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M1 Max - Underwhelming FCPX Video Export Performance (Not a fast as Rene Richie's results)

S

Sunday Ironfoot

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 14, 2011
215
389
I bought a 16" M1 Max (32 GPU cores) and my video export/render times aren't quite living up to what I'm seeing in benchmarks/reviews.

For instance the following is from Rene Richie's review on YouTube:
(note the M1 Max 13-inch is a typo, it's the 16" model). Here he says he's exporting a 4K 18 minute video, and his M1 Max is able to do a H.264 export in 6:39 which is incredible compared to the intel i9 (which uses a 5500M GPU).

Screenshot 2021-11-01 at 12.38.29.png



However, my benchmarks a a bit different. Here I'm exporting a 7 minute 4K/60fps video to H.264. My previous laptop is basically identical to the 2nd column above, and my new M1 Max the 4th column. Benchmarks:

16" intel i9 2.4GHz AMD 5500M = 7:03
16" M1 Max 32 cores = 4:44

Granted it's faster than the intel, but not to the degree as Rene Richie's results above. I have High Power mode enabled. What gives? There's something fishy about Rene Richie's results.

The ProRes exports are insanely quick though, however I'm not in the business of uploading a 100 - 300 GB video file to YouTube :)
 
What is your acquisition format? And what was Rene's? And are you editing using the internal SSD or an external disk? Disk IO may play a factor, as can the compression of the original camera files. Was Rene using optimised material (ie. ProRes?)
 
thepyrate said:
What is your acquisition format? And what was Rene's? And are you editing using the internal SSD or an external disk? Disk IO may play a factor, as can the compression of the original camera files. Was Rene using optimised material (ie. ProRes?)
Click to expand...

Source footage is captured from a GoPro 9 camera and is in H.265 HEVC format (100 Mbps bit rate). Everything is in internal SSD (4TB model). No idea what Rene's source format is, he uses some high-end cameras so maybe is was ProRes?
 
Sunday Ironfoot said:
I bought a 16" M1 Max (32 GPU cores) and my video export/render times aren't quite living up to what I'm seeing in benchmarks/reviews.

For instance the following is from Rene Richie's review on YouTube:
(note the M1 Max 13-inch is a typo, it's the 16" model). Here he says he's exporting a 4K 18 minute video, and his M1 Max is able to do a H.264 export in 6:39 which is incredible compared to the intel i9 (which uses a 5500M GPU).

View attachment 1899503


However, my benchmarks a a bit different. Here I'm exporting a 7 minute 4K/60fps video to H.264. My previous laptop is basically identical to the 2nd column above, and my new M1 Max the 4th column. Benchmarks:

16" intel i9 2.4GHz AMD 5500M = 7:03
16" M1 Max 32 cores = 4:44

Granted it's faster than the intel, but not to the degree as Rene Richie's results above. I have High Power mode enabled. What gives? There's something fishy about Rene Richie's results.

The ProRes exports are insanely quick though, however I'm not in the business of uploading a 100 - 300 GB video file to YouTube :)
Click to expand...
Unless you did what he did, why would your results match his?
 
I got the same issue. Clean installed MacBook Pro 2021 16 M1Max 32Core 2TB Monterey 12.1 with FXPC 10.6.1 takes Years with exporting easy H264. Its almost 1:1 30min footage (no effects) easy work no titles no transactions, and it takes 25min to export. That's insane!
The footage was from my Nikon 610 1080p 30fps exporting to h264 saved on internal SSD.
Same result with footage from iPhone 7 and 12pro max 1080p 30fps

My MacBookPro 15 inch Late 2013 2.3 GHz Smokes my M1X! Its the same library.
The intel late 2013 is 4-5 TIMES FASTER!!!! I'm in contact with Apple but no solution yet. They told me you can't compare 2013 intel with m1max its. Its normal that there are performance differences... he is right but the M1max should smoke the Intel and not the other way around.... its not acceptable for Machine that costs 4.300€
 
Absolutely the same issue. Rending is insanely slow. Handbrake or adobe media encoder. 30+ minutes to render a 7minute file.
 
Sunday Ironfoot said:
Source footage is captured from a GoPro 9 camera and is in H.265 HEVC format (100 Mbps bit rate). Everything is in internal SSD (4TB model). No idea what Rene's source format is, he uses some high-end cameras so maybe is was ProRes?
Click to expand...
He uses "CANON 4K 10-BIT CLOG 2 XF-AVC" (noted in bullets in the video). HEVC -> H264 vs XF-AVC -> H264 is likely a significant factor.
 
Sunday Ironfoot said:
Granted it's faster than the intel, but not to the degree as Rene Richie's results above. I have High Power mode enabled. What gives? There's something fishy about Rene Richie's results.
Click to expand...
The i9 and T2 on the 2019 MBP both have HEVC encoders (through VideoToolbox) so it shouldn't be much different than the M1. Note, through VT, it won't be using the dGPU. It would be using the i9 iGPU or the T2. Your results are what I'd expect.

If your question is how he got such a high number, well. He probably rendered either using the CPU or the GPU and not through VT. Why? IDK, intentional? dumb?
 
I had some disappointing results until I got my M1 Max to actually use the hardware encoders.
Now it's absolutely FLYING!
Check out this guide to get it working. Use Apple Devices Presets for H.264 or HEVC encoding.

Export HEVC from Final Cut Pro with hardware acceleration

Use hardware acceleration to enable fast encoding of HEVC 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR video using Compressor and Final Cut Pro with macOS Big Sur or later.
support.apple.com
If you get the Asitop terminal app you can easily see what's going on under the hood.
 
xcarobx said:
I had some disappointing results until I got my M1 Max to actually use the hardware encoders.
Now it's absolutely FLYING!
Check out this guide to get it working. Use Apple Devices Presets for H.264 or HEVC encoding.

Export HEVC from Final Cut Pro with hardware acceleration

Use hardware acceleration to enable fast encoding of HEVC 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR video using Compressor and Final Cut Pro with macOS Big Sur or later.
support.apple.com
If you get the Asitop terminal app you can easily see what's going on under the hood.
Click to expand...
Your URL is now dead. Not sure why, but here's the content saved on Archive.org:

Export HEVC from Final Cut Pro with hardware acceleration

Use hardware acceleration to enable fast encoding of HEVC 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR video using Compressor and Final Cut Pro with macOS Big Sur or later.
web.archive.org
 
Hi ! I'm kinda in the same situation here. Super disappointed with the export time on FCPX and Logic Pro X.
The M1 (2021) works flawlessly than my previous I9(2019) EXCEPT for the export, which is a huge disappointment... My I9 is faster, even if I use a project on an external SSD Drive on the I9 and and the same project within the internal M1 drive (sorry if this sentence is confusing). Bottom line, with the exact same project, version of FCPX etc, intel is faster!

So I don't know what to do because I was about to sell my I9 but I'm considering keeping it and sending back the M1 waiting for the M2 maybe. Intel already lost half of its price so keeping it would not be a bad decision...

Anyone has experienced this ? Is it normal or is it a hardware (known) problem ?

NO ONE @ apple is able to reply to this.
 
Last edited:
Can you clarify deeper the project your working on?

- what resolutions are the clips?
- how many?
- Are you using plug-ins? Are the plug-ins Apple Silicon optimized
- Are you using ProRes
- what codex are you using
 
hovscorpion12 said:
Can you clarify deeper the project your working on?

- what resolutions are the clips?
- how many?
- Are you using plug-ins? Are the plug-ins Apple Silicon optimized
- Are you using ProRes
- what codex are you using
Click to expand...
I tested it on different projects. It's usually 4-5 (multicam) 4K clips edited on a single clip within the time line, export is in HD H.264 for apple device. Rec709.
No external plugins.
 
Hmm. Out of curiosity, would you be willing to test the below outcome?

Try to set-up your timeline to SDR. 4K or 1080p (your frame rate), Rec.709

When you do this (if your working on HD) then the HDR clips will look “blown out” so then search the effects panel for ‘HDR Tools’, drag the tool to the desired clip and Select HLG to Rec.709 conversion. Export as Apple Devices 4K (for a H.264 version) or use the Master export. This should result in a more speedy export since the HDR encoding has now been reconfigured to SDR.
 
I created my account just to say thanks for reporting this. I wanted to get to a mbp or air, even an iMac if fcp was so well made for the M1 or M2. I hope Apple reads it and knows there are lots of people that research before they buy. I'm watching this thread. I hope it gets fixed because I really wanted the Apple, very nice machine.

Edit:. I've owned several mbp over the years, so I know they can be nice.
 
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