Do I need a GPU to make PMVs?
You don't strictly need a dedicated GPU, but it helps significantly for VFX. Here's the realistic breakdown:
For basic beat-synced editing (cuts, transitions, presets): a modern quad-core CPU (Intel i5/Ryzen 5 or newer) handles analysis and assembly just fine. 8GB RAM minimum, 16GB comfortable.
For VFX (face-aware cropping, AI cutout pop, MiDaS depth parallax, film halation, etc.): an NVIDIA GPU (GTX 1060 or better) is recommended. These effects use GPU acceleration and will be noticeably slower on CPU-only systems.
On macOS: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) uses MPS acceleration for VFX. Intel Macs fall back to CPU.
Storage: SSD recommended for faster import scanning. Enough space for your clip library plus exports.
The only real downside of Onset Engine is that the fancy VFX require a decent GPU. CPU-only works for everything else, but VFX rendering will be slower. If you have a 5-year-old laptop without a dedicated GPU, you can still make great PMVs - just skip the heavy VFX effects or accept longer render times.
Do I need a GPU to make PMVs — check for yourself
The free demo runs the full pipeline on your own clips, which settles "do i need a gpu to make pmvs" faster than any answer I can write here.
Try Onset Engine or try the free demo first - no credit card needed