Building a PC for Video Editing is Very Confusing especially when we do everything ourselves as we have to choose from many different options. Let’s have a look at the best computer for Video Editing in this Article.
Table of Contents
How to choose the Best Computers for Video Editing?
When Choosing a Computer you have to choose what works for your working style you can choose a Laptop if you are Travelling more and a Desktop for a Professional Working style but you have to choose between the Mac or PC for Video Editing in your laptop or desktop .
Mac Vs PC for Video Editing?
In short, it depends on the Software you are using. Mac is Excellent if you are using it with Final Cut X and PC is a Good Choice if you are using Premiere Pro or Davinci Resolve
We have dealt with Mac vs PC for Video Editing in a Separate article You can check it here.
Laptop Vs Desktop for Video Editing?
Simply put Desktops are always powerful than Laptops for Video Editing but if your working style is more of run and gun and you want to edit on the go, You can Choose a laptop for Video Editing over Desktop.
However Laptops have Become Powerful these days that are no lesser than a Desktop.
Take a Look
We Have Dedicated an Entire Separate Article on best laptop computer for video editing Please Check it.
Pre Built ( Branded ) vs Custom PC ( Assembled ) for Video Editing:
If You Don’t want the hassle of Assembling or have never assembled a PC then A Pre Built or Branded PC is Best for You. Pre-built computers are the almost plug and play, and quality is guaranteed most of the times but can be pricey.
However if you are a tech Savyy and have the experience of assembling a PC previously then a Custom PC is Best For you. however if you don’t know what you are doing you could potentially waste a lot of money and Time.
Pre Built ( Branded )
- Plug and Play
- Good Quality
- Uniform Warranty
- Repair process is simple
- can be difficult to upgrade
- Best for Studios / Companies
Custom PC Build ( Assembled )
- Needs to be Assembled
- Better Performance
- Variable Warranty
- Repair process is complicated
- Easily upgradable
- Best for Enthusiasts
What is the Best Computer for Video Editing (Pre Built / Branded )?
Here’s a List of the Best Branded or Pre Built Computers for Video Editing in 2021.
Category | Pre – Built PC | CINEBENCH SCORE ( Higher = Better ) | PUGET SYSTEMS SCORE ( Higher = Better ) | PRICE |
---|---|---|---|---|
Best Performance | CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Supreme Liquid Cool Gaming PC | 22046 | 990 | Link |
Best Value for Money | SkyTech Archangel 3.0 Gaming Computer PC Desktop | 12195 | 860 | Link |
Best Entry Level / Budget | Skytech Archangel Gaming Computer PC Desktop | 9073 | 602 | Link |
Best Budget Mac for 4k Video Editing with Final Cut | Mac Mini with Apple M1 Chip | 7508 | 445 ( for Premiere Pro ) | Link |
Best PC for Video Editing – Under 4000$
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Supreme Liquid Cool PC
CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme, even though it is aimed for gamers but it is still one the best Computers for Video Editing
Specs
- CPUAMD Ryzen 5900X – 12 Core / 24 Threads Processor
- GPUNvidia GeForce RTX 3070 8GB
- RAM16GB DDR4
- Storage1TB NVMe SSD
- MotherboardAMD B550 Chipset
- FeaturesBuilt in Wifi , Liquid Cooling, RGB Lighting
RYZEN 9 5900X is One beast of a CPU which can easily handle any Footage you can throw at it coupled with the RTX 3070 which has 8GB of Video memory is sufficient to handle 4k Footage.
Its Fast 1TB NVME SSD is more than enough for Faster Editing Workflow and scrubbing of the Footage along with the 16GB DDR4 Memory even though is sufficient for 4K Editing but can be easily upgradable to 32GB or 64GB.
Good
- Powerful and Reliable for Video Editing
- Best in Class Live Playback / Scrubbing through Footage
- Supports multiple Monitor Workflow Easily
- RGB Looks Cool
- Upgradable
- NVME SSD is Superfast
Bad
- Very Expensive
- Lacks USB C port
- Needs Certain level of maintenance
- RAM Could be more than 16GB
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Supreme Liquid Cool Gaming PC although aimed at Gamers, it is one of a beast of PCs that can smoothly run 4k Video Editing Workflow Loads in the Adobe Premiere Pro or Davinci Resolve.
Best Desktop for Video Editing under 1600$ – SkyTech Archangel 3.0 Gaming Computer PC Desktop
Specs
- CPUAMD Ryzen 7 3700X – 8 Core / 16 Thread Processor
- GPUNvidia RTX 3060 – 12GB
- RAM16 GB DDR4
- Storage1 TB SSD
- MotherboardB450A-M
- FeaturesBuilt in Wi-Fi, RGB Lighting
Ryzen 7 3700X is the Perfect Middle Ground between the Price and Performance, Coupled with the RTX 3060 12GB Video Memory gives Perfect Live Media Playback speeds which enhanced the video editing Experience Overall and its 16GB RAM though adequate for Medium Tasks, can be upgraded as and when Necessary
Good
- Excellent Value for Money
- Great Live Media Playback Speeds
- Supports multiple Monitor Workflow Easily
- Looks Marvelous
- Upgradable
Bad
- only 1 M.2 Port
- Lacks USB C port
- Port Selection Could have been Better
- RAM Could be more than 16GB
SkyTech Archangel 3.0 Gaming Computer PC Desktop offers Excellent Bang for Buck CPU and GPU combo and Works Effortlessly for Majority of the Video Editing Projects.
Recommended PC for Professional Video Editors Who are looking for a Reliable and Powerful PC yet inexpensive.
best desktop computer for video editing on a budget – Skytech Archangel Gaming Computer PC Desktop
KEY POINTS
- CPURyzen 5 3600 – 6 Core / 12 Thread Processor
- GPUNVIDIA GTX 1660 – 6GB Video RAM
- Storage500 GB SSD
- RAM8 GB DDR4 RAM
- FeaturesBuilt-in-Wi-Fi, RGB lights
Ryzen 5 3600 is a good Entry Point for 4k Video editing, Coupled with the 1660 6GB Video RAM is Good for both Video Editing and Gaming.
While It can Easily Handle Simple Editing Projects, it might not be sufficient enough for Professional Work which requires a Reliable CPU like Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9.
Good
- Good for Beginners
- Build Quality is Great
- Decent Performance for the Price.
- Very Good Customer Support
- Looks are Quite Good.
Bad
- 8 GB RAM is barely Sufficient
- 500GB SSD is too Basic
Skytech Archangel Gaming Computer PC Desktop offers decent 4k Video Editing Experience, though upgradable 16GB RAM would have been Great.
Recommended PC Build for Beginner Video Editors Who are looking for a Budget Friendly 4k Video Editing PC Desktop
M1 Mac Mini : Best Budget Mac for Video Editing with Final Cut
Specs
- CPUApple M1 Processor 8‑core CPU, 8‑core GPU and 16‑core Neural Engine
- GPUIntegrated with CPU
- RAM8GB or 16 GB
- Storage256 to 2 TB
- FeaturesAdditional 10Gigabit Ethernet Port
Apple M1 Chip Took Internet by storm when released with its unmatched Performance per wattage, but for an ever plugged in Desktop build it might not matter much.
Though a Good Processor, the Software like Adobe Premiere Pro and Davinci Resolve Are still under Development to run natively on the Mac OS and are currently running on Rosetta 2.
It Shines with the Apples own Video Editor Final Cut Pro, proving that this has much higher potential.
It is a very Good Entry point into the 4k Video Editing when using Final Cut Pro considering the Price point. but i can get expensive Quickly when we add the Price of 16 GB unified memory and 1 TB or more SSD to the Cart.
Good
- Excellent 4k Editing with Final Cut Pro
- Decent 4k Editing with Premiere Pro
- Sufficient Port Selection
- Very Low Power Consumption
Bad
- can become expensive with Bigger Storage
- GPU Performance is just adequate
M1 Mac Mini Offers an a Decent Video Editing Experience when using with Premiere pro but is Excellent when paired with Final Cut Pro.
Recommended for People who Loves Editing with Final Cut Pro or Davinci Resolve
Best Mac for Video Editing : Mac Pro
Specs
- CPU8‑core to 28‑core Intel Xeon W processor
- RAMup to 1.5TB of DDR4 ECC memory
- GPUAMD Radeon Pro ( 580X, W5500X, W5700X, W6800X, W6800X Duo )
- Storageup to 8TB SSD Storage
- Additional CardsApple Afterburner
ProRes and ProRes RAW accelerator card - I/OTwo USB 3 ports, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Two 10Gb Ethernet ports
Mac Pro is a very Niche Product aimed at Professional Video Editors. If you are looking to buy this, chances are you are extremely good at what you do and You know what you are buying.
For those who are just Knowing, This is one of the Best Computer money can get for a Video Editing. All though it can virtually Run anything you throw at it, It is still limited by the Software which can use this sheer amount of the power.
Pros
- Can Virtually Run anything You Throw at it.
- After burner card works Wonders.
- Excellent Build Quality
- Clean and Pro Look
- Incredibly Quiet for the Power
Cons
- Too Expensive
- No NVIDIA Cards Support
Mac Pro is one of the Fastest and Most Powerful mac that money can buy. It starts at a Whopping 5999$ and quickly goes beyond 10000$ easily when you Start Adding additional Storage and Afterburner Cards and GPUs.
Recommended for the Professional Video Editors who work on Large Scale Projects like Movies or Films.
Best Custom Built PC for Video Editing
What are Best Specs for Video Editing
Before answering the Question Lets Look at Each Component in making the Computer for Video Editing individually and Understand what works for You.
1. CPU or Processor
As You All Know CPU is the Brain of the Computer. Major Share of the Video Editing work is taken up by the Processor.
You should choose the Type of the Processor Depending on the Type of the Software You Use, For Example Final Cut Pro Editing Software is heavily Optimized for the M1 Processors due to its tight Hardware and Software integration.
Premiere Pro Performance depends the Number of High Performance Cores rather than on the Number of Cores itself.
Read On
We have Written an in-depth Article on the Best CPU for Video Editing.
You can Check it
2. Mother Board
Motherboard Connects all the Parts of the Computer to One another.
Each Motherboard has a Specific Socket for CPU.
So, Choose the One Which is Compatible with the CPU you have Chosen. All the I/O like Number of RAM slots and PCI Lanes and SATA ports are Different for Different Motherboards.
We have Written a Guide for Choosing the Best Motherboard for Video Editing Do check it.
3. RAM
RAM is the temporary ultra Fast Storage unit which is required to feed the Important information to the CPU like software, footage etc.,
Till a certain level increasing RAM enhances the Video Editing Experience but beyond the Certain level Add more RAM may no help much.
You can Read on, How much RAM is Good For Video Editing Here.
4. Hard Disk Vs SSD
Simply Speaking SSD is Always better than HDD for Video Editing but Hard Disk does have its merits.
You can Learn More About HDD vs SSD for Video Editing Here
5. Graphics Card or GPU
GPU or Graphics Processor is a specialized processor made for handling Graphically intensive Tasks like Coding, Decoding Codecs, Handling 3D Programs etc.
with the Advent for GPU or Hardware Accelerated Video Rendering GPUs have become an important Aspect of Video Editing.
Read More
We have Dedicated an Entire Sub Topic on Best GPU for Video Editing Here. Do check it.
6. Monitor or display
Though the Term Monitor simply means To View Something, Due to the Sheer Number of New Terms like 60 Hz, 120Hz, V-Sync, Free Sync, DCI, IPS, LED, LCD display, NTSC, Color Gamut etc, have made choosing the monitor or Display for Video Editing a Huge Pain.
So, we have Explained all the Relevant Terms and Dedicated an Entire Article on Best Monitor for Video Editing Here.
7. SMPS or PSU
SMPS or PSU is the Power Supply Unit for the Computer. Choosing a Bad PSU can Harm your Video Editing PC Build.
So, How much watt PSU do i need for Building the Video Editing Computer?
Fortunately, You can check it the Newegg PSU Watt Calculator.
We Recommend Cooler master and Corsair SMPS
Intel – 4k Custom Build PC for Video Editing
With the Introduction of the 12th Gen Intel Processors the Tides have turned for Team Blue and They Have Delivered This Time. After being a Laughing stock for almost 5 years.
The Intel core i5 the Entry Level for a 4k Video Editing Machine and the 12th Gen 12600k has packed in the punch surpassing previous 11th Gen 11600K in every benchmark even crossing the Ryzen 7 5800x in some benchmarks.
So, Lets have a Look at the Best Intel PC Build for Video Editing.
Entry Level / Budget Edition
- Additional Items
Best Performance for Price
- Motherboard
- Storage
- Additional Items
Best Money Can Buy
- GPUNVIDIA RTX 3090 or RTX 3080Ti
- RAM
- Motherboard
- Cabinet
- Extra Items
AMD Ryzen – Custom PC Build for 4k Video Editing :
Best Entry Level / Budget Edition
- Motherboard
- Extra ItemsDoes not need a Extra Cooler
Best Performance for Price
- Storage2 TB Cardea C440 NVME SSD
- Additional Items
Best Money can Buy
- GPUNVIDIA RTX 3090 or RTX 3080Ti
- Motherboard
- Cabinet
- Additional Items
Final Thoughts
Be it a Laptop or Desktop, Pre Built or Custom Built Video Editing PC, What Matters is choosing the one that suits more to the the Workflow we use.
We hope This article helped you in choosing the best Computer for Video Editing.
we will continue to update this article for the future releases and Be sure to Leave a Comment Below if you have any Doubts or Suggestions. and Subscribe to our Newsletter for more Future updates.