht he resale is great i can sell my late 2008 macbook for $600. If you want a gaming mac check out the thunderbolt external gpu that they are making which should be able to handle full sized cards then you could you the sli in the new macbook for editing/streaming and the external gpu for sole gaming. that would be a beast system
 


Glad to be of help. Nice to see someone else enjoying mac! And thanks for the best answer!