Best Computer for Video Editing

What Is the Best Computer for Video Editing?

The choice of professional video editing computer may be a real challenge. Many old PCs don’t support video editing, while newer models can work only with the simplest softwares.

So, look closer at projects you are going to create before choosing your video editing PC. If you need to do just simple manipulations with the help of free software like Movie Maker or iMovie, then many new computers will suit you. But, opt for the PC, which ensures impressive video processing power and memory, in case you intend to edit clips or movies using more advanced video editing softwares.

Best Computer for Video Editing

Look through the following professional and affordable computers that will work good and for a long time.

1. Apple iMac

Specs: 27" 5K Retina (5120 x 2880) | Intel Core i5-7500 4-Core 3.40GHz | AMD Radeon Pro 570 4 GB | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB Fusion Drive | macOS Mojave.

This Mac for video editing offers good performance, but the screen is somehow better than anything else. Apple intensifies competition by providing a very good display. In addition, iMac is good for work with 1080P and basic 4K footage. It has 1TB of hybrid data storage, so if you are a Mac fan and want to get a stunning screen, it will satisfy your expectations.

2. iBUYPOWER Elite

Specs: AMD Ryzen 7 1800X 8-Core 16-Thread 3.6 GHz | AMD Radeon RX 580 4GB |16GB DDR4 RAM |120GB SSD + 1TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

iBUYPOWER is a good video editing computer. It has a good processor, faster DDR4 RAM, a sufficient SSD for the operating system and installed programs. It also features a fantastic Radeon RX 580 graphics card.

This is a nice selection for 4K video editing, but if you are a professional, you might want to invest in something more powerful with a better processor.

• You need a good monitor for video editing that offers a 4k resolution, color clarity, and a host of other features that will take your video editing at the professional level.

3. SkyTech ArchAngel

Specs: AMD FX-6300 6-Core 3.50GHz | NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti 4GB | 8GB DDR3 RAM | 1TB HDD | Windows 10 Pro.

Don’t judge by the price. It may seem to be quite low, but still, this is a great video editing PC with a decent processor and reliable graphics card. The computer offers video editing in 1080P format and possibilities to create visual effects using software such as After Effects.

Although you may want more RAM, and the processor is not the best, it is enough for more than one program. In addition, this computer with one HHD disk may not be as fast as others, but 1TB will be enough. All in all, this is a great PC for such a price.

• View more computers for photo editing in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

4. Eluktronics CURVED 34

Specs: 34" WQHD LED (3440x1440) | Intel Core i7-7700K 4-Core 8-Thread 4.20GHz | NVIDIA GTX 1080 8GB | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB SSD PCIe + 2TB HDD | Windows 10 Pro.

This video editing computer may be one of the most expensive in my list, but compared to iMac, price-performance ratio is not so bad. In addition, the technical specifications deserve special attention, with a fast i7-7700K processor, a solid amount of RAM and a GTX 1080 video card. It cannot display 4K video. However, more and more people like to shoot in the 21: 9 format and the display offers a brilliant reproduction of such movies. From a video editing point of view, this is the device for those, who love a specific screen format.

5. CyberPowerPC Supreme

Specs: Intel Core i7-7700K 4-Core 8-Thread 4.20GHz | NVIDIA GTX 1070 8GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 120GB SSD + 2TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

This CyberPowerPC boasts of superior performance for such an impressive price. It features 8 streaming cores with a high-frequency processor, a GTX 1070 graphics card, a 120 GB fast hard drive, and a large HDD. It can cope with any video. Plus, it will work well with visual effects. However, if this is your professional computer, you can spend more on the GTX 1080 video card. But it’s up to you to decide. This PC for video editing is awesome because there are no such tasks that it cannot handle. The only disadvantage is its high price.

6. HP Workstation Z2 Mini G3

Specs: Intel Xeon Quad Core E3-1225v5 4-Core 3.30GHz | NVIDIA Quadro M620 2GB | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD | Windows 10 Pro.

HP's Z2 Mini G3 is really small, and you won’t believe how compact it is until you look at it. For companies and individuals, who may need the best PC for video editing and a powerful workstation with minimal use of space, that is a good choice. The hardware specifications include a 4-core Intel Xeon E3 processor with a whopping 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD. The RAM capacity may be surprising, but professional video-audio editors can easily consume all of this. This computer is a great choice for vlog video editing.

7. Lenovo ThinkStation P320

Specs: Intel Core i7-7700Т 4-Core 8-Thread 2.90GHz | NVIDIA Quadro P600 2GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Pro.

At first glance, Lenovo ThinkStation may look more like a console, but the power it provides will surprise you. The thin chassis has a quad-core Intel Core i7 7700T processor with a clock frequency of 2.9 GHz, which can go up to 3.80 GHz. It is often called one of the best computers for video editing thanks to its a 2 GB Nvidia Quadro P600 graphics card, which, in combination with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD, meets your memory requirements. Minimal case size may not allow you to upgrade existing components easily. However, it is good, especially if you are looking for a compact device.

8. Dell Inspiron 5675

Specs: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 4-Core 8-Thread 3.20GHz | AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB | 8GB DDR4 RAM | 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

Dell Inspiron 5675 has 8 GB of RAM with 128 GB SSD and 1TB hard disk, providing enough space to store all your files. This PC for video editing is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 1400 which has 4 cores and can go up to 3.4 GHz. AMD Radeon RX 570 graphics card with VR support is ideal for necessary manipulations with movies. Finally, the price is quite affordable for most buyers.

9. Lenovo IdeaCentre 720

Specs: Intel Core i7-7700 4-Core 8-Thread 3.60GHz | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB | 12GB DDR4 RAM | 128GB SSD + 1 TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

Lenovo IdeaCentre 720 18L is a multi-purpose video editing desktop that can be used for both games and clips editing. The PC has an Intel Core i7 processor, 12 GB of RAM, 1TB hard disk and a 128 GB solid-state drive. IdeaCentre 720 runs on the Nvidia entry-level GTX 1050Ti video card. It is capable of editing movies in 1080p resolution. However, it is not the best model for video post production but still a more economical option with steady performance.

10. Apple iMac Pro

Specs: 27" 5K Retina (5120 x 2880) | Intel Xeon W-2140B 8-Core 16-Thread 3.20GHz | AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 with 8GB of HBM2 memory | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1TB SSD | MacOS.

Apple laptops and computers are commonly used in the world of video production, so you won’t slip up picking iMac. Nonetheless, it is rather complicated to select the best computer for video editing because everything depends on your budget and the level of performance you need. iMac has not been updated for a long time, so our best choice for maximum performance is iMac Pro.

With iMac Pro, you get at least 32 GB of RAM and it is possible to increase it to 128 GB in a more advanced model. You get modern video cards starting with the Radeon Pro Vega 56 by default (8 GB of HBM2 memory). It's not cheap, but if you are looking for high-speed video editing, this device is a perfect choice.

11. Dell XPS 7760

Specs: 27" 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) | Intel Core i7-7700 4-Core 8-Thread 3.60GHz | AMD Radeon RX 570 4GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB SSD M.2 | Windows 10 Home.

This computer comes with a good 27-inch 4K Ultra HD touchscreen display and a set of six speakers. This makes it an ideal platform for watching and listening to what you are doing. Dell XPS 7760 demonstrates excellent results in comparison with other presented models, no doubt thanks to the fast 3.6 GHz Intel Core i7-7700 processor. The AMD Radeon RX 570 video card makes 4K video post-processing smoother. The first-class sound and nice design can impress you.

12. HP Envy 27

Specs: 27" 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) | Intel Core i7-8700T 6-Core 12-Thread 2.40GHz | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB SSD+2TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

HP Envy 27 is the perfect PC for working with the 1080p format. It has a solid body which looks nice. Also, it includes an impressive set of hardware features, a mid-level sound bar, SSD boot drives, and sufficient HDD. In addition, the assessment of the image quality on the screen is reduced due to distracting glare.

Taking into the account the hardware specifications, performance and competitive price, this video editing desktop is good for anyone who is looking for an all-in-one computer. It can be an ideal PC for everyday tasks in one convenient packaging. When choosing equipment, it is worth considering that it may not be possible to upgrade to other components.

13. HP Omen 870

Specs: Intel Core i7-7700 4-Core 8-Thread 3.60GHz | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 256GB SSD+1TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

HP Omen 870 is a budget video editing PC. It boasts good processor performance and RAM, fast SSD-drive as well as powerful GTX 1070 8G video card. Although, for some professionals, 1 TB may not be enough, but for most people, this space is sufficient to store a lot of footage. This video editing computer is capable to work with 1080p and perform easy tasks with 4K. This is a great solution for those who want a very powerful desktop at a good price and do not want to adjust the parameters anymore.

14. Corsair One Pro

Specs: Intel Core i7-8700K 6-Core 12-Thread 3.70GHz | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB | 16GB DDR4 RAM | 480GB SSD+2TB HDD | Windows 10 Home.

This is a very powerful, quiet and nicely designed PC for video editing. Due to the first-class Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, it will work with the latest software very fast. It has large and fast 480GB SSD and a capacious HDD that provides enough space for storing your content. This computer for video editing will easily cope with the 4K format post-processing, but there is not enough RAM for making the video smooth. It is quite expensive, but the design, assembly and technologies, that are incorporated in it, justify this.

15. Microsoft Surface Studio 2

Specs: 28" (4500 x 3000) PixelSense | Intel Core i7- 7820HQ 4-Core 8-Thread 2.90GHz | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 8GB | 32GB DDR4 RAM | 1 ТB SSD (PCIe) | Windows 10 Pro.

Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is a nice-looking, expensive, universal computer for video post-processing and working with graphics. It has a really great monitor. The power of the processor, a large amount of RAM, a powerful video card as well as a very fast and capacious SSD will be enough to work with 1080p and 4K.

For faster reproduction of video content in 4K, the processor may not be enough, as a powerful, but still, mobile CPU is installed. This is a very expensive professional video editing computer suitable for experts who work with video and graphics and prefer drawing with the improved Surface Pen.

List of 15 Best Computers for Video Editing

Image	NAME	DETAILS
	Apple iMac OUR CHOICE	Intel Core i5-7500 8GB DDR4 RAM 1TB Fusion Drive	Check PRICE →
	iBUYPOWER Elite	AMD Ryzen 7 1800X 16GB DDR4 RAM 120GB SSD + 1TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	SkyTech ArchAngel BUDGET	AMD FX-6300 6-Core 3.50GHz 8GB DDR3 RAM 1TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	Eluktronics CURVED 34 BEST AIO	Intel Core i7-7700K 32GB DDR4 RAM 1TB SSD PCIe + 2TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	CyberPowerPC Gamer Supreme FOR 4K	Intel Core i7-7700K 16GB DDR4 RAM 120GB SSD + 2TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	Lenovo ThinkStation P320 FOR PROFESSIONAL	Intel Core i7-7700Т 16GB DDR4 RAM 512GB PCIe SSD	Check PRICE →
	Dell Inspiron 5675 FOR BEGINNERS	AMD Ryzen 5 1400 8GB DDR4 RAM 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	Lenovo IdeaCentre 720	Intel Core i7-7700 12GB DDR4 RAM 128GB SSD + 1 TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	HP Workstation Z2 Mini G3	Intel Xeon Quad Core E3-1225v5 32GB DDR4 RAM 512GB SSD	Check PRICE →
	Apple iMac Pro	Intel Xeon W-2140B 32GB DDR4 RAM 1TB SSD	Check PRICE →
	Dell XPS 7760	Intel Core i7-7700 16GB DDR4 RAM 512GB SSD M.2	Check PRICE →
	HP Envy 27	Intel Core i7-8700T 16GB DDR4 RAM 256GB SSD+2TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	HP Omen 870	Intel Core i7-7700 16GB DDR4 RAM 256GB SSD+1TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	Corsair One Pro	Intel Core i7-8700K 16GB DDR4 RAM 480GB SSD+2TB HDD	Check PRICE →
	Microsoft Surface Studio 2	Intel Core i7- 7820HQ 32GB DDR4 RAM 1 ТB SSD (PCIe)	Check PRICE →

How to Choose a Computer for Video Editing?

Fast and high-quality work with large projects requires high-performance equipment. When editing 4K video, you will need something more powerful than a regular assembled PC or workstation laptop. Assembling your own computer for video editing and multimedia and carefully selecting each component according to your needs, it is easy to achieve maximum performance. To do this, consider all the following components.

1. CPU – Central Processing

The processor is the main basis for video editing computers and budget gaming laptops. The amount and speed of the processor core determine how fast you can perform video editing tasks. The more cores the processor has, the more advantages for the user: faster preview creation, faster files encoding into playable formats, better responsiveness when running several programs.

• Quad-core processor is optimal for 1080p encoding.
• Six-core processor is optimal for 4K encoding.
• Quad-core processor is optimal for 1080p preview.
• 6-8-core processor is optimal for 4K preview.

Frequency is also a determining factor for computer speed. For Adobe Premiere Pro, it is better to use 8-12 logical cores and clock speed above 3.0 GHz. Therefore, Intel Core i7-8700K (12- logical cores, 3.7 GHz) is a popular processor for professional video editing workstations.

2. GPU – Graphics Processing

A graphics card is a less important component when it comes to video editing and other creative work with most software. The exception is DaVinci Resolve. If you plan to edit with Resolve, it is necessary to have a powerful graphics card, since this software runs mainly on the GPU, not on the CPU. It is better to avoid using integrated graphics processors when assembling your desktop computer or laptops for streaming Twitch. Look for dedicated graphics processors, as they have their own VRAM. This is a necessary part of the assembly since it works only with video material.

3. RAM – Random Access Memory

The next thing you should take into the account is RAM. Don't be surprised to learn that the more RAM is, the easier video editing process will be. If you are editing video in a format less than 1080p, I recommend 8 GB at least. For 1080p and 4K, I recommend no less than 16 GB. In both cases, the more RAM your OC has, the better it performs. Although the priority is lower than that of a good processor and a decent video card.

4. Storage – HDD or SDD drives

Picking the best computers for video editing, I recommend relying on SSD drives, not on HDD drives. The same is relevant if you are looking for the best laptops for animation. The point is that SSD drives offer much better performance than HDD drives. While editing 4K or 1080p videos, frame skipping may appear on hard disks. The best choice is a combination of a small fast SSD with one or several large-capacity HDD drives for local data storage. The most common type of storage is a hard drive. Hard drives are great for archiving and backing up large data that you don’t need to access constantly. But it is better using the HDD as an active working device for your projects.

5. Motherboard

A motherboard is a central element of the desktop that connects everything together. Once you have chosen the processor, you will need to find a motherboard with a compatible connector, which means that the connector on the motherboard matches the connector for the CPU. For example, the latest Intel i3, i5, i7 and some i9 chips use an LGA 1151 connector, so you need a compatible LGA 1151 motherboard. The specifications of the motherboard itself will not affect the PC performance while working on the video post-processing, if it allows using a processor, RAM, SSD and other components. When it comes to the sound, modern motherboards often have very good integrated sound. If you need better sound quality, it is more difficult, but a sound card can help. For instance, such sound cards as Sound Blaster Z or ASUS Essence STX II are pretty decent.

6. CPU Cooler

The case of your video editing PC will have its own fans, but each processor will need its own fan or water-cooling system. A fan is the cheapest option, but water cooling will allow you to overclock your processor if you want to go deep into it. As an example, Noctua NH-D15.

There are two types of processor coolers. An air cooler connects a large metal radiator with a massive fan to remove warm air from the processor. The liquid cooling system, often called AIO liquid cooler or all-in-one, directs the coolant in a cycle from your processor to your fans to remove heat from the chassis.

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more