They say it’s easier to buy a new car than a new laptop.
Why? Because you can try to drive a new car, but not use a new laptop!
Video editing is a task that requires you to have access to a high-quality display and sufficient computing power to process large video files.
But before presenting you with these laptops, let me explain how to choose the best budget laptop for video editing.
Whether you’re a creative who works on professional-looking videos or want to start a YouTube channel, investing in the right laptop will make video editing a lot easier.
It’s easy to get confused if you’re unfamiliar with the performance specifications.
We compared different laptops to select the best affordable laptop you can use for video editing.
We often hear that video editing and graphic design are intensive tasks reserved for high-end desktops. The first assertion is true, the second a little less.
A laptop is certainly a little more limited than a desktop PC in terms of performance, but today the difference is increasingly small. Some laptops compete with towers and even without typing in the very high end, it is possible to find laptops perfectly suited for editing and video editing work.
Whether you are an Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Davinci Resolve, Sony Vegas, or Pinnacle user, it doesn’t matter, as long as you know what components to consider and what kind of computer to choose.
That’s all the point of this article: not just to give you a list of the best video editing laptops, but also to help you understand the why and how this or that laptop is great for editing. In this article, you will understand that the solution to choosing a good laptop dedicated to video editing is to find the right balance between processing power, graphics resources, RAM, and internal storage.
So yes computers that meet these criteria are not cheap but I will try to include laptops of different price ranges, so you can find yourself within your budget.
Contents
CHOOSING YOUR BEST LAPTOP FOR VIDEO EDITING: THE GUIDE
Here are the main components found in a laptop and which are important parameters to consider when choosing your laptop.
The processor (CPU):
The processor is the basis of an assembly PC. The number of cores and the speed of the processor determine how quickly you can perform editing tasks.
If your laptop doesn’t have a powerful processor, it will be slow regardless of any other component. Modern editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, and Final Cut Pro take advantage of the many processor cores and hyperthreading.
It is therefore essential to invest for a computer dedicated to video editing to be equipped with a high-performance processor.
I generally recommend taking a computer with a Core i7-8750H (six cores) as the processor but if your budget is tight, you may fall back on a core i5-8300H (four cores).
The Graphics Card (GPU):
It might sound counterintuitive, but the graphics card (aka the video card) is a bit less important when it comes to video editing and creative work done with most software.
Compared to the processor, it’s generally okay to save some money and settle for a decent card, nothing more.
The exception to this rule is if you plan to edit with Resolve, you absolutely need a powerful graphics card, as this software is primarily powered by a GPU, not a CPU.
By itself, it’s not even absolutely necessary to have a dedicated graphics card to use most editing software. However, modern video editing software takes advantage of graphics cards by hardware acceleration for encoding and rendering.
Having a moderately powerful graphics card will therefore make all the difference. This will make renderings faster if you invest in a high-end graphics card, so the graphics card is kind of a bonus, useful but not mandatory.
For an entry-level video editing GPU, I recommend the GTX 1650 or GTX 1650 Ti.
At 4K or higher, a GTX 1660, 1660Ti, or RTX 2060 with 6GB of VRAM is a good choice. If you have the budget, go for the high-end: RTX 2070, 2080, or the super variants of the latter: RTX 2070 Super and RTX 2080 super.
Storage (HDD or SSD?):
When it comes to data storage, you have two options: SSD (Solid State Drive) or conventional hard disks (HDD). Both of these options work, but SSDs offer many other advantages over HDDs.
The exception to this rule is if you plan to edit with Resolve, you absolutely need a powerful graphics card, as this software is primarily powered by a GPU, not a CPU.
In summary, SSDs offer much better performance than hard drives once you get into complex edit timelines that involve playing multiple clips simultaneously.
Again, your video editing PC does not need an SSD at all. A hard drive will be fine if you are just editing H.264 videos to 1080p.
That said, if you can afford it, get yourself a laptop computer equipped with at least a small SSD drive (128 GB or more) to install your operating system and important software. You will see an overall performance gain from your computer, not just in video editing.
RAM:
Having enough RAM is essential in the world of video editing. If you are editing a 1080p video, I recommend 8GB and I’m talking about the bare minimum.
For 4k, go for 16 GB. In both cases, the more RAM you have, the better. Note all the same that its priority remains lower than that of a good processor and a good graphics card.
The more RAM your video editing laptop has, the better able it is to handle processes simultaneously before the computer starts to get bogged down.
If you both want to be working on a big project while having a ton of Chrome tabs open, you’ll need to have a fair amount of RAM. Standard laptops will usually have 8 GB of RAM, while laptops optimal for video will have 16 or 32 GB.
It’s also recommended that you look for video editing laptops with expandable RAM in case you need to give them a boost.
Video editing is one of the few areas that makes the most of large amounts of RAM; so invest as much as you want. 16 GB or more is not insane amounts of RAM for video editing.
The Display:
Obviously, when you do video editing, the screen is a key component. Make sure that the laptop you choose has a display that provides accurate color representation, enough brightness to use in a bright location, high resolution for the sharpest details, and size to suit your needs.
When it comes to performance laptops in this segment, you’ll find plenty of 15 “displays, but there are also 13” ones. Your specific use case will determine which screen size is right for you, but I generally recommend against anything other than 15 or 17 ”.
Software :
The majority of video editing software these days is available for at least the two major operating systems – macOS and Windows.
However, depending on your video editing preferences and the software you want to use, some of them will work with a specific operating system. If you’re a Final Cut Pro X fan, your only option is to go for a Macbook. But if you are comfortable with Adobe Premiere, you can use both Mac OS or Windows.
There you go, now that we’ve covered the subject, I’m going to answer the question you are probably waiting for the answer to: “What are the best laptops for video editing right now? “
Here is my ranking.
Best Budget Laptop For Video Editing Available Now:
1. Lenovo Legion Y540 – Best VR Ready Laptop
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H
- GPU: GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB VRAM
- RAM: 8 GB
- Screen: 15 ″ FHD (1,920 x 1,080)
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
The Lenovo Legion Y540 is a great choice if you’re looking for performance without spending massive amounts of money.
Indeed, this laptop offers a lot in terms of power for its price thanks to its intel core i5 processor coupled to the powerful Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card with 6 GB of video memory as well as its 8 GB of RAM, all of this. accompanied by a 512 GB SSD drive.
In this configuration, this pc becomes particularly suitable for all those required to use complex video editing software.
It’s an overall well-built computer with a good keyboard, low weight, and solid performance.
Despite being a video editing laptop, it is understated and quite pleasing to the eye.
PROS
- Value for money
- Good performance, low heat
- Easy to carry around
- Good touchpad
CONS
- None
2. ASUS TUF FX505DT Cheap Editing Laptop – Best Affordable Laptop for Video and Photo Editing
Specifications
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 4 GB VRAM
- RAM: 16 GB
- Screen: 17 ″ FHD (1,920 x 1,080)
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
The TUF705DT from Chez Asus is a laptop that does not lack charm. It’s an entry-level, powerful laptop capable of performing big tasks, offered at an ultra-competitive price.
It embeds an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor, the Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card with 4 GB of VRAM, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB for storage.
A well-balanced configuration all in a 2.6 kg chassis, which is rather light for a 17 ″ and offered at a competitive price.
Among the shortcomings of this computer, we can note the keyboard with a yellow backlight, which will not be to everyone’s taste. Fortunately, we can deactivate it. You can do a lot more with this, if you have multiple skills like graphic designing you can use this laptop for that as well.
PROS
- Excellent Performance in this Price Ratio
- Stunning backlit keyboard
- 17 ″ screen
- Gamer design
CONS
- None
3. Dell Gaming G3 15 3500
Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i5 – 10300H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660 Ti 6 GB VRAM
- RAM: 8 GB
- Screen: 15 ″ FHD
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
It is an excellent PC which is part of the G3 range known for its ultra-competitive prices. And this one is no exception.
Judge its technical sheet: core i5-10300H, 8 GB of Ram, the powerful Nvidia GTX 1660TI equipped with 4 GB VRAM to manage the graphics part, and 512 GB SSD for storage, all offered at an unbeatable price.
It will run video editing software with relative ease thanks to its good processor and graphics card. Its design is gamer-oriented, with its touches of blue, which will not necessarily be to everyone’s taste. But if you like this design, go for it.
Overall a very good laptop, especially for the price it is offered.