DaVinci Resolve is a video editing program that is popular among content creators. Its popularity is due to two factors: the program offers a lot of advanced features to video editors and creators; and it is free.
Minimum DaVinci Resolve System Requirements
Before you download DaVinci Resolve, it’s important to make sure your computer hardware is good enough to run this powerful software. The minimum system requirements vary depending on whether you use Mac, Windows, or Linux. It’s best to have a fast Solid State Hard Drive (SSD) and at least 16GB of RAM.
Here is what we think about the other important requirements to your system. For Macs, an M1 Apple Silicon CPU is best. For Windows, an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 CPU are both good choices. Linux users should have an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 CPU.
CPUs for DaVinci Resolve
Remember that a fast computer doesn’t make a great editor. You don’t need the most expensive computer to create great content. Computer hardware and video editing software are just tools to achieve your creative goals.
In the world of video editing, having the right hardware is crucial for achieving smooth playback and reasonable render times. In a benchmark test of the free edition of DaVinci Resolve 18 (18.6 already!), this YouTuber analyzed the ideal number of CPU cores needed for optimal performance of the NLE.
So what’s the takeaway?
Both the CPU-based H.264 benchmark and GPU-accelerated H.265 benchmark resulted in similar render times across all core configurations (4, 6, 8, 16).
The hardware-accelerated chip on the Nvidia side called an invinc chip made H.265 renders faster and of better quality than H.264 for a smaller file size.
What really matters for performance is timeline playback. The takeaway is that 16 cores provided the smoothest playback, rendering more frames per second than 4, 6, or 8 cores.
Despite that, the author comes to the conclusion that the ideal number of CPU cores for optimal performance in the free edition of DaVinci Resolve 18 is 8 to 12 cores.
For a budget-conscious editor, an 8-core configuration will work just fine.
What’s another important factor to consider? Hardware acceleration in the graphics card is a significant factor for faster and better-quality renders, so be sure to choose a graphics card with hardware acceleration capabilities.
GPUs
Let’s talk about GPU separately as it’s an important factor in how DaVinci Resolve works on your machine.
For GPUs, it’s best to invest in a good graphics card as we have seen that DaVinci Resolve relies heavily on the GPU. The recommended graphics cards come from Nvidia. The RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 are great mid-range options that have great GPU VRAM.
Recommended System Requirements
Here are the ideal system requirements for running DaVinci Resolve in a smooth and fast way:
CPU:
- Recommended: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X or Intel Core i9-10900K 3.7GHz
- Minimum: Intel Core i5 or i7 or AMD Ryzen 5 or 7
GPU:
- Recommended: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080
- Minimum: Integrated GPU or discrete GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM
RAM:
- Recommended: 32GB or more
- Minimum: 16GB
Operating System:
- Mac: macOS 11.1 or later
- Windows: Windows 10 Creators Update
- Linux: CentOS 7.3
Storage:
- Recommended: Solid State Drive (SSD) with at least 512GB
- Minimum: 7200 RPM hard drive
Other requirements:
- A monitor with a resolution of at least 1920 x 1080
- An internet connection for activation and updates
- A keyboard and a mouse
It’s important to note that these are the recommended and minimum system requirements. For high-end workloads, such as working with 8K footage or advanced visual effects, a higher-end system with better components may be necessary. Always check the system requirements before purchasing or upgrading your computer hardware.