Is 2GB of RAM enough for video editing?

Question

I have 2GB of ram on my desktop here. I do LOTS of video editing and I do this in Windows Live Movie Maker. It's running like garbage! It is UNGODLY slow and when I select a position for editing it takes up to 10 seconds to load for playback EVERY SINGLE TIME! Every single click I do. I don't know if it is the program Movie Maker that is garbage or of I need more RAM. I tried another video editing program and it seemed to work ok but it had a very difficult learning curve so I couldn't pick up on it. I was thinking about going ahead and getting a new computer since they're about $498 at WalMart for a 5GB computer. That just seems like the road to take. So, is 2GB enough to handle my video editing or should I upgrade?

Answer 1

2 GB of RAM for video editing is marginal. That would be enough if you were running a lean XP system, but if you have a bunch of software loading at startup, you're going to be hurting.



HD video editing takes quite a bit of CPU power, so get the best processor you can afford, plus 4 GB of RAM. Windows Live Movie Maker isn't the most efficient video editor around, but it is free.

Answer 2

2 Gb is not enough these days. However it depends on what you're doing. Movie maker doesn't support Full HD I believe. For Full HD it's useful to have more than 2 GB. But Standard Definition (what you probably edit) has been edited for quite some years. At the time they had computers with less than 2 GB. So it is possible.



It could be that your pc is clugged up. Get an external hard drive, save all your important document and mails etc. Then do a reinstall. That will certainly speed it up. If movie maker still is too slow, you might be editing HD material, or your hard drive is too slow, or your processor. Then it's time to just fully upgrade.



oh btw, I wouldn't edit with movie maker. It's pretty basic with some stupid functions. Pinnacle or magix are better options (they're consumer focused, so shouldn't be too hard to learn).

Answer 3

Just buy more memory modules and upgrade your computer to 4GB. It should only cost less than 50 bucks for 2 gb. Check inside your case if you're using two 1GB sticks or four 512MB sticks. If it's the former, you can buy two more of the same piece of hardware, insert them into the empty slots, and there you have 4GB on your old desktop.



However, if you think it's time to retire your old desktop, by all means, buy a new computer. Personally, I never keep a computer for more than 5 years.