Desktop specs for responsive video editing.

[YG]

If there is an up-to-date existing discussion on the topic please point me to it, I did not find it in search.

I am using an Intel i7-4700MQ with 8 GB RAM with an NVIDIA GeFroce GT 740M and it is not even close to being able to handle Premiere Pro / After Effects efficiently. It is painfully slow and I am spending so much time waiting for the software to open and process that it is really costing me in my work.

I know I definitely need to up the RAM, but I'm sure that I need to upgrade significantly more than that.  I really need to get a system that I can expect to be able to handle Premiere Pro and After Effects at the same time and be very responsive while doing so. I need to be able to get the programs open and up and running quickly, and then to do their work smoothly without stalling.

Ideally Id like to be able to edit 4K, but if a system that will handle 4K efficiently is going to cost $3-4K then Ill have to make do with something that can handle full HD for now.

What specs would be recommended to be able to handle Premiere Pro and After Effects processing full HD footage quickly -- and to continue doing so for a while?
--The budget is tight, but Id rather work to come up with the money to invest in quality hardware that will do the job efficiently and continue to do so for a while, rather than invest in something that will only be an incremental improvement or not be expected to last.

Thank you for your input.

[Zalc]

A few more details would make it easier to help.

What are you using for storage?
If you are not using a SSD, that is the 1st thing you must add.
I edited a large amount of footage on a laptop with less specs than what you listed (no discrete graphics etc.), I added a SSD, and Premier was only slow when doing heavy processing. Loading programs and files, or simple cutting etc. was very smooth.
 
How compressed is the footage you are working with?
Mp4, ProRes etc?

[YG]

Thank you Zalc.

I'm not using a SSD.
For the moment I'm working with MP4.

Would you say that adding a SSD could potentially make enough difference that I might not need to upgrade the rest of the computer?

[Zalc]

Thank you Zalc.

I'm not using a SSD.
For the moment I'm working with MP4.

Would you say that adding a SSD could potentially make enough difference that I might not need to upgrade the rest of the computer?

I would get that, then reevaluate.

When I upgraded, the time it took for premier to open dropped by more then half. (My laptop now starts twice as fast as my android!)

Get at least 500gb. I have this one.

Unless you are working with a few hundred GB of raw video at a time, that should work well.

http://m.thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-ssds/

[YG]

Thank you so much for the input.
I'll give it a shot.

Do you use the SSD to store both the software and the files that you are using it to process?

[Zalc]

Thank you so much for the input.
I'll give it a shot.

Do you use the SSD to store both the software and the files that you are using it to process?

Yes.
The windows OS and program files are the most important to have on the SSD.

You can get away with keeping the video files on a regular one but I prefer the speed boost.

When I am done editing, I move that project file and all its media to a external HDD. With usb3 it takes only a few minutes.

[YG]

Yes.
The windows OS and program files are the most important to have on the SSD.

Moving the adobe software should be easy enough, can I easily move Windows to the SDD or does the whole PC need to be formatted and reprogrammed from scratch?

[Zalc]

Moving the adobe software should be easy enough, can I easily move Windows to the SDD or does the whole PC need to be formatted and reprogrammed from scratch?

You can copy the windows OS partition over easily enough (if there is more space on the ssd then there are files on the original hard drive).

Then set the BIOS to boot from the ssd.

Google it.

I used the easus software in the past.

[YG]

Great.
Thank you so much!

[YG]

Do I need to get any other hardware together with the SSD to be able to install it?

[etech0]

Experts: would another 8gb of ram help?