I'll try to show the typical projects i manage on PD, could help to define the config.

I work with Gopro hero 6 black mainly + VideoMic Pro (and will add phones video in the future).
Projects are personnal videos, and sport videos for competitions in my club (table tennis).

=> i render for youtube in 1080p/60 (tend to use H.265 even if currently terrible in render time on my computer.

Duration : between 5 and 30 minutes.

Operations :

• add music


• add intro/final


• cut the match to keep only action


• add trasnitions between sets (or every points)


• add some titles (or sometimes/rarely more powerfull inclusions like a pip to show with a second angle, or a slowmo replay)


• "start/end black" transition (video and sound) for main scenes

(i should try add some sound and images corrections, but seems really complicated with a not perfect source (gopro in a gymnasium ...)

The discrete nvidia GPU will not be used if this is just a "gaming" laptop. Those laptops have the screen directly connected to the CPU's GPU and the sofware that passes the 3D does not pass the video decoding/encoding. So in PD you won't see that hardware acceleration option from the dGPU.
There are proffesional laptop workstations that have a multiplexer switch that alows them to exclusivelly use the dGPU (they usually have a BIOS option to turn off the iGPU). Those laptops, dedicated for video editing jobs, are usually more expensive. And they don't do a good job at gaminig. Example:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/workstations-isv-certified/sr/workstations/precision-laptops

Also, note that the Intel CPU in the 10th generaton have also a decent hardware video decoder/encoder, integral in the CPU, so just for video editing alone, you might not need another discrete GPU:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Quick_Sync_Video#Hardware_decoding_and_encoding
Altough, I would wait for their 11th generation CPU that is supposed to come out in first quarter of 2021, because it will add more GPU features:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_Lake#GPU

Now, I don't have experience with AMD's APU line of laptops (CPU+GPU in one chip). Those might expose their hardware video encoder to PD.

Generally a small form factor PC will be much better for video editing than a laptop.

PS: There is a limit of how much you can use a CPU in PD, but you won't reach it on a laptop. I reach it because I have two 8 core / 16 thread CPUs and at that point other latencies become more evident than the raw CPU processing power. Both the CPU and GPU will wait for something else to happen...

Quote The discrete nvidia GPU will not be used if this is just a "gaming" laptop. Those laptops have the screen directly connected to the CPU's GPU and the sofware that passes the 3D does not pass the video decoding/encoding. So in PD you won't see that hardware acceleration option from the dGPU.
There are proffesional laptop workstations that have a multiplexer switch that alows them to exclusivelly use the dGPU (they usually have a BIOS option to turn off the iGPU). Those laptops, dedicated for video editing jobs, are usually more expensive. And they don't do a good job at gaminig. Example:
https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/workstations-isv-certified/sr/workstations/precision-laptops

Now, I don't have experience with AMD's APU line of laptops (CPU+GPU in one chip). Those might expose their hardware video encoder to PD.

Generally a small form factor PC will be much better for video editing than a laptop.

PS: There is a limit of how much you can use a CPU in PD, but you won't reach it on a laptop. I reach it because I have two 8 core / 16 thread CPUs and at that point other latencies become more evident than the raw CPU processing power. Both the CPU and GPU will wait for something else to happen...

Thx for this answer.
I'll try ask more on reseller.

I think i'll stay in ASUS ROG series, newers one are TUF/Zephyrus/Strix/...
aiming something like Rizen 5/7, maybe 9 if it could be usefull, with NVidia RTX 2060/2070 super/max something..... (start to be hard to understand namings and meanings !!!). I think above configuration goes a great step higher in price.... and can't.

My other old Tower (core 2 Duo ) is my current Linux station with desktop GUI and some server services for home and training.
I plan to upgade it too later, but need on linux => can't currently dedicated a second computer only for PD work.

Maybe i'll have another solution, if i recycle my current Laptop (Asus ROG 750 to linux, and convert him in "desktop mode" with server's services). But then i should take a really lower laptop configuration in dual boot. I can't buy 2 great config currently.

PFfffffffff boring problem with this PD

Here is a screen of my last project

https://paste.pics/4c39134de7618ae4cc5cf2eeb2513de3


Some more note : on my current old lpatop (I5 série4, GTX 780m), it's Ok in H.264 with TrueVelocity !
https://paste.pics/4767ac901cf20bb30ead4ea680f5ef68


But as i think no encoder H.265, it goes full CPU (and terrible time, logical : from 7min to 55min).




@SoNic67: What i don't understand is how on my Old Gaming laptop i could use TrueVelocity, then my GPU for rendering ?
=> Should not be possible if i understand your answer.

Remember : ASUS ROG G750JH
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4700HQ CPU @ 2.40GHz 2.40 GHz
Nvidia GTX 780M

Note : i see someone speacking about a trick : connect to external monitor to activate direct comm to dGPU ?? Don't know if real, but i use a dual screen with a secondary monitor.

I am not sure what PD does with an external monitor connected. It might still default to the iGPU.
How you old laptop was working with Hardware Encoding? Welll... maybe it was using the iGPU for hardware acceleration, I have linked above the Intel capabilities.

Buying a laptop with a dGPU like RTX 3080 and thinking that the 3080 will be used for PD... will just be a waste of money.

My advice - Use a desktop. Better for gaming, better for PD...

Quote I am not sure what PD does with an external monitor connected. It might still default to the iGPU.
How you old laptop was working with Hardware Encoding? Welll... maybe it was using the iGPU for hardware acceleration, I have linked above the Intel capabilities.

Buying a laptop with a dGPU like RTX 3080 and thinking that the 3080 will be used for PD... will just be a waste of money.

My advice - Use a desktop. Better for gaming, better for PD...

Ok .... thx for this answer.. but :

• I say i don't put the lastest 3080 but 2060 -> 2080 series (looking for the really many variants ...)


• And i must move with my laptop sometimes ... i will never go in competition, or trainings with all my desktop/screen/...


• And more : Desktop will be at home in Linux ...

Voila, I CAN'T BUY a second desktop only for that.



What i mention important : you say on gaming laptop it's impossible and total waste to have a nvida dGPU .... on my old one, yesterday i check with gpuz : my render in H.264 used the dGPU (have you see the screenshot).

Then not impossible it seems ?

For all, here are the link on 2 videos for some "easy" and legal tweaks to try :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHMB9KuxeUg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjaDd0TIth4

(will look this evening)


another topic : i find infos about the Nvidia Studio Driver version. They says it's a variant optimized for multimedia producers, and mention Vega Pro, Adobe Premiere and 5-6 others ...
Not Cyberlink products.

Maybe Cyberlink can't afford to make the same work or collaboration ?
Maybe we should look other products if too boring to make the product works, and have the dev/support unable to make a start of answer.