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J
Jean-Christophe5F9B
Participating Frequently
July 6, 2021
Question

Is a graphic card useful for Premiere elements ?

  • July 6, 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 2810 views
Hello.
I'm doing 4K video editing with Premiere elements 2021 and would like to know how to make the software 
run smoother when editing.
I have an intel i7 processor (6th generation), 16 GB of ram, an ssd (which stores the system and Premiere Elements) 
and a HDD (which stores the rushes; eventually, I will be able to copy the rushes to the ssd before mounting).
I want to speed up the render calculation when I apply any effect (especially stabilization) to see the result properly 
while editing, and improve the speed of the calculation for exporting.
My rushes are in H264 and I export in H264 (I found this in the Premiere Elements documentation: documentation )
During a render, my processor is at 100%, the memory has about 6GB free, and the hard drives do not exceed a few percent.
So I tell myself that the best thing to do initially is to help the processor with a graphics card.

Is this a good choice, will I see a difference in Premiere Elements?
If so, which graphic card to choose?
Thanks for the answers.
 

5 replies

B
Community Expert
Bill SpragueCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 7, 2021

"What I want to know is if a graphics card could speed up calculations when I apply an effect like stabilization (it's not in the list on the webpage you're talking about), when I use a rendering before playback, or when I export to H264."

 

I can try to test that for you if you provide more specifics.   Would you like to share one of your video clips?  As I've written, I regularly edit 4K/H.264 footage on a similar computer.   I would be happy to try stabilzation on one of your clips.

J
Jean-Christophe5F9BAuthor
Participating Frequently
July 7, 2021

Hello.
Here is a sequence that I shot with my camcorder (I could not send it with this message because of the size: 430MB ; it has been zipped so you can download it easily; there's no virus 😉 😞

C0001.zip 
I have Premiere elements 2021.
- For stabilization (smootness = 500, Boost stabilization checked, the remaining settings by default), it took 13 minutes
- For the rendering (in order to see the result of the stabilization), it took 1min30
- For export (for TV set, in H264, average quality, 60 Mbps), it took 2min16

The total is therefore 17 minutes for 37 seconds of clip.

Render and export time is normal?
But the problem is mainly stabilization.

B
Community Expert
Bill SpragueCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 7, 2021

Your C0001.zip failed to work for me.  Could you try DropBox or similar to send the file?

B
Community Expert
Bill SpragueCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 6, 2021

"will I see a difference in Premiere Elements?"

 

I am on my second 'gaming' laptop that I use for video editing.  (I broke the first one from ASUS.  Currently using a Lenevo.) 

 

Specs include i7, 16 GB, SSD and Nvidia GPU.  I've been editing H.264, 4K, 30fps for a few years using at least four of the recent Premiere Elements versions.   My workflow includes a specific working folder on the SSD with everything in the folder from clip copies to scratch disks.  My videos are typically shorter than 10 minutes.  

 

I am satisfied with computer performance using Premiere Elements, Premiere Pro and even one other NLE from an Adobe competitor. 

The last PrE version added GPU support, but my GPU was not on the list for about 6 months.  When it was added, I could see improvements in a few functions.   But, with my SSD workflow, project sizes and limited use of complex edits, the changes in performance were not dramatically significant when GPU support was added.

Changing to a bigger, better, faster SSD and using an SSD workflow may provide more 4K editing performance improvements than adding a GPU. 

 

 

J
Jean-Christophe5F9BAuthor
Participating Frequently
July 6, 2021

Hello.

Here is the configuration of my computer and the 4k files that come from my camcorder.

https://maths-info.pagesperso-orange.fr/provisoire/config.png

https://maths-info.pagesperso-orange.fr/provisoire/4k.png


Chemin d'accès au fichier = file path

Taille du fichier = file size

Taille d'image= image size

Fréquence d'image = frame rate

Type de codec vidéo = video codec type


To John: I have already read this web page. What I want to know is if a graphics card could speed up calculations when I apply an effect like stabilization (it's not in the list on the webpage you're talking about), when I use a rendering before playback, or when I export to H264.

Ann Bens
Community Expert
Ann BensCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 6, 2021

John T Smith
Community Expert
John T SmithCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 6, 2021

Approved list is at https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-elements/using/gpu-acceleration.html

 

But, as Steve says, the card is only used for 'some' things

Ann Bens
Community Expert
Ann BensCommunity Expert
Community Expert
July 6, 2021

A spinning drive is not optimal for 4K editing. SSD is preferred.

A dedicated graphics card will give you GPU acceleration during playback.

Please post computer specs.

S
Steve Grisetti
Legend
July 6, 2021

Ann is definitely correct. However, if you are asking if a good graphics card will give you a good performance boost, the answer is no. Premiere Elements is not GPU intensive. It draws the vast majority of its power from your CPU. You won't see a significant boost editing 4K from a high performance graphics card.

 

You don't say which processor you have, but you should be able to edit 4K fairly well with an i7 processor. But a lot depends on the specs of the 4K. Premiere Elements is optimized for H.264 video at 3480x2160 and 30 fps. What are your 4K specs?

    J
    Jean-Christophe5F9BAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    July 6, 2021

    Sorry, the link is: documentation 

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