10 Of The Best Laptops For Video Editing

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If you're into video editing, you likely know how demanding it can be. From cutting clips to adding effects, everything takes time and power. And if your laptop can't keep up, things can get frustrating fast. A weak processor or low RAM means you'll be stuck waiting for things to load, while slow export times and lag can make even short projects feel like a chore. That's why picking the right laptop matters more than you might expect.

A good video editing laptop isn't just about looking good. It needs real power. You need a fast CPU to handle heavy workloads, a high-end GPU for smooth playback and effects, and plenty of RAM for multitasking. Without these, your editing tools might crash or slow down when you need them most. And don't forget storage. A fast SSD helps load files quicker and speeds up your entire workflow.

Now, here's the tricky part. There are tons of laptops out there. Many claim to be great for creators, but when you look closely, they cut corners — maybe in RAM or screen quality or in the graphics department, making them more suitable for regular work and not video editing. 

That's where we come in. We've gone through a series of options and picked 10 laptops that stand out. These machines offer performance and reliability needed for serious editing. But we recommend going through a list of things you should know before buying a laptop to make an informed decision. 

The MacBook Air M3 looks just like the older M2 version. But inside, it has the new M3 chip, which makes it faster and better for tasks like video editing. The M3 chip has an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, which helps when you're editing videos. You can scrub through your timeline smoothly, and export short 4K videos faster than previous iterations. Apps like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro run well because the M3 is built to handle creative work.

The screen is 13.6 inches with a Liquid Retina display. It shows bright and accurate colors, which is great when you're editing videos and want the aesthetics to look just right.

When it comes to the battery life, it's great. Apple says it can last up to 18 hours, and even with several apps open, it holds up well, according to users. This makes it a great laptop for anyone who travels and isn't able to charge multiple times a day.

The laptop is also thin and light. It's easy to carry in a backpack, so it's perfect if you like to edit videos while traveling or working in different places. Overall, the MacBook Air M3 is a great choice if you want a light, fast, and easy-to-use laptop for video editing. It's best for beginners or anyone doing short and simple video projects. The Apple MacBook Air M3 is available on Best Buy for $849.

ASUS is one of the most reliable laptop brands, and their ROG Zephyrus G14 stands out as a compact but powerful machine that handles video editing with ease — a great alternative to the MacBook Air. It has an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor and an Nvidia RTX 4060 laptop GPU. These two give it enough power to handle demanding video tasks like rendering, color correction, and timeline scrubbing smoothly.

With 16GB of fast LPDDR5X RAM and a 1TB SSD, you won't run into lag when multitasking or loading large project files. The SSD also means quick read/write speeds, which helps when you're working with large 4K video files or moving projects between folders. One of the best features for editors is the 14-inch OLED ROG Nebula Display. It has a 3K resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, offering sharp visuals, deep blacks, and accurate colors. The laptop also stays cool under pressure, thanks to the ROG's cooling system with liquid metal and multiple fans, but you can also get a cooling pad for it. 

Sound matters too while editing videos, and the G14 delivers. It has six speakers and Dolby Atmos, which helps when editing audio or reviewing a final cut. It's portable too at only 3.31 pounds and under an inch thick. You get a good mix of ports, including USB-C, HDMI, and even a microSD card reader for quick file transfers from cameras. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is available on Best Buy for $1,199.99 at the time of this writing.

The HP Omen Transcend 14 is built for creators who need power in a small and portable package. It comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU. This combo gives you enough speed and power to handle demanding video editing tasks like 4K footage rendering, real-time effects, and fast exports.

With 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM, the system can easily run editing software like Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or After Effects without slowing down. Whether you're scrubbing through high-resolution timelines or working with multiple layers and effects, the Omen handles it all smoothly.

One of the main highlights is its 14-inch 2.8K OLED display. It's sharp, colorful, and bright — perfect for accurate color grading and detailed edits. It also supports HDR (DisplayHDR True Black 500), so blacks look deeper, and contrast looks more natural. Plus, the DCI-P3 color coverage means it can show a wider range of colors, which is useful when working on videos that need to look just right.

Storage is also solid. The 1TB PCIe SSD gives you fast read and write speeds, so loading projects or transferring big files doesn't take much time. To stay cool during long editing sessions, the laptop is equipped with the Tempest Cooling system. It uses a 3-sided venting and multi-fan setup to keep performance steady, even after hours of use. Battery life is also decent, and fast charging gets you back to 50% in about 30 minutes. The HP Omen Transcend is available on Best Buy for $1,999.99.

The ASUS ProArt P16 is a high-performance laptop made for creators. For video editors, this machine brings everything you need — fast processing, a sharp display, and smooth graphics performance.

At its core is the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor, paired with 32GB of fast LPDDR5X RAM. It also features an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, which helps speed up tasks like real-time video previews, timeline scrubbing, and 4K rendering. Thanks to these specs, you can apply effects or work with large project files without worrying about the system slowing down. The 16-inch 4K OLED touchscreen is a big highlight. It shows sharp details and vibrant colors, which is important for color grading and editing visuals accurately. It covers over 85% of the DCI-P3 color range, so colors should look more true to life.

For those who edit a lot of footage, the 2TB SSD provides both speed and plenty of space. Thanks to the SSD, loading files, exporting videos, or moving between editing apps will happen quickly and without delays.

The ProArt P16 also includes the ASUS DialPad, a small touch-sensitive control that helps with things like adjusting brush sizes or zoom levels in apps like Premiere Pro or Photoshop. It's a nice extra for editors who like shortcuts. There are also enough ports for connectivity. You get USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and even a full-size SD card slot, which is handy for transferring footage straight from a camera. You can buy the ASUS ProArt P16 from Best Buy for $2,299.99.

The ASUS ROG Strix 18 is a big and powerful laptop made for heavy tasks like gaming and video editing. It comes with an Intel Core i9-14900HX processor that has 24 cores in total: eight for performance and 16 for efficiency. This kind of chip can easily handle 4K video editing, rendering, and multitasking without lag. It also has an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU with 12GB of VRAM. This helps when working with effects-heavy timelines or 3D content.

The 18-inch display is one of the standout features. It has a QHD+ (2560x1600) resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. The display also has a peak brightness of up to 500 nits, making it suitable for outdoors. As far as the memory is concerned, you'll get 32GB of DDR5 RAM, which helps when editing large projects or using multiple creative apps at once. For storage, there's a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, which means fast read/write speeds. You also don't have to worry about cooling, as it is handled by the ROG Intelligent Cooling system, which uses liquid metal to keep everything running cooler even during long editing sessions.

The audio system is solid too, with Dolby Atmos speakers and AI noise cancellation, making it easy to hear your edits clearly and without any disruptions. For ports, it has Thunderbolt 4, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and a UHS-II microSD card reader. You can buy the ASUS ROG Strix 18 for $2,599.99 from Best Buy.

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra feels like it was made with video editors in mind. It blends top-tier performance with a stunning AMOLED display, offering the kind of experience that makes long editing sessions feel smooth and productive. At the heart of this laptop is the Intel Core Ultra 9 chip, backed by 32GB of LPDDR5x RAM and an RTX 4070 GPU. These work together to make editing feel fast and smooth. Whether you're applying heavy color grades, stacking timelines, or rendering 4K footage, the laptop can handle everything with ease.

The 16-inch AMOLED touchscreen is absolutely stunning. With 3K resolution and 120% DCI-P3 color volume, the colors look bright and clear, and the dark areas look deep and real. This is helpful when color correcting or working with HDR content. You also don't have to worry about running out of space. The 1TB SSD gives you room for big video files and keeps load times short. The cooling system keeps things running quietly even when exporting large files, while the Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers ensure you can play around with the audio without always needing headphones.

And the battery? It's strong enough to handle a full workday of creative work, with fast charging that gets you back to around 50% in about 30 minutes. For those interested, the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra is available on Best Buy for $2,999.99.

The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is a large-screen laptop that blends editing performance with a sleek, minimalist look. It's powered by the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, which is designed with AI tasks in mind. While this CPU isn't the fastest in gaming, it performs well in creative tasks.

One standout feature is the 18-inch UHD+ Mini LED display. This 4K screen supports local dimming and excellent color accuracy. For video editors, this means you can color grade and check fine visual details without needing an external monitor. The screen also has a matte finish, which helps reduce reflections. The RTX 4080 GPU adds the power needed for GPU-accelerated tasks like timeline scrubbing, rendering, and effects previews in editing apps like DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere Pro. The laptop also boasts 32GB of RAM, which will ensure the system doesn't slow down during multitasking.

Storage isn't an issue either, as you'll get a 1TB PCIe SSD. It gives you plenty of space for large files and delivers fast data transfer speeds. Despite its large size, the laptop is relatively light at 6.39 lbs, making it more portable than some other 18-inch laptops. Plus, you'll get access to several ports, such as Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, and even a MicroSD card slot. Overall, it packs serious power, but we think it's more suited for professionals and not students. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is available on Best Buy for $3,299.99.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is a slim 16-inch laptop that packs serious power for video editors. It features an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and an RTX 4090 GPU, a high-end combo that handles everything from basic editing to heavy 4K workflows with ease. You can apply effects, color grade, and export large projects without worrying about slowdowns.

The display is a 2.5K OLED screen with a 240Hz refresh rate. It's sharp, bright, and highly color-accurate. It supports the full DCI-P3 color space, making it ideal for editors who rely on precise color work. Whether you're reviewing footage or grading scenes, visuals will look detailed and vibrant. With 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 2TB of SSD storage, multitasking and file access will also feel fast and effortless. This is especially useful for editors who use multiple apps like Premiere Pro, After Effects, or DaVinci Resolve at once.

You also don't have to worry about the laptop overheating, as the thermals are managed by vapor chamber cooling and three fans, keeping everything under control even during long editing sessions. The best part is that heat tends to stay away from the keyboard and palm rest, which means you can keep working comfortably. Battery life is also decent for a machine of this power, as you can get up to 7 hours on lighter tasks and around 4 to 5 hours for editing or rendering. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is available on Best Buy for $3,299.99.

The 2024 MacBook Pro with the M4 Max chip is built for serious creative work. With a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, it handles 4K video editing like it's nothing. Compared to the MacBook Pro with the M2 Max chip, Final Cut Pro 4K video exports complete in half the time. If you're working with high-resolution footage or adding effects, transitions, and color grading, the MacBook Pro doesn't break a sweat.

The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is stunning. It reaches up to 1600 nits peak brightness and supports extreme contrast, which helps when editing HDR videos or working in darker scenes. The high brightness also makes it usable in bright environments. Then 48GB of unified memory makes a difference during multitasking. You can keep Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, and Safari open side-by-side without the system slowing down. The 1TB SSD is fast, too, with Blackmagic tests showing write speeds over 7,200 MB/s.

When it comes to ports, the laptop offers three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI 2.1, an SDXC card slot, and MagSafe charging. The fast ports are great for plugging in external drives, displays, or even a dock.

Battery life is another strength of this laptop. Apple says it lasts up to 24 hours, but do keep in mind that this will depend on how you're using the laptop. The 2024 MacBook Pro with M4 Max chip is available through the Apple Store on Amazon for $3,999.

The Alienware M18 R2 is built like a workstation, and when it comes to video editing, that's exactly what you want. It's got some of the best specs you can find in a laptop today, starting with a 14th Gen Intel Core i9-14900HX processor. With 24 cores and up to 5.80 GHz speeds, this chip is made to handle multiple heavy tasks at once. Whether you're scrubbing through 4K footage, rendering effects, or exporting long timelines, this processor stays fast and responsive.

Graphics also matter when editing videos, especially if you're working with motion effects, transitions, or 3D animations. That's where the RTX 4090 GPU comes in. It's one of Nvidia's high-end cards, loaded with features and plenty of VRAM.

You also get 64GB of DDR5 RAM. That's more than enough for multitasking, such as keeping multiple software open at the same time. And with an enormous 8TB of SSD storage, you won't need to worry about running out of space for your footage or media files anytime soon. Plus, the SSD will also make sure everything loads quickly, saving you plenty of time.

The display is another key feature. It's an 18-inch QHD+ panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. That means more screen space for your timeline and tools, sharp visuals, and smooth playback. For those interested, the Alienware M18 R2 laptop is available on Amazon for $4,799.99.