Over the past few weeks, we have been making gaming PC builds for every budget conceivable. Many of you have been requesting a PC Build for professional video editing. While today’s article will cover only the top-end of the spectrum, we’ll be posting budget builds soon. While a gaming PC can often handle video editing tasks without a hitch, building one specifically for the same is quite different. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- First and most importantly, CPU is the foundation of your build. The core count and multithreaded performance will be the key to completing editing tasks. Adobe Premiere Pro, FinalCut Pro, and Sony Vegas Pro take primary advantage of your CPU.
- Unlike a gaming-focused build where GPU is the key factor, for editing, a GPU isn’t essential. You can even go without a GPU entirely and still get pretty much the same performance out of your build. That said, an editing software uses a GPU for hardware acceleration for encoding and rendering and Premiere Pro is optimized for NVIDIA cards.
- The second most important thing in such a build is storage. An SSD provides much better performance for editing projects with multiple clips. Moreover, using a hard-drive for editing 4K footage can be excruciatingly painful and result in dropped frames. While you would survive without an SSD, it is highly recommended that you invest in one.
If you’ve managed to get all of the above into your system, it’s time to get started on the build:
Best CPU For Video Editing: Ryzen 9 3900X
- Price: Rs. 46,399
- Cores: 12
- Threads: 24
- Base Clock: 3.8 GHz
- Boost Cock: 4.6 GHz
- TDP: 105W
- Socket: AM4
Since the CPU is the primary focus of our build, we have made no compromises and opted for the Ryzen 9 3900X. Since single-core performance is not a big issue for editing, the 3900X is an absolute monster when it comes to overall performance. With an extra 4 cores as compared to the i9-9900K, it is miles ahead in multi-core performance (a nearly 50% increase). Moreover, when it comes to real-world 4K performance, it is significantly faster than any other consumer-grade mainstream CPU on the market.
Recommended Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570 Plus
- Price: Rs. 17,340
- X570 Chipset
- Memory: 4x DDR4 Slots for up to 128GB
- I/O: 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI 1.4, 4x USB 3.1 Gen2, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 4x USB 2.0
The ASUS TUF Gaming X570 Plus is one of the more affordable X570 boards which supports the Ryzen 3000 series of processors and offers PCIe 4.0 at a budget. It consists of 4 DDR4 slots with support for ECC and non-ECC memory with a maximum capacity of up to 128 GB. It also comes with a VRM Heatsink and Thermal Pad, along with an active chipset heatsink and an M.2 heatsink as well to ensure optimal performance under all conditions. Moreover, a custom superflo delta fan is also included which is rated for up to 60,000 hours.
Recommended Graphics Card: NVIDIA RTX 2060
- Price: Rs. 22,799
- Cores: 1920
- Base Clock: 1365 MHz
- Boost Clock: 1755 MHz
- Memory Clock: 1750 MHz
- Memory: 6GB GDDR6
For video editing, a GPU isn’t essential. You may also choose to skip out on this entirely and opt for a budget-end 1650 as well. While it won’t make a major difference, we have opted for an RTX 2060 as this build is optimized for editing in 4K and above. While a GTX 1660Ti is also a viable option, the recent price-drop in the RTX 2060 doesn’t justify getting the former. The RTX 2060 is an excellent mid-tier GPU overall and spending the twice the amount of money for a 2070 Super or an RX 5700 XT isn’t worthwhile.
Recommended Memory for Video Editing: G.SKILL Aegis Series 32GB (4x8GB) DDR4
- Price: Rs. 13,373
- Rated Speed: DDR4 2400
- Non-ECC
The G.SKILL Aegis is a quad-channel 32GB memory kit that comes in at a rated speed of 2400MHz. Having sufficient RAM is essential for a smooth editing experience. For 4K, it is recommended to get at least 16GB and preferably 32GB. The Aegis Series by G.SKILL offers great bang for the buck and is a great 32GB kit for the price.
Recommended Power Supply: Corsair CX850M
- Price: Rs. 8,836
- Cooling: 140mm Sleeve Bearing Fan
- Dimensions: 150mm x 86mm x 160mm
- Rated temperature: 30°C
- MTBF Rating: 100,000 hours
The Corsair CX850M offers excellent build-quality, is efficient and works reliably under higher temperatures. It also has a low noise output and comes included with a 5-year warranty. Overall it offers great value for money and will last you a long time.
CPU Cooler(Optional): Noctua NH-D15 SE-AM4
- Price: Rs. 7,399
While the included CPU cooler in the Wraith Prism should suffice for moderate overclocking, it is recommended to get a good CPU cooler given that we are using the Ryzen 9 3900X. Keep in mind that this is completely optional and you could save the extra cash to spend it on a pro subscription. However, I would personally recommend getting the NOCTUA NH-D15, as when it comes to conventional air coolers, NOCTUA makes some of the best in the PC Gaming segment.
Best Storage for Video Editing: GIGABYTE AORUS 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-Express 4.0 x4 and WD Blue 4TB
- Price: Rs. 24,300
- Interface: PCI-Express 4.0 x4, NVMe 1.3
- Sequential Read Speed: up to 5000 MB/s
- Sequential Write Speed: up to 4400 MB/s
- Endurance Rating: 3600 TBW
For Video Editing, you need to store your project files, software, source footage as well as the cache. While ideally, you should be storing everything onto an SSD, 4K footage can take up space really fast on your PC. Personally, I would recommend using an SSD for your OS and the Software while a fast HDD for storing your footage.
While SSD storage solutions in RAID 0 are available for >10TB of SSD storage, they are quite expensive and doesn’t make sense to invest in one unless you’re a big company. That said, there’s no harm in taking full advantage of PCIe 4.0 with the new Ryzen 3000 CPUs. We have opted for the 1TB Gigabyte Aorus M.2 NVMe drive that offers ridiculously fast storage without breaking your bank. To supplement this, we have also included a WD Blue 4TB HDD@5400 RPM for Rs. 8200
Recommended Case: Cooler Master MB511 RGB
- Price: Rs. 3,759
- Form Factor: Mid Tower
- Motherboard Support: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
- Dimensions: 496mm x 217mm x 469 mm
- Weight: 4 Kg
- Radiator Support: 120mm, 140mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm
- I/O Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, 1x Headphone/Mic
- Drive Bays: 2 x 3.5-inch HDD, 2 x 2.5-inch SSD
The MB511 RGB consists of 2 fan mounts on top and 3 on the front with plenty of mesh mounts for maximizing airflow. While it offers only one bundled fan, it offers best-in-class airflow and thermals, excellent cable-management, low operating volume and is one of the easiest cases to build in, resulting in a great mid-range case for the price.
Summary:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (Rs. 46,399)
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA RTX 2060 (Rs. 22,799)
- Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570 (Rs. 17,340)
- Memory: G.SKILL Aegis Series 32GB 4x8GB DDR4 (Rs. 13,373
- SSD: GIGABYTE AORUS 1TB M.2 2280 PCI-Express 4.0 x4 (Rs. 24,300)
- HDD: WD Blue 4TB (Rs. 8,200)
- Power supply: Corsair CX850M (Rs. 8,836)
- Case: Cooler Master MB511 (Rs. 3,759)
Summing up all the components, the total comes up to Rs. 1,45,006(without the CPU Cooler) and 1,52,405 with it included. Stay tuned for a more budget-oriented build or check out our other PC Builds.
Further Reading:
Under 70 k or 80 k video editing pc
We will be posting budget builds over the next week. Stay tuned