Editing videos is becoming an increasingly popular activity due to the demand for video content. Thanks to programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, Filmora, DaVinci, etc., media editing has become easier than ever before. But to get the best experience out of it, you need a machine that can handle the intense process of editing video files. But how do you choose the best laptop for video editing? We’ve compiled this list of the best video editing laptops on the market today.
If you’re a professional creator who is looking for a new system, you want to find a suitable model that can meet your demands. There are many different factors to consider, such as screen size, processors, graphics cards, and memory. To make sure you get the best possible results from your editing projects, strong hardware configurations are a necessity. Laptops for video editing come in all shapes and sizes and with varying features, so you must find one that fits your exact needs.
Best Laptop for Video Editing: Our Recommendations
For video editors, having the right laptop is essential. It needs to have enough power to run demanding editing software and the ability to render complex projects with ease. But beyond that, you’ll also want a rig that has a comfortable keyboard and a long-lasting battery life, so you can work for hours from anywhere with ease. So, if you are a newbie or a professional in need of an upgrade, here are the best video editing laptops on the market today.
- ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15: Best Overall
- MSI Creator Pro X17: Best for Professional Creators
- Lenovo Legion 5 (2021): Best Budget
- Razer Blade 15 Advanced: Best for Gamers and Creators
- Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021): Best Macbook for Video Editing
- Acer Predator Triton 500 SE: Best for Gaming and Editing
- Microsoft Surface Book 3: Best Touchscreen
- Dell XPS 15 (9520): Best with OLED Screen
- HP Envy x360: Best 2-in-1 Notebook
- Acer ConceptD 7: Best for Designers
- ASUS VivoBook S15 S533: Best Cheap Laptop
- ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14 (2022): Best VR-Ready
1. ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15: Best Laptop for Video Editing
Pros
- Dual-screen display for more productivity
- Innovative design
- Powerful specs for gaming and other intensive tasks
- 1TB of solid-state drive
- Dedicated ScreenPad Plus feature
Cons
- Battery life is not better
- Cost is high
The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is an innovative powerhouse of a laptop that comes loaded with features, making it perfect for any professional. It’s a powerful device that combines the best of both worlds: productivity and aesthetic appeal. The primary display is a 15.6-inch OLED screen with a 4K resolution, offering incredibly vivid colors and sharp details. The laptop also comes with a 14-inch secondary panel that allows you to split your workspace into two and multitask like never before. The two screens provide enough room to fit two windows side by side when doing more complex tasks like color correction or audio mixing adjustments in the post-production stages of your project.
Inside the sleek chassis hides some seriously powerful components capable of delivering amazing performance without compromising portability or battery life. Powered by both an Intel Core i9 processor plus 32GB of DDR5 RAM combined with an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU allows you to quickly edit your projects or even play some modern titles smoothly. It’s not only in its specs where the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 shines; its sleek design stands out among other laptops too. It also looks beautiful due to its unique diamond-cut edges on the lid that gives it a premium feel while its techy aesthetics make sure everyone knows it means business!
2. MSI Creator Pro X17: Best Laptop for Professional Creators
Pros
- Powerful processor and graphics card
- Quality 120Hz display with vivid colors
- Great for creative users
- A lot of power in the build
Cons
- Heavy and bulky design
- Expensive for the specs
- Relatively short battery life
If you’re a professional content creator or video editor, you’ll be thrilled to hear about the latest MSI Creator Pro X17 professional creator laptop. With an Intel Core i9-12900HX processor, an RTX A3000 graphics card, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB NVMe SSD, this laptop is designed for the most demanding tasks. Whether you’re editing videos, designing 3D models, or rendering complex graphics, you can be sure the Creator Pro X17 has the power to do it all.
The laptop also features a 17.3-inch anti-glare display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate, so you can enjoy stunning visuals. Additionally, its amazing display with 4K resolution makes images and videos appear brighter, sharper, and more lifelike. There are plenty of ports, including three USB 3.2 ports for connecting additional peripherals and devices, as well as an HDMI 2.1 port for connecting it to an external monitor or TV. And with its not very lightweight design, this laptop is suitable for on-the-go creators. So if you want a machine that can handle any creative task, the MSI Creator Pro X17 is a perfect choice.
3. Lenovo Legion 5: Best Budget Video Editing Laptop
Pros
- Solid CPU resists lagging or stuttering
- RTX 2060 GPU offers great visuals
- Bigger 17.3-inch FHD Display
- Massive 64 RAM and 2TB SSD
- Good price-to-performance ratio
Cons
- Just 3-4 hours of battery timing
- Not for the heavy workload
- Lacks Wifi 6 connectivity
The Lenovo Legion 5 has all the bells and whistles and is a top-of-the-line machine, perfect for gamers and creative professionals alike. Its powerful AMD Ryzen 5-5600H processor, 64GB of RAM, and 2TB PCIe SSD make it one of the most capable creator laptops on the market. Its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card provides fantastic performance for video editing and illustration work, making this device a great option for professionals who are looking for a powerful mobile workstation.
It features a 17.3″ Full HD IPS anti-glare display providing vivid and realistic visuals with good viewing angles allowing you to work, or watch movies in stunning quality. The price of the Lenovo Legion 5 makes it attractive for those operating on a budget, but it won’t suit everyone. Gamers looking for higher performance and extra features will have to look elsewhere. On the other hand, professional creatives who work with more powerful color spaces will also need something more robust than this budget gaming machine provides. Despite the drawbacks, it’s still a great pick for anyone who needs a gaming laptop under $1500 with a decent selection of components.
4. Razer Blade 15 Advanced: Best for Gamers and Creators
Pros
- A powerful machine
- Slim attractive chassis
- Stunning QHD 240Hz display
- Long battery life
- Customizable RGB keyboard
Cons
- Hardware is more gamers specific
- Lack of display brightness
- Webcam is not impressive
The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is another powerful choice for those looking for an all-in-one solution when it comes to laptops for video editing. It features formidable specs such as an Intel Core i7-12800H processor with 14 cores and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics cards – giving it enough oomph to tackle even complex projects with ease – plus stunning aesthetics that complement its incredible performance. Further, the presence of 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a massive 1TB of SSD gives the boost to the system to deliver users with great overall productivity.
The Blade 15’s 15.6-inch display provides an excellent user experience that’s sure to impress. You’ll enjoy a fast 240Hz refresh rate, QHD panel options for gaming, editing, or designing, and a stylish layout that’s well-suited to the casual desktop user. Despite its size, this model remains lightweight and compact. The Razer Blade offers a great customized RGB-lit keyboard which we always expect from this brand. But, it doesn’t have a biometric login, and the webcam isn’t particularly impressive.
In addition to a powerful display, you’ll find plenty of ports to connect external devices/multimedia and a full-size SD card reader. The laptop includes Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, WiFi 6 for improved wireless speed, Bluetooth 5.2, a gigabit Ethernet interface, and a Tron RGB keys/underlighting system. The Razer Blade 15 comes with all-day battery life so you don’t have to worry about constantly charging your device during long days at work or school. Although its $2,999 price makes it an expensive machine, it’s worth the investment.
Read our complete Razer Blade 15 review.
5. Apple MacBook Pro 16: Best Macbook for Video Editing
Pros
- Apple’s strong M1 Pro chip
- Up to 64GB of memory
- Storage up to 8TB
- Best all-round device
- Long-lasting battery
Cons
- Highly priced
- Average audio quality
Apple’s MacBook Pro 16 is the best laptop for video editing right now thanks to its blazing fast processors and graphics cards as well as its great design and LCD which makes editing a breeze. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 packs with an M1 Pro chip meaning you get access to lightning-fast speeds whether performing intense graphic design work or streaming films in high resolution. Outfitted with a 16-core Apple GPU, it can deliver fluid performance for working like videos and digital illustrations – plus it can even handle some gaming with ease.
Additionally, you will get 16GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of SSD in this purchase but it’s expandable up to 64GB of memory and 8TB of SSD which can’t be done by yourself later on. So, you have to be mindful of the time of purchase. As always, Apple has included an ultra-sharp Retina XDR display – the stunning True Tone screen will bring high-res images and videos alive. As an improvement over its Intel-based predecessor, these bezels are narrower this time, allowing for larger views.
There are a variety of ports available including three Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, an HDMI connector, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. With up to 21 hours of wireless web and playback time, you can go longer without having to recharge your device’s battery so you can get all your tasks done quickly and easily while still having plenty of juice left. With the Macbook Pro, impressive hardware components and innovative software tools come together in perfect harmony giving users exceptional power and versatility no matter for what purposes they use it.
6. Acer Predator Triton 500 SE: Best for Gaming & Media Editing
Pros
- Top-quality performance for all users
- Bigger 240Hz IPS display
- Excellent build quality
- AeroBlade 3D Fan cooling technology
- All necessary ports
Cons
- Speakers are poor
- Gets hot during intense work
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE laptop is an absolute powerhouse. It’s perfect for gamers, but it also makes an ideal laptop for video editing. If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line creator notebook, then you should take a look at this one of the top-notch Acer gaming laptops as it is packed with some serious hardware under the hood. It’s powered by a 12th-generation Intel i7-12700H processor, an RTX 3070 Ti GPU, and plenty of 16GB DDR5 RAM giving you the power to edit and render videos in no time. What’s more, the laptop also brings a lot of storage, with 1TB NVMe SSD, which makes it perfect for storing high-resolution video files.
And, of course, the 16-inch LED-Backlit IPS display looks fantastic, with vivid colors and sharp visuals. It also has a super-fast 240Hz refresh rate, so you can edit your videos with ease. Moreover, it has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a gaming PC, such as RGB lighting, a full-sized keyboard, and AeroBlade 3D Fan technology to cool down the system during heavy workloads.
To connect external devices, it has all the required ports, including USB Type A and C ports, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort connections. This laptop is Windows 11-ready, so you can get started right away. The battery is also amazing and can last some hours but the speakers are bad in this model. The speakers don’t just sound horrible, they almost sound like they’ve been blasted. It’s probably best to bring either headphones or a second set of speakers.
Read our complete Acer Predator Triton 500 SE review.
7. Microsoft Surface Book 3: Best Touchscreen Video Editing Laptop
Pros
- Brilliant HD display
- Strong Intel processor
- Long battery life
- Very appealing design
Cons
- RAM is not upgradable
- Not a lightweight device
Microsoft Surface Book 3 has a large screen and a powerful processor that makes it ideal for media editing. The Surface Book 3 also has a detachable keyboard for more comfort. It’s equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and up to 32GB of RAM, allowing you to handle the most demanding tasks without any problem. It also has a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, allowing it to render complex video effects quickly and smoothly.
Plus, its bright 15-inch touchscreen display allows you to see your footage in all its glory. With up to 17 hours of battery life, you can work for long periods without having to worry about finding a power outlet. You can quickly switch between laptop and tablet mode depending on the task you’re working on. It also comes with a range of ports, including two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, an SD card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack. With all these features, the Microsoft Surface Book 3 is sure to help you take your video editing to the next level.
8. Dell XPS 15 (9520): Best Laptop with OLED Screen
Pros
- Ideal processor for any demanding work
- Excellent 4k OLED display with excellent color accuracy
- Long battery life for all-day productivity
- Great selection of ports
- Enhanced speakers
Cons
- Very high price tag
- RTX 3050 Ti is not a high-level card
Dell’s XPS line of laptops has always been known for their power, performance, and sleek design. The Dell XPS 15 laptop offers all three in spades with its most latest and powerful 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900HK processor and dedicated NVIDIA’s 4GB RTX 3050Ti graphics card, plus up to 64GB DDR5 memory giving you plenty of room to save large projects or handle multiple ones at once without experiencing any lag time. With its distinctive InfinityEdge display, you can enjoy fantastic graphics while completing edits on your videos or watching them back with friends.
Dell’s XPS 15 laptop is another popular pick among filmmakers due to its reliable performance, beautiful 4K Ultra HD touch display, and inbuilt fingerprint reader providing extra security while working away from home or office premises. It’s a perfect notebook if you regularly travel with expensive equipment like cameras and drive storage systems abroad or host meetings with clients remotely via Skype or Zoom calls. The only downside is that it’s a bit expensive, but it’s worth the price if you need a good laptop for video editing.
Compared to a MacBook Pro, the Dell XPS 15 is much lighter and it weighs only 4.3 pounds. The Dell XPS 15 will feel lightweight yet durable in your hands — perfect for those who want ample portability without sacrificing power. Another great feature is the wide variety of ports including USB-C, HDMI, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. The battery life of this machine is also impressive which can get last up to 12 hours on a single charge. Whether you’re editing videos for YouTube or working on VFX projects at home or in professional environments, this laptop has all the hardware you need.
9. HP Envy x360: Best 2-in-1 Tablet for Video Editing
Pros
- 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor
- FHD touchscreen display
- Light and thin design
- Good battery life
- Comes with a fingerprint reader
Cons
- Lacks ethernet port
The HP Envy x360 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop is the perfect option for video editing enthusiasts who need the power of an all-in-one laptop with a flexible, intuitive design. Powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor and 16GB of RAM, this laptop can breeze through demanding tasks with ease. To store your important data, there is 1TB of PCIex4 SSD storage space onboard. And for graphics-heavy projects, Iris Xe Graphics will give you the performance you need. The built-in Windows 10 operating system provides easy access to all of your favorite apps and programs.
It has plenty of power under the hood and its 15.6″ touchscreen display makes it a great choice for designing, gaming, and other multimedia activities while the backlit keyboard ensures comfortable typing in low-lighting conditions. This laptop also features HP’s exclusive Active Pen technology, which allows you to use the touchscreen with a stylus for even more precision and control. In short, this HP Envy x360 has a great set of specs and it can handle all sorts of general activities.
10. Acer ConceptD 7: Best Laptop for Designers
Pros
- Best of editors and gamers
- Powerful CPU and GPU
- Amazing 4K IPS display
- 32GB of huge RAM
Cons
- Very high cost
- No RGB lighting
If you are looking for a video editing laptop that will provide you with great work experience, then you should have to look at the Acer ConceptD 7-series. Acer has specially designed these laptops for professional creators and editors. This notebook has a solid build, and sleek design and features powerful hardware. Furthermore, its elegant 4K IPS display with 100% Adobe RGB gamut is another great aspect to consider.
In terms of hardware configurations, this high-performance laptop has a fast Nvidia GeForce 2060 graphics card, a strong 7th Gen Intel CPU, and 16GB of RAM which all filmmakers, engineers, and artists will love. With a 15.6″ display and a slim, elegant profile, the ConceptD 7 Ezel is a competent, yet portable laptop. By looking at it, you don’t find it a true gaming machine due to its lack of RGB and that specific look but it’s capable of running some titles at 50-60 fps or even higher in 1080p with the proper graphics settings.
11. ASUS VivoBook S15 S533: Best Cheap Laptop for Video Editing
Pros
- Good specs for the price
- Compact and lightweight
- Backlit keyboard
- Contains a fingerprint reader
Cons
- Display quality is not great
- Short battery life
- No dedicated GPU
Asus’ flagship Vivobook S15 laptop comes with some impressive hardware configured specifically to deliver optimum performance while maintaining battery life longer than most other laptops in its class. Powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage -all backed by built-in Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics which helps render high levels of graphic complexity effortlessly. The Vivobook S15 packs USB Gen 3 ports, one USB Type C (Gen) connector along with some standard I/O such as HDMI port and headphone jack. And that’s not all – its 15-inch NanoEdge display supports amazing visuals through broad viewing angles but, not a high-standard panel.
It also comes with a backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, and dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for an extra layer of convenience. On top of all that, the VivoBook S15 S533 has a sleek, slim chassis that looks great and weighs less than 4 pounds, making it the perfect laptop to carry with you during your travels. Considering the battery life, you will get too much in the area and will need to refill it after a few hours of work. Whether you’re a professional media editor or a hobbyist, the ASUS VivoBook S15 S533 will be a great addition to your setup. If you’re looking for a decent machine that won’t break the bank, then this is the one for you.
12. ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14: Best VR-Ready Video Editing Laptop
Pros
- Smooth 1080p performance
- Great 144Hz FHD screen
- Perfect layout which gamers love
- Comfortable backlit keyboard
Cons
- Gets hot during high load
- 720p webcam quality is not good
If you’re looking for an ultra-portable option that won’t strain your wallet too much but still packs plenty of power to get the job done, then look no further than this offering from ASUS. The Zephyrus G14 comes with powerful hardware, including AMD Ryzen 7 5800 8 cores chipset and Nvidia RTX 3060 6GB graphics card, making this one of the most capable yet affordable machines on our list. It’s a great affordable option if you don’t need too much power but still want competent results when shooting or editing footage on a laptop that won’t weigh down your bag too much.
The 7th Gen Ryzen processor combined with 16GB of RAM provides a well worth of resources while running demanding applications and plugins from Adobe Creative Cloud suite along with various other software programs such as Lightroom or Final Cut Pro X. The laptop’s 14-inch Pantone-validated IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate provides great visuals and color replication. It also has an Aura Sync RGB keyboard that allows you to customize the lighting effects. The laptop is highly portable, thanks to its slim and lightweight design. The battery life is also excellent at up to 10 hours on a single charge so you’re always ready when inspiration strikes.
How to Choose the Best Laptop for Video Editing
Video editing requires powerful tools and hardware that can handle high-resolution video files, large audio files, and other advanced editing tasks. When you’re shopping for a laptop or desktop computer to use for video editing, there are a few factors to consider. In this guide, we’ll run through the essential features you should look for in a computer for video editing, so you can make an informed decision when buying your next device.
RAM
Random Access Memory (RAM) is extremely important for video editing because huge chunks of data need to be handled simultaneously. If your system doesn’t have enough RAM, it could slow down your edit process and prevent real-time playback functionality during intensive edits. At the very least, you should aim for 8GB of RAM – but if possible, opt for 16GB or more if the budget allows.
Processor
Just as with RAM, having a faster processor speeds up all video editing tasks including encoding and decoding, effects calculations, subframe accuracy, etc. Make sure you check the speed rating before making your purchase – the more GHz your processor has, the faster it’s able to crunch data and perform complex functions during intensive edits. Alongside clock speed rating, higher core counts are also beneficial; this is how many processing cores are present in the CPU itself which helps with multi-threaded applications like VR production or 3D rendering environments.
Storage
Having adequate storage space is essential when working with large multimedia files such as HD or 4K footage files which can range from hundreds of megabytes to gigabytes in size. An ideal setup would entail having both an SSD (solid state drive) and HDD (hard disk drive) installed along with USB 3× hard drives connected externally that offer portable storage solutions.
Graphics Card & Driver Compatibility
The job of a graphics card (or GPU) is to render images onscreen when playing back any video clips displayed by your media projects in various formats such as H264/MPEG4 etc.; most consumer-grade laptops have integrated GPUs which may not have enough power required to even playback 1080p footage without dropping frame rates in real-time effectively negating any benefit gained with higher resolutions such as 4K.
Look out for GPUs that support certain tech like OpenCL/CUDA/Metal* platforms along with driver versions compatible with OS-level counterparts used by Adobe Premiere Pro etc.. Editing software programs will require at least 2GB of GDDR dedicated memory from your graphic cards depending on project segment sizes set forth by chosen configurations used within them e.g., requiring VRAM.
Display & Color Support Quality
For serious work not just related to picture post-production but even general home and business uses alike, a good display panel makes all the difference. Not only does it help ease eye strain over long hours but also provides a better viewing experience capable of handling color-graded HDR+ displays depending on values such as refresh rate and brightness plus contrast ratio metrics specifying luminance. Look for laptops that feature high-resolution screens such as 1920 x 1080 displays which will give you plenty of detail when zooming in on particular frames in your timeline histories.
Conclusion
Currently, more and more laptops continue to develop in the video editing industry. Core notebooks are the most popular type of laptop on the market and will continue to be famous due to their ease of use, high performance, and features. In conclusion, finding the perfect video editing laptop is no small task. With so many options to choose from, it can be hard to know which model has the specs and features that are necessary for a smooth workflow.
Whether you are a professional video editor, or someone looking to create your videos in the comfort of your home, having a suitable notebook is essential. With these given options, we hope that you can find one that suits both your budget and needs. Take into consideration not only specs like RAM size and storage space but also portability and battery life when making your decision. Regardless of what type of videos you plan to work or what level of experience you have, there’s sure to be something here that fits your criteria.
