Adobe Premiere Pro (v.2019 and newer)

Adobe Premiere Pro allows you to enable GPU (CUDA) acceleration for faster video rendering and encoding, enhancing the performance of timeline playback and real-time editing, especially when working with high-resolution footage and complex effects.

How to Enable GPU (CUDA) Accelerated Rendering and Encoding

1. Starting a New Project:

   • Open Premiere Pro from the default path:
     C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Premiere Pro 20##\Adobe Premiere Pro.exe

   • When creating a new project, select Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (CUDA) in the Renderer field.

2. Enabling GPU Acceleration for Existing Projects:

   

   • Go to File > Project Settings > General.

   • In the Renderer section, select Mercury Playback Engine GPU Acceleration (CUDA) and click OK.

This setup ensures that Premiere Pro uses the GPU for tasks like rendering, playback, and GPU-accelerated effects.

Top Tips to Speed Up Adobe Premiere Pro

1. Use GPU-Accelerated Effects
   Premiere Pro supports many GPU-accelerated effects that reduce CPU load and improve performance during editing. These include effects like color correction, blur, and several transitions.

2. Hardware-Accelerated Encoding and Decoding
   For faster exports, ensure hardware-accelerated encoding is enabled in the export settings when working with formats like H.264 or HEVC. This dramatically reduces export times, especially for 4K content.

3. Update GPU Drivers
   Keep your NVIDIA or AMD drivers updated to maintain optimal performance, ensuring your GPU supports the latest features in Premiere Pro.

4. Clear Media Cache
   Regularly clearing the media cache helps to free up space and maintain smooth performance, particularly when working with large video files.

5. Use Proxies
   For editing high-resolution footage (such as 4K or 8K), working with proxy files — low-resolution versions of the original — can reduce system strain and improve timeline playback performance.

Top Recommended GPUs for Premiere Pro

1. NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti
   This GPU offers excellent performance for real-time playback, GPU-accelerated effects, and H.264/HEVC encoding, making it ideal for most professional editing workflows.

2. NVIDIA RTX 3080
   Suitable for editors working with high-resolution footage, the RTX 3080 ensures smooth playback and fast rendering for 4K or even higher content.

3. NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti
   A more affordable option that still delivers strong CUDA performance for video rendering and encoding, perfect for mid-range editing needs.

By enabling GPU acceleration and following these tips, you’ll see significant improvements in Adobe Premiere Pro’s performance, allowing for smoother editing, faster renders, and a more efficient workflow.