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DeanBKK
DeanBKK
Participating Frequently
February 23, 2017
Question

Intel i7 Dual Core Processor - Ok to use for Premiere Pro?

  • February 23, 2017
  • 3 replies
  • 22620 views

Hi everyone,

I am looking into purchasing the following laptop from Best Buy as below:

HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 15.6" 4K Ultra HD Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 16GB Memory - 512GB Solid State Drive Bla…


The only thing I'm worried about is the processor being dual-core (and not quad-core). From my research, quad-core is always better for video editing. However, since it has a 2.9-GHz 7th Gen i7-7500U CPU, would this laptop be sufficient for editing 4K resolution files in Premiere Pro?

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

-Dean

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3 replies

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Peru BobCommunity Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2017

To add to the previous comments:

You must have great eyesight to edit 4K on a screen that small.

    DeanBKK
    DeanBKKAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    February 24, 2017

    "on a screen that small".... uhmm.... tons of people edit on 15" laptops (Macbook Pro, Dell XPS 15, just to name a few).

    But I will most likely export the files at 1080p. I think the 4K display is fine for occasional use of watching YouTube videos in 4K.

    R
    RjL190365
    Legend
    February 23, 2017

    Like Jim stated above, you do NOT want a dual-core CPU-powered laptop for Premiere, especially since it will perform slower than a desktop i3-powered PC of the same CPU generation.

    What's more, that laptop's GeForce 940MX is a weakling, having only 384 CUDA cores and a really lousy 64-bit memory bandwidth. That laptop's GPU is also likely to be the lousy DDR3 variant with a memory throughput of less than 15 GB/second. Couple that with its built-in 4K display, and you definitely have a mismatch between the GPU and display since the GPU is too weak to push 4K adequately.

    That results in that PC being a colossal waste of money, especially since it costs a whopping $1,500.00 USD.

    DeanBKK
    DeanBKKAuthor
    Participating Frequently
    February 24, 2017

    RjL190365​ Noted.... any laptops you recommend for $1500 or less to use with Premiere Pro?

    Bill Gehrke
    Bill Gehrke
    Inspiring
    February 24, 2017

    Here is a way to get exactly what you want.  Take look at this customizable ASUS GL553VD-DS71. I added to it M.2 PCIe 960 EVO 500GB super speed SSD and the 250 GB SATA III 950 EVO SSD plus I threw in backup discs.  It is only 16GB  but some later date you could probably easily add more memory  It came out to be $1360 for a cash sale price whatever that means.  Have them install your OS on the SATA SSD.  I just went back and checked the 32 GB RAM upgrade and it only bumped the price to $1495

    I would Personally I go for a 17" screen model but that probably is because of my much older eyes

    J
    JFPhoton
    Inspiring
    February 23, 2017

    WARNING!! ....WARNING !!!

    DO NOT BUY  a dual core processor computer for use with PPro !!!

    The performance will be so excruciatingly slow, that you will pull all your remaining hair from its follicles, and you will be BALD !!

    I started using PPro in 2009 and mistakenly thought that the "minimum system requirements" printed on the box would be adequate to run PPro.....BIG MISTAKE !!

    I tried to use a "core two duo" CPU and suffered a fate worse than DEATH !!

    PPro needs BOTH a high frequency CPU and a multi-threading CPU with higher core counts. If in the market for a laptop there are many quad core, ( 8 thread) intel i7CPU based machines available....these would be a MINIMUM that you would want, along with an NVidia GPU with at least 4 or 6GB of video memory and preferably 32 GB of system memory. Fast storage is also required....a larger m.2 PCI Gen. 3 x4 NVMe drive is the simpleist solution....like the Samsung 960 Pro,or, Evo for less money.

    However, a major development is happening right now. AMD will be launching their brand new multi-core Ryzen series CPUs. Many of these CPUs have a total wattage use of only 65 watts and that means six ,or, even 8 core versions may appear in laptops where 4 cores is the current limit with intel. You may want to hold off just a little....the Ryzen CPU release is going to be a major development as the high performing chips will be MUCH CHEAPER than the current intel CPUs.

      DeanBKK
      DeanBKKAuthor
      Participating Frequently
      February 24, 2017

      JFPhoton Thanks for your input. Looks like I will be shopping for one with a quad-core then. What do you think about the Asus Zenbook Pro UX501VW? (linked below).

      ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW | Notebooks | ASUS Global

      RoninEdits
      RoninEdits
      Inspiring
      February 24, 2017

      look for a newer laptop with a gtx 1050 4gb or 1050 ti 4gb. the new gtx 1000 series video cards from nvidia are much faster, 2x faster than the gtx 960m in the asus laptop you linked. an i7-7700hq is the newer cpu from intel, likely to be matched with the newer nvidia video card. along with 16gb+ of memory and some ssd storage will do well. some laptops will have a pcie m.2 ssd with speeds above 2000mb/s, while some have the option to add one like the samsung 960. those super fast pcie m.2 ssd's will be fast enough to run everything. otherwise with sata ssd's it might be better to have two, an external samsung t3 is another way to easily add another ssd. those laptops start at around $1k-1.2k, but ssd's options can run up costs.

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