Today’s desktops and laptops offer so much flexibility to video editors. But sometimes your computer’s performance can suffer when video editing.
While being able to work on your videos on the go, that portability comes at a price. Often the performance of laptops, even some home computers too, struggles to edit large video files. But don’t fret, we have a few tips for you to help your computer get the job done with flying colors. Let’s take a look at those tips:
Tip 1: Keep your computer ventilated!
Like humans, the harder your computer is working the hotter it gets. And when a modern computer’s interior heats to a certain point, the performance starts to dip because the machine doesn’t want to damage itself. It doesn’t matter if your computer is the most powerful computer out there. If it overheats, its performance is going to drop.
So how can you make sure your computer doesn’t overheat? Well, most computers use an internal fan to keep things cool. There are a few more things you can do though. First, don’t put your computer right against a wall or the back of a desk. Most fans are rear-facing and blocking its path won’t help cool the PC. Make sure there are at least six inches of clearance for the fan. Also, if you use a laptop, you can get a laptop cooling pad. That should help a lot.
Dust can also be an issue. Make sure to clean out your computer at least once a year. If you want the best results though, we recommend doing it every six months. You can clean your PC out using a can of compressed air to blow out the dust.
Tip 2: Optimize your operating system
Each and every computer has a limited amount of system resources. Since video editing is very resource intensive, it’s best for you to maximize the resources offered for your editing software. For instance, close anything you are not using. If you have a few YouTube videos up you aren’t listening to while editing, close them out. Your computer’s going to need all the resources it can get.
Take advantage of closing non-essential background processes or uninstalling things you don’t need. You often get a lot of free-software when you purchase a brand-name computer. You can get rid of all those you don’t use.
Also, this goes without saying, but make sure your antivirus program is doing its job. Your performance could be slowed because of a virus or malware.
Tip 3: Upgrade your computer’s hardware
If all else fails, you might need to upgrade your hardware. The processor is the most important piece when it comes to video editing. Get the best processor you can afford and then work your way from there. You can then start looking into graphics cards with at least 8 gigabytes of RAM. RAM is an easy way to improve your PC’s performance.
Also increasing the storage and boost drives are also another way you can increase performance.
When it comes down to it, there’s no one way to improve your computer’s performance. Your computer’s dip in performance can be caused by many different reasons. Run through these if you want to increase your computer’s performance and you’ll be back in your editing chair in no time. To dive even deeper, read our recent article ‘How to Optimize Your Editing Machine for Best Performance’ where we discuss three things you need to do to keep your computer’s performance smooth when editing.
Image courtesy techpowerup.com and techpowerup.com
