If you are looking for the best processor for video editing, you need not look any further. In this article, I present a short guide on choosing the ideal processor for video rendering and editing, along with a list of the best multicore processors available in the market right now.
Video rendering, editing and developing graphic intensive games, requires heavy computing power. It is one of the most challenging jobs for a workstation, which tests the mettle of the computing hardware, including the processor and video card. That’s why, you can’t just use any computer for video editing. Machines devoted for this job need high-end processors with parallel processing capabilities.
Choosing the Best Processor for Video Editing
Video editing, encoding and rendering, is a complex and highly sophisticated task. It involves processing the raw video data to sequence short clips together, add audio layers, and add smooth transition effects. Animation studios are completely dependent on software programs for the creation and rendering of characters and landscape, along with addition of audio layers and special effects.
To run video editing programs like CyberLink Power Director, Apple Final Cut and Adobe Premier Pro CS3, a multicore processor, with high clocking frequency, large L2 and L3 caches, and parallel processing ability, is ideal. Look out for dual, triple, quad or six core processors with clocking frequency in excess of 3 GHz and at least 3 MB of processor cache. Multiple cores provide parallel processing which makes video editing jobs easier to handle. In the following lines, you will find a listing of the best Intel and AMD processors, that are ideally suited for video editing.
Best Intel Processor for Video Editing
The new Intel core i3, i5 and i7 lines of processors are by far some of the best processors ever manufactured. The core i5 and i7 lines of processors, primarily consisting of quad and six core processors, have been created for heavy computing tasks like video editing, rendering and animation, besides scientific simulation. Here are the best Intel CPUs for the job.
| Best Intel Processors for Video Editing | |||
| Processor | Clocking Frequency | L3 Cache Size | Price |
| Intel Core i7 990X | 3.46 Ghz | 12 MB | $999 |
| Intel Core i7 980X | 3.33 Ghz | 12 MB | $999 |
| Intel Core i5 2500K | 3.33 Ghz | 6 MB | $216 |
| Intel Core i5 670 | 3.46 Ghz | 4 MB | $284 |
| Intel Core i7 2600K | 3.4 Ghz | 8 MB | $317 |
Prices mentioned will vary according to location and offers available
Best AMD Processor for Video Editing
Though currently surpassed by Intel in terms of processing ability, AMD offers quality processors at substantially lower prices. The Phenom II lines of multicore processors are built for computing jobs like video editing that require multitasking. Here are the best AMD processors, that are ideally suited for multitasking.
| Best AMD Processor for Video Editing | ||||
| Processor Name | Clocking Frequency | L2 Cache Size | L3 Cache | Price |
| AMD Phenom II X6 1090T | 3.2 Ghz | 3 MB | 6 MB | $189.99 |
| AMD Phenom II X6 Black 1100T | 3.3 Ghz | 3 MB | 6 MB | $210 |
| AMD Phenom II X6 1075T | 3 GHz | 3 MB | 6 MB | $174.99 |
| AMD Phenom II X4 975 | 3.6 GHz | 2 MB | 6 MB | $179.99 |
| AMD Phenom II X4 970 | 3.5 Ghz | 2 MB | 6 MB | 159.99 |
| AMD Phenom II X6 1055T | 2.8 GHz | 3 MB | 6 MB | $202.99 |
Prices mentioned will vary according to location and offers available
It’s not enough that you have the best processor with a high clocking frequency. You need a high quality video card with substantial RAM, that works in tandem with the processor. The right machine for video editing will be a computer with a high-end processor (3 GHz+ clocking frequency), a video card with at least 1 to 3 GB of on-board RAM, and a system RAM around 2 GB. With such a machine at your disposal at home, serious video editing with special effects and audio layer addition can be made possible using software programs like Adobe Premier Pro CS3. Choose any one of the above listed AMD or Intel processors, that is best suited for your requirements and budget.