M4 MacBook Pro Final Cut Test vs MacBook Air
A lot of you asked how Final Cut Pro performs on the new base M4 MacBook Pro, so I compared it with the M3 MacBook Air.
- M3 MacBook Air: 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16 GB of memory, 512 GB SSD.
- M4 MacBook Pro: 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16 GB, 512 GB SSD.
The internal drives are a little small for multiple projects, so both ran from external SSDs at about 2,400–2,500 MB/s (USB4 NVMe on the Pro, Thunderbolt 3 on the Air).
To make it fair, I used File → Delete Generated Library Files to clear all cached renders, and set playback to Better Quality to tax the machines as much as possible.
Test 1: a 9½-minute multicam video
My Apple silicone vs FineWoven video from about a year ago: mostly a multicam with color adjustments on each angle, plus a few B-roll clips and zoom effects.
- Playback: no issues on either. During the zooms, the GPU worked hard, actually harder on the Pro for some reason. CPU use stayed low because the HEVC files are handled by the media engine.
- Scrubbing: random scrubbing and pressing play started instantly on both, with no delay.
- Export (HEVC 10-bit, 4K): the Pro finished in 3 minutes 30 seconds, and the Air took about 25 seconds longer.
Test 2: a heavier 23-minute video
More layers, more effects and more multicam angles, all 4K HEVC from Sony cameras.
- Playback and scrubbing: still no performance issues on either.
- Export: the GPU was pegged much more of the time. The Pro finished in 10 minutes 40 seconds and the Air in 14 minutes 41 seconds, about 40% slower.
On the shorter video, the Air was only about 10% slower, so on the longer export it was most likely thermal throttling. Even so, it still played and scrubbed just fine while hot.
Geekbench 6
The M4 MacBook Pro was about 25% faster in single- and multi-core and about 17% faster in the Metal GPU test.
Verdict
Both perform well for everyday video editing, so if you’re getting started with video, you have options. The Pro pulls ahead on longer exports, where the fanless Air throttles. There’s much more to consider between these two, and I’m doing a full comparison next.
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