PRE 8.0 and Video Cards

While a good video card can give you access to some of the higher-end effects you can't otherwise use --for the most part a video card has little effect on how fast or efficiently the program performs. In fact, it won't change the speed or efficiency of the program at all.

The real factors are the speed of your processor, how much RAM you have, what type of camcorder your video is coming from and how often you render your timeline as you work.

I agree with Steve on the video card. Now, PrE 9 (due out in a few months, if historic schedules hold) might incorporate some of the CUDA and MPE features, as does PrPro CS5, and that would require select video cards. Unfortunately, we do not know what PrE 9 will include, so can only wait and see. Before I purchased any new video card, I'd wait on PrE 9, just in case.

One fairly inexpensive area to gain speed and ease of editing would be to have a 3x physical HDD setup, where you use C:\ only for OS, programs and probably Page File, D:\ for Projects and Scratch Disks and E:\ for media. That will spread the I/O processing load over 3 HDD's, and speed up most aspects of editing.

With AVCHD footage, a faster CPU will make a real difference.

Good luck,

Hunt

Right now, having any good video card, from either nVidia or ATI/AMD will be fine. If you have an embedded Intel graphics chip, then I would go with either the nVidia or the ATI. The update of the video driver will do more for you, than buying a more powerful card.

Now, what PrE 9 might, or might not, bring to the table is a mystery, and we just must wait.

Going back to prior to the release of PrPro CS5, Adobe DID "leak" some info on video cards and the MPE (Mercury Playback Engine), as it was a major departure. Have no idea if they would leak info for PrE 9, even if it uses CUDA and MPE. That is something that Adobe keeps tight to their vest.

Good luck,

Hunt