How Much RAM Do I Need for DaVinci Resolve?

If you want to edit videos professionally or just for fun, you’ve probably heard of DaVinci Resolve. It’s one of the most powerful video editing programs and can help you create stunning videos, for free! But how much RAM do you need to run DaVinci Resolve?

You need at least 16 GB of RAM for DaVinci Resolve. The software relies heavily on your computer’s resources, especially the CPU and GPU. To fully utilize these hardware components, you need a lot of memory, especially when working with high-resolution footage.

DaVinci requires 16 GB RAM and more

If you want to use the full version of DaVinci Resolve, your computer must have at least 16 GB of RAM. The software uses a lot of memory to process all the data when editing videos. Besides, a large amount of RAM will help prevent your PC from potentially freezing or crashing while editing within DaVinci Resolve.

That said, expect to use more RAM when editing high-quality footage or working with 4K and higher-resolution videos. Similarly, you’ll need more RAM if you plan to do complex color grading or run other programs alongside DaVinci Resolve.

If you don’t have enough RAM, your computer may freeze or crash while using DaVinci Resolve. Here are a few potential consequences of using too little RAM:

• Reduced speed across your entire computer while editing.
• Stuttering and freezing while playing back videos.
• Crashing or freezing during complex edits or color grading processes.

DaVinci Resolve minimum system requirements 

Besides having 16 GB RAM, your computer must meet specific requirements to run DaVinci Resolve smoothly. Here’s a table summary of these requirements:

We’ll describe each of these requirements in detail below:

You need a 64-bit operating system

You must use a 64-bit operating system to run DaVinci Resolve. If you’re using a 32-bit version of Windows, your computer won’t work well with the software. Similarly, if your Mac only has a 32-bit version of macOS, you won’t be able to use DaVinci Resolve.

Here’s how to check whether your operating system is 32-bit or 64-bit:

Tip: If you know your computer has over 4GB of RAM (Which is very likely if it’s fairly recent.) Then you can be sure you’re running a 64-bit operating system.

Windows: Open Control Panel, select “System & Security“, click “System“, then look under the “System Type” section.

Mac OS X: Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen, go to “About This Mac” > “More Info” > “System Report” > “Software” > “Hardware Overview“.

You can tell if your system is 64-bit or 32-bit by looking at “Total Number of Cores“. If the number is 1 or 2, then you’ll have a 32-bit system. Any higher (4 or above). Then you’ll likely have a 64-bit system.

A quad-core CPU is required to run DaVinci Resolve

Aside from a 64-bit operating system, your computer should have a quad-core or higher CPU. That’s essential for running the software smoothly and ensuring you can process videos efficiently.

Unfortunately, some older computers may only have a dual-core CPU or even a single-core processor. So if you’re using one of these older machines, upgrading your system is best instead of trying to run DaVinci Resolve on it.

Here’s how to check what type of CPU you have:

1. Windows: Open “Control Panel” > “System and Security” > “System“, then click “Advanced System Settings“. Look under the “System” heading, then check the “Processor” entry.

1. Mac OS X: Click the Apple icon in the top left corner, then go to “About This Mac” > “More Info” > “System Report” > “Hardware Overview“. You can look at the “Processor Information” section to determine your CPU type.

You need a dedicated video card with at least 2 GB of VRAM

DaVinci Resolve works best with modern dedicated video cards, such as:

• Nvidia GeForce RTX
• Nvidia Geforce GTX 1000 Series
• AMD Radeon RX 500 Series
• Intel HD Graphics 600-900 Series

These GPUS provide a faster rendering speed and superior performance when working on videos. Some of these graphics cards also support OpenCL 1.2 or Cuda 10, allowing you to use GPU processing for better video rendering and GPU video effects.

Video explanation

Note: These are the basic requirements for running DaVinci Resolve. If your computer has lower specs than these, it might run DaVinci, but not at its full potential. As we mentioned, you may experience slowdowns or crashes when using DaVinci Resolve without meeting these requirements.

If you don’t meet these specs, we recommend trying the free version of DaVinci Resolve to see if it works well. If it doesn’t work, consider upgrading your computer or finding another video editing program that fits within its capabilities instead.

For starters, check out this Apple MacBook Pro. It features 16 GB RAM, a 16-core GPU, and a 10-core CPU, which is more than enough to run DaVinci Resolve smoothly, even editing at 4K resolutions. This, paired with its retina display, is perfect for any professional video editor or color grader.

Summary

Running the full version of DaVinci Resolve requires much from your computer regarding hardware specifications – especially RAM.

But if you have the right hardware setup, you should enjoy using this excellent video editing software without any problems. So don’t forget – when buying a new computer for video editing purposes, always check how much RAM it has to handle everything that comes with running software. Good luck!