I've just been through this same decision making process as my 2011 MacBook Pro just can't cope with video editing, particularly as I am doing more greens screen stuff lately.
So I looked at these options in depth:
1. Buy a refurb top of the range MacBook Pro - approx £1800
2. Buy a refurb top of the range iMac - approx £1700, then upgrade the RAM later
3. Buy a serious Hackintosh from a UK PC builder - approx £1100
4. Buy a refurb Dell M3800 laptop workstation with QHD screen, with Win8 or Win7 - approx £1300
5. Buy a high power Dell desktop on special with Win 8 or Win 7- £1100
Although I love the MBP, I just could not invest so much in a machine that could not be upgraded in the future and may need to be replaced if we move to RAW or 4K
We don't need another screen so it seemed crazy buying an iMac. Also worked about it being near end of life and cannot upgrade the video card so poor future upgrade and project capability potential.
Seriously considered a Hackintosh and found a keen local PC builder, but this machine is business critical and we cannot afford time and effort in sorting out future compatibility issues. Time = money so the Hackintosh is a risk not worth taking.
Dell m3800 is a great laptop, but screen resolution issues with Adobe products and lack of future upgradeability deterred me. Also I think a desktop is a better platform for editing than a laptop.
So I decided on a high spec Dell desktop which cost £1100 incl VAT & Delivery with these specs:
i7-4790 processor
32Gb RAM
256 Gb SSD
3 TB HDD
AMD R9 270 2Gb RAM
Win 8.1
I like Apple products and use FCP X so this was a difficult decision as it will mean transitioning to Premiere CC, but we now have an editing platform that is scaleable and future proof for 4K and RAW, even if we have to upgrade the graphics card in a year or two.
The only problem is not having Thunderbolt connectivity, which I am thinking about.
Chris
