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Like many people, I had been holding out for the new Macbook Pro, but like many people I'm now looking for alternatives.
In trying to understand what I will need from a PC, the first hurdle I've come across is understanding the different requirements for video editing and 2D graphics work.
What are the differences in a PC with hardware optimised for video editing and a PC with hardware optimised for 2D graphics work?
Undistraction
Posted 2016-10-29T22:10:52.670
Reputation: 121
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I make it short now but I'll add reasons for my points later.
For video editing you need:
much storage (considering raw 4K files)
fast storage (goes without saying, improves speed when scrubbing)
depending on the codec and program you use: a good GPU (just a normal one, doesn't need to be an enterprise Quadro) or a pretty beefy CPU with as many cores as possible (those help to speed up de- and encoding, although a good CPU with easy to achieve and high overclock coupled with water-cooling can be more effective)
when working with multiple layers and nested projects, a good amount of RAM doesn't hurt as well.
For 2D graphics (I assume Photoshop) you need:
A good CPU, not the most expensive one just a normal consumer grade CPU (i5 or similar), integrated GPU is nice as well
A lot of RAM (everything is held in raw images / bitmaps, this takes a bunch of RAM)
You see, video editing is way more demanding than image editing and every normal PC you can buy handles normal image editing just fine, the more complex projects grow, the more horsepower (CPU power) and RAM you need.
For videos, a big SSD improves everything: from scrubbing times to saving caches. Don't fear to transcode your videos to a format better suited for editing (LinusTechTips did a video about their transcoding server). Those files take up a lot of space but it's worth it.
GiantTree
Posted 2016-10-29T22:10:52.670
Reputation: 828
Can you be more specific. Nearly every PC on the market sold today can handle some level of video editing and 2D graphics work. If you want to process an hour long video into 4k in an hour, requires different hardware then modifying a 4k 2D image file with Photoshop. – Ramhound – 2016-10-29T23:33:47.370
You're asking me to answer the question I'm asking. I know there are differences - I'm interested in what makes a PC better for video vs what makes a PC better for comping in Photoshop. As far as I understand it the hardware I would choose for one is different than the hardware I would choose for the other. I am trying to understand the difference. – Undistraction – 2016-10-30T00:16:49.097
I guess my point is your making an incorrect assumption that your current hardware isn't good enough for your goals – Ramhound – 2016-10-30T01:17:11.763
I know my current hardware isn't good enough. How? Through using it. – Undistraction – 2016-10-30T08:00:58.773