Sunset on Intel Macs?

[Adam Mendelson]

All,

I was deciding about updating to Mac OS Tahoe and so went to look at some reviews.  I found this note https://www.macworld.com/article/2808358/if-you-own-an-intel-mac-you-have-12-months-to-upgrade-to-a-new-model.html

If that is the case that intel macs will not be able to update to future MacOS versions, will Qlab still be able to operate on them?  Do you have a sense of when Qlab might only work on non-Intel Macs?  Or on what version of Qlab?  

We have a pair of 2019 Mac Pros that run sound and video in our spaces, but they were a big purchase and we need a long ramp up to replacement.  Certainly by 2027 will be a challenge

Thanks,
Adam

[Sam Kusnetz]

Hi Adam

Any release of QLab that currently works on Intel will continue to work on Intel unless something unforeseen happens. If you have a system that’s stable right now, consider “freezing” that system in its current state.

Future releases of QLab 5 are very likely to continue to work on Intel hardware, but it’s difficult to know how our hands may be forced by Apple in the future. For example, there is an internal component of QLab that’s based on an Apple technology that’s officially “deprecated,” meaning Apple intends to remove it from a future version of macOS. It’s possible that we will have to update that internal component if we want QLab 5 to work on current Macs, and this update would break compatibility with older Macs. We really cannot say for sure if that will happen. My personal guess is that it will not happen, and QLab 5 will be able to remain Intel-compatible.

Even if it does happen, though, the last release of QLab 5 before that update would still be available and supported by us, so even then you would not be out of luck.

We do not have even the vaguest release date planned for QLab 6, but historically when we release a new landmark version of QLab, its minimum operating system requirement is the then-current version. So, I think there’s a real chance that QLab 6 will require a future version of macOS that is not compatible with Intel. Since we don’t have firm plans yet, though, I just can’t say for sure.

I know it’s going to be a bummer to update Intel Mac stock, and I don’t want to dismiss that. On the other hand, the cost of a Mac that can outperform the 2019 Intel Mac Pro is surprisingly low. The M4 Mac Mini in its base configuration costs $599 and, amazingly, has higher benchmark scores in both single-core CPU and multi-core CPU than the 2019 Mac Pro.

Best

Sam

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[Adam Mendelson]

Sam,

Thanks for the thoughts.  Glad to hear that it is not imminent from you.  I am interested on your assessment of the Mac Minis and might send you our Mac pro configuration to see how that might affect things. I am mostly concerned for when we run multiple monitors/projectors.  

Thanks,

Adam

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[Sam Kusnetz]

On Sep 30, 2025 at 11:46:11 AM, Adam Mendelson <a...@umbc.edu> wrote:

Thanks for the thoughts.  Glad to hear that it is not imminent from you.  I am interested on your assessment of the Mac Minis and might send you our Mac pro configuration to see how that might affect things. I am mostly concerned for when we run multiple monitors/projectors.  

Hi Adam

It depends on what you mean by “multiple” and what output resolution you need.

The base Mac Mini supports two total native displays at up to 6K resolution and 60 Hz frame rate via Thunderbolt (i.e. with TB-to-HDMI adapters) plus a single 4K/60 display on the HDMI port.

If you need more screens but can go down to FHD resolution, you could drive eight total FHD screens by slicing the two Thunderbolt outputs into quarters using a datapath fx4 or hx4, or a Stageblocks Slice4.

Alternately, you can connect up to three Blackmagic Designs video output devices (one to each of the three Thunderbolt ports) to get more video outputs. If you want to really go wild, you could get a Sonnet Echo Express III Thunderbolt chassis with a Blackmagic Designs DeckLink Quad card and get eight FHD outputs on SDI connections.

So, there’s a lot of possibility there.

Setting display support aside, comparing the amount of raw GPU power is complex. The raw amount of GPU compute in the M4 is definitely less, around 40%, but the M4 has (much) better hardware acceleration for decoding Pro Res video in realtime. So it’s hard to say. The raw GPU power in the M4 Pro is much closer at about 80% of the Mac Pro’s average configuration.

That said, unless you’re doing a ton of live video effects work, I think you’ll find the M4 Mini surprisingly impressive compared to the Mac Pro.

[Andy Dolph]

I'm curious, Sam and others with experience, when would you start to think about specifying the M4 Pro (or Max) over a regular M4?  Both for a QLab machine and an offline workstation for editing, compositing etc...

Thanks!

Andy

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[Sam Kusnetz]

For a workstation, my answer is always. I always prefer to edit on the fastest possible system, and the producers who pay me hourly likely agree!

 

For a QLab system, my answer is whenever the budget permits it. Computing headroom is like home insurance; you don’t care anything about it until you need it. 

 

Best

Sam

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