I think a very real challenge of purchasing a Mac these days is that there are too many good choices.
If render time isn't important, I'd take a look at the following:
Apple M4 Pro chip with 14‑core CPU, 20‑core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
64GB unified memory
2TB SSD storage*
Gigabit Ethernet
Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI port, two USB‑C ports, headphone jack
*The internal Flash storage is extremely fast and fast storage media is key to smooth playback of video. If budget allows for it, I'd consider the 4TB SSD storage or 8TB SSD storage options or a high capacity Thunderbolt 5 SSD option. Then use less expensive standard drives for archiving.
The tricky thing about answering the question, "How much RAM do I need?" is that it depends on how you work. The only way to know for sure is to monitor the Memory Pressure as you work - which of course means having a Mac to begin with. Take your best guess and make sure you've purchased your Mac from a retailer that will allow you to return or exchange it.
If this is for work insted of personal projects and the budget is really tight, I'd opt for the Mac Studio M4 Max 64GB or 128GB/2TB or more.
If this is for work there's a good budget, I'd opt for the Mac Studio M3 Ultra 96GB/2TB (or more) or M2 Ultra 64GB or 128GB/2TB or more.
I do have a couple questions for others:
-What do extra video encoders on the m3 ultra actually translate to for editing?
Extra video encoders means faster video encoding, sometimes much faster. I know you're using Blackmagic RAW, but I'd consider shooting ProRes, editing ProRes and finishing ProRes (see What is Smart Rendering?)
-how much will extra ram effect the performance for video editing really and do you actually ever find yourself going above 64 or 96?
While having too little RAM can slow down or even cause a process to fail, having more than enough won’t speed it up. Once your system has sufficient RAM for the task, adding more doesn't improve render times—it's the CPU that does the heavy lifting.
-Does premiere prioritize single core or multi-thread for video editing?
You may mean single core or multicore (not multithreading). Rendering and exporting, video effects and transitions, audio processing, and rendering previews all benefit from having more cores. Timeline playback, project load times, and UI interactions are less dependant on multicore.
-is there a significant difference in cpu and gpu that are actually utilized in the editing software?
This is probably best answered by setting the Premiere Pro Mercury Playback Engine to Software Only for a little while; however, with Apple Silicon based computers, Apple Metal is always enabled. Switching to software only requires a an Intel based (Mac or Windows) or AMD based system.
-which do you feel will sell better when apple decides to give us the computer we were really hoping for.
I'd say that, for the most part, Apple has a history of providing the computer we didn't even know we wanted. Not always, but frequently. The Quadra840AV? Check. The PowerPC 8100? Check. The Power Computer PowerTower Pro? Check! I know, not Apple, but an Apple clone that exceeded what we could have ever wanted in an Apple tower. The Beige G3? A bit of a miss with only 3 PCI slots, but the way it rolled open made is easier to work inside of than any other tower. Also, the Biege G3 was the start of having the CPU on a user-upgradeable daugher card allowing the Beige G3 to become a G4. The Titanium PowerBook? Double-check. The G3 tower? Check. The G4 tower? Check. The 17-inch MacBook Pro G4? Double-check. The G5 Mac Pro? Check. The Intel-based Mac Pro? Check. 2013 Mac Pro? Despite it's lack of upgrade options for a "tower", an excellent workstation for graphic design, video editing, and motion design. The 27-inch iMac Retina? Double-check. The iMac Pro? Tripple-check. The 2019 Mac Pro? Probably what the 2013 Mac Pro should have always been, but check. Apple Silicon? I'm not sure that there's ever been such a capable based model Mac before the introduction of the M1 Mac mini and performance only got better from the M1 Pro, M1 Max to M1 Ultra. All that said, I'm still hoping for a 32-inch iMac Pro XDR M-whaterver Max or M-whatever Ultra.
More reading:
The Professional’s Guide to Buying a Mac with Apple Silicon – March 2025 by Jeff Greenberg, March 10, 2025
I agree with what Jeff recomments, but I'd always opt for a 2TB Macintosh HD intead of a 1TB. Installing After Effects with Cinema 4D Lite, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Media Encoder, Bridge, Illustrator, Audition, and InDesign (the prior major release, the current release, and the public beta of each) as well as other applications like DaVinci Resolve, Topaz Video Ai, 3rd party plugins, and other applications is going to take up drive space. Then there's the scratch disk space that these applications need to work at their most efficient.
Do you happen to have a Costco membership? Costco sells that entry configurations of the Mac mini M4 Pro, Mac Studio M2 Max, Mac Studio M2 Ultra, Mac Studio M3 Max, and Mac Studio M3 Ultra at very competative pricing and 90 days to change your mind. If purchased via Costco Direct, there's a second year warranty (not as good as AppleCare in my opition - I've used it, but a nice way to save some on the purchase and still get the unit repaired if the Touch ID and motherboard happen to show signs of failure).
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