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Hardware Review
Review and Benchmarks: Apple 13-Inch MacBook
7/9/2007
These tests are using Final Cut Studio 1. I have not tested Final Cut Studio 2 yet and do not know whether it will run on a MacBook.
We'll start it off with Final Cut Pro 5.1, in which the third-generation MacBook outperformed generation 1 MacBooks and MacBook Pros, as well as the dual-processor G5 it was tested against. Note that I could not conduct test 3 on the MacBook owing to footage that went missing just prior to this benchmark project. I include it here just for continuity, assuming I'll be able to relocate it for next time around.
- The first test used a project with DVCPro HD 720p60 clips in a sequence. The first clip had a Color Corrector 3-Way applied to it. The second had a Curl effect applied to it. The sequence also used a Swing transition.
- The second test also used two DVCPro 720p60 clips. The first clip used Pond Ripple, and Lens Flare effects. The second used Gaussian Blur, Fisheye, and Color Balance filters. There was also a Ripple Dissolve transition applied between the clips.
- The third test used seven 720p HD clips spread across three video tracks and included Page Peel, Center Split Side, Channel Map, and Ripple Dissolve transitions. Filters used in various parts of this project included Color Key, Luma Key, Pond Ripple, Lens Flare, Gaussian Blur, Fisheye, and Color Balance.
- The fourth test rendered D1 footage and used Wind Blur, Color Offset, and Unsharp Mask filters.
Apple's Motion 2.1 tests came out a bit different. Motion relies heavily on OpenGL, which is not one of the strong points of the 13-inch MacBook line. You don't see a whole lot of improvement between the generation 1 MacBook and the Generation 3 MacBook, since they use the same graphics processing engine. It was beaten by the first-generation MacBook Pro, which does have excellent graphics capabilities; but it did beat the older AGP-based G5 desktop.
- Test 1 was purely a test of rendering particle effects in an NTSC DV project. Particle systems included Cloud Transport, Clockwork, Heavy Sparks, Spiral, and Star Tunnel.
- Test 2 used six particle systems in a DVCPro 720p-format project. Particle systems included Magic Dust, Meta Wash, Smoke Cloud, Shell, Rocket, and Spiral.
- Test 3 rendered a variety of effects--Radial Blur, Bevel, Refraction, Echo, and Fun House--over multiple layers and clips in a D1-resolution project.
- Test 4 rendered multiple layers of video, text, shapes, and replicators with behaviors and effects in a D1 project. Behaviors included Randomize, Grunge 4, Spring, Wind, and Sequence Replicator. Effects included Echo, Fun House, Black Hole, Refraction and Radial Blur.
3D Performance
In the category of 3D, we turned to three high-end applications that have made the transition to Intel Mac-native status. We begin with Maxon's Cinema 4D, which we've tested using Cinebench. Now, Cinebench is constantly under development to fine-tune performance for the latest systems out there, so results can vary. If you want to compare other systems using the latest version of Cinebench, you can download it from the Cinebench site.
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