Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could also use your gaming PC for video editing? You would no longer need to buy a separate gaming PC for video editing and gaming.
Modern technology has progressed quite rapidly, and therefore today, many manufacturers claim to have made gaming PCs that can be used for video editing. Let’s find out if this claim is valid or just another marketing fad.
Gaming PCs are indeed good for video editing. A PC branded as “gaming” can also make for a very good video editing PC in most instances.
Typically gaming PCs have fast CPUs, ample RAM, and a dedicated graphics card. The requirement for video editing is almost similar to gaming since they both involve rendering graphics. Therefore, gaming PCs are also suitable for video editing purposes.
Still, it would be best to keep checks and balances to ensure that the gaming PC you want to get is a good video editing PC.
So, without further ado, let’s see what those checks and balances are.
What Makes Gaming PCs Good for Video Editing?
The “gaming” oriented PCs are made by keeping the needs of power users in mind; therefore, they have fast processors with a lot of cores. A higher core count processor is beneficial because it can quickly and efficiently perform demanding actions.
Gaming PCs also come with higher capacity RAM than office PCs. Typically they will feature anywhere from 8-16GB RAM because games require the said amount of RAM to function optimally.
A graphics card is a very vital part of a gaming PC. This component is responsible for rendering the graphics of games; hence no gaming PC is complete without one.
It just so happens that these three attributes that are needed for gaming also bode well for video editing.
Factors to Consider Before Buying a Gaming PC for Video Editing
Despite sharing some common characteristics, you need to keep a few fundamental aspects in mind because not every gaming PC may have the suitable traits you need for video editing.
Although the difference may not be much, even a subtle difference can significantly influence the end-user experience.
1. Higher RAM Capacity
Mostly, gaming PCs may have RAM up to 16GB. 16GB RAM may work for video editing, but only if you plan to edit smaller files in low resolution.
For optimal workflow, the ideal RAM capacity sits between 24GB and 32GB, with 32GB being perfect for 4K editing.
Therefore, before buying a gaming PC, you have to make sure that it has at least 24GB of RAM. If not, keep some money aside to add more RAM to the PC.
2. Higher Core and Thread Processor
The higher the core count of your processor will be, the faster you will be able to render videos after editing them. The core and thread count are listed in the processor specs. Don’t worry; it is not in the fine print, so you won’t have any trouble finding it.
You should get a processor with at least 8 cores and 16 threads for video editing. If you can manage to snag a PC with an AMD processor, it will be better for video editing than an Intel-powered one.
A Ryzen 7 5800x would be your entry point, but the Intel i7 12700kf will also suffice. A Ryzen 9 5900x, however, will be ideal and best suited for any video editing.
3. Faster SSDs
Many people negate the effect that a faster storage drive can have on workflow. To put it simply, SSDs are criminally underrated for video editing, and you should definitely get a PC that has one.
SSDs are pretty fast compared to traditional Hard Disks; therefore can speed up your entire workflow. Editing on SSDs will be much smoother and less jarring.
4. Nvidia Graphics Card
Nvidia graphics cards are very beneficial for video editing, especially the latest RTX 3000 series graphics card from Nvidia. These graphics cards can significantly increase the efficiency of your workflow.
This is because the common video editing software like Adobe Premiere is optimized for Nvidia graphics cards and takes advantage of their much better power than a Radeon graphics card.
Therefore, look for a gaming PC that has an Nvidia graphics card.
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Conclusion
To conclude, if you are keen on buying a gaming PC for video editing, the PC should look like this:
| RAM | 24GB or higher |
| CPU | 8 core 16 thread or higher |
| Storage | SSD drive |
| Graphics card | Nvidia RTX 3000 series graphics card |
If you find a gaming PC with these specifications, then you are good to go because this PC will be able to handle even the most demanding video editing.
Before I sign off, do let me know in the comment section which sort of video editing you want to do so that I can give you a more personalized suggestion if need be.
