Recommended FCPX system for $3k

Hi,

I'm getting by ok with just a 13in MBP mid-2012 16MB ram, external 27in Apple LB monitor, internal SSD and fast USB3 external drives.

I know this is really a minimal system, but it still gets the job done for me.

My friend however, doesn't have a machine at all. He's got about $3k to spend and wants a FCPX machine that's a laptop with an external monitor.

After $300 for FCPX, that leaves $2700. He's not opposed to refurbs.

What would you get with $2700 for a laptop to use primarily with FCPX with external monitor? It's be nice if there was something left for a fast little external SSD drive too, but I figure he can add that later.

Thoughts?

I'm betting my friend is going to want a 15in. I get by fine with 500GB internal drive. So, it looks like there are a few 2018/2019 refurb options with 16MB ram at the Apple store for around $2200. That leaves him $500 for an external 4k monitor if he doesn't get any external storage right now. Or, if he drops the specs a little he can get a decent 15in for $2000 which would leave another $200 for an external SSD.

Suggestions?

We always buy Apple refurbished MBP. There are several places to purchase the as well as from Apple . You may also want to consider a lightly used one from Other World Computing, eshop.macsales.com/shop/Apple_Systems/Used/Macs_and_Tablets . I have no affiliation with them, just a satisfied customer.

Well, the only reply I got was from someone trying to be snarky... as if my ignorant gear questions aren't welcome here.

Doesn't look like it posted, but I get the message.

I'll figure it out. I've already got a system picked out for him that's a refurb. 15in 2.9 6-core with 16mb ram and a 500mb SDD. Should suffice.

Noted that questions like this aren't welcome here. I only asked because my friend wanted to know what he should get and I don't research this stuff until I'm actually ready to buy myself. Figured someone here might have good suggestions.

Sorry if my questions were inappropriate... based on the snarky reply I got from a user named AvesBuger.

The admin can delete my thread if they wish.

Cheers.

I think you'll find a wealth of related information of this forum with a simple search. I can't give specific item advice because I haven't researched lately but the bottom line is that it comes down to processor speed, amount of RAM and HD speed. Forgive me if this is too obvious. If any of those three are too slow/small then you'll have a tough time doing real editing work on the machine. Maybe tell us what kind of editing your friend will be doing? Pro jobs or home movies (or in between)? HD or 4K (or higher)? Personally, I think a fast external drive is critical (USB3 is fine). Another question is once this person has his/her $3K system and edits a project, what will they do with the files? If everything gets thrown away then cool. If backup is required then that's more cash outlay. It's worth thinking about that up front. The question of what system components to buy is complicated and everyone will have different priorities. That's a good reason to visit past threads and hear various theories. Good luck to your friend!

Ignorant gear questions are always welcome here, for sure. Specifically, what should you get? What you can afford. Fastest CPU and most powerful GPU you can afford. Plus very fast external storage. Specifics are hard to say because of the wide variety of hardware combinations Apple has sold over the years.

I'd start with a second hand MacBook Pro, either off of eBay, more trustable would be an Apple refurbished unit that comes with a warranty.

I have an old 2005 15" retina MacBook Pro that serves me very well. It has a 27" Apple T'bolt display no it (I run it closed, just the one big screen). Edits 4K footage from a variety of cameras with no optimization or proxies. I work with mO2 inside of Motion a lot and it runs that really well. It's not a speed demon, but it's fast enough for broadcast TV fast turnarounds. I also have a very fast 4bay RAID as my external storage. That RAID is probably worth more than the rMBP is now.

You don't need top of the line to get started. Just remember powering multiple monitors at one time will degrade performance. Too much stuff on the system drive degrades performance. Keep it lean and clean.

I helped him order earlier this morning. After asking him what he wanted to do with this machine specifically... it didn't appear he needed that much. What we ended up getting for him was waaay overkill. I thought he wanted to edit 4k with effects, etc.

Turns out he's basically using old standard definition stuff. Some of it is betamax, etc. To be honest, he could have easily done everything he hoped to do with just an iPad Pro and Lumafusion. I told him this and showed it a sample project of my own that's all in Lumafusion on an iPad Pro. But he's watched others edit in FCPX and wanted a laptop.

We got him a Refurbished 15.4-inch MacBook Pro 2.6GHz 6-core Intel Core i7 with Retina display - Space Gray

Originally released July 2018
Touch Bar with integrated Touch ID sensor
15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2880-by-1800 native resolution at 220 pixels per inch
16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 onboard memory
512GB SSD1
720p FaceTime HD Camera
Radeon Pro Graphics 560X

He's got an older large external monitor that might hold him over for a while with an adaptor.

I tried to talk him into a fast 1TB SSD Panasonic external drive with USB C connection for his source and project files, but he wasn't convinced that he can't just use his old Passport drives. I told him those drives are slow and meant more for cheap storage and not fast read/write speeds, but that he was welcome to try those first before buying the Panasonic I'd recommended.

I also run a 27in TB display off a mbp, but I use the mbp screen for extra tool space, email, and messaging.

Is there a benefit to running with the mbp screen closed as you are with your 15in 2005 mbp?

Yes, by running closed, it is only powering one monitor. Powering two monitors cuts the GPU available for apps.

Yes. I always buy refurb also. The warranty is exactly the same as buying new. And, if you have any trouble with a new one, they're likely just going to replace it with a refurb anyway.

I've already helped my friend purchase yesterday... actually before anyone replied. I just recommended the machine that I'd likely buy for myself if I needed to replace what I have.

makes sense. hadn't thought of that. thanks!

"I have an old 2005 15" retina MacBook Pro…"
Ben think you mean 2015 rMBP don't you?
05=PowerPC G4 or G5, no retina. PowerBooks only made it to G4 AFAIK
Greg

Had to recheck that, 2013.