Question Need advice on PC build for Video Editing

May 28, 2019
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Hello all,

Haven't built a PC in over a decade and am overwhelmed with all these choices, hoping someone can help!
Will need it for primarily for editing videos in 4k (using Premiere Pro). Won't be doing anything more intensive than that.
This is what I settled on - just wondering if I can replace any components with something cheaper and still get the job done.

PC Build (no motherboard)

Motherboard:
MSI Z390-A Pro

Thanks!!

P.S. (if this build actually can't handle 4k editing that would also be good to know :D)
 
Hi Basille :D

Video editing as described is one of the most demanding/intensive tasks and requires 32GB or more of 3200MHz or faster RAM (unless your prepared to wait hours rendering). I would also recommend an 8core CPU. I use the R7 2700X for rendering CAD files. (can be the difference between 30mins and 3hrs)
OFC What you have listed will do the job, It just depends on how important your time is to you.
 
May 28, 2019
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Been using a 5-year old gaming laptop and it's starting to hit that point where I don't have the patience anymore. So time is very important to me :D.

Thanks for the advice. I'll swap out the CPU with what you suggested and try it out with 16GB x 3200MHZ for RAM. If it's giving me issues I can always buy more.

Also one more question while I have you - would I be able to get away without the cooler? Or is it needed with this setup?

Updated parts: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KhqKzY

Thanks!
 
Been using a 5-year old gaming laptop and it's starting to hit that point where I don't have the patience anymore. So time is very important to me :D.

Thanks for the advice. I'll swap out the CPU with what you suggested and try it out with 16GB x 3200MHZ for RAM. If it's giving me issues I can always buy more.

Also one more question while I have you - would I be able to get away without the cooler? Or is it needed with this setup?

Updated parts: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KhqKzY

Thanks!

You won't be disappointed as the 2700X is king.
If your budget will allow I would get 32GB as a single kit as there is no guarantee of stability by adding more RAM (even of the same exact specs). Instability due to differences in latency during manufacture.

If you do decide on a 2700X, It comes with a wraith AIR cooler which is OK for stock frequency but insufficient if you decide to OC. I have a Corsair AIO H110I ( your case will fit a dual fan rad) and my OC is at 4.2GHz.

Your Fractal case is a good choice and will accommodate a dual top mounted radiator to keep temps in check.

The only other thing I would change is the PSU. The PSU is the lifeblood of your system and not to be underestimated.
Go for the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 750W. It is a gold rated fully modular unit with a 10year Warranty and well worth having with your build. You need a good quality, highly efficient PSU for your setup.

With that you will have an excellent build and good luck.
 
I agree with MeanMachine41 on what he says about the RAM and PSU. Never skimp on power supply. Just one thing regarding the graphics card. The rx-570 should be a better card for less money (even if premiere might mostly depend on CPU, having a cheaper and better graphics card never hurt, you might even find good deals on rx-580s that cost about the same or a little more than the gtx-1050ti you have right now). Also, just looking at this puget systems recommended hardware for premiere pro, it says that 64GB of RAM is recommended for 4k footage resolution. Don't know if that's exactly true, but here is the source:
https://www.pugetsystems.com/recomm...-Premiere-Pro-CC-143/Hardware-Recommendations
 
May 28, 2019
15
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If your budget will allow I would get 32GB as a single kit as there is no guarantee of stability by adding more RAM (even of the same exact specs). Instability due to differences in latency during manufacture.

Noted. Thanks so much you're a life saver.

The rx-570 should be a better card for less money (even if premiere might mostly depend on CPU, having a cheaper and better graphics card never hurt, you might even find good deals on rx-580s that cost about the same or a little more than the gtx-1050ti you have right now).

Hey TCA_ChinChin!
Looks like the rx-570 definitely has superior specs at a lower price point, thanks for the suggestion.
I'm looking through the reviews and it seems like it runs super hot and is prone to failure. Is there enough circulation/space to accommodate it with the case I've selected?
 
May 28, 2019
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I'll work up something for you tonight. Would you be interested in waiting until July when the Ryzen 3000 chips come out if it would improve your build?

That's very kind of you, thank you!
I have a pretty immediate need so unfortunately can't wait until July.
 
If you aren't able to wait until July for Ryzen 3000 series this would be a good build for what you are doing with a $1300 budget.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.89 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($89.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($87.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial - MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($66.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: HP - EX950 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($153.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi - Ultrastar 7K4000 4 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($83.50 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - Radeon RX 570 8 GB AREZ Expedition Video Card ($149.99 @ Newegg Business)
Case: Fractal Design - Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($126.76 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($92.19 @ Amazon)
Total: $1291.07
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-29 15:15 EDT-0400

The 500GB SATA SSD is your system and application drive, the 1TB NVMe SSD is what you would run your projects on, the HDD is to store complete projects. You can save a few bucks on the NVMe going here https://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/m...-m-m.2-pcie-3.1-x4-nvme-ssd-mdnvme80-bpxp-1t/ and having a drive with 1665TBW endurance instead of 650TBW, however, that drive won't be available until late May.
 
This has been very frustrating as I can't find a lot of good promotions today. If you can wait a few days, I think I will find something better. I chose 64GB of RAM for 4K editing and a Nvidia card as Puget recommends in the previous link. Chose a higher quality GPU for quiet operation. One SSD for the C-Drive and programs, one SSD for data and for working with video files. HDD for long term storage. Chose a Z390 MB for it's upgrade potential. Chose Intel to take advantage of Quick Sync., but if you don't use it, then Ryzen may be better.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor (Micro Cneter Combo $259.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Micro Center Combo $114.99)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Rakuten $59.49)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Rakuten $59.49)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card ($304.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P350X ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.24 @ B&H)
$5 Coupon Micro Center
Total: $1293.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-29 23:13 EDT-0400


https://instore.thread.co/retailmen...M6W55NKFEH5RU&session=FxGdDMNKzA5cd79bb2ab9f6

Gamers Nexus Base and Overclocked CPU's for Adobe Products

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/...gy-workstation-program-compile-tests-premiere

Ryzen versus Intel for Premier Pro

youtu.be/8sqs5aRBzCk?t=473



Intel/Nvidia Optimization of Adobe Products (esp. Premier Pro)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wOBGmxyBEs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj6rUdhmIvQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofdh-THQFpE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeFsX6TM2aU ; (summary begins at 8:24)
 
This has been very frustrating as I can't find a lot of good promotions today. If you can wait a few days, I think I will find something better. I chose 64GB of RAM for 4K editing and a Nvidia card as Puget recommends in the previous link. Chose a higher quality GPU for quiet operation. One SSD for the C-Drive and programs, one SSD for data and for working with video files. HDD for long term storage. Chose a Z390 MB for it's upgrade potential. Chose Intel to take advantage of Quick Sync., but if you don't use it, then Ryzen may be better.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor (Micro Cneter Combo $259.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 Black Edition 42 CFM CPU Cooler ($31.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - Z390 Pro4 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Micro Center Combo $114.99)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Rakuten $59.49)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Rakuten $59.49)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB STRIX GAMING OC Video Card ($304.00 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P350X ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.24 @ B&H)
$5 Coupon Micro Center
Total: $1293.16
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-29 23:13 EDT-0400


https://instore.thread.co/retailmen...M6W55NKFEH5RU&session=FxGdDMNKzA5cd79bb2ab9f6

Gamers Nexus Base and Overclocked CPU's for Adobe Products

https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/...gy-workstation-program-compile-tests-premiere

Ryzen versus Intel for Premier Pro

youtu.be/8sqs5aRBzCk?t=473



Intel/Nvidia Optimization of Adobe Products (esp. Premier Pro)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wOBGmxyBEs

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj6rUdhmIvQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofdh-THQFpE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeFsX6TM2aU ; (summary begins at 8:24)
https://www.logicalincrements.com/articles/videoediting
When it comes to Video Editing, even 4k, you are going to get more of a bump from more CPU cores than you would from faster GPU. Once you get to a GTX 1060 6GB you start getting diminishing returns pretty quickly. Yes a RTX 2080 will be faster for editing than a GTX 1060, but the time savings usually don't make up for the extra cost. The reason is most of the editing is still CPU limited. The portions that can be GPU edited happen very quickly so you are stuck waiting for the CPU stuff to happen. View: https://www.reddit.com/r/VideoEditing/comments/a4ddoo/new_video_card_for_4k_editing_rig/


If 64GB RAM is possible that is a good amount, but 32GB would be the usual minimum.
 
https://www.logicalincrements.com/articles/videoediting
When it comes to Video Editing, even 4k, you are going to get more of a bump from more CPU cores than you would from faster GPU. Once you get to a GTX 1060 6GB you start getting diminishing returns pretty quickly. Yes a RTX 2080 will be faster for editing than a GTX 1060, but the time savings usually don't make up for the extra cost. The reason is most of the editing is still CPU limited. The portions that can be GPU edited happen very quickly so you are stuck waiting for the CPU stuff to happen. View: https://www.reddit.com/r/VideoEditing/comments/a4ddoo/new_video_card_for_4k_editing_rig/


If 64GB RAM is possible that is a good amount, but 32GB would be the usual minimum.

Puget notes that for GPU accelerated effects, there will be greater use of the GPU. So without knowing how much the OP uses these effects, I chose what I thought was sort of middle ground on the GPU.
 
Puget notes that for GPU accelerated effects, there will be greater use of the GPU. So without knowing how much the OP uses these effects, I chose what I thought was sort of middle ground on the GPU.
Makes sense for the GPU selection.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($87.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: HP - EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($132.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.23 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1295.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-30 10:20 EDT-0400

Making some changes can get 64GB RAM, GTX 1660Ti, 2700X, and a 1TB NVMe inside the budget.
 
Makes sense for the GPU selection.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.79 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($87.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: HP - EX920 1 TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($132.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA - GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB XC GAMING Video Card ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.23 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $1295.39
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-30 10:20 EDT-0400

Making some changes can get 64GB RAM, GTX 1660Ti, 2700X, and a 1TB NVMe inside the budget.

You're going up in GPU and RAM, and I was thinking of going down ;)

Based on Puget's reccommendations of a Nvidia card with at least 6 GB of VRAM for 4K editing, I think a GTX 1660 would be fine for this budget. It's better to get all the RAM you think you will need at the start since it is matched, but if the OP thinks he would rather save the money or put it elsewhere in the build, I think 32 GB may be OK if he doesn't open a lot of programs at once.
 
You're going up in GPU and RAM, and I was thinking of going down ;)

Based on Puget's reccommendations of a Nvidia card with at least 6 GB of VRAM for 4K editing, I think a GTX 1660 would be fine for this budget. It's better to get all the RAM you think you will need at the start since it is matched, but if the OP thinks he would rather save the money or put it elsewhere in the build, I think 32 GB may be OK if he doesn't open a lot of programs at once.
Split the middle and keep the RAM and lower the GPU? 32GB RAM would probably be OK, you can do it on an extreme budget with 16GB, but better to be safe than sorry with RAM. Too bad a $1300 budget doesn't easily allow for a TR 1920X.
 
May 28, 2019
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Bearmann, jeremyj,

Thank you both for a tremendous amount of information and research. This has been a great learning process for me.

Yes, we could use some input from the OP. Although he set his maximum budget at $1300, I thought that he may rather be less.

Here's what I'm thinking

-I like the storage setup that Bearmann recommended as 480GB should be plenty for active projects.
-I like the 2700K Ryzen as it looks like it's right up there in performance with the more expensive CPUs (https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...CC-2019-CPU-Roundup-Intel-vs-AMD-vs-Mac-1320/)
-I do use accelerated effects so looks like a solid GPU is important. As Bearmann mentioned, it looks like the GTX1660 hits puget's recommended specs and they seem well researched and reliable so I'm good with it.
-If I'm going full puget, might as well stick to their RAM requirements as well at 64.

Edit: Of course the cheaper the better, but I'm starting to realize that I may have underestimated the load I was putting my poor laptop through :sweatsmile:. I'm OK with hovering around 1300.
 
Last edited:
I think this hits your list then.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B450 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($87.92 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($269.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: HP - EX920 512 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate - Constellation ES 3 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB OC Video Card ($219.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Fractal Design - Focus G ATX Mid Tower Case ($58.23 @ Newegg Business)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($84.00 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: Fractal Design - X2 GP-12 (Black) 52.3 CFM 120 mm Fan ($12.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1199.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-30 11:44 EDT-0400
 
I like this build better at this budget. I'm still hoping for some better promotions, though. Dropped down to a 1660, but still high quality. Upgraded the CPU and MB, and lowered the RAM.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (Micro Center Promo $349.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe - Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.49)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.49)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB GAMING X Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P350X ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.24 @ B&H)
Micro Center $5 coupon
Total: $1247.14
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-30 12:04 EDT-0400
 
I like this build better at this budget. I'm still hoping for some better promotions, though. Dropped down to a 1660, but still high quality. Upgraded the CPU and MB, and lowered the RAM.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel - Core i7-9700K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (Micro Center Promo $349.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe - Mugen 5 Rev. B 51.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($47.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Aegis 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($131.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.49)
Storage: ADATA - XPG SX8200 480 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($59.49)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1660 6 GB GAMING X Video Card ($234.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks - ECLIPSE P350X ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($68.24 @ B&H)
Micro Center $5 coupon
Total: $1247.14
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-05-30 12:04 EDT-0400
I'd still go with the 2700X https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/a...CC-2019-CPU-Roundup-Intel-vs-AMD-vs-Mac-1320/ Even though according to the benchmarks it is a basic wash between the 2700X and the 9700K, save the money and put it into more RAM or faster SSD, etc..
 
May 28, 2019
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I would too if you are not using Quick Sync, but everybody seems to moving to Intel for Premier Pro.

It looks like Quick Sync improves performance for final encoding (ref) - which is great but I'm mostly interested in timeline performance. And it appears they are similar in that regard so I'm inclined to agree with jeremyj.

Although having 2 M.2 SSDs for system apps/active projects and 1 HDD for long term storage is appealing so I'm wondering if there is a motherboard option that would support that + the ryzen 2700K.

No one recommends a Radeon vii with 16gb HBM for video editing?

This thing is a beast (but unfortunately outside of my budget :sweatsmile:)