(Video format footage is 1080p mp4). I started this article in 2015, and for many systems, the general points you’ll find here are just as valid as they were years ago. Finally, if budget is anything to go by, I would get the 6800XT over the 6900XT. Hi! Would these be enough to run Resolve (free version to begin with if that makes a difference), Intel Core i5-9400F 2.9GHz Up to 4.1GHz 9MB Cache 6 Cores, Memory 16GB Vengeance (1x16GB) 2 x DIMM (1 used), Storage 1TB BarraCuda HDD 120GB Gigabyte SSD, Software Operating System: Windows 10 Home. Even the entry level 8GB version is running Resolve very well and is great value for money. Would it be better to go for better GPU, FHD screen and output to an external monitor? If you’re considering a laptop, make sure it has NVMe flash storage, or connect fast external media storage via Thunderbolt or at least USB 3. Hi Michal, given those two options, I’d probably go with the RX570 8GB for the extra VRAM but I’ve never used the card, so it may be a good idea to search the Blackmagic Design forums for any info from people that have it. Someone will probably have some specific advice. Hi Reza, Resolve doesn’t do SLI very well. with resolve, maybe limited UHD handling in the future: Mac Pro 3.7GHz quad-core with 10MB of L3 cache 16GB (4x4GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC 256GB PCIe-based flash storage Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM each, I assume “OS X El Capitan” is preinstalled. . Thanks in advance for your assistance. I run a Linux Mint 19.xx OS on a box with an AMD 8350 cpu on a dated ASUS Sabretooth 990FX v1.0 motherboard with zero onboard video, 16GB of DDR3 RAM, a crap GeForce 660 video card and 3TB of storage (2x1TB HDD and 1x1TB SSD, which has the OS on it. If you are getting real time playback from a 8x SSD RAID, then it definitely sounds to me like a storage and/or networking bandwidth issue, not a GPU issue. Thanks so much for adding that valuable info Lukas, that’s better, and more specific advice than I could give to Mark on this specific build. There are $1000 laptops now that will run Resolve, a few years ago it would have been twice that much to meet the minimum in a laptop. When there’s more information and accepted opinion out there from Resolve power users, I’ll definitely compile the best info I can find, but until then, I’m not buying anything. I think I’m going with the 7000 series vs. the XPS. So, you would use a video output card such as a Decklink card, and run a HD monitor attached to it. Technically if the GPU allocates at least 1.5GB, Resolve should run and you should be fine with basic HD work. Right now I’m using my edit suite (12 core mac Pro with a 5870) and getting decent performance (24-48 FPS) but I’d like to see that improved. I would appreciate any feedback you may provide. The most likely reason your video files aren’t playing smoothly is because they are H.264 / AVC or H.265 / HEVC encoded files. Link https://www.dell.com/de-de/shop/laptops/xps-13-laptop/spd/xps-13-9300-laptop/cnx93023. Additionally, what are your thoughts on using dual 4K tv’s for color/editing? To answer your questions. # Graphics Radeon Pro 5300 with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, #Blackmagic Decklink card to monitor (for 2k output 2048 x 1152) I would like to use DaVinci Resolve Studio and Autodesk Flame or Smoke. I would definitely work at 4K or even HD resolution for editing, since resolution really doesn’t matter so much for the process of editing, then you can increase your timeline resolution when you’re working with color, finishing and of course delivery at whatever final resolution you need. Unlike many comments ( and documentation) to the contrary, it seems to take advantage of my GPU card (GeForce GTX 1060 6GB)) which it discovered automatically. Real-time playback of multiple 4K AVC codec video streams is a stretch for any laptop to be honest, even a desktop workstation. How will you use these? I’m a CSI (Colorist Society International) colorist and have been involved with Resolve both as a user, and consultant to post production companies for many years. supermicro X10 Motherboard 2 x 12 core Xeon 2.8ghz v3 procs 128gb ram 3 x Titan 12gb cards mellanox dual 10GB ethernet bonded via MCS 24 TB HYBRID DDP SAN via ISCSI blackmagic extreme 4K 12g, However when playing back the sequence in real time it stutters on both GUI and broadcast monitor, We replaced the system with an almost identical system that uses an internal SSD raid 8x 1TB in a raid 5 we get read speeds of 4000Mbs. Are you getting smooth playback? yes the footage was R3D Raw i believe at one point (this is what i’m being told by the editor), It shows in resolve as uncompressed 10bit DPX 4K RGB sequence. Which workflow can I handle with this configuration? comfortable to work with 6k footage? Any potential conflicts with Resolve using this hardware? I am building my new workstation (on windows 10). Other components might be limiting your playback performance, or how quickly you can export videos but your GPU, and GPU memory will determine if Resolve will run at all on your system, and how complex your color correction can be. Hi Martin, thanks for the message and I’m sorry for the delay in response. Regarding the processor, if you can find a 5000-series AMD-processor, it is not a bad option and it certainly is a big leap over the 3900X. Would it matter the the entry level 27″ cannot be upgraded to i7, or is it more the graphics that is important? The case is a very silent one, he said, with many fans. You mention looking at the Dell XPS 15 – I’m assuming you’re referring to the 4K version for $2099, vs. the full-HD version for $1585 (today’s prices on Amazon). You are a life saver !! I think you could be right, put a 1080 ti in it and it will probably scream, negating any advantage of a Rocket card. 2GB – A comfortable HD experience, limited 4K work. A few years ago for example, a GPU with 4GB VRAM cost a lot more compared to an 8GB+ gaming GPU today, but the minimum requirement is still around 4GB even now for basic 4K work. However, I feel there’s not a lot of information available about DaVinci Resolve minimum system requirements, yet that’s what many new users and content creators want to know. Hi Richard, Thanks for this very interesting article! Been editing GoPro files on an i7 10gb Asus ultrabook with Vegas. When it comes to the power supply, I have no idea what brand that is. DaVinci Resolve wants more, and it will use everything you give it. I wouldn’t worry too much about the CPU clock speed. Will adding a 2nd eGPU help in the future? Take as many classes as you want - there are hundreds of classes each month to pick from. tnx, i went for the asus rog videocard 4gig and 32gig memory. I was wondering if my setup was powerful enough to successfully use DaVinci Resolve 12.5. Thanks for the great article Richard. I won’t be adding much effects (think Casey neistat type of videos). When buying external hard drives, keep in mind just because an external hard drive has a Thunderbolt or USB 3 interface, does not mean the actual drive inside supports the full data rate of the interface. Your email address will not be published. The issue around the latest AMD CPU’s at the moment is availability. Removing it and everything is fine. Learn how your comment data is processed. Are any other devices daisy chained on the same Thunderbolt 2 bus? My iMac meets the requirements to run it. GPU: MSI GeForce 1070 8gb SSD: Samsung 850 EVO 500gb CPU: Ryzen 5 16000 MB: MSI B350M Mortar AM4 PS: EVGA 650W Gold RAM: 16gb Hyperfury X DDR4 2133mhz and a 1tb HDD. I still have Resolve 16 running on a 2015 Macbook Pro with 16GB system RAM and integrated Intel Iris Pro graphics that has access to 1.5GB of shared system memory. If I could do without being portable, iMac would win hands down. 5. It looks like there are newer generation i7’s that are going for less than the 7700K. Thanks in advance. Plenty of people are learning to grade just by using their desktop screen, but it’s not accurate and technically speaking not good enough… but this is up to you. A couple of SSD’s in RAID will work nicely, or you could add at least four additional 7200RPM HDD’s, all identical, and configure them as a RAID. I don’t have one, and won’t buy one until there’s a 16″ with more RAM and more powerful GPU. Thank you for this wonderfully informative article! The thing is that as X99 motherboards are not as easy to find though my distributors I’ve been looking for dual PCI Gen3 x16 on motherboards with LGA1151 sockets. I don’t have anything to add. Is my CPU too old for this? I don’t think I did. OR, with my 16GB MAC BOOK PRO. They’ve been very inspiring and have influenced some of my new computer build components. Pingback:The Secret to Making DaVinci Resolve Faster. Regards, Kamil. Raw is bayer sensor data (and can be compressed or uncompressed) but DPX is not raw, DPX is uncompressed RGB image data and requires no debayering at all. Hi Nicholas, are you watching GPU usage or GPU VRAM usage? That was it. The GPU only has to be present, with the right drivers installed. My current iMac has 850 GB on the Fusion drive, so if I get the 512 SSD I will have to be alot more careful about what is on the drive…. Due to the fact that I’m running an Apple MacPro, I’m limited to some special graphics cards that have an flashed BIOS as I need the BootScreen some times. Would the Quadro+GTX+Decklink be a major improve over a GTX+Decklink ? This is actually a big factor for performance if you’re using these video codecs, which most of us are, as they are everywhere in almost every kind of camera that records video. Thank you very much for your help and looking forward to hearing from you. I found no workaround, neither compound clip no optimized media help me. Hi Pedro, I think this looks like an excellent laptop for Resolve. Before proceeding further please take a look on my specs: Amd Ryzen 9 3900X Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero Corsair DOMINATOR PLATINUM 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3600MHz C18 Corsair Force Series Gen.4 PCIe MP600 500GB NVMe Samsung 860 EVO SATA 2.5″ SSD 2TB Asus ROG STRIX RX5700XT O8G GAMING. I hope you can advise me as I don’t know much about how to build a good computer. 1 ……. Hi Rebecca, it looks good to me, I’d recommend bumping up to 32GB RAM if you can. Everything is in there. I am seeking your advice. Also the GUI card doesn’t need to be a particularly high end card, except in systems which only have one GPU. Secondly regarding the debaying of Raw R3D, how does resolve take advantage of all 3 cards if needed, are 3 12gb GPU cards overkill is this when we would set one of the GPUs as a compute in settings? The DR Configuration Guide states that Win 8.1 Pro or Win 10 Pro is required. Can you recommend any egpu which works with this system? But, to be honest I don’t know much/ anything about PC’s or where to begin? I’d recommend you use the Nvidia Studio driver. H.264 is a very efficient, but also very computationally intensive codec. I will however look into this. Tough call. You don’t gain any quality making the larger files, that’s also important to understand, but they will be easier and faster for Resolve to work with. You can build something custom for less money too though. Hi Tony, the specs sound great. Hi Rich, I recently purchased the MacBook Pro 16inch with the 5600m config(HBM2 8gb navi v-ram) Other specs include I9, and 64gb of ram. If there is a simpler program that will do what I’m asking, I’m open to trying it. The GPU would be a problem but you could try installing resolve 15 which is not as resource intensive- not optimal but it may make the difference between being able to edit on the computer and not. With powerful 20-watt built-in speakers and a 128-note maximum note polyphony, Recital Pro delivers ultra-realistic sound with an authentic playing experience. Hi James, you’re in good shape with that one. If there’s an option to replace the 1TB 7200 RPM HDD with a flash or SSD option, you’ll be in a better position to sustain the high data rates you’d need for 4K. Maybe it’s a better idea to keep using vegas for some time, to later on upgrade to a whole new system with a ryzen 7 3700x? Thank you! Does this happen when you are working with video files in a timeline only? As for SSD’s, you will not be able to play 2.5k CinemaDNG RAW from your 1TB 7200 RPM disk, the hard disk is far too slow. The only downside of the Mac is that it’s a 13″, so the screen is quite small, but if it fits in your budget, it would be a great choice, and will outperform the Acer for sure. I’d be tempted to recommend a higher resolution display. I am happy to spend the necessary amount to get a system that will run smoothly. what do you mean about this configuration ? I will need to stick with proxies until I can afford a new laptop. 4. I haven’t run Resolve 16 on this iMac with this GPU, so although I think it should be ok, I can’t say that with certainty. The important thing if you’re going this route is that your reference display (an LG C9 or CX OLED for example is a popular choice) is actually receiving a proper Rec.709 10-bit video signal from a video interface card and is actually calibrated using a calibration LUT loaded into the TV. 1 ……. I have it set to Red decompression/debayer with metal. What motherboard are you using? Unfortunately, I don’t have enough experience of that particular comparison. Please let me know if you can diagnose my problem. And would you mind telling me what drawbacks I may encounter if I use DR free version? https://www.richardlackey.com/best-storage-video-editing-post-workflow-backups/, Hi Rob, just to add to my previous reply, here’s a well equipped HP Omen. 299 € MB Asus sAm4 – 3/4xxx – Amd X570 – Gaming Rog Strix X570-F / Atx ………………. Hi Rich, Thank you very much for your clarification. I’d recommend taking a look at any gaming class laptop with at least 16GB RAM, preferably 32GB and a dedicated gaming class GPU. Out of all the transcode options, which would you suggest to be most storage efficient? I am not sure specifically about the state of hardware acceleration on the AMD GPU’s, I would have to do some digging but I know Nvidia has the edge right now, but here’s some useful info for you. Best Buy and purchase that will run Davinci Resolve 12.5 smoothly..I just wanna practice on the go ..been studying for awhile and I would like to get started color grading….thanks…. This imac has thunderbolt 2 port only. Also I have come confusion on Resolve’s support of 10-bit display. Generally speaking NLE’s don’t so much because they aren’t doing the same kind of processing. I have a big TB3 raid to hook up and work on. The number of GPU cores will determine how quickly a GPU can process image data. Have you tried it yet? So I’m looking to build a Windows 10 Pro PC with the following spec: CPU: AMD x8 FX-8350 MB: Gigabyte 990FX-Gaming RAM: 1 x 16GB Kit Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3-2400 Gigabyte N98TXTREME-6GD 6G GTX 980 Ti XTREME GAMING Medium Tower Case with 500W ATX PSU. our video’s are all 1080p @ 60fps. Operating system: Windows 10 64-bits RAM: 12GB Processor: Intel Core i5 3470 – 3rd generation GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 605 graphics card. You can even add adjustable Modulation, Reverb and Chorus to further tailor your sound. Because Home and Pro Editions are basically the same, except some corporate features (remote desktop, etc.). …. I wish I had considered this before committing to the 2gb GPU but feel much better after your article/answer since our production team works primarily in 2k files max. Most of my work will be cutting, add music and adjust colours, so probably not so much extra effects. Looks like fantastic value for money, that’s very decent spec for Resolve on the go. the current release of Davinci Resolve is 14.0.1. Just grateful to you. But I’m writing here to ask a question… I have the current Resolve Studio, and a woefully under powered iMac… I thought I would be okay, but I really wish I had found your site when I started working with Resolve and bought this computer used at the advice of someone who really didn’t understand the Resolve requirements…. Unless all you do is switching data on and off the drive all day, I wouldn’t buy the Pro. I’ve been using desktop pc for editing for over year now, but I need now laptop, because I’m going abroad for about 6 months. Would getting a new computer with an SSD and more video ram solve the issue? Thanks for your explanation above about DaVinci resolve. Especially, now I know that I can safely run Resolve. As significant as the Apple Silicon Macs may turn out to be in the evolution of desktop computer architecture, many users will want more, and still value the ability to upgrade, change components, and tailor a build to exact requirements. However, the more GPU’s are in the system, the more benefit you’ll see from a faster CPU also. Just wondering if the XPS 15 (i7-9570H)with GTX1650 4GB and 16GB RAM is suitable for editing multiple streams of 4k footage shot on GH5? You also speak about RAID and NAS etc … ? I have a MacBookPro NoRetina 13.3 with 16GB RAM, SSD with 240GB and external HD on USB3. Yes, please feel free to send me specs and I can have a look! (2) Regarding internal SSD, as Blackmagic design mentioned nothing about SSD for HP 840, I wonder why, but a SATA 7200 1TB system hard drive. Hi! and thank you for responding to almost all the comments. However I believe the lagging you were experiencing before on the Macbook Pro was down to GPU limitations not HDD. You’ll need a Blackmagic Decklink card to give you the output for your dedicated monitor. I don’t think you can make a wrong pick here. What camera are you shooting with? I’d definitely recommend you invest in the license for Resolve Studio rather than using the free version of Resolve, as Resolve Studio gives you GPU accelerated H.264 / H.265 decoding and encoding, and this will really improve your playback performance. Before 2019, I regularly used ‘affordable’ editing software that you would find on the shelf at your local electronics store. Thanks Anil Devasamudra. I’m concerned about where on the drives the software should be loaded or if it should be spread over the various memory storage areas. 2/ I would like to avoid Windows system and limited budget up to 3000 euros (3500$). Hi Matt, thanks so much. I have an ASUS X555UB i5 8gb Ram with GeForce 940M with 2gb dedicated. Bigger vram’s cards are much more expensive. To be honest, you’re probably going to struggle with Resolve on your iMac. It’s going to come down to GPU RAM and system RAM, and the integrated Intel Iris GPU’s share the system RAM. On your system, you should also only be working in a HD resolution timeline. Hi Avtar, this looks like an excellent build. Both of these codecs are high quality and far less complex to decode. You haven’t given the GPU but already I can tell you’ll need to look at a higher-end machine. Virtually all the content I’m delivering is in Rec709 and HD but going to tinker with some other demo displays for HDR and 4K (nothing higher). Hi Laszlo, Those two systems are going to have no problems. Do you maybe know a workaround to prevent the memory error? Have you connected and external calibrated monitor of any sort? If one of the SSD’s fail all of your data will be lost. Then your desktop UI monitor can be any decent desktop monitor. You’re definitely on the right track. Let me know if there’s anything I can help with later on. Running Davinci Free version. © All Rights Reserved. I mean, how well can I expect Resolve 17 to run on an i5, 32GB RAM Mac Mini + RX 560? can the 2020 dell xps 13 run Davinci Resolve 16? Plus my suite is unusable for off lines while those transcodes run. (3) I need any other things to add with the aforementioned specification ? Monitoring and color management is another very important part of any color grading setup. Hi Reza, Resolve wants both Lots of CUDA cores and as much VRAM as you can give it. Thanks! Components Included With The Barrett Mark 22 Advanced Sniper Rifle System Deployment Kit (1) Pelican 1770 Protector Hard Case (58"x18"x10") (1) Armageddon Gear Soft Case (2) Bore Guides for 7.62 and .300/.338 The questions I get are from people that want to know more about DaVinci Resolve’s minimum system requirements rather than the ideal system we would all have if money was no object. Most of my work will be cutting, add music and adjust colours, so probably not so much extra effects. Internal and external SSD drives and desktop hard disk RAID arrays are all great solutions. It seems logical and indeed probable that a previous version of DR which stated lower minimum system requirements at the time (e.g. camara lumix gh4 panosonic, archivos, si siempre exporto a h264 y h265 I got a cheap 8GB Ram gtx 1070 that also accepts the Nvidia Studio driver, Thanks for answering friend you are great. Good luck! I am a photographer and graphic designer first and occasional video guy second. 48WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion battery 15.6” Full HD 1920×1080 IPS Type Display 16GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Home | Gigabit wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC 2×2) Rog intelligent cooling Thermal system with dual 12V fans, anti-dust technology, and adjustable fan modes, If this does not work could you recommend some good laptops that may that ideally aren’t going to break the bank as well. I’m currently using Da Vinci Resolve 14 for editing 4k footages. Full HD display is the minimum and you will probably be frustrated with it. If you don’t need a laptop, the new Apple M1 Mac Mini can be a good entry level option for Resolve, either the 8GB or 16GB model, but I’d be tempted to go for the 16GB, this costs less than a Windows laptop of minimum required specs, but you’ll need a display, keyboard and mouse for it, and of course it’s not self contained and portable like a laptop. How much TB willbe needed. Can you tell me what type of media you will be using most of the time? If you’re just starting out, or you work mostly on a laptop creating videos that will be viewed online, you can get away working from your laptop screen. You’ll quickly want more SSD space, but you can always add that later (or configure an SSD RAID). A 7200rpm disk won’t be fast enough. I am not sure if you can use a card straight out of a Mac on a Windows build as it has different firmware. At the moment, the playback is really a struggle, making it impossible for me to edit files. I am a learner. My workplace provides laptops as we are in a very secure environment and there is very little to choose from. Need a little help? You need at least 16GB system RAM for any laptop or desktop you are considering. Processor: 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 Memory: 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 I am running the OS off an external 512 GB SSD Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6970M 1024 MB. Thank you very much. Spending a little extra on the Ryzen 5900X is not a bad idea though if you have an extra $100 to invest.