MacBook Pro spec for Photoshop etc?
Discussion
Hi All,
After some advice please, my granddaughter is in her final year of university, I can never remember the exact name of the course, but it's something to do with character development and animation. She's hoping to get an internship with Disney in California next year after finishing the degree.
At present she does her work on a iPad Pro, but is looking to buy a new laptop. This will be mainly using Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and then Media Encoder to render film animations.
She's looking for a MacBook Pro, and we're all getting stuck on exactly what spec would be best, bearing in mind she's got a budget of about £2k, although we could push that a bit if it really makes a difference.
13" or 14" is what she's after in terms of screen size, mainly due to the fact she'll be carrying it about quite a bit.
I know the new ones are out now with the M3 chip, is it worth getting this over the M2? One thing that I've just learned today, is that Apple RAM is 'used' differently to RAM in a Windows machine, which means I have even less idea what is required! Also, what do people suggest in terms of HDD size?
If anyone can help I'd be very grateful, I really want to make sure she gets a machine that can do what's needed.
TIA!
After some advice please, my granddaughter is in her final year of university, I can never remember the exact name of the course, but it's something to do with character development and animation. She's hoping to get an internship with Disney in California next year after finishing the degree.
At present she does her work on a iPad Pro, but is looking to buy a new laptop. This will be mainly using Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, and then Media Encoder to render film animations.
She's looking for a MacBook Pro, and we're all getting stuck on exactly what spec would be best, bearing in mind she's got a budget of about £2k, although we could push that a bit if it really makes a difference.
13" or 14" is what she's after in terms of screen size, mainly due to the fact she'll be carrying it about quite a bit.
I know the new ones are out now with the M3 chip, is it worth getting this over the M2? One thing that I've just learned today, is that Apple RAM is 'used' differently to RAM in a Windows machine, which means I have even less idea what is required! Also, what do people suggest in terms of HDD size?
If anyone can help I'd be very grateful, I really want to make sure she gets a machine that can do what's needed.
TIA!
I'd go for the 14 pro m3 Pro chip imo. I've got the 16 m2 max and it's a pretty slick machine, but it is cumbersome to carry around etc, but the screen is great.
In all honesty, not sure it's justified going for the max over the pro. I'd stick with the base 512gb drive - you can always add more if necessary via external drives etc but so much is stored in the cloud - it's almost irrelevant
In all honesty, not sure it's justified going for the max over the pro. I'd stick with the base 512gb drive - you can always add more if necessary via external drives etc but so much is stored in the cloud - it's almost irrelevant
I worked as a graphic designer for 25 years so I know a thing or two about Photoshop on Macs. Sacked it off last year to reinvent myself in cloud computing but that's another story. Anyway...
I was using a 2017 15" MacBook Pro until a few weeks ago and it would take whatever I could throw at it without breaking a sweat, so a new one would be fine whatever spec you go for. I've just replaced my old one with a 16" M2. Personally, when doing visual work, I'd be inclined to go for the largest screen possible unless you're hooking it up to en external monitor, in which case go for the smallest for portability. Also, don't rule out a 15" MacBook Air. That gives you a slightly larger screen than the smaller MacBook Pro but is still light on account of being thinner. I'd have gone for the MacBook Air but Amazon were selling 16" M2 MacBook Pros with £500 off!
Regarding RAM, I'd be inclined to bump it up to 16GB on a model that doesn't ship with that as standard, but I don't know how necessary that would be. My new M2 and my old 2017 MBPs both had 16GB by default so it might just be a psychological thing for me.
Really, the M2 chips are way more than enough so don't get hung up on the M3 being out, although if you go for a MacBook Pro I think it'll be an M3 by default now unless you go to a retailer with stock of older machines.
I was using a 2017 15" MacBook Pro until a few weeks ago and it would take whatever I could throw at it without breaking a sweat, so a new one would be fine whatever spec you go for. I've just replaced my old one with a 16" M2. Personally, when doing visual work, I'd be inclined to go for the largest screen possible unless you're hooking it up to en external monitor, in which case go for the smallest for portability. Also, don't rule out a 15" MacBook Air. That gives you a slightly larger screen than the smaller MacBook Pro but is still light on account of being thinner. I'd have gone for the MacBook Air but Amazon were selling 16" M2 MacBook Pros with £500 off!
Regarding RAM, I'd be inclined to bump it up to 16GB on a model that doesn't ship with that as standard, but I don't know how necessary that would be. My new M2 and my old 2017 MBPs both had 16GB by default so it might just be a psychological thing for me.
Really, the M2 chips are way more than enough so don't get hung up on the M3 being out, although if you go for a MacBook Pro I think it'll be an M3 by default now unless you go to a retailer with stock of older machines.
I wouldn’t want to be doing that kind of work with an air, it’s fine for spreadsheets and the internet.
The pro with a GPU and as much memory as you can afford, inimum of 16 but 32 is nice, Is suspect that will push the budget though.
I also think 512gb might soon be a bit small, you define don’t want smaller.
The pro with a GPU and as much memory as you can afford, inimum of 16 but 32 is nice, Is suspect that will push the budget though.
I also think 512gb might soon be a bit small, you define don’t want smaller.
I'd agree that an M2 (or indeed an M1) chip should still be very capable of using Photoshop, so don't overlook a decent deal on a previous generation MacBook. A few factors to bare in mind:
Anything from an M1 to a M3 Max is generally able to do much the same PS work, albeit sometimes at a different speed - my M2 Ultra Studio doesn't generally seem much different in speed to my previous M1 Mac mini, until you do some very heavy tasks. My son has been able to use Premier & After Effects quite happily on his 8GB M1 MacBook - it just takes a while to render
Some of the AI functions that have been introduced recently take a LOT more horsepower (especially GPU, and hopefully Neural Engine, when Apple fix their bug), going from taking about 2-3 mins per image on my previous machine, to more like 15 seconds on my M2 Ultra - the end result was the same, it just cost some time, so depends how much saving some time is worth
The Silicon Macs do seem much better at managing memory, however there are limits - I would occasionally get red memory pressure when using Lightroom & Photoshop with very large images on my 16GB machine, to the point where it started freezing, however closing down some apps normally worked, and for 99% of my purposes it was absolutely fine
As your granddaughter is at university, she should be eligible for the Apple student discount (probably with a Totum membership. although there might be other ways). I've just checked, and a 14" M3 Pro (18GB RAM, 11 Core CPU / 14 core GPU) is about £150 less from the Apple Edu store than the retail price, so could be worth looking at that route
Anything from an M1 to a M3 Max is generally able to do much the same PS work, albeit sometimes at a different speed - my M2 Ultra Studio doesn't generally seem much different in speed to my previous M1 Mac mini, until you do some very heavy tasks. My son has been able to use Premier & After Effects quite happily on his 8GB M1 MacBook - it just takes a while to render
Some of the AI functions that have been introduced recently take a LOT more horsepower (especially GPU, and hopefully Neural Engine, when Apple fix their bug), going from taking about 2-3 mins per image on my previous machine, to more like 15 seconds on my M2 Ultra - the end result was the same, it just cost some time, so depends how much saving some time is worth
The Silicon Macs do seem much better at managing memory, however there are limits - I would occasionally get red memory pressure when using Lightroom & Photoshop with very large images on my 16GB machine, to the point where it started freezing, however closing down some apps normally worked, and for 99% of my purposes it was absolutely fine
As your granddaughter is at university, she should be eligible for the Apple student discount (probably with a Totum membership. although there might be other ways). I've just checked, and a 14" M3 Pro (18GB RAM, 11 Core CPU / 14 core GPU) is about £150 less from the Apple Edu store than the retail price, so could be worth looking at that route
Magnum 475 said:
Don’t forget to check the Apple Uk Refurbished store. Lots of bargains on there, with full UK Apple warranty.
More bang for your buck this way, but you do have to keep checking until you find the spec you want - stock changes all the time.
That's actually a really good point - the refurb machines are indistinguishable from new, albeit in a different boxMore bang for your buck this way, but you do have to keep checking until you find the spec you want - stock changes all the time.
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/after-effects/system-re...
There you go, follow the recommended specs there. If she wants to edit in 4k, she will need to bump up the RAM to 32GB.
You can look up every program she will use on Adobe’s website, and ask your granddaughter questions on what she does exactly, and also look up the recommended specs on the Uni’s website.
You’ll have a very clear answer from those 3 sources.
I would definitely get a Pro machine for this use instance, if only for the extra ports. If her need for storage or whatever increases, it will be a lot more flexible than the 15inch Air that someone suggested earlier. She might need to plug it into a screen at uni for a presentation and it will have a HDMI port etc. All USB C is a nightmare if you can’t control the full tech stack. I had to use an all USB C Macbook Pro in my firm pre covid and had to carry around a dongle bag. It was stupid and inconvenient.
There you go, follow the recommended specs there. If she wants to edit in 4k, she will need to bump up the RAM to 32GB.
You can look up every program she will use on Adobe’s website, and ask your granddaughter questions on what she does exactly, and also look up the recommended specs on the Uni’s website.
You’ll have a very clear answer from those 3 sources.
I would definitely get a Pro machine for this use instance, if only for the extra ports. If her need for storage or whatever increases, it will be a lot more flexible than the 15inch Air that someone suggested earlier. She might need to plug it into a screen at uni for a presentation and it will have a HDMI port etc. All USB C is a nightmare if you can’t control the full tech stack. I had to use an all USB C Macbook Pro in my firm pre covid and had to carry around a dongle bag. It was stupid and inconvenient.
Edited by wyson on Tuesday 7th November 12:37
Hey there, Based on your budget and preferences, I would recommend the Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro1 as the best MacBook for animation. Here are some reasons why:
It has the M3 chip, which is the latest and most advanced processor from Apple. It offers faster performance, better graphics, and longer battery life than the M2 chip. It also supports more RAM and storage options, which are essential for animation work.
It has a Liquid Retina XDR display, which is stunning and vibrant. It has a 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD storage, which are the minimum requirements for animation work. You can also upgrade them to 32GB or 64GB RAM and 1TB or 2TB SSD storage, depending on your needs and budget. More RAM and storage will allow you to run multiple programs, store more files, and render faster.
It has a 18-hour battery life, which is impressive for a laptop of this caliber.
The Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro is not cheap, but it is worth the investment. It is the best MacBook for animation in 2023, and it will serve your granddaughter well for years to come.
It has the M3 chip, which is the latest and most advanced processor from Apple. It offers faster performance, better graphics, and longer battery life than the M2 chip. It also supports more RAM and storage options, which are essential for animation work.
It has a Liquid Retina XDR display, which is stunning and vibrant. It has a 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD storage, which are the minimum requirements for animation work. You can also upgrade them to 32GB or 64GB RAM and 1TB or 2TB SSD storage, depending on your needs and budget. More RAM and storage will allow you to run multiple programs, store more files, and render faster.
It has a 18-hour battery life, which is impressive for a laptop of this caliber.
The Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro is not cheap, but it is worth the investment. It is the best MacBook for animation in 2023, and it will serve your granddaughter well for years to come.
wyson said:
https://helpx.adobe.com/uk/after-effects/system-re...
There you go, follow the recommended specs there. If she wants to edit in 4k, she will need to bump up the RAM to 32GB.
You can look up every program she will use on Adobe’s website, and ask your granddaughter questions on what she does exactly, and also look up the recommended specs on the Uni’s website.
You’ll have a very clear answer from those 3 sources.
I agree that asking those questions would be a good plan, however just for clarity, it seems that needing 32Gb for 4k is a Windows requirement - that page suggests that 16GB is sufficient on a Mac (although more RAM is always nice to have!)There you go, follow the recommended specs there. If she wants to edit in 4k, she will need to bump up the RAM to 32GB.
You can look up every program she will use on Adobe’s website, and ask your granddaughter questions on what she does exactly, and also look up the recommended specs on the Uni’s website.
You’ll have a very clear answer from those 3 sources.
Edited by wyson on Tuesday 7th November 10:13
Cheers all for the replies, really useful advice.
One thing that's still confusing me, on the Adobe system requirements for After Effects page, it says GPU - 'Apple Silicon: 16GB of unified memory', but on the Apple website, where it mentions GPU, it refers to cores, not GB. 'Apple M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine'
Is there a x core = x GB formula?
One thing that's still confusing me, on the Adobe system requirements for After Effects page, it says GPU - 'Apple Silicon: 16GB of unified memory', but on the Apple website, where it mentions GPU, it refers to cores, not GB. 'Apple M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine'
Is there a x core = x GB formula?
easyhome said:
Cheers all for the replies, really useful advice.
One thing that's still confusing me, on the Adobe system requirements for After Effects page, it says GPU - 'Apple Silicon: 16GB of unified memory', but on the Apple website, where it mentions GPU, it refers to cores, not GB. 'Apple M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine'
Is there a x core = x GB formula?
The memory on Apple Silicon is unified, so the amount of RAM that the machine has is shared with the GPU. For clarity, a Mac with 16GB RAM has 16GB of unified memory.One thing that's still confusing me, on the Adobe system requirements for After Effects page, it says GPU - 'Apple Silicon: 16GB of unified memory', but on the Apple website, where it mentions GPU, it refers to cores, not GB. 'Apple M3 Pro chip with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine'
Is there a x core = x GB formula?
In practice it seems very efficient at moving the memory where it is needed, but there will obviously come a point where it will struggle. It is not a very exact science, with many statements on the Internet about how you must have x amount of RAM to do 'insert task here', however a lot of peoples experiences contradict each other (I've done lots of tasks that allegedly should not have been possible with such a low amount of RAM with no issues). I've gone from a 16GB Mac to a 64GB Mac, and find that I am often using up to 50GB doing some of my tasks, however the 16GB machine did not slow down often at all.
More is almost always better for the long term, however most people would do fine for most tasks with the 16GB / 18GB starting point on M2 Pro / M3 Pro
Edited by EdR on Tuesday 7th November 14:53
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