Best Laptop For Video Editing
Display: 15.6-inch UHD OLED CPU: Intel Core i7-10800H GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 RAM: 16GB DDR4 Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD Weight: 4.4 pounds Size: 14 x 9.8 x 0.78
Whats better than powerful internals for video editing on the go? How about a brilliant display thats expertly tuned to let you see your finished product? The Gigabyte Aero 15 provides a 15.6-inch UHD display for sharp visuals, so you wont miss details in your video project. Better still, the display is using a Samsung OLED panel for vibrant colors and rich black levels. You dont have to worry about your edits on this machine looking off elsewhere, as the display comes X-Rite Certified and Pantone Validated for color accuracy with a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.
Now, we look at the power under the hood that makes the video editing a breeze on that display. Inside, theres an Intel Core i7-11800H with 16GB of RAM for speedy processing and multitasking. You can push rendering work onto the graphics processor, which is an RTX 3060 in this case. And its all coming in a delightfully portable form factor that weighs just 4.4 pounds.
Best Video Editing Laptops Of 2021
Want to make a movie? Here are some great notebooks for non linear editing.
The best laptops for video editing are crucial if youre trying to get any creative work or screen recording done on the road. You cant just get the priciest or most kitted out machine for your editing needs. You need to consider some specific things to get a laptop that will work for you.
You will, of course, need a powerful machine with a quality graphics card and speedy memory. But, you also need a top-notch display with excellent color accuracy and a high enough resolution for your work. The laptop also needs to be compatible with whatever apps youre using, from video editors, video converter software to DVD burning software you use.
And, it needs to be easy to use on-the-go. Most specced out portables are fairly bulky, but you can find Ultrabooks and some thin and light laptops that can do the job, if youre willing to pay.
Since there are so many portables out there, weve put this guide together to help you find something that will best fit your needs. The best laptops for video editing are also great all-around portables and many of them also make our best laptop and workstation lists.
Dont forget to check out our exclusive price comparison tool to find the best deals on your next video editing device.
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Read the full review: Dell XPS 17
Dell Inspiron 14 5000 Undeniable Performance
Dell can always be counted on to come out with some superior performing laptops, and this 14 5000 series is certainly no exception. One of the most attractive things about this model is the price, which certainly make a case for being one of the best laptops for video editing within its price range. Far below some of the others, the cost of this laptop makes it almost too attractive to pass up, starting at around 600.00. That said, there are a few drawbacks to this laptop, such as the fact that the graphics tend to be somewhat lower end, and you may not get the results youre looking for when it comes to 4k editing. But all in all, especially for those new to the realm of video editing, this could potentially be a great buy. Get your feet wet with this unit, see if this is something you want to go further with, and then potentially upgrade from there.
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Putting It All Together
In recent times, multimedia content generation and editing have emerged as a popular choice of profession. However, the marketplace is still limited in options that address these fields exclusively.
Apple has, of course, been around for a long time in this domain and continues to impress with the latest line of MacBooks that let you perform accurate and enviable editing. But competing brands like ASUS, Dell, HP, MSI, Lenovo and Razer have also come up with worthy offerings that help you achieve the creative glories you seek at lower prices.
When you are out looking for a video editing laptop, keeping your priorities sorted in a mental checklist is your best bet.
So, you might want the cheapest deal if your laptop is going to be used primarily for school assignments and personal editing work .
However, if your boss has an eagles eye for detail, you will want a laptop that supports the latest design and editing software, has a high-res display, and offers plenty of connectivity options for a workstation-like experience.
Whatever you choose, remember that when it comes to computing, your laptop can both restrict and liberate you. And, in the creative space, the freedom to maneuver is everything.
Comparing Video Editing: Laptops Vs Desktops

Not too long back, it was unthinkable that a task as complicated and resource-intensive as video editing could be performed on a laptop. But the technological world changes every so often, and this scenario is now a reality. However, while laptops are capable of this task, how competent are they? Can they match up to the power of a desktop when it comes to a job well done? Let us examine this.
Ultimately, both laptops and desktops have their highs and lows when it comes to multimedia editing. While the former score brownie points for mobility, the latter offer a premium in power and longevity.
When choosing between them, you would be well advised to weigh your day-to-day needs, requirements for travel, and budget.
Depending on the specifications that your budget allows, many contemporary laptops can be as commendable as desktops at providing a smooth editing experience.
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Are Gaming Laptops Good For Video Editing
Yes, gaming laptops can be great for video editing because they tend to utilize faster CPUs, GPUs, and RAM that creative applications can leverage for superior performance. Its no coincidence that our pick for the most powerful video editing laptop is a gaming system, the Alienware Area-51m R2. Gaming laptop displays, though, are aimed at different objectives than youll find on the best video editing laptops theyre tuned for speed rather than color accuracy and depth. And so youll need to keep that in mind when you make your purchasing decision. One alternative is to add an external high-quality display, to leverage the performance of the laptop and still have the display quality you need for final production work where youll want to see your video in all its glory.
Best Dual Screen Laptop For Video Editing
Display: 15.6-inch UHD OLED Touch, 14-inch IPS-level touch CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 RAM: 32GB DDR4 Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD Weight: 5.16 pounds Size: 14.17 x 9.81 x 0.85
When youre editing a video, theres a lot to pay attention to. A laptops screen isnt always going to provide enough real estate to keep all of your tools easily accessible, but Asus has a workaround. The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED boasts a primary 15.6-inch display and a secondary 14-inch display underneath. The main display uses an HDR-capable OLED panel with an UHD resolution, letting you get an incredible look at the footage youre working on. Meanwhile, the secondary display maintains that level of sharpness while providing a handy home for extra tools or your video timeline.
Of course, a video editing machine needs some might behind those screens, and this laptop has it. This model comes kitted out with an Intel Core i9-10980HK fed by 32GB of DDR4 memory. And anywhere your work can be accelerated by a dedicated graphics card, youll find the Nvidia RTX 3070 inside this rig plenty capable.
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Buying A Video Editing Laptop Here’s What Experts Say
We reached out to Michel Yavercovski, Senior Director of Product Management for Corel video products, to get his expert opinions about choosing a creative computer.
“There are a few key things to look for when buying a video editing laptop and of course, when youre talking about video, the better the hardware, the smoother and more responsive your editing experience will be. Whether youre talking about ourPinnacle Studio orVideoStudio products, both have been designed to take full benefit of your hardware to make video editing as fast and efficient as possible.” Michel said.
“First, youll want to look for a system with a powerful multicore processor — the Intel Core i7 product line is a good choice to get started with — and our software has been optimized to take advantage of multithreading so you can get the most out of these impressive chips. A powerful processor will also give you a seamless experience when working with todays popular formats and creative features like multi-camera and 360° video support. 4K video can create huge file sizes, so youll also want to make sure the device has a large and fast SSD storage drive that can read and write large video files without any hang-ups.”
“Video editing takes up a lot of memory, so shop for a system that has between 16GB and 32GB of RAM to keep things running smoothly. And, of course, a 64-bit version of Windows 10 is a must. ” he added.
How Much Ram Do You Need For Video Editing
How much do RAM do you need for video editing? 16GB, 32GB or 64GB? Does your computer freeze up when previewing video? You face the problem of video editor crash while working? If yes, Ill try to help you and recommend the best RAM for video editing and tell you what to pay attention to when increasing the RAM.
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The Best Laptops For Video And Photo Editing
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Our main pick, the Dell XPS 15 9500, is currently unavailable in our recommended configuration. We recommend our runner-up pick instead.
Pro laptops fit the power of a gaming notebook into a sleek, understated design, along with decent battery life and a large, high-quality screen great for getting work done. If you edit photos or videos or render 3D graphics for a living and you want something that isnt a MacBook Pro, we think Dells XPS 15 9500 provides the best combination of performance, weight, screen quality, and battery life.
We focused on Windows laptops for this guide, but Apples 16-inch MacBook Pro is also an excellent option for photo and video editing if you prefer macOS and dont mind paying a little more. The MacBook Pro also has a larger screen than many of the Windows laptops we tested you can read more in our guide to the best MacBooks.
Our pick
Best Buy Customers Often Prefer The Following Products When Searching For Video Editing Laptops
Browse the top-ranked list of Video Editing Laptops below along with associated reviews and opinions.
Browse the top-ranked list of Video Editing Laptops below along with associated reviews and opinions.
Rating 3.9 out of 5 stars with 209 reviews
Top comment“I got this laptop for Photoshop and Illustrator editing. …I purchased this laptop for work so that I can do zoom meetings, spreadsheets, and videos. “
Product Description
Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop: With Next Generation AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Mobile Processor with Radeon Graphics, you can revel in powerful performance without interrupting your gaming, streaming, or videos. AMD Radeon RX 5600M graphics allow you to game at higher settings with crystal-clear detail and smooth gameplay.See all Gaming LaptopsTop comment
“I got this laptop for Photoshop and Illustrator editing. …I purchased this laptop for work so that I can do zoom meetings, spreadsheets, and videos. “
Product Description
Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop: With Next Generation AMD Ryzen 5 4600H Mobile Processor with Radeon Graphics, you can revel in powerful performance without interrupting your gaming, streaming, or videos. AMD Radeon RX 5600M graphics allow you to game at higher settings with crystal-clear detail and smooth gameplay.$722.99Your price for this item is $722.99Clearance
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Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 Cheap Laptop For Editing Youtube Videos
Priced at only $699.99, the 15.6 Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 is an excellent video editing pick for budget-watchers.
Fueled by an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics.
On the display front, the 120Hz FHD screen and the GTX 1650 GPU make your editing experience enjoyable.
Sound-wise, this laptop raises the bar with its round speakers. This shape helps to maximize the available space while also limiting distortion. While editing, you can focus on minute auditory details.
The lightweight build of this laptop4.95lbsis helpful for editors who need to travel frequently.
Intel Hades Canyon Nuc

A tiny PC that’s brilliant for photo editing
Specifications
Reasons to avoid
Next on our list of the best computers for photographers is the Intel Hades Canyon NUC. Intels NUC devices are small yet powerful PCs that pack enough power to edit photos on, while also being tiny enough to hide away and not take up too much space on a desk. Part of their appeal is that they are barebones machines, which means you need to add RAM and a hard drive yourself. This makes them flexible and affordable . Youll need to install Windows 10 separately, and while installing the RAM and hard drive is pretty straightforward, it might be a bit too fiddly for some people.
Reasons to avoid
Lenovo’s IdeaCentre AIO range pf PCs prove you don’t have to buy an Apple iMac if you want a stylish and powerful all-in-one desktop computer for photo editing. While it doesn’t come with the most cutting-edge components, it still offers more than enough power for running Adobe Photoshop and other photo editing applications. It’s a particularly good PC for photo editing thanks to its screen , which though ‘only’ 1080p resolution, uses IPS display tech for excellent contrast accuracy and viewing angles. Best of all, it’s way more affordable than Apple’s pricey iMac machines.
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Do You Need A 4k Laptop To Edit 4k Video
You dont have to have a 4K display to edit 4K video. You can do the editing and rendering without one. Where 4K becomes important is in your ability to view your video in 4K to ensure that it meets your standards and that all effects and changes are applied appropriately. Again, adding an external 4K display can overcome any limitations in your laptops display like our MacBook picks on this list that arent quite 4K resolution.
Editors’ Recommendations
Why Speed Is Important
For video editors, the speed of the hard drive is important because your hard drive is where all of your programs are stored on your computer. If you have a slow hard drive, it will take longer to perform basic operations like opening your software and exporting footage. For this reason, you should always get an SSD hard drive when editing video. They are much faster and less prone to failure than HDDs and Fusion Drives.
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What Laptops Do Youtubers Use
YouTubers churn out a lot of video content regularly. Their laptops must have a powerful processor to generate and edit multimedia, ample RAM and storage, external ports, an engaging display, and a user-friendly keyboard. These devices must be lightweight and offer good battery backup. MacBooks, ThinkPads and Microsoft Surface laptops are some good picks for YouTubers.
Six Ways To Speed Up Your Editing Life
Hugely experienced edit trainer and colourist, Darren Mostyn, guides us through some essential steps to accelerate editing routines in a bid to make your workflow even more efficient.
I have been editing for over 25 years and thought I would share some of my best tips on how to speed up your editing skills. Most of this advice applies to any editing application. Even a 1% or 2% increase in speed could improve your productivity by over half an hour a week. Thats time you can take off and enjoy or add to the workload and increase your income. Having worked in broadcast sport and live events editing for around a decade, I had to edit super-fast to turn highlights of live action around in some crazy tight deadlines.
Before we get in to the steps, heres something to keep in mind. Editing quickly is not necessarily why we are employed. But by being quick at the mechanical process of editing also leaves more time for the real job crafting the story, supporting the performances, controlling the pace and engaging the audience, etc.
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Video Editing At Your Fingertips
Once upon a time video editing was an endeavor that required some very bulky equipment. You had to have a veritable studio set up in order to get anything that remotely looked professional. Not the case anymore. When it comes to such editing, all you really need now is a decent laptop as far as the best laptop for video editing: there are many solid choices out there ranging in price from less than $1000 to over 2k.
Mac Pro Best For High
As youve probably guessed already, the Mac Pro is the ultimate Apple device for video editing and, probably, any other purpose. Starting at $5,499 for the most basic configuration, its a major investment. For an upgraded version that includes all of the most powerful, high-tech components, you could end up paying over $50,000. That may seem shocking, but its not actually that different from what a PC manufacturer would charge for a computer of a similar ability.
The Mac Pro offers the most in terms of every single specification CPU, RAM, graphics, storage, you name it. The base model provides an eight-core Intel Xeon 3.5GHz processor with 32GB RAM, 256BG SSD and Radeon Pro 580X graphics card. This configuration has almost a limitless upgrade potential. However, a 12-core processor and 96GB of RAM seem optimal for video editing needs.
The Mac Pro comes without a screen, which needs to be purchased separately. Theres little point in buying Apples own display, which is available at a price similar to that of an iMac Pro. You can get a cheaper model with almost identical benefits, such as a Dell Ultrasharp U3219Q.
Mac Pro specs |
Configurable to: 8TB SSD |
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