Cheapest computer for editing 4k & 5k footage

[Robbo15]

What is a good computer to get for editing imaging taken with the air S2? I’m looking for something cheap. The drone was expensive enough. Lol.

 

[Macinfo]

Get a M1 Mac Mini, that should work fine..

 

[Chris Baish]

I know it's not a computer, but I use an ipad pro. I get really good results. You can even edit on the ipad mini 5 or 6, all using the Lumafusion app.

 

[Macinfo]

I know it's not a computer, but I use an ipad pro. I get really good results. You can even edit on the ipad mini 5 or 6, all using the Lumafusion app.

Technically, it is a computer, just a different class.

 

[theDRONEranger]

What do you intend to do with your edited videos?

Let that be your main driving factor. Consider, also, Lesser expensive, lesser equipped computers may not be able to handle the graphics and compaction factors (H265) of your videos. RAM is another deciding factor. Most lower cost will not have the RAM you need, now you WILL have lag on playback!

Choose wisely!

 

[JC in New Hampshire]

Get a M1 Mac Mini, that should work fine..

He said cheap. Why would you spend $800-plus for an overpriced Apple product when you can get equivalent specs in a Windows PC for half that?

 

[itallica]

He said cheap. Why would you spend $800-plus for an overpriced Apple product when you can get equivalent specs in a Windows PC for half that?

I don't think you've seen the specs of an $800 M1 Air. With no fans and 18 hours of uptime, 8 cpu cores, and 7 or 8 gpu cores, this thing eats other laptops for lunch.

I've been a windows guy since... well... windows, and I bought one after considering $1400-$1600 intel and AMD laptops. I am FAR from an apple fanboi ... but I give this little guy respect where it is due.

 

[Macinfo]

He said cheap. Why would you spend $800-plus for an overpriced Apple product when you can get equivalent specs in a Windows PC for half that?

There is no Windows PC match to an M1 Processor, not even close. Plus I think Mac OS is far more stable, and reliable and secure than any version of Windows, the extra cost in trying to secure a Windows PC can really add up over time, not to mention the constant patching, which MS pushes now, some of which do not work well. No computer is completely secure, but I'd rather be on Mac OS then Windows any day..

 

[slozukimc]

He said cheap. Why would you spend $800-plus for an overpriced Apple product when you can get equivalent specs in a Windows PC for half that?

He said Mac Mini. The base M1 model is $699. I have been looking for an editing machine and there isn’t anything that compares for the price. Pair the Mini with an inexpensive 4k tv for a monitor and you have a **** nice editing machine for a grand.

Mike

 

[slozukimc]

There is no Windows PC match to an M1 Processor, not even close. Plus I think Mac OS is far more stable, and reliable and secure than any version of Windows, the extra cost in trying to secure a Windows PC can really add up over time, not to mention the constant patching, which MS pushes now, some of which do not work well. No computer is completely secure, but I'd rather be on Mac OS then Windows any day..

Agreed. I bought a Windows Surface Pro thinking it would suffice. To heck with Windows. Thing was a pain in the butt right from the start and lagged bad just playing 4k from my M1P. That was a $800 windows machine.

Mike

 

[JasonUWPhoto]

PC may be better than Mac for many things, but in general, Macs are built for creatives and do an amazing job at editing video. My 11 year old MacBook Pro 15, which was fully loaded, still works, but certainly does not render today’s 4K, 5k, 8k, etc. well. If you’re talking about short videos of a minute or two, not an issue, but longer features require lots of processing power. I tend to keep a lot in 1080p. Or at least edit in reduced. Yes, I have my eyes on the new MacBook Pro 16, but upgraded with AppleCare and tax, you’re talking close to $5,000.

 

[Macinfo]

PC may be better than Mac for many things, but in general, Macs are built for creatives and do an amazing job at editing video. My 11 year old MacBook Pro 15, which was fully loaded, still works, but certainly does not render today’s 4K, 5k, 8k, etc. well. If you’re talking about short videos of a minute or two, not an issue, but longer features require lots of processing power. I tend to keep a lot in 1080p. Or at least edit in reduced. Yes, I have my eyes on the new MacBook Pro 16, but upgraded with AppleCare and tax, you’re talking close to $5,000.

Yes, you can spend a lot depending on Mac config, you can do the same for PC's as well, with higher end video cards, better motherboards, SSD'S, and perhaps other items that people add that I am not thinking of. However, now you may spend that once and you'll get another 11 years or more from it..

The fact that you are using an 11 year old Mac is a testament to the longevity of many Mac's, and how much longer they effectively last over most, if not all PC.'s that probably cannot even use Windows 11.

 

[tlswift58]

What is a good computer to get for editing imaging taken with the air S2? I’m looking for something cheap. The drone was expensive enough. Lol.

I've got an Asus 14" with a AMD Ryzen processor in it and it works good with my video and editing in Lightroom. About $400-$500 I think; but if into serious stuff - either build one with quality parts yourself or a good desktop PC in the $600-$1,000 range will typically work. Key things to look for - separate video card (not motherboard / cpu based), 16 GB's of RAM or more, Any Intel I-5 and above or AMD Ryzen 5 will work great. Having an SSD hard drive is better than the old disk type as well.

I build my own desktops and thru some decent Black Friday deal am upgrading the motherboard, CPU, SSD drive, 32 GB's RAM, and a good (not gamer quality) video card for $700. For a new build, you'll need a decent case - about $75, a really good power supply (650 and up) - $100 or so, highly suggest water cooler for CPU - another $125 or so, and some case fans if they do not come with case you get - another $50 or so for 3-4 of them.

Website like NewEgg and help you "build' your own desktop if your not that experienced with it. They have some great Black Friday and I would think some awesome Cyber Monday deals on part or a full desktop.

Bottom line - if you go cheap - that is what you'll get in results. Don't really need a "gaming" PC; but if you do game - get one (about $1,500) for both and it'll work great. Yes, a bit expensive, but the "chip shortage" thing has sent prices sky-high on everything including cars / trucks.

 

[tlswift58]

What do you intend to do with your edited videos?

Let that be your main driving factor. Consider, also, Lesser expensive, lesser equipped computers may not be able to handle the graphics and compaction factors (H265) of your videos. RAM is another deciding factor. Most lower cost will not have the RAM you need, now you WILL have lag on playback!

Choose wisely!

Unless he gets the Codecs for H265 - should stick with H264 and not worry about that one.

 

[tlswift58]

Yes, you can spend a lot depending on Mac config, you can do the same for PC's as well, with higher end video cards, better motherboards, SSD'S, and perhaps other items that people add that I am not thinking of. However, now you may spend that once and you'll get another 11 years or more from it..

The fact that you are using an 11 year old Mac is a testament to the longevity of many Mac's, and how much longer they effectively last over most, if not all PC.'s that probably cannot even use Windows 11.

My I-5 2500 Windows 7 based desktop (my own build - 2011) still does exactly what I need it to do - video editing / etc. I am upgrading many of the parts with some great Black Friday / Cyber Monday deals. But to claim Apple is far superior is BS. They USED to be the best thing going for the video / creativity side; but that standing left the building. As well, the OS is not as secure as everyone thinks - since it is Unix / Linux based. Simple tools that are not that expensive for anti-virus / malware and a very good router / home wi-fi (which you need for Apple as well) has protected my PC's very well. I've got WIN11 on a laptop and it's okay. I'm not a fan of all the app based OS's (old IT techie), but WIN7 is no longer supported by MS; so you get either WIN10 or WIN11 in any PC / MS based computer.

My WIN11 AMD Ryzen 5 processor Asus 14" laptop (16 GB's RAM) runs and edits in Lightroom very well. I do prefer to use my desktop with 2 - 27" monitors for these old eyes; but when on the road - the little laptop (about $500) works very well.

Apple iPad's are good - don't get me wrong and not as expensive as the MacBooks. You can easily spend $1,500 - $2,500 for a MacBook and have nearly same specs as any very good PC laptop at $500 cheaper. But each person buys what they are comfortable with - whether that be an Apple or PC based device. I just don't want to pay extra for the "apple logo" on a device.

 

[JasonUWPhoto]

Yes, you can spend a lot depending on Mac config, you can do the same for PC's as well, with higher end video cards, better motherboards, SSD'S, and perhaps other items that people add that I am not thinking of. However, now you may spend that once and you'll get another 11 years or more from it..

The fact that you are using an 11 year old Mac is a testament to the longevity of many Mac's, and how much longer they effectively last over most, if not all PC.'s that probably cannot even use Windows 11.

Absolutely happy with Apple experience, even if their price points do reflect an up charge for the “Teacher’s Apple”. We own several PCs, a Chromebook, two IPAD Pros (11” and 12.9”) and the MacBook. The Ipads get used more than anything, but I really don’t like editing photos or video on them. I use Lightroom/Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, IMovie for simple online videos, and am dabbling in Davinci Resolve and Avid Media Composer. Plan to also try out the new Adobe Premiere Rush on the IPad and see what I think.

By the way, we live on our sailboat, so a full video editing suite is not an option.

 

[vindibona1]

Mac Mini 1 and Davinci Resolve. Cheap computer. Free, full feature software optimized for the M1 chip.

 

[MavicAir2Marc]

I agree with @vindibona1 , I have a Mac Mini and I can edit without optimized media or proxies up to 4K 60fps. When you start adding VFX, titles, color grading and the like it will slow down a little but just wait a minute while it pre-renders and it will be fine. I'm usually running about 5 apps or more simultaneously (for work) at the same time I'm editing and it doesn't affect it at all.

 

[test2000Anafi]

cheapest computers for video editing are basically all apple silicon devices.

Even the M1Pro and M1Max devices are cheapest in their class if you look at the raw performance. Nothing comes close. Having the best ever HDR screen, keyboard, battery, trackpad, fastest IO, build quality, and so on, ever in a mobile device are basically free extras.

 

[thispilothere]

If this was a few years ago, I'd definitely recommend a self-assembled PC for too many reasons to list. Now, the video card market is so crazy that you're overpaying for even basic performance packages. Software I use takes years before it's released on Apple so I'm stuck in the PC world but, if you're just looking to edit video, Apple is the best deal right now.

Look at a used 24" M1 iMac or M1-based Mac Mini. I've seen used versions on ebay from $400-$500. Both have similar performance so just buy whichever is the best deal at the time (assuming you have a monitor, keyboard, etc).