Should I upgrade my PC for 4K video editing and gaming?
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MellowCedar42
My current system has an Intel Core i9-10900KF, an ROG Strix Z490-A motherboard, 64GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and an RTX 3070. I frequently run out of RAM in After Effects, even when working on 1080p compositions at half resolution. I also shoot 4K video and have trouble playing back some H.265 footage smoothly. Premiere Pro and After Effects handle it somewhat better, but playback still isn't ideal. My case lacks a front USB-C port, leaving the corresponding motherboard header unused. Would it make more sense to upgrade this system to 128GB of RAM and a newer GPU such as an RTX 5070 Ti, or would I see a major enough improvement from building an entirely new PC?
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A new platform with a modern CPU, 128GB of memory, and a newer GPU would be faster, especially for heavy After Effects work and exports, but the cost could be substantial. The best choice depends heavily on your budget. If your current 64GB setup uses four 16GB sticks, replacing it with a 2x32GB kit or a larger matched kit may be preferable to simply adding more mixed memory. If you can wait, newer CPU generations and lower memory prices may also improve the value of a complete rebuild.
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You don’t necessarily need a whole new computer. A GPU upgrade and a compatible 850W ATX 3.0 power supply could be worthwhile, while keeping the 10900KF, motherboard, and storage. Just make sure you also solve the RAM limitation, since 128GB may matter more for After Effects than a faster GPU. Adding a front USB-C port would require a case with the right front-panel connection, or an expansion solution if your case supports one.
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The easiest first step is adding more memory. That motherboard supports up to 128GB, so you may be able to install another 64GB without replacing the platform. Check how many slots are occupied and try to match your existing DDR4 kit as closely as possible. Your H.265 issue may also be a software or configuration problem: the RTX 3070 supports hardware H.265 decoding, and the 10900K’s integrated graphics can help with decoding too. Make sure hardware acceleration and the correct GPU are enabled in your editing applications.
NorthwindEcho5: A newer GPU would add some useful video features, including AV1 encoding and broader H.265 4:2:2 support, but it probably won’t fix every playback problem if the application isn’t using hardware decoding correctly.
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MellowCedar42: That makes sense. I’ll check whether all four memory slots are already populated and troubleshoot hardware decoding before deciding whether a full rebuild is justified.