Advice Suggestions for New Video Editing PC

Hi everyone. This year I decided to get myself a GoPro and start doing some videos. I got a good deal on a Hero 7 that came with a bunch of accessories. I've already done a couple videos, but now I'm faced with a problem - my current PC (an HP All-in-One) doesn't have the specs to edit the videos.



I know there's a graphic card shortage out there, so I had ordered a CyberPower pre-built PC. Unfortunately it came with a really crappy mobo in it and I had to return it. I figured pre-built would only work if I knew the components that were in the PC before I bought it, but most of them don't display that type of info so it's like a crap shoot.

I thought maybe if I just got another all in one with better specs that would work, but most of the people I talked to said it would be better just to build my own PC so I could get the components I really needed. The problem with that is trying to find a graphics card for the build and so far I haven't seen any cards that are available.

So someone recommended coming here and asking the community what they would suggest or recommend because they may have ideas or advice on things I'm unaware of. Whatever recommendations I would need a PC with the specs to edit videos, whether in Davinci Resolve or some other capable video editing program.

I look forward to your comments and thank you for taking the time to read my post and help me out.

 

Hi Tony, thanks for the reply. Yeah, I found out that unlike other video editors that utilize CPU power Davinci draws on GPU power. I don't have to use Davinci, but it seems to have a lot of tools and utilities and it's also free.

 

Make no mistake - there are plenty of very capable, quality graphics cards available as seen here. The shortage comes for those wanting the latest and greatest models. If you are willing to "settle" for last year's models, you have lots to choose from.

Sadly, you never told us your budget for this new computer. That matters especially for those wanting to do graphics editing for those REALLY serious into it, would be better suited with a "workstation" graphics card. And as seen here, they can be a little hard on the wallet. But note they are not out of stock either!

You also need to tell us what you bring to the table. For example, do you also need a new keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers?

Last, one of most important purchase decisions should be your power supply. Do NOT try to trim the budget with a cheap supply. Would you buy a new Porsche then fill it up at the corner Tobacco and Bait shop?

So select all your other components, calculate your PSU requirements (I use and recommend is the eXtreme OuterVision PSU Calculator), then select your PSU. I recommend getting at least an 80 PLUS "Bronze", though "Gold" would be better. I don't recommend wasting your money on a Platinum or Titanium unless you stumble on a fantastic deal. While they are slightly more efficient, it would take years to make up extra purchase cost in energy savings. I like EVGA and Seasonic "Gold" PSUs.

A quality case provides lots of extensive cooling options, is quiet, and will support an evolving computer for years to come. I like Fractal Design mid-tower cases.

As far as All in One computers, it is important to note they are essentially laptop computers stuck in a monitor case instead of a laptop case. That means they tend to very proprietary and that means more expensive to buy, more expensive to repair, and they offer little to no upgrade options. And any upgrades they do support tend to be more expensive. So yeah, I recommend building your own "PC" too.

 

Digerati, thanks for that great post. My budget would be about 14 hundred bucks which would probably have to include at least a monitor. I already have the mouse and keyboard stuff covered and I don't really need speakers not right at the moment.

Ask for CPU I was looking at the 10th gen Intel i7 but there's also some nice AMD ryzen options. I'm undecided on which one to go with at the moment.

I've done some researching myself and yes I would prefer a gold rated power supply. Thanks for the link to those graphic cards. I would definitely want to grab one of those although I'm not sure the specs I actually need.

I was kind of partial to NZXT cases and there's a couple Corsair cases that like, too.

 

It should be noted that gaming graphics card do work for graphics editing. And you can game with most workstation cards. So you don't have to get a WS card.

I have mixed feelings about Corsair cases. They tend to have great designs but we have run into inconsistent quality control issues with several. I have seen more than one case that was not "true". That is, it did not have exactly 90° bends in the sheet metal. This resulted in only 3 of the 4 feet sitting firmly on the floor allowing the case to wobble. This can result in uneven pressures, and cause the motherboard to not sit flat on all the stand-offs, which, in turn, can cause undue stress at the motherboard mounting points. Not good.

The case bends not being "true" also meant the side panels were difficult to align and install properly. Note the shipping boxes these cases came in were in perfect condition suggesting they were not dropped, crushed or otherwise mishandled during transport.

We have also seen rough edges on the cut sheet metal where they should have been "finished". Typically these edges are rolled or ground down and smooth. But on these Corsairs, the edges were sharp and jagged and actually resulted in bloody knuckles. Not fun. Other Corsairs of the same model were fine - so again suggesting inconsistent quality control.

In all fairness, that was a couple years ago so things might have changed. But with a visible scar on at least one of my knuckles, I'm in no hurry to find out.

I have not personally used NZXT case. I prefer a conservative design - another reason I like Fractal Design. That said, I know several who have used NZXT cases and have heard no complaints.

$1400 is generous budget - but depending on size, a quality monitor can eat up a big chunk of it. And I'm thinking if graphics editing will be a primary purpose for this computer, image quality and color accuracy will be top priorities.

I didn't mention it earlier, but IMO, SSD is the only way to go. I migrated to all SSD several years ago and will never go back to hard drives.

 

It was. Not sure if I was more upset because it hurt and I was worried about dripping on my motherboard, or because I was mad, or because I was disappointed in Corsair. It used to be if it had the Corsair name on the product, you knew you got a quality product. Now it seems you take your chances. The only Corsair product I have never had problems with is their RAM.

 

Well, it is easy to blame China but it is still the company whose brand name is on the product that is responsible for the design and the manufacturing quality control.

These Chinese (or Mexican, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc.) factories are fully capable of making top quality products. But if Corsair or whoever doesn't set the standard, invest in training, and conduct aggressive quality assurance inspections, no doubt quality will slip. But I note that applies to US, UK, Israeli, Japanese, German, etc. factories too.

As far as Fractal Design, I've been really impressed. I just hope they don't start cutting corners in quality to shave off a few pennies in production costs too. I have the Define R4 mid-tower in this PC. Its getting long in the tooth but I still love it. Great design, quality construction, excellent sound deadening, easy to remove and clean air filters. And the included 140mm fans are dead silent.

 

I've always been a Nvidia/Intel guy, but I'm open to other options. So can you guys recommend CPU, mobo, graphics card to start off? I know Digerati suggested the Fractal case, which one would you recommend?

I've been searching through all the GPUs on ebay, trying to find something I could use and not kill me financially. They have some nice Radeon 5600 XT cards that are priced pretty good, of course I don't know how well these would work for a video editing rig.

I've been looking at some mobos by Asus. They seem to have some nice boards out there. I was also looking at some Gigabyte boards, since I've always been a fan of Gigabyte (I used one in my first build).

As far as Intel I've had my eye on the 10th gen i7 CPUs, they seem pretty good.

 

Thanks for the advice, and the links. I guess since I'm only doing video editing of Gopro video and nothing too elaborate (like 4K or 3D) I could get something like this.

To start off with the CPU I was thinking something like this. Should be great for what I need it for. Now just trying to find a motherboard. Too many "gaming" mobos and the prices are a little more than I wanted to spend.

 

Thanks, I appreciate your input. I read a couple of those articles you linked to. They said 8GB of VRam was optimal, but that card I posted has 4GB. I'm thinking for right now that should be good enough for what I need. Unless of course someone provides some feedback that proves otherwise. However those cards with 8GBVram are pricey.

 

Yeah it's an i3. Runs the Adobe CS6 programs I have just fine, it just chokes on the video editing.