People often overlook the CPU when it comes to DaVinci Resolve, but in many cases the CPU is just as important as the power of your GPU(s). With Intel and AMD both launching new HEDT processors, getting a powerful Resolve workstation is easier than ever. The lower price of the Intel X-10000 series makes triple GPU setups more affordable, while the AMD Threadripper 3rd Gen CPUs continue to push the performance envelope.
While DaVinci Resolve is known for its ability to leverage the power of your GPU, the CPU is often just as important, especially if you are not heavily utilizing noise reduction or OpenFX. The AMD 3rd Gen Ryzen CPUs are already a great choice for Resolve, but are the 16 CPU cores on the new Ryzen 9 3950X worth the increased price?
While the choice between using an Intel X-series or Intel Xeon W processor is often decided by more than straight-up performance, it is still useful to know exactly how much performance you might be losing in order to gain Xeon-exclusive features like 64 PCI-E lanes or Reg. ECC memory support. To that end, in this post we will be benchmarking the Intel X-series, Intel Xeon W-3200, as well as the AMD Threadripper processors in a range of applications including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop, and DaVinci Resolve.
DaVinci Resolve is known for how heavily it relies on the power of your GPU, but the CPU also plays an huge role in how well it performs. AMD’s new Ryzen 3rd generation processors feature both an increase in core count and per-core performance, which is exactly what DaVinci Resolve needs to get the best performance. Will this make these new chips the best choice for video editors compared to the AMD Threadripper, Intel 9th Gen, and Intel X-series CPUs?
Unlike most other applications used in the video post-production process, DaVinci Resolve relies much more on the power of your video card(s) than it does on your processor. However, you do need enough CPU power to keep up with your GPU(s) and there are still some aspects of Resolve (like the Fusion tab) where the CPU is more important. In this article, we will be looking at a wide range of processors from Intel and AMD including the Intel 9th Gen, Intel X-series, AMD Ryzen 2nd Gen, and AMD Threadripper 2nd Gen CPU lines. In addition, we will be comparing them to a current Mac Pro 12 Core and iMac Pro 14 Core for those that are curious about how much faster a PC workstation can be compared to a Mac.
DaVinci Resolve is a very GPU-intensive program which limits the amount of performance a higher-end CPU can give you. Depending on the amount of GPU power you have, even a mid-range CPU could perform the same as a more expensive CPU which begs the question: will the new Intel X-series CPUs be any faster than the previous generation?
AMD’s Threadripper 2970WX and 2990WX processors have incredibly high core counts, but often give low performance when running applications that cannot effectively use all their cores. The new “Local Dynamic Mode” is meant to help alleviate some of these issues, but will it actually help video editing applications like Premiere Pro, After Effects, and DaVinci Resolve?
DaVinci Resolve is a very GPU-intensive program, but that doesn’t mean that the CPU doesn’t matter. Depending on the amount of GPU power you have, even a mid-range CPU could perform the same as a more expensive CPU which makes the new 9th Gen CPUs from Intel very interesting for Resolve workstations with only a few GPUs.
Intel’s new 9th Gen Core Processors include both a small frequency bump and an increase in core count. Due to these improvements, these CPUs fare extremely well in video editing applications, performing close to 20% faster than the i7 8700K in many Adobe applications.
The new RTX series from NVIDIA may not be great for Adobe applications, but they are great for DaVinci Resolve and are very interesting cards for the future due to two major new features: Tensor cores and RT cores.
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