Mac Studio M4 Max for Premiere Pro / FX3 workflow — good long-term config? Studio Display worth it?
Hey everyone,
I’m seriously considering moving from my current Windows laptop setup to a Mac Studio and would love some feedback from people using Premiere Pro / After Effects professionally.
My current machine
HP Omen 17
Intel i7-12700H
RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU 16GB
32GB RAM
1TB SSD
It’s still a powerful machine, but I’m starting to hit limitations with my workflow:
- multiple long Premiere projects open
- heavy FX3 footage (4K 10-bit)
- After Effects + Premiere at the same time
browser + music + external displays
- lots of cache/proxies
- overall RAM pressure
I also use an iPad as a second display (currently with Duet), and I feel like the system starts struggling after long editing sessions.
The Mac Studio config I’m considering
Mac Studio M4 Max
16-core CPU / 40-core GPU
64GB unified memory
1TB SSD
Price is around 3400€.
The goal is:
long-term stability
smooth multitasking
quieter workflow
better memory management
a machine I can comfortably keep for 5-7 years
My questions
1. Does this config make sense for Premiere Pro / FX3 workflows?
Would you change anything?
2. Is the 16-core / 40-core upgrade worth it?
Or should I stay with the base M4 Max and keep the money?
3. Is 64GB enough long term for Adobe workflows?
(Mainly Premiere + After Effects.)
4. Studio Display vs alternatives?
I LOVE the Apple aesthetic and ecosystem, but I’m wondering if the Studio Display is actually worth the price for editing/color work.
I’m looking for:
clean minimal design
excellent macOS integration
good color accuracy for Rec709 work
comfortable long editing sessions
Currently considering:
Apple Studio Display
BenQ PD3225U
Dell UltraSharp U3225QE
Would love real-world feedback from editors using these.
Thanks!