


There's also a better selection of ports than on previous MacBooks, and storage can be configured up to 8TB of storage. The ProRes accelerator in the chips' media engineers also means that video processing is more efficient, and so won't be as punishing on battery life. And speaking of battery life, we got 17 hours for general use and eight hours of editing in Final Cut Pro.Īs for the screen, the mini-LED display is bright, we found colour accuracy to be excellent out of the box. What this means in real terms is that the MacBook Pro 16-inch can support editing multiple streams of 8K video in real-time without rendering. The original M1 chip debuted on the 2020 MacBook Pro 13, and the M1 Pro and M1 Max double and quadruple that performance. This remains the best MacBook full stop, unless portability is your main concern, and the Apple silicon offers a particular boost for video editing.īoth chips are powerful, but we found that the M1 Max makes notably lighter work of the highly demanding GPU workflows involved in video editing, as well as things like 3D modelling. In short, we think the best MacBook for video editing is the October 2021 MacBook Pro 16, with its M1 Pro or M1 Max chip.

And whichever laptop you end up picking, you'll want to use the best video editing software that best fits your requirements.

If you decide you're not sold on a Mac, check out our pick of the best laptops for video editing overall, which also includes some Windows alternatives. MacBooks are never cheap, but we have a regular guide to the best Apple deals and the best of Apple Black Friday 2022. We've also taken on feedback from our contributors (see more about how we test laptops, PCs and workstations). We've ensured that each device has the specs required for video editing, and our reviewers have tested the machines specifically for this purpose. In the guide below, we've evaluated all of Apple's current range of Macs to choose the best Mac for video editing depending on different requirements. Obviously, if you want something portable and don't want to have the obligation of using a separate display, then you're going to want to go for a MacBook, whereas if you're unlikely to ever need to edit on the move, a Mac PC for video editing may be a good choice. What is there for a video editor not to like? And for those that need even more power and aren't concerned about portability there are Mac PCs for video editing, such as the iMac and the Mac Studio.īut which is best? That will partly depend on your priority. MacBooks combine fantastic performance with stunning, accurate displays and solid design with a premium feel.
