Budget tier (PKR 200,000–280,000)
Used MacBook Air M2 16/512GB or used MacBook Pro 13" M2 16/512GB.
Realistic capability: 1080p editing in Final Cut or DaVinci Resolve. Light 4K editing (proxy workflow). YouTube content, Instagram reels, basic colour grading.
Won't handle: native 4K timeline at full quality, more than 2–3 simultaneous tracks, heavy effects/transitions.
Freelance tier (PKR 380,000–550,000)
Used MacBook Pro 14" M1 Pro (A2442) or MacBook Pro 14" M2 Pro. 16GB RAM minimum, 32GB preferred. 512GB+ storage.
Realistic capability: full 4K editing, ProRes timelines, multi-cam, colour grading, motion graphics in After Effects. The 'I make a living from this' tier.
Pro/studio tier (PKR 700,000+)
New or near-new MacBook Pro 14"/16" M3 Pro Max or M4 Pro/Max. 32–96GB unified memory. 1TB–4TB SSD.
Realistic capability: 8K timelines, ProRes RAW, professional colour grading in Resolve, 3D in Cinema 4D, complex VFX pipelines. The 'agency/studio' tier.
RAM strategy for video editors
8GB: only for proxy workflows on 1080p. 16GB: native 1080p, proxy 4K. 32GB: native 4K Pro Res. 64GB+: 8K, RAW workflows, simultaneous timeline + grading.
Unlike Intel Macs, Apple Silicon unified memory means CPU+GPU share RAM. Video editing is GPU-heavy in 2026 — RAM headroom matters more than ever.
Storage strategy
512GB is bare minimum (macOS + apps = 100GB+, project files need room). 1TB sweet spot for most freelancers. 2TB+ if you keep historical projects on internal SSD.
External Thunderbolt 3/4 SSDs are critical — internal storage fills fast in video work. Budget PKR 25,000–40,000 for a 1TB Samsung T7/T9 external.