FAQ: What computer and components should I buy for Premiere Pro or After Effects?

See this page for the official minimum system requirements for Premiere Pro.
See this page for the official minimum system requirements for After Effects.
Note that the minimum system requirements are just that: a minimum to run the software. You will need components that exceed the minimum system requirements to achieve satisfactory performance in many cases.
These resources are also excellent starting points for informing such decisions:
"Hardware performance white paper: tips to configure or upgrade a workstation for video software"
What PC to build? An update... (Premiere Pro Hardware forum thread hosted by Harm Millaard)
What PC to build? (Premiere Pro Hardware forum thread hosted by Harm Millaard)
After Effects CUDA benchmark testing results (from Danny Princz)
After Effects CUDA benchmark testing results (from Teddy Gage)
Premiere Pro Benchmark test and performance reference materials
Resources for choosing a graphics card for Premiere Pro
Specific to the questions of certain kinds of components:
hard disks: Optimizing Hard Disks
CUDA/OpenCL cards for Premiere Pro: CUDA, OpenCL, Mercury Playback Engine, and what it all means
OpenGL in After Effects CS5.5 and earlier: GPU: OpenGL
CUDA and OpenGL in After Effects CS6 and later: GPU (CUDA, OpenGL) features in After Effects CS6 and later
Also see these resources:
optimizing for performance: Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects

As David and Hal said
One thing to consider is that you may also want SATA capability (which you can do with G5 towers easily, the dual cores have cards available or will shortly) and also shortly (fingers cross) for the MacBooks (there are cards for PowerBooks.)
The only possible fly in the ointment is if you are going to hold onto these computers for awhile, with the Intel Chips the non-Intels will eventually have less support and software. Though for the short term (particularly if you are relying on non-Intel native apps and need peak performance) the Quad G5s are great.

Similar Messages

What Mac and Features should I buy for filmmaking?

I'm going to be attending filmschool in the fall and I will be buying my first Mac(for use with final cut pro) What should I get with what features? Right now it seems like the Mac Pro is the only way to go. I want something profesional that I'll be able to use professionally after I graduate. I'll be making a bunch of shorts and a feature over the next 3 years with it. What processor speed, memory, hard drive(s), Graphics Card, Display, and other features should I order when customizing it? What should I buy seperately? (the monitor for example?) I don't want to spend more money than I have to, but I also don't want to sacrifice what I need for a cheaper price. Any suggestions? I'm looking for detailed recomendations of what setup I should get. Also does anyone know what I can use from my pc with it? Are my internal hard drives compatible with it? Oh, and I want to be able to run windows on it too, so I can run software that isn't mac compatible. Thanks for your help.

Greetings,
I'll be attending the MFA program in filmmaking at the New York Film Academy in LA. <</div>
Way to go... good luck
Ive heard that if I buy the monitors seperately that I should find two with 1920x1200 resolution, contrast ratio of at least 1000/1, and responce time of under 5 ms. <</div>
I really can not agree with that. I think it's a bit of an overkill. I run 20" Cinema at 1680x1050 and 17" Studio at 1280x1024 and it works perfectly. I can not imagine that video work would require anything more. I remember people editing in FCP on iMac and 15"CRT without any problems...
Also, is it a good idea to get two internals from apple and then an external for transfers, or should I just get the 250 gig and an external? How much space total will be a good place to start for school? <</div>
Given the HD prices nowadays, you can always add more drives. External for transfer is a good idea. At least 160G. Internals you could easily add another 500G later. As you know, MacPro has for slots internaly. You can easily save some for later 250G to start and an external at least 160G, and than later you can add and RAID two more 500Gs as a scratch... the possibilities are endless...
And how different from working with a pc is installing memory and other hardware on a mac? Pretty much the same? <</div>
Extremely easy. You can add memory and drives within minutes. Just make sure you follow the directions (memory directions are even printed inside of the front panel) and discharge any electrical static from your body (a simple static discharge wristband is highly recommendable). When installing memory make sure to follow the recommended configurations for different sizes.
Oh, and I might be a newb for asking this but whats a RAID, and what do I need to set it up? < </div>
RAID = Redundant Array of Independent (Inexpensive) Drives/Disks
Basically, it is combining multiple drives into a single unit, either in hardware or in software for the sake of gaining in speed and transfer OR data protection.
Search the forum for RAID, and you will find many useful information.
Best wishes,
H.

What 2T external HD should I buy for my macbook pro for photos, videos and music storage?

Hello friends!!
What 2T external HD should I buy for my macbook pro for photo, music and videos storage?
Thank U!!

My personal preference is for the OW, http://www.macsales.com Mercury Elite Pro quad-interface drive...have four of them of the 2 TB size and they are very good performers. The quad-interface allows you a choice of ways to connect, eSata, Firewire 800/400, USB which is very convenient. OWC is a Mac specialist so everything has been tested and guaranteed to be Mac compatible.

What brand of SSD should i buy for my macbook pro 13 early 2011

im interesting in upgrade my early 2011 macbook pro 13inch ... what brand of memory ram and ssd should i buy? having in consideration speed, and quality, issues free.
thnak you
sorry for my bad english ..

Maximum Memory
16 GB (Actual) 8 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots
2 - 204-pin PC-10600 (1333 MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM
I recommend buying RAM from:
OWC
DataMem
Crucial.com
I would stick to SSDs like the OCZ Vertex 3, Samsung 840, or OWC Mercury 6G. You may also care to look at the DataDoubler from OWC. A bracket that lets you install both an SSD and your existing HDD in the optical bay by removing the DVD drive.

What type of fan should i buy for my MacBook?

Hello.
I have a MacBook white 1.1 2006 Early. If i know good this is the first MacBook.
Core Duo 1,83 Ghz "Yonah"
Maximal Ram 2GB of DDR2
I want to replace the fan What type of fan should i buy on e-bay with Free ships?
I Live is Hungary in Central Europe.
Many Thanks.

I'd like to chime in and offer a differing opinion. The size factor of all SSD's don't leave much to question, but there are a couple other things that you can research and take into account.
The biggest thing to look for after the capcity you want is the connection speed. Your Macbook is last generation compatible with SATA 3.0Gbs transfer speeds, and while you can still utilize an SSD with SATA 6.0Gbs, your connection won't be able to fully utilize the full speed of such an SSD.
The upside is that SATA 3.0Gbs SSD's are selling for much less now on ebay and on Amazon since they are last generation, so you can pick one up on a budget. If money is not an issue and you'd like to spend a bit more for the latest generation SSD that you can transplant into the laptop you want to purchase after your mid 2009, a current generation SATA 6.0Gbs SSD is going to work fine and will also work great in whatever you upgrade to.

What type of RAM should I buy for Satellite M30-344?

hi there,
i want to upgrade the ram in my satellite m30-344. what type of ram should i buy? i am not sure, but i think the "PA3312U-2M51 - 512MB memory pc2700 sodimm (333 mhz)" is the right one? is that corrct?
thanks in advance
greetings
s. haug

Hi
Nicky is absolutely right. The 512MB RAM module for your unit has PA3164U-1M51 part number. It is PC2700 DDR-RAM.
Bye

Apple, Mac Pro, Amd vs Nvidia with cuda? Why, and what to buy for Premiere Pro?

Mac Pro has dual Amd video cards installed, and does not offer Nvidia cards with Cuda in this line up, as far as I can tell. The iMacs offer nvidia cards which seem a better choice for Premiere Pro which uses the cuda rendering capabilities. Which would be best for Premiere Pro? The quad Mac Pro, or the top of the line iMac with double the ram, say 32gigs vs 16 in the Mac Pro? Why did Apple put AMD cards in the Mac Pro line?

jtopenshaw wrote:
Why did Apple put AMD cards in the Mac Pro line?
Apple believes that OpenCL, not CUDA, is the future of GPGPU computing. CUDA is closed and proprietary to nVidia only. OpenCL is, as the name says: open.
As of the creation and planning of the Mac Pro, nVidia's GPUs were (and most of them still are) very poor performers when it comes to OpenCL. I expect that, over time, nVidia will catch up to AMD regarding OpenCL. But they're not quite there yet, across the board.
Why are the GPUs in the iMac (and Macbook Pro) nVidia? They make better and more efficient mobile GPUs at this point in time. The GPU in the iMac is similar to the GPU in the Macbook Pro in that they're both mobile, not desktop GPUs. AMD has a fairly poor representation in that market (so far), so Apple stuck with nVidia.
It's likely that Apple doesn't see the iMac and Macbook Pro lineup as devices to be used for massive GPGPU processing. The Mac Pro, on the other hand is where they see that being used heavily. Perhaps when and if AMD decides to produce an efficient and powerful mobile GPU, Apple will cut (back) over to them. But one can only guess, there.
Ugio wrote:
What I can tell you it's that the mixture between Mac Pro (2013) and the last Adobe Suite does not worth the money.
That's fair and is your opinion. I don't agree. :-)

How to obtain Video and Non Video Serial Keys for Premiere Pro CS6

Discovered that certain codec presets (specifically the AVCHD codec) was not available for Premiere Pro CS6 installed under Creative Cloud for Enterprise.
Understand there are two different serial numbers for use in installation. One of these serial numbers is labeled "Video," and one is labeled "Non-Video.
Where are these serial numbers located? How are the serial numbers obtained?

Hello Ann,
Appreciate your reply..
Here is where some additional confusion arises (reference bottom part referring to Video Serial Keys) Adobe support said that these Video Keys are to be purchased from the reseller (which makes no sense)
Error "...a sequence that could not be opened"
So, if I understand from your replies and what I have read - it is of the belief that by de-activating and re-activating will address the issue of the missing codecs. Do you believe this to be correct as well?
Thank you

Windows 7 - which version to buy for Premiere Pro 5.5?

Ive had a quick scout about but I cant seem to find a definitive answer to the question of which version of 64 bit Windows 7 is the best option for Premiere Pro? I didnt want to waste money by purchasing Ultimate only to 'tune' out most of the services - ala black viper's 'barebones' setup, to get the best from my limited hardware setup
I am bulding the following simple system for a Non internet connected workstation for exclusive SD editing purposes, amd 64, 8Gb, GTX550 TI, 160 Gb Velociraptor primary drive, 2 Tb Assets drive and a 1 Tb output drive. I will be running production premium.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers guys, Les

Win7 Home Premium is enough, but if you ever consider upping memory beyond 16 GB or using network services for a home network or backing up to a NAS, then you are better off with Win7 Pro. The price difference is small, so Pro looks like the better, more future proof option.

What kind of HDD should I buy for Mac mini late 2007

1. Toshiba or Hitachi or Maxtor or Fuji...?
2. 2.5" SATA or 2.5" SATA2 or..?
3. What brand and specification inside the New Mac mini(March 2009 later) for 120GB and 320GB?

Toshiba, Hitachi and Maxtor have varied histories when it comes to letting bugs get out of the manufacturing process. That's why I mentioned Seagate. I don't know how good Fuji is.

What RAM should I buy for Mac Pro?

I want to increase the speed of my Mac Pro but I'm not sure exactly which RAM to buy for my tower. I bought this Mac Pro in 2008 I believe. Any suggestions on which brands to buy and exactly which specific RAM?
Thanks.

There were half a dozen articles on MPG on memory upgrades, CS5/6 and more on SSDs to keep you reading!
When choosing boot drive SSD can make sense, so would 10K WD VR 250GB ($154)
Saving files you work on can take "too long" when you go from 300MB up to 2GB.
Disk drives may never get down to where they were (2TB WD Black $169) but large high density = high I/O and even the 1TB has gotten faster recently.
MPG goes into using SSDs on PCIe card but that has not always been ideal - better in the last two Mac Pro models.
The other 'big' ticket item has been the Nvidia GTX 570 2.5GB model ($500 though for a MacVidCards version) to help CS6 w/ 10.7.4 (and yes it helps but some are waiting for a GTX 680 instead but that could requirie 10.8 too).
But getting 4 x 2GB $110 16GB might make more sense using 667MHz instead of $220 for 2 x 4GB $220 800MHz. Both gets you 12GB, better but not ideal. For some, it is a stop gap rather than buy a 2010 or waiting for a new 2013 Mac Pro.
http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-PC2-5300-FB-DIMM-APPLE-Memory/dp/B002ORUUAC/
http://www.amazon.com/BUFFERED-FB-DIMM-PC2-6400-800MHz-SPECIAL/dp/B0062B2JRS/
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-VelociRaptor-WD1000DHTZ-10000RPM/dp/B007ZR YNVS/
WD Black 1TB (and others)
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Caviar-Internal-Desktop/dp/B0036Q7MV0/
SSD Crucial m4 128GB $119
http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-Solid-State-CT128M4SSD2/dp/B004W2JKZI/r
I like WD 10k VR in latest series $200 500GB
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Drives-VelociRaptor-Enterprise/dp/B007VPGK 42/
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Drives-VelociRaptor-Enterprise/dp/B007V5A1 BK/
http://www.amazon.com/Velociraptor-WD1000DHTZ-SATA-Hard-Drive/dp/B007VPGJIY/
RAM stays with your Mac, disk drives are an investment.

Isolate lips--what face paint color should I use for best green screen keying effect?

Hello there! I am using Elements 11.
It sounds like I answered my question in my question. Green, right? But , face paint doesn't have the reflective, glossy quality that a true green screen would have. Does that change anything? Should I look for green face paint or would another color work better in this context?
Again, I'd like to isolate the lips of my subject. The shot will be a close-up, framed to where it only includes lips, chin and nose. Let me know if it'll help to provide a screenshot.
One more question... Once I've removed the background and isolated the lips, is it possible to move them around the frame discretely? Meaning, they appear here in bottom center and then suddenly appear in upper left corner?
Thanks for your time!

Thanks for replying AT!
I am using Mac version. Good question since I do NOT have Chromakey.
To help us along, I have uploaded a number of images from a test I did yesterday.
I am getting some results but they are imperfect.
I do believe my main issue has to do with a lack of uniform LIGHTING. As my subject's lips move, it creates shadows thus making it difficult for Elements to pick up the green.
I used Non-Red Key and then Garbage Matte to get the results that you see.
Thanks!

Need to change HDD, what type and brand should I buy?

The original HDD is damaged so I need to replace it. I've seen some problems with the heat sensors and other issues, so want to make sure to buy the right disk. The original HDD in my iMac27 11.1 is a Seagate 1T 7200. Help appreciated.

Just checking but your iMac may be part of a replacement program where the drive will be changed for free - https://www.apple.com/au/support/imac-harddrive/
It would be easier to buy a normal HDD, (shop around they are everywhere) places like OWC sell decent ones, then connect an external temp sensor to it, as baltwo said looking for an apple one will take more time than its worth!
If you decide to replace the drive with one that isn't compatible with the current temp sensor the HDD fan will run at top speed, an alternative to this would be:
1:Install drive then buy an external temp sensor (such as an optical temp sensor) and swap it out with the current one, the temps wont be accurate but the fans wont run high http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-922-9229-Cable-Temp-Sensor-Optical-iMac-27-inch-L ate-2009-2010-/111106349896
2: Install drive but leave temp sensor disconnected, then install software to control the fan speed.http://exirion.net/ssdfanctrl/
I Prefer option 1 as i have it in use on a iMac 21.5 of the same era and works beautifully!
If you need more directions just ask

What type of interface should I buy for Roland XP60, Logic iMac set up?

Happy New Year guys!
I've been having problems finding a suitable interface for my set up. The guy at gtr ctr told me to buy Uno Midi to USB cable and that's not right. I still want to record sounds from my Roland and use it to trigger sounds in Logic Express. The Apogee duet seems cool but that won't help me either.
Please HELP!!!!
LRay

The cable should be fine but it will only record midi information into LE when you have an audio instrument selected. You can record the audio output from your Roland using the right cable to connect its audio outs to the audio in on your mac. To record both at the same time you would need both connected and an audio and midi (ie "audio instrument") track selected and record enabled.
If some of this terminology is difficult read the getting started guide and sections on audio and midi in the manual. Your Roland can be recorded as a synth obviously, as well as act as a controller keyboard and both of these functions work in different ways within logic.
You could also output your recorded midi to your roland to play back directly from your synth...
Ideally it would be good to have an audio/midi interface of some kind as you are suggesting - there are many, many, many to choose from, though in theory what you already have you should be able to get working.
HTH

What HD and Controller Card to Buy for Upgrade?

I've been on OWC looking at the various hard drives and controller cards. My head is swimming. I have a G4 Sawtooth running on OS 9.2. I want to upgrade my hard drive but want to move up to Panther shortly thereafter. Some of the Hitachi products say you need OSX, that I'm afraid if I installed first, would significantly slow down my operating system. Also, I have some software that I would have to use OS 9, as they don't run on OSX, including Photoshop and my Agfa Scanner. Any suggestions on what I should look for?
By the way, their demo on installation is awesome!

Flyingcat, I was at this same point about a year ago, and like you I decided to invest in this G4 and maybe get another 2-3 years before making another decision on a new Mac. Here is what I did in the order I did it.
1. A newer faster HD (with available rebates this was by far the most economical).
2. A RAM increase to 1.5 GB, but keep in mind OS X will see a full 2 gigs.
3. An OS upgrade to Panther, but also keeping a bootable version of OS 9.
4. I upgraded the processor (Sonnet Encore/ST G4 1GHz).
5. A video card upgrade to Radeon 9000 (this was used and purchased from a close friend).
6. A SATA HD and controller card.
Joe
ps. Is the scanner SCSI and which Photoshop are you using.
Power Mac G4 Gigabit Ethernet Mac OS X (10.3.9)

FAQ: What computer and components should I buy for Premiere Pro or After Effects?

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