Do You Need a Dedicated GPU for Video Editing in 2024?

We’re surrounded by multimedia, It’s everywhere. Videography is one of the main component of it. We can’t imagine our modern era, without video. From short form videos like, Youtube-shorts, Instagram-reels, to polished movie production, the demand of edited video is undeniable. It has almost become a medium of universal communication and entertainment. Also tools like, Filmora, Premiere pro, Da-Vinci, has became more accessible.

Now a popular question arises, among the aspiring video editors, whether they should consider a dedicated GPU for video editing in 2024 or not. Well to be honest, the answer differs from user to user. It basically depends on your need. While the iGPUs (integrated GPU), has shown a significant improvement over the years, They might still not be enough for smooth, professional-level video editing experience.

The Role of a Dedicated GPU in Video Editing

Okay, first of all, let’s discuss, what you can expect from a dedicated GPU, means the role of a dedicated GPU for video editing.

• Fast Preview Rendering: After making every changes in editing, analyzing the preview is very crucial. So having a dedicated GPU, will help generating smooth, real-time playback of your project. It’ll show you the edits and effects instantly, without any lag.
• Applying Effects & Transitions: Blurring, Color grading, fancy transitions are essential part of edits. Your dedicated GPU boost up the time taken to appear them in the preview.
• Encoding & Exporting video: The final step of the video editing, is to compress your final result in a usable format. It’s a very GPU intensive task. A dedicated GPU always excels here, compared to the iGPUs.
• Color grading: Fine tuning colors, is a very difficult task, it requires complex calculations, done by the CUDA cores of a dedicated GPU.
• Hardware Acceleration: Modern editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe After Effects, uses GPU’s power for faster results. Features like AI-powered noise reduction or object removal, often heavily rely on the dedicated GPU.

Dedicated GPU or integrated GPU?

Now let’s find out what’s our priority. I’ve divided the video editors two category.

• Beginner level: Are you a basic editor? like occasionally you edit, some clips, like trimming, using 2-3 layers, adding a audio track. Then you don’t need any dedicated GPU or any premium software. The basic windows movie maker is sufficient for you.
• Intermediate level: Now if you’re a content creator, and have to edit short-medium length (15-20 min) videos(1080p) regularly, or just say you edit short clips, then basic video editing software like Filmora, Capcut is sufficient for you. If you’ve a latest gen CPU (10th Gen or newer) then also you don’t need any dedicated GPU. Although a basic level GPU like GTX 1650 will, do the work a little faster.
• Advanced level: Now if you’re a professional video editor or VFX artist who works with professional cameras, single or multiple long timelines with multiple high-resolution(4K-8K) footage with countless demanding effects, then a dedicated GPU is must for you.

So if you’re a beginner or intermediate level video editor then having the iGPU is enough for you, but try to consider a good CPU. For intermediate level video editors, a basic entry level GPU like GTX 1650 is good, but it’s optional. For Advanced level video editors, a minimum 4GB dedicated GPU is must.

Basic vs Advanced level video editing

Now that I’ve addressed the criteria for different level of video editing, let’s simplify it. Filmora is a basic video editing software, and very easy to use. On the other side Adobe Premiere Pro is on the advanced side of video editing. It has more complex functionality, and difficult to use. Now let’s compare the hardware requirement for both these software.

Filmora 13 System Requirement

As you can see a basic PC or laptop is sufficient to run Filmora 13 (Latest Gen). Although if you’re going to edit 4K videos then a 4GB Dedicated GPU is recommended.

For detailed info on system requirements, check on official site of Filmora.

Adobe Premiere Pro (24.0, 24.1 and 24.2.) System Requirement

As we’ve discussed Adobe Premiere Pro is a bit complex software, and need higher specifications. You at-least need a Geforce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6 graphics card. Although Geforce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 become an ideal choice for this.

Also read Best Laptop For Video Editing Under 70000.

Adobe Premiere Pro for Advanced Video Editors

Now let’s discuss, about the advanced video editors. If you’re a professional video editor, works with multiple high resolution timelines(4K or higher) and use countless effects and transitions, then having a high end GPU is very necessary.

Also for a couple of years now (Since v14.2), Adobe Premiere Pro is offering some particular benefits to modern GPUs. It’s mostly reflected on a GPU accelerated effects. Since v14.2 Adobe a added the support of GPU based hardware acceleration, in encoding(exporting) to H.264/H.265, which reduces the export time up to 1/5^th.

Now beside having a powerful GPU, VRAM also matters. It greatly impacts your performance, it generally varies according to the length and complexity of your video. Check out the below table for better understanding.

Also read Best Graphics Card Under 20000.

Now there are two types of GPU available in the market. Which one you should choose? According to the Pudget Systems, NVIDIA GeForce/Quadro card consistently shows better performance than a AMD card at comparable price. So for video editing, NVIDIA cards are recommended.

For detailed info on hardware recommendation, you can read Pudget Systems article on this.

Conclusion

So in this article we’ve answered the question, whether you need a dedicated GPU for video editing in 2024, The answer is no, for beginner level video editors, a small yes for intermediate level and a big, big yes for advanced level or professional video editors. If you’ve any further query, feel free to ask me in the comment. Thank you for reading this article, see you in the next one.

FAQ

1. I’m a beginner. Can I edit videos without a dedicated GPU?

• It depends. If you’re starting with very basic editing software, simple cuts, and low-resolution video, you might be okay with the iGPU. However, expect some slowdowns and limitations with effects and smooth playback. Investing in a GPU will significantly improve your experience.

2. What’s the difference between integrated (iGPU) and dedicated GPUs for video editing?

• Integrated GPUs share system memory with your CPU, while dedicated GPUs have their own memory (VRAM). Dedicated GPUs are specifically designed for graphics intensive tasks, delivering faster rendering, smoother previews, and enhanced effects handling.

3. I work with 4K footage. Is a dedicated GPU essential?

• A big Yes, a dedicated GPU is highly recommended for 4K editing. Large file sizes demand a more powerful graphics processor with large VRAM(At least 4GB) to maintain smooth playback, apply effects, and manage color grading without facing any lag.

4. Will a dedicated GPU speed up my video exports?

• Absolutely! Dedicated GPUs often dramatically decrease the time it takes to compress and export your final project, especially with high-resolution and effects-heavy videos.

5. Are there any downsides to not having a dedicated GPU for video editing?

• Yes, several. Expect slower performance, sluggish previews, longer render and export times, limitations with complex effects, and potential software incompatibility with newer GPU-enhanced features.