Best Laptop For Video Editing with Excellent Performance (Review)

The rules of everything has changed, including what makes the best laptop for video editing. Before now, the cameras for video recording didn’t give earth quaking quality and the software for editing them were not heavy so almost everything you could call a laptop could get you running.

Today, from the video itself to the sound, to the software, and the list goes on, have all changed. They are all demanding and need some real performance to get them running.

Therefore, the right shots must be called when you need to pick your laptop. The first call to be made is as regards the processor. This is one of the most important things you don’t want to get wrong. Anything less than the Intel core i4 is not a wise one.

A memory that is at least 16 GB for easy multi-tasking is also needed, just as a discrete graphics card. Instead of a traditional Hard Drive, you will be better off with a Solid State Drive SSD. They perform much better in speed and they are more efficient than their traditional siblings. Also, they are less likely to develop faults or even give you any heating problems.

Of course, you have to always come down to look at the design, quality of build, the battery life, and the value. The storage capacity is also important, but you can always get an external drive or even have it updated. The display and speaker performance are not without importance also, but the speaker performance is not one of those things to take too much to heart.

Best Laptop For Video Editing

Apple 15″ MacBook Pro, Retina, Touch Bar

laptop for video editing
Apple 15″ MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is a laptop that works well for many things. A high-end laptop, it may just end as the best laptop for video editing when you are looking for one that is complete in almost every way.

It is a slim and lightweight laptop with great beauty and functionality. The laptop features a 15.4-inch display screen with a Touch Bar.

To the functionality, with the Intel Core i7 CPU, the laptop is very performing when you also consider that it also comes with a 16GB RAM and as well as an SSD storage. Another thing with all it features is that it is boosted not only to deliver performance but also to effectively multitask and run crazy applications.

Apart from its high performance, the laptop’s display is excellent enough for you to get the accurate details with the image. And yes, its touch bar makes it easy for commands and navigation. What is more is that it can run your 4K videos without any hassles.

Looking at the price of this laptop, it is definitely on the expensive side of things. However, with the value you get for it, I will agree that it is well compensated for, and it is very worth it.

Features

  • 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
  • Battery life: 10 hours

Pros

  • Has a good design, lightweight, and slim.
  • Good features.
  • Excellent performance.
  • Can run any kind of video editing app.
  • Good battery life

Cons

  • It is very expensive.

Verdict

You will always find yourself going to the price of this laptop before buying it, but once you are able to land it, you will see that it is worth it in every single way. It has great design, good performance, battery life, and everything else that you can ask a genie.

ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT-DS74 Laptop For Video Editing

Video editing laptop
ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT-DS74

The ASUS Republic of Gamers is one of the most favorites for gamers. It has a cult-like followership as a result of the standard it has set among other gaming components.

Not just for gamers and gaming, this has also turned up as one of the most performing you can get for video editing.

A very lightweight and high-performance laptop, the design may be good for a lot of people, but do I find it rather boring. Yes, I really appreciate how slim and convenient it is, but again, it is plastic made. Although I don’t find that heartbreaking because the quality of the plastic isn’t the one you can easily trash at will.

See Also: Best Gaming Laptop Under 1500 Dollars: Top Gamer’s Pick

The laptop has a 15-inch screen and a resolution of 1920*1080 pixel. features an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor.

You will also get great multitasking when using different apps thanks to its 16 GB RAM. This couples with the 128GB M.2 SSD it comes with to ensure that you have an amazing speed. Adding some feet to the performance is its discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M graphics card with full Microsoft DirectX 12 support.

Getting an external storage device for a video editor is very important but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to have a good storage. With this ROG, you get up to 1TB of Storage which is complemented by the 128 SSD.

With the battery life, this laptop is able to sustain for over five hours. While considerably good, this is not the best you will get to see.

Features

  • CPU: Intel Core i7
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX970M 6GB GDDR5
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Screen: 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080)
  • Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD
  • Battery life: 5 hours

Pros

  • Top notch performance.
  • Slim and lightweight.
  • Among those laptops that are more than moderately versatile.
  • Good components.
  • It beats its price.

Cons

  • When you put it under heavy pressure like when gaming, it tends to get hot. You will hardly experience this with video editing.
  • Not the best battery life.

Verdict

This laptop is a very outgoing one whether you need one for gaming or video editing. If you are all about looks, I don’t think this is for you. But if you are willing to throw in your hat in the ring for performance more than everything else, this is your rabbit.

MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro-230 Laptop For Video Editing

MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro-230

The MSI GS63VR Stealth Pro-230 is like a few others on the list, a gaming laptop which has also turned out very performing for video editing.

Based on design, this may as well pass for the best laptop for video editing. It is one of the slimmest, sleekest, and lightest weight in the gaming line, and that doesn’t take anything from its performance.

Read Also: The Recommended 17 Inch Laptops for Gaming

It has a 15-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. There is also the 4k display model if you will prefer. This has a Full HD Non-Reflecting Display.

Also, it has a 16GB (8GB x2) RAM. You also get a 256GB SSD as well as an NVIDIA’s GTX 1060 6G GDDR5 graphics card.

For a very good performance, it comes with an Intel Core i7 processor to complement other features above. For the storage, you also get a 2TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive which is enough to take the earth if you can record it all.

Although battery life seems to be the problem with many of these laptops, this is bold enough to pull you somewhere close to 9 solid hours.

When it comes to price, normally, this is on the high side but if you look at all that the laptop has to offer from the design to the performance, I think once you have the shoulder to pay for it, you will see it as a wise investment.

Features

  • CPU: Intel Core i7
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX970M 6GB GDDR5
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Screen: 15.6 Inch (1920 x 1080 Resolution)
  • Storage: 2TB 5400 RPM Hard Drive and 256GB SSD
  • Battery life: Up to 8.5 hours

Pros

  • Slim and lightweight design.
  • Generous and top-notch features.
  • Good battery life.

Cons

  • It is not the cheapest

Verdict

A very sleek and slim laptop, this is your pick for the looks. But that is not where the story ends. On the high end, the laptop also has a lot to offer in terms of general functionality and features. The price is dominating, but it is worth it at the end of the day.

ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW-US71 15.6-Inch 4K Touchscreen

ASUS ZenBook Pro UX501VW-US71

ASUS is one of my favorite for Gaming. This particular model has been the one for many photo editors, but it is on the list because it has also performed better than many others for video editing.

Looking at the design and the features you will easily understand why the laptop has no reason to fail when the roll is called for the best laptops for video editing. It has a 15.6-inch screen that has a 4K UHD display of as much as 3840 by 2860 resolution. That is not all, the display is also a touchscreen.

See Also: Great Laptops For Music Production For Professionals & Amateurs

To the main thing, the performance of this laptop is pushed by a Quad-core Intel Core i7 processor and a 16GB DDR4 RAM which makes it very fast on one hand, and responding on another. The icing on the cake is that it has a 512 GB NVMe SSD.

With less than 6 hours of battery life, this doesn’t have the most enduring battery life under the sun or even on the list since we have a MacBook Pro that can give us up to 10 hours.

Features

  • CPU: Intel Core i7-6700HQ 2.6 GHz Quad Core Processor
  • Graphics: NVIDIA Geforce GTX 960M 2GB DDR5 Graphics
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM
  • Screen: 15.6 Inch Touchscreen 4K Ultra HD display (3840 x 2160 resolution)
  • Storage: 512GB Solid State Drive
  • Battery life: Less than 6 hours

Pros

  • Overall performance is good.
  • Very good display.
  • At less than $1,500, it is a valuable one.
  • Good heat management.
  • The looks and build are considerably good.

Cons

  • Not the largest storage you can get.
  • The speaker performance is so-so.

Verdict

Another ASUS, this is actually in a class of its own. I will recommend it to someone looking for class as well as performance. Speed is not one of those things you need to worry about with this or even multitasking. But if battery is what you want, the MacBook Pro is your call. Just be ready to pay more.

Dell Inspiron 15.6″ (i5577-7342BLK-PUS) Laptop For Video Editing

Dell Inspiron 15.6″ (i5577-7342BLK-PUS)

There are not very many video editing laptops on the affordable bench that will give you the kind of performance that you will need. Among the few that would offer you that kind of needed performance is the Dell Inspiron 15.6″.

The laptop may not be the best on the list, but it has worked its way definitely, as one of the best you can get. It comes with a very clean design that you will find very pleasing just as its quality as it comes with metal chassis.

It also has a 15.6-inch FHD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and also anti-glare TN panel display.  With all these, you are sure to get accurate details of your video and you can work for a very long time without the fear of your eyes aching.

For the performance, this Dell Inspiron comes with an Intel Quad Core i7 processor and a 16 GB RAM. Another thing that adds to the performance of the laptop is the 512GB SSD it features.

See Also: 12 Recommended Cameras for YouTube Videos and Vlogging in 2017

One good thing about the laptop is that it comes with different specifications, but I won’t suggest that you go for anything less than 16 GB. It may not give you as much as you would get with a higher RAM.

If you are concerned about the battery life, there are better options as it struggles to reach 6 hours. Where it surprises is how well it is able to manage heat.

Features

  • CPU: Intel Core i7
  • Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Screen: 15.6 in (1920 x 1080 pixels)
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Battery life: Over 5 hours.

Pros

  • It is affordable
  • Good overall performance
  • Very good quality and clean design.
  • Top notch heat management.
  • Offers different choices.

Cons

  • Battery performance is not the best.

Verdict

For someone running on a budget, the Dell Inspiron may just be the best laptop for video editing. The good part is that there is hardly a thing that is sacrificed in the name of affordability. As such, even as you pay very little, you still get very much.

As stated, not every laptop will be able to get you pushing as effectively as you will want when it comes to video editing. However, we have been able to collect some that come with great performance and functionality whether you are looking for a high end, a versatile, or even the best laptop for video editing based on value.

To draw up this review, we had our eyes on important things such as the processing speed, the graphics card, memory, and display, among other factors.

Further Reading:

Sources:

  1. Buying a Laptop: Everything you need to Know
  2. Can a New Laptop Speed up my Video Editing?
  3. Maintenance Tips for A Video Editing Computer
Tim Flaherty
Tim Flaherty
Tim is our talented senior tech writer and editor, the one who plays music on replay, drinks more coffee than beer, plays video games, and reads poetry. In between, Tim reviews products, write about computers, games, hardware, software, guides, reviews and talk tech and arts. If there is a WWIII, he thinks it could be caused by bad writing.

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