FilmmakingFilter: What's a good PC config for DaVinci Resolve?
November 7, 2022 6:34 AM Subscribe
We did the shoot of our short film on the weekend. We're going to edit it with DaVinci Resolve. But my ancient PC can't hack it. I'm going to upgrade. Which brand-name desktop model would you recommend as a minimum? The more specifics the better. I don't plan to be a power video editing user, but I also don't want to pound the walls in frustration. Thanks!
PC only or is a Mac an option?
Video editing can be a hog as you bump up the resolution, so systems that can chew through 4k video tend to run a bit more in cost.
For something you don't need to think about at a mid range cost ($2k), the base config of a Mac Studio will take care of almost anything you can throw at it in Resolve until you get to the advanced stuff. A pc system with an i7, 32G ram, and GTX 3080 or better is the equivalent PC spec.
At the lower end it gets complicated. A Mac Mini ($1k) will do the trick and is often listed as a good platform for intro level editing. Just bump it up to 16G of RAM. A PC system with a GTX 3060 or better with 32G of ram is your equivalent PC.
It also goes without saying that video is a storage hog. Adding lots of internal storage can crank the price up quickly. The answer to "how much do I need" is always whatever is in your bank account plus 50%. ;-) I tend to cap it at 1TB which is often "good enough" for whatever I'm working on. After that, a good external SSD can be used to supplement whatever the internal hard drive has and then act as an archive. It also helps to double as a backup target.
Finally, if you care about color, you may also need an upgraded monitor. The Apple Studio Display ($1,500), BenQ PD2725U ($900), or Dell Ultrasharp U2723QE ($600) should be able to get the job done. Get two if you can.
One last thing: When comparing reviews, ignore anything published more than six months ago. Resolve had a number of major updates and the hardware is also on a continuous update cycle.
I hope this helps.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 12:00 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Video editing can be a hog as you bump up the resolution, so systems that can chew through 4k video tend to run a bit more in cost.
For something you don't need to think about at a mid range cost ($2k), the base config of a Mac Studio will take care of almost anything you can throw at it in Resolve until you get to the advanced stuff. A pc system with an i7, 32G ram, and GTX 3080 or better is the equivalent PC spec.
At the lower end it gets complicated. A Mac Mini ($1k) will do the trick and is often listed as a good platform for intro level editing. Just bump it up to 16G of RAM. A PC system with a GTX 3060 or better with 32G of ram is your equivalent PC.
It also goes without saying that video is a storage hog. Adding lots of internal storage can crank the price up quickly. The answer to "how much do I need" is always whatever is in your bank account plus 50%. ;-) I tend to cap it at 1TB which is often "good enough" for whatever I'm working on. After that, a good external SSD can be used to supplement whatever the internal hard drive has and then act as an archive. It also helps to double as a backup target.
Finally, if you care about color, you may also need an upgraded monitor. The Apple Studio Display ($1,500), BenQ PD2725U ($900), or Dell Ultrasharp U2723QE ($600) should be able to get the job done. Get two if you can.
One last thing: When comparing reviews, ignore anything published more than six months ago. Resolve had a number of major updates and the hardware is also on a continuous update cycle.
I hope this helps.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 12:00 PM on November 7, 2022 [1 favorite]
Go Lenovo. Avoid Apple. Any new PC with an i5 or better should be fine- higher end machines will have dedicated graphics (Nvidia) which will let you do everything that Resolve can do.
posted by ergomatic at 6:44 AM on November 8, 2022
posted by ergomatic at 6:44 AM on November 8, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks so much folks. I ended up with an i7 system and it looks like it's ready for work!
posted by storybored at 6:10 PM on November 8, 2022
posted by storybored at 6:10 PM on November 8, 2022
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It has a 12th-gen Intel i7 cpu and a GTX 3060 gpu with 12GB dedicated VRAM.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 8:03 AM on November 7, 2022