New to FCP-x, what Drive to use for scratch.

Just getting back into Video editing. About to buy a brand new Macbook Pro 15" retina display with 8gigs ram and a 256gig main drive.

My question is, what Thunderbolt external drive should i use that is recommended ? Or should i go USB3.0 ? I was looking at the Lacie 1tb will this be enough ?

I'm learning FCP-x more and more and want to start doing small projects, lots of fun to be had.

Thanks in advance.

I'd stick another 8GB of RAM in the MBP as well.

The Lacie LBD with the SSD RAID work well, I use one with my MBP, its off the clock on that Blackmagic test.

By all means, go with 16GB of RAM.
You have to do that at the time of purchase. RAM in the rMBP is soldered on and not upgradeable later.

Alright, i was going to just get the base macbook pro with 8 gigs but, its only 140$ more for the 16gigs. Later on i will be changing the 256gig ssd to a 512 or larger.

To do all my big videos, i was going to use my hackintosh. Put more ram in it and new cpu...

Don't think you can upgrade the drive in. New MBPS, either.

OWC has offered upgrades for the SSD in MBA and, I believe, 2012 rMBP. If that is an indication, they probably will too for the current models.

The rMBP with the discrete video card is really the one to get, but unfortunately it's only in the more expensive configuration now. I can't really speak to how the integrated graphics will work, but it is faster than the IGP in the mid-2012 model. It's probably fine for most things including simple ProRes and H264 video, but I wouldn't go crazy with a 4k project. If you don't get 16 GB memory, you'll probably regret it later. I sometimes wish I had a 32 GB option, so that tells you something. As for storage, if the OWC upgrades are too much, you can expand up to 128 GB more with one of those SD card add-ons that sit flush with the side of the case.

thanks guys, the one i'm looking at is this one,

Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Quad-core Intel i7 with Retina Display
Originally released February 2013
15.4-inch (diagonal) Retina display; 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 pixels per inch
8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM
256GB Flash Storage
720p FaceTime HD Camera
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

I know it only has 8gigs ram, but i can change the SSD out to a larger one, later on.

Is this still a bad idea since it only has 8 gigs ? or should i be fine ?


Actually just looked 2014 models the HDD can come out.

www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch...SD+Replacement/27694

Honestly, you should spend a little more and get 16 GB memory. You won't regret it. There's just no way to upgrade that later.

You seem to place higher priority on swapping the SSD over RAM. I don't think that's a good idea. If you're going to edit with an external drive, as it seems you are since you also ask about them, then upgrading the internal SSD isn't that important. 256GB will hold all apps, OS X, and so on. Get 16GB RAM.

If you are hoping to ultimately be able to edit using the internal SSD, still get the RAM first. Here's why, if you edit on the internal SSD, that same internal drive has to support OS X functions at the same time as handling your edit requests from FCPX. RAM requirements increase to support this, and if the RAM is available, you have a smoother running system. When you edit using an external disk, your system SSD is processing requests at the same time the input/output requests to the external edit drive is happening with FCPX, sharing the work load.

If the driving factor is your budget and as a result the only refurbished options available offer 8GB then all this is moot The system specs you list here will work, FCPX will be useable on this system, especially using an external T-bolt drive.


This kind of question comes up here all the time. A lot of the answer depends on what your source video and end product requirement are. Here are some generalizations:

If your source material is 4k, and/or you want to use multiple monitors, you need the best GPU you can get.
If you're doing music videos, multi-cam, you want your clips on an external raid.
Long projects, feature films, RAM matters most because of the number of edits, applied effects, etc. over a long timeline.
If you're doing short turn around projects and/or shorts for YouTube with h264 output, For speed, get the best GPU you can.

Bobbyco wrote: You seem to place higher priority on swapping the SSD over RAM. I don't think that's a good idea. If you're going to edit with an external drive, as it seems you are since you also ask about them, then upgrading the internal SSD isn't that important. 256GB will hold all apps, OS X, and so on. Get 16GB RAM.

If you are hoping to ultimately be able to edit using the internal SSD, still get the RAM first. Here's why, if you edit on the internal SSD, that same internal drive has to support OS X functions at the same time as handling your edit requests from FCPX. RAM requirements increase to support this, and if the RAM is available, you have a smoother running system. When you edit using an external disk, your system SSD is processing requests at the same time the input/output requests to the external edit drive is happening with FCPX, sharing the work load.

If the driving factor is your budget and as a result the only refurbished options available offer 8GB then all this is moot The system specs you list here will work, FCPX will be useable on this system, especially using an external T-bolt drive.


This kind of question comes up here all the time. A lot of the answer depends on what your source video and end product requirement are. Here are some generalizations:

If your source material is 4k, and/or you want to use multiple monitors, you need the best GPU you can get.
If you're doing music videos, multi-cam, you want your clips on an external raid.
Long projects, feature films, RAM matters most because of the number of edits, applied effects, etc. over a long timeline.
If you're doing short turn around projects and/or shorts for YouTube with h264 output, For speed, get the best GPU you can.

Great info thanks,, I will wait till End of november and snag up a MBP with 16gigs ram. I won't be doing any 4k stuff just 1080p

Are you saying get the 1gig nvideo gpu or the intel onboard one ?

Sorry for all the questions, i know mac's pretty good, just want the right one and have it last few years for this.

In the end i could also spend more money on my desktop unit to do more processing.

Go with the discrete nvidia GPU. The discrete GPUs are significantly more powerful in those models than the onboard. It's not so much that the onboard's are bad, it's that the discrete GPU means a separate processing system and RAM just to handle video data. This is a big deal when your transcoding media or trying to edit native 1080P video clips without dropping frame in playback. In other words, overall better performance.

OS X, with each new version becomes more capable of maximizing the processing power of the discrete GPUs. I don't know if, or what configuration of that would hold true in the case of Mackintosh.

Bobbyco wrote: Go with the discrete nvidia GPU. The discrete GPUs are significantly more powerful in those models than the onboard. It's not so much that the onboard's are bad, it's that the discrete GPU means a separate processing system and RAM just to handle video data. This is a big deal when your transcoding media or trying to edit native 1080P video clips without dropping frame in playback. In other words, overall better performance.

OS X, with each new version becomes more capable of maximizing the processing power of the discrete GPUs. I don't know if, or what configuration of that would hold true in the case of Mackintosh.

WOuld it be a stupid idea to ditch the MAC and go pc laptop ? I can get a nice Dell XPS 15" hi res screen ( 3,200x1,800) with 32gigs ram 1tb hdd & 512gig ssd with the Nvidia GeForce 750M for graphics..

Just be hard to purchase a expensive copy of software for video editing, wouldn't even know what to run..

Face palm this is going to be super expensive just to edit videos LOL

Hopefully others might chime in and answer this.
My answer, no. I would never ditch Mac. I know there are comparable PC laptops that use the newer M780 GPU. There was some frustration in the media when the rMBPs got a CPU bump in August but no GPU bump. That still doesn't change my answer.

Bobbyco wrote: Hopefully others might chime in and answer this.
My answer, no. I would never ditch Mac. I know there are comparable PC laptops that use the newer M780 GPU. There was some frustration in the media when the rMBPs got a CPU bump in August but no GPU bump. That still doesn't change my answer.

Ok just thought i would throw it out there that was all


I guess i'll have to wait and see what i can find for my budget this winter. I can't afford a 2500$ laptop. If that is what i need, i'll have to ditch the whole project.. I was trying to stay under $1800 Cdn, for a referb laptop.

I'm a big fan of the refurbished macs. They are much cheaper, have the same warranty, and can have applecare for three years.

There are some really good deals on the Apple reburb site. You can get a maxed out year old MBP 15" for around $1900 USD. It will be a plenty fast laptop. For the real muscle you need a Mac Pro, but the laptops do great.

I try to buy slightly older and refurbished, try to keep them in good shape, use them for a year and a half, and sell them on eBay. The upgrade difference is usually about $400-$500 plus applecare, and the eBay price sells high because it still has a year and a half of warranty left.

That's my 2cents.

I guess i'll have to wait and see what i can find for my budget this winter. I can't afford a 2500$ laptop. If that is what i need, i'll have to ditch the whole project.. I was trying to stay under $1800 Cdn, for a referb laptop.[/quote]

Hay, don't get that discouraged!
A couple replies back I was trying to say that how much Mac you need had much to do with what your workflow and project priorities are. With what you just said, I have the impression you have a film project you'd like to pursue. Is that a hobby project, or more than that? Short project, documentary? If the answer to one of these is yes, you're going to do fine with an 1800$ refurbished rMBP. But ya, a 2500$ rMBP with discrete GPU will perform better and provide a longer window of service.

The $1800 refurbs have discrete gpus!

Ya, you're right. There's an early 2013 32% off -$900 saving in the ref. store right now. 16MB, 512GB, 650M/1GB. Nice deal.

Hey Bobby!

I don't even want to mention what the new Mac Pro cost difference in there is. (I bought one for full price two months ago.)

Sigh..