Best Laptops for Video Editing

Being a big name on a computer (and, specifically, laptop) market, ASUS is expected to deliver top performance and quality. And that, they do without fail, a demonstration of which we can see here with the ASUS VivoBook Pro. While not the most expensive gaming laptop offered by ASUS themselves and certainly not the most expensive one in general, this model makes a good laptop for video editing. Here's why.

The diagonal here is 17.3" so it's a fairly big model. However, at the same time, it is not heavy as one might have assumed—at 4.6 lbs, it is more lightweight than some laptops with a smaller diagonal. Partially, it is due to its thinness—the model is less than an inch thick, only 0.8". It is one of the thinnest full-size laptops.

At this diagonal, the VivoBook Pro offers a Full HD resolution of 1920x1080. When it comes to laptops and not home full-sized workstations, this is nearly as good as it can get. For the times when you are not on the go, you can use this Windows laptop with an external monitor or TV since it has all the important ports in it like an HDMI and a plethora of USB options that includes a USB 3.1 Type-C, two USB 2.0, and a USB 3.0. The SDXC card reader is a given, of course, as is the RJ45 Lan port for when you need a faster Internet connection that a Wi-Fi module offers (or when there is no router).

The processor of this Dell laptop is the 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H and the "H" here stands for High-performance graphics, according to the Intel designation system. While the machine is advertised mainly as a gaming model, media rendering and filmmaking are the same, if not even more graphic-conscious tasks, therefore, a graphics-oriented CPU makes perfect sense for a laptop where HD video and music are being tweaked. With a processor like this, your multimedia will be processed and delivered in top quality and with the best possible speed, relieving you from the worries that come with the snail pace and crush recurrence of older models.

Besides the powerful CPU, the Dell laptop comes with a 16GB RAM expandable to 32GB and a combo storage of 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD. The impressive RAM makes the rendering process fast and lag-free and the extensive storage is a must for saving the footage you work with since using external drives for files actively used in a photo/video editing software is not recommended. Finally, there is an upgraded NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics card that offers higher fps in gaming and is, consequently, better for making videos.

HP OMEN is the gaming laptop for those seeking good specs at a moderate price. Its i5 Intel processor offers a performance slightly below that of an i7 one but not really all that much. For starters, it has a 2.3GHz base clock speed yet it can reach 4GHz when used in Turbo mode. This is nearly the same as with some i7 processors so you're not missing out too much. And since it is an "H" designated processor, we can say that the company had allocated a major part of its attention to making it as good at graphics as possible. Besides, the CPU is assisted in this field by a robust NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti graphics card.

One of the most outstanding features here is the range of offered interfaces. In addition to the standard selection of a card reader, an HDMI, three USB 3.1 ports, an RJ45, there is a mini DisplayPort, a USB 3.1 Type-C, and a Microphone input separate from a combo jack.

As for storage, there is a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. For installing the software, the SSD this large is more than enough unless you need a number of different apps of that scale and demands. In that case, you might need a more expensive laptop or, even better, a desktop workstation.

The model has 12GB of RAM, which is quite a good number for audio and video editing. Some top-shelf professional video editing software might ask for a 16GB RAM but it is most probably in the "Recommended" slot and not the minimum required for glitch-free work. Besides, in case you need or want more, there are two slots in this laptop for adding extra DDR4 RAM.

All sharp edges and corners, gray and red with its two red lines and a series logo on the lid, this laptop just screams gaming. The lid is texturized metal, it's really durable, too, making it a good choice for an on-the-go laptop. That is, if it weren't this heavy. Almost 6 lbs in weight, it is a bit tiring to carry along everywhere you go. However, most video editors, pros and hobbyists alike, do not move around as much as business people do so it is not much of a drawback.

The display is 15.6" IPS, has an LCD backlight and supports Full HD resolution. The variety of ports enables fast and reliable data transfer; you'll find two USB 2.0, a USB 3.0, and a USB 3.1 Type-C at the sides, the latter supporting up to 5 Gbit/s speed. There is an HDMI port to connect to external monitors, of course, and a slot for an SD card.

The two fans were designed using the AeroBlade 3D technology and both have an increased number of super-thin (0.004") blades. The cooled air travels through the entire laptop from its front to the back lowering the body temperature to the safe levels, meaning you can go for the heavy load without fear.

The first thing that catches the eye when you look at the specs in the table above is that this supposedly gaming laptop lacks an SSD drive. When we talk about audio and video editing, it somewhat resembles gaming in that it creates a heavy load on a system, and the more source files you have the harder it is for the computer. That's why it is highly recommended to have a solid-state drive for faster performance, right? So why is this laptop here on the list at all when it only has a 1TB HDD and some 16GB of a different memory type? Well, the answer lies in that 16GB Intel Optane Memory module.

Optane is a new technology implemented with Intel's 8th Gen processors (i5, i7, and i9 ones) and this technology makes it possible for an HDD drive to reach responsiveness and speed of an SSD. The system itself and the apps or files you frequently use will boot faster thanks to the Optane's ability to "remember" them. Now, it is still only a 1TB disk so you will likely need extra space for storage but at least you do not need to worry about the system performance or multitasking issues.