For many professionals, the best video editing build must include a multi-threaded CPU. All AMD Ryzen chips come with multi-threaded cores, as do high-end Intel chips. You can also get a multi-threaded CPU, which means that each computing core is broken into “threads.” These threads allow individual cores to do more than one task at once, and this makes processing more efficient. As a general rule, the more processor cores a chip has, the more it can do. Each processor core can handle a distinct task while the rest of the CPU works on something else. If you plan to do 4K video editing, you’ll want a CPU with many processor cores. Intel also tends to excel in single-processor work, while AMD is better at multi-processor work - but which is better is a matter of debate.

But AMD tends to offer more processing power at a lower price, which makes it a popular option for custom builders. Intel is the brand of choice in pre-made machines from companies like Lenovo, HP, and Dell. When it comes to CPUs, today’s retail market is dominated by two brands: Intel and AMD. (Note that some people also use the terms “chip” or “processor” to refer to a CPU - it’s all the same.) All functions of your PC’s operating system run through the CPU, and that includes functions that matter to a video editor running programs like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and Sony Vegas Pro. If you think of a computer as a body, the CPU, or central processing unit, is its brain.

What you need to build a video editing PCīuilding a custom PC for video editing (or any purpose, really) requires eight core components.

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