I want to start this thread to hear from everyone who chose to go with the M1 Max 24-core version over the full 32-core, and what your 'real-world' experiences are with certain working scenarios in photo and video editing or graphics/design.
So no benchmark scores, but instead
--"how does it handle working in certain video/edit timelines, codecs, or perform under certain photo/graphics/design workloads.
Both 14/16" versions.
Please also state your Macbook Pro specs.
My MacBook Pro:
14-inch
M1 Max 24-Core GPU
64GB unified memory
2TB SSD
Here are a few of my own findings.
Using mostly for video work, I tested out FCPX, Premiere Pro (intel version under Rosetta2), and DavinciResolve 17
For instance in Premiere Pro (the least optimized of the bunch, and non-native using Rosetta2..)
Using Sony a7s3 footage
4k 120fps xavc-hs 10Bit 4.2.0
Which I put on 24p timeline (the 120fps slowed down to 25% speed, resulting in a 25sec clip)
I then had the same clip copied/stacked in layers, with every layer having 3 different lumetri grades.
Then each layer set with a delay of 3 sec after the one below.
At last, through a bit of resizing/repositioning the clip in each layer, I made sure every clip would be visible at all time from once the timeline Play-head would reach the beginning of each clip.
--This would cause that the CPU & GPU would have to continue to render/process in real-time each layer adding one more after the other each 3 seconds.
With the program-monitor running on 1/2 res, the result was an almost perfectly smooth playback, of.. 17 layers, with only a total of 9 fps dropped frames..
I knew the M1 Max was fast...but I definitely did not expect that!?
Then wanting to see how much power I would loose If I ever needed/wanted to edit on the road whilst using 'low-power' mode..
The result: 10 layers of this same timeline, ..without dropped frames.
That's really an amazing result!
Comparing that to my older 'windows'? laptop with i7-7820hk and gtx1070m and 32gb ram...
(in PPCC2018..an older version but still perfectly stable by the way)
--There I could playback maybe 2 of these layers with only a or two grades per layer.. and it would already push my CPU to a constant 87-100%..???
So this is a HUGE! improvement to what I was used to work on!
Next was another 'intense' piece of software named 'NeatVideo'
A Noise-Reduction (NR) software, that is very CPU & GPU intensive.
To me one of the top NR-software I use on a very regular basis working with many Night-time Nature/Wildlife footage.
Now this software has some optimization options in which it test out your HW to determine if it will use your CPU or GPU, or a combination of both for the best results (best results as in highest fps)
For the test I used the 1920x1080 res setting.
On my old gtx1070m (GPU alone) I would get around 17,4 fps..
The NeatVideo team had tested out the new M1 Pro and M1 Max silicon, but the Max only a maxed 16" version with 32-Core
Their results were:
M1 Pro:
CPU only 23 fps
GPU only 20 fps
CPU+GPU 32 fps
M1 Max (32-Core, 64GB unified memory.
CPU only 23 fps
GPU only 36 fps
CPU+GPU 35 fps
I had a chat with them to ask how the 24-core would perform.
They hadn't tested one yet, but doing a simple math they estimated its speed to be in proportion to the number of cores available.
If a 32-core GPU gives 36 fps, then it was expected
36 * 24/32 = 27 fps from a 24-core one.
Well that could be thrown out of the window, as my test result, (using their same exact test methods/settings) were.. surprising..
M1 Max (24-Core, 64GB unified memory.
CPU only 23 fps
CPU+GPU 33.2 fps
.. and GPU only.. 33,9 fps..?
That's only a 2 fps drop from 36 fps, ...with a 25% drop in GPU cores!...
I have bo idea how Apple pulled this of to see the 24-core perform this good, but i'll take it!?
These are the first of my real-world tests... (more is definitely to follow?)
(Maybe some Neatvideo users willing to share there MacBook M1 Pro/Max 14"/16" configuration fps test results?)
Lets share some tests with numbers, in real-world Video/Photo/Graphics/ Design software usage
Would love to see!
--and in the meantime help out those who are still deciding if the 24-core configuration option is the way to go?
So no benchmark scores, but instead
--"how does it handle working in certain video/edit timelines, codecs, or perform under certain photo/graphics/design workloads.
Both 14/16" versions.
Please also state your Macbook Pro specs.
My MacBook Pro:
14-inch
M1 Max 24-Core GPU
64GB unified memory
2TB SSD
Here are a few of my own findings.
Using mostly for video work, I tested out FCPX, Premiere Pro (intel version under Rosetta2), and DavinciResolve 17
For instance in Premiere Pro (the least optimized of the bunch, and non-native using Rosetta2..)
Using Sony a7s3 footage
4k 120fps xavc-hs 10Bit 4.2.0
Which I put on 24p timeline (the 120fps slowed down to 25% speed, resulting in a 25sec clip)
I then had the same clip copied/stacked in layers, with every layer having 3 different lumetri grades.
Then each layer set with a delay of 3 sec after the one below.
At last, through a bit of resizing/repositioning the clip in each layer, I made sure every clip would be visible at all time from once the timeline Play-head would reach the beginning of each clip.
--This would cause that the CPU & GPU would have to continue to render/process in real-time each layer adding one more after the other each 3 seconds.
With the program-monitor running on 1/2 res, the result was an almost perfectly smooth playback, of.. 17 layers, with only a total of 9 fps dropped frames..
I knew the M1 Max was fast...but I definitely did not expect that!?
Then wanting to see how much power I would loose If I ever needed/wanted to edit on the road whilst using 'low-power' mode..
The result: 10 layers of this same timeline, ..without dropped frames.
That's really an amazing result!
Comparing that to my older 'windows'? laptop with i7-7820hk and gtx1070m and 32gb ram...
(in PPCC2018..an older version but still perfectly stable by the way)
--There I could playback maybe 2 of these layers with only a or two grades per layer.. and it would already push my CPU to a constant 87-100%..???
So this is a HUGE! improvement to what I was used to work on!
Next was another 'intense' piece of software named 'NeatVideo'
A Noise-Reduction (NR) software, that is very CPU & GPU intensive.
To me one of the top NR-software I use on a very regular basis working with many Night-time Nature/Wildlife footage.
Now this software has some optimization options in which it test out your HW to determine if it will use your CPU or GPU, or a combination of both for the best results (best results as in highest fps)
For the test I used the 1920x1080 res setting.
On my old gtx1070m (GPU alone) I would get around 17,4 fps..
The NeatVideo team had tested out the new M1 Pro and M1 Max silicon, but the Max only a maxed 16" version with 32-Core
Their results were:
M1 Pro:
CPU only 23 fps
GPU only 20 fps
CPU+GPU 32 fps
M1 Max (32-Core, 64GB unified memory.
CPU only 23 fps
GPU only 36 fps
CPU+GPU 35 fps
I had a chat with them to ask how the 24-core would perform.
They hadn't tested one yet, but doing a simple math they estimated its speed to be in proportion to the number of cores available.
If a 32-core GPU gives 36 fps, then it was expected
36 * 24/32 = 27 fps from a 24-core one.
Well that could be thrown out of the window, as my test result, (using their same exact test methods/settings) were.. surprising..
M1 Max (24-Core, 64GB unified memory.
CPU only 23 fps
CPU+GPU 33.2 fps
.. and GPU only.. 33,9 fps..?
That's only a 2 fps drop from 36 fps, ...with a 25% drop in GPU cores!...
I have bo idea how Apple pulled this of to see the 24-core perform this good, but i'll take it!?
These are the first of my real-world tests... (more is definitely to follow?)
(Maybe some Neatvideo users willing to share there MacBook M1 Pro/Max 14"/16" configuration fps test results?)
Lets share some tests with numbers, in real-world Video/Photo/Graphics/ Design software usage
Would love to see!
--and in the meantime help out those who are still deciding if the 24-core configuration option is the way to go?
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