Hardware for Davinci Resolve

[stargatesuite]

Hello everyone! I have given up in getting a laptop for myself, it's working good enough for ripping and burning. My son, a fan of creating and editing videos, wanted to step it up from using his tablet editing with imovie, and getting a desktop computer. He seems very interested in Davinci Resolve. I have read the Hardware requirements are demanding. I found that Microcenter has their own basic gaming computer, which seems to fit the bill https://www.microcenter.com/product/624824/powerspec-g163-gaming-computer. Not ready to pull the trigger until closer to his birthday, but was curious if anyone has used a computer with similar specs, and what their results were.
Thanks in advance!

[johns0]

I would go for a 3700x ryzen instead of a 3600 since it's better for hardware processing of apps,the 3600 is better for gaming in the price performance.Also if he's into a lot of video editing i would go for 32 gb of ram.

[KarMa]

I've got a

R5 3600 #Currently still best value CPU out there a the moment
32GB RAM
RX 460 2GB

Editing through Adobe PP is very fast (even though it's all software decoding, no GPU decoding) at 1080p. 5K resolution x265 is very slow however obviously. I'm reading that DaVinci has GPU support for RX 580, which should make your decoding fast. Adobe PP does not like AMD, so that's mostly a me problem.

On top of going for 32GB instead of 16GB (or potentially adding RAM after purchase), you will also need extra HDD storage. As that 500GB will be filled quickly.

[stunner21]

Depends what your going to be doing really. Resolve is a node editor so the more nodes you have the more hardware requirement you'll have. Its also very gpu based compared to premiere so although having a decent cpu is good you'd be better off having a chunky gpu and a half way decent cpu (Agree about the 32gb Ram though). I work in 4k most of the time running multiple nodes and several stacked timeline layers and have a i7 6700k with 32gb ddr4 ram and a 2080ti which works absolutely fine. I did used to run the same setup with a gtx 980 and found it workable with some dropframes although now can run smoother playback at the full fps. Da Vinci recommends 8GB of Vram on the gpu for 4k workflows so provided your gpu meets that spec it should carry the bulk of the workload. If your sons looking to switch between applications other than resolve ie premiere, ae then you'd probably want to take into greater consideration the cpu but I just did a quick test with 4 prores layers, each with 5 nodes applied and ended up with peak loads at 31% cpu memory use around 3.8gb and gpu load around 15% so you'd have a good amount of breathing room on a similar spec machine.

[lordsmurf]

Editing through Adobe PP is very fast (even though it's all software decoding, no GPU decoding) at 1080p.

I tried DaVinci.
I'm wholly unimpressed.
I have equal, or more, control over color in Adobe Premiere.
We're not missing anything.

I have an older version, using an Intel. Mostly for SD correction, but sometimes the odd HD file.

[stargatesuite]

Wow thanks for your input guys! I was hoping that 16 gb ram would be enough, since that was the recommended amount. I can see 32gb would be better. As far as additional hard drive, I also agree that would be a good idea. I was looking into a CyberpowerPC as well, since it had an additional hard drive, but only had 8gb of ram.
stunner21, if I googled your video card correctly https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GeForce-Overclocked-Graphics-ROG-STRIX-RTX-2080-O11G/dp/B0...tag=mozilla-20 that is way too rich for my blood. My son is really into Fortnite right now, and playing on the Switch he has complained about the lag and framerates. He basically wants to switch between gaming and video editing. I guess if this computer mentioned above would work, with maybe an external hard drive and eventually an upgrade in Ram, we'll look into it. If you guys know of a better computer for the price, I would get that one. I just want to get one that would work without Davinci crashing or freezing.

[stargatesuite]

Editing through Adobe PP is very fast (even though it's all software decoding, no GPU decoding) at 1080p.

I tried DaVinci.
I'm wholly unimpressed.
I have equal, or more, control over color in Adobe Premiere.
We're not missing anything.

I have an older version, using an Intel. Mostly for SD correction, but sometimes the odd HD file.

Lordsmurf,
I seriously considered Adobe Premiere. I guess I'm not ready to pay $600 until my son goes to film school (he's 11). I personally never used it, but the results I have seen are amazing. I was only considering the free version of Davinci Resolve. I hope I didn't confuse anyone.

[lordsmurf]

Editing through Adobe PP is very fast (even though it's all software decoding, no GPU decoding) at 1080p.

I tried DaVinci.
I'm wholly unimpressed.
I have equal, or more, control over color in Adobe Premiere.
We're not missing anything.

I have an older version, using an Intel. Mostly for SD correction, but sometimes the odd HD file.

Lordsmurf,
I seriously considered Adobe Premiere. I guess I'm not ready to pay $600 until my son goes to film school (he's 11). I personally never used it, but the results I have seen are amazing. I was only considering the free version of Davinci Resolve. I hope I didn't confuse anyone.

A much older Premiere CS2 is available for free online. The main reason is because it may not work with some newer OS or hardware.

The main problem with free DaVinci is you're limited to H.264 output only. Yuck.

[ChapmanDolly]

These are te current requirements for Resolve.
[Attachment 55099 - Click to enlarge]

[stunner21]

Wow thanks for your input guys! I was hoping that 16 gb ram would be enough, since that was the recommended amount. I can see 32gb would be better. As far as additional hard drive, I also agree that would be a good idea. I was looking into a CyberpowerPC as well, since it had an additional hard drive, but only had 8gb of ram.
stunner21, if I googled your video card correctly https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GeForce-Overclocked-Graphics-ROG-STRIX-RTX-2080-O11G/dp/B0...tag=mozilla-20 that is way too rich for my blood. My son is really into Fortnite right now, and playing on the Switch he has complained about the lag and framerates. He basically wants to switch between gaming and video editing. I guess if this computer mentioned above would work, with maybe an external hard drive and eventually an upgrade in Ram, we'll look into it. If you guys know of a better computer for the price, I would get that one. I just want to get one that would work without Davinci crashing or freezing.

16GB would be ok but you'll be better set with 32gb as software and video sizes increase. Yes the 2080 ti isn't a cheap card for starting out but there are slightly cheaper options which still give you a good performance albeit slightly less nippy maybe look at the 2070s or 3070s, you could also find a decent ebay bargain for the 2080 ti now the 30xx range has been released as theres a lot of people trading in so you may find one in a more affordable bracket. I'm not sure on decent prebuild systems, I normally build my own systems so just tend to upgrade a few bits at a time when its called for. If your sons going to be switching between gaming maybe check out the site below to look at the comparable benchmarks which should give you an idea of what you can get from different cards, games again tend to be more on the gpu side on the whole so it'd be worth seeing what suits your needs/budget for the gaming side as well.

[ChapmanDolly]

Lordsmurf you are sadly misinformed. You are not limited to h264 in the free version of Resolve. You just cannot go above UHD resolution, and cannot use 10bit video.

[Attachment 55100 - Click to enlarge]

[KarMa]

If the 2080 TI is being considered, I'd just go with the RTX 3070 for $500. Though it's just a question of when you will be able to get your hands on it due to demand. I'm not seeing 2080 TI prices coming down enough on Ebay just yet.

The RX 580 8GB will absolutely play just about anything you throw at it. You might not be able to max out the quality, you are probably limited to 1440p or 1080p, but it will work. My RX 460 2GB, which is approximately half the power of RX 580, plays Fortnite at 1080p 60fps+. Rainbow 6, 1080p 60fps+. The biggest limiter for me is just the 2GB RAM, as RAM was in short supply back when I bought it. Looking to buy a RX 580 8GB in the short term.

[stargatesuite]

These are te current requirements for Resolve.
[Attachment 55099 - Click to enlarge]

Thanks!

[lordsmurf]

Lordsmurf you are sadly misinformed. You are not limited to h264 in the free version of Resolve. You just cannot go above UHD resolution, and cannot use 10bit video.

For Windows?
The only thing interesting in that list is DNxHD.
I'll look again, but for SD, all I saw was H.264 last time I had it installed, maybe 6 months ago.

[stargatesuite]

So annoying! Microcenter has this model, which has Ryzen 7, but out of stock! https://www.microcenter.com/product/615138/powerspec-g162-gaming-desktop-pc?storeid=029
I think this would work, and get 32gb ram eventually!

[johns0]

The ryzen 3600xt is better than the ryzen 2700x.

[stargatesuite]

So I guess I am a little confused. Applications such as davinci resolve supposedly do better with a Ryzen 7 than a Ryzen 5. I assumed that a the 2700 would be better than the 3600xt. Is there something special with the 3600 versus the 3600xt?

[johns0]

The 2700x is a little better for certain programs that can use 8 cores but the 3600xt is better overall,it's a little better than the 3600 cause it can be overclocked better,I would wait for the new zen to show.

[stargatesuite]

Thanks johns0. I have watched Youtube videos and read a little, and it seems building would be the way to go, if you know exactly what you are looking for. Sites that build your computer for you seem to price gouge. I will be waiting, since I don't have the finances yet to get it. It's taking awhile for me to understand all the different factors at play in figuring out which components are better than others.

[ChapmanDolly]

Lordsmurf, yes the options are limited for SD but you can use MXF. I would suggest that the majority of people using Resolve are working in HD or UHD 16x9. As to grading, you have far more control in Resolve. Most feature films, regardless of the platform they are edited in, are graded in the color section of Resolve. DaVinci has been the de facto grading software for many years, originally costing many thousands of dollars.

[stargatesuite]

So I am seeing through a davinci resolve user that 1600 AF is comparable to the 3600. Is this true? Are there any decent builds people recommend for about $800? I hear there are great ones for video editing and gaming.