Video editing, Mac Mini Pro M4 or Mac Studio M4

Question

Level 1

4 points

Video editing, Mac Mini Pro M4 or Mac Studio M4

I do mostly video editing (short real estate videos 2 min max. with lots of Motion VFX effects and short instagram reels), light Lightroom, Illustrator, and daily Dreamweaver work for websites.

I have 2 Samsung T7 Ssd’s (1 and 2 TB) for library stuff.

My dilemma of buying:

Mac Mini Pro M4 and bump it to 1TB Ssd.

OR

Mac Studio M4 base model and bump it to 1 TB Ssd

Wondering if I really need the extra power of a Mac Studio GPU for my video editing, seeing that it’s short videos and render rather fast.

For future proof I think getting 1 TB Ssd is a minimum especially with the Mac Mini Pro M4 for swap memory.

Curious what you guys think.

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 13.7

Posted on Apr 5, 2025 04:00 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 6, 2025 07:22 AM in response to tomniama

<< I thought that there would be fellow video editors on here that could guide me …. >>

There ARE, but it takes a while for then to see your post and respond.

You posted it at dawn (eastern time US) on a Saturday, and at this writing, it is only Sunday. This process can take a few days, and some Readers are only reading on weekdays.

--------

The article you cited is a far deeper dive into at the pros and cons of several appropriate solutions. A LOT more helpful information than a single typical response on the forums can provide.

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Answer 2

Apr 5, 2025 06:29 AM in response to tomniama

if editing videos, skip the M-series (plain) processors.

Apple was a wizard site to help you choose:

Mac - Which Mac is best for me? - Apple

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Answer 3

tbirdvet

Level 6

16,697 points

Apr 5, 2025 12:06 PM in response to tomniama

Look at YouTube videos. Many showing Mini M4 pro as outstanding. Some also compare Mini to Studio so you can see differences.

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Answer 4

tomniama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 5, 2025 07:01 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

So, what “not plain” processors do you suggest?

Yes, the “apple wizard” helps you choose but focuses more on your budget then your real needs. That is why I come here and speak with humans to see what is really the good choice.

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Answer 5

Apr 5, 2025 02:11 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

The two processors the OP says that he is looking at are the M4 Pro and the M4 Max – neither of which are plain M-series processors. An example of a plain M4-series processor would be the M4 chip in the M4 MacBook Air, and in the entry-level versions of the Mac mini.

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Answer 6

tomniama Author

Level 1

4 points

Apr 6, 2025 04:47 AM in response to tomniama

I thought that there would be fellow video editors on here that could guide me …

Anyway, I found my answer in this very good and detailed article below. Just posting the link here for people who are in the same position as me.

https://jonnyelwyn.co.uk/film-video-editing-tools-for-editors/which-m4-mac-is-best-for-video-editing/

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Video editing, Mac Mini Pro M4 or Mac Studio M4

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