How to Choose the Best Computer for Video Editing

1. Building Vs. Buying

We mentioned earlier that the other alternative to buying a Mac ten years ago was building your own computer. Over the years, it’s actually gotten easier to build a computer. And while it’s no longer a necessity as it was back in the 80’s, it’s still one of the best ways to get a computer that fits your every need. A computer you build yourself can be the best computer for video editing for one reason: upgrades. If you’re wanting the very best and most powerful, microprocessors and video cards get better every year. You can upgrade your rig every year if you want. And it’s easy to set aside a little bit of money toward an upgrade fund each month. This way you will have the necessary money once that $400 graphics card hits the shelves. Building a computer is also one of the best ways to get a powerful rig on a budget. RAM is relatively cheap, and you can build a computer to handle the most intense multitasking. Keep editing down your project while one section renders in. Instead of using external drives to hold all of your data, it’s easy to install extra hard drives in a custom built computer. This is one of the reasons a computer you built on your own is the best computer for video editing.

2. Parts To Build the Best Computer For Video Editing

Even if you don’t want to do the work of building your own computer, it’s important to know what goes into the best computer for video editing. Knowing the right information will keep you from making a decision you regret.

Processors

When picking the best computer for video editing, you first need to look at processor speed. This will be your biggest bottleneck. If you don’t get a processor that can handle the load, you drag your whole system down. The processor is essentially the brain of the computer. It crunches the numbers and processes the data that goes into your videos. If your processor is slow, you will spend more time rendering than it’s worth. We measure the speed of a processor in Gigahertz. The two most popular manufacturers of processors are Intel and AMD. Intel is the most popular brand and many people look down on AMD as the lesser brother. But AMD has kept pace with Intel over the past couple years. And their products are now comparable to Intel. If you’re looking for the best computer for video editing, consider a processor comparable to the Intel Core i7 or later. Anything older than the i7 will drag your computer speed down.

The Motherboard

If the processor is the brain, then the motherboard is the nervous system. All communication between components happens here. And it’s important you have a hardy motherboard. If you buy your computer, be sure to find out if it includes extra slots on the motherboard for memory expansion. All your connectors will be on the motherboard. Your USB ports, your power connectors, your firewire ports, etc. If you build your computer, be sure to pay attention to what processor socket is on the board. You want it to match the processor you choose.

Memory

A lot of people mix up memory and storage. And this is probably due to the fact we refer to human memories as stored objects in our brain. But memory in a computer is merely a temporary storage device. Storage, which we’ll talk about later, usually refers to the hard drive in a computer. Memory and processing power go hand-in-hand. You can’t have one without the other. It doesn’t matter if your processor is a quantum chip from a secret lab in Switzerland, without sufficient memory, it’s worthless for video editing. Memory cards are measured in Gigabytes. And your motherboard will only have a certain number of memory slots. Depending on the motherboard, you can put a very large amount of memory in a computer. And the more memory you have the better you will be able to edit video. I wouldn’t worry much about the speed of the memory. You will see a megahertz rating on memory cards. The difference in memory speed is negligible. The most important thing to remember is gigabytes. Most motherboards only have four DDR3 memory slots. And if you bought the computer, a couple of those might be filled up. You can swap out memory cards for better ones. And be sure to fill each slot with the largest memory size you can afford.

Graphics Cards

While still important to the best computer for video editing, graphics cards come secondary. And while most software now accelerates whatever card you choose, it’s still a good idea to install a decent graphics card or GPU into your system. If you do choose a higher end unit, you will need a large enough power supply. Are you building the best computer for video editing? Then I recommend you use a power supply calculator to find out what you need.

Monitors

If you want something mobile, you’ll go for a laptop. Even if you use a laptop for mobile video editing, you will want a monitor or two on your desk back at home base. A dual display is the best setup for video editing. You can have your editing display in one and your toolbox and other windows on the other display. If money is no object, you can find 4k panels for a thousand dollars or less. If not, a good 1920/1080 display will probably do.

Conclusion:

Now you have the tools in your pocket to make an informed decision. Whether you choose to build or buy, always choose what fits your work style. Already bought a computer for video editing? Let us know what you found in the comments below.