Mac Book Pro speeds 2.5 vs 2.6

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gaer42

Limp Gawd
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Jan 28, 2004
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I am looking to buy a Mac Book Pro for my video editing. I am planning on using this as my main editing station (just hooking it up to my display when at home). My question is should I go with the 2.5 or the 2.6 dual core processor, and how much of a difference there is between the two of them when running Video Editing programs such as Final Cut Pro and After Effects.

Also I wanted to know if there was that big of a difference between the 15 and the 17, as I will be editing HD footage, but do not need to see it in HD inorder to edit it?

Any help would be appreciated.
 
The difference between the 2.5 and 2.6 would negligible. It's just 100MHz. If you are doing video editing the 17 inch will have better resolution and space, which is good, but won't be as portable as the 15 inch.
 
Cheetoz said:
well, since its dual core, its a 200mhz difference ^.^
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;)

To the initial poster, I'd go with the lower spec'd one and save a bit of money. Since you are using an external monitor, the lower res on the 15" is not a deal-breaker. Furthermore, I would suggest getting the lowest configured ram setup and adding your own. Honestly, for editing HD, I would definitely suggest spending more and getting a Mac Pro, since you can get it with more than 4x the number crunching power, faster and larger harddrives, and significantly larger amounts of ram.

If you have edited much HD video before, you will realize that a MBP will be faster than most computers but still painfully slow. Editing HD content on my 2.0GHz Macbook with 3GB of ram is an exercise in pulling teeth. Well, editing isn't so bad...outputting it to proper format is, though. Another issue is sharing the HD content once you have it edited as you want. Are you going to burn it to optical media? Just share it locally on your network? I mean, last I checked, you're not going to be burning Blu-ray with any Macbook/MBP.

I know we aren't allowed to discuss Hackintosh, so I will leave this at I KNOW the PC I link below comes with Vista, and I KNOW you want to run OSX-specific programs. However, the box linked below is an Intel quad-core [Q6700 runs at 2.67GHz], and has 6GB of ram. Oh, and it's under a grand, before taxes.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-P...13654/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

I am not advocating you get a PC - however, I want you to carefully look at the specs required for actual HD editing, and in what amounts. If you're going to an hour of footage every month, then yeah, you'll be fine with an MBP. If it's weekly or more often than that, then reassess what you want to do, how much you are willing to spend, and the hardware required for it.

I've edited HD content both on a 2.4GHz iMac with 2GB of ram, and it was barely manageable, and I've also done the same on a dual quad-core Mac Pro using the Harpertown processors and it was significantly faster. We are talking a third of the time, if not quicker, for hardware-intensive stuff.

Best of luck, mate.
 
If you can afford to wait until sometime in August (possibly September), Apple should be redesigning the MacBook Pro and giving it faster processors based on the Centrino 2 platform. That will give you a nice boost to speed regardless!

If you can't wait, though, don't feel bad -- the 2.5GHz MBP is still fast and will be for a long time to come. 2.6GHz is negligible.
 
Aurelius said:
If you can afford to wait until sometime in August (possibly September), Apple should be redesigning the MacBook Pro and giving it faster processors based on the Centrino 2 platform. That will give you a nice boost to speed regardless!

If you can't wait, though, don't feel bad -- the 2.5GHz MBP is still fast and will be for a long time to come. 2.6GHz is negligible.
Click to expand...

Ditto. They will run faster and cooler...my MBP is a frickin' furnace! There are rumors of touchscreens too.
 
Yes... hopefully (or not, I jsut bought my MBP!) they will run cooler.. The bottom of my MBP under load is quite uncomfortably hot (much hotter than my gf's MB)
 
Is there any information on the upcoming MBP, as I was not able to find any. I am not in a rush...just need to get one by the end of Sept... and I figure the sooner the better, but if there is a new MBP coming out and it is that much better I would rather wait, but then again if the real difference is the Touchscreen then I don't see a point in waiting.

As for the footage... I will be editing about 40 min of footage every 4 to 8 days, but will be storing (when I am not editing it) it on an external drive and only bringing it over when I am using it... in order to keep the drive as clean as possible. That will also be SD footage which is not as big or intensive as HD. The HD footage wont come into play until January of 09 since I am shooting a Feature on the other coast and want to edit together dailies using the MBP, so that will be about 1 to 2 hours of footage every day.
 
gaer42 said:
Is there any information on the upcoming MBP, as I was not able to find any. I am not in a rush...just need to get one by the end of Sept... and I figure the sooner the better, but if there is a new MBP coming out and it is that much better I would rather wait, but then again if the real difference is the Touchscreen then I don't see a point in waiting.

As for the footage... I will be editing about 40 min of footage every 4 to 8 days, but will be storing (when I am not editing it) it on an external drive and only bringing it over when I am using it... in order to keep the drive as clean as possible. That will also be SD footage which is not as big or intensive as HD. The HD footage wont come into play until January of 09 since I am shooting a Feature on the other coast and want to edit together dailies using the MBP, so that will be about 1 to 2 hours of footage every day.
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With that kind of usage, I would personally get a Mac Pro. I have done HD editing on a Mac Pro [current gen 2x2.8GHz quad-core] and also on a dual-core 2.4GHz iMac, and the difference is significant. I would take a small external harddrive with footage on to an Apple Store and see how smooth working with it is. Don't make a massive purchase without trying the goods. Even better would be borrowing a friend's for an afternoon.

Use it somehow before buying. You know what I think, but I am not spending your money. Nor will I be using whatever computer you go with. Check, check, check it out! Before purchasing, that is.
 
With that kind of usage, I would personally get a Mac Pro. I have done HD editing on a Mac Pro [current gen 2x2.8GHz quad-core] and also on a dual-core 2.4GHz iMac, and the difference is significant. I would take a small external harddrive with footage on to an Apple Store and see how smooth working with it is. Don't make a massive purchase without trying the goods. Even better would be borrowing a friend's for an afternoon.

Use it somehow before buying. You know what I think, but I am not spending your money. Nor will I be using whatever computer you go with. Check, check, check it out! Before purchasing, that is.
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This I understand. In fact that will be my next purchase after I move south... as for now my G5 will suffice... The problem I am having though is I need to have something to edit when I am out and about, and that would be the MBP... I was not aware of a new MBP coming out which throws another monkey wrench into my plan here.... so either way I have to get the Laptop but now... the question is "Is it worth waiting for the new one to be released and what will that cost and what are the upgrades that they will be boasting?"
 
Aurelius said:
If you can afford to wait until sometime in August (possibly September), Apple should be redesigning the MacBook Pro and giving it faster processors based on the Centrino 2 platform. That will give you a nice boost to speed regardless!

If you can't wait, though, don't feel bad -- the 2.5GHz MBP is still fast and will be for a long time to come. 2.6GHz is negligible.
Click to expand...

I have the older second generation Santa Rosa MBP with a 2.4GHz processor. Its still plenty fast even with the refresh they did with the penyns in the beginning of this year. You'll be happy with the current gen MBP if you cannot wait.

FZ1 said:
Ditto. They will run faster and cooler...my MBP is a frickin' furnace! There are rumors of touchscreens too.
Click to expand...

They really do run hot, especially when playing games on Windows XP.....
 
Laptop Cooling pad is essential for a MBP. Apple products kind of suck - unfortuantely it's the best of both worlds for sandbox testing. Mac/Windows/Linux.

Sleipnir Browser can render IE(trident engine) so u dont have to use IE.

all in all, the MBP is the ultimate for testing. I have tried VM of OS X - they suck. :p
 
Quantumd0tz said:
Laptop Cooling pad is essential for a MBP. Apple products kind of suck - unfortuantely it's the best of both worlds for sandbox testing. Mac/Windows/Linux.

Sleipnir Browser can render IE(trident engine) so u dont have to use IE.

all in all, the MBP is the ultimate for testing. I have tried VM of OS X - they suck. :p
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Mate, punctuate a little so we can understand what you are saying. Thank you in advance for future posts :p

Also, I don't feel it fair necessarily to dis the MBP for heat by saying "Apple products kind of suck", because really, they aren't bad though occasionally overpriced. I mean, yeah, the machine's going to feel hot...it's made of a heat conductive metal! Naturally my Macbook case is cooler than an MBP/Powerbook simply because the thing is made of plastic - which doesn't conduct heat nearly as well.
 
My MBP is nice, but yes, it's hot. I try not to have it in my lap while doing anything intensive.
 
Quantumd0tz said:
Laptop Cooling pad is essential for a MBP. Apple products kind of suck - unfortuantely it's the best of both worlds for sandbox testing. Mac/Windows/Linux.

Sleipnir Browser can render IE(trident engine) so u dont have to use IE.

all in all, the MBP is the ultimate for testing. I have tried VM of OS X - they suck. :p
Click to expand...

Have you tried using a program to mod the fan speeds? I don't use a cooling pad for my MBP and use about 2 GB of RAM consistently with web editing, browsing, CS3 and other programs. I suggest iCyclone, works best IMO.
 
bryanwii said:
Have you tried using a program to mod the fan speeds? I don't use a cooling pad for my MBP and use about 2 GB of RAM consistently with web editing, browsing, CS3 and other programs. I suggest iCyclone, works best IMO.
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I had heard about that program, I am kind of scared to try it. It's my wife's MBP. :D

I'm basically afraid of the consequences of running fans at their highest RPM constantly. I'm afraid it will wear and tear the fans, which isn't as easy as replacement in an Apple product. I'm also concerned of ripping up the Power Supply. I'm fairly new to Apple products, I got tossed into it by working for www.versiontracker.com www.macfixit.com and www.iphoneatlas.com

I'll give it a shot though ;)
 
There are diminishing returns at that point considering the extra cash being spent. I wouldn't do it.
 
I own a 17" MBP 2.6GHz with 4GB Corsair's performance memory.... dude if you'd ask me would I buy it again if I'd have a chance?... Absolutely Yes!
 
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