10 best GPUs, graphics, and video cards for video editing 4K+ in 2023

Check out the top ten GPUs and video cards for 4K video editing in 2023 to enhance rendering speeds and bring your creative vision to life.

5 min read

Emmanuel Ohiri

Aug 21, 2023, 6:41 AM

In an era where high-resolution content reigns supreme, adapting to the industry's demands is no longer a choice but a necessity. The increasing demand for 4K and higher-resolution content highlights the importance of graphics processing units (GPUs) as essential tools for producing visually impressive videos. As explained in our previous article, GPUs are the unsung heroes that empower video editors to create visually stunning masterpieces.

GPUs and video cards play a crucial role in enhancing rendering speeds. 4K video editing requires a large amount of data. The amount of data contained in each frame of 4K Ultra HD is four times greater than that of a 1080p HD frame. This places a significant load on CPUs. A high-performance GPU can execute these computations more efficiently, resulting in faster rendering speeds and improved playback quality.

GPUs and video cards are indispensable 4K video editing tools that can increase productivity and originality. Video editors are provided with the ability to utilise complex effects, high-resolution footage, and advanced software capabilities. This is achieved while simultaneously minimising render time and improving the editing process. This article assesses the top ten GPUs and video cards for video editing in 2023. It discusses their specifications, performance metrics, and advanced video editing software compatibility.

CUDA Cores and VRAM: Their Importance to GPUs

CUDA cores and Video Random Access Memory (VRAM) are integral technical components that comprise the essential elements of GPU performance, serving as the basis of their capabilities.

When rendering complicated scenes, having more CUDA cores speeds up converting raw footage into polished output. An adequate amount of VRAM allows for seamless playback and editing of high-resolution media containing intricate details. The VRAM buffer facilitates the seamless manipulation of highly complex visual details in video editing software. Since CUDA cores and VRAM work in tandem, GPUs can serve as master editors, letting users quickly and accurately hone and polish their visual stories.

Video Editing With Ray Tracing

The integration of ray tracing technology has profoundly impacted video editing, revolutionising the visual experience by introducing unparalleled realism and advanced lighting effects. Ray tracing is a sophisticated rendering technique used to generate images by tracing the trajectory of light as individual pixels on an image plane while accurately simulating the interactions and consequences of those interactions with virtual objects. It is capable of producing incredibly realistic lighting effects. In essence, it replicates the behaviour of light.

This method is predicated on the observation that light follows a straight path until it meets an obstruction, at which point it changes course. This can happen in several ways: reflection (bouncing off the object), refraction (passing through the object and bending), or absorption (where the object soaks up the light).

The video rendering speed depends on the seamless integration between the graphics processing unit (GPU) and the video editing software. This harmonious interaction guarantees that the editing procedures are streamlined and productive. As outlined in our recent article, specific software applications, such as Blender and DaVinci Resolve, effectively leverage the capabilities of GPUs to enable accelerated encoding and decoding on hardware. This results in an enhanced and more engaging editing experience.

The Top 10 GPUs for Video Editing in 4K in 2023

These are our top GPU picks for video editing in 2023:

1. NVIDIA A10G: The A10G is a professional graphics card for graphics-rich virtual workstations running computer-aided design (CAD) and design applications. It combines high-end graphics, video, and AI capabilities for cloud-based solutions. This GPU is efficient for 4K video editing, offering high-end graphics and AI capabilities. Its 24 GB of GDDR6 memory can handle large files and multiple layers of 4K footage without lagging.
2. NVIDIA Tesla T4: The Tesla T4 is designed specifically for AI workloads and offers impressive performance for AI training and inference tasks. However, the A10 is considered more potent with more CUDA cores, tensor cores, and VRAM. While primarily designed for AI workloads, the Tesla T4's 16GB of memory and advanced Turing architecture make it capable of smoothly handling 4K video editing tasks.
3. AMD Radeon Pro V520: This GPU is designed for high-performance cloud computing. It's often used in Amazon EC2 instances to provide high-end graphics capabilities for users accessing the cloud from anywhere.
4. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090: Known as the "BFGPU" (Big Ferocious GPU), the RTX 3090 is NVIDIA's top-of-the-line consumer graphics card. Due to its raw processing power, many professionals have adopted it for 8K gaming.
5. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti: The RTX 3070 Ti offers high performance for its price point, making it a popular choice for gamers and creators who need a balance between cost and capability.
6. NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti: This GPU offers excellent performance for its price, making it a favourite among gamers on a budget. Despite its lower price, it still delivers impressive results for gaming and basic video editing tasks.
7. Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1660 Super: The 1660 Super from Gigabyte offers excellent value for money. It's a popular choice for gamers who don't need the ray-tracing capabilities of the RTX series but still want solid performance.
8. PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 550: This entry-level GPU from PowerColor is an affordable option for casual gaming and multimedia use. While not as powerful as higher-end options, it's capable of everyday tasks.
9. AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT: The 6800 XT is AMD's answer to the RTX 3080. It offers comparable gaming and video editing performance, making it a viable alternative for those who prefer AMD's ecosystem.
10. AMD Radeon Pro VII: Designed for professionals, the Radeon Pro VII offers high-bandwidth memory and a large number of compute units. It's ideal for demanding tasks like 8K video editing, complex simulations, and high-end CAD applications.

Related: Is Buying a GPU Better than Using Cloud Services?

Harnessing Cloud Computing with CUDO Compute

CUDO Compute offers a unique solution for editing 4K videos, significantly benefiting both individual freelancers and larger production teams.

The platform provides a cloud-based marketplace that supports video editing and rendering with software like DaVinci Resolve. This allows multiple users to work simultaneously on different aspects of a project, enhancing collaboration and speeding up the editing process. Cloud computing eliminates the need for high-end hardware on each user's end, making it more cost-effective and accessible.

Moreover, using Virtual Machines (VMs) for video editing in the cloud is becoming an increasingly viable option, even for solo freelancers. VMs allow for robust, scalable computing resources accessible from any location, providing flexibility and mobility without the need for expensive, high-end hardware.

Furthermore, with CUDO Compute, users face less stringent hardware requirements. By offloading the heavy processing work to the cloud, editors can work with high-resolution 4K footage smoothly and efficiently.

Whether you're a budding creator or a seasoned pro, the right GPU is the key to unlocking your creative potential, rendering each frame of your video projects with unmatched clarity and precision. And with CUDO Compute, the possibilities expand further, promising enhanced workflow efficiency and scalability.

About CUDO Compute

CUDO Compute is a fairer cloud computing platform for everyone. It provides access to distributed resources by leveraging underutilised computing globally on idle data centre hardware. It allows users to deploy virtual machines on the world’s first democratised cloud platform, finding the optimal resources in the ideal location at the best price.

CUDO Compute aims to democratise the public cloud by delivering a more sustainable economic, environmental, and societal model for computing by empowering businesses and individuals to monetise unused resources.

Our platform allows organisations and developers to deploy, run and scale based on demands without the constraints of centralised cloud environments. As a result, we realise significant availability, proximity and cost benefits for customers by simplifying their access to a broader pool of high-powered computing and distributed resources at the edge.

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