Video editing laptop 2022

This article is all about the best laptops for video editing. Below we have featured the 10 best laptops shortlisted by our team of professionals after the comprehensive research of 72 hours.

Have you ever come across videos with excellent content but lousy editing, making it such a boring and awful experience for the audience to watch?

Mainly due to the pandemic, many people have turned to content creation as a hobby or a full-time job creating the best content with their creative editing skills, whether an Instagram reel, a YouTube video, or a feature film.

Many people wear their creative caps and create visually appealing videos to put out there in these present times. But that calls for robust software, and to meet those requirements, a good laptop which checks all those essentials is a must-do. Mobile editing will not deliver the desired results with 1080p or 4k or even higher editing versions used in filmmaking.

On the other hand, laptops are handy and can be carried around without the hassle of sitting in the sample place for hours editing a video on a desktop computer. Hence in this aspect, skimping on devices under the garb of being economical won’t work out if you’re looking for efficient functionality and ease of work rendering good results.

Editing is vital for a video to get good reviews from the masses, and here is where we come into place by suggesting the 10 best laptops for video editing to make your work smooth like butter. We have listed out the product specifications and the pros and cons of each laptop to help you make a wise decision during your purchase.

Have also answered some frequently asked questions and given you a thorough shopping guide towards the end as to how to go about finding the right one for your needs and requirements. But, if you are in a hurry, here are our top recommendations.

Reviews of 10 Best Laptops for Video Editing

1. Apple MacBook Pro

This gorgeous and sleek machine with its 16-inch giant display screen stands as our top suggestion. This laptop is a slightly modernized and tweaked version of the 2016 model with improved efficacy and new features. The intel core i9 processor with eight cores and 16 threads of processing power allows it to sustain higher performance than any of their older models. It has 8TB SSD storage which is the highest capacity in any notebook.

It has a whopping memory of 64 GB which is perfect for storing large files while editing. The battery capacity is the largest A MacBook Pro has, which lets the laptop work for longer hours. It has AMD Radeon Pro 500M series graphics, which gives it a high amount of horsepower for ultra-definition videos. The six-speaker system and mic system provide a studio-like essence prerequisite for good editing work to follow. 

• 16-inch display for a bigger and better view with crystal clear clarity
• Superfast SSD
• Touchpad feature
• More heat dispersing fins enabling effective cooling

• Expensive compared to other brands
• Bulkier compared to previous models

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

This device allows you to be versatile in its usage. It provides you with the comfort of converting into three different modes, can be used as a slate or a tablet, a laptop, or in-studio mode to allow users freedom of movement for writing or drawing It is a sleeker, lighter, and faster version of the Surface Pro 6 with a 10th Gen Intel Core processor and also has multiple ways to connect to displays, docking stations, and charging accessories with its USB-C and USB-A ports.

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has a battery life of up to 10.5 hours based on typical surface device usage for local video playback and charges from 0 to 100% in just an hour which is relatively fast and is available in two classic colors for a stylish look. It has a screen display of 12.3 inches and a screen resolution of 2736 x 1824 and 12.3 pixels giving high-quality images. Also, the RAM is 16 GB DDR4, perfect for video editing. Though it is an almost ideal choice, we cannot ignore some of its downsides and have to be scrutinized. 

• Less charging time
• Excellent display
• Multitasks with no lags

• No thunderbolt 3
• It contains new features which were already present in models of different brands like the USB-C

3. HP Pavilion 15 Laptop [15-eg0021nr, 2020]

This device is compact and has a long-lasting battery of up to 8 hours, like a small PC. It has a 15.6 inches HD micro-edged screen which gives a theater-like feeling when working on it. The visuals are clear and crisp. To add on, it has a thin frame and is also very light. Faster performance is promised because of the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, which gives quick responses and better connectivity regarding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. In addition, the 16 GB RAM allows you to multitask with higher bandwidth, and users experience faster performance compared to traditional devices. 

The device charges from 0 to 50% in approximately 45 minutes and has a 1-year limited hardware warranty and an integrated Windows 10 Pro operating system. There is a full-sized keyboard, integrated numeric pad, and a Precision Touchpad. It’s energy-efficient and sustainable as it is Energy Star certified EPEAT Silver registered and built with a low halogen display. For all those who believe in sustainable development, investing in this laptop is something you won’t regret.

• Economical compared to other brands
• Easy to use
• Works with considerable speed and smoothness
• Energy-efficient and sustainable

• High pitch sound when booting
• Lack of USB ports
• Letters on keyboard not legible

See Also: Top 10 Best 4K Monitors in 2021 Reviewed

4. Acer Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop – AN515-54-728C

This Acer Nitro 5 is equipped with a 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor, which is 4.5 GHz and has a 15.6″ Full HD Widescreen IPS LED-backlit display. These features, combined with a 144-hertz refresh rate, make it very efficient to edit videos. It has 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory. Twin fans and dual exhaust ports are also present thanks to the Acer Cool Boost technology.

The RAM is 16 GB DDR4 and has a memory speed of 4.5 GHz. The hard drive has a solid-state flash memory. It has 1 2.0 USB port and 2 3.0 USB ports and has good battery life. It weighs about 4.84 pounds and has dimensions of 14.31 x 10.04 x 0.96 inches. The operating system used is Windows 10 home.

• Can upgrade to higher RAM
• Eye-friendly screen and good graphics
• Extremely high Speed

• SSD storage is less compared to other laptops

5. 2020 HP 15 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop

This laptop has a Fast Processor 10th Generation Intel[r] Core[TM] i5-1035g1 Processor quad-core 1 0 GHz and has a Base frequency of up to 3 6 GHz with Intel’s Turbo Boost Technology in place. It has a Display screen 15.6 Inch diagonal HD SVA bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit touchscreen display [1366 x 768] which gives detailed, clear images while editing. The laptop boots faster with SSD boot up, which happens in seconds transferring files enabling ease of work without working hours together, and has an internal solid-state drive of 512 GB. 

It consists of 1 HDMI 1 4b 1 headphone/microphone combo, 1 USB 3,1 Type-C Gen 1, 2 USB 3, 1 Gen 1 [Data transfer only], and one 1 AC smart pin and uses Windows 10 system. This laptop has a max screen resolution of 1366 x 768 Pixels and a processor of 3.6 GHz core_i5_family. Ram of 16 GB DDR4 and memory Speed of 2666 MHz the hard drive is 512 GB SSD and graphics co-processor is Intel graphics co-processor. It has an average battery life of 41-watt hours. 

• Good customer service
• Cheap as compared to other brands
• Sufficient storage capacity
• Lightweight and does not occupy much space
• Impressive touch screen experience

• Low screen quality and graphic card
• Cannot type in keyboard in the dark as lights underneath are absent

6. ASUS ZenBook 15 Ultra-Slim Laptop

This laptop has a 15.6 inch wide-view 4K UHD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display with a 92% screen-to-body ratio and a 5.65-inch interactive touchscreen trackpad that helps control the machine along with multitasking. This latest 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U Quad-Core Processor [8M Cache, up to 4.9 GHz] with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q discrete graphics has fast storage and memory featuring 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD and 16GB RAM.

This laptop works with Amazon Alexa Voice Service, a virtual voice assistant, and helps with various tasks. The built-in IR camera enables facial recognition sign-in with Windows Hello. The connectivity is extensive with HDMI, USB Type C, Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0, an SD card reader. This device is sleek and lightweight, 3.6 pounds hence easily portable and can we have used during travel; it also has MIL-STD 810G military standard for reliability and durability.

• Super clear and clean 4k display
• CPU works fast
• Touchpad/monitor feature

• No ethernet port
• Short charging cables

7. Dell Chromebook 3120

The Dell Chromebook has an 11.6-inch LCD Display [1366×768] 720p HD Webcam. And connectivity of Bluetooth 4.0, Dual-Band 802.11 AC wireless 3-Cell Battery which lives up to 10 Hours. Chrome OS meets your specific needs with its high-end features which ease the flow of work and increases productivity. This laptop is lightweight and can be carried wherever you go.

It is internally equipped with a powerful Intel Celeron processor with a clock speed of 1.60 GHz for a faster computing experience. Furthermore, this Dell has 4GB of RAM for multitasking efficiently and handling memory-intensive applications. It has a 16GB hard drive that can easily store documents, photos, and applications and is pre-loaded with Chrome OS.

• Economical
• Boots up quickly and is responsive
• Compact and lightweight

• Defective items delivered at times

8. Newest Acer Aspire 5

It has a 15.6 inches Full HD [1920 x 1080] widescreen LED-backlit IPS display and up to 6 hours battery life with mixed-use. Here, RAM is upgraded to 16GB DDR4 memory, allowing smooth multitasking and enough high-bandwidth RAM to run multiple applications and browser tabs comfortably. The Hard Drive is upgraded to 256GB SSD PLUS 2TB HDD provides ample storage space for huge files.

It can store gobs of digital data with no difficulty. It perfect for daily usage and is user-friendly., has 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port, 2 USB 2.0 Ports & 1 HDMI Port with HDCP support,802.11ac Wi-Fi, and a Backlit Keyboard, allowing one to type even in the dark glowing keys. Equipped with a flash memory size of 256 GB, and it weighs about 3.97 pounds. The dimensions of the product are about 14.31 x 9.74 x 0.89 inches.

• Dual drives providing space and speed
• The screen is clear and sharp with 1080p resolution
• Lightweight
• Not pricey

• Low sound quality
• Not enough storage

9. LG Gram Laptop 17Inch IPS WQXGA

This laptop has a 17″ inches screen and uses the Windows 10 Home operating system. It is an Intel 10th Generation i7-1065G7 CPU to Iris Plus graphics variant and has 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB SSD. It claims to have a battery life of up to 17 hours. The 10th Gen Intel Core i7 [1065G7] processor powers a high-level 4K content production, quick application of video filters, high-resolution photo editing, and lightning-fast transfer speeds.

With Thunderbolt 3, you can charge, transfer and display all at the same time. It can transfer data up to 40 Gbps and display smooth 5K video, all while charging your laptop. It’s total versatility in one port. It is more secure and easier to log into the device using its one-touch technology. In addition, the 4-column numeric keypad lets you see every part of your keypad clear as day, even during night time because it has keyboard lights underneath. It weighs about 2.98 pounds and has dimensions of 15 x 10.3 x 0.7 inches.

• Bright screen and resolution
• Good keyboard layout
• Smooth trackpad

• Slow charging
• Unclear sound quality

10. Samsung Galaxy Book Flex – NP950QCG-K03US

The beautiful QLED touchscreen of this laptop allows hassle-free streaming and browsing. It has a sleek and slim design and can be converted into a tablet in no time. It has a powerful processor, which offers significantly less to nil lag, and the startup is quick. Another good thing about this Samsung Galaxy Book Flex that it has about 512GB storage and a 10th generation Intel core i7 processor. And claims to have a long-lasting battery, and the fast-charging battery also lasts up to 20 hours, made complete with Wireless Power Share’s ability to charge your other wireless devices right on the trackpad.

It has a Bluetooth pen to draw, write on the screen, use it per your liking like a canvas, and use intuitive gestures to start slideshows or adjust volume, all with the Bluetooth-enabled S Pen. You can download content in seconds due to its lightning speed, and it uses all feature Windows 10 Home operating system plus remote desktop, Windows Information Protection, BitLocker, and other tools.

• Touch screen/ tablet mode
• Powerful for its size
• Light
• Expandable storage

• Not expandable RAM
• Bad design and layout

Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best Laptop for Video Editing?

The laptop should possess certain perquisites, which are up to date, to deliver high-quality videos. Computer memory, i.e., RAM [Random Access Memory], a Computer Processing Unit that works at a considerable speed and efficiency, and a Solid-State Drive [SSD] are significant for any video editing. Graphics Processing Unit also plays a crucial role, and we have to consider if the laptop we plan to purchase has dedicated graphics in them. 

Generally, the more RAM a laptop has, the faster a CPU can boost itself, and the more storage your SSD has. Hence, it’s all interconnected to give you the desired result. Price and performance go hand in hand. So even though some Laptops are pricey, they are efficient, and some are expensive but not worth the investment. All those factors have to be thoroughly looked into before making a decision.

1. Type of Footage

4k or 1080p definition of videos helps users decide what laptops they would be compatible with. 1080p does not require much power. CPU RAM and storage can be lesser, slower, and cheaper. But 4k requires a higher version and requires a lot of power.

2. Battery Longevity

Editing is time-consuming and requires a minimum number of hours to be put into it. This calls for a laptop that won’t die on you and will last a long time to help you function without carrying a charger around a minimum of 6+ hours are a must.

3. Operating System

Chromebooks are user-friendly, have a simple mechanism, and have expansive functionality. Windows 10 laptops and MacBooks also offer plenty of functionality, but this is more of a personal choice according to the users who find different systems easier to work with. But speaking at large, Windows 10 is the most widely used operating system.

4. Different Modes

Some laptops can be converted into tablets apart from the traditional clamshell mode. Some laptops are detachable with screens that come off the keyboard entirely and are flexible with hinges that bend back 360 degrees to change modes. 

Most of these systems have multi-purposes, with bend-backs being laptops first and detachables offering a first-class tablet experience. However, people who would not want to use it as a tablet can also get more work done in the traditional clamshell mode, but they work well both ways.

5. RAM

Video editing laptops require plenty of RAM, which is used to store the footage temporarily you’re currently editing – widely speaking, a minimum of 16GB is necessary if you’ll be working on Full HD or higher resolution content. We can never get enough of RAM, the more, the better. 

6. Ports

This might not seem significant, but you cannot ignore carrying things smoothly. Most speaking, a laptop in the market will have USB 3.0 ports and HDMI out for video. However, an increasing number of laptops use USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 ports that are USB Type-C compatible. 

Getting Type-C is an added feather to your laptop’s cap because you can use it to connect to universal chargers and docks. 

7. Touch Screen

Touchscreens don’t go well with battery life and reduce it by 1-2 hours than regular laptops, but working on a tablet is a fun experience, and we have some options lined up for you. 

8. Display

Sharper and crisper content depends on the amount of content that can fit on one screen, and that in turn depends on the number of pixels a laptop has. Unfortunately, some cheaper laptops still have 1366 x 768 display screens, which is not ideal for editing. Our suggestion is to invest in a panel that runs at 1920 x 1080, also known as Full HD or 1080p.

Higher-end laptops have screens that are 2560 x 1600, 3200 x 1800, or even 3840 x 2160 [4K], which all look sharp but consume more power and lowers your battery life. Display quality not just about resolution. IPS panels range in color and brightness, so please do a thorough reading about the screen dimensions.

Our recommendation would be an sRGB color rating of over 100% and a brightness greater than 300 nits results. 

9. Storage Drive [SSD]

The storage drive is vital, sometimes you need to make proxies of huge files of high definition, and all this requires a lot of storage. This is more important than the speed of your CPU. If it is something you can spend money on, get a laptop with a solid-state drive [SSD] rather than a hard drive because you’ll see at least three times the speed and a much faster laptop overall. 

10. Speed

When it comes to video editing, the hard drive speed is crucial because it is a place where all your programs are stored on your computer. The slower the hard drive, the longer it will take to perform even essential functions like exporting and importing footage, adding details while editing, or even loading software.

Hence for this very reason, we recommend getting an SSD drive for the editors out there when working on their content to have a fast and successful attempt at editing.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

1. Is a Laptop Necessary for Editing?

Yes, it is, especially if you’re working with high-resolution videos, which requires proper software and systems to edit them, which cannot be done on a cell phone alone because it is not that advanced and lacks the detailing and storage capacity. These laptops have better processors, more RAM, and higher-end graphics cards when compared to an everyday desktop.

2. Is it Worth Buying a 4k Laptop?

If your primary occupation is of a content creator, a graphic designer, a YouTuber, or a social media influencer whose job is to deliver well-edited content, then yes, it is worth every penny as you need excellent equipment to provide good content, also if you are a 2D and 3D designer also it is still worth it. But it is not recommended for average users unless you have the means to afford it. 

3. Do I Need a 4k Laptop to Edit a 4k Video?

Most definitely because it is shot with a high-quality camera, it has to be viewed on a high-quality laptop to get the best experience and hence is vital as it provides the most suitable format to view and work.

4. How Much RAM do You Need to Edit 4k Videos?

16 GB is recommended to edit 4k videos or even higher. The more, the better. 

5. Is i5 or i7 Better for Video Editing?

i5 is generally considered sufficient, but i7 wouldn’t be a bad option too. More power, more efficiency.

6. Can a Gaming Laptop Be Used for Video Editing?

Any powerful gaming laptop can be used to edit videos just fine. The requirements are almost the same as gaming. 

Conclusion

When it comes to picking the best laptops for video editing, it’s all about balance. Having a good hard drive with only a little RAM is a mistake. Having a big screen with less speed or more storage with less battery life does not add up to a good experience; look into the features of a laptop thoroughly instead of diving headfirst into buying one.

Read many reviews, even the bad ones, to get a clear picture of what you can expect and what can go wrong, so you’re well prepared. We have shortlisted some of our recommendations and prioritized them accordingly. Keeping all the above pointers in mind, we hope it gave you an insight into which would be a perfect match for your editing requirements. Please let us know in the comments what you think.