Hardware requirements for Editing

Shirou

Shirou

京平
So how good your PC needs to be to handle editing smoothly?

I have this desktop:
CPU: AMD Phenom X4 955 BE (3200MHz)
Chipset: AMD 870
GPU: AMD Radeon 6770, 1? GiB GDDR5
RAM: 8GiB DDR3
Storage: Samsung 830 128GB SSD, 1TB RAID 0 (2x500GB 7200 RPM HDDs)
Optical: 1x Liteon CDRW, 1x Liteon DVDRAM (iHAS 524 B and I don't have an XBOX lol!)
PSU and a few fans inside and some irrelevant hardware like LCD monitors (1920x1080 and 1280x1024) and keyboard.

I also have this Acer laptop:
CPU: Intel T4500 Dual Core (2300 MHz)
Chipset: Intel GL40
GPU: Whatever is inside the GL40
RAM: 6GiB DDR3
Storage: Samsung 160GB 5400RPM HDD
Optical: TSST DVDRAM
1366x768 15.6" LCD

Neither can handle editing smoothly. The preview runs fine but when I stop, there's a lag of a few seconds, sometimes when using the jog on the source edit window, the video gets choppy.
I normally copy the sources to the SSD to edit on the desktop and I didn't try on the laptop because it gets laggy too easily.

So is it possible to configure something, click the magic key or hack it in some way to make editing less laggy and painful?
I'm getting good read speed from the RAID and the SSD so I don't think the problem lies there, 8GB of RAM should be enough too. If a somehow "high end" 4 core processor can't handle HD editing, I don't know what should work better.
I already spent a bunch of money on upgrades, the SSD being the most expensive and nothing seems to run faster. I didn't notice too much difference between the SSD and the old notebook HDD I had in my PC.

If you want to know the story behind:
Yesterday I set up a challenge for myself, since I was being lazy and weren't editing anything I don't remember why.
The challenge was to make a vlog about whatever, edit it and upload it during the day, that last part being important because if I leave it for tomorrow it will never get done.

I tried to do it in my laptop at work and no-go. First it was impossible to play two videos at the same time, figured out how to DVXA and things started moving, then Premiere complained about some files having no video or audio stream (WTF?) so I waited until I got home.
At home things were running somehow smoothly then Premiere kept stalling when playing back the preview. Then the preview pane goot stuck and had to save, close everything and restart.
So I remembered why I didn't edit anything lately. Because it is painful.
Threw an all-nighter to just do that, edit whatever and upload. And I failed.
 
What software u using again (or did i miss it).
Ive used Adobe PremPro, Cyberlink PowerProd. old+newer vers. (THNX Nerb), WMM, couple more i cant remember. They were on a 'very old' (2Core) and now my 6y/old 'recycled' Pc (4core 4G).

I did notice on the Grandpa Pc, Lag/stutter when previewing. But ive still got a little using all the different programmes on a newer Pc. (Cyberlink seems to be the worst for 'Pause/time-out' between processes/etc)

I have allways wondered if i upgraded my hardware, would it Preview/etc. smoother.
My 'guess' is that, its the software itself not the hardware. Yeah sure better/faster/bigger Pc is allways better, but i think the software Not utilising the hardware efficiently, Is where the problem may be?


Just what ive noticed with my experiences.
> : )
 
Forgot to say, I'm using Premiere 5.5 just because I know how to and I have plenty of documentation on that program.
Something I noticed, premiere eats CPU for the preview, it does not accelerate video in the GPU and I don't know why it hangs for a few seconds when previewing.
 
Premier is a beast of an editor and likes lots of free ram, 8gig is ok but 16 is the minimum I would use with it when doing 1080p.

Also note Premiere 5 is a bit shit when it comes to VBR files so you may find that's what causing some of the problems with sound desyncing etc etc.

Try ram previewing if you are getting problems to see if that fixes the stutter (numpad enter).
 
Holy Shite!!
I guessed that Editing software might use a bit of Ram/CPU but 16G minimum - WOW

Ima DEFINATELY have to update later on?? My Pc only Quad 2.6G, 4GRam. Nvidia gtx6800.
Maybe i should keep using 380p until?? Ummmm, 4EVER!!!! lol

Hope u sort the problem.
Cheers
> : )
 
Dammit!. Premiere tops my CPU. RAM usage is always behind 4GiB and the SSD is tapping his virtual fingers on the table while waiting to be read.
Replacing the CPU means either trashing the entire computer and buying everything again OR buying a new rig just to edit.
Both options don't make any sense. I won't replace this computer, it has been hand picked to include most things I'll ever want or need. It even has a serial and parallel port.

This makes me really sad. First time I want to use my computer for a heavy task (I didn't even play games on this system) and it fails to deliver.

nxpo.jpg


--- Edit: Re sized picture. ---
 
more ram ... not 'minimum recommended' ... MORE!! .. find out how much ram your board/cpu can actually accept and still recognise ... save your $$ up .. buy it and load it in!! ...

you want SMOOTH ? ... load it!! ..

then make sure your software has permissions to utilise what it wants ...

dont use a USB2 cable in your SSD external? ... in my laptop i have a humble little seagate 1TB external SSD .. with its USB3 cable .. to start with i used an old usb2 piece... it makes a 'difference' ...

also ... loading vid from the Drift Ghost to the SSD .. if i hook the ghost into the USB port with the usb2 cable .. then use windows to transfer it across... 5Gb takes roughly 12 mins... 'out of the camera into the usb2 into the usb controller (i think) out to the usb3 cable and into the SSD' ... if i pull the microSD card out of the camera , plug it into the sd card 'adaptor' and slot that straight into the SD port on front of the laptop... same 5Gb takes about 2 mins! ..

just because you have bought and installed all 'this season' gear into the box .. wont do much unless you give it room to think/store in.. saying that .. memory is NOT ALWAYS the problem.... but lack of memory is OFTEN the problem ... and memory 'Reserved' for windows or other OS can also play havoc... so you may likely need more than enough for 'everyone to play in the same sandpit!!' ;)

now.... im out of date... i havent built a PC since Pentium 2's were the holy grail .. :roll: .... i dont like AMD!!!! .. but each to their own!! .. a few mates of mine use them all the time with no problem... just remember...IFyou bought and built the computer yourself .. but still on a budget for 'this season' ... you still have a budget deck!! ... no shame in that! .. however you cant automatically assume that NEW will give you the type of speed you see on the adverts on TV and movies !! .. those pricks on those adverts and movies LIE!!! :roll: :lol:

you probably know more than me about all this anyway... and if so .. then you know how RAM hungry all the software now is... and you also would know how SLOW the wrong era cable or connector can make data transfer... everything in the system gets backed up/buffer full because of it... or it used to .... <shrug>
 
Well, this board can support up to 16GiB of RAM but I already topped it up with what I had on hand the moment I bought the computer. It has 4 x 2GiB RAM "sticks", one in each slot. More ram means I need to replace all the cards I have with ones with higher density and since RAM prices went up it's not economical to do.
iv76.jpg


I normally transfer all my footage from the camera using the FCR in the front of my computer to an internal RAID, USB cable transfer from the camera is slooow. The RAID reads/writes at about 250MiB/s. Even being so fast, I make a folder and transfer all the media I'm going to edit in the SSD and work from there.
The only external I have is a 320GB SAMSUNG S2 and it's slooow because the USB2.0 speeds. 35MiB/s tops. I don't use that drive to edit.

Now, I noticed I have a Black Edition CPU, a overclocking friendly motherboard and a nice big CPU HSF kit, something that could give me a little more performance before replacing the entire PC.
Should I go ahead and overclock the components?
 
Maxing your RAM to the highest capacity your board support (making sure it's the correct speed for your FSB) should have a dramatic effect on your editing - but will not have any impact whatsoever on transfer speeds.
 
I have little to no delay or wait time except for encoding

I7 3770
24gb 1600 ram
2x120GB sata 3 mushkin ssd
1x2TB sata3 hdd for longer term storage
2xGTX480 video cards
1100watt psu

Works really well, you really don't need something super powerful nowadays.
 
After overclocking everything, the numbers spoke for themselves, every rating went higher and the delay was more manageable.
Today everything went crashy crashy so I had to reclock the RAM back to normal (1333MHz). I know it's the RAM because this CPU is known to overclock stable to 3900 MHz.

phildobaggins said:
I have little to no delay or wait time except for encoding

I7 3770
24gb 1600 ram
2x120GB sata 3 mushkin ssd
1x2TB sata3 hdd for longer term storage
2xGTX480 video cards
1100watt psu

Works really well, you really don't need something super powerful nowadays.
Click to expand...

I paid the same as you paid for one video card for half the PC I got here (CPU, GPU and RAM for About $380) and spending more is pointless since I barely use it for any demanding tasks.
What do you use all that RAM for?
 
I paid $180 per card new from newegg. This isn't dedicated to video production. I started recording rides like 2 weeks ago. I built this machine the day the 3rd gen I7's came out. It runs games/tons of VMs/GNS3/Video serves etc.. I have probably 2000-2300 in it including the monitor.
 
Ummm Shirou .... Buddy, mate, pal (hugs) :D

Just my viewpoint right this second .. And I mean it in the nicest friendliest way possible... :D

I may be reading between the lines incorrectly... And I am not attacking your 'deck' or your skill in putting it together...

But ...

You seem to be wanting primo top speed no lag computing/editing power .... On somewhat of a budget ... Then overclocking the existing equipment to attempt to gain the speed and power ... Oh and with overclocking the gear, you need to also increase your cooling capacity alarmingly .... Overclocking produces heat ... Too much heat produces instability in RAM/CPU/main board !!!

I would think/guess that the people that have over locked that board to 3900 MHz had some SERIOUS cooling going on in and around the casing ... (Over clockers are a bit like 4wd diehards, they deliberately take everything to the extreme , but to be extreme you need cutting edge equipment..... The over lockers usually just aim for the highest point ... 0.000013 faster than anyone else is kudos for them!) ...

Anyway .... In the modern days of 'instant everything' .... You/we/the world have a dilemma .... We are accustomed to having everything now Now NOW .....

Your initial post of equipment installed .... Even for my out of date headspace ... Seems quite reasonable!! ... And even a Very Good Platform .... However .... Compared to 'heavy hitter' gaming/commercial editing/data crunching power platforms ... It is on the 'light' side of things.....

So .... As I see it ... The main factor is you want Ferrari performance (maybe even Bugatti veyron or Pagani Huyara ? ) ... On a BMW budget ...... Bmw's are great value ... And can be wound up to some serious performance figures ...

So it is with computers ....

My 2 year old intel laptop at work ... That I do my 'editing' on .... I know what kind of demands I place on it with what I want to edit and run at the same time .... The little case fan starts blasting away at top speed every time I process/save a video!! And the air coming out of the vent is HOT , which tells me the computer is running near capacity .. And it takes time.... So I wander off to do something or browse the web while it does so....

You do have a good system there .... What you need is to appreciate what it CAN do .... And not focus on what it cannot do!! ... :)

You want 'instant hyper speed' action .... Then pull out your credit card and go grab the HEAVY gear .... Or ... At least jam as much RAM (good ram not budget ram .. Yes it can make a difference) into the board as possible .... If your video card also has changeable ram slots then max that thing also!! ... Save up for it if you have to .... Just keep in mind ..

Economy and Speed .... Just like on your bike ... Are at the opposite ends of the scale!

(More hugs) 8-) :ugeek:
 
Hahaha, this is just me not accepting that my computer is old. I bought and built this thing piece by piece on a moment that I wasn't into much of a budget but bought the better performing parts for the money in that time. Buying anything cheaper had a hit on performance and to get more performance the price got 2x up for a 10% boost.
It made sense in the days (Mid 2011). I only regret not using it for what it was built for (games). Never got enough guilt-free time to enjoy some crysis or Dirt. I even got Dirt 3 for free with the GPU card and played 2 hours only.

Now, I'm surprised that the latest CPU only deliver just a little more performance than the processor that was popular at the time. Months after I built this system, the popular processor was the i5 2500k and it's still the best bang for buck. I see it being recommended for new builds because newer processors aren't giving enough power for the money.

I'm researching to assemble a mITX machine with intel and no discrete GPU (not enough space on ITX case).
 
If you want to up your editing performance in Premiere like others have said more ram is a must, its a ram hog, also adding a SSD (solid state drive) will do WONDERS for your preview, playback, load times and encoding. Another highly recommended upgrade is adding a Nvidia GPU to take advantage of CUDA support in premiere this will use the GPU to do most of the heavy lifting many times faster than your CPU can, major increases in load times, render times, applying effects and more.
 
I edit all my videos on my iPad. Even though it only has 1 GB of ram, its still very fluent. For basic motovlog stuff, its great.
 
(sry sounds like something everyone should know but i didn t and was so happy to learn this)

when using premiere i also recommend to turn the resolution of that preview window down to 1/4. which means that the vid resolution won t change 1 bit but it makes editing so much easier!
 
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