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I’m sure you have wondered what exactly having more RAM does for video editing.
Video projects differ in their needs, and it is important to understand that the right amount of RAM will be closely related to the type of project you are working on.
It’s important to know how much RAM you need for video editing. If you use too little, your render speeds will be slow and it will take longer to edit videos.
On the other hand, using more than needed can create an expensive computer that doesn’t get used efficiently.
In this post, I will explain how much RAM you need for video editing.
How much RAM is needed for video editing?
The short answer is the more RAM you have, the better performance you will achieve.
Some video editing projects require more computing power than others. We recommend either 8GB or 16 GB of RAM for most cases, but if you’re planning a longer project that requires intensive rendering and serious multitasking then we recommend at least 32GB in order to be able to handle the additional workloads without any hiccups.
For beginners, an 8GM RAM laptop is a great option.
When rendering your project in Premiere or Final Cut Pro X (or any other video editor), all of those new features like 4K resolution take up space from your computer’s memory buffer which can slow down rendering speeds dramatically if not enough system resources are allocated for smooth operation during these demanding tasks.
Here is a detailed explanation for every use case:
- 8GB of RAM is perfect for editing projects that are below 1080p and not using other software in the background;
- 16GB of RAM will help you edit 1080p – 4K videos even while using minor programs in the background;
- 32GB of RAM: good for any type of video editing and multitasking with heavy use.
- 64GB of RAM: It will handle anything you have for it. If you are editing 4K-8k footage and rely on having other programs open at once such as Cinema 4D or After Effects.
RAM’s effect on rendering speeds
CPU and GPU are responsible for high video rendering speed.
If your computer has a low amount of RAM, like 4GB and you upgrade it to 16 GB, the change in memory allocation will increase rendering speeds.
The reason is that more resources can be allocated into the RAM which frees up space for CPU and GPU so they are able to work at their maximum capacity without slowing down other operations.
Many various video editing options are available online like Clipchamp, so do not rush to upgrade your old laptop or buy a new one.
16GB vs 32GB RAM for video editing
You won’t see such an improvement when upgrading 16GB to 32GB of RAM, but you’ll be able to multitask while rendering videos.
While 16GB is enough for most video editors, 32GB of RAM can run a bunch of programs simultaneously without the computer slowing down or crashing and have a video render running as well.
Again, using basic free video editing software does not require having these hardware requirements.
FAQs
Yes, 8 GB of RAM is a good amount for editing if you are doing light 1080p video editing. If your computer starts to slow down while using other applications, you should upgrade to 16GB of RAM.
16GB of RAM is what you need for a variety of projects. It can handle 1080p to 4K 8bit videos without any problems and the storage allows minor usage of background workload as well.
A 32 GB of RAM for 4K video editing will give you that fast performance needed in post-production. This much RAM allows you to render your videos fast while multitasking at the same time.
The main use of RAM when rendering videos includes caching all the different types of previews. If you plan on using ultra-high quality footage then your requirements will be much higher than someone who prefers less detailed videos.
Conclusion
As you can see, RAM is a vital part of video editing. It’s important to have enough memory so that your computer doesn’t delay the process with rendering speeds and lag.
We hope we’ve been able to help clarify some questions related to RAM in relation to video editing!
