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neobundy Author

Level 1

4 points

Should 2019 Mac Pro Run Slower on FCPX Than on iMac Pro?

Hello guys,

I've got a 2019 (New) Mac Pro and am considering returning it.

Mac Pro Secs:

CPU: 3.2 GHz 16-Core Intel Xeon W

RAM:192GB RAM

GPU: AMD Radeon Pro Vega II Duo 32 G

SSD: Builtin 8TB

OS: Catalina 10.15.2

I expected it to reasonably faster than the iMac Pro I've been using.

iMac Pro Specs:

CPU: 2.3Ghz 18-Core Intel Xeon W

RAM: 128GB 2666 MHz DDR4

GPU: Radeon Pro Vega 64 16GB

SSD: Builtin 4TB

OS: Catalina 10.15.2

On Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects, to name a few, Mac Pro does beat iMac Pro. But Final Cut Pro X, of all applications, the one Apple claims most optimized for the new Mac Pro, runs way slower on it than on iMac Pro.

I'm dumbfounded.

iMac Pro renders multicam clips 2 to 3 times faster than Mac Pro. How could it be happening?

They both use Xeon processors, so the missing Quick Sync core shouldn't be an issue. Plus, they both use T2 chips that help dealing with h.264 decoding and stuff.

I even tried transcoding every clip in the project to ProRes formats just to be sure. Doesn't make a difference.

Even some non-multicam clips, running buttery smooth on iMac Pro, stutter when played back on Mac Pro.

I've been testing exactly the same project on both machines.

Mac Pro is noticeably slower only on Final Cut Pro X.

FCPX is 10.4.8.

I'm hoping it's software issues on FCPX's part which can be fixed in no time, otherwise I'll have to return the machine.

Cinebench R20, Geenbench 5, and other known benchmark tools all report that the new Mac Pro is superior to my iMac Pro.

FCPX is the only application that shows otherwise.

What could be the cause?

Posted on Jan 10, 2020 12:18 PM

Top-ranking reply

neobundy Author

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Jan 28, 2020 5:43 PM

Catalina 10.15.3 Update solves the problem.

Now FCPX on Mac Pro runs faster than that on iMac Pro even with multi-cam clips/effects.

The ‌macOS Catalina‌ 10.15.3 update improves the stability, reliability and security of your Mac, and is recommended for all users.

This update:

Optimizes gamma handling of low gray levels on Pro Display XDR for SDR workflows when using macOS
Improves multi-stream video editing performance for HEVC and H.264 encoded 4K video on the 16-inch (2019)

I guess the second one also relates to Mac Pro.

Just my guess but... iMac Pro shouldn't run faster than Mac Pro in terms of handling h.264 stuff since they both use Xeon Processors lacking Quick Sync Core. The only reasonable explanation would be: Mac Pro's T2 chip was unable to accelerate h.264 editing.

Anyway, this nagging problem has been solved by Apple's software updates.

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Should 2019 Mac Pro Run Slower on FCPX Than on iMac Pro?

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