Mac Mini M4 vs M4 Pro • Final Cut Pro Showdown

[@contidozack]

I have been finding all those videos but KZbinrs keep doing benchmarks and not real life usage of FCP. I’m buying the Mac Mini mainly for FCP. Serge saved the day again I am glad you’re making this video. I always watch your FCP tutorials.

[@Serge1913]

Appreciate you!

[@bartonlynch]

I tried to use Premiere and it's as shitty as all Adobe apps. Editing on Premiere made me hate the computer, hate myself, my life, humanity, the earth and the infinite universe with all its dimensions. Thank you Final Cut Pro.

[@Serge1913]

Final Cut Pro FTW!!!!

[@shantob8718]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@dougmorato]

😂😂😂 and it’s much better with the latest updates, especially after effects

[@RybergNikolai]

😂😂

[@MrAndersJensen]

😂😂😂

[@thatjpwing]

Like someone else mentioned, this is exactly the type of video I was looking for and you did an awesome job comparing the M4 to the M4 Pro. I'm also a big fan of MotionVFX :)

[@Serge1913]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@Rob_Dekker]

@@thatjpwing agreed! I’m currently buying it 😂

[@TripleU-E]

that's exactly what I wanted to know! Real life FCP workflow-comparisons! Thanks Serge!

[@pinballbypinpinfilms]

Im a FCP 11 user and this was a very helpful video as I was on the fence about what Mac mini to buy. Looks like pro is the way to go to save time in video rendering and exporting

[@errz]

I wonder how much of a performance boost the 24GB unified memory upgrade would provide on the M4 Mac mini base model. I haven’t seen any videos comparing that yet.

[@tacoP_channel]

Me too. Still waiting on it

[@motionfxes]

Probably not a lot. FCP is very well optimized and you only need more ram with very complex projects. And in those cases, having extra ram only makes a difference if the rest of the system keeps up, which will not be the case with a plain M4 chip.

[@Serge1913]

I agree with @motionfxes . Probably not that much

[@mrhydrohead]

Great vid. Real world use is SO much more useful than benchmarks. The comparison you mention at the end would be good to see

[@Serge1913]

I will start working on it soon!

[@jollojakar8995]

Thanks, these are the FCP tests one wants. Not just a comparison of export times! Instant display of thumbnails and waveforms are a must when scrolling/zooming. Also no lag on play.

[@Serge1913]

Happy to help!

[@armenflintstone]

How much of this would have been different with the memory upgrades available?

[@candymountainscenery]

Just wondering if you " jacked up " an M4 Mac mini if it would be equivalent to the M4 Pro ...?

[@aerialphotoindia]

I would like to know the duration of creating proxy media for the footage in FCP. Thank you for creating such a good video. 🤝

[@ChristopherRauh]

One of the really few relevant videos when it comes to performance. Well done!

[@SamuelRiveraFilms]

I’m wondering for my case if it’s worth waiting for the m4 to come out on the studio. I edit multicams with about 7 angles along with multiple layers of audio (between 5 and 6) and my current 2020 iMac chokes whenever I need to expand the audio. Otherwise it’s still a fine editing machine…what’s your take Serg?

[@Serge1913]

It will cost more, but if you can afford it, I think the Studio will be better

[@peteherrera1502]

How fast is the single CPU, MHz speed wise in the Mac Mini Standard? and how fast is the single CPU, MHz speed wise in the Mac Mini Pro?

[@Gentlemans_sport]

8.5min project exported in 12 :10 vs 5 :58 vs 3 :00 sounds super, but honestly its not the main reason I should switch from my very old imac with Intel which would probably take 22min. I have 17min to rest from work :) The big reason is whether it handle smoothly editing (as you mentioned). Well, maybe its finally time to switch.

[@Serge1913]

Switching from an Intel chip to any M chips, even the M1, you’ll see a HUGE difference!

[@janplexy]

I watched this just to make sure I made a right choice! 😅 Love my M4 PRO!

[@babsschloss]

I have the 24gb/512 M4 Mac Mini and have noticed that it got very hot trying to convert a relatively small PDF file to MOBI in Calibre. I also noticed some rapid warming when converting a 1.6gb MKV film file to MP4 using Handbrake.

[@Serge1913]

That's weird. Has the fan been turning on? Because I haven't heard mine yet

[@signalandsummit]

Great video. As a FCP newbie editing video podcasts for work and just beginning with YT, your videos have been insanely helpful. My M3 Max MBP docked to dual displays will remain my go-to, but I think this confirms that getting a base Mac mini M4 for light FCP work and daily use will be a great fit

[@Serge1913]

I think it will be just fine for light editing

[@Hand_Held_Productions]

M4 base will be fine also as a remote renderer machine. You finish a project in the stronger machine and move it to M4 for rendering while you continue work on them main machine.

[@Pelimuistelot]

Finally a great review showing real life usage and not just export speeds. Great video!

[@Serge1913]

I appreciate that!

[@chaps203]

I edit 1 hr long videos with only 1 cam and 2 audio tracks. Coming from an 2012 i7 iMac 32gb 3tb. Will the m4 base model be sufficient and an improvement?

[@tacoP_channel]

Finally, I found this great video on KZbin which contains a lot of good information instead of bunch of benchmark numbers I was wondering how these machine performs while recording screen during some video editing or music production stuffs. Thanks for the great work and this nice video

[@tacoP_channel]

BTW, after this video, I might go for the m4 pro mac mini for replacing my old Intel MacBook Pro

[@Serge1913]

Its going to be exponentially faster

[@SchaufussTV]

I’m wondering why the export times differ so much, are there many heavy effects on the timeline? In all other export tests I’ve seen the difference between M4 and M4 pro is small since the have the same H.264 and H.265 hardware encoders. But they may be using simpler timelines? Could that be the case?

[@jaydub1380]

I too have an M1 Mac Mini and debating on upgrading so I would love to see a comparison of those.

[@Serge1913]

I’ll get started on it!

[@Hand_Held_Productions]

Excellent comparison and video. Something from real life. I'm using DR for editing BRAW 6K files on my little MacBook M1Air 16GB and i was wondering what will be most useful for video editing, effects, de noise, etc, a Mini M4 Pro or a used Studio M2 Max, with more GPU performance (but less CPU) than the M4 pro?

[@buddhagem]

Been waiting for a video just like this! Thank you! Just subscribed to0

[@Serge1913]

I appreciate it!

[@chieneddie]

This video is exactly what I need. Thanks Serge!

[@Serge1913]

Glad it was helpful!

[@josephbartztraining]

Thanks for the comparison, exactly what I was looking for.

[@Serge1913]

Glad I could help!

[@davidepeaky]

Great video! Thanks a lot for the tests! I'm a mac mini m1 owner and if you could make a comparison with the base m4 mini on fcpx it would be really helpful! 👍🏻 By the way I was wondering if the choppy time line is something to attribute on how much ram you have in the system... you think an m4 with 24/32gb of ram would give you a smoother playback during the entire project?

[@Serge1913]

After all the responses, I’m definitely going to compare M1 & M4

[@josef.hernandez9781]

@@Serge1913would be nice if you also compare 24 gb m4 vs 24gb m4 pro too 😅 … please

[@MisArTech_gr]

A very helpful video! Also this new look at your space and Chanel branding is wonderful 👌

[@Serge1913]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@aim.1]

Very helpful. Thank you. Do you find the 512 gb ssd is enough or would you/did you upgrade to 1TB, or ??? Thank you!

[@MichaelTapes]

Excellent video. Thanks. Question. Since the M4 Pro 512GB dual-chip SSD disk is much faster than the M4 256 single-chip SSD drive, couldn't that be part of the diverse performance between the 2 machines? Thanks again.

[@ooSDXoo]

What I thought, too.

[@Serge1913]

not sure. maybe

[@rwker]

How about Sony video formats like XAVC HS 4K 422 120fps video editing timeline on FCP ? A bit of luts, effects, denoising on a roughly 3-7mins video timeline ? Will the base model Mac mini m4 be enough for a smooth scrolling playback ? No proxies.

[@Serge1913]

it probably will be

[@Rob_Dekker]

You exactly pointed me in the right direction with this video. There are so many videos talking too much about other stuff where the M4 Pro scores best. I'm just interested in FCP. Thank you! M4 Pro it is!

[@Serge1913]

You won't regret it!

[@bsmrodeo]

Thanks Serge I'm running the mac m1 mini one with 8gb and one with 16gb of ram this machine is a beast but I cant clear system data so Im looking at M4 but was also going to look at the studio. whats your thoughts?

[@bsmrodeo]

I went with the mini 4 pro not having to render every clip to watch is big.

[@physicsbutawesome]

Currently thinking a lot about auprading to M4(Pro), this was very useful, thanks!

[@NigelHarperPhoto]

Thanks Serge for doing a real life review. My 2014 iMac intel is long overdue an upgrade, so it looks like the Mac mini pro for me!

[@shandybrandy5407]

Great review, Serge. I'm still with my Intel 2014 MacBook Air struggling to make only one minute/30 seconds videos in FCPX -- time to upgrade but lack of funds... :( This video was worth watching, thanks Serge!

[@VidTechwRick]

Thoughtful, interesting, but obviously I need the m4 pro for my editing after watching this. Thanks!

[@jodyb2036]

How much of that difference can be accounted for by the memory and storage difference do you think?

[@Serge1913]

Both do make a difference. Not exactly sure how much though

[@ctjh373]

Great video, new watcher here. Quick question, there’s so much hype on the Max chip, would you for most KZbinrs and Pro’s, the M4 Pro chip is enough for video editing in FCP? Thanks

[@ciclosonico]

thank you so much for this very detailed and informative Real Life video!

[@meandmestill]

This is an amazing test, because your footage is so high resolution, I’ll never have an issue with my 1080p. 😁 Base model for me! Thanks!!! Also, thank you so much for not telling me geekbench numbers. You know, the numbers that are completely arbitrary. 🤣

[@Serge1913]

for 1080p, the base model will be more than enough

[@mcronfpv8736]

second hand M1 studio is the way to go !

[@darthsnape]

Love the video and the moustache, Serge!

[@SoNowWhat]

Serge - I'm ready to upgrade to Apple silicone from my Intel iMac and have been making myself crazy trying to decide which model and configuration to buy. At least now I know what NOT to get! Thanks!

[@Serge1913]

you will be blown away by the speed of apple silicon

[@normanbyers-ND]

Thank you for this realistic and useful comparison. I subscribed.

[@Serge1913]

Appreciate the support!

[@motionfxes]

The screen-recording problem while tracking a Magnetic Mask is a bit strange: I had the same issue with an M1 Pro MBP (base model: 8 core CPU, 14 core GPU and 16 gb) while recording with QuickTime Player and no problems at all when using iShowU. Great comparison by the way, thank you!

[@Serge1913]

I’ll have to try the one you mentioned

[@m1kkole1nonen]

This was a great video! I use Final cut daily and I'm getting the maxed out Mini in December. Can"t wait to put my old choppy Intel iMac to the grave 😂

[@Serge1913]

You’re going to love it. Such a huge jump in performance from intel to ARM!

[@WilliamRemuso]

Do you need to max out ?

[@ZoneProduction448]

Going to buy the M4 Pro. I was going to upgrade the CPU, but now I will upgrade the SSD to 1TB. I really don't want an external drive.

[@Serge1913]

Internal storage is crazy fast

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

Glad I spent a little bit more and got the 14/20 mini pro, double the gpu cores will cut through it all. 48gb of ram won’t hurt either. My first foray into using Final Cut Pro, I use davinci usually on windows. It’s got some great effects in it and doesn’t crap out like premier pro did on me a couple of years ago. Happy with the mini.

[@Serge1913]

I almost wish I would of got the 14/20 core

[@aklem001]

Great work

[@jrcardosotravel]

Hi Serge !! Awesome!! Just like the other comments real comparison on the main thing we care about. Thanks !!! By the way! On this video you this video you showed a timeline with log clips from different cameras and different log footage. How about a video on how to work with these different log footage on the same project???? That would be great!! Thanks again !!

[@Serge1913]

I’m probably not the best person to do a color grading tutorial. lol. For that, I would highly recommend Dylan John or Eric Lenz

[@larskristiansen8695]

As Always Super - I will pick til Pro - Thanks Serge

[@Serge1913]

You’re going to love it

[@trinivideography2472]

Great video... been looking for this fcpx comparison for a while now...excellent job...btw...what ssd drive would you recommend for the mac mini pro?

[@Serge1913]

I use the Samsung T7. But if you want to take advantage of thunderbolt 5 speeds, I think OWC makes a drive

[@forwarddrivecricketacademy]

this was a very helpful video thank you

[@Richard_Broom_Photography]

Very interesting Serge. You get what you pay for!!!

[@Serge1913]

You got that right!

[@krazywabbit]

Have to remind myself that I’m using an iPhone. Base model will suit me well. If we each ask what we are using and doing, the answer will be easy.

[@Serge1913]

The M4 is still crazy good! But the M4 Pro is better

[@josef.hernandez9781]

I would be curious to know if I upgraded the base model to 24 GB and 512 GB of storage; whether that would be enough to mitigate the issues shown in this video. Would anybody have any feedback on that?

[@infiveg]

Да! Давай сравнение!

[@minorvideofilms683]

Thanks Serge

[@WilliamRemuso]

Thank you for the video.Real world application is best 👍👍👍

[@TeeEmmCee]

I just upgraded from the M1 Mac mini to the M4 Mac mini. What a disappointment when editing in FCP. I feel the M4 is slower though I could be wrong. I rarely experienced jittery playback with the M1, and now on the M4 it happens all the time, even with short projects. I really expected a blazing difference, but nope. I should have saved my money. There is nothing wrong with my M1. Or I should have stepped up to the M4 Pro. Should I mention that FCP migration from the M1 to the M4 was also a big headache. Customized titles and generators did not migrate over using Apple's tools. I ended up rebuilding them. Painful. It would be interesting to see a comparison between the M1 and the M4, Serge. Thank you. //Tom

[@Serge1913]

I will get on it this week!

[@TeeEmmCee]

@@Serge1913 Serge, I don't know what has happened, but the new M4 seems much more responsive with FCP now, and to be honest, I don't know why. The jittery playback of the timeline has smoothed out, making it possible again for me to sync a point in audio to a point in the video. For whatever reason, the operations seem fine now and I can't tell you why. It's like the old days when a car had to be broken in. Haha. I am sorry if I have put you onto the wrong track. //Tom

[@BLBADVENTURES]

Enjoying your new video with a long view. We smashed the 👍 button. See your soon

[@Serge1913]

Appreciate you! I'm glad you liked the video.

[@hetalsdesai]

Grate Video...i am also interested in M2 pro vs M4 pro mini as well....

[@Serge1913]

I don’t have an M2. Maybe I’ll see if I can borrow one!

[@dombower]

What’s the point of rendering if it makes no difference

[@Serge1913]

Smoother playback on the M4 Mac mini. M4 pro could handle everything I threw at it without rendering, so I would probably leave it off

[@nishantrana-cl6nl]

so m4 chip is good with background rendering on?

[@SchaufussTV]

Just upgraded from an m1 to an m4 mini and it definitely runs better, but now I wish I had upgraded to the Pro 😢

[@Serge1913]

Honestly, the M4 is probably good enough

[@SchaufussTV]

@ it is, but I could use the extra speed and performance 😉 fortunately I can return the M4 one until Jan. 8th. So I might do that 😊

[@Serge1913]

Not a bad idea

[@SchaufussTV]

Oh, and by the way thank you for the video, it was the exact one I had been waiting for 👍🏻

[@speedyhammond]

so wait, that same 8 second clip that took 4 minutes to analyze only took 32 seconds when not screen recording compared to the M4Pro at 25 seconds? Hmm

[@speedyhammond]

So with that being said.. with only the difference of a couple seconds.. is getting the base m4 model good enough for your editing needs?

[@Serge1913]

With the faster render and export times, I think I’m keeping the pro

[@speedyhammond]

@@Serge1913 thanks, you are the man!

[@BillyLuna]

New sub here. Great channel. Would you be so kind as to answer a few questions. I mostly use Final Cut Pro & Photoshop to create videos on my Billy Luna Crime Stories YT channel. I am working in 1080p, but plan to start working in 4k. Currently I am Using a Sandisk Extreme Pro SSD (2TB & 4TB) to edit off whilst using FCP. I like to use Final Cut Pro, Photoshop and 40 web browser tabs open simultaneously. 1) For my needs, which exact configuration of the new M4 Mac Mini should I get? (Pro or no, RAM, SSD) This is the configuration that I have been mulling: $1,799.00 512GB SSD storage Apple M4 Pro chip with 12‑core CPU, 16‑core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine 48GB unified memory 512GB SSD storage 2) What would the practical difference be when using Final Cut Pro, Photoshop and 40 web browser tabs open simultaneously if I just got the base M4 mac mini rather than the M4 Pro mac mini? 3) If I go M4 Pro what would the practical difference (for my use scenarios) be in upgrading from 24 GB memory to 48 GB? 4) Is there any speed or performance advantage in going with a 1 TB SSD vs 512? 5) Do I need to worry about fan noise when I’m recording on camera video or voice over with the M4 Pro mac mini? Thank you!

[@utube9487]

Yea the M4 is gimped by low Ram and low SSD storage. People went nuts on it's single core performance but all up, it's just a rubbish computer when you spend $800 extra for 32GB Ram and1TB storage (should be min standards in 2024)s for video editing. The base Mac Mini is great, adding more ram and ssd, it becomes a horrible value PC. Just build a decent Windows PC for $1400 with loaded up Ram, SSD's and all you will give up is single core performance. In video editing it's the multicore cpu, gpu and ram that makes the difference.

[@motionfxes]

A PC is going to be great for FCP...

[@Serge1913]

🤣🤣🤣

[@utube9487]

@@motionfxes don't be a pleb, get a real video editor like Resolve.

[@motionfxes]

@@utube9487 That's your answer? I use DaVinci Resolve probably much before you knew it existed. Not to mention Fusion, which I use since the early 2000. I still don't get the point to recommend a PC on a FCP channel.

[@utube9487]

@@motionfxes damn u is old

[@AdrianSuliga]

POLAND

[@renxomedia2427]

I bought an M1 when it came out. I hate it. Don’t do it

[@josef.hernandez9781]

I would be curious to know if I upgraded the base model to 24 GB and 512 GB of storage; whether that would be enough to mitigate the issues shown in this video. Would anybody have any feedback on that?