Best laptop for video editing – Some missions require more horsepower than video editing. While you can trim small clips with an inexpensive laptop, to work with raw HD or 4K video, or to create special effects, you need a fast processor, powerful discrete graphics, and a decent screen. High resolution, that’s why we created a list of the best laptops for video editing.
Young women working on her laptop with blank copy space screen for your advertising text message in office, Back view of business women hands busy using laptop at office desk.; Shutterstock ID 1494776036; Purchase Order: –
If you’re wondering if your gaming laptop can edit video, then maybe it can, but a dedicated media creation system is more likely to get the perfect render every time. . And if you need the best laptop for handling more graphic-intensive applications beyond video editing, you may want to consider the workstation review.
Lifestyle, hp, windows, person, black laptop, apartment, black, person sitting, working, typing Migrated from AssetBank, James Sheppard, , ,
For a video editing laptop, you want something with a discrete graphics card. The cheapest on our list, which boasts Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, starts at around $ 1,099. For something with a more powerful card like a high-end Quadro or GTX 1070, as well as features like a high-end display, you can pay around $ 2,500 or more. Keep track of how much VRAM you need for certain programs (we’ve written a short guide on how to test your VRAM). Also, consider having a productivity mouse to help you with it, and if you’re concerned about your privacy, opt for a webcam cover.
We recently reviewed the Lenovo ThinkPad P52 and Alienware m17, which we praised for their incredibly vibrant displays. But looking ahead, you can expect Alienware’s refreshed m15 and m17, which are packing the latest Gen 9 processors. Lenovo announced the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 as well as the second generation of the ThinkPad P1 and ThinkPad P43s and P53s for students. And if you’re a fan of the MacBook Pro, you can expect macOS Catalina to come to your laptop this fall.
Here are the best video editing laptops you can buy in 2020.
MacBook Pro 15 inch Touch Bar
Best laptop for video editing – If you like editing on an Apple machine, the new 15-inch Macbook Pro with Touch Bar is hard to top. It comes with a faster Intel Core i7 CPU, a more powerful Radeon Pro 460 GPU, and a brighter and more colorful display. The Touch Bar is even adaptable depending on which app you’re using, so you can apply filters or scrub through the clip without leaving full-screen mode. At just 4 pounds and 14.9mm thick, the new MacBook is even thinner and lighter than last year’s model. The 15-inch MacBook Pro is easily the best video-editing laptop around.
- Advantages: Light weight for the size; Sharp Retina display; Good battery
- Cons: Only 3 Thunderbolt ports
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 / Core i9 | GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 555X / 560X | RAM: 16GB / 32GB | Storage: 256 GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD | Display: 15.4 inches (2880 x 1800) | Size: 13.8 x 9.5 x 0.6 inches | Weight: 4 pounds
Dell XPS 15
Best laptop for video editing – This 4K display takes you on a journey of color, covering 164 percent of the sRGB color gamut and bursting with 447 nits of brightness. Those sharp images are combined by even sharper performance, with an XPS 15 Core 8 Gen Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q. The beauty of the carbon fiber is even lighter than last year’s model, weighing in at just 4.2 pounds, making it a compact, portable killer.
- Pros: Strong overall and graphics performance; Excellent battery life; Bright, brilliant display; Run cool; Attractive, designed
- Cons: awkward webcam
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i5 / Core i7 / Core i9 | GPU: Intel UHD 630 / Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB | Storage: 1TB HDD or 256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches (1080p / 4K) | Size: 14.1 x 9.3 x 0.7 ~ 0.5 inches | Weight: 4.2 pounds
Alienware Area-51m
Best laptop for video editing – Meet one of the best video editing laptops: Alienware Area-51m. This baby is powered by an overclockable 9th Gen Core i9 desktop processor paired with the latest RTX 2080 GPU. It completely crushed the HandBrake standard, transcoding a 4K video to 1080p in just 6 minutes. Along with massive, upgradable power you get the machine’s stunning design, an SSD with a transfer rate of 1,272 MBps, and a sturdy 17.3-inch panel.
- Advantages: Beautiful space station aesthetics; Great graphics and overall performance; SSD is lightning fast; All major components are upgradable
- Cons: Expensive
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel 8 Gen Core i7 / 9th Gen Core i7 / Core i9 | GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060/2070/2080 | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB / 64GB | Storage: 1TB HDD or 512GB / 1TB / 2TB SSD | Display: 17.3 inches (1080p / 4K) | Size: 16.1 x 15.9 x 1.1 ~ 1.7 inches | Weight: 8.5 pounds
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15 inch)
Best laptop for video editing – Both a powerful laptop and a handheld tablet, the Surface Book 2 is the most versatile laptop you can use for video editing. It comes with the powerful 8th Gen Core i7 CPU and separate Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, as well as an incredibly vibrant 3240 x 2160 display. It lasted more than 12 hours on our battery test, so you can edit all day without fear of a charge. If the 15-inch version is too big or too expensive for you, then there’s a 13.5-inch option as well, but step down to the integrated graphics or the GTX 1050.
- Advantages: Detachable screen; Great pen experience; Good battery;
- Cons: Very expensive; No Thunderbolt 3 port;
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 256 GB / 512 GB / 1TB SSD | Display: 15 inches (3240 x 2160) | Size: 13.5 x 9.9 x 0.9 inches | Weight: 4.2 pounds
HP Spectre x360 (15 inch, 2019)
Best laptop for video editing – The HP Specter x360 is an elegant machine capable of completing the HandBrake benchmarks in 10 minutes and 45 seconds. Its 15.6-inch 4K display is a bit dim (247 nits), but it will blow you away with 157% of the sRGB spectrum. On top of that, the Specter x360 has a super comfortable keyboard and the battery can last up to 8 hours and 9 minutes on a single charge. The HP Active Pen comes with two programmable buttons and 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity.
- Advantages: Sexy design; Colorful control panel; Comfortable keyboard; Solid performance; Excellent battery life
- Cons: The screen could be brighter; Mud speaker
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia MX150 / GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 8GB / 16GB | Storage: 256 GB / 512 GB / 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches (4K) | Size: 14.2 x 9.8 x 0.8 inches | Weight: 4.6 pounds
HP ZBook x2
Best laptop for video editing – The HP ZBook x2 comes at a premium, but it gives you the adaptive tool for your creative work. The matte 14-inch 4K display lets you edit at any resolution, and if you like the stylus, you can use shortcuts for quick actions or keep a Bluetooth keyboard nearby. The Quadro GPU may be more powerful, but there are very few devices that directly serve ads.
- Pros: Great stylus; Excellent keyboard shortcut management; Comfortable keyboard
- Cons: Very expensive; May have stronger graphics performance; Battery life Middling;
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i5 / Core i7 | GPU: Intel HD 620 or Nvidia Quadro M620 | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB | Storage: SSD 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | Display: 14 inch (4K) | Size: 14.4 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches (tablet 0.6) | Weight: 4.9 pounds
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme
Lenovo pushed its X-series straight into the future when it revealed that the ThinkPad X1 Extreme (starting with S1,673) will be the first 15-inch and the first to have a discrete graphics card. It comes with a 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti GPU and can be equipped with an 8th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU as well as 64GB of RAM, making it a monster for video editing. It took just 10 minutes and 3 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p on the HandBrake benchmark, which is twice as fast as the 20:30 average.
Best laptop for video editing – The ThinkPad X1 Extreme meets 12 MIL-STD-810G standards, which means it can survive high humidity, exposure to sand and dust, extreme temperatures and drop in multiple times. It also supports dTPM encryption, Intel vPro, fingerprint reader and optional Smart Card reader, making it ideal for business use. Additionally, it has an optional IR camera so you can log in to your laptop using Windows Hello facial recognition.
- Pros: Great 4K HDR display; Lightning-fast performance; Luxurious design; Thin and light; Comfortable keyboard
- Cons: Battery life is below average; Run warm; Expensive
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i5 / Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB / 64GB | Storage: 256 GB / 512 GB / 1TB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches (1080p / 4K) | Size: 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 4 pounds
HP ZBook Studio x360 G5
Best laptop for video editing – The HP ZBook Studio x360 goes far beyond power. It’s ready for destruction with its Intel Xeon processor and Nvidia Quadro graphics all packed into a military-durable, aluminum chassis. It took 10 minutes and 40 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p, which beats the 16:44 workstation average, making it an ideal candidate for editing. With outstanding power, it has a stunning 4K display, a floating keyboard, and long battery life in 2 in 1! It’s great that we award the Editor’s Choice award.
- Advantages: High-class design; Stunning 4K display; Military durability; Great keyboard and stylus; Great performance and graphics; Good battery
- Disadvantages: cap bend; Lack of webcam; Expensive
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i5 / Core i7 / Core i9 / Xeon | GPU: Intel UHD 630 or Nvidia Quadro P1000 / P2000 | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB | Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB single or dual SSD | Display: 15.6 inches (1080p / 4K) | Size: 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.8 inches | Weight: 4.9 pounds
Alienware M15
Best laptop for video editing – If you plan on editing some gaming videos, you’ll need a real console first. The Alienware m15 (starting at $ 1,352) comes with the blazing-fast 8th Gen Core i7 and up to a GTX 1070 Max-Q that blew past our HandBrake benchmarks (transcoding 4K video to 1080p) in 9 minutes and 51. seconds. Not only can you play games, but also edit videos on a monitor capable of reproducing 150 percent of the sRGB color gamut and emitting a maximum brightness of 284 nits. On top of that, this baby will last 6 hours 25 minutes on a full charge, which is impressive for a gaming laptop of this caliber. Even more than a gaming laptop, it is one of the best laptops for video editing.
- Advantages: Sleek, lightweight; Great overall performance and gaming; Stunning display; Comfortable keyboard; Long battery life for gaming laptops
- Cons: The sound could have been better; The bottom is warm; Expensive as configured
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 / Core i9 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 or RTX 2060/2070/2080 | RAM: 8GB / 16GB / 32GB | Storage: 1TB HDD / 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD / 512GB + 1TB HDD / 1TB SSD / 2TB SSD | Display: 15.6 inches (1080p / 4K) | Size: 14.3 x 10.8 x 0.8 ~ 0.7 inches | Weight: 4.8 pounds
Asus ZenBook Pro 15
Best laptop for video editing – This 4K-speed demon integrates an Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti GPU in a sexy, lightweight chassis that comes with the most interesting Asus feature: ScreenPad. Essentially a second monitor, the ScreenPad is built into the touchpad to enhance your multitasking capabilities. There are a number of built-in apps in the ScreenPad that can transform the secondary display according to use cases including the numeric keypad, calculator, or music player. It is very useful when you want to play the game on your home screen and see the game instruction for the second time.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
When you don’t spot the great ScreenPad, you can get in on that sexy design and enjoy 141 percent of the eye-catching sRGB color gamut on a 4K display while you’re pivoting around its comfortable keyboard.
- Advantages: Elegant and delicate design; Strong overall and graphics performance; ScreenPad complements productivity tasks; Lightning fast transmission speed; 4K touch screen
- Cons: Battery life is below average; Low resolution webcam
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 / Core i9 | GPU: Intel UHD 630 or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Storage: SSD 512GB | Display: 15.6 inches (4K) | Size: 14.4 x 9.9 x 0.7 inches | Weight: 4.2 pounds
Lenovo Legion Y7000
Best laptop for video editing – If you’re looking for the most money for your coin then look no further than the Legion Y7000. For $ 1,099, you get a speedy 8th Gen Core i7 processor and a GTX 1060 GPU that completes the HandBrake benchmark in just 9 minutes 24 seconds. And for the price, you also get a stunning 15.6-inch, 1080p display, as it covers 153 percent of the sRGB color spectrum and emits 277 nits of brightness. Despite being a gaming laptop, its battery life isn’t too bad either, lasting 4 hours and 28 minutes on a single charge. Even for an affordable price, it makes it one of the best video editing laptops.
- Advantages: Sleek, sports car design; Colorful display; Comfortable keyboard; Strong overall and graphics performance; Battery life
- Cons: Poor sound; Orange nose
- Main Specifications – CPU: Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: SSD 256 GB + 1TB HDD | Display: 15.6 inches (1080p) | Size: 14.2 x 10.5 x 1.1 – 0.9 inches | Weight: 5.3 pounds
