I'm looking to switch from an old gaming laptop to a more editing appropriate desktop, but my budget is rather tight, so I want to understand what I should and shouldn't sacrifice.
My needs:
I want my workflow to be a smooth as possible - to be able to go from one thing to another, and to preview my video without it getting stuck. That said - I really don't mind slow rendering, and I'm also willing to convert my files before or after the process, in other tools, if that makes it easier to work smoothly.
My source files are 4K 30FPs, shot on my smartphone.
The final video will be 1080p, though.
My videos are generally under 30 minutes long.
I use a bit of rather basic Fairlight effect - titles, transitions, VERY basic animations. But really - very few of them.
I do some basic color correction (not really to create a look, just for uniformity - if lighting changes between shots - to match them as much as possible).
I prefer using used parts to new ones (more pocket and environment friendly, but also - from my experience with non-editing computers, an older i7 often beats newer i5s, and they live longer).
Ryzen CPUs are not as easy to find used here (but possible)
My questions:
1. CPU - I know that both the number of cores and their individual speeds matter, but are there any other considerations I should look at when comparing CPUs? Let's say - if two CPUs have the same number of cores and the same speed, but are of different generations - are they equivalent? What about a case where a newer generation CPU has less per-core speed? should I opt for newer or for faster? What about Ryzen vs. Intel Core vs. Xeon?
I know that I can find detailed comparisons between any two processors, but I'm looking for a rule of thumb that will allow me to reach quick verdicts (even if it's not completely accurate).
2. RAM - I know that generally it is said that for 4K editing, 32GB is the recommended minimum. Is that still the case if the output isn't 4K? How does using optimized media (even as low as 1/8 res) affect that?
3. RAM - are more cards better than fewer? (e.g. 2X16GB or 4X8GB?) and how do RAM speeds play into that?
4. GPU - I know that GeForce cards are recommended and that so is more vRAM, but how do I prioritize things here? Say - RX card with 8GB vs. GTX with 4GB? What's the deal with CUDA cores?
For now let's assume I'm OK with storage.
Any other consideration I should be aware of?
Thanks!