Macbook Pro 13 mid 2019

[CoolGrey32]

Hi i'm saving up on a new macbook pro 13 inch laptop.  I was wondering if that computer alone is ok to edit videos on Premiere Pro? I know that raising the memory from 6 to 16 would give me a much better performance. Since I'm on a tight budget I have no choice but to get the cheapest macbook pro that's out right now. Currently I have a mid 2013 macbook air. I only use Imovie to edit videos on that computer.

[Warren Heaton]

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is a good choice.  Defiantly get the 16GB model with the highest processor speed and most storage that fits your budget.  When it comes to internal storage, I find that less than 512GB is really challenging to work with.  So, go for the 16GB/512GB or better (the 16GB/1TB would be ideal and if you find a money tree in full bloom the 16GB/2TB would be awesome).  Of course, high internal storage really drives the price up.  The best deals that I've seen on the MacBook Pro are Costco and B&H Photo Video.  Apple often has a good stock of refurbished MacBook Pros at their online store, so that's another way to save a bit.

[jasontcox]

To piggy back on Warren here, I have 2 thoughts. One is the answer to this sort of question "is my computer powerful enough?" is  ALWAYS "it depends." Depends on what? Depends on the  complexity and size of the projects you intend to make with Premiere. Are you making home videos? Music videos? Corporate videos? Films for an indie film festival? Hollywood level films? Are you shooting on an iPhone, a high-end 4K DSLR, or an Alexa mini? There are a thousand little variables. So the only  answer to your question is "maybe." lol.

2. Warren is absolutely right that no one should use Premiere with less than 16 GB of RAM unless you are working on the simplest of projects and don't  run any other programs while using it. As for the hard drive, my only additional thought is, you don't HAVE to go big or go home. Id actually save the money on the drive (go for 256, maybe 512  if you have the money) but instead of paying extra for 1TB, get yourself a decent external drive for your media to live on. You get performance out of Premiere when you media lives on a separate drive. Get something like a Samsung T5. Works great for most media and is small and affordable for an SSD!

[CoolGrey32]

thanks