Video-Editing Powerhouse

LENGTH OF TIME: 1-2 HOURS

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: EASY

THE CONCEPT

Inspired by a handful of reader letters, this issue we’re building a video-editing machine. The most dedicated readers among you might recognize the case as the same one we used for a previous video-editing build, but this time the internals are very different. With AMD releasing a bevy of new components, we knew it was time to put some of them to the test in a new rig. We also tried to stick to a relatively sensible budget for a workstation PC, setting ourselves a goal of $2,000.

Without blowing closer to $3,000, we won’t be making a godly beast of a computer dedicated to 4K video editing. What we’re producing is an effective but not overpriced workstation, ready for all manner of office work, as well as video editing, image manipulation, and audio work. Flexibility was key: A system that could carry out complex tasks quickly and effectively. There was a dual purpose, though: Testing the capabilities of the array of new hardware from AMD. While we’ve played around with individual components, this is our first