New Mac mini or

[Omega Man17]

I need a new Apple Computer. I want to use my external monitor, so it could be a small laptop or a mini. My minimum specs are and I 5 processor 2.6 GHz, upgradable to 16 gigabytes of RAM. It needs to be able to run Final Cut Pro. I'm asking the question under this forum, because I am uncertain how well the integrated graphics of the Mini would perform. How expensive would an acceptable external graphics card be? Thanks in advance for your consideration.

 

[crsh1976]

I'd honestly forget the external GPU option, it's too expensive for dubious gains - if the mini isn't an option without a discreet GPU, a nice rMBP with GeForce card might be the better option.

 

[blanka]

For Final Cut you mostly want a quad i7. This is an expensive option in all line-ups, except with the Mini.
Quad 2.3/2.6 can't be beaten price/performance wise. Bonus: the Mini allows dual-SSD's for 1GB/s read write, only available in the MacProGarbageBin. Fast disk is also a big plus for FCP.

 

[ckeck]

For Final Cut you mostly want a quad i7. This is an expensive option in all line-ups, except with the Mini.
Quad 2.3/2.6 can't be beaten price/performance wise. Bonus: the Mini allows dual-SSD's for 1GB/s read write, only available in the MacProGarbageBin. Fast disk is also a big plus for FCP.

The vast majority of folks running FCP(x) don't need a quad-core, let alone and recent gen processor. You can do everything you need on a dual-core unless you're worried about shaving seconds or minutes off some render times.

If this is your profession, sure. If you're editing the family video here and there or your GoPro footage from your weekend hike/mountain biking excursion, you can do that on a 3+ year old Mac just fine, so don't let that rule out a Mini.

I'm all for "more power", but this "i7 is a must" or "quad-core" is a MUST for something just because someone dropped FCP or Premiere is getting really old.

 

[VirtualRain]

The vast majority of folks running FCP(x) don't need a quad-core, let alone and recent gen processor. You can do everything you need on a dual-core unless you're worried about shaving seconds or minutes off some render times.

If this is your profession, sure. If you're editing the family video here and there or your GoPro footage from your weekend hike/mountain biking excursion, you can do that on a 3+ year old Mac just fine, so don't let that rule out a Mini.

I'm all for "more power", but this "i7 is a must" or "quad-core" is a MUST for something just because someone dropped FCP or Premiere is getting really old.

So true. Anyone with an iPhone 5 can easily edit HD video... So never mind a 3-year old Mac... You can do it with a 2-year old phone.