Editing/Rendering extremely slow

Report · Jul 26, 2025

Since two weeks I guess, rendering (in the background) while editing is extremely slow. For a five minute video I have to wait for 30 minutes (render in to out). Even when it shows "green" after rendering, as soon as I just click on one clip, it immediately turns to "red". And the process starts again. This is no way of editing professioanlly.
I even switched last week from a RTX 2080 to RTX 5080, hoping that would help. Nothing. My computer expert also told me that all the latest firmware has been integrated.

Here is my computer setup:

Processor = Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-10920X CPU @ 3.50GHz 3.50 GHz

Installed RAM = 128 GB (128 GB usable)

System type = 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor

Edition = Windows 10 Pro, Version 22H2

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 (for main monitor)

Blackmagic Decklink Mini 4K (for second monitor)

Synology Raid

After more than 10 years, I am really thinking about switching to DaVinci Resolve. With each version of Premiere there is this weird feeling that another problem occurs.

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Delete the Media Cache and Media Cache files:
https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro/faq-how-to-clear-your-media-cache-in-30-seconds-in-premi...

If that doesn't work, try creating a new project and import the old one into it.

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Thank you Bob. Did all that, still no success. I decided to switch to Resolve Studio - but keep the Adobe subscription for other software. It is too nerve-wracking to wait for the next thing to happen in Premiere. 😉

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Try the other usual fixes -

First try resetting your workspace.

Menu bar Window - Workspaces - Reset to Saved layout.
If no joy reset your premiere pro preferences. Hold shift key on start up of premiere and select reset preferences.

Note that this will remove all preferences back to default so you will need to set them up again.

Under Audio Hardware ensure input is set to 'No Input'.

With a 5080 you should be flying.

Make sure Nvidia is ticked in your Media preference settings after the reset.

What version of Premiere Pro are you using ?

Let us know how you get on

Report · Jul 27, 2025

That goes to show you the differences in rendering/processing priority choices between Premiere and Resolve. You see, your i9-10920X CPU is a weakling by current standards (but was a decent CPU for its 2018-2019 vintage). Adobe, for the most part, prioritizes raw CPU power over GPU performance but still doesn't take full advantage of multithreading, while Resolve is quite heavily GPU-dependent as long as the CPU used in the Resolve system is just powerful enough not to heavily bottleneck a given GPU. And the lightly-threaded performance of your i9-10920X CPU (which, by the way, is significantly lower than any current- or recent-gen CPU) is what's causing Premiere Pro to stutter and choke under rendering.

No wonder why the RTX 5080 didn't make any tangible performance difference with Premiere Pro in your system: It is significantly hamstrung by the CPU.

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Well, some of it may be right... but the problem with Premiere is that they always have severe bugs from one release to the next. And up until all the 24.xx releases it worked fine. And from one update to the next you can throw your comp in the garbage bin , while working on a project. That's not consumer friendly. I guess, that is why so many editors make the switch.

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Fair enough. I currently don't have the Studio version of Resolve (only the Free version, which lacks many of the hardware-accelerated features that are included in the paid Studio version), and it does not support AC3 audio at all (AC3 must be transcoded to another audio format before one can import to Resolve).

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Whilst I would agree the Intel i9-10920X is weak versus new cpu offerings I wouldn't class it as a weakling.
My old back up system running an i9 9900k with all cores locked at 5Ghz can deliver some surprisingly reasonable results.

A system that is choking and stuttering with a i9-10920X may have some other simple issues that might need further investigation.

There are always quite a few examples of users on the Forum with very top end hardware experiencing stuttering timelines and slow renders when all that was needed was some Premiere 'reset housekeeping'.

@christianm93359868 incidentally what media are you editing / rendering?

Report · Jul 27, 2025

Usually I work with mp4 files, for the last project I use .mov, both from my Panasonic Lumix cameras. No heavy effects attached, also no other programs like After Effects connected.

Report · Jul 28, 2025

@christianm93359868 ,

Did you go through all the checks /actions I suggested so far ?.

If you are using .mp4 files (H264/H265) the 5080 should be capable of decoding/encoding them.

You don't have an iGPU on your Intel CPU, so things do fall down to the GPU/CPU.

I used 4K H265 10bit files on my old setup with i9 9900K and a 2070 Super no major issues on that.

My only recent issues with stuttering timeline (13900K/4080 Super system) were solved with a fresh (clean) install of the NVidia Studio driver and reseting my Workspace.

Have you tried running it with the second monitor disabled in Playback in Preferences?.