Pro Video - Video Workstations for Vegas

What is Vegas?

Vegas creative software used for real-time multitrack video and audio editing on unlimited tracks, resolution-independent video sequencing, complex effects and compositing tools, and features 24-bit/192 kHz audio support, VST and DirectX plug-in effect support, and Dolby Digital surround sound mixing.

What makes the best system for Vegas?

There is no one ideal system configuration for Vegas, as users will have different video resolutions to edit and make different use of the software. Vegas benefits from higher numbers of CPU cores, and higher clock speeds and also leverages GPU too for video effects and rendering.

What CPU should I choose for Vegas?

As explained above, a system that will be used for a mixture of Vegas functions needs to strike a good balance between CPU and GPU(s). Like most digital content creation (DCC) applications Vegas performs best on a CPU with a high frequency and at least eight cores, although more cores can be beneficial in some processes. We recommend starting with an AMD Ryzen 7 or Intel Core Ultra 7, upgrading to Ryzen 9 or Core Ultra 9 if budget allows. If you’re also going to be generating higher resolution video content then an AMD Threadripper PRO or Intel Xeon W is a good choice as these CPUs have more PCIe lanes, enabling the system to support multiple GPUs and other devices such as capture cards and faster network interfaces.

What GPU(s) do I need for Vegas?

A fast GPU is crucial for a responsive DCC experience in Vegas, with more powerful models providing a more noticeable benefit when working with complex and high resolution video. We recommend the NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs as a good starting point in the NVIDIA range, adding in more GPUs if budget allows and your workloads scale well. If not, choose a single GeForce RTX GPU, but with larger memory.

If you are considering a dedicated workstation for Vegas then we recommend consumer-grade NVIDIA GeForce RTX cards thanks to their outstanding value for money. However, if you’re also planning other intensive workloads on the same workstation then it’s worth considering a professional-grade NVIDIA RTX GPU thanks to their larger memory buffer and certified drivers.

How much RAM is recommended for Vegas?

The minimum RAM that we recommend for Vegas is 32GB, upgrading to 64GB or 128GB respectively for 4K or larger projects.

What storage does Vegas need?

We always recommend using an SSD for the boot drive that will host your OS, Vegas itself, and any active projects you are working on. The high speed of SSDs allows your system to boot, launch applications, and load files many times faster than any traditional hard drive. We would also recommend a second SSD or even an NVMe SSD - depending on your budget - for active Vegas projects files. If files are large or numerous several secondary SSDs can be added in RAID configurations to protect data integrity. An alternative solution for high capacity SSD active storage or cheaper HDD archiving could be to employ an external NAS device allowing both sharing and RAID protection.

When it comes to deciding on drive capacity, this will very much depend on your number of files and the project sizes. You should also consider the space required by other applications and their associated files too.

Recommended Vegas Workstation Specifications

	High-End (8K)	Mid-Range (4K)	Entry-Level (HD)
CPU	AMD Threadripper PRO / Intel Xeon W	AMD Ryzen 9 / Intel Core Ultra 9	AMD Ryzen 7 / Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM	128GB	64GB	32GB
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX	NVIDIA GeForce RTX	NVIDIA GeForce RTX