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GPU → Use Cases → Video Editing
GPU for video editing: What to use and how to scale
Video editing isn’t just about creativity—it’s about speed, power, and workflow efficiency. And nothing accelerates that workflow like the right GPU. Whether you’re cutting feature films, churning out branded content, or managing a team of editors, your hardware choices directly impact turnaround times and output quality.
Let’s break down what really matters when choosing a GPU for video editing—and how to scale beyond the desktop.
What does a GPU do in video editing?
A GPU (graphics processing unit) is the engine behind modern video editing. It accelerates effects, speeds up rendering, and ensures smooth playback even when working with 4K or RAW footage.
While the CPU handles overall system logic and multitasking, the GPU is what lets you scrub through timelines without lag, apply real-time color corrections, and export final cuts in record time.
Key GPU-accelerated tasks in editing workflows include:
- Real-time playback of complex timelines
- Effects and transition rendering
- Color grading and LUT application
- Encoding and exporting, especially for H.264, H.265, and ProRes
Most major editing platforms—Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro—are built to take advantage of GPU acceleration. Without a powerful GPU, timelines chug, renders crawl, and productivity tanks.
Best GPUs for video editing in 2025
Most lists of “best GPUs for video editing” focus on consumer desktop cards. That’s fine for freelancers or solo editors, but high-performance teams and production studios need workstation-class power—and sometimes remote access. Here’s a look at both tiers.
Best consumer-level GPU cards (desktop editors and freelancers) for video editing
NVIDIA RTX 4070 / 4070 Ti Super
Great entry-level choice for 1080p and light 4K workflows. These cards offer solid CUDA core counts and 12GB of VRAM, which is plenty for most standard editing tasks. The 4070 Ti Super in particular strikes a good balance of price and performance.
NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super
Best for heavy 4K workloads and multitasking. With 16GB of GDDR6X VRAM and much faster rendering than the 4070 tier, the 4080 Super is a top-tier choice for editors who need speed but aren’t quite at the studio level.
NVIDIA RTX 4090
Overkill for some—but essential for high-res, multi-cam, or VFX-heavy timelines. With 24GB of VRAM and massive core counts, the 4090 can handle 8K workflows and GPU-heavy plugins with ease. Ideal for DaVinci Resolve users pushing color nodes, noise reduction, and Fusion effects.
Best workstation/data center GPU cards (teams and studios) for video editing
NVIDIA L40 / L40S
These newer Ada-generation data center cards combine RTX acceleration with enhanced AI performance. L40S in particular supports large-scale parallel workflows and is excellent for hybrid pipelines involving AI (like scene detection or image enhancement).
NVIDIA H100
Built for AI, but relevant for production studios that use generative models or ML tools in their editing pipeline. Not typically needed for pure video editing—but if your team’s workflow includes AI-based asset tagging, upscaling, or synthetic media, it’s worth a look.
Why use a GPU server for video editing?
Most editing workstations hit a wall when teams grow or footage gets more complex. GPU servers break past those limits, offering scalable performance, team access, and massive bandwidth.
Use cases for GPU servers in video editing:
- Remote collaboration on shared timelines
- High-speed exports of large formats (4K/8K RAW, ProRes, BRAW)
- Faster render times for teams working on tight deadlines
- GPU-accelerated AI tools like automated color correction or frame interpolation
They’re also a great option for hybrid setups: edit on a local machine, render on the server.
GPU server vs cloud GPU vs GPU as a Service
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean different things.
- GPU server: A dedicated bare metal server with direct access to a physical GPU. High performance, full control.
- Cloud GPU: A virtualized environment that runs on a GPU-equipped host. Flexible, but can introduce overhead and lag.
- GPU as a Service: Pay-as-you-go model where you rent GPU resources on demand. Best for burst workloads or short-term rendering jobs.
For serious video editing, GPU servers offer the best performance and consistency. GPUaaS is great for freelancers who occasionally need high-speed exports.
Buying vs renting a GPU server
Buying a GPU server makes sense if you need 24/7 access and have IT resources to manage it. But it’s expensive, inflexible, and hard to scale.
Renting a GPU server from a hosting provider gives you:
- Immediate access to enterprise-grade GPUs
- No hardware maintenance or capital expense
- Scalable performance based on your workload
- Remote access for hybrid or distributed teams
For most production teams, renting is more practical—and future-proof.
What to look for in a GPU server hosting provider
Look beyond raw specs. Your GPU server provider should offer:
- Bare metal performance with top-tier NVIDIA GPUs
- NVMe storage or high-speed SAN options for media handling
- Generous bandwidth allowances
- Remote desktop or RDP support for editing interfaces
- Transparent pricing (especially for burst or multi-month use)
- 24/7 support and backup/redundancy options
Bonus if they support integrations with Adobe Team Projects, Resolve collaboration, or offer pre-configured environments.
Use cases and real-world scenarios
The benefits of GPU acceleration and server hosting show up fast in real-world workflows. Here are a few common ways editors and studios are using this tech right now.
- A remote team co-editing RED RAW footage using a high-performance GPU server
- A studio rendering 8K exports overnight using an NVIDIA A6000-powered host
- A creative agency using AI-based upscaling tools in the cloud to save time in post
- A hybrid setup where local machines push final renders to the cloud for faster delivery
Next steps for using a GPU for video editing
A powerful GPU can cut your render times in half—but choosing the right infrastructure is just as important. For professional-grade workloads, GPU server hosting delivers speed, scalability, and serious storage.
If you’re ready to level up your video editing infrastructure, start by evaluating whether a dedicated GPU server or GPU as a Service model fits your needs.
When you’re ready to upgrade to a dedicated GPU server, Liquid Web can help. Our dedicated server hosting options have been leading the industry for decades, because they’re fast, secure, and completely reliable. Choose your favorite OS and the management tier that works best for you.
Click below to explore dedicated GPU server options or start a chat with one of our experts to learn more.
Jeff Goudie is a Training Specialist at Liquid Web. He studied mechanical engineering and computer science, and became an expert at Linux while supporting the engine dynamometers at Chrysler. Jeff joined Liquid Web to help empower customers by educating them about their tech. When he’s not helping Liquid Web teams get better, Jeff enjoys working on his Dodge Magnum.
Additional resources
CUDA cores vs tensor cores →
Key differences and core applications for both
What is a GPU? →
A beginner’s guide to graphics processing units (GPUs)
10 GPU use cases →
How GPUs are accelerating almost every industry