DXO PureRaw in a MacBook Pro M2 (Update: Ended to be a M3!)

[ctitanic]

I'm thinking about getting a MacBook Pro M2 to increase performance in my workflow. Right now I pass all my photos through DXO PureRaw and for example it takes me 30 minutes to process 45 files (24MB). Also if I use Denoise in LrC, it takes 5 minutes to process a 24 MB Cr3.

Does anyone can confirm if I'll see an improvement in performance using DXO PureRaw in my workflow?

 

[RedCobra]

Anecdotally, I just ran DxO Pure Raw (Beta 5) on my MBP M4 Pro chip with 48 GB UM, and it seemed to run a little faster than the same photo on my Wintel i7 with 64GB Ram and an Nvidia 2070 Super which is what I normally use.

What are you running it on now?

 

[ctitanic]

Anecdotally, I just ran DxO Pure Raw (Beta 5) on my MBP M4 Pro chip with 48 GB UM, and it seemed to run a little faster than the same photo on my Wintel i7 with 64GB Ram and an Nvidia 2070 Super which is what I normally use.

What are you running it on now?

A Dell 7200 i7 Tablet: Processor 11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-1185G7 @ 3.00GHz, 1805 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 8 Logical Processor(s). This uses an integrated intel GPU so I know that performance sucks. My question is more like how much gain I'm going to see. I do not want to invest the money unless I know that I'm getting a considerable update in performance.

I know that there are M3 and M4 macbooks but my budget is around $600.

 

[ctitanic]

Well I pulled the trigger for this one.

Refurbished 13-inch MacBook Air Apple M3 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU - Midnight

Originally released March 2024|13.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology;¹|2560-by-1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch|16GB unified memory|256GB SSD²|Touch ID|1080p FaceTime HD camera|Two Thunderbolt/ USB 4 ports

www.apple.com

 

[StevenAunan]

Well I pulled the trigger for this one.

As someone who moved from a Dell laptop (Core i5, 16 GB RAM) to a MacBook Pro M2, I think you will be happy with the migration. I would have replied earlier, but I don't use DXO and can't comment on its performance. I can say you'll probably want an external 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 or 4 storage drive, and maybe a dock (I use the Sonnet Echo 11, $149 at Amazon, and the Echo 5 hub is a bit less expensive).

 

[ctitanic]

As someone who moved from a Dell laptop (Core i5, 16 GB RAM) to a MacBook Pro M2, I think you will be happy with the migration. I would have replied earlier, but I don't use DXO and can't comment on its performance. I can say you'll probably want an external 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 or 4 storage drive, and maybe a dock (I use the Sonnet Echo 11, $149 at Amazon, and the Echo 5 hub is a bit less expensive).

Thanks!

 

[ctitanic]

Ok, answering my question for future inquires, DXO PureRaw 3 is capable of processing 10 pictures in 2 minutes running in a M3 Macbook Air with 16 Gb of RAM. An Intel i7 in a PC with 16 GB of RAM was processing those 10 pictures in about 6.6 minutes.

In that same PC, a 24 Mb CR3 file was processed by LrC Denoise in 5 minutes, In the M3 Macbook Air it takes 50 seconds.

 

[ctitanic]

Well I pulled the trigger for this one.

Refurbished 13-inch MacBook Air Apple M3 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU - Midnight

Originally released March 2024|13.6-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology;¹|2560-by-1664 native resolution at 224 pixels per inch|16GB unified memory|256GB SSD²|Touch ID|1080p FaceTime HD camera|Two Thunderbolt/ USB 4 ports

www.apple.com

It seems that it was a good deal because it's Out of Stock now!

 

[Only RF]

When you get it let us know how it goes.

 

[ctitanic]

When you get it let us know how it goes.

Post in thread 'DXO PureRaw in a MacBook Pro M2 (Update: Ended to be a M3!)'

Mar 19, 2025

Ok, answering my question for future inquires, DXO PureRaw 3 is capable of processing 10 pictures in 2 minutes running in a M3 Macbook Air with 16 Gb of RAM. An Intel i7 in a PC with 16 GB of RAM was processing those 10 pictures in about 6.6 minutes.

In that same PC, a 24 Mb CR3 file was processed by LrC Denoise in 5 minutes, In the M3 Macbook Air it takes 50 seconds.

• ctitanic

• 

I got it and posted some numbers already, see above and below.

My M3 MacBook Air Experience

Everything about photography, cameras, and more...

clickfanatic.blogspot.com

I’ve been a Windows user all my life. I owned and used the first three generations of Microsoft Surface and have relied on Windows laptops since 1994, starting with a Radio Shack Tandy. Since then, my personal computer has always been a laptop.

That said, the M3 MacBook Air blew my mind, and I can only imagine how powerful the M4 MacBook Pro would be.

For work (the job that pays the bills), I still use a Windows laptop because many of the tools I rely on are Windows-based. While these applications can run on a VM in macOS (many of my colleagues do this), cost is always a factor. Migrating my entire workflow to macOS isn’t feasible right now. However, the performance I’m getting from this M3 MacBook Air is incredible—achieving the same level of performance in a Windows laptop would cost $2,000 or more, while I only paid $750 (before taxes) for this MacBook!

I’ve tested Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Photoshop, Topaz Photo AI, and DXO PureRaw 3—all of them run smoothly on this MacBook.

I highly recommend getting 16GB of RAM or more if you can afford the extra $200 for 24GB of RAM. The difference between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro mainly comes down to cooling. The MacBook Air is fanless, while the MacBook Pro has active cooling. In theory, if the Air reaches a certain temperature, it will start throttling, whereas the Pro’s fans will kick in to maintain peak performance.

That said, in all my testing, throttling has not been an issue, and the MacBook Air has only ever felt warm, never hot. Of course, I’m not a videographer, and video editing is more GPU-intensive. But for occasional short video edits, the MacBook Air handles everything without a problem.

One interesting observation:

When watching YouTube 4K videos for hours, my MacBook Air stays as cool as my iPad.
On my Windows laptop and iPad, YouTube defaults to 1080p as the optimal resolution.
On the MacBook Air, YouTube automatically selects 4K!

If you’re considering a MacBook, do not hesitate to buy a refurbished model from Apple (https://www.apple.com/shop/refurbished/mac). If I didn’t tell you mine was refurbished, you’d never know. It arrived in a sealed, original box, packed just like a brand-new device. More importantly, it comes with a 1-year warranty—just like a new MacBook!

 

[ctitanic]

When you get it let us know how it goes.

1000s thanks for your help! Believe it or not, you were key in my final decision.

 

[Only RF]

1000s thanks for your help! Believe it or not, you were key in my final decision.

Whew. Glad I got something right

 

[Only RF]

I’m hoping with the Adobe mid year release in April we get non descriptive Denoise AI and/or the Neural Engine activated. When Adobe activated it for that short while my 2020 MacBook Air , M1, 16GB dropped from 85 seconds to 25. Currently my 2024 Air, M3, 24GB takes 43 seconds. I hope to cut that by 70% when the NE is activated. I’m starting to get a little excited for April.

One fellow at the Lightroom Queens site has decked out 64GB Mac Studio. He gets Denoise AI in 8 seconds. He won’t see a big gain when Adobe activates the NE.

 

[ctitanic]

Is not Adobe's non-destructive AI denoise already available in LrC?

 

[Only RF]

Is not Adobe's non-destructive AI denoise already available in LrC?

Nope. It still results in DNG. ACR remains a RAW file after using it.

 

[ctitanic]

Nope. It still results in DNG. ACR remains a RAW file after using it.

I see. Well, if that's possible, yes it's an important update.

 

[Only RF]

I see. Well, if that's possible, yes it's an important update.

I can hardly wait. I know it’s coming and it may not be in April but one has to have hope. The new Adaptive Color profile was added to LrC last month. I did expect it that early.

 

[ctitanic]

I can hardly wait. I know it’s coming and it may not be in April but one has to have hope. The new Adaptive Color profile was added to LrC last month. I did expect it that early.

I notice that there are adaptive presets for different objects such as the Sky. I have not tried them yet. Something for my To Do list.

 

[Only RF]

I notice that there are adaptive presets for different objects such as the Sky. I have not tried them yet. Something for my To Do list.

Yes. I’ve just been importing using the basic Adaptive Color preset. I have not tried the others yet.

 

[ctitanic]

Yes. I’ve just been importing using the basic Adaptive Color preset. I have not tried the others yet.

That sounds interesting! I’ll try that in the next import!

 

[Only RF]

That sounds interesting! I’ll try that in the next import!

I created a Preset for that but there is a step that is required when importing files. After import while still on the Library page select all the files - then Photo, Develop Settings - Update AI settings. It only takes a few seconds to update. I do that so I can see all the imported files with that profile applied. I compare any I'm not sure about by creating a virtual copy, reseting and then applying my usual preset or profile.

When using other AI tools it may request an update. In this example I used the Remove tool and red dots appeared by the slider icon and Basic window text. When this happens just press Update.

 

[Only RF]

A short history. My old 2019 27" iMac, 64GB RAM and 8GB VRAM is still faster at Denosie AI compared to both my Airs. 33 seconds but that will be about the best for it as it won't work with Neural Engine.

Both my MacBook Airs. 2020 M1, 16GB and 2024 M3, 24GB were/is faster than my iMac at everything else. My M3 is lighting faster on start ups and opening apps than my M1 was. M1 was 85 seconds but down to 23 when NE was enabled. M3 is currently at 43 seconds.

Those M chips are pretty amazing. No more separate VRAM to choose as its unified memory. Since the iMac has likely seen its last update (Sequoia) I'll probably start looking at a Mac Mini this fall. I'll still get two more years of security updates with Sequoia after version 16 comes out but it's getting on.