When it comes to the best laptop for video editing and photo editing specifically designed for video editing, experienced videographers know that the right equipment can make a difference to your projects.

In fact, your progress can be determined solely by the technology you use. When it comes to graphics and images, a laptop that cuts your time in half will propel you forward.

It can be difficult to find the best laptop for video editing

Because you have to make sure that you get just the right amount of RAM and processor speeds capable of editing large video files.

After all,

One of the most damaging tasks for a laptop is video editing, so you can imagine how hard it must be for a laptop!

This is where our list of the best laptop for video editing 

 

Our advice will allow you to shop with confidence.

Read on to find out what we think are the best video editing laptops in 2019.

 

1. Huawei MateBook X Pro “Best Laptop For Video Editing”

Best Laptop For Video Editing

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: Intel Core i5 – i7 8th generation
  • RAM: 8 GB – 16 GB
  • Storage: 512 GB SSD
  • Display: 3K 13.9 inches (3,000 x 2,080)
  • Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5

Although Huawei may not be the first company you think about when it comes to laptops, especially laptops that you can use for video and photo editing, this should change with the phenomenal MateBook X Pro of the company.

It’s a beautifully designed laptop with a stunning display (although with a rather odd aspect ratio), and it comes with advanced components and battery life that beats any competition. It has a lot of power to edit videos, and its price is very competitive, making it a great alternative to the MacBook Pro if your budget does not go that far.

PROS
  • incredibly slick, sensible design
  • Gorgeous, bright display
  • Strong all-around performance
  • Terrific battery life
CONS
  • No SD card slot
  • Clever webcam is still flawed
  • Mystic Silver is Core i7 only

 

2. Apple MacBook Pro – (Editor’s Choice)

best Mac computer for video editing

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: 2.9GHz Intel Core i9-8950HK
  • RAM: 32GB (2,400MHz DDR4)
  • Storage: 2TB SSD
  • Display: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display
  • Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 560X, Intel UHD Graphics 630

Once you go to Apple laptops, you are pretty much locked when it comes to your hardware options.

Fortunately,

The latest laptop MacBook Pro is the best Mac computer/notebook ever designed for video editing. The innovative touch bar makes intuitive access to editors easy, while the Retina display on the 15-inch model offers enough pixels if you want to edit in native Full HD resolution.

We advise you to opt for a quad-core model rather than dual-core and choose a hard drive as big as your budget allows.

The video subsystem of the laptop is powerful enough to drive up to four 4K monitors when needed, and with a 76Whr battery, it has enough punch to last longer than most of these rivals.

With a minimum of 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, even the entry-level MacBook Pro will easily be fast enough to handle most editing tasks at a phenomenal level. Its speakers rich in sound are also distinguished.

Related Article: How to Connect a microphone to a laptop for Recording?

Mac users will greet us wisely when we say that the software available on Apple PCs are the perfect companions for post-production, editing, photo, and video editing. So, if you have never used a Mac computer before, it may be time to start.

PROS
  • Fantastic design
  • True Tone works well when you want it
  • Touch Bar is improving
  • Very good performance
CONS
  • Expensive
  • Lack of ports
  • Keyboard still feels a little flat

 

3. Dell XPS 15 – (Ideal for 4K video editing)

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz)
  • Storage: 512GB SSD (M.2 2280 PCIe)
  • Display: 15.6-inch 4K UHD (3,840 x 2,160) InfinityEdge display (anti-glare, IPS, 100% sRGB, 400 nits)
  • Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

The Dell XPS 15 laptop based on Windows 10 is quite exceptional and pushes the Apple laptop the MacBook very close to the title. It is a wonderful tool in all departments.

The beautiful combination of the Infinity Edge 4K 3840 × 2160 display and the high-end graphics card will make your images sing as you edit and edit. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 is powered by 4 GB of video RAM, which doubles that of the MacBook. The graphics capabilities of this beast annihilated all competitions in this price range.

There is a Kaby Lake processor and 8GB RAM as standard under the hood, but you can pay extra to increase roaming RAM to 16GB. Quick.

Related Article: Why is my keyboard not working on my laptop?

The XPS 15, with the eighth-generation Intel six-core CPU options, plenty of DDR4 RAM, fast PCIe storage, NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti GPU and an optional 4K display with excellent color reproduction. is a laptop suitable for video editing.

It also has enough ports for you to connect any additional hardware you may need to do your job.

PROS
  • Excellent performance
  • Decent price
  • Great port selection
  • Fantastic display
CONS
  • Poor webcam placement
  • Middling audio output

 

4. Microsoft Surface Book 2 – (Best Windows video editing laptop)

Best Windows video editing laptop

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: 1.6 GHz Intel Core i5
  • RAM: 8 GB DDR3L SDRAM
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Display: 13.5-inch
  • Graphics: Intel HD graphics 520; Nvidia GeForce graphics

The Microsoft Surface Book 2 Hybrid Laptop was close to overturning the XPS 15 for the title of the best Windows video editing laptop,

But he wins the title of the best portable 2-in-1 notebook-tablet hybrid with ease.

The 13.5-inch screen and the simplistic detachment of the keyboard, you will use it as a tablet.

It’s handy if you have work in progress that you want to spend around a table. But, with the Surface Pen Pen, it also means you can get more control using the touch screen for continuous video editing.

Reading the Surface Book’s technical sheet will impress you with every sentence.

The 3000×2000 resolution display is more accurate than most laptops on the market (including all existing MacBooks) and 4K images will look like the way you imagined it. The presence of the GPU chipset and Nvidia GeForce gives it another boost in the graphics department, while RAM batteries and advanced Intel processors (all configurable) make it a video processing monster.

PROS
  • Futuristic design
  • Unrivaled display
  • Seamless tablet separation
CONS
  • Battery life falls well below promises
  • Major updates are still in tow

 

5. Apple MacBook Air – (Best Mac computer for video editing)

Best Mac for video editing

 

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y
  • RAM: 8GB (2,133MHz LPDDR3)
  • Storage: 256GB PCIe SSD
  • Display: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 Retina display (backlit LED, IPS)
  • Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617

Despite Apple’s reputation in terms of expenses, you do not have to pay the big price for the elegant and powerful pleasure of owning one of its machines. The super slim 13-inch MacBook Air laptop is a video editing laptop with less than $ 1,000.

The processor speed has just been updated to 1.8 GHz and the default RAM has been increased to 8 GB instead, which means smooth and fast processing and fast export. It is a significantly more powerful laptop than previous versions of Air. It has more ports than most MacBooks, with two USB 3.0 ports, a Thunderbolt 2 and an SDcard slot.

In addition to its price, the portability of the MacBook Air makes it attractive to many creative professionals. The battery life is fantastic and with a weight of 1.35 kg on the scale, it is slender enough to be transported with you without feeling too charged. Ideal if you want to work away from the office.

PROS
  • Small, lighter design
  • Beautiful Retina display
  • Good value for a MacBook
CONS
  • Sometimes feels underpowered
  • Only two Thunderbolt 3 ports

 

6. HP Pavilion 15 – (Touchscreen Laptop for video editing)

Touchscreen Laptop for video editing

 

 

Specification
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-7200U
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4
  • Storage: 1000GB HDD
  • Display: 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS
  • Graphics:  Intel HD Graphics 620

It is not easy to find a decently decent laptop with a big screen and get a price of less than 1000 €. But this faithful HP managed to produce a cheap laptop that is not a disaster area.

It’s not one for the pros, but if you’re a beginner or a passionate amateur who learns the ropes of video editing, the Pavilion laptop is a good choice. Even entry-level models have plenty of storage, and some extra cash can give you more RAM, a better Intel processor or a full HD display.

PROS
  • Good battery runtimes
  • Frugal
  • Slim chassis
  • Good application performance
  • Decent battery runtimes
  • Low power consumption
  • Quiet operation
  • Slim appearance
  • Decent input devices
  • Solid application performance
CONS
  • Display is a bit dark and has a blue cast
  • Only 12 months warranty
  • No VGA out
  • Only Fast Ethernet
  • Glossy case
  • Slow Ethernet
  • TN panel with limited viewing angles
  • Micro stutters

 

7. Lenovo ThinkPad P70

Best Laptop For Video and Photo Editing

 

Specification
  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1505M v5
  • RAM: 16GB DDR4
  • Storage: 1000GB HDD
  • Display: 15.6”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS
  • Graphics:  Intel HD Graphics 620

The Lenovo ThinkPad P70 Notebook PC was one of the first laptops equipped with Intel’s Skylake processor, which should give it a boost in performance compared to Broadwell or Haswell chips.

Equipped with ample storage and RAM, an excellent keyboard and a wide choice of ports for connectivity, Lenovo positions the ThinkPad P70 notebook as the ultimate workstation that you can take away have to miss your desk.

As expected, it’s a superbly engineered piece of engineering, inheriting the legendary ThinkPad keyboard with the iconic red stick point, the TrackPoint.

Like the ZBook Studio G3 notebook previously seen, it is designed to pass the MIL-STD 810G tests and comes with a three-year on-site warranty, but it has a much larger 17-inch display.

This is one of the most scalable models with four free memory modules and the ability to have up to four storage drives. It is also the only laptop in this list to come with an LTE modem option and has the largest battery at 96Whr.

The optional X-Rite Pantone Calibration Tool, which keeps your screen accurate for editing, and the Quadro GPU included with all SKU P70s are also worth mentioning.

PROS
  • Very strong performance
  • Durable, great keyboard
  • Excellent battery life
  • Gorgeous 4K Ultra HD display
  • USB 3.1 TypeC / Thunderbolt 3
CONS
  • Battery isn’t replaceable
  • Heavy and bulky
  • Minimal warranty

 

8. HP ZBook Studio G3

Best Laptop For Video and Photo Editing

 

Specification
  • CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1505M v5 running at 2.8GHz with Turbo to 3.7GHz
  • RAM: 32GB DDR4
  • Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD
  • Display: 15.6-inch IPS anti-glare LED-backlit display (3840 x 2160 resolution)
  • Graphics: Nvidia Quadro M1000M, Intel HD Graphics P530

The HP ZBook Studio G3 notebook was announced in November 2015 and competes with the Dell Precision 15 5000 series and Lenovo ThinkPad P50 series for performance, functionality, and mobility.

The Studio G3 Notebook PC fits easily into the Ultrabook PC category with a weight of just under 2kg and a thickness of only 18mm, slightly heavier and a bit thicker than the Precision 15 5000 but more portable and slender. then the Lenovo laptop.

The ZBook Studio G3 has a three-year warranty and the model we chose comes with an Intel Xeon E3 processor with a 512GB SSD, a 4GB Nvidia Quadro M1000M GPU and a 4K display.

PROS
  • Gorgeous finish
  • Quadro GPU comes with 4GB memory
  • Thunderbolt 3 ports
CONS
  • No DisplayPort
  • No option for mechanical drives
  • Battery is not removable, no higher capacity models

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BEST LAPTOP FOR VIDEO EDITING

POWER
There are two parts of the laptop that are related to the power or speed of the machine: the processor and the graphics card (or video card).

These two settings determine how quickly you can edit, process, and render the video.

What complicates the problem is to find the right balance between the graphics card and the processor when you have a limited budget.

If it was a desktop, then you would be able to update both the processor and the video card in the future, but it’s much harder to do with a laptop. You are usually limited with what comes from the PC.

There is one more important thing to consider about power and speed, and it’s something most users do not have to worry about: the hard drive.

Different hard drives have different speeds. Usually, it’s not so important, but with video editing/editing, the large amount of data that comes in and out of storage when you open and export your files. The fastest type of hard drive on the market right now is the SSD or SSD drive. This is a serious upgrade over the old technology, but it tends to be more expensive.

Related Article: Best Laptop for Blender and 3D Modeling – 2019

 

STORAGE SIZE
Video files take up a lot of space.

Having a large hard drive will give you the space you need, but there are some problems that you must solve.

First of all, space required means that you might need one or more external hard drives.

These can act as backups in case your primary hard drive fails, or just as extra space.

You should never leave important work recorded in one place. It’s rare, but hard disks can break or get corrupted. The more you use them, the more likely it will happen. Having multiple drives for backups will protect you, but it’s expensive and heavy, especially if you have to travel a lot.

An interesting solution that is just starting to be accessible is cloud storage. Finding a cloud service capable of storing a lot of data is not difficult because it’s a big part of what the cloud can do: hold much more than local storage can handle. Cloud storage is quite durable and reliable, and you can rent as much space as you want.

However, the cloud presents a new set of problems.

You must be able to connect to the cloud in order to access the data, and this will not always be possible if you travel. In addition, transferring files to and from the cloud will likely take longer than transferring to and from a local hard drive.

HIGH-RESOLUTION DISPLAY
The display is another important aspect to look at when buying a laptop for video editing.

A screen with accurate colors with sufficient resolution is required to play and edit the videos correctly.

For example,

Editing or editing a 4K video will be better if it is done on the laptop with a 4K display.

That said, it would not feel comfortable to edit 4K videos on the laptop with a standard 1080p display, because this display will only contain pixels up to 1920 × 1080, while the resolution of 4K (3840 × 2160) is Full HD.

So having a 4K screen in a laptop will definitely have an edge when editing videos, but it’s certainly not necessary for everyone to have one!

Note – Laptops with a 4K resolution display are not cheap, and they also tend to consume a lot of power because their hardware has to push everything in 4K resolution.

So, do not buy a laptop for video editing with 4K display unless most videos you edit are in 4K.

How much RAM (8 GB or 16 GB or 32 GB) is needed in the Best Laptop for video and photo editing?

Apart from the CPU and the graphics card, the onboard RAM of a computer also plays a major role in the speed of its execution especially for video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effect or Sony Vegas Pro.

RAM is the memory that your computer uses for short-term operations and temporary needs.

The more RAM you have, the faster your computer speeds up everything, including video rendering time.

What makes things difficult is that RAM on laptops is harder to obtain and harder to upgrade than on a desktop.

With a desktop PC, you can easily slide a new RAM bar and increase your capacity with almost no effort.

If you work on Premiere, FCP or Vegas Pro,

4 to 16 GB of RAM is enough,

But if you want to work in Avid Media Composer / Symphony, you need a minimum of 8GB of RAM, but Adobe Premiere integration with After Effects requires more RAM, so you need to have at least 8 GB installed.

Laptop or desktop for video editing?

Gaming and creative work require more power from the system than sending e-mail, web browsing, word processing, calendaring, and other simple tasks that an average person does on a computer.

Still, if a laptop or desktop is the best for your job, depends on what you create and how.

If you plan to use Power Director, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop. So, check the system requirements for all these applications (here’s an example: Adobe Premiere Pro), write down what everyone needs. Before you buy, make sure the system hardware meets these requirements.

If you work in one place (ie at the home office) without having to travel constantly for your creative work, you may be more comfortable with a desktop system, which you will give more CPU power, more RAM, more HD space – overall more options and longevity. Plus, an office is better equipped to handle multiple screens – it’s something you may enjoy better once you’ve created it.

That said, a laptop is ideal for video editing, as long as it has a lot of RAM and a good graphics processor. There is nothing on the form of a desktop computer that makes it better for editing, and portability is a serious benefit for the laptop.