MacPro replacement for a FCPX Video Editor ?

[soamz]

Hi, Im already using the top config MacBook Pro, but it really struggles and takes a lot of time to render 4K and 8K sequences.

So, I need to build a hackintosh of some serious config close to MacPro.

Can someone confirm if this is good to go for FCPX best performance or shall I look for Intel I9 9900 ?

Also, this will be my first ever experience or build with hackintosh, and I cannot afford to have errors or issues or bugs, once I do the components purchase. So, Im also looking for some paid hackintosh consultants, so if I run into some bug or issue, I can get in touch.

Let me know if this config works amazing or not ?

Is it close to a MacPro ?



I have shortlisted this components list :

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Asrock X570 Creator motherboard

Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB

G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 PC4-28800 3600MHz 16GBx4

Corsair Force MP600 2TB M.2 NVMe x 2

Corsair HX Series, HX1000, 1000 Watt

Corsair Crystal Series 680X RGB ATX High Airflow Tempered Glass Smart Case

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

First of all, that components list is excellent. Genuinely, you'll be seriously happy with the performance you'll get from that system.

I've done an AMD hackintosh and here's the deal: It will work. macOS will boot without any real hassle and you'll be able to get a system that works pretty damn well quite easily. In my case at least I even found I was getting better Cinebench and Geekbench scores under macOS than Windows which is just hilarious to me (Ryzen 9 3900X).

With that said, do be aware of the compatibility issues that exist with macOS with AMD. Or rather, macOS itself will work perfectly, but it gets a bit more problematic when you're dealing with third party software.

In my testing, the following software did not work:

• VMware crashes when starting a virtual machine, unless you use version 10 or older
• Parallels causes the entire system to crash when starting a virtual machine
• Pro Tools 2019.5 crashes on launch, supposedly fixed in 2019.12 but I haven't tested
• Cubase crashes when opening control room. Fixed by removing the surroundpanner.vst3 plugin
• Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, won't work without modifications. I haven't tested though.
• REAPER crashes on launch, however the developer has provided a special version that does work on AMD hackintoshes.

You get the idea. That said, the Apple software (i.e. FCPX, Logic Pro X) worked flawlessly in my testing, and in fact with fewer issues than I remember experiencing on my previous i7-4790k build. And honestly, with all of those apps aside, the vast, vast majority of software I used worked absolutely flawlessly, but I don't feel comfortable recommending an AMD hackintosh without pointing out those caveats first.

My honest advice would be to seriously consider Windows - it's genuinely not as bad as people remember it being, especially if you're using the system for professional work. But if you don't mind investing some time, a hackintosh is a pretty decent way to go.

As for AMD or Intel, if your plan is to use this as a primary work machine (and you're dead-set on macOS) unfortunately (and it truly pains me to say this) I'd have to lean towards Intel. If, on the other hand, your priority is performance and you don't mind using Windows, or putting up with some software incompatibilities on macOS, then AMD is a ridiculously good choice right now. Intel simply cannot compete right now.

The only thing I would say is that if you seriously cannot afford to have issues or bugs, and again, you're only willing to consider macOS, is that I'd seriously consider just getting a Mac. Yes, you're going to get absolutely ripped off on the component prices, but the reality is that your time has value and if you want a system that's going to just work then it might not be such a bad idea.

 

[soamz]

Hi, thank you for your detailed reply.
My only usage is Apple Final Cut Pro X and Photoshop/Lightroom.
Nothing else actually.

For everything else, I use my MacBook Pro 15 inch, which is great already for my work.


I just need to build something super powerful which can make my FCPX experience 10 fold better than MacBook pro 2017 top config. Thats why I want to build.
[automerge]1588141299[/automerge]
And since you have done it, I would like to know what you recommend, AMD or INTEL way for bug-free experience ?
I dont want to spends hours online looking for bug fixes, etc once I buy the components.
So, I would like to know people who have actually gone ahead and do it.

So whatever you suggest, I can get it.
Price is not a problem, its going to be my work computer, so I can earn it back.

Here are the AMD and INTEL options for me, which one would you prefer if the only work is FCPX/Lightroom/Photoshop ?

AMD BUILD :
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Asrock X570 Creator motherboard
Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB
G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 PC4-28800 3600MHz 16GBx4
Corsair Force MP600 2TB M.2 NVMe
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB M.2 NVMe



INTEL BUILD :
Intel i9-9900k Processor
GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Motherboard
ASRock Phantom Gaming X Radeon VII 16GB
HyperX Predator Black 32GB kit 3600MHz DDR4 x 2
Samsung 860 EVO PRO SSD 2TB x 2

 

[grmlin]

I don’t know if I would want to mess around with a hackintosh for my work machine. You never really know what happens with the next update.

I know nothing about Final Cut Pro, but what does it profit the most from? Maybe an eGPU is an option? Or an iMac?

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

Fully agree with grmlin - if you want a bug free experience either accept you'll be using Windows and switching NLEs or buy a real Mac. Hackintoshes are great and they're much, much easier to get going than they were in the past, but they're hardly a turnkey solution.

Price is not a problem, its going to be my work computer, so I can earn it back.

Here are the AMD and INTEL options for me, which one would you prefer if the only work is FCPX/Lightroom/Photoshop ?

If price is not a problem honestly just buy a Mac. That said, personally I'd go for the AMD system *but* if you are dead-set on macOS and you want to use Lightroom or Photoshop you probably don't want an AMD hackintosh as Photoshop / Lightroom won't work without modifications.

 

[PhoenixDown]

Off topic but this got me wondering, .... are there are any cloud computing resources that can effectively process the CPU/GPU intensive processes one would use a Mac Pro for?

 

[handheldgames]

Hi, thank you for your detailed reply.
My only usage is Apple Final Cut Pro X and Photoshop/Lightroom.
Nothing else actually.

For everything else, I use my MacBook Pro 15 inch, which is great already for my work.


I just need to build something super powerful which can make my FCPX experience 10 fold better than MacBook pro 2017 top config. Thats why I want to build.
[automerge]1588141299[/automerge]
And since you have done it, I would like to know what you recommend, AMD or INTEL way for bug-free experience ?
I dont want to spends hours online looking for bug fixes, etc once I buy the components.
So, I would like to know people who have actually gone ahead and do it.

So whatever you suggest, I can get it.
Price is not a problem, its going to be my work computer, so I can earn it back.

Here are the AMD and INTEL options for me, which one would you prefer if the only work is FCPX/Lightroom/Photoshop ?

AMD BUILD :
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Asrock X570 Creator motherboard
Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB
G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 PC4-28800 3600MHz 16GBx4
Corsair Force MP600 2TB M.2 NVMe
Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB M.2 NVMe



INTEL BUILD :
Intel i9-9900k Processor
GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Motherboard
ASRock Phantom Gaming X Radeon VII 16GB
HyperX Predator Black 32GB kit 3600MHz DDR4 x 2
Samsung 860 EVO PRO SSD 2TB x 2

Go for your AMD option. You won't be sorry. Intel has had TOO many security flaws that keep on slowing down their CPU's. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend $$$ for a specific level of performance only for intel to make a microcode update that slows the whole system down.
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[grmlin]

Go for your AMD option. You won't be sorry. Intel has had TOO many security flaws that keep on slowing down their CPU's. The last thing I wanted to do was to spend $$$ for a specific level of performance only for intel to make a microcode update that slows the whole system down.
[automerge]1588209778[/automerge]

I thought Adobe products don't run on AMD Hackintoshs? Or is this fixed these days?

 

[handheldgames]

I thought Adobe products don't run on AMD Hackintoshs? Or is this fixed these days?

The original post never mentioned Adobe. Personally, I haven't had to use their products in years. I like the option of owning my software - not renting it.

 

[soamz]

For photoshop and lightroom, I can use my MacBook pro.
I just need a powerful machine solely for FINAL CUT PRO X.

But I read somewhere, intel i9 9900 works better than ryzen 3950x when it comes to single core process type like FCPX ?
Is it true ?

 

[soamz]

I have shortlisted the INTEL BUILD. Is it good ?

Intel i9-9900k Processor
GIGABYTE Z390 DESIGNARE Motherboard
ASRock Phantom Gaming X Radeon VII 16GB GPU
G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB (16GBx4) DDR4 3200MHz
Corsair Force MP600 2TB M.2 NVMe for OSX
Samsung 860 EVO PRO SSD 2TB for Windows
NZXT H510 Elite (Matte Black)
NZXT AER RGB Fans - Set of 2
NZXT Kraken X63 280MM LIQUID COOLER
NZXT E850 Fully Modular 850 Watts Power Supply with Digital Monitoring Feature
NZXT HUE 2 Ambient V2 RGB Kit for 32 inch Monitor
Fenvi T919 for macOS PC PCI WiFi Card (for Bluetooth and WiFi)

 

[iMi]

Hi, Im already using the top config MacBook Pro, but it really struggles and takes a lot of time to render 4K and 8K sequences.

So, I need to build a hackintosh of some serious config close to MacPro.

Can someone confirm if this is good to go for FCPX best performance or shall I look for Intel I9 9900 ?

Also, this will be my first ever experience or build with hackintosh, and I cannot afford to have errors or issues or bugs, once I do the components purchase. So, Im also looking for some paid hackintosh consultants, so if I run into some bug or issue, I can get in touch.

Let me know if this config works amazing or not ?

Is it close to a MacPro ?



I have shortlisted this components list :

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

Asrock X570 Creator motherboard

Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 64 8GB

G.Skill TridentZ RGB Series DDR4 PC4-28800 3600MHz 16GBx4

Corsair Force MP600 2TB M.2 NVMe x 2

Corsair HX Series, HX1000, 1000 Watt

Corsair Crystal Series 680X RGB ATX High Airflow Tempered Glass Smart Case

I realize you have to work with Readeon to make a hackintosh but I’ve had nothing but trouble with AMD’s GPUs.
[automerge]1588372138[/automerge]

For photoshop and lightroom, I can use my MacBook pro.
I just need a powerful machine solely for FINAL CUT PRO X.

But I read somewhere, intel i9 9900 works better than ryzen 3950x when it comes to single core process type like FCPX ?
Is it true ?

Yes, this is true. About 10% better performance on single core. On multicore, Ryzen destroys Intel with 40% plus better results.
[automerge]1588372290[/automerge]

The original post never mentioned Adobe. Personally, I haven't had to use their products in years. I like the option of owning my software - not renting it.

So agree!

I strongly recommend Serif. Bought all three programs for my Mac AND for my PC. Brilliant stuff and cheap!

 

[JoelTheSuperior]

But I read somewhere, intel i9 9900 works better than ryzen 3950x when it comes to single core process type like FCPX ?
Is it true ?

You're not going to find many benchmarks for FCP on Intel versus AMD, but most NLEs perform significantly better on AMD CPUs, with the exception of where they expect to be able to use QuickSync. FCP *does* use QuickSync, but if you use a compatible AMD GPU it's not a problem.