GPU driver is fresh as I just installed fresh windows and downloaded GPU driver from manufacturer website.

@bartpl I'm running an R9 390 8gb. You should have an option using the MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 render format and then in the template window it should show various (resolution) options for Internet HD/UHD, etc and an alternative using (AMD VCE). On my PC the AMD VCE option renders in about 1/3 the time it takes for Mainconcept.

If you go Options, then hold down the 'Shift' while you click on 'Preferences', you should see the 'Internal' tab, select it. In the search box at the bottom type in 'Legacy' and you should see several options, one of which will be 'Enable Legacy (Mainconcept AVC/AAC and Intel HEVC) render plugins, change the 'Value' from 'FALSE' to 'TRUE'. You should now the the legacy MainConcept AVC/AAC render format option available. Select an appropriate template for your project, select 'Customize Template' and click on the 'System' tab at the bottom. There is an option 'Check GPU', click on it. It will response with perhaps 'OpenCL is available'. Then click on the 'Video' tab at the bottom. Toward the bottom is an option 'Encode mode'. Click to see the options and select whichever one matches the 'Check GPU' results, like maybe 'Render using OpenCL if available'. That should increase the render speed, but it is not going to out perform MAGIX's AMD VCE template option.

@Eagle Six thanks for this instructions, I will check them later when I come back from home. I will probably try to reinstall drivers and reinstall Vegas Pro as well. Would you be able to check and let me know which version of drivers you use for your graphic card?

'Enable Legacy (Mainconcept AVC/AAC and Intel HEVC) render plugins, change the 'Value' from 'FALSE' to 'TRUE'.

I have changed it, restarted Vegas but under SYSTEM tab there is still no "Check GPU"

Your screenshot is not from the MainConcept AVC/AAC template.

'Enable Legacy (Mainconcept AVC/AAC and Intel HEVC) render plugins, change the 'Value' from 'FALSE' to 'TRUE'.

 

I have changed it, restarted Vegas but under SYSTEM tab there is still no "Check GPU"

 

The reason you are not seeing that in the 'System' tab is because you selected the incorrect format, you are looking at the 'MAGIX HEVC/AAC MP4' and you should be looking at the 'Mainconcept AVC/AAC' and then select the appropriate template.

If you select the 'MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4' render format, do you see any templates that offer the (AMD VCE) option?

I'm currently using the '25.20.15011.1004' AMD driver.

Ok, I have changed template to Mainconcept AVC/AAC but there is no (AMD VCE) option anywhere.
Check GPU appeared in SYSTEM tab and when I click it, it shows "OpenCL Available.

I have rendered my test project and rendering time is 2:40, it was 3:27 in the previous template. GPU usage went up slightly but peaked at 15%, with average around 7%.

Does it mean this is the GPU acceleration or it is still something wrong with 15% GPU usage only?

The other problem is, under Mainconcept AVC/AAC I cannot render to 4K, only 1080p (I work with 4K files from iphone XS).
To be honest, my main issue is absence of GPU acceleration of preview. I would be ok to wait more for render but my priority is to have GPU acceleration of preview so I can have it as smooth as possible.

Don't know what to do...:/

Did you also update to the latest build #361 as @fr0sty suggested?

Should be Magix AVC (not mainconcept and not Magix HEVC) and should look like this:

What I'm curious about is: has the AMD not a template for Magix HEVC like I see them for Nvidia and Intel. If that is true, an AMD is nowadays not such a good solution to use and am I happy never used it, but spend a little more money for good ones.

Ok, I have changed template to Mainconcept AVC/AAC but there is no (AMD VCE) option anywhere.

@bartpl you have mixed up the render formats, look at the MAGIX AVC/AAC MP4 render format, and then look at the available templates for an option of the (AMD VCE).

2. Mainconcept AVC/AAC does render to Internet 4K 2160p. This template is set for 29.970 fps, but you can set it to other frame rates such as 59.940 fps.

3. How does your AMD driver version compare to mine, what version are you using?

4. As suggested by @fr0sty and again by @vkmast have you updated to the latest Vegas Pro build 361?

5. Are you using Proxy files for your 4K iPhone source (set Preview quality to 'Preview/Full')?

6. Is your 4K iPhone source variable frame rate, and if so have you ever converted it to constant frame rate to see if that helps playback performance?

7. When is the major problem with playback performance, while viewing an event, or when there are transitions, or FX's applied, or when you are working on multicam, or have multiple tracks in the timeline?

Thank you guys, I'm getting closer! :)

I have reinstalled GPU drivers and now I have AMD VCE as an encoding mode. I have done a test and my GPU usage when rendering goes up to 80% and render is veeery fast, yaaaay!

BUT....

It only allows me to render 1080p. When I try to render to 4K (doesn't matter whether I use 4K or 1080p source files), an error pops up right after I start render:


I can render to 4K but without AMD VCE and then I'm rendering with CPU only.
@Eagle SIx: I think I have seen your post somewhere on this forum saying that R9 390x is using VCE 2.0 which does not support 4K? Is that the reason why I can't use GPU rendering to output 4K video?

OK. Now I can use GPU to render 1080p, let's go back to preview:

During the preview my GPU is still max 4% usage and frames can drop down to 4FPS when I applied a heavy video fx. This is when i work on 4K 60fps videos from iphone. When I work on 1080p30fps, preview is smooth 95% of time but GPU is still not in action while previewing.

I still have my Build 248 but it should not be a problem I think? I will update but now I'm bit scared that I will have to tweak everything once again, and I don't even understand what I have done and which action had a positive impact lol.
Forgive me guys, I have bought a PC specially to make a video edit for myself, this is my first time with VP and first time with any kind of video editing. I'm reading a lot but it's still difficult to understand all these drivers, renders, codecs, formats etc.

I really appreciate your help!

BUT....

It only allows me to render 1080p. When I try to render to 4K (doesn't matter whether I use 4K or 1080p source files), an error pops up right after I start render:


 

@bartpl please post a screenshot of the AMD VCE 4K template settings, you are using when you get this error?

@bartpl do you have the specs on the R9 390X? My R9 390 only has VCE 2.0, which will do 1080p but not UHD. I thought the 29 390X had VCE 3.0, which if I remember correctly is the minimum for rendering 4K 2160p. If your card only has VCE 2.0 you will not be able to render 4K using AMD VCE and that may be causing it to throw the error.

@Eagle Six

I see the same error when I try to render to wathever template with the Intel HEVC codec on my desktop. I have that codec not available at my laptop where I'm now working on.
If you want so, I am able to give you a screenshot tomorrow.

@j-v Thank You for the offer, but that isn't the AMD VCE template settings that @bartpl is using, so I don't no what value it would be.

@Eagle Six this is the template that I use when error pops up:

When I chose template one above, the one without (AMD VCE) then it renders to 4K but with CPU only.
I don't know if my card supports VCE 3.0, I thougt it does not as per your post somewhere on this forum but I might be wrong.

This is my GPU but at the moment I can't find any info about VCE support.
https://www.asus.com/uk/Graphics-Cards/STRIXR9390XDC3OC8GD5GAMING/

@bartpl​​​​​​ see the VPro 16 changelog/bug fixes after build 248 from this post down.

@Eagle Six apologies but there was many post at the same time and I have missed one where you asked couple of questions. Will answer them now as this may clarify something or just be helpful for somebody in the future.

3. How does your AMD driver version compare to mine, what version are you using?

I was using old 15.201.1001.0 from 21/07/2016. Then I have installed new one: 25.20.15027.9004 from 18/03/2019 and it looks like it helped.

4. As suggested by @fr0sty and again by @vkmast have you updated to the latest Vegas Pro build 361?

No, still 281. I'm bit scared now to touch anything while it seems it works, however I'm not sure if my GPU accelerates the preview as it's usage during preview is around 4%. I don't know what should be the usage.

5. Are you using Proxy files for your 4K iPhone source (set Preview quality to 'Preview/Full')?

No proxy files. Original files from iphone, preview set to "Preview/Auto" with preview resolution of 940x540x32, 60.018p

6. Is your 4K iPhone source variable frame rate, and if so have you ever converted it to constant frame rate to see if that helps playback performance?

I don't know wheter it's variable frame rate or not, how to check? I haven't try to convert it to check if it helps with playback.

7. When is the major problem with playback performance, while viewing an event, or when there are transitions, or FX's applied, or when you are working on multicam, or have multiple tracks in the timeline?

Frame rate of playback drops only during transitions or at clips that I have applied some Event FX. I am not working on multicam and I'm working only using one track (I'm newbie so now I'm just testing and getting familiar with VP)

From Vegas Pro specifications (see the product page),

"Supported GPU

AMD/ATI

AMD/ATI® Radeon with 4 GB and VCE 3.0 or higher (Radeon Pro series with 8 GB for HDR and 32 bit projects)"

@vkmast How to update to the lates build? I have downloaded it from here https://www.moviestudiozen.com/doctor-zen-faq/609-vegas-pro-16-update-history
but what should I do now? Just run exe file or should I uninstall current version first?

 

4. As suggested by @fr0sty and again by @vkmast have you updated to the latest Vegas Pro build 361?

No, still 281. I'm bit scared now to touch anything while it seems it works, however I'm not sure if my GPU accelerates the preview as it's usage during preview is around 4%. I don't know what should be the usage.

5. Are you using Proxy files for your 4K iPhone source (set Preview quality to 'Preview/Full')?

No proxy files. Original files from iphone, preview set to "Preview/Auto" with preview resolution of 940x540x32, 60.018p

6. Is your 4K iPhone source variable frame rate, and if so have you ever converted it to constant frame rate to see if that helps playback performance?

I don't know wheter it's variable frame rate or not, how to check? I haven't try to convert it to check if it helps with playback.

Frame rate of playback drops only during transitions or at clips that I have applied some Event FX. I am not working on multicam and I'm working only using one track (I'm newbie so now I'm just testing and getting familiar with VP)

@bartpl OK your driver looks good, and I will assume I'm incorrect and the R9 390X only has VCE 2.0 (or at least a lessor version than is required for 4K rendering).

I have never had an update installation that has caused harm to my setup. There may be a benefit to you by updating to build 361.

Download the free app called Mediainfo from here ( https://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo ). Start Mediainfo, click on the View tab, scroll down and select 'Test' mode. Then click on the File tab and navigate to one of your iPhone 4K video files. Mediainfo will display a long list of specifications. Post a screenshot of the report please.

If your iPhone files are variable frame rate, you can also download the free app 'Media ER Tool Kit' which has various tools to convert your iPhone files to constant frame rate. You can also use a free app called Handbrake. I would convert a sample iPhone file to constant frame rate and test in your project to determine if you have advantage to spending the time to convert these files.

I would strongly urge you to use the built in Proxy feature of Vegas Pro. Go to Options > Preferences > Video tab. Make sure there is a check in the box 'Automatically create video proxies for Ultra HD media'. Then when you add media Vegas will automatically create a proxy. Vegas will automatically use the original high resolution media when you render, you don't have to do anything. Two things to consider when you are using proxies.....

1. When you 4K and Vegas Pro automatically creates a proxy it may take a while (there is a progress bar display at the bottom left), but only once. Whenever you open this project or use that clip, it has already created the proxy file. This does store a duplicate file in the folder, but it will not be that large.

2. Do get the advantage of the 720p proxy file you must have the Preview Window quality set to Preview/Full (or less). If you have the Preview quality set for Good or higher, you will be previewing the original and will not have the playback speed advantage of the proxy. I like this, I set the Preview quality to 'Preview/Full' and do my cutting and editing. If I add an FX or do some color correction, I quickly change the Preview quality to Best/full so I can see the best image in the Preview window or Full Screen. Then when I want to play through a section I quickly set the Preview quality back to 'Preview/Full'. It's just 3 quick clicks to go from one quality to the other.