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Under $900

Video Editing PC Under $900 (2025)

Build a capable rig for 1080p/4K editing with 6-core CPU, RX 6600 GPU, and 32GB RAM for just $819 total.

💰 Actual Cost: $818.91Save $1200 vs PremiumUpdated December 10, 2025

Building a video editing PC on a $900 budget feels challenging when premium rigs cost thousands, but it's absolutely doable for solid performance. This guide delivers a complete, compatible parts list totaling $819, leaving room for taxes or shipping. You'll get smooth timeline scrubbing, GPU-accelerated effects, and fast exports for 1080p projects—light 4K too with proxies.

Expect realistic results: excels at hobbyist work but won't match $2000+ beasts for heavy 4K/8K or complex VFX. No bloat—every part prioritizes editing performance over gaming frills. Follow this to avoid pitfalls and start editing confidently.

Budget Philosophy

For a $900 video editing PC, I allocated ~40% to CPU+GPU ($342 total) because multi-core rendering and GPU acceleration (via CUDA/OpenCL) are bottlenecks in apps like Premiere or Resolve. RAM gets 7% ($60) for 32GB minimum to handle timelines without stuttering. Storage 7% ($54) for fast NVMe loads.

Motherboard/PSU/case take 20-25% ($245)—reliable budget picks suffice without overkill. Peripherals 15% ($118) as basics. This balances performance where it counts (compute) vs savings on chassis/power delivery. Trade-off: older AM4 platform saves $150+ vs AM5, still excellent for editing with PCIe 4.0 support.

Philosophy: Prioritize parallel workloads over single-thread speed; leave $80 buffer. Total $819 vs $2000 premium saves $1181 by skipping RGB, DDR5, and 12-core CPUs.

Where to Splurge

  • CPU: 6+ cores essential for multi-threaded exports/rendering; cheaping out causes 2x longer wait times.
  • GPU: 8GB VRAM + compute power accelerates effects/previews; integrated graphics make 4K unworkable.
  • RAM: 32GB prevents crashes on complex timelines; 16GB bottlenecks modern editing.

Where to Save

  • Case: Budget airflow cases cool fine; no need for $150 tempered glass showpieces.
  • PSU: 80+ Bronze 650W handles this build safely; overkill Gold saves no editing time.
  • Motherboard: Basic B550 with WiFi works; premium VRM/features unused in editing.

Recommended Products (9)

#1essentialCPU

AMD Ryzen 5 5600

Powers multi-threaded rendering, encoding, and timeline playback.

$126.99
16% of budget
AMD Ryzen 5 5600

The Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core/12-thread Zen 3 CPU at 4.6GHz boost, ideal for budget video editing. Paired with AM4 ecosystem, it delivers 90% of pricier Ryzen 7000 performance for half the cost.

Fits perfectly: Excellent PugetBench scores for Premiere/DaVinci. Vs $300 i5-13600K, loses minor single-thread but wins value. Includes Wraith Stealth cooler for light loads.

Value king at $127—handles 1080p exports in minutes, light 4K viable.

Pros

  • +6 cores/12 threads for fast renders
  • +65W TDP efficient/low heat
  • +AM4 mature ecosystem
  • +Great Premiere/Resolve scores
  • +Stock cooler included

Cons

  • -No integrated graphics (needs GPU)
  • -DDR4 only (no future DDR5)
  • -Stock cooler limits heavy OC

Upgrade Option: AMD Ryzen 7 5700X ($174.99) - 8 cores for 30% faster multi-cam/exports

Budget Alternative: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 ($84.99) - Lose 20% render speed

Check Price on Amazon
#2essentialGPU

PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB

Handles GPU-accelerated effects, playback, and Mercury Playback Engine in editing software.

$214.99
26% of budget
PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB

RX 6600 offers 8GB GDDR6, RDNA2 architecture for strong OpenCL/CUDA-like performance in Resolve/Premiere. 1080p/1440p editing beast with hardware encoding.

Budget fit: Beats RTX 3060 in some workloads for less $. Vs $400 RTX 4070, sacrifices ray-tracing (irrelevant for editing).

At $215, stellar value—smooth 4K proxies, fast debayering.

Pros

  • +8GB VRAM for 4K footage
  • +Great Resolve acceleration
  • +PCIe 4.0 x8 efficient
  • +Dual fans quiet
  • +AV1 decode support

Cons

  • -Weaker Adobe CUDA vs Nvidia
  • -No DLSS
  • -Higher idle power

Upgrade Option: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti 8GB ($379) - Better Premiere CUDA, NVENC

Budget Alternative: RX 6500 XT 4GB ($139) - Halves VRAM, struggles with 4K

Check Price on Amazon
#3essentialRAM

TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3200MHz

Multitasks timelines, effects, and apps without paging to disk.

$59.99
7% of budget
TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3200MHz

Dual-channel 32GB kit at CL16—sweet spot for editing stability. XMP enabled for easy 3200MHz.

Perfect budget: Handles 10+ layer timelines. Vs $120 6000MHz DDR5, minimal real-world gap.

Insane $60 value—essential minimum for 2025 editing.

Pros

  • +True 32GB capacity
  • +Low latency CL16
  • +Lifetime warranty
  • +XMP plug-and-play

Cons

  • -3200MHz not ultra-fast
  • -No RGB
  • -DDR4 end-of-life

Upgrade Option: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB 3600MHz ($89.99) - Faster speeds, aesthetics

Budget Alternative: 16GB kit ($35) - Crashes on complex projects

Check Price on Amazon
#4essentialMotherboard

MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI

Connects all components with PCIe 4.0, WiFi, and solid VRM.

$109.99
13% of budget
MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI

Micro-ATX B550 with WiFi 6, 2.5G LAN, 1x PCIe4 M.2. Supports Ryzen 5000 out-of-box.

Budget star: Reliable for 24/7 edits, BIOS flashback easy. Vs $200 X670, no extras needed.

$110 steals features like premium boards.

Pros

  • +Built-in WiFi 6
  • +PCIe 4.0 for GPU/SSD
  • +4 RAM slots
  • +USB 3.2 Gen2

Cons

  • -Only 1 M.2 slot
  • -Basic audio
  • -mATX limits expansion

Upgrade Option: ASUS TUF Gaming B550-PLUS WIFI II ($159.99) - More USB/M.2 ports

Budget Alternative: Gigabyte B450M DS3H ($69.99) - No WiFi, weaker VRM

Check Price on Amazon
#5essentialStorage

Crucial P3 1TB PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD

Fast OS/projects drive; 1TB for apps, footage, cache.

$53.99
7% of budget
Crucial P3 1TB PCIe Gen3 NVMe SSD

QLC NAND NVMe at 3500/3000 MB/s reads—plenty for editing loads.

Ideal cheap/fast: Dramless but HMB helps. Vs $100 Gen4, 20% slower irrelevant for most.

Best $54 1TB value.

Pros

  • +1TB capacity
  • +High endurance 220TBW
  • +Low heat
  • +5yr warranty

Cons

  • -QLC slower writes sustained
  • -No DRAM cache
  • -Gen3 speeds

Upgrade Option: WD Black SN850X 1TB ($79.99) - Gen4 doubles speeds

Budget Alternative: 500GB ($29.99) - Fills fast, needs external storage

Check Price on Amazon
#6essentialPSU

Corsair CX650 650W 80+ Bronze

Reliable power for GPU/CPU stability under load.

$69.99
9% of budget
Corsair CX650 650W 80+ Bronze

Modular 650W semi-modular with Japanese caps, fully protects components.

Safe budget: 50+ peak efficiency. Vs $120 Gold, no performance diff.

Proven $70 reliability.

Pros

  • +80+ Bronze efficient
  • +Modular cables
  • +10yr warranty
  • +Quiet fan

Cons

  • -Semi-modular
  • -No ATX 3.0
  • -Bronze not Platinum

Upgrade Option: Corsair RM750x Gold ($99.99) - Fully modular, quieter

Budget Alternative: EVGA 600W 80+ ($49.99) - Shorter warranty

Check Price on Amazon
#7recommendedPC Case

Deepcool CC560 ARGB Black

Airflow chassis for cool/quiet operation during long renders.

$64.99
8% of budget
Deepcool CC560 ARGB Black

Mid-tower with mesh front, 4x ARGB fans included, tempered glass.

Great cheap cooling: Supports 360mm radiator. Vs $120 Lian Li, basic but effective.

$65 airflow champ.

Pros

  • +4 fans included
  • +Good cable mgmt
  • +GPU vertical support
  • +Dust filters

Cons

  • -Thin metal
  • -No USB-C front
  • -Basic aesthetics

Upgrade Option: Corsair 4000D Airflow ($104.99) - Premium build quality

Budget Alternative: Rosewill FBM-X2 ($39.99) - Poorer airflow

Check Price on Amazon
#8optionalMonitor

Sceptre E248W-FPT168 24" IPS 75Hz

Accurate color display for editing review and color grading.

$89.99
11% of budget
Sceptre E248W-FPT168 24" IPS 75Hz

24" 1080p IPS with 250 nits, 4ms response, HDMI/VGA.

Budget editing panel: 95% sRGB coverage decent for starters. Vs $200 4K, smaller/res lower.

Solid $90 starter.

Pros

  • +IPS color accuracy
  • +Thin bezels
  • +VESA mountable
  • +Speakers included

Cons

  • -1080p not 1440p/4K
  • -60Hz only
  • -Average brightness

Upgrade Option: Dell S2721QS 27" 4K IPS ($279.99) - Higher res for 4K editing

Budget Alternative: 22" 1080p ($69.99) - Smaller screen

Check Price on Amazon
#9nice-to-havePeripherals

Logitech MK295 Silent Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

Quiet wireless input for comfortable long editing sessions.

$27.95
3% of budget
Logitech MK295 Silent Wireless Keyboard/Mouse

Full-size KB + ambidextrous mouse, 33ft range, silent keys.

Basic reliable: Long battery. Vs $100 mechanical, no gaming needs.

$28 no-brainer.

Pros

  • +Silent typing
  • +Wireless 2.4GHz
  • +Long battery 36mo
  • +Spill resistant

Cons

  • -No backlighting
  • -Membrane keys
  • -Basic mouse DPI

Upgrade Option: Logitech MX Keys Combo ($169.99) - Premium typing/ergonomics

Budget Alternative: Amazon Basics wired ($14.99) - No wireless

Check Price on Amazon

Start with case prep: Install PSU, route cables. Mount standoffs, drop in mobo (I/O shield first). Screw CPU into mobo socket carefully, apply pea-sized thermal paste, attach stock cooler.

Install RAM in A2/B2 slots, SSD in M.2 slot (heatsink if needed). Mount mobo in case. Add GPU to PCIe slot, connect PSU cables (24-pin, 8-pin CPU, 8+6 GPU, SATA SSD). Fan/mobo headers.

Tools: Phillips screwdriver, anti-static wristband ($5). Time: 1-2 hours for beginners. Boot to BIOS (Del key), enable XMP, update BIOS via USB if needed. Install Windows/Linux via USB. Test with Cinebench/UserBenchmark. Tip: Cable management now prevents airflow issues; YouTube 'PC build guide' for visuals.

Running total after essentials (CPU-GPU-RAM-Mobo-SSD-PSU): $636; +case $701; peripherals $819. Buffer $81.

Budget Tips

  • Buy during Amazon Prime Day/Black Friday for 10-20% off parts.
  • Use PCPartPicker.com to verify compatibility/prices.
  • Skip Windows—use free DaVinci Resolve Linux or $20 key.
  • Buy used GPU from eBay (RX 6600 ~$180) if comfortable, test thoroughly.
  • Prioritize CPU/RAM/GPU; add HDD later for $40 2TB storage.
  • Shop Newegg/Amazon for bundles; avoid Best Buy markups.
  • Sell old PC parts on Facebook Marketplace to offset costs.

Common Mistakes

  • Cheaping on PSU—causes crashes under GPU load.
  • 16GB RAM—timelines stutter/crash mid-edit.
  • Ignoring compatibility (e.g., DDR5 on AM4).
  • Overbuying case/RGB vs core performance.
  • No fast SSD—slow project loads kill productivity.

Upgrade Roadmap

First upgrade GPU to RTX 4070 ($500) for superior CUDA/NVENC and 4K real-time—biggest editing boost. Next, AM5 platform swap (Ryzen 7600 + B650 + DDR5 32GB ~$450) for future-proofing. Then 2TB Gen4 SSD ($100) + 4TB HDD ($80).

Wait on case/fans/peripherals. These yield 50-100% workflow gains. Save $100/mo to hit GPU in 5 months.

Total path to $1500 rig: Massive 4K/8K capability without full rebuild.

Related Topics

budget pcvideo editing buildunder 900ryzen 5600rx 6600budget gpuediting rigpc buildaffordable editing2025 buildcontent creator
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