System configuration question re 4K UHD video export

[foxcreek]

I am running a Dell Latitude E5570 (laptop), with an i7 6600 U processor at 2.60-2.80 GHz, with 8 GB RAM. Graphics are AMD Radeon R7 M360 and Intel HD Graphics 520. The laptop is 4 ½ years old. It runs Windows 10 Pro, version 20H2, 64 bit. The hard drive is a SATA 256 GB with 26 GB free. I do much of my editing on an SDD 2 TB external hard drive.

With some new links from Adobe I’m loaded HEVC video extensions. I’m editing drone video from a DJI MA2. I’ve not had too many problems exporting edited 4K video until I shot in slow motion, even in UHD. The video was taken in the late afternoon and was a bit too dark so I used the various tools Premier Elements v 18.0 makes available to lighten it. It came out fine in Elements, but when I try to export it, even at low resolution (SD 720), the picture is all black. I know my system's RAM is low and that its graphics capabilities are not geared for 4K video. But would 16 GB RAM fix this (I can add to RAM), or are the graphics a lost cause (I can't upgrade them on this system)?

[Steve Grisetti]

For one thing, your processor is on the lower end, especially for editing 4K. Your benchmark rating is about 4,200. In my books I usually recommend a 6,500 for HD editing and a 10,000 for editing 4K.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/mid_range_cpus.html

That means you may struggle to edit HEVC, especially if it's shot at 4K 60 fps. But I don't know how that would give you a black video output. 

What media player are you using? I highly recommend you use the free VLC Media Player rather than the limited Windows Media Players. But if VLC is also playing that video back, tell us and we'll look more closely at your output.

[foxcreek]

Thanks for the VLC recommendation. That solved the black screen issue. On this system I can upgrade RAM, but can't change the video processor or the hard drive. This was a computer I was using for writing and photo graphics at a previous job, but no video. Wonder how much good it would do to upgrade the RAM to 16 GB. Actually, I've edited 4K UHD at 240 fps and it came out fine. Took a while. Or maybe I'll invest in another machine and send this one to my youngest son. 

[Peru Bob]

SATA 256 GB with 26 GB free

You also need a larger system drive.

26 GB isn't really enough for system and temp files.

[foxcreek]

Thanks. How much good do you think it would do to clear off another 20 GB from the hard drive?

[Peru Bob]

It may help marginally, but probably not enough to notice a difference.