About to build computer - am I understanding this?

Just a couple of quick questions before I pull the trigger on some components;

- Resolve uses one card for compute and one card for GUI, or one for both. If I use two cards they have to be the same brand, and I can't use both for compute unless I get the paid version of resolve...

- CPU is for compressing / decompressing video, GPU processing is for debayering and effects...

- Since I'm new to this, it seems to me I can either "save" a bit on getting a more powerful CPU to decompress heavily compressed files and then save on the GPU because it can now work with lower res, or vice versa spend more on the GPU and compress the files less...

- If I have time I can use a 'lesser' CPU and take longer to create proxies that my system can handle...

Did I get the above right?

I'm basically torn between getting a more powerful CPU or GPU, especially since the latter are pretty expensive by now. My goal is to start learning basic editing and grading and I just want to know which tradeoffs I end up making since they will affect future upgrades.

Thanks in advance to anyone who reads through and replies. Any opinions and advice are greatly appreciated.

PS:

I'm currently eyeing either a low budget Ryzen 1700 setup, which I know will limit me as soon as I start adding devices because of fewer PCIe lanes which then need to be shared, or a Threadripper 8 or 12-core build since Microcenter currently have them on sale for a good price. The latter would give me 60 PCIe lanes plus three m.2 nvme drives that I can create a raid with. No, I won't buy Intel.

PPS: I'm new btw, and an audio engineer... so please be gentle....

[Peter Chamberlain]

Hi, please review this guide first.
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=62582

I'd look for the best GPU you can afford as all the image processing is done in the GPU at full res and bit depth. The faster CPUs will decompress faster but still makes full res files.. if you want to make a proxy or optimised media to work with that will speed up your workflow, but if you need to render at the higher res that once again is in the GPU.

Just to clarify, creating optimized media in the Resolve / Media page before you are editing uses the CPUs.


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Thanks for the replies.

(I apologize for not thanking you sooner, but I just forgot to check the thread after a few days. I'll see if I can get notifications on replies for the future.)

Given the current insane pricing on graphic cards (unbelievable actually), what would my best value video (GPU+GUI) card be if my situation is the following:

- Goal is to learn asset management / editing / grading
- Getting a smaller job done, i.e. a short or commercial
- Nothing beyond HD, rec 709 output/delivery
- Time being less of a factor (i.e. no tight deadlines / transcoding is ok)
- This build being a 'proof of concept' 'stop-gap' build after which I might upgrade

In other words, given current pricing - what's the miminmum card I should look at for the above?
(or is my current card 'ok'?)

Current build:

Win 10 x64
Ryzen 1700 (8-core cpu)
16GB DDR4 @ 3200MHz
Nvidia GTX 960 2GB memory
SATA SSD System Drive
SATA SSD Work Drive
HDDs for backup/sound assets

Many thanks again!

PS: I've worked in audio-post for nearly two decades, mostly TV, for a bunch of networks, mostly non-scripted/non-fiction content (i.e. sports, lifestyle, commercials etc).....

I get by just fine using far less capable hardware, so I'd consider being frugal with this intermediary build, or even going with something you already have?

I edit 4k 305Mbps footage from Canon XC10 and 4k 60fps iPhone 8 footage on a 2016 13" MacBook Pro laptop and the workflow is convenient and fast enough most of the time.
I keep the source files on an external USB drive (not-SSD) and transcode all footage into 720p Quicktime 422 Proxy files onto laptop SSD for editing, then swap back to originals for critical tracking and colour processing. I've done complicated grades with up to a dozen nodes with masks / keys etc. Things slow down when you start adding in lots of elements, but if your workflow involves doing most of the editing before you start applying lots of processing then it's fine. The only time things are frustrating is when you use Optical Flow retiming and trying to do critical timing editing (such as synchronising editing to music, for example).

This workflow also allows editing while not in the studio so gives me something productive to do on my commutes.

Just my 2c

Thanks Kye, that's comforting to read!