Last Updated on: 21st December 2022, 12:52 pm

We are living in a digital era where anyone from anywhere in the world can make videos and upload them to the internet to become famous and earn a quality living. Making good quality content and uploading it online can even make you a good amount of money through monetization. Other than online content creation, video is the most successful and effective way of communication. Everything around us like movies, advertisements, music, etc. is being consumed in video form. Videos entertain us and we love seeing visuals.

Now, all people do not prefer to just watch a video, some talented and creative people also want to make their videos. To make a good video, editing can play a huge role. Many aspiring video editors often struggle to edit their videos due to a lack of computer power. Laptops can be found with several different specifications but a video editing laptop can have more power-intensive specifications.

Video editing laptops usually have more storage, more RAM, and have dedicated GPU to compensate for the resolution and graphic rendering of the video a video editor is editing. Some of the best laptops for video editing in the market are professional workstations that feature specifications that can even compensate professional graphic designers and web developers.

We have made a list of the best video editing laptop you can buy in the market right now if you want to start as a video editor or if you are struggling to edit videos on your old laptop computer. Considering 4K video resolution is becoming the norm of the current video generation so we will be spotlighting some of the best laptops for 4K video editing too.

Buying Guide

CPU

CPU performs the key role in choosing the best laptop for video editing. Video editing is a heavy task that cannot be done easily on a normal system. It requires the best and fast CPU to work easily. So, for video editing, a CPU of 2.8 GHZ or greater is much considered. The greater the CPU, the easier will be the task to handle.

GPU

Second to the CPU is GPU. So, it performs the basic role while video editing. It helps in providing smooth performance and can handle maximum videos of high quality easily. Some of the best of them are listed below that are being picked up from the big fish market.
1. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.
2. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.
3. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super.
4. AMD Radeon RX 6800XT.
5. Nvidia Quadro RTX A4000.

RAM

RAM also performs well in maximizing the overall speed of a system. If your CPU is of high speed but has low RAM, your system will not provide you with the required speed. The greater the RAM, the greater will be the performance. You must need at least 8 GB of RAM or greater to have a smooth flow.

Screen Resolution

Talking about video editing which is a job of keen observing. You have to be focused from every angle. If your screen has low resolution, then it might be possible that you miss some of the important parts. Also, you can edit videos in high quality easily. So, a screen resolution of 1366×768 is the basic requirement for editing. While if you can manage to have a 1920x1080p screen resolution, it is then the best choice.

Worth Reading: Best Laptop for Photo Editing

Best laptop for Video Editing

  1. 2020 Dell G5 15 – Best budget laptop for video editing
  2. New Apple MacBook Pro – Best Macbook for editors
  3. HP Spectre x360 – Best 2-in-1 laptop
  4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme – Best for Professional video editors
  5. Alienware m15 R3 – Best for video editors

 

Comparison Table

Best laptop for Video Editing

laptop for Video Editing Reviews and FAQs

1. 2020 Dell G5 15

2020 Dell G5 15

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The Dell G5 15 is the lower-priced pick on our list. It will cost you between $800 to $900 depending on the seller where you buy it from. Dell originally marketed this laptop as a more affordable gaming laptop and to that, it proves true to be the best gaming laptop for less than $1000. This laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H which is almost equal in performance to Intel’s Core i7-10875H processor. It provides great processing speed perfect for quickly importing and exporting your video files.

Moreover, it features a dedicated AMD Radeon RX 5600M GPU which provides great graphics processing. This GPU will help you greatly help a video editor to load and edit any graphical animation in their videos. Regardless of that, it’s also a legit and best laptop for photo editing. The Dell G5 15 is surely a great video editing laptop. Essentially it is the best budget laptop for video editing. It weighs around 5.5 pounds which is pretty easy to carry around for a laptop.

Pros

An affordable price point for a video editing laptop.
Great CPU performance thanks to the AMD processor.
Strong graphics processing for a lower price.
Impressive Battery Life.

Cons

Lacks a 4K screen.
Graphics are lower than the stronger laptops.

2. New Apple MacBook Pro

New Apple MacBook Pro

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Apple’s MacBook is one of the very best laptops for video editing that you can buy right now. They provide excellent performance with premium hardware and features. The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch is made for the professionals out there who want to have the best features to edit their videos in the best way possible. It has several different specifications models and almost all variations are great options for good video editing.

Any good video editing laptop should have a decent processor, GPU, and RAM, and the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch features all these specs making it a good option for video editors. The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch is the best MacBook for video editing but it is not a 4K video editing laptop due to its lack of a 4K screen. It is also a pretty portable laptop, weighing around 4.3 pounds making it pretty light to travel with.

Pros

High-quality 16-inch crisp display.
It has an impressive Magic Keyboard and Trackpad.
Great speaker quality.
Top-notch Performance

Cons

It lacks the standard USB port and SD-card slot.
The display is not 4K

3. HP Spectre x360

HP Spectre x360

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The HP Spectre x360 is an exceptionally good 2-in-1 workstation that can work wonders for all aspiring video editors. Video editing on the HP Spectre x360 is never a problem. It boasts an i7 processor backed by either 8GB or 16GBs of RAM making it powerful enough to render your high-resolution videos. It also has a 4K resolution screen making it perfect to watch and edit 4K videos on the go. This laptop by HP is one of the best laptops for 4K video editing. Considering it is made of aluminum chassis it still only has a lightweight of 4.6 pounds.

Pros

Beautiful and Colorful 4K screens.
Phenomenal Battery Life.
Keyboard has tactile and comfortable feedback.
Excellent computer power

Cons

Speaker could be a little louder.
The display lacks brightness.

4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

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The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is a beast when it comes to video editing laptops. It has competitive video editing laptop specifications. Being powered by Intel’s 8th gen Hexa Core i7-10750H processor you get excellent CPU performance. Backed with DDR4 RAM ranging to 64GB and a storage capacity of 1TB SSD promises no lag while exporting and importing of heavy video files.

The Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti GPU also provides support for heavy graphic intensive rendering and editing of videos. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is an extremely efficient laptop workstation that provides great features to a video editor to edit some good 4K videos. It is the best Lenovo video editing laptop you can buy if you like Lenovo’s products.

Pros

Has a 4K screen option.
Strong CPU performance.
Good battery performance.

Cons

Aluminum chassis become hot during system-intensive tasks.

5. Alienware m15 R3

Alienware m15 R3

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The Alienware m15 R3 is marketed as a lightweight, slim gaming laptop that does not disappoint its users. Well, considering its premium yet powerful specifications this laptop is also a great option for video editors. The 10th gen Intel CPUs paired with more than 16GB or 32 GB of RAM can make video editing a smooth experience on the Alienware m15 R3. The dedicated GPU by Nvidia in this laptop is also perfect for any aspiring video editor trying to make graphical animations and videos. It’s beautiful and crips a 4K screen also makes it a good enough 4K video editing laptop.

Pros

Premium Metal Build.
Top-notch CPU and Graphics performance.
Beautiful and bright 4K screens.

Cons

A little expensive.

FAQS

1. How to choose the best video editing laptops for you?

Anyone can make video content and upload it to the interweb. If you want to become a professional video maker you must know that video editing can do wonders. Video editing can either make or break the quality of your video. Some of the biggest YouTubers and famous movie production companies have dedicated video editors who edit the video content to make it more presentable and entertaining for the viewers.

Now if you are a person who is seeking to buy the best video editing laptop you must know a few things beforehand. Video editing is done best on a crisp and quality higher resolution display. Video cameras might not able to always pick the right colors for the objects or sceneries you are recording. To fix that you must have a laptop with a great display so you can adjust the colors of the video in the video editor and can the video look truer to life. You should also know at what resolution do you want to edit your video.

If you record video in 720p or 1080p then you will need a laptop with a screen 1080p resolution and it will work great. But if you want to record and edit in 4K then it is better that you opt for a laptop with a 4K resolution screen Processing power is also very important for video editing. A laptop for video editing must have more than 8GBs of RAM and the idea is above 16GBs of RAM.

Even the most popular professional video editing software Adobe Premiere Pro recommends having 16Gbs of RAM to edit videos. Furthermore, the best laptop for video editing will always have a dedicated GPU with more than 4GBs of VRAM that can handle all the graphical animation and video rendering you might want to do in your videos.

The rendering of the video while editing determines the smooth and perfect editing of the video. If your computer has some strong processing power then the rendering will be fast and smooth making you stress less about the performance of the laptop and helping you focus more on the quality of the video. Lastly, your budget also plays a huge role in buying a laptop for video editing as one can only afford laptops in which one’s bank balance can survive. Having a budget starting from $1000 can get you some pretty great video editing laptops.

2. What is the cheapest laptop for video editing?

A laptop for video editing does not come at a very cheap price tag. Yes, there are some affordable options but they all still linger around the $800 to $1000 price range, considering some of the very best video editing laptops can cost you more than $1500 or even $2000. There are many laptops you can buy for video editing but having an affordable option is sort of a tough task.

Manufacturers in recent years have started to be a little more forgiving and have given people some great affordable laptop options for aspiring video editors out there. We have selected one laptop that is perfect for video editing and comes at a cheaper price than traditional video editing laptops.

Acer has some pretty great laptop options for people looking for quality on a budget. It is one of the companies that have always looked out for their customers who cannot shell out thousands of dollars but still deserve some quality computer products. The Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-59KS is no shy of this tradition by Acer.

It is the best gaming laptop you can a budget you can buy in the market right now. Most gaming laptops have premium specs like GPU, a good amount of RAM, and SSD storage and these specifications are all needed in a good video editing laptop too.

Acer Nitro 5 is powered by a 10th generation i% processor backed up with a DDR4 8GB RAM. This combo is good enough for professional video editing. It also has a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 1650 ti with 4GB of VRAM making it perfect for smooth playback of the 1080p video you are considering editing. It has s small storage of just 256 GB SSD but you can expand it by buying an external hard drive. But even if you just work with the 256GB SSD you will not be disappointed. It has a large 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display which provides quality colors and crisp images at a resolution of 1080p.

This laptop all and is a good video editing laptop that you can buy for around $800. Yes, you cannot edit 4K video on it so smoothly and the screen resolution is not $K but still, the laptop provides good functionality for any video editor who wants to start taking his work seriously. One can edit pretty good videos on the Acer Nitro 5.

3. Can you edit a 4K video on a 1080p laptop?

4K videos are becoming more and more common among the masses with every passing year. Whether it be movies or even online content creators like YouTubers all are adopting the 4K video resolution. 4K video resolution is higher than the set standard resolution 1080p also known as Full HD. 4K resolution is called Ultra HD having a resolution of 2160p. Having more pixels per inch in a single frame 4K videos are also heavier in size. Many modern cameras support the recording of 4K video.

Being an online video creator who also edits their video you might wonder if you can edit 4K video on your 1080p laptop also. The answer is both yes and no. Let’s start with the no. You cannot properly edit a 4K video on a 1080p laptop because you won’t be able to see the details and colors recorded in 4K on a 1080p resolution screen.

If you are seeking the details and colors of a 4K quality video while editing then it is better if you have a laptop with a 4K screen. However, if you want your video to be in 4K resolution and you have a pretty competent laptop other than the 1080p screen it is not a problem at all. You can edit 4K videos on a 1080p screen laptop as long as you have enough RAM, a good processor, a hefty amount of storage to store the 4K video file, and a dedicated GPU that can help fasten up the rendering process. In a true sense, the best 4K video editing laptop is one that can run 4K video without any lag and can edit it without any video.

4. Do you need a 4K laptop to edit a 4K video?

Technically if you need to see the crisp quality and details of true 4K resolution while editing a video then you will need a laptop that has a screen with 4K resolution. Moreover, your laptop has to have at least the required amount of RAM, GPU, and processor speed to even support smooth playback and rendering of 4K videos. Having a laptop with a 1080p screen can work great too if you have the required specs to run a 4K video.

A laptop screen essentially gives you a preview of the video you are going to see. Now, if you can’t afford a high-spec laptop or if you already have a laptop but you struggle to edit 4K videos on it then there is a way through which you can efficiently edit 4K videos.

Many popular video editing software like Adobe Premier allows their users to create a proxy that encodes the imported 4K footage to a lower resolution so the editing process can become smoother and more streamlined which will directly help in more efficient and faster editing of the video. This proxy system will then export your completely edited video in true 4K resolution. Hence, making it possible to edit 4K videos not only on 4K laptops but essentially low-spec laptops too.

5. What laptops do YouTubers use?

As the media has evolved, YouTubers have also made their videos more professional quality which has higher crisp sound and video. Many Youtuber records and edit their videos which adds a little personal touch to their content. A lot of these content creators opt for a traditional custom PC which they can customize and manage according to their preferences and needs.

But as all content creators, they also love a laptop that they can keep with them while traveling while also proficiently editing their video on it without any hassle. Laptops have come a long way and more and more manufacturers are offering great options that can edit high-quality videos.

YouTubers mostly have laptop workstations because laptop workstations provide the desired set of computer power to edit professional-quality videos. The most favorite laptop among the YouTube community is the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch version. Yes, you heard that right a pro-model laptop for the pro YouTubers. The Apple MacBook Pro is great for professionals due to its great specifications.

It is the best MacBook for video editing. You can buy an Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch with many different variations of specs, but if you even go for the lower-spec Apple MacBook Pro it will be enough to handle some serious video editing on most video editing software possible.

Although performance-wise the Apple MacBook Pro is a favorite among the YouTuber Community some other famous YouTubers have also made the option to buy the Dell XPS 15 too. The Apple laptop lacks a 4K screen while the Dell XPS 15 has a huge 15.6-inch 4K screen which provides great viewing and editing experience.

Some YouTubers also prefer the Windows OS to the Apple-exclusive macOS as they might need software programs that only run on Windows OS. The XPS 15 by Dell is the best Windows laptop for video editing. The Dell XPS 15 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch are by far the two most used laptops by YouTubers as they provide great functionality in a smaller laptop package.

Now after all of the frequently asked questions have been answered we will dive into our top 13 picks for the best video editing laptops you can buy in the market right now.

Conclusion

Video editing is not an easy feat. It takes time and dedication to be done right. You have to have a creative mind and a trusty system that does not let you down at the right moment. Having a system that lags or crashes when editing can become a big hurdle in your creative expression through your videos.

There are many video editing laptops present in the market that can give your creative expression the liberty to create and edit exceptionally good videos. Yes, not everyone can afford an expensive computer but our list has covered laptops at many different price points.

These laptops will provide you with a great set of tools to help enhance your productivity to make and edit good video at your desired resolution of either 1080p or 4K without forcing you to spend all your time in a room on your desktop computer. Best video editing laptops differ for every individual, so always determine your goals and preferences and look for a video editing laptop that satisfies your desired needs.