When it comes to video editing, the graphics card/video card compared to the CPU plays the least important role. People tend to cheap out on the GPU and buy a powerful CPU, while this works for most software, some you can’t get away with this.
There is certain software that can do with a low/mid-tier GPU, and an example of such software is Premiere Pro. However, Adobe is increasing the GPU usage for Premiere Pro, and if you take video editing seriously especially at high resolutions, you will need a good GPU. You can really benefit from GPU acceleration which will speed up encoding and rendering, it moves some of the CPU intensive tasks onto the GPU for the extra horsepower.
Where this all changes is with a software called DaVinci Resolve. The tables are turned, the GPU becomes more important than the CPU and RAM which both need to be decently powerful. Resolve offloads image processing onto the GPU, it also utilizes YRGB 32-bit floating point for color precision. When selecting a GPU for Resolve, the VRAM is the main factor to consider.
One thing stays constant, the amount of VRAM influences the resolution you edit at. Video editing software use VRAM to store video data therefore, more VRAM means you can handle and display more 2D & 3D images. At 1080P, 4GB of VRAM is recommended, 2K&4K, 6GB, and 6&8K, 10GB+.
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Choosing The Right Graphics Card
We totally understand picking the right graphics card can be difficult even though they’re two main manufacturers (AMD & NVIDIA). What can be difficult is picking the right graphics card for your end goal in mind, for example, are you going to be gaming? What Resolution? What’s your ideal frame rates?
AMD Versus NVIDIA
The AMD Vs NVIDIA war never ceases to exist, this is because they are two massive competitors in the graphics card market. They both have their strengths and weaknesses, and there are compelling reasons to go for either one of them.
It is often said that AMD is for the budget users who want an affordable GPU, and NVIDIA is for the high-end users that want the most performance. Let’s test this statement and see how true it is.
The cheapest option isn’t as clear as it was back in the day, it used to be NVIDIA producing the pricier cards, and AMD producing the affordable option. However, things have changed and since competition is fierce, it seems that NVIDIA is now providing more affordable cards.
A good way to look at this is to take a look at the price to performance ratio of the latest graphics cards. Whilst AMD still dominates the top spot with the Radeon RX 570, NVIDIA has a few amazing budget cards such as the GTX 1650 SUPER, and the GTX 1660.
Always check the MSRP of a graphics card to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
What Are The Graphics Cards Specifications
Just like the CPU and the RAM, the specifications of the GPU matter, and has a massive impact on the performance. Understanding the specifications of a GPU can make choosing a graphics card a whole lot easier, and can save you a few bucks.
GPUs have THOUSANDS of cores whereas general CPUs only have a few. The reasoning for this is that GPUs are able to process a small subset of data extremely quickly. The clock speed of these cores operates in the MHz range.
The clock speed your GPU cores operates at is an important factor that shouldn’t be overlooked. There’s a misunderstanding that higher clock speeds = more performance/FPS, the truth is that’s only half the story. More Cores/Lower Clock Or Fewer Cores/Higher Clock is a common debate.
If GPU 1 has 1500 cores operating at 1.5GHz, and GPU 2 has 2000 cores operating at 1.3GHz, GPU 2 would still perform better
What Is Graphics Card RAM/Memory?
If you didn’t know already, graphics cards actually have onboard memory which goes by the name of Video RAM(VRAM). The graphics card memory is responsible for storing and rendering each pixel you see on the screen. Specifically, the VRAM will be storing data such as geometry, texture, and terrain data.
The type of memory used by graphics cards is GDDR which stands for (Graphics double data rate). GDDR has similarities to DDR, but GDDR is built for higher bandwidth due to its wider memory bus.
You’re probably wondering how much VRAM do I need, well that mostly depends on the resolution you’re processing data at. More VRAM usually means the GPU can process higher resolutions easier.
Since VRAM is heavily used in gaming, for 1080P gaming 4GB of VRAM will suffice. 1440P gaming 6-8GB, and 4K 8-12GB.
When it comes to video editing, the video card is actually the least important component since the CPU does most of the heavy lifting. This doesn’t mean the GPU is irrelevant, some software actually requires a decent GPU to work effectively.
What Software Do You Use?
Some video editing software out there does not really require a powerful GPU but there are some exceptions, DaVinci Resolve offloads intensive image processing onto the GPU and there is no way around it.
If your video editing software requires a GPU, a mid-top tier GPU is definitely necessary. Also, when purchasing a video editing GPU, it is wiser to go with NVIDIA for the Cuda core benefits such as Cuda Acceleration. Unfortunately, AMD does not have this to offer, that’s why most video editing machines utilize NVIDIA cards.
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Top-Tier Video Editing Graphics Cards
The top tier graphics cards in this list are for the users that need the most powerful tools available. Their professional works require such GPUs to operate efficiently and effectively. These GPUs will accelerate your work at high resolutions 6K/8K, especially in DaVinci Resolve.
ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 2080 TI · Check Price On Amazon!
Robust · Beautiful · Reputable
| Core Clock Speed | 1350 MHz(base), 1665 MHz(boost) |
| Cuda Cores | 4352 |
| Tensor Cores | 544 |
| Memory | GDDR6 / 11GB |
| Effective Memory Clock | 14000 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 616 GB/s |
| Length (mm) | 304.7 MM |
| Cooling fans | 3 |
| HDMI Ports | 2 |
| DisplayPort Ports | 2 |
| TDP | 250W |
Performance
The RTX 2080 TI is absolutely the best GPU from a performance perspective you can find except for the TITAN RTX. With a 1350 MHz base clock and a 1665 MHz sounds insignificant compared to other RTX GPUs, but when we look at the Cuda Core count of 4352, we see where the massive performance comes from. The RTX 2080 TI makes a fantastic video editing GPU because of the raw performance and the 11GB VRAM capacity. You’re able to work with high resolutions such as 8K with little to no problems especially working with DaVinci Resolve.
With RTX Tensor cores, you can expect a big positive difference in performance, especially in DaVinci Resolve as they’ve started leveraging these new cores since Resolve 15. What these new cores will do is accelerate the AI machine learning for graphics enhancement.
Unrelated to the raw performance, the cooling performance is surprisingly cool barely reaching 70C on full load. With the introduction of RTX turing chips. ASUS developed large coolers to keep the temperatures at bay. In terms of noise levels, the ASUS ROG STRIX 2080 TI runs really quiet as it’s able to completely deactivate the fans once the core temperature reaches below 50C, this feature is called 0dB mode.
Design
The actual design of the RTX 2080 TI is fairly large. With a length of 304.7 mm, ensure in your PC case specification that the GPU length fits within the size specification. Output wise, it has 2 HDMI 2.0B and 2 DisplayPort 1.4 ports, and it has a maximum resolution output of 7680×4320(8K).
Why Should You Pick The RTX 2080TI
If you’re not looking to leave any performance on the table, then the RTX 2080TI is a great option. There are better graphics cards out however such as the RTX 3070, and the RTX 3080, but the RTX 2080TI can still provide top-tier performance when it comes to video editing.
PROS & CONS
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER · Buy On Amazon!
Solid · Powerful · Attractive
| Core Clock Speed | 1650 MHz(base), 1860 MHz(boost) |
| Cuda Cores | 3072 |
| Tensor Cores | 384 |
| Memory | GDDR6 / 8GB |
| Effective Memory Clock | 15500 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 495.9 GB/s |
| Length (mm) | 299.7 mm |
| Cooling fans | 3 |
| HDMI Ports | 2 |
| DisplayPort Ports | 2 |
| TDP | 250W |
Performance
The performance of the 2080 SUPER matches up well with that of the 2080 TI. It has a higher clock speed at 1650 MHz base and 1860 MHz boost compared to the 2080 TI. however, it does have less Cuda and tensor cores. The raw performance of the 2080 SUPER is able to be utilized fully in some video editing software as the tensor cores give extra performance compared to the old GTX cards. Higher resolutions generally require a decent amount of VRAM. Luckily, 8GB is just enough for up to 8K video rendering.
Moving on to the cooling performance, ASUS has mastered the arts of cooling especially with their ROG STRIX design. They have a lot of features that add to the excellent thermal performance since the turning chips run quite hot. First of all, the cooler is quite large so that means a cooler chip, and the Axial-Tech fans are able to generate powerful downward air pressure. Also, once the core temperature reaches a certain temperature, the fans will come to a standstill.
Design
The design of the GPU is the ROG STRIX design which is fairly old and dates back several generations of GPUs. ASUS has had a lot of time perfecting the design over the years, they’ve created a balance between cooling and aesthetics.
The graphics card is quite large and sturdy coming in at 299.7 mm long. It has a nice solid backplate for extra durability which also passively cools the card. Connectivity-wise, it has 2xHDMI & 2xDisplayPort Ports.
Why Should You Pick The RTX 2080 SUPER
The RTX 2080 SUPER is the weaker alternative to the RTX 2080 TI but it’s still a great option for video editing as it’s slightly cheaper. Performance-wise, the RTX 2080 SUPER is only 28% weaker but offers more bang for your buck, so for affordable video editing performance, you cant go wrong with the RTX 2080 SUPER
PROS & CONS
Professional Tier Video Editing Graphics Cards
Professional tier GPUs are perfect if you’re video editing at 4K and you want the extra juice the GPU offers. These GPUs sit perfectly in the middle, they tend to be in reasonable price ranges and offer decent performance for the money, especially for DaVinci Resolve.
MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER · Buy On Amazon!
Well Balanced · Beautiful · Affordable
| Core Clock Speed | 1605 MHz(base), 1800 MHz(boost) |
| Cuda Cores | 2560 |
| Tensor Cores | 320 |
| Memory | GDDR6 / 8GB |
| Effective Memory Clock | 14000 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s |
| Length (mm) | 297 mm |
| Cooling fans | 3 |
| HDMI Ports | 1 |
| DisplayPort Ports | 3 |
| TDP | 215W |
Performance
The RX 2070 SUPER is a solid mid-tier option for video editing. It has enough processing power for 4K video rendering but can struggle at higher resolutions such as 6/8K. The 2560 Cuda cores run at a base core clock speed of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1800 MHz. This is still a solid GPU for the fact that it has a decent amount of Tensor cores of 320. It falls slightly behind the 2080 SUPER which has 384. Nonetheless, software such as DaVinci Resolve will utilize these cores. 8GB of RAM is more than enough to handle 4K videos, it’ll definitely provide a lot of headroom when working with 4K videos.
This is the second generation of the TWIN FROZR design, they’re known for their excellent thermal performance. It has the new TORX FAN 3.0 which aims to increase airflow thanks to its uniquely curved fan blade. Additionally, when the cores reach a certain temperature, the fans will switch off to eliminate noise. To passively cool the VRAM and VRMS, there is an aluminum backplate that will cool the power delivery components.
Design
Design-wise, it has a futuristic fashion because of the peculiar contours and the well placed RGB accents. The build of the GPU is solid, it has a black and gunmetal grey design with a solid brushed metal backplate to increase the durability. As for the ports, you have 1xHDMI & 3xDisplayPort Ports. Always make sure the GPU fits within your PC case specification as it is fairly large with a length of 297 MM.
Why Should You Pick The RTX 2070 SUPER
RTX 2070 SUPER is more affordable than the previous versions (RTX 2080 SUPER and RTX 2080 TI), it offers performance that is decent for 4K video editing and an affordable price. A benefit besides performance is the size this graphics card comes at, it will easily fit in most systems which can be a benefit if you’re looking to build a smaller PC (Mini ITX builds).
PROS & CONS
Budget Tier Video Editing Graphics Cards
You’re either just starting out, or you’re looking for a budget system that can video edit decently at resolutions such as 1080 & 1440P. It is definitely possible to edit at higher resolutions with these cards but you’ll most likely need a decent CPU to aid it.
Gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER · Buy On Amazon!
Robust · Affordable · Durable
| Core Clock Speed | 1470 MHz(base), 1815 MHz(boost) |
| Cuda Cores | 2176 |
| Tensor Cores | 272 |
| Memory | GDDR6 / 8GB |
| Effective Memory Clock | 14000 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 448.0 GB/s |
| Length (mm) | 280.35 mm |
| Cooling fans | 3 |
| HDMI Ports | 1 |
| DisplayPort Ports | 3 |
| TDP | 175W |
Performance
The GIGABYTE RTX 2060 SUPER is a top-performing GPU at 1080P & 2K with a decent price tag. It has 2176 Cuda cores with a core clock speed of 1470 MHz and 1815 MHz for the boost clock speed. These specs are not too far behind the RTX 2070 SUPER, it’s cheaper and it can edit proficiently up to 4K. It also has a decent amount of VRAM of 8GB, you’ll need this when you’re working with higher resolutions.
In terms of cooling, the GPU is quite advanced as triple fan designs are difficult to pull off due to turbulence. It has 3x80MM fan blades with the center blade spinning in an alternative direction. This allows for a smooth stream of airflow which you definitely want in a graphics card. The metal backplate also provides passive cooling which is always nice to have.
Design
The design of the 2060 SUPER is clean and well constructed. It has a minimalist design to it because of the brushed all-black texture. On the contrary, it does have eccentric contours which give it a unique and futuristic look to it.
The fan blades on the cooler are designed in a way to enhance the airflow to the GPU. Aesthetically, it would make a great addition to any build since you can’t go wrong with an all-black GPU. The RGB on this GPU is minimal having it mainly show up on the discrete logo. For ports, it has 1xHDMI Port & 3xDisplayPort Ports
Why Should You Pick The RTX 2060 SUPER
The RTX 2060 SUPER is affordable and flexible meaning it is able to video edit at a resolutions of 1080P and 1440P pretty easily as well as game at these resolutions. So if you’re a youtube that wants to game and video edit at the same time, the RTX 2060 SUPER can easily perform this.
PROS & CONS
MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Ti · Buy On Amazon!
Practical · Great Value · Feature-Rich
| Core Clock Speed | 1500 MHz(base), 1830 MHz(boost) |
| Cuda Cores | 1536 |
| Tensor Cores | 0 |
| Memory | GDDR6 / 6GB |
| Effective Memory Clock | 12000 MHz |
| Memory Bandwidth | 288.0 GB/s |
| Length (mm) | 204 mm |
| Cooling fans | 2 |
| HDMI Ports | 1 |
| DisplayPort Ports | 3 |
| TDP | 120W |
Performance
The GTX 1660 TI is a great beginner-friendly video editing graphics card, the price to performance isn’t too crazy, it’s the cheapest GPU on this list that offers decent video editing performance. Its specifications are pretty decent too having 6GB of VRAM allows for a lot of headroom with resolutions. The core clock speed is 1500 MHz, and the boost is 1830 MHz, and it also has 1536 Cuda cores. Unfortunately, the 1660 TI does not have Tensor cores which can be utilized by DaVinci Resolve. However, it does have Raytracing cores which may be beneficial in the future.
In terms of cooling performance, it uses the Twin FROZR design to keep the GPU cores at a low temperature. It uses the TORX FAN 3.0 which does a good job at static air pressure. As well as keeping the GPU cool, it also focuses on minimizing the acoustics. A valuable feature to have is the Zero RPM mode which turns the fans off when the cores are below 60C. On top of that, having a metal backplate to increase rigidness and passively cool the chips makes this a solid budget card.
Design
The GTX 1660 TI VENTUS by MSI has a very premium feel to it. It has two high-quality airflow fans, and a sturdy backplate to improve the durability. By knowing this, you can be sure that you’re picking up a high-quality product that won’t break on you in a few months.
The color scheme is quite simple, it has a grey metallic outer shell, and black fans, overall it’s a pretty clean looking GPU. Unfortunately for some, there is no RGB on this GPU but we can be thankful that such missing feature has no impact on gaming and video editing performance. As for ports, it has 1xHDMI & 3xDisplayPort Ports.
Why Should You Pick The GTX 1660TI
Many beginner builders aren’t looking to spend too much on their first build so usually they go for graphics cards such as the GTX 1660TI because it’s cheap and great at video editing at resolutions such as 1440P and 1080P. When you’re just starting out, breaking the bank on a super-powerful PC could result in you not using it to its full potential, so the 1660TI will make for a great video editing graphics card for beginners.
