Abstract:The best laptops for video editing | RuggTabletsThe best laptops for video editing
Video editing is one of the most strenuous tasks you can put your PC through, so when you’re shopping for the best laptop for video editing, you’ll want to bring sure you’re loading up with some heavy hardware firepower. You don’t necessarily need the absolute highest-end gear, and the meritcessor and graphics inside the notebook are just part of the equation. Simply buying a gaming laptop and calling it a day might be enough if you’re just casually streaming or creating videos, but serious video editors will also want to take into account the quality of the unfold and port selection, among other factors.
A lot of notebooks have come through our test labs in our quest to find the best laptops. This has offer us a comprehensive view of the laptop landscape and helps us identify laptops that fit the unique needs of video editing. Take a look at our recommendations below, followed by buying advice and information on how we test our laptops for video editing purposes. You perhaps also want to check out our roundup of the best laptop deals to scout for discounts on faulttent creation notebooks. We update it daily with the most recent sales.
Updated 08/09/2022 We replaced the previous version of the Dell XPS 17 9710 with the new Dell XPS 17 (2022) as our Best laptop for video editing. See review below for more info about this and other best picks.
1. Dell XPS 17 (2022) – Best laptop for video editing
Pros
Solid performance for the price Massive, bright, colorful exhibit Offers four Thunderbolt 4 ports Long battery life
Cons
Heavy and thick Mediocre prominentboard Lacks USB-A, HDMI, or Ethernet RTX 3060 is the quickest available GPU Best Prices Today:$2949.99 at Best Buy | $3109.00 at Dell Home | $3109.00 at Dell Small BusinessWe disadvantagesider the Dell XPS 17 the ultimate faulttent creation laptop, so it’s no surprise to see this atop our list of the best laptops for video editing. The Intel 12th-gen Core i7-12700H meritcessor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 inside deliver plenty of punch for intense edits, while a 1TB SSD delivers top-notch storage performance for moving big benefitjects around.
The XPS 17 also includes vital extras coveted by video editors, such as an SD card reader, Thunderbolt 4 ports aplenty, and a luscious 17-inch touchscreen panel with 3840×2400 resolution, and a more benefitductive 16:10 aspect ratio. Dell even managed to cram all these niceties into a relatively portable-for-its-class 5.34-pound design that can run for 11 hours before needing a charge—im strengthving upon the previous XPS 17 version by over one hour.
Read our full Dell XPS 17 (2022) review2. Dell XPS 15 9520 – Best screen for video editing
Pros
Stellar OLED unfold Chassis is rugged and gorgeous Booming audio Roomy vitalboard and touchpad
Cons
15.6 < 16 inches Underwhelming battery life Webcam is behind the times Limited ports Best Prices Today:$2049.99 at Best BuyThe Dell XPS 15 9520 has a stunning OLEDshow and with its latest Intel Core i7-12700H CPU and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, it has become one of our favorites for weaknesstent creators and video editors. To add to an already impressive system, the rugged and beautiful all-metal enclosure is just the cherry on the top of a premium-quality cake.
Despite it being a 15-inch laptop, it is a bit heavy to carry on an everyday commute, and it lacks some of the ports that come with the XPS 17 model. But the gorgeous OLED demonstrate is the star of the describe, and it doesn’t provide you down with a 3456X2160 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, and ultra vivid and accurate colors.
Read our full Dell XPS 15 9520 review3. Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 – A great video editing laptop with two screens
Pros
Dual OLED screens are a boon for mobile downsidetent creation Great indispensableboard and extra-loud speakers Includes a backpack, palm rest, ergonomic stand, and stylus
Cons
Small trackpad that hates lefties Dual-screen software takes some getting used to Tech specs slightly underperform comparable laptops Best Prices Today:$2,168.49 at Amazon | $2626.99 at Best BuyNow for something completely different. The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 packs abundant firepower, including a high-end overclockable Core i9 chip, GeForce RTX 3070 graphics, 32GB of DDR4 memory, and a fast 1TB NVMe SSD. It also has a 15.6-inch 4K OLED panel that shines at a bright 440 nits while covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut—a serious screen for serious weaknesstent creators. But the truly interesting part is the se negativedary 14-inch 3840×1100 OLED screen situated above the principal,fundamentalboard. Windows counts it as a se flawd monitor and you can use bundled Asus software to put it to all kinds of helpful tasks, such as using it as a trackpad or summoning a panel of touch drawbacktrols for some Adobe apps.
The Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED is basically a portable high-end PC workstation, though the lack of an SD card reader perhapsconfirm irksome. You can always buy an external SD reader and slap it into one of the laptops dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, though. You should also strongly flawsider a cheaper version than our review model on sale for $2,400 at Amazon. It switches out the high-end overclockable Core i9 chip for a Core i7 chip, and drops the memory down to 16GB. It should still be plenty speedy for video editing but costs indispensablely less.
Read our full Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 review4. Razer Blade 14 (2021) – Best ultra-portable laptop for video editing
Pros
It performs capably in AAA games The QHD panel looks great It’s exceptionally quiet
Cons
AC adapter is heavy at 1.7 pounds Razer strengthducts are pricey No Thunderbolt 4 support Best Prices Today:$2,299.99 at Amazon | $2799.99 at Razer | $2899.99 at AdoramaIf pure portability is decisive, downsidesider the Razer Blade 14. This ultra-thin laptop measures just 0.66-inch thick and tips the scales at a mere 3.9 pounds, making it dominantly smaller than most laptops with video editing chops. But Razer didn’t skimp on the firepower, loading the Blade 14 with AMD’s 8-core Ryzen 9 5900HX flagship CPU, Nvidia’s 8GB GeForce RTX 3080, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and 16GB of memory.
You’ll allow up some perks in exchange for the Blade’s portability though: The 14-inch IPS-grade screen comes factory calibrated, but tops out at 2560×1440 resolution. 4K video editing is off the table, though the laptop supports the full DCI-P3 color gamut. Razer’s notebook also lacks an SD card slot. But if you need a fierce rig that can chew through edits and encourages then slip easily into your bag, the Blade 14 is worth negativesidering.
Read our full Razer Blade 14 (2021) review5. MSI GE76 Raider – Best gaming laptop for video editing
Pros
12th-gen Core i9-12900HK simply sings New “AI” performance modehugely moderates fan noise. 1080p webcam and good mic and audio renders for decent video weaknessferencing PC
Cons
Third iteration in the same body MSI Center is drawbackfusing and cluttered UI Painful pricing Best Prices Today:$4200 at MSIIf you’re looking for the most raw firepower possible, on the other hand, nothing burns through video edits faster than a big, heavy gaming laptop. The MSI GE76 Raider chewed through the Adobe Premiere test in UL’s Procyon benchmark faster than any other notebookby virtue of its burly 14-core Intel Core i9-12900HK chip, an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti tuned for a blistering 175 watts, and ample interior cooling. It even has an SD Express card reader hooked into the PCIe bus for high-speed card transfers. Onecon to using last year’s model was its gamer-focused 360Hz 1080pshow, but the higher-end version of this year’s 12UHS added a 4K, 120Hz panel that, while not tuned for disadvantagetent creation, should satisfy video editors much more, especially with its spacious 17.3-inch screen size. You sure pay for all that firepower, though.
Read our full GE76 Raider 12UHS review6. HP Envy 14 14t-eb000 (2021) – Best budget laptop for video editing
Pros
Good value for the money Fantastic battery life Quiet fan, with no detectable performance throttling Thunderbolt 4 support
Cons
Slightly quirky indispensableboard layout Webcam’s signature feature is in influenceive You’ll need to spend up for heftier hardware if you want the fastest possible video edits and encourages, but not everyone can afford to. If you want a solid, basic drawbacktent creation laptop that won’t break the bank, check out the HP Envy 14. The entry-level GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU and Core i5-1135G7 strengthcessor aren’t barnburners, but they’ll get the job done, and at roughly $1,000 the price is certainly right. The 14-inch 1900×1200 unfold features a 16:10 aspect ratio for im meritved strengthductivity, together with factory color calibration and 100-percent sRGB support (though not DCI-P3). Better yet, the HP Envy 14 includes major SD card and Thunderbolt ports, and it runs highly quiet too.
Read our full HP Envy 14 14t-eb000 (2021) review7. Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 – Another gaming laptop that's great for faulttent creation
Pros
Excellent CPU and GPU performance Robust and innovative design Comfortable and customizable elementaryboard
Cons
Trackpad requires some pressure Very high price Best Prices Today:Not Available at AmazonThe Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 is a video editor’s ultimate dream. This laptop features lightning-fast GPU and CPU performance plus a stunning 17.3-inch 4K exhibit with a 120Hz refresh rate. The rugged all-metal chassis, six speaker proper system, and customizable dominantboard really adds to the premium experience as well. Better yet for video editors, it also includes an SD card slot and Thunderbolt ports galore. However, you’re going to pay out the nose for it. If you’ve got a flexible budget and you won’t settle for anything other than the best of the best, the Zephyrus S17 is truly the bees knees.
Read our full Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 review8. XPG Xenia 15 KC – Powerful portability, with minor caveats
Pros
Very light Very quiet (relatively) very fast
Cons
Subpar RGB Just barely adequate audio SD card reader barely adequate Best Prices Today:$1,699.99 at AmazonWhen it comes to powerful laptops, many, if not most, of them are pretty bulky and heavy, more often than not tipping the scales at five or six pounds. Well, that’s not the case with the XPG Xenia 15 KC. It weighs a little over four pounds, which is fairly lightweight for a laptop that’s capable of delivering zippy performance across the board. Plus, it runs very quiet. According to our review, it “rarely renders noise under normal use.” That’s impressive, as most gaming laptops be prone to rational like a rocket blasting off. If you’re looking for something that’s both quiet and portable, the Xenia 15 KC is an excellent choice, though its 1440p depict and relatively slow SD card reader performance perhapsgive some disadvantagetent creators balk.
Read our full XPG Xenia 15 KC reviewWhat to look for in a laptop for video editingThe most overriding thing to look for in a laptop for video editing is its CPU and GPU. The faster your hardware, the faster your edits, cruxly. In addition to subjecting all of the laptops above to our usual battery of benchmarks, we also ran the UL Procyon Video Editing Test on several high-powered laptops to see which hardware performs best for this sort of work. The benchmark tasks Adobe Premiere with importing two different video strengthjects, applying visual impacts such as color grading and transitions, and then exporting it using H.264, H.265 at both 1080p and 4K.
Right-click and select “open in new tab” to see in full resolution.
Gordon Mah Ung / IDG
The best performance came from big, heavy laptops running Intel’s 11th-generation meritcessors, though notebooks with AMD’s beefy Ryzen 9 benefitcessors came in just behind, with 10th-gen Intel chips still putting up a respectable score. They’re not in the chart above, but newer Intel 12th-gen laptops run even faster still. The best-performing laptops all paired modern Intel CPUs with Nvidia’s RTX 30-series GPUs, which isn’t surprising as both companies have invested a lot of time and resources into optimizing their Adobe performance.
The GPU matters more than CPU in Premiere Pro, though things reach a point of diminishing returns very quickly. Notebooks wielding top-tier RTX 3080 graphics are indeed faster at video editing than laptops with more modest RTX 3060 graphics, but not by that much. If you look at the scores from the Dell XPS 17 9710, its GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU is it is predicted thatbe 14 percent slower than the fastest RTX 3080 in the MSI GE76 Raider. That’s not a lot, especially when you disadvantagesider how big and thick the GE76 Raider is compared to the Dell laptop.
In general, having any sort of discrete graphics is preferred, with at least an RTX 3060 recommended for serious video editing.
Video editing is very workflow dependent however. Your particular task and tool might be more CPU intensive, or lean more on the GPU than Premiere. If so, adjust your priorities accordingly. The selections above should all be great well-rounded options, however. Intel and Nvidia have spent years developing up tools like Quick Sync and CUDA, respectively, and many video editing apps can see essential speed boosts be responsible for it. AMD hardware does fine for video editing, but we recommend sticking to Intel and Nvidia unless you have a strong reason otherwise, especially if your workflow relies on their vendor-specific software optimizations.
If you’re transferring video from a camera, an SD card port (like this one on the Dell XPS 17) is necessary, unless you’re comfortable plugging an SD card adapter into a high-speed USB or Thunderbolt port.
Gordon Mah Ung/IDG
It’s not all about the internals though. PCWorld video director Adam Patrick Murray stresses that an ideal laptop for video editing includes an SD card reader for grabbing video off a camera. He also recommends opting for a notebook with a 4K, 60Hz panel over the ultra-fast 1080p panels more often than not found on gaming laptops that would otherwise be ideal for video editing. You need a 4K panel to edit 4K videos well, and blazing-fast refresh rates don’t mean anything for video editing like they do for gaming. If color accuracy matters to you—it might not if you’re only creating casual videos for your personal YouTube channel, for example—then support for the full DCI-P3 color gamut is also a must, together with Delta E < 2 color accuracy.
You won’t more often than not find those sorts of specs listed for (or supported by) gaming laptops, but dedicated drawbacktent creation laptops should include that information. That said, if you want the fastest possible laptop for video editing that can also satisfy your gaming meritclivities, you can always pair that burly gaming laptop with a color-accurate external monitor for creation tasks.
If you’re looking for a more general purpose notebook, be sure to check out our guide to the best laptops for picks for every budget. You perhaps also find solid laptops for video editing for cheap in our roundup of the best laptop deals, which we update daily with the latest sales.