First Time MacBook Buyer Looking For Specs Advice!

[Entrt4inment]

Hey Guys!

It's my first time buying a Macbook and I have to say I've been won over with the 2016 Macbook Pro lineup. I'm looking for some advice on which Macbook to go for.

So I'm gonna be using this for editing videos (YouTube), GFX Designing, coding and general use. I'm fixed on getting one with a TouchBar but I'm more curious about the specs I should be looking at. I'll be doing a lot of multi-tasking with this, but I think 8GB should be fine because my custom built PC does just fine and it's at 1600MHz rather than 2166, which I believe is the speed for the Macbooks. I'm primarily going to be using FCPX for video production and that's my main concern as far as performance goes. I want fast render times and (preferably) absolutely no lag/stuttering when working in the software.

Would a Duo Core i5 be fine?
Is Intel Iris Graphics enough or would I need a dedicated GPU?
Are there any other concerns I should have?

I believe the 13" model only has an i5 so I guess I'd need to go 15" if the above questions are answered with a "no". That's fine, but I'd prefer to keep the price low as I'm a student.

Thanks so much for reading and helping me, I really appreciate it!

 

[kenrivers]

Personally I wouldn't go with anything less than a 15" model for video editing. I have a 15" late 2011 MacBook Pro and I am glad I didn't go with a 13" model because when I have Premiere Pro open I wouldn't be satisfied with anything smaller. If you can afford a 16GB model then I would go with that as well especially if you are editing HD video or ever plan to edit 4K video. A dedicated GPU, in my opinion, would be better for video editing that the Intel Iris Graphics.

 

[grimakis]

Keep these things in mind.

-You want a Quad Core
-RAM is soldered on, so you need to buy as much as you'll need for the life of the machine, upfront
-SSD is soldered on, so you need to buy as much as you'll need for the life of the machine, upfront

Buying a decent MacBook Pro 15" in 2016 is a $2800 endeavor, and not for the feint of heart.