Do you need a Graphics Card for Video Editing? 2022 (Updated)

You may have come across this question many times if you have some relation with the online field. Whether you love to edit videos as a passion or as part of a profession, you need to know about graphics cards (GPU).

Most people who have to edit videos on a daily basis, they buy a laptop or PC with a graphics card. But is this really necessary to buy a system along with a graphics card? The answer is somewhat “Yes” and somewhat “No.”

Like gaming, video editing is not a very heavy task up to a level. If you deal with some light software, you definitely don’t need a graphics card and CPU to handle your work. But if you deal with some intensive work at editing, you will need to use a graphics card and even a powerful one.

Do you need a Graphics Card for Video Editing?

This article will let you know about the graphics card, its importance, role for laptop or PC, and GPU acceleration for video editing. We will compare the performance of the CPU and GPU as well. In the end, you will come to know that do you need a graphics card for video editing or not. Let’s start

What is a Graphics Card?

A Graphics Card, also known as Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), helps to produce the images present on the screen. For better and smooth visual experience, a GPU with good memory is required. The image on the screen produced will be smoother if the graphics card is faster and vice versa.

The Graphics Card helps in providing an image to the display (not always in case of integrated one). It does this by transforming information into a signal, and the monitor understands and picks them. If you still think that do I need a graphics card for video editing? Move further with us.

Importance of GPU for Video Editing:

Video editing at a high level, as we already mentioned, needs a dedicated graphics card to help you run all the software with perfect colors. Most software has their system requirements with a dedicated software as well. In such a case, you need a graphics card for video editing for running that software.

A system without a graphics card is like running in the war without arrows in the quiver. So, you are running your laptop, offering you images quite softly, like fighting with the bow without firing arrows. But, a dedicated graphics card can help you improve performance with no hassle, and you can edit high-quality videos.

If you have the best CPU for video editing, a separate graphics card is better with its own memory. It is highly required to tackle down massive video editing software and video rendering. For keeping your eyes safe, it renders images in the right pixels that do not much affect the eyes.

Role of Graphics Card:

A laptop for video editing needs a graphics card for producing graphics or images quicker than integrated graphics. The role of a graphics card is to connect the motherboard to the display. In this way, it takes information from the board as input and sends it to the display as output.

Graphics cards are not only required for gaming, as most people think but also for video editing and other professional tasks. When you are working on a high resolution project, the power it gets from behind is the dedicated graphics card. For faster results, editing at high resolutions needs a dedicated graphics card.  

Comparison of CPU and GPU for Video Editing:

Let’s study a short comparison of the GPU with more cores of CPU. You might be thinking that do you need a CPU with high cores or a dedicated GPU with high memory. So, the simplest answer is that “CPU cores is the King.”

For being a heavily multithreaded task, video editing needs better CPU cores than better GPU as cores are king. The graphically demanding tasks such as video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia, etc. needs dedicated GPU. But, the CPU (cores) handle the video editing at mid-level.

GPU Acceleration in Video Editing:

A technique by which the GPU helps the CPU to move the intensive software of CPU to the GPU is called GPU Acceleration. So, is GPU acceleration beneficial for the performance of your laptop to aid you in your tasks? The answer is clearly, “Yes.”

This technique helps in adding extra boost up and speed to run video editing software swiftly and efficiently. It has highly increased the rendering performance even at higher resolutions with a better video experience.

For enabling GPU acceleration, the software you used for video editing has an option for its activation. Note that not every GPU can get accelerated as it depends on the software.

Final Words:

Well! That’s all about the query: do you need a graphics card for video editing? We hope that the above discussion might have cleared your mind about it. The things we highly focused on using the only CPU for demanding tasks or using CPU with a dedicated GPU.

From the discussion, we came to know that for video editing at a high-level, there is a need for a GPU. It is because, when using GPUs along with CPU, the work gets distributed among them, and the performance gets a boost. 

If you are not dealing with high-end video editing, but you still want to have a GPU in your system, you should invest in a mid-range GPU. Remember that if you don’t have a GPU, most video editing software runs based on the CPU. 

Rate this post
Wayne Carey is one of the most tech-savvy people you'll ever meet. He has been writing about laptops and other technology products for BestLaptopInfo since 2018, and in that time he has tested hundreds of different models. Wayne knows his stuff, and he's always happy to share his knowledge with others.
Wayne Carey

Share post on
Wayne Carey
By Wayne Carey

Wayne Carey is one of the most tech-savvy people you'll ever meet. He has been writing about laptops and other technology products for BestLaptopInfo since 2018, and in that time he has tested hundreds of different models. Wayne knows his stuff, and he's always happy to share his knowledge with others.



Best Laptop Info is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Is Lenovo a good brand 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

Is Lenovo a good brand 2022 (Updated)

Is Lenovo a good brand? Is Lenovo a good brand? Yes, you have heard...

By Wayne Carey
How to Use Laptop as a Monitor for PS4? 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

How to Use Laptop as a Monitor for PS4? 2022 (Updated)

How to Use Laptop as a Monitor for PS4? If you're a gaming enthusiast,...

By Wayne Carey
How Much Does It Cost To Repair Laptop Screen? How To Laptop

How Much Does It Cost To Repair Laptop Screen?

Having a laptop with a scratched or broken screen is bothering and irritating. So,...

By Wayne Carey
Can you Tune your Car with a Laptop? 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

Can you Tune your Car with a Laptop? 2022 (Updated)

Instead of forking out 80-100USD an hour for AWD dyno time at your local...

By Wayne Carey
How to Remove Scratches from Aluminum Laptop 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

How to Remove Scratches from Aluminum Laptop 2022 (Updated)

There are a lot of laptop options ranging from $500 to $3,000 available in...

By Wayne Carey
How much storage do I need on my laptop 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

How much storage do I need on my laptop 2022 (Updated)

How much storage do I need on my laptop? When you decide to buy...

By Wayne Carey
Touch Screen VS Non Touch Screen Laptops 2022 How To Laptop

Touch Screen VS Non Touch Screen Laptops 2022

You must be having a question in your mind that do I need a...

By Wayne Carey
How to charge a Laptop in Cars? 2022 (Updated) How To Laptop

How to charge a Laptop in Cars? 2022 (Updated)

Now it is friendly to charge your laptop in your car with the emerging...

By Wayne Carey

Latest Posts

Laptop Buying Guide

10 Best Laptops For Game Design; Buying Guide

Choosing the best laptop for game design can be a tough decision. There are...

By Muneeba Ch
Laptop Buying Guide

9 Best Laptops For Cricut Design Space – Buying Guide 2022

There are many laptops on the market that claim to be the best laptops...

By Wayne Carey
Laptop Buying Guide

12 Best Laptops For Fusion 360 + Buying Guide

Are you looking for the best laptops for Fusion 360? If so, you've come...

By Wayne Carey
Laptop Buying Guide

17 Best Laptops For Grad School With A Buying Guide

Are you a current or soon-to-be graduate student? If so, you know that having...

By Wayne Carey
Laptop Buying Guide

4 Best MacBooks For Live Streaming + Buying Guide Explained

When it comes to live streaming, you need a powerful computer that can handle...

By Wayne Carey
Laptop Buying Guide

10 Asus Laptops For Graphic Design + Buying Guide (2022)

If you are a graphic designer, then you know that having a good laptop...

By Wayne Carey
Best HP Laptop For Graphic Design + Buying Guide (2022) Laptop Buying Guide

Best HP Laptop For Graphic Design + Buying Guide (2022)

Are you in the market for a new laptop? If you are a graphic...

By Wayne Carey
Laptop Buying Guide

10 Best Laptops For Gaming And School Under $500

Are you in the market for a new laptop? If you are, and you're...

By Wayne Carey