HP Pavilion KN231AAR S3420f upgrade for HD video?

I don't think upgrading that unit would be cost-effective. You need a new computer with a much better CPU. The Athlon 64 X2 5400+ is a 5-year old processor that's way behind the curve.

The problem is that video editing (programs like Sony Vegas, Final Cut etc) is a heavily CPU-dependent task. It doesn't require a high-end graphics card, although you DO need something better than your current integrated GeForce 6150se graphics.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...

If you just wanted to to smoothly display HD video and have HDMI output, adding a $40 graphics card like the Radeon HD 5450 to your computer would do the trick. For editing I'd recommend going to a Radeon HD 5670 but going beyond that level isn't really useful because what really maters for video editing is your CPU and having lots of RAM. Speaking or RAM, 8gb would be the minimum for a video editing rig and that means you'll need a 64-bit version of Windows.

Here's a direct comparison between your current CPU and Intel's Core i3 540, the low-end of their first generation Core ix series (which are now obsolete):

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/31?vs=143

Here's your current CPU compared to AMD's Athlon II X3 450, which costs about $80:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/31?vs=143

Ignore the gaming results, just look at the video encoding times. As you can see there's a huge difference between your Athlon 64 X2 5400+ and more recent processors.

But even those processors are subpar for video editing- THE definitive task where having more physical cores translates into better performance. For editing video you want at least a quad-core processor, period. It's the one task where AMD's Phenom II X6 processors are strong options compared to Intel's Core i5, because the extra cores really help.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridg...

For editing audio, it's generally recommended to go with an audio interface device rather than a soundcard.

http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_...

http://home.earthlink.net/~rongonz/home_rec/soundc...

Hope that helps!

Minimum System Requirements for video editing

Processor: Intel / AMD compatible at 2500 MHz or higher

RAM: 1 GB or higher

Sound: Windows compatible sound card

Display: 32-bit color depth

CD recorder: for importing from CD

DVD recorder: for importing from DVD and creating Video DVD

Video capture device: required for capturing

Windows Media Player 11 or higher for WMV video playback

DirectX: Microsoft DirectX 9.0c or later

Administrative permissions for program installation and activation

Internet connection to activate

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