Optimizing Your Computer For Video Editing
Start
With the Latest System
Video editing requires requires ample computing power. Ideally, you
should start with a Pentium 4 or an Athlon XP.
Most
of them come with with a CPU speed of 2GHz and above RAM of 256-512MB
and Video RAM of 64 to 128 MB, hard disk of more than 80G spinning at a
minimum of 7200 rpm, ready for the demands of digital video processing.
All you have to do is install a video capture card and you can get going.
System Requirements
Always check your computer specifications against the
system requirements of your preferred video editing software
and capture card.
The manufacturers will make you believe that even a Pentium 2 with a low RAM would suffice to get you started. But these are the minimum system requirements.
Look out for the
recommended system requirements and you may be advised to use a Pentium
III or better.
However, if you have a Pentium II MMX or AMD K6-2 and don't have the
budget to upgrade, don't despair.
Older PCs and Rendering
The
shortcoming of an older PC comes to the fore during
rendering. also referred to as the make movie process.
It is the final step in the video editing workflow, where the video, audio, effects, transitions etc are combined into a single video clip.
If your editing is nothing more than cuts chances are that an older PC could handle the rendering However, if you have included cool transitions, 3-D effects, titles and the such, don't be surprised if your PC stalls in the middle of the rendering process. Know the limits of your computer's processing power and assign tasks accordingly.
Upgrading Your PC
The two important components that you can upgrade is the processor and RAM. Check whether you could get a faster processor without having to change the motherboard.
The same goes to RAM, if you're using an older computer, chances are that it supports SD RAM which may not be sold among the newer products. Usually used computer dealers would have such parts or you can buy it online.
Storage space is another important
consideration. Video takes up ample space in the hard disk. either you
get a separate hard disk to store video files or clear out unused files
to free some hard disk space.
Onboard Video Display Cards
If you have a display card built into your motherboard, then you may want want to consider a standalone card. A built=in card siphons off RAM from the main system and this slows down the computer processing power.
Also don't forget to upgrade your video card driver when such upgrades are available. Using Auto Update feature with Win XP or visit the manufacturer's site to check out the latest drivers for your video display card.
Reminder
Ideally, you should use your computer for video editing only to ensure peak performance. This is not always possible. You would need your computer for other tasks as well.
While, it does no harm for you to undertake word processing or even photo editing, you must avoid CPU-intensive tasks like gaming.
As far as possible, avoid using your computer to surf the Internet where viruses, spyware, malware, adware worms and the such are waiting to infiltrate into your system and wreak havoc. If you must use your computer for Internet surfing, install a good anti-virus program which provides daily updates.