MacBook Pro M4 is the best laptop for content creators, period. 24GB unified memory base, Thunderbolt 5 for insanely fast external storage, a Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 22 hours of battery. I edit 4K video, run multiple apps, and it doesn't even break a sweat.
M4 Chip — More Power, More Efficiency
The M4 chip in the base model gives you a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Step up to M4 Pro or M4 Max and you're looking at up to 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU with hardware ray tracing. This is desktop-class performance in a laptop.
24GB of unified memory comes standard now — finally! No more paying $200 to upgrade from 8GB. For video editing, photo work, and running multiple creative apps, 24GB is the sweet spot.
Thunderbolt 5 Is a big deal
The M4 Pro and Max models get Thunderbolt 5 ports — that's up to 120 Gbps of bandwidth. For creators working with external SSDs and RAID arrays, this is massive. Transferring huge video files? Insanely fast. Running external displays? No problem — supports up to two 6K displays or one 8K display.
Even the base M4 model has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI 2.1, MagSafe, and an SD card slot. All the ports you actually need.
That Display
Liquid Retina XDR with 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness. It's the same panel technology as the Pro Display XDR monitor. Colors are accurate, contrast is incredible with the mini-LED backlighting, and ProMotion 120Hz makes everything smooth.
Available in 14-inch and 16-inch. I use the 16 for serious editing work and the 14 for travel.
22 Hours of Battery
Apple claims up to 22 hours of video playback on the 16-inch model. In my real-world use doing a mix of web browsing, writing, and light editing, I consistently get 14-16 hours. That's an entire work day without touching a charger.
The efficiency of Apple Silicon is still mind-blowing. No fan noise during normal use, barely warm to the touch, and battery life that destroys every Windows laptop I've used.
Who Should Buy This
Any creator who needs power and portability. Video editors, photographers, musicians, developers — this is the laptop. Starting at $1,599 for the 14-inch M4 with 24GB RAM, it's actually reasonable for what you get.
If you need maximum power, the M4 Max configuration goes up to 128GB unified memory and that 40-core GPU. It's a portable workstation.
What I Love
- 24GB RAM standard finally
- Thunderbolt 5 on Pro/Max models
- 22-hour battery life is real
- Liquid Retina XDR display is stunning
- Fanless operation during normal use
What Could Be Better
- Still no touchscreen
- Base model only has 3 Thunderbolt 4 (no TB5)
- M4 Max configs get very expensive