Advice please - cost effective computer solution for editing 4k footage in DaVinci Resolve

Video and Photo Editing
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Hi All,

Ok, looks like we are going to have to bite the bullet in the next few months, Lee’s laptop is now struggling to edit, play the DaVinci timeline while editying - or even play rendered 4K 60fps footage - or render the footage once edited - a 3 min video took 90 minutes last nigth to render. So, looking at what we can upgrade to in a cost effective manner…

The curent laptop is a DELL Inspiron i5, Intel 10th Gen with 1TB HDD and 512GB SDD. It was 8GB RAM but has been upgraded to 24GB of RAM.

A laptop appeals as it is portable, so would be able to come away with us on holiday and allow editing on the move, but I know laptops carry a premium over a desktop…

A desktop would be doable, but there isnt a massive amount of room in the lounge, and we would need to cast it to the TV to use the 4K 60" uhd Super OLED sceen as a monitor - or I could possibly put it in the loft conversion, and use the workdesk up there, but that makes accessing it problematic and extremely hot in summer and cold in winter…

Not averse to buying refurbished, prefer to stick with DaVinci Resolve and to stay with WINDOWS OS rather than migrate to MAC…

Budget is not yet decided, probably not looking at moving until the NY, unless something on Black Friday or NY deals is worthwhile…

I have been looking at the LG gram 17 17Z90R-K.AD7BA1 17" Laptop - Intel® Core™ i7, 2 TB SSD, which are 32GB RAM and on offer at £1400 atm. but looks like discontinued and no stock locally, haoppy to hear suggestions, advice or a nudge towards anything worthwhile looking at…

Thanks in advance…

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I have one of these, it is brilliant and works great with video editing etc, small enough to move about, or leave near the TV, or as I do plugged up to a monitor, small monitor is possible so you can take it away too

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MINIS-FORUM-6900HX-Threads-Bluetooth5-2/dp/B0BP1V3SM6/ref=dp_prsubs_sccl_1/258-9281900-6232933?pd_rd_w=jcyMk&content-id=amzn1.sym.ec95bd7f-eb87-4328-8f5a-88bbec5b2f94&pf_rd_p=ec95bd7f-eb87-4328-8f5a-88bbec5b2f94&pf_rd_r=B411E357H5S36ZBW86G3&pd_rd_wg=kgkuh&pd_rd_r=109932d6-b3bd-4dfd-8449-bb55a5fb4a82&pd_rd_i=B0BP1V3SM6&psc=1

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There was quite a bit in this thread : Good compatible laptop to edit : that’s relevant, albeit that some was relevant to the smaller budget.

If you have, or plan to get, the Studio version - this makes huge and efficient use of good GPUs - especially when rendering.

A lot of what I said there still has relevance, though.

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You could by an Apple MacBook Air, with M2 silicon, and still have £50 quid change :confused:

I know you didn’t want to change your operating system but no other laptop on the planet in the same price bracket can handle 4K video editing as easily as something with a M2 chip.

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Thanks, will take a look…

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Thanks Dave, yes, lots to ponder… And lots to consider… want something that will do me for a few years, dont want to be swapping again for a good length of time…

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Yeah… But…

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Do you have the Studio version of DR?

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No, just using the free version atm, I am married to a Yorkshireman remember? … Is it that much better?

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It’s “better” for rendering - provides GPU usage rather than just CPU.

Does the benefit justify the cost? That rather depends on exactly what you use within its massive range of functionality.

There were functions I needed so had no choice.

That seems far slower than should be - and much slower than a normal edit/colour work takes on my much older, 6th gen laptop. How much that’s down to Studio I can’t recall. Shame you’re not local to me - you could compare.

That’s actually WAY slower than a seriously demanding 3D Fusion project on mine the other day.

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But what? Is using Windows a deal breaker, Suzanne? :thinking:

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Using a Mac is like owning an EV, I wouldn’t take either for free, I did try a Mac desktop around 8 years ago, hated every minute of it, it was like going back 30 odd years to DOS, yes windows has it downside and lacks some of the security feature that Apple offer, but after using it ever since the mid 80’s, I have never personally had any issues, and it is far easier to swap components around in a personally built PC than any Mac I have seen.
Like I say each to their own, I am more than happy with Microsoft and my Android Z Fold5

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Some interesting stats

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Apple+M2+8+Core+3500+MHz&id=4922

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I know you might not want to move to mac @AlbionDrones , But, I don’t know very many people that do serious editing (and I’m talking profesionals here) that use windows. They almost all use Macs, I’ve never investigated too much but there must be a reason for that?
As for your current one, have you done any investigating into why it’s slow?

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I’m PC, always have been, never ever used a mac. I used to go on training seminar’s and it did seem like every other photographer except me was using macs. Going to them now over recent years, it’s now about 50/50.

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What is the exact model number Quine? You might be able to increase/upgrade the processor and RAM for a lot less money than buying a new laptop. One thing I would definitely do is get rid of the HDD and swap it for an ssd, can make a huge difference.

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The spec she quoted above is a shit load better than mine - other than I have twin GPU and use the Studio version that takes a huge advantage of utilising GPU. - and mine is nowhere near that slow.

Suzanne is using the free version that won’t be making anywhere near the optimum use of hers … if at all.

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I don’t know of any current laptops that don’t have a soldered to the motherboard CPU

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That even applies to the Mac Minis. RAM too.

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That’s why I said “might” :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: