Best CPU for video editing in 2024 – our top picks

The best CPU for video editing is needed for any content creators looking to push their content to the limits without compromise. This is especially true of rendering high-resolution projects at even higher frame rates, so if you want to stand out with quality videos on YouTube and other platforms, then keep these models firmly in mind.

In order to stay cutting-edge, your video editing CPU must be able to utilize the full capabilities of the processor. This means that you’re going to want to turn your attention to those chipsets that feature the highest clock speeds combined with the most cores. Things only get more intense when rendering the likes of 4K or even 8K video for extended periods, too.

Here at PCGuide, we’ve reviewed a good number of CPUs and have selected the ones that delivered great performance in productivity tests. So, without wasting another second, let’s dive in!

Products at a glance

How we chose the best CPU for video editing

Wading the waters of choosing the best processor for a creative workstation isn’t easy, but we like to think we’re fairly well-equipped to take on this task. First and foremost, we have an expansive, in-depth topic knowledge of CPUs and what makes them good for specific use cases such as editing. As mentioned above, video editing can be rather a CPU-heavy task, as it does most of the lifting when it comes to effects and overall playback performance.

So, in terms of what you should be looking for in general, you should prioritize high clock speeds and a number of cores, as these will impact its ability to take on computational tasks. Alongside this, it’s good to take into account the requirements of your preferred software, whether that be Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, and use this as a guideline of what works well and what doesn’t.

However, theoretical power is obviously just one side of the coin, and the real test is getting reliable and consistent performance under the actual conditions of 4K editing and processing. Luckily, we prioritize showcasing cards that we’ve been able to ensure can achieve this through our benchmarking and that we’ve had hands-on experience with. All of this takes place in the PC Guide Testing Lab, and you can follow that up if you’re interested.

Fortunately, now both of the latest processor generations from AMD and Intel utilize DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0 compliance. This means increased bandwidth for your CPU and other components, such as your graphics card, which can help with intensive rendering tasks. As such, our selections are not just tailored for video editing alone but also ensure a future-proofing aspect, ensuring longevity.

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Intel Core i9-13900K

Hands-on Review

4 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Cores: 24 (8P-16E)
• Threads: 32
• Boost speed : P-Core 5.8GHz / E-Core 4.3GHz
• Base speed: P-Core 3.0GHz / E-Core 2.2GHz
• L3 Cache: 36 MB
• TDP: 253 W
• Platform: Intel Socket 1700

Reasons to Buy

• Extreme overclocking
• Powerful performance both single and multi-threaded
• Represents better value than its 14900K successor

Reasons to Avoid

• Runs hotter than previous iteration
• No longer worth it at MSRP
• Can still be pricey despite its age

• Shop on Amazon
• Shop on Best Buy

To no surprise, first up on our list is one of the best performers from Intel, the Intel Core i9-13900K. The previous flagship Raptor Lake model excels with its 24-cores and 32 threads. The new hyperthreaded E-cores mean that this chipset is able to overclock to 5.8 GHz, too. That’s a feat we hadn’t previously seen from either AMD or Intel at the time, excelling far past the previous ‘world’s fastest processor’ (the 12900KS) for a solid price.

Despite being older, this positions the i9-13900K just a step under the speed of the current flagship 14900K (6 GHz), and shows there’s still plenty of potential left in the LGA 1700. Of course, with the 13900K, you’ll also have the option of dipping your toe back into DDR4 should you need it, which can be helpful if you’re gradually upgrading your rig.

Another reason to choose this CPU over the i9-14900K was the price difference and the minimal performance gap, and you can read more about that in our i9-13900K review. Our synthetic benchmarking pulled through strong figures for single-core but especially powerful multi-core performance across CPU Z, Cinebench R23, and Geekbench. Notably, it reached 16,852 in CPU Z Multi and 39,318 in Cinebench R23 Multi. Basically, you should be able to run resource-intensive tasks such as video editing in parallel.

That’s what makes the Intel Core i9-13900K the definitive alternative option for those looking for elite computing performance in video editing software, offering exceptional value even over its flagship successor. However, keep in mind that leading single-core and multi-core performance doesn’t come cheap, and this model carries an MSRP of $589: you can often find it falling below this price point now, though. This is good, as you might need to invest that extra cash into a sufficient cooler because if there’s one thing to note before purchase, it’s that this is a CPU that tends to run hot.

What users say

As the previous flagship from Intel, it’s no surprise that the Core i9-13900K has a wealth of positive reviews on Amazon. Similarly to us, users have highlighted performance and versatility as some of their favorite features but made sure to mention the high temperatures of the CPU when under load. For example, one review states that “its 24 cores offer a level of processing power that’s perfect for gamers, content creators, and professionals seeking exceptional performance”, and another that the 13900K offers a “level of performance that’s truly in a league of its own”.

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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Hands-on Review

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Cores: 8
• Threads: 16
• Boost speed : up to 5 GHz
• Base speed: 4.2 GHz
• L3 Cache: 96 MB
• TDP: 120 W
• Platform: AMD (AM5)

Reasons to Buy

• Amazing performance for gaming
• Better productivity performance than predecessors
• Good value-for-money

Reasons to Avoid

• Not exactly the best for work
• Cooler not included
• AM5 upgrades can be costly

• Shop on Amazon

If you’re looking to accomplish demanding tasks along with equally powerful performance for gaming, then the Ryzen 7 7800X3D might be a good fit. 

At the moment, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the most powerful processors offered by AMD. In fact, in our Ryzen 7 7800X3D review, we found out that this is a powerful processor with significant improvements in performance over the last generation. This also means that the productivity features are much better in the 7800X3D than in its predecessors. 

To be more specific, the 7000 series X3D CPU has double the L2 cache, more clock speeds, and overall better performance. Further, the 7800X3D is built on the Zen4 architecture, which adds an extra Core Complex Die (CCD) to the processor and increases its overclockability.

There’s one thing to note, though – the X3D CPUs cannot be overclocked. However, if you’re not someone who needs to squeeze out every last bit of performance, then you shouldn’t be too worried about this. 

Further, this is an AM5 GPU, which means it is compatible with newer motherboards. Plus, to make the most out of it, you will also need other equally-capable components. These upgrades can significantly increase the costs of your build. 

What users say

On Amazon, the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D has a rating of 4.8 stars, and the product has been rated by more than 2,700 people. As per the reviews, customers say that it runs games well, doesn’t heat up too much, and is power-efficient. “Quality, efficiency, value, temperature and stability it has it all. It’s a beast for performance,” one of the customers wrote in a review.

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Intel Core i5-13600K

Hands-on Review

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Cores: 14 (6P-8E)
• Threads: 20
• Boost speed : P-Core 5.1GHz / E-Core 3.5GHz
• Base speed: P-Core 3.5GHz / E-Core 2.6GHz
• L3 Cache: 24MB
• TDP: 181W
• Platform: Intel (LGA 1700)

Reasons to Buy

• Aggressive price point
• Overclocks to 5.1 GHz
• Beats the Ryzen 5 CPU

Reasons to Avoid

• Higher power consumption than before
• If you haven’t yet, you’ll need to upgrade to an LGA 1700 motherboard

• Shop on Amazon

Much has been said about the 13600K, as it’s somewhat of an anomaly with its price point of $339. That’s because it’s a 14-core (20 threads) processor which overclocks to 5.1 GHz, a pretty much previously unheard-of achievement at this price point. It goes to show the refinements made with Raptor Lake’s newly revised E-cores. Realistically soeaking, it’s just as good as the 14600K but costs a lot less.

While its specs on paper speak for themselves, the editing and productivity performance of the 13600K is supported by high mufti-core scores, and this was certainly the case in our i5-13600K review.

In CPU-z, the Core i5 scored 830 points in single-core benchmarks and 9,846 in multi-core benchmarks, whilst in Cinebench, the i5 managed to get a single-core score of 1,992 and a multi-core score of 24,024. Gaming performance was nothing to shake a stick at either, with the 13th-gen mid-range keeping up with even the latest market options.

All those extra cores and threads over the competing Ryzen 5 7600X, 6-core and 12 threads is why this chipset makes the cut. and the latter doesn’t. Having that extra overhead is going to help with rendering times and encoding for streaming and VOD content. At a touch over the $330 mark, that’s a hard act to follow.

What users say

User reviews on Amazon are a testament to the high levels of performance the i5-13600K offers at its price point, often exceeding expectations: one review even goes as far as to say it’s the “best price-to-performance ratio in a CPU you would find today”. It’s also versatile, with one user commenting that “whether I’m gaming, streaming, video editing, or running intensive software applications, this processor handles it all with ease”.

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AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

Hands-on Review

4 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Cores: 16
• Threads: 32
• Boost clock speed: 5.7 GHz
• Base clock speed: 4.3 GHz
• L3 Cache: 64 MB
• TDP: 170 W
• Platform: AMD Socket AM5

Reasons to Buy

• It has exceptional multi-core performance
• The multi-core performance can be increased by utilizing PBO
• Perfect to workstation-level workloads

Reasons to Avoid

• It costs a premium
• Held back a bit due to AMD’s efficiency obsession
• Requires a powerful CPU cooler to cool it, especially with PBO enabled

• Shop on Amazon

If budget constraints do not restrict you and you want the best of the best, the Ryzen 9 9950X has everything you’ll need to edit videos in the highest quality without a hitch. In our Ryzen 9 9950X review, we tested it against various benchmarking software, and it blew through those without breaking a sweat.

For starters, this processor is powered by 16 Zen 5 cores, each hyperthreaded, meaning it has 32 threads. Each core also has 4nm processes, meaning a total transistor count of 16,630 million. This is important because smaller CPU processes mean better efficiency and performance. So, whether you’re editing 4K or 8K videos, with this CPU powering your rig, it should be a breeze.

It has a 4.3 GHz base clock speed, a 5.7 GHz boost clock speed, and a 170W TDP. That said, TDP isn’t a set value as it can fluctuate depending on the workload and if you’ve utilized PBO or overclocked the CPU. In that case, we recommend using the best thermal paste combined with the best CPU cooler for 9950X to ensure it doesn’t thermal throttle and keeps performing optimally.

Regarding its performance, we tested it against our industry suite of software. In Cinebench R23 single- and multi-core tests, it scored 2,275 and 40,938 points, respectively. As a reference, the 9900X scored 2,205 and 31,502, while the 7900X managed 2,017 and 28,006 points, respectively. So, there is clearly a massive gap in performance for multi-threaded workloads between the 9950X and the 9900X and 9700X. That said, the gap is smaller in single-core tests, but there is a gap nonetheless, so there is some improvement from the previous generation as well as between the Ryzen 9000 family as well.

However, it doesn’t end there. We turned on PBO, and its multi-core score went from 40,938 to 43,202. So, you can squeeze out more performance, but at this point, the 240mm AIO cooler couldn’t handle the heat this CPU was generating, and there was some thermal throttling.

The emphasis on multi-core performance is crucial because video editing can be a demanding task. As technology advances, video resolutions keep ramping up, demanding more processing power to render and edit them. However, with the Ryzen 9 9950X by your side, you should be able to keep knocking out videos with ease for a good while, future-proofing your setup for years to come.

If you want a processor from the latest AMD 9000 series lineup for video editing, then we’d recommend the Ryzen 9 9900X. This is one of the top models in the series, and its performance is pretty solid. In our 9900X review, it managed to achieve high scores in multiple tests.

For starters, the 9900X comes with 12 cores and 24 threads, so it packs plenty of power for demanding tasks. It also utilizes hyperthreading technology, which ensures that each core has two threads assigned to it. What does this translate to? Better multitasking performance.

The CPU also operates at a base clock speed of 4.4 GHz, which can go up to 5.6 GHz under load. However, more power also means more heat, so we’d recommend pairing the CPU with one of the best coolers for Ryzen 9 9900X.

The 9900X also offers the latest Zen 5 architecture. This offers significantly better performance than the previous one and provides a 16% IPC Uplift. On top of that, it uses the 4nm process technology, so there are more transistors on each core. Zen 5-based processors are also efficient, and this is why the 9900X, even with such top-notch specs, has a low TDP of only 120W.

Coming down to performance, we put the 9900X through several benchmark tests, such as CPU Z, Cinebench, and Geekbench. In the first tool, the single and multi-core points were 867 and 12,773. In the second and third tools, the points were 2,205 and 31,502, and 3,348 and 20,524. This was much better than what its predecessor, the 7900X, scored.

We understand that not everyone has a high budget to invest in an expensive CPU. If you’re currently in the same boat, we’d recommend getting the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X. While the processor is considered a mid-range option, it falls in the budget category for video editing. And in our 9700X review, it delivered great results in multiple tools.

To begin with, the 9700X is based on the Zen 5 architecture. For those who don’t know, this is the latest architecture that is being used in the AMD 9000 series processors, and it brings several improvements to the table compared to the Zen 4. Thanks to this, we saw high scores during our tests in multiple tools like CPU Z, Cinebench, and Geekbench.

The CPU comes packed with eight cores and 16 threads, so you’ll have plenty of resources at your disposal. On top of that, as the 9700X offers the 4nm process technology, each core packs a good number of transistors. We put these cores to test in CPU Z single and multi-core tests, where we got 766 and 6,192 points, respectively. In gaming, we were getting 325 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077 and 246 FPS in Days Gone.

As far as the speeds are concerned, it operates at a base frequency of 3.8 GHz. However, under load, this can go up to 5.5 GHz. There’s also a 33MB L3 Cache, thanks to which the CPU can store plenty of data that it needs to access frequently. What does this translate to? Smoother overall performance.

Even though the processor packs a lot of power for the price it comes at, it still has a fairly low TDP of only 65W. This is something great about the 9000 series processors, as almost all of them are power efficient. However, we’d still recommend getting one of the best PSUs for the 9700X, just to be on the safe side. Also, under load, the processor can generate too much heat, so you’ll need to make sure you’re using one of the best CPU coolers for the 9700X.

Overall, the 9700X provides enough power to help you complete those video editing projects. Sure, it may not offer top-tier performance like some of the other options on our list, but it gets the job done and provides excellent value for money.

What to consider with the best CPU for video editing

Editing video is incredibly intensive for even the most powerful processor, especially in higher resolutions at high frame rates. Clock speeds of up to and over 5.0 GHz allow for superior single-core performance. Thankfully, the most recent chipset generations from both AMD and Intel are capable of reaching these speeds.

Cores/Threads

Video editing benefits from CPUs with a higher number of cores and threads, as video rendering and encoding can utilize multiple cores simultaneously. Look for CPU architecture with at least 6 cores and 12 threads, but higher core counts are even better for handling complex projects efficiently.

Clock Speed

While more cores are beneficial, clock speed (measured in GHz) also matters. A balance between high clock speeds and multiple cores is ideal for smooth editing performance. So check both the base and boost clock speed.

Compatibility

Ensure the CPU you choose is compatible with your motherboard’s socket and chipset. Also, verify that your motherboard’s BIOS is updated to support the chosen CPU.

Cooling and TDP

Higher-end CPUs generate more heat. Make sure your cooler can handle the thermal demands of the CPU. Check the Thermal Design Power (TDP) rating to get an idea of the cooling requirements.

Overclocking

Some CPUs can be overclocked to achieve higher clock speeds. If you’re comfortable with overclocking, this can provide additional performance gains. However, it may also require better cooling solutions.

Budget

High-end CPUs can be expensive. Consider your budget and balance the performance gains against the cost. Creative professionals may be more willing to splash out on the latest gen.

Who makes the better CPUs for video editing – AMD or Intel?

It’s incredibly close between both AMD and Intel at the end of 2022. The flagship Zen 4 and Raptor Lake options are pretty much neck and neck, but things are more clear in the mainstream and mid-range. While the 13600K wins out against the 7600X, the 7700X does lead ahead of the 13700K. This is a short summary. For a deep dive, we’ve got dedicated features. These are Intel Core i5-13600K vs AMD Ryzen 7600X, Intel Core i7-13700K vs AMD Ryzen 7700X, and Intel Core i9-13900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 7950X for more.

Is i7 or i9 better for video editing?

The i7 is more so tailored for enthusiasts and gamers, while the i9 is intended for beefier workloads. While the i7 can be utilized for video editing, it’s not going to run the gamut of potential, whereas an i9 can handle most editing workflows.