When opting for a portable video editing workstation, one of the most important aspects to consider is the actual application that you’ll be using to edit. For instance, if you prefer Final Cut Pro X, obviously it won’t be very wise decision to spend all your hard-earned cash on a Windows machine. Likewise, when you buy a computer optimized for DaVinci Resolve, it doesn’t necessarily mean its the best for Premiere Pro CC, and vice versa.
Overall, in the middle of all this endless talk about processor speeds, memory requirements, and GPU-acceleration, it could be hard to find the ideal mobile workstation for your needs. To avoid trial and error involved in the process, video editor Armando Ferreira shows off what he believes is the most optimized workstation laptop for those editing with Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2017.
Since you can configure this machine in many different ways, here are the exact configuration components of the suggested HP 15.6″ ZBook Studio G3 laptop:
- 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad-Core
- 16GB of 2133 MHz DDR4 RAM
- 15.6″ UWVA IPS Anti-Glare Display
- Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 Native Resolution
- NVIDIA Quadro M1000M Graphics Card (4GB)
- 512GB Z Turbo Drive G2 PCIe SSD
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 4.2
- Thunderbolt 3 + DP1.2 via USB 3.1 Type-C
- Windows 10 Pro (64-bit)
The reason why Armando picked up the Intel i7-6700HQ processor for this build is the fact that he previously had great success with this particular CPU. Plus, the higher clock speed per core in the processors gives him more than enough computing power to accomplish everyday tasks with ease.
Meanwhile, the 512GB Z Turbo Drive G2 PCIe SSD was included on the list mainly due to the excellent balance between price, performance, and storage size it provides whereas the NVIDIA Quadro M1000M GPU interacts flawlessly with Premiere Pro CC.
In terms of display size, you can choose between either a Full HD or UHD resolution. In this case, Armando opted for the UHD display since he predominantly works with 4K content. Depending on what resolution your media is in, however, you may consider sticking with the Full HD display as well. Additionally, if you want to reduce unwanted reflections on the display, you can add an anti-glare coating as an extra option.
Looking at the inputs, there are a plenty of them on the HP 15.6″ ZBook Studio G3 Mobile Workstation. Ports include Ethernet, USB Type A, HDMI out, Thunderbolt 3 Type C ports, headphone jack and more. On the audio side, there are two built-in speakers that are made by legendary sound company Bang and Olufsen, who have been creating the speakers for all of the recent HP computers. As expected, they provide clear stereo sound, perfect for previewing your projects.
Based on personal experience with the machine, Armando finds himself not having to transcode footage in Premiere Pro CC whatsoever while being able to work on his 4K projects for more than four hours on a single battery charge. What’s more, he describes his video editing workflow to be surprisingly smooth and effective especially for a PC mobile workstation.
So, if you’re looking for a Premiere powerhouse that will boost your creative workflow on the go, you should not miss the chance to take the HP 15.6″ ZBook Studio G3 Mobile Workstation Laptop for a spin.
[source: Armando Ferreira]
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HP 15.6″ ZBook Studio G3 Mobile Workstation
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I am curious to know why this was chosen, over say, the Precision 5520, which according to a Dell representative will have the latest Intel CPU’s both I7 and Xeon next month.
4GB of graphic card is a bit low if you work with 4K, Lumetri, Keying and maybe a few accelerates add-ons live Red Giant Universe + a 4K monitor.
6-8 GB is to be preferred so Media Encoder does not crash imon GPU rendering.
This is not theory but from actual issues I had and an article from Pugget System. I went fr 4 to an 8GB Nvidia graphics card and now all issues are solved.