GA Z170X UD5 - What's A Good GPU upgrade from Sapphire Radeon RX 480 for FCP?

[bhuether]

Hi,

I am trying to upgrade my current system

Gigabyte Z170X UD5
64 GB RAM 2400 DD4
Quad core i7 6700k
Sapphire Radeon RX 480

to a more capable setup for 4K editing in FCP. I have read about the Radeon VII but seems hard to find. Are there similar cards that people here are experienced with that are easy to find and have comparable performance?

I am currently running Catalina but am planning to update to Ventura. From what I can tell the best CPU I can upgrade to is i7 7700k. So just a question what GPU to pair it with that is known to work well among users here.

thanks!

 

[jaymonkey]

@bhuether,

In almost all cases FCPX only uses the dGPU for anything that can be "tile rendered" such as titles, effects and transitions. If you export as H264 or H265 then MacOS can use Intel Quick Sync on the IGPU (depends on CPU model and SMBIOS used) or VCE on a AMD dGPU to perform the transcoding.

If however you work with Apple Pro Res then all transcoding is done on the CPU. The only way to hardware accelerate Pro Res transcoding is with an Apple Afterburner card in a 2019 MacPro or use an Apple Silicon Mac with a M series chip as these have embedded pro res accelerators.

So depending on your project / workflow a more powerful dGPU can have very little effect on FCPX export / render times, therefore if you use Apple Pro Res extensively then a CPU / Motherboard upgrade will give you much more improved export times over an expensive dGPU.

Cheers
Jay

 

[trs96]

I am currently running Catalina but am planning to update to Ventura. From what I can tell the best CPU I can upgrade to is i7 7700k. So just a question what GPU to pair it with that is known to work well among users here.

I would build a new 12th or 13th gen Intel system, that will give you a greater performance boost than a 7700K and dGPU will. You should still get at least a new RX6600 or better to replace the 480. Note though that no Intel system you build now will be faster than a new M2/M3 Mac for work with FCP.

 

[bhuether]

I don't mind if an intel system is somewhat slower, or if I have to use proxies. Usually I edit via proxies, then render to 4K H264, H265. Though I am worried that certain new features of FCP won't work with intel, such as the new functionality they are adding with mask tracking, background removal.

 

[Jamesbond007]

Though I am worried that certain new features of FCP won't work with intel, such as the new functionality they are adding with mask tracking, background removal.

That is to be expected, and soon, since Apple no longer sells Intel Macs. Mac software from other companies may also (or already have) drop Intel support in the near future. And I think either Sonoma or the next MacOS will be the last Intel MacOS.

If you work with Mac software including FCP extensively you will eventually have to move to Apple Silicon. How soon depends on, for example, when Apple stops Intel FCP development and/or completely drop Intel support for FCP. And as you say there is the issue of new features only made available for Apple Silicon even if Apple continues to sell FCP for Intel.