It’s no secret that the best Video Editing Software has made it easier to become a movie maker. Install a tool on your laptop or smartphone, and you instantly have the means to splice together footage.
What’s more, these tools have leveled the playing field. Anyone – no matter what their experience or budget is or what kind of equipment they could make eye-catching videos. And the tools on offer these days are getting better all the time, offering functions and features that wouldn’t have been possible only a few years ago.
However, with the sheer amount of video editing software, it cannot be easy to choose the best software for your needs – and that’s where we come in.
What To Consider When Buying A Computer For Video Editing
When you look at the product description for a regular desktop computer, the terms used can get a bit overwhelming. Now, that overwhelming feeling can increase if you’re looking for a computer for video editing.
Don’t worry; we have your back, and let’s look at what you should consider when buying a computer or video editing.
Resolution
While not every computer for video editing will be available packaged with a monitor (see our best monitors post), for those that come with a monitor, having the right one can make everything look amazing.
Currently, the most widely available resolution is 4K, also known as Ultra-High Definition. These monitors have a resolution of 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, double the number of pixels found in a 1080p display. Choosing a monitor of this type can help the image quality of your videos while editing and could make all the difference between two similar computers.
Graphics Card
Depending on your video editing, the need for a sound graphics card can help any graphics or animation explode from the screen. Before you decide on a computer, you want to make sure that you pay attention to the recommended system setting for whatever editing software you’re using so that you know you’ll get the best results from it.
Storage
Every video editor has clips and snippets of video that may not fit in the project they’re currently working on but might be perfect for something later. These little clips can add up very quickly and take up a lot of memory in your computer. Finding one with at least 1TB of memory is an excellent place to start.
SSD/HDD
There are primarily two storage drives out there for you to choose from SSD or Solid State Drives and HDD, which stands for Hard Disk Drive. An SSD will provide you with a better overall performance when compared to HDD. Typically it would help if you only used SSDs on your computer. The best configuration would be to have multiple Solid state drives within your computer, each being delegated specific tasks.
RAM
Most video editing software that is available today uses a lot of RAM. A good rule of thumb is that the higher the resolution of the footage, the more RAM will be helpful. With the onset of 4K displays and footage being taken in 4K, consider finding a PC with at least 32GB. Higher than that is better, but only if you can afford it.
Processor (CPU)
Also knowns as the CPU or the “brain” of your computer, having a good processor is crucial in having a video editing computer that allows you to complete tasks without annoying lag time. For example, if you’re using Adobe Premier, the CPU that you have will determine how fast you can get the editing done on your footage.
The computing power from a CPU is generally used in two ways when it comes to video editing. It will help generate video previews during the editing process and comes into play when you are encoding and exporting a video.
Having a good CPU is one part of your computer you should not cut corners on. It is that important.
Price
No matter what other aspects of the specification you should consider, it always comes down to price. In all honesty, many of the best computers for video editing do not come cheap. That doesn’t mean there aren’t affordable options, but you want to ensure that the money you spend is worth it in the long run and that you get your money’s worth.
OpenShot (Windows, Mac, and Linux)