Very little ever happens, ideally on the first take.
If you want to post a video online, you may want to edit it.
Cutting your footage and audio together can be pretty rewarding, especially when the end product looks great.
To that end, you want a computer to power through your workload.
Unfortunately, getting the best hardware often costs a pretty penny.
If you dont, you likely end up with frustrating sub-par performance.
You might be happy to accept longer rendering times.
You are leaving a render running overnight or while at work is easy enough.
Having the actual editing process run slowly, though, is a massive drag.
If youre doing this for fun, you likely dont want the fun taken out by poor performance.
The first step to building your new video editing machine is to list all the necessary parts.
Technically, a video editing PC will require the same parts as any other computer.
If youre trying to upgrade from 1080p to 4K, you could probably do with a 4K monitor.
Peripherals, though, even monitors, are easy to upgrade over time.
While the more expensive components are generally better, this isnt necessarily always the case.
There also tends to be a point of diminishing returns.
You may have to accept some less powerful parts if youre on a tight budget.
This may affect the performance of your editing process.
One thing to consider before deciding on any parts is the software.
Video editing software can be expensive.
Youll probably need to factor this cost into your budget considerations if you havent already.
Its also important to note the system requirements of your editing software.
Most software is heavy on the CPU and uses a GPU but only for specific graphical effects.
Some software, however, such as DaVinci Resolve, is much more intensive on the GPU.
You should factor this balance into your purchasing decisions.
CPU
Generally, the most critical part of a video editing computer is the CPU.
Video rendering is a process that benefits from performance scaling based on the number of cores.
Despite graphics cards being excellent for rendering video games, theyre not as efficient when rendering video.
As such, you want a high core count CPU.
The obvious choice is AMDs Threadripper platform.
However, these CPUs are extremely expensive.
They also require expensive motherboards and dont offer as much performance in more single- or lightly-threaded applications like games.
In recent years, if you needed a high core-count CPU, you needed to look towards AMD.
In late 2022, however, things were turned on their head.
Intel will likely tip the scale as its motherboards tend to be cheaper.
AMD does have the benefit of a better upgrade path, though.
CPU Cooler
The CPU is one of the two primary heat sources in a computer.
This means they can kick out a lot more heat when fully loaded.
As such, youll generally want a pretty big cooler.
You dont necessarily need a high-end cooler if you opt for a mid-range CPU or anything.
If youre going for a new flagship model, you should probably use at least a 240mm AIO.
Tip:You might also want to consider where youre going to be doing your editing.
Space and decent ventilation are likely to be pretty big positives.
Motherboard
The motherboard isnt particularly important to performance.
You dont want to skimp on the budget here too much.
Budget motherboards often arent as reliable, especially in providing power to the CPU.
Given that your CPU consistently draws a fair amount of energy, you want it to be stable.
Budget motherboards may also lack adequate high-speed PCIe SSD connection points.
Being limited to SATA speeds may impact performance, especially when scrubbing through high-resolution video.
Case
Like the motherboard, the case provides little to no performance impact.
You could also go for a sleeper-style build with a retro case hiding some super-processing power.
Graphics Card
The GPU is pretty important for video editing.
A bunch of effects uses the GPU rather than the CPU.
That said, it isnt the be-all and end-all.
At least historically, a mid-range model will do for all but the highest budgets.
You may not even plan to use any of those features.
Intel at least offers some models with an F indicator.
These have the integrated graphics chip disabled and are typically around $50 cheaper than the equivalent non-F part.
It could make a difference if youre already choosing Intel and a dedicated GPU.
RAM
RAM is going to cost you a bit.
For video editing, you generally want quite a lot of RAM.
If youre editing at 720p, you could probably get away with 8GB.
Generally, though, youll want a minimum of 16GB.
While capacity is essential, you generally wont see massive benefits from RAM speed.
Mid-range is where youll generally find some great deals.
verify to verify that your RAM is compatible with your motherboard.
Were currently in the transition period between DDR4 and DDR5 RAM.
DDR5 is expensive as it is newer.
DDR4 is cheaper but may not be supported on newer motherboards.
It may also limit your ability to transfer it to another build in the future.
Storage
Storage is essential for video editing.
Regarding storage, you have two choices, SSD or HDD.
HDDs are cheaper, especially at larger capacities; theyre also much slower than SSDs.
You might also want to look into implementing a RAID array.
This can provide a safety backup against drive failure, increase performance, or both.
If you dont need tens of terabytes of storage, you may want to consider SSDs.
SSDs can be much faster than HDDs.
Even a SATA SSD is better than an HDD, but M.2 PCIe SSDs can be much faster.
The current price sweet spot for SSDs is around 2TB.
Realistically, you may find that the best solution for you is a mix of both.
Of course, the cost will continue to be an issue.
Youll need to weigh capacity vs. performance requirements based on your specific use case.
800W should be more than enough if youre using high-end but not flagship parts.
Youll want to ensure that your PSU exceeds your components power draw by about 20-30%.
A decent efficiency rating is excellent, with an 80+ Bronze being good enough.
The final point to check is if it fits inside your case.
Realistically, work out what you need, exceed it, and get a decently rated one.
You really shouldnt blow the budget on overkill here.
If youre on a budget, its best to avoid getting any peripherals or extras you dont need.
you’ve got the option to always replace them later once youve more to spend.
One potential exception is thermal paste.
Some CPU coolers will come with some; they may even be pre-applied.
Unfortunately, this included thermal paste tends to be deficient in quality.
It wont break the bank but will help reduce your CPU temperature by at least a few degrees.
Cases of a thermal paste change reducing temperatures by ten degrees or more arent unheard of.
Its worth looking into nearby physical tech stores if theyre convenient.
While you might check before, check for deals on the day you plan to make your purchase.
Compatibility is critical for the CPU and motherboard.
Be aware that competing and incompatible motherboard chipsets can have pretty similar names.
Theres no point buying two M.2 SSDs if your motherboard only has one slot.
Step 4: Assemble!
Once youve decided on your components and bought them, its time to put them together.
There are plenty of video tutorials online if youve not done that before or arent too confident.
You dont want to follow a trolls instructions and ruin some expensive parts.
Pretty much everything in a computer can only go in the place its supposed to.
Most things have been designed to have physically different connectors.
While some force can be needed, be careful not to force anything, or you may break it.
Conclusion
A video editing computer will generally at least need mid-range hardware.
You will likely have to balance your budget with your aims, though.
You cant expect good experience editing 8K RAW footage on a shoestring-budget editing rig.
