Is Video Editing more reliant on CPU or GPU?

[electronique]

Ive recemtly moved from audio production on the PC. After many years writing music, ive put this aside, purchased myself an iMac, and thinking about getting into some video production.

Q. Is video production and related software more reliant on CPU or GPU? I have a stock '09 24inch iMac - 2.66Ghz, 4GB Ram, GeForce 9400M.

I understand that the GPU is pretty underpowered in terms of whats offered in internal cards... Will this iMac handle some basic HD editing, simple transitions etc?

Thanks

 

[Eidorian]

You're definitely going to want more cores. Two cores for video editing on a desktop is so 2006.

 

[electronique]

You're definitely going to want more cores. Two cores for video editing on a desktop is so 2006.

Ha.. Yeah. Is it possible though?
I remember at TAFE (college), we done some video editing on Pentium 4s - 2002.. with Canon XL2's (or whatever the model was back then)

 

[sdp]

for FCS

fcp = CPU intensive
motion - GPU intensive

all programs = like ram

your system is fine for what you describe.

 

[LethalWolfe]

If you are using the Final Cut suite Color and Motion are primarily GPU dependent. Everything else is primarily CPU dependent. If you are using iMovie or FCE those are primarily CPU dependent. And the iMac will be more than fine for basic editing. Hell, it's faster the dozen or so G5's most of the editors I work with use.


Lethal

 

[electronique]

If you are using the Final Cut suite Color and Motion are primarily GPU dependent. Everything else is primarily CPU dependent. If you are using iMovie or FCE those are primarily CPU dependent. And the iMac will be more than fine for basic editing. Hell, it's faster the dozen or so G5's most of the editors I work with use.


Lethal

Thanks for the response.
I'll be stearing clear of Final Cut Suite for the time being.. Express look the go, for now..

 

[sdp]

Thanks for the response.
I'll be stearing clear of Final Cut Suite for the time being.. Express look the go, for now..

express was essentially created for your machine

 

[acearchie]

Fce (and final cut for that matter) only can see max 4 gb of ram regardless of how much you've got and I think cores is similar as multicore editing hasn't even been introduced in the new final cut suite.

An iMac will be great for fce as my sisters old mac still works blisteringly fast considering it's almost a year old!

 

[TheStrudel]

Actually, I've seen Final Cut gobble up to four cores when asked to render, export, etc. But it can only address 3 GB of RAM as of now (still get more).

 

[MRU]

I have ran the new motion (especially since they have dropped LiveType) on an 2.4 C2D iMac, 4GB with an X2600 XT 256mb and expected it to be like a dog.

Surprisingly it was grand for the job I did, remember you can drop quality of preview down too. Most of the templates ran ok on the machine. Of course it's not going to be as fast as a MacPro's bigger GPU but it does do the job without too much hassle and a small bit of compromise (preview quality).

Do not rule out an application just based on your specs not being the best. As long as they meet the minimum then you should get some work done with the app and it doesn't mean your computer suddenly is a dog because its not got GPU a as opposed to GPU b .....