Best Laptop for Video Editing: Are you into video production? You’ll need to know the top laptops for video production or budget laptop for video editing.
This article lists the best laptops in the video editing category. All laptops come with Full HD display.
The specs are maxed, i.e. best RAM, processor, and hard drive match up. Video editing requires high CPU and tons of storage. These are things that basic laptops lack.
Up until recently, video editing belonged to desktop workstations. Now, due to the advancement of technology, laptop computers now possess all the needed components and technology for video editing.
Before diving into the list of top video editing laptops, here are the things that you need to pay attention to before you purchase a video editing laptop.
Things to Consider
For movie and video editing you need:
- A laptop with good processor & graphics (think intel core i7 & up with NVIDIA graphics).
- A good video editing software. Check out this list of top video editing software.
For video editing you need:
- A bare minimum of 8 GB RAM
- 1 TB Hard Drive 5400RPM
- 256 GB SSD
Windows vs Chrome OS
- The first and foremost thing to note for video editors is that if you’re an Adobe user, thenChrome OS is definitely not an option for you; Adobe doesn’t exist on Chrome OS.
- Windows, in turn, supports Adobe, which means it’s the best laptop for video editing. Although there are a few options for video editing if you’re using Chrome OS: Magisto and WeVideo.
Core i5 vs Core i7
- Both Core i5 and Core i7 from Intel’s 4th Generation family support Hyper-Threading Technology. Hyper-Threading Technology increases laptop’s performance while multitasking.
- If you’re running several applications at the same time, for example, rendering a video and browsing the Internet, you get advantages from this feature.
Capacity
Capacity is important when it comes to the best laptop for video editing. Be sure to check the laptop’s SSD availability. For video editing, you must pick the correct hard drive.
This is a crucial step in selecting your video editing laptop. Unless you are looking to buy a budget laptop, you need to look at the hard drive storage capacity. High definition videos require lots of storage space.
SSD
For the best in video editing, with regard to quality, you must consider purchasing an SSD hard drive. Although SSD’s are costly, the cost is well worth the benefits. Aim for a hard drive with at least 1 TB of storage space. This is enough space to get most things done.
Processor
With regard to processing power, you should note that the processor proves more vital than the graphics card. The video is highly dependent on processor and memory resources.
In video editing, the processor is a great deal more important than the graphics card. As mentioned in our best laptop for graphic design article, you may need to edit an HD or 4K video and this is where the RAM & processor come in. Opening many applications sucks up resources.
A high-speed processor keeps the laptop running smoothly. Try to aim for a quad-core processor and get no less than an Intel i5 processor or an i7 laptop.
RAM
If you’re into motion graphics editing, the laptop needs to be able to access and store information quickly. The more RAM you have; the more space the laptop has to store important information that needs accessing.
For continuous playbacks without dropped casing, expanded RAM is the best bet. 4K video editing gains popularity day by day. Be sure to choose a laptop with no less than 8GB of RAM. The good thing is that you can always upgrade your RAM for more power later.
Graphics Card
A graphic card is what moves the footage from information into pixels. Therefore, having an extremely quick graphic card is crucial for video editing. The best ones are NVIDIA and AMD. I personally prefer NVIDIA.
Quad-Core Laptops Are Better Than Dual Core Laptops For Video Editing
The best video editing laptops, as mentioned above, tend to sport Intel Core i7 or i5 quad-core processors. For example, the Intel Core i7-6700HQ, Intel Core i7-6820HK
As a rule, always select the computer with the
The 3D Mark of CPU Score Intel Processors
- The Intel Core i7-6820HQ is 1.90x faster than an Intel Core i7-6500U processor.
- The Intel Core i7-6700HQ is 1.80x faster than an Intel Core i7-6500U processor.
- The Intel Core i5-6300HQ is 1.48x faster than an Intel Core i7-6500U processor.
If you look closely, you notice that the Intel Core i5 quad-core processor gives you better performance than the Intel Core i7 dual-core processor.
MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Radeon Pro 555 with 2GB memory – 560 with 4GB memory | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.4-inch Retina display (2880×1800) | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD
The MacBook Pro with Touch Bar is Apple’s most powerful to date.
I also love the large track pad. Video editing on this MacBook feels easy and intuitive. It’s easily the best for video editing.
I mean, even if you get the entry-level version, it’s still fast and stable enough to multitask, edit, etc.
Another aspect worth mentioning is the great sounding speakers. For me, when video editing, I need to hear the sounds, both dialogue
So, I like the innovative touch bar. I love the massive trackpad. And, I love that it’s lightweight, slim and very portable.
The only thing that you might dislike is the battery life. I think that it could be better. However, in an imperfect world…
Dell XPS 15
CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080) – 4K Ultra HD (3840×2160) | Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD or 1TB HDD
The Dell XPS 15 is the best Windows laptop for video editing. Again, I love the screen on the Dell XPS 15. It’s a 4K 3840×2160 resolution InfinityEdge display.
Yer. Let that sink in for a while. But, while you drool over the display, let’s not forget the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 card powered by 4GB of video RAM.
Editing footage on the XPS 15 is truly an experience. The laptop comes with 8GB of RAM. However, you can upgrade to 16GB at any time.
It’s a lightning fast laptop, has a beautiful InfinityEdge display and a very long lasting battery. Honestly, there’s nothing that I dislike about it.
MacBook Air
CPU: Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13-inch (1440×9000) | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD
Are you on a budget? I know. The MacBook Pro is a bit pricey. But, the MacBook Air is around $1000. That price-range alone makes it the top contender for the best video editing laptop under $1000.
These days the MacBook Air features a 1.8GHz processor and 8GB RAM. For me, the extra ports make it great because I tend to connect a lot of external drives.
It’s faster, has a longer battery life and more ports than previous versions. It’s also lightweight, slim, and portable. So, you can take your work with you.
ASUS ZenBook Pro UHD Laptop
The ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW-US71T is one of the best laptops for video editing. It has a powerful 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ Quad-core processor and a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card.
Not to mention the 15.6-inch UHD IPS touchscreen display coupled with 3840×2160 resolution. With a RAM of 16GB and a 512GB PCIe G3x4 SSD, Zenbook Pro is a nice choice for video editing.
I recommend it for heavy video editing. See also the ASUS ZENBOOK UX305 and ASUS Zenbook UX303 reviews.
Dell Inspiron i7559-2512BLK Laptop for Video Editing
The Dell Inspiron i7559-2512BLK also makes the list of best laptop for video production. It has a 15.6-inch FHD display or UHD Touchscreen (1920 x 1080 resolution).
An Intel Core i7 quad-core processor and 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics card powers this Dell computer.
You need not worry about slowing down or lag when video editing on this laptop. Check out the specs below:
Dell Inspiron i7559 FHD Editing Laptop
The Dell Inspiron i7559 FHD Black is a great choice for video editing. It has a 6th generation Intel Core i5-6300HQ quad-core processor and 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960m GDDR5 GPU.
With 8GB RAM and a 256GB
ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH71 Video Editing Laptop
The ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH71 makes the list of best laptop for video editing because of its powerful 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6GHz processor, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GDDR5 graphics and 15.6-inch full HD Display which is perfect for video editing.
The RAM and hard drive are 16GB and 1TB with 7200 hard drive rotational speed. You can check out the Asus ROG G20CB if you’re into gaming.
ASUS K501UX-AH71 FHD Laptop
The ASUS K501UX-AH71 is a powerful video editing laptop. With a 6th-generation Intel Core i7-6500U 2.6GHz processor and 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M graphics alongside 8GB RAM and an SSD of 256GB, this laptop packs a punch. Although, it only has a medium FHD display of 15.6-inch. This laptop is a good starter for those into YouTube video editing.
ASUS ROG GL752VW-DH71 17-inch Video Editing Laptop
The ASUS ROG GL752VW-DH71 is a 17.3-inch (1920 x 1080) FHD video editing laptop. This laptop has a 6th Generation Intel Core i7-6700HQ quad-core processor and 16GB RAM. The ROG GL752VW-DH71 has a 1TB Hard Drive. It runs the latest Windows 10 update.
ASUS ZenBook UX303UB Laptop For Editing Videos
The ASUS ZenBook UX303UB is the best 13-inch lightweight video editing laptop that comes with the best 6th-generation Intel Core i7-6500U dual-core processor. It comes with the 12GB RAM and 512GB SSD. It has the QHD+ display of 13.3-inch (3200×1800) and the operating is Windows 10.
MSI GE62 Apache Pro-004 Video Editing Laptop
The MSI GE62 Apache Pro-004 is a great laptop for video editing with Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.7GHz processor and NVIDIA GTX960M 2GB graphics. The RAM is 16GB and the hard drive is 1TB. The 15.6-inch full-HD display is perfect for video editing as well as other multimedia editing.
Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Black Edition
The Acer Aspire V15 Nitro Black Edition is a sleek and light laptop for video editing with 6th Generation 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-6700HQ processor and 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics. It has 8GB RAM and 1TB hard drive.
Lenovo Y700 Video Editing Laptop
The Lenovo Y700 is the powerful laptop that comes with the high-performance Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6 GHz processor and the NVIDIA GeForce graphics. It has RAM of 12GB and the SSD of 256GB. It has a wide display of 15.6-inch and a battery life is of 5-hours. Windows 10 is the operating system.
Conclusion
The best laptop for video editing includes high-performance components like an Intel
They have the best features and if you need help selecting one, leave a comment below. If you think that your favorite laptop is not on the list, drop us a comment and we’d be sure to consider adding it. Thanks for reading, the Best Laptop for Video Editing.