Video Editing Computer CPU:
Upgrading? Here's What You Need to Know
Okay...So you want to upgrade your video editing computer CPU... How do you choose the right one…?
Here are some tips…!
Alright…You’ve been slowly collecting all the information you need for the editing computer that you’re going to upgrade or buy soon. You’re aiming for a system as state-of-the-art as you’re budget will allow... The only problem is that you’re very unsettled as to what processor should be running this dream machine. Now the big question... For video capture and video editing, which processor (CPU) is the most efficient?
The First Thing to Figure out... How Much Computer Power You Really Need?
How much computing power will it take to really run your applications, programs and operating system efficiently? It is very important to figure out what applications, programs and operating system you will run on your video editing computer and their real performance requirements before choosing your processor.
Processors of different cores perform differently according to the application and operating system.
Do your homework on the specs for what you will be running on your video editing computer!
What Is CPU Hyper-Threading and Hyper-Transport?
Hyper-Threading is an Intel technology and is helpful when running multi-threaded applications or multiple tasks simultaneously. Hyper-Threading enables multi-threaded software applications to execute two software threads in parallel on a single processor execution core, thereby improving system responsiveness.
AMD processors utilize Hyper-Transport technology for communications between the processor and the chipset. Hyper-Transport is a high-speed, low latency, point-to-point link designed to increase the communication speed between integrated circuits in computers.
Do You Need 64-Bit Support?
When we talk about 32-bit or 64-bit computing we mean the number of binary digits (bits) that can be processed or transmitted in parallel by the computer's operating system.
This in particular pertains to the number of bits used to represent memory addresses in your computer physical or virtual memory. For example: A 32-bit computer means that its data registers, located in the computer physical or virtual memory, are 32 bits wide, or in other words, that it uses 32 bits to identify each address in memory.
The higher the bit count... The faster data can be moved or retrieved from the computer's physical or virtual memory.
AMD and Intel CPUs now bring 64-bit computing to desktop PC processors. They are both designed to enable simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing and improve performance by allowing the system to address and use more than 4 GB of physical memory (RAM). For video editing 64-bit is the way to go!
How Much Overall Power Does Your Computer Need to Run Everything?
Performance is definitely not the only requirement to consider in buying an editing computer.
Power consumption and heat dissipation are both currently very serious problems and deserve extra attention. Check to ensure that the computer's power supply is powerful enough to meet all power requirements and that the computer case has plenty of air circulation.
Editing computers must have enough power to run all the hardware components being used by the computer while the video is being processed. Without enough power your video editing can be slowed to a crawl and mysterious computer crashes can occur.
Heat Is Always a Problem... Will Your Cooling Devices Be Sufficient?
With so much power consumption by the newer high-end CPU's... heat dissipation is a critical problem for today's processors... Thermal power requirements for the most powerful processors can go beyond 100+ watts... bringing along with it...
- Undesirably high temperatures
- Instability and
- Reduced CPU service life.
Generally speaking...
The stock CPU cooler included with the boxed processor is capable of dissipating the heat generated by the processor. However, this may be insufficient in a variety of scenarios, for example, when ambient temperatures are very high and heat dissipation becomes more challenging for the cooler.
The problem is even more serious for those who "overclock " their processors. In these cases, a powerful CPU cooling device is recommended.
Retail CPUs Versus OEM CPUs…
There are two types of packaging often seen in the retail
market... they are…
- Boxed (Retail).
And...
- Tray (OEM or Original Equipment Manufacturer).
A Tip for Budget and Entry-Level Users…
If your video editing software's computing requirements are not very high... Or your budget is somewhat tight... A budget processor may be all that you need to get you started editing!
The boxed version is for the retail market with a processor and normally a CPU cooler included.
The OEM package, which is often cheaper, usually contains only a processor.
They were originally sold to a PC manufacturer by the tray full and if the computer manufacturer can't use them they will turnaround and resell them to consumers at a discounted price to get them out of their stock.
If you want to be sure that you get a quality component...
The boxed (Retail) processors are the way to go and they also usually have better and longer warranties.
If you're on a budget however… The OEM package may work out better for you but... just remember that... if you have any problems with the CPU you have to take it up with the PC manufacturer as the processor manufacturer will usually not warranty them.
The Video Editing Computer CPU… Do You Have Price and Budget Concerns?
Price is always an important factor to consider regardless of what type of CPU you are buying.
Finding a good price vs. performance balance is usually the best way to choose a processor for most users. As a matter of course, processors with higher clock speeds typically cost more.
Choose the general type of processor series first... based on your own applications and requirements... Then consider your budget when deciding what clock speed to get.
There is no shame in having the "second-fastest" video editing computer... If... the cost savings allow you to actually buy a computer and start editing...!
