Updated on August 14, 2022
In2021, professional equipment will no longer be required to capture videos in 4K quality, since action cameras and Smartphones will be able to shoot videos in 4K and at 60 frames per second. If your computer’s graphics card isn’t equal to the challenge of editing high-resolution video files, the process can be difficult and time-consuming.
Video editing software programs are moving away from relying only on the CPU to instead relying on the GPU, making graphics cards an increasingly vital part of the process. To prevent choppy playing of 4K videos or to reduce the time you spend rendering 4K material, you’ve come to the correct place.
Top 5 Graphics Cards for 4K Video Editing and Rendering
You have a choice between AMD and Nvidia when it comes to graphics cards, as these are the only two significant manufacturers. Since AMD has produced a number of graphics card models capable of exceptional performance in recent years, Nvidia has been an obvious choice for video editors working with enormous high-resolution video files. That being said, here are the five most effective graphics cards for 4K video editing and rendering in 2021.
1. Asus AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
Price on Amazon: $424.99
Pros
- Equipped with 8GB GDDR6 memory
- Supports 4K H264 decoding and encoding rendering formats
- Features a VR ready premium solution
- Utilizes an intelligent sharpening technology
Cons
- Underwhelming overclocking potential
To help gamers, animators, and video editors get the most out of their systems’ video output, AMD has built this graphics card. To minimize lag and enhance the gaming experience, the 7nm RDNA architecture of the graphics card features 40 compute units. Radeon Image Sharpening, Virtual Reality, and FidelityFX are all enhanced by the RDNA architecture, ensuring that every detail of a 4K film is clearly visible.
Connect up to six displays to the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT so you can play games in 8K resolution at 60 fps or display 5K visuals at 120 fps with this graphics card. There is twice as much bandwidth in this graphics card’s PCI 3.0 express version than there was in its predecessor’s 3.0 express version.
2. Gigabyte AMD Radeon VII
Price on Amazon: $449.99
Pros
- 1TB memory bandwidth
- Excellent overclocking capabilities
- Equipped with 4096-bit width memory
- Suitable for both 4K and 8K monitors
Cons
- Consumes 300 Watts of power
AMD Radeon VII is probably the best graphics card you can acquire in 2020 if you are editing 4K or 8K footage. Powered by a 1,800MHz boost clock, this graphics card boasts 16GB of VRAM. Even the most demanding video editing work or video games can be handled because to the card’s 25% increase in performance thanks to its 7nm architecture. Despite the lack of ray tracing processors, AMD’s Radeon VII is a strong performer in games. While Ryzen 3 has PCIe 4.0 capability, Radeon VII only has a PCIe 3.0 connector, which limits the throughput of connected devices slightly.
3. EVGA Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super
Price on Amazon: $589.55
Pros
- Real-time ray tracing
- Noiseless dual HDB fans
- 8192 MB of GDDR6 memory
- 1770 MHz boost clock
Cons
- Features only PCIe 3.0 connector
Your 4K videos will be rendered faster, 3D animation will be supported and you’ll be able to play the latest video games in real time with RTX 2070 Super. The sophisticated AI in the Nvidia Turing GPU architecture boosts the graphics card’s performance by up to sixfold. As an added bonus, the card’s AI can handle huge workloads thanks to the dedicated RT cores and parallel processing capabilities. 4K video playback and quick rendering of huge video files can be guaranteed thanks to a memory bandwidth of 14Gbps. A hardware encoder included into the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super makes it possible to stream games in real time without experiencing lag.
4. Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition
Price: $799.0
Pros:
- Provides DLSS for games that are not yet released
- Excellent cooling system
- Offers superb ray tracing capabilities
- High refresh rates
Cons:
- More expensive than similar models
The GeForce RTX 2080 Founders Edition graphics card makes editing 4K footage from smartphones, action cameras, and professional cameras much easier. There are 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 2944 CUDA cores in the Turing architecture of the card. In order to play both 4K and 8K videos, you’ll need a dedicated graphics card like GeForce RTX 2080 Founder’s Edition, which supports the maximum digital resolution of 7680×4320. In order to increase your computer’s 4K video editing capability, this card includes standard display, HDMI, and USB Type-C interfaces.
5. EVGA Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super
Price: $699.00
Pros
- Excellent overclocking potential
- Features 3072 CUDA cores
- Offers the possibility of connecting up to four monitors
- Low power consumption
Cons
- Aimed only at video editing professionals and gamers
When it comes to graphics cards that can play 8K videos and make editing 4K footage look simple, go no further than the one we’ve selected. When it comes to editing big quantities of 4K video files or producing large 3D animated images, the GeForce RTX 2080 is as impressive as any other Nvidia RTX Super Series model.
Because of its real-time ray tracing capabilities, the GeForce RTX 2080 is an excellent choice for gaming and live streaming, allowing you to play the latest titles at their highest settings. Also included with this graphics card is the ability to start a fresh gaming session as soon as it’s installed on your computer, thanks to the included game-ready drivers.
Background Information about Graphics Cards
The configuration of the computer you are using to edit the footage determines how long it will take to finish a project shot in 4K. A computer’s GPU can greatly reduce rendering times or improve the playback of huge 4K files, despite the fact that CPUs still play a key role in video playback. So, to give you some context, here are some facts about graphics cards.
What is a Graphics Card?
This piece of computer hardware, known as a graphics card or video card, produces the steam of images you see on a computer’s monitor or any other display device. Graphics cards are standard equipment on all computers since without them, even the most basic programs like word processors and web browsers would not work.
What are the Most Common Types of Graphics Cards?
There are two common types of graphics cards. You can edit images, watch and edit films, or play video games on most computers because the graphics card is incorporated into the CPU. As a result of this, the computer takes longer to complete demanding tasks because the CPU and GPU on the same chip sometimes limit each other’s capabilities.
If you want to edit high-resolution videos faster or reduce the time it takes to render a 4K video, you should install a specialized graphics card. All dedicated graphics cards come with a separate chip and a separate RAM that reduces the strain of a computer’s CPU and minimizes the lagging of the footage during the video editing process.
What you do on your computer on a regular basis will determine whether or not you should invest in a dedicated graphics card. The integrated graphics card is all you need if you merely edit photographs and videos at a basic level.
A dedicated graphics card, however, will make everyday chores on your computer much easier and faster if you are a skilled animator, video editor, or simply want to play all of the current games at their highest resolution.
Which Factors to Consider While Choosing a Graphics Card?
It can take some time and effort to sort through all the numerous dedicated graphics card models available today to locate the one that’s right for your computer’s setup. Additionally, there are a few other things to keep in mind when purchasing a dedicated graphics card.
1. Power draw
All computer setups benefit from having a reliable power supply since it helps prevent system crashes and hardware failures. Graphics cards can use anywhere from 120 to 300 watts of power, depending on the brand. A computer power supply must be able to deliver enough power to run high-end graphics cards, which require more power than all other computer components combined.
2. Cooling
Checking the cooling capabilities of the graphics card you’re considering can help you lower the long-term failure risk by preventing overheating from causing irreparable harm to your computer and its graphics card. It’s also a good idea to double-check the noise level of the cooling fans on any specialized graphics cards you’re considering.
3. Size
In order to fit in two or three expansion slots, most high-end dedicated graphics cards are between 10.5 and 11 inches long. As a result, it is critical to verify your computer’s capacity for expansion before purchasing a new graphics card.
4. Multi-card scaling
Because attaching two or more graphics cards might take up a lot of room, your available space and system size can have an impact on your multi-card scaling possibilities. CrossFire X and NVLink can be used to connect AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, but it is not possible to pair graphics cards with different architectures.
