Video editing software for low-end PCs that actually works?

[Nathan.A]

I've got a budget desktop that's a few years old - Core i3, 8GB RAM, integrated graphics. Every time I try to edit videos, the software either crashes or takes forever to render. Are there any video editing software for low-end PCs that actually perform decently? I'm willing to sacrifice some features for stability and speed. Free options preferred but I'd consider paying if it's reasonably priced and truly works on modest hardware.

[Avery66]

For video editing software for low-end PCs that actually works, I've had the best experience with Shotcut. It's designed to run on modest hardware and I've used it on systems similar to yours (Core i3, 8GB RAM). It handles basic 1080p editing without crashing, though rendering times will be slower than on more powerful systems. The key is to work with proxy files if you're dealing with higher resolution footage.

[JasonRJ]

I'm working with similar specs and OpenShot has been reliable for me. It's not the fastest but it doesn't crash, which is what matters most. For video editing software that works on low-end PCs, stability is more important than speed. I'd rather wait a bit longer for a render than deal with constant crashes and lost work.

[AuroraS]

If you're willing to do some optimization work, DaVinci Resolve can work on low-end PCs. You need to create optimized media (basically lower resolution proxy files to edit with) and turn off all GPU acceleration. It's more work to set up but once configured, it runs surprisingly well on modest hardware. The free version is incredibly powerful for the price (free).

[Nathan.A]

Kdenlive has worked well on my budget desktop. The key is to make sure you're using the latest stable version and to save your work frequently (good advice for any video editing on low-end hardware). It's not perfect but for free video editing software that runs on modest systems, it gets the job done.

[Nicholas35]

For the absolute simplest needs, don't overlook the Windows built-in Video Editor. It's extremely lightweight and will definitely run on your system. The feature set is limited but if you just need basic cutting and combining of clips, it might be all you need. For anything more advanced, I'd go with OpenShot or Shotcut.