Summarize this article in one sentence.
If you have a compatible graphics card installed, you can use it to help speed up your rendering time and offload some of the process from your CPU. Click Options and select Preferences from the bottom of the menu.  Click the video tab. Click the drop-down menu next to "GPU acceleration of video processing" and select your graphics card. If your video card is not supported, it will not appear in the menu. Click Apply and then OK to close the window. You can open this window by clicking the Project Properties button above the preview pane, or by clicking File → Properties. This will open a new window which will allow you to adjust all of the details of your project. You can set the project properties before you start editing your video. At the top of the Video tab, you will see a Template drop-down menu. There will be a large list of templates to choose from, but if you are rendering in HD there are only a couple you need to pay attention to.  If you are filming in NTSC (North America), select "HDV 720-30p" for 720p or "HD 1080-60i" for 1080p. If you are filming in PAL (Europe), select "HDV 720-25p" for 720p or "HD 1080-50i" for 1080p. The main difference between NTSC and PAL is the framerate (29.970 vs. 25). If you are shooting at a higher framerate than NTSC or PAL standards, such as 60 fps, choose the appropriate template for the resolution you want. If you are rendering 1080p video, you will want to change the field order for your frames. Click the "Field order" drop-down menu and select "None (Progressive scan)". This will result in smoother video. After selecting your template, look for the "Full-resolution rendering quality" drop-down menu. Ensure that it is set to "Best". Most modern digital footage is shot in progressive mode, so there is no need for deinterlacing. Click the drop-down menu and select "None". Any other method could result in unwanted scanlines in the final video. If you are rendering in 1080p, select "Blend Fields" as most 1080p footage still uses interlaced frames. This will help reduce the chance of small black bars appearing around the edge of your finished product. Once you are finished configuring your custom template, you can save it for easy access later. Enter in a name to help you remember it into the Template field, and then click the Save button. Your custom template will be added to the list, allowing you to quickly select it again. Here you can adjust your audio settings for your project. There are a few things you'll want to check in order to ensure the best-sounding video possible.  Sample rate (Hz) - This should be set to 48,000, which is DVD quality. Resample and stretch quality - This should be set to "Best".

Summary:
Turn on GPU acceleration. Open the Project Properties window. Select a template. Change the field order. Check the rendering quality. Select the deinterlace method. Check the "Adjust source media..." box. Save your template. Click the Audio tab.