Need to upgrade processor & video card for video editing

[AnneBailey]

Hey there,

I'm looking for guidance, please, on which specific processor and specific video card I can use to upgrade my current desktop PC. I do video editing and with my current setup, the video lags way behind the audio when editing 4k. I'm guessing I'd probably need to upgrade the RAM also but I'm not sure by how much or how many slots are available on my MB short of taking the thing apart, which I'm putting off as long as I can.

These are the specs of my current desktop setup.

Operating System

Windows 11 Home 64-bit

CPU

Intel Processor

RAM

12.0GB

Motherboard

HP 89B5 (U3E1) 112 °F

Graphics

C27F390 (1920x1080@59Hz)

2048MB ATI Radeon RX 550 (HP) 101 °F

Storage

931GB TOSHIBA DT01ACA100 (SATA ) 92 °F

238GB NVMe WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-256G-1006 (RAID (SSD))

Thank you for any input you have.

AB  🙂

[NonSequitur777 · Accepted solution]

@AnneBailey,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Your Reno motherboard (SSID: 89B5) can be upgraded with up to 2x16GB of DDR4 PC4-25600, 3200 MHz, Non-ECC, UDIMM, 288-pin RAM sticks such as this affordable/quality Amazon 2x16GB dual-rank (2Rx8) RAM kit purchase option: https://www.amazon.com/Timetec-3200MHz-PC4-25600-Unbuffered-Computer/dp/B07QRVNB26/ref=sr_1_8?crid=3....

You can upgrade your power supply with a 400-watt power supply with p/n: L04618-800 -which is equipped with one PCIe 6+2-pin power cable, or a 500-watt power supply with p/n: 901759-013, which is equipped with one 6-pin PCIe and one 6+2-pin PCIe power cables.

Not knowing what your budget is, I would recommend the 400-watt power supply paired with a smaller-sized (dual fan) RTX 4060 such as this Amazon purchase option: https://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-GeForce-WINDFORCE-Graphics-GV-N4060WF2OC-8GD/dp/B0C8JZNLZL/ref=sr_1_....

This graphics card will easily burn through your video editing.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AnneBailey]

Thank you so much for your timely reply! I will look into these options ... ! I appreciate it ...

Take care!
AB 🙂

[NonSequitur777]

@AnneBailey,

You are most welcome!

And we haven't discussed a possible processor upgrade, such as an i7-12700, depending on what you got.

You can always return here with additional questions, including providing a budget you want to stick to.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AnneBailey]

Thank you!

Yes, I probably should upgrade the processor as well ... For now, I just need whatever will get my graphics in sync with my audio while editing.

I have an i5 6 Core processor at the moment.

Speccy says:

Intel Processor
Cores 6
Threads 12
Name Intel Processor
Specification 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12400F
Family 6
Extended Family 6
Model 7
Extended Model 97
Stepping 5
Instructions MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, Intel 64, NX, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3
Virtualization Not supported
Hyperthreading Supported, Enabled
Fan Speed 272 RPM
Caches
L1 Data Cache Size 6 x 48 KBytes
L1 Instructions Cache Size 6 x 32 KBytes
L2 Unified Cache Size 6 x 1280 KBytes
L3 Unified Cache Size 18432 KBytes
Cores
Core Speed Multiplier Bus Speed Threads
Core 0 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 0, 1
Core 1 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 2, 3
Core 2 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 4, 5
Core 3 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 6, 7
Core 4 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 8, 9
Core 5 2503.8 MHz x 67.0 37.4 MHz APIC ID: 10, 11

Honestly, I have a zero dollar budget ... LOL.  I do quite a bit of 1080p video editing and recently started editing 4k (after being gifted a DJI Action 5).  My 2022 HP Pavilion Desktop TP01-3xxx wasn't prepared for 4k ... which is why I needed an idea of where to start for upgrading a bit at a time. LOL.

I'll have to squirrel away a few bucks here and there to save up. I can start with upgrading the RAM, if that would help at all, and go from there. Hopefully, that will help without toasting the MB. LOL

Thank you again for your help! 🙂

[NonSequitur777]

@AnneBailey,

Yes, upgrading your RAM (the 2x16GB dual-rank RAM kit) should give you an immediate boost!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AnneBailey]

Hello...me again.

I'm looking into work-arounds to buying/upgrading my current PC at the moment ... it's a bit out of my price range. I've found another option in a refurbbed computer.

I'm wondering if these specs would be suitable for editing 4k video correctly ...

Processor Type
i7-8700
RAM Capacity
32Gb
Hard Drive Capacity
SSD 512Gb

Desktop PC HP EliteDesk 800 G4 TWR:

Processor: Intel Core i7 - 8700 (6 Cores / 12 Threads, up to 4.6 GHz)

Memory: 32Gb (DDR4)

Video adapter: Intel UHD 620

Storage: SSD 512Gb

DVD-RW USB

Wi-Fi adapter

Installed Windows 11 Pro

I'm wondering specifically about the Intel UHD 620's capability to handle 4k without lagging.

Thank you for your help!

AB

[NonSequitur777]

@AnneBailey,

Well, the i7-8700 Intel UHD Graphics 630 integrated graphics is not suitable for smooth 4K video editing. Here’s why:

Why UHD 630 Falls Short for 4K Editing:

1. Limited Video Memory – UHD 630 relies on system RAM, which is much slower than dedicated VRAM in a discrete GPU.
2. Weak Compute Performance – While UHD 630 supports 4K video playback, it struggles with 4K video editing due to its limited processing power.
3. Lack of Hardware Acceleration for Some Codecs – It supports Quick Sync for H.264 and H.265, but effects, transitions, and multiple video layers will cause significant lag.
4. No Dedicated Encoding/Decoding Hardware – Unlike modern NVIDIA (RTX 3060 and up) or AMD (RX 6600 and up) GPUs, it lacks dedicated video processing cores.

 

Workarounds & Recommendations:

• For light 4K editing: Proxies (downscaling clips to 1080p) and minimal effects might make it workable.
• For serious 4K editing: A dedicated GPU like a GTX 1660 Super, RTX 2060, or RX 6600 (budget options) would make a huge difference.
• Consider an external GPU (eGPU): If the budget is tight, check if the EliteDesk 800 G4 has a PCIe slot for a dedicated GPU upgrade.

If you must use the UHD 630, you should stick to DaVinci Resolve (with optimized media) or Adobe Premiere Pro (with proxies)—but even then, performance will be, well, rough.

Let me know if you need help finding an upgrade path!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AnneBailey]

Man, I really appreciate your help!

Thank you for the details on that UHD630. I was on the fence about whether it would be hardy enough to do the job. All I could find was "yep, it's good for 4k playback" and noncommittal answers about its ability to edit 4k.

There are so many similar-sounding processors, I lose track of which one is which. I've been out of IT for a long, long, long time. LOL.

I will check to see if this refurb has a spare PCIe slot.

And yes, the budget is nonexistent, actually. Literally. So the most bargain basement but effective option is what I'm looking for. I know I can't always have both. But I can try! LOL. That's why they have sites like Craigslist and Marketplace.  Sometimes you get lucky. I would love to upgrade my current pc with those previous recommendations ... but the Amazon total for that stuff and another external drive for storage is about the same as my house payment. The bank wants their money first.

Thank you again for your help! I really appreciate your knowledge.

Take care. 🙂

[NonSequitur777]

@AnneBailey,

You are most welcome, glad I could assist you!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777