Smooth playback is usually a result of a good media encoder. The best one is Intel QuickSync, but 13th and 14th Gen i7's and i9's currently have stability issues, so I can't recommend them in good faith until it gets resolved. However, the 12900K is issue-free and is priced very well right now. Generally, you want a proxy to reduce the amount of RAM you need. 32 GB is good for 1440p editing but we usually recommend 64 GB of RAM for 4K editing in Premiere Pro. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cNYG9c Not sure what PSU you have, hopefully it's 750W+ and good quality. I've upgraded the CPU, cooler (top mount as exhaust), motherboard, and doubled up on the RAM. The case also has excellent airflow and value for the price. You should expect to see close to 2x the performance in terms of export times and slightly more than 2x the performance in terms of live playback. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/adobe-premiere-pro-12th-gen-intel-core-vs-amd-ryzen-5000-series-2242/ Answer from canyouread7 on reddit.com
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/buildapcforme › upgrading pc to handle 4k video editing (premiere pro)
r/buildapcforme on Reddit: Upgrading PC to handle 4K video editing (Premiere Pro)
July 19, 2024 -

Context:

  • I bought a custom-built PC 3 years ago to do a mix of video editing (1080p) and gaming.

  • I want to upgrade the PC to handle 4K video editing in Premiere Pro - i.e. so that timeline and playback doesn't lag when working with higher resolution files

  • On recommendation, I upgraded my GPU from the Nvidia 3060 to the 4070 (base Vintus model, not the Super or Super Ti), but it resulted in minimal timeline performance improvements. Another person then suggested I should've upgraded my CPU instead, so I'm thinking about refunding my new GPU and reinvesting the money into CPU. But I'm a bit confused about what I should prioritise given my current build and if there are any case size/motherboard limitations.

  • Side note: after buying the new graphics card and being disappointed in the results, I learnt about creating proxy files when editing 4K footage in Premiere. Initially this seemed like a fairly straight forward solution, and my timeline performance was great. However, I've since tried making proxies on another project, and a) the timeline performance didn't improve much, and b) the media encoder ran into errors when converting some footage into proxies. So the whole proxy process seems inconsistent and a bit of a hassle, which I'd like to avoid if possible. However, I'm open to accepting that using proxies may be necessary for PC builds in my price range.

//

  • New build or upgrade?

Upgrade

  • Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

  • Case: FRACTAL FOCUS G BLACK GAMING CASE (Window)

  • Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Six Core CPU (3.7GHz-4.6GHz/35MB CACHE/AM4)

  • Motherboard: ASUS® TUF GAMING B550-PLUS WiFi (DDR4, USB 3.2, 6Gb/s) - ARGB

Ready!

  • Memory (RAM): 32GB Corsair VENGEANCE DDR4 3200MHz (2 x 16GB)

  • Graphics Card: 12GB NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 3060 (Zotac) - HDMI, DP

  • 1st Storage Drive: 4TB SEAGATE IRONWOLF PRO 3.5", 7200 RPM 128MB CACHE

  • 1st M.2 SSD Drive: 512GB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3000MB/sR |

1600MB/sW)

  • 2nd M.2 SSD Drive: 1TB INTEL® 670p M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (up to 3500MB/sR | 2500MB/sW)

  • Cooling: STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER + standard cooling paste

  • Purchase country? Near Micro Center?

UK

  • Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)

No

  • Budget range? (Include tax considerations)

£500 - £700 upgrade budget

  • WiFi or wired connection?

Wifi

  • Size/noise constraints?

Not overly bothered about noise. Size constraints already set by existing case.

  • Color/lighting preferences?

Not bothered by lighting/cosmetics

  • Any other specific needs?

No

Many thanks for any help!

Top answer
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Smooth playback is usually a result of a good media encoder. The best one is Intel QuickSync, but 13th and 14th Gen i7's and i9's currently have stability issues, so I can't recommend them in good faith until it gets resolved. However, the 12900K is issue-free and is priced very well right now. Generally, you want a proxy to reduce the amount of RAM you need. 32 GB is good for 1440p editing but we usually recommend 64 GB of RAM for 4K editing in Premiere Pro. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/cNYG9c Not sure what PSU you have, hopefully it's 750W+ and good quality. I've upgraded the CPU, cooler (top mount as exhaust), motherboard, and doubled up on the RAM. The case also has excellent airflow and value for the price. You should expect to see close to 2x the performance in terms of export times and slightly more than 2x the performance in terms of live playback. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/adobe-premiere-pro-12th-gen-intel-core-vs-amd-ryzen-5000-series-2242/
Discussions

Best PC build for 4K video editing + AI workloads under $1200?
Consider dual CPU More on reddit.com
🌐 r/buildapc
4
2
October 15, 2025
Initial Build for 4K Video Editing/Rendering, Music Production and Gaming PC - Seeking Feedback - PCPartPicker
Initial Build for 4K Video Editing/Rendering, Music Production and Gaming PC - Seeking Feedback More on pcpartpicker.com
🌐 pcpartpicker.com
January 10, 2025
[deleted by user]
32GB vs 64GB RAM: I currently edit 4K footage on 32GB RAM (2 x 16GB) and it's honestly fine. It also opens up the opportunity to get 2 more 16GB sticks to upgrade to 64GB in future if I want to (I likely won't). More on reddit.com
🌐 r/buildapcvideoediting
6
3
January 24, 2023
4K Video Editing PC Build - Please Advise

Honestly looks great, I was looking at the same CPU but was told it might be a little overkill, so I opted for the 12700k on sale for $260 and my microcenter, which allowed me to get a better quality MOBO for the same price as the other. Saved about $150 alone on that downgrade

Also, I’ve been told DDR5 really isn’t worth the money, so if it’s a budget build you can save some money using DDR4.

Everything else looks great, from what I’ve read you’ll enjoy having that 3060ti with 12GB of RAM, I went with the 3070ti simply because I wanted a hybrid build for gaming.

Edit: also if you’re going do 64GB of RAM, do yourself a favor and get 4x16 instead of 2x32

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/buildapcvideoediting
7
3
January 3, 2023
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r/buildapc on Reddit: Best PC build for 4K video editing + AI workloads under $1200?
October 15, 2025 -

Hey everyone, looking to build a new editing/workstation PC and could use some advice. Budget is $1200 (flexible by $200-$300 if it makes sense). Use case:

4K video editing (Premiere/DaVinci - haven't decided yet) Graphic design work Eventually running local AI chat models (LLaMA, Mistral, etc.) General productivity No gaming.

What I already have:

Phanteks Enthoo Pro case (so no case needed)

What I'm looking for:

Best part list you'd recommend for this workload

Any parts worth buying used vs new?

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