These laptops correspond the finest for mobile editing, with accelerated processors, almighty graphics cards, superb displays, and plentifulness of memory.
If you can't hold to get backmost to the workplace to edit your latest footage, a laptop is the mode to go. But due to the fact that photograph and video editing is truthful hardware-intensive, you'll request to take a almighty laptop to support up. This means thing with an precocious graphics paper and processor, arsenic good arsenic 16GB of RAM oregon more.
Apple
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)
1. Best wide laptop for editing
Razer
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
2. Best laptop with precocious graphics processing
Amazon/ Pocket-lint
Acer Nitro 5
3. Best laptop for editing connected a budget
Amazon/ Pocket-lint
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (M2, 2022)
4. Best worth for the price
Amazon/ Pocket-lint
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
5. Best laptop with 4K touchscreen display
Related
Best camera phones: Handsets that instrumentality pro photos and videos
With the champion camera phones, you tin instrumentality take pro-level photos and videos without the bulky DSLR bag.
I've worked successful the movie manufacture for implicit a decade, and I've learned that trying to edit connected a crummy laptop conscionable isn't worthy the hassle. The sluggish rendering, changeless crashing, jittery playback, and year-long transportation times are simply excessively overmuch to woody with. Thus, I decided to probe and reappraisal the champion laptops for editing photos and videos. I was fortunate capable to person the Pocket-lint's squad of nonrecreational photographers, filmmakers, and machine geeks assistance maine out. Together, we've assembled the pursuing database of the finest.
Best laptops for photograph and video editing: Our apical picks
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)
1. Best wide laptop for editing
The latest and the top from the creativity king
The 2023 MacBook Pro features the cutting-edge M3 spot with an 11-core processor, endowing it with the powerfulness to rip done editing tasks astatine lightning-fast speeds.
Pros
- Brilliant show with 3024x1964 resolution
- M3 Pro spot is blindingly fast
- Surprisingly accessible terms constituent for an Apple product
- Built-in SDXC paper slot and HDMI port
Cons
- Significant terms leap for M3 Max spot and other storage
- The 2022 MacBook Pro is cheaper and inactive precise good
Pocket-lint's Britta O'Boyle gave the caller 2023 MacBook Pro an early-release review, and she was floored. Its new-and-improved M3 chipset is accelerated capable to fundamentally destruct load-times, truthful thing from web browsers to precocious 3D renders tally creaseless arsenic butter. Of course, arsenic with each things Apple, determination are a fig of antithetic options to take from, similar however overmuch retention and which M3 spot you prefer. For the terms worth and power, we urge the M3 Pro exemplary for editors.
Apple computers were erstwhile considered the superior machines for originative applications, but the cosmopolitan compatibility of Adobe products has weakened that monopoly successful caller years. However, this caller procreation of MacBooks promises to regain the throne. Their M3 chips synergistically harvester the powerfulness of some the CPU and GPU to expedite processing speeds, truthful applications similar Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Final Cut Pro, and DaVinci Resolve are responsive and smooth. Even erstwhile editing 4K footage, the 2023 MacBook Pro tin grip those elephantine files with ease. The 18GB of RAM doesn't hurt, either.
For editors, the gorgeous ''Liquid Retina XDR'' is besides a large plus. At 3024x1964, it falls determination betwixt 2K and 4K (Is 3K a thing?), delivering a super-sharp and elaborate image. It's besides remarkably bright, with implicit 1000 nits of brightness erstwhile utilizing HDR. Yet, for each that power, the artillery tin past up to 18 hours connected a afloat charge. For nonrecreational editing connected the go, the 2023 Apple MacBook Pro is perfect.
Razer Blade 14 (2023)
2. Best laptop with precocious graphics processing
The premium prime with a premium performance
The Razer Blade 14 earns its precocious terms tag with nonrecreational gaming hardware that works flawlessly for editing.
Pros
- 240Hz show with QHD+ resolution
- GeForce RTX 40-Series graphics card
- AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU is 1 of the champion successful the game
- Fairly long-lasting battery
Cons
- Razer likes to battalion successful a batch of bloatware
- Expensive
Just due to the fact that the Razer Blade 14 is marketed towards gaming doesn't mean it's not conscionable arsenic utile for editing photos and videos. In fact, that gamer-geared hardware is precisely what we look for erstwhile it comes to moving editing programs, since the precocious processor, almighty graphics card, and ample RAM assistance velocity up editing tasks. The Razer Blade 14 proves this constituent successful spades.
For example, the Razer Blade 14 has an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor. This happening is truthful almighty that I've seen radical asking connected forums if it's overkill. Perhaps its 8 cores, 16 threads, and 4.0GHz basal timepiece velocity are a small excessive for amateur gaming, but it's cleanable for nonrecreational editing. And that top-tier CPU is bolstered by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, truthful playback, rendering, and exporting are superfast and smooth.
Other notable specs see the 16GB of DDR5 RAM, which you tin upgrade if you truthful choose. It besides has a 1TB SSD, truthful you tin load up each your files and enactment straight disconnected your hard drive. Finally, the QHD+ surface someway manages a 144Hz refresh rate, letting you presumption each the details successful your images. Who would've guessed that gamers and editors had the aforesaid tastes?
Acer Nitro 5
3. Best laptop for editing connected a budget
The prime that punches acold supra its terms point
$795 $900 Save $105
For those with constricted funds, the Acer Nitro 5 surely meets the criteria for high-level editing, and its terms is simply a bargain.
Pros
- Intel Core i5-12500H processor reaches up to 4.50GHz
- Amazing worth for the price
- Color-rich IPS display
- 16GB DDR4 tin beryllium upgraded to 32GB
Cons
- Battery beingness doesn't past agelong erstwhile editing videos
- Display is lone FHD
- Fairly dense astatine 5.5 pounds
When buying connected a choky budget, you'll person to marque immoderate sacrifices. But with the Acer Nitro 5, we've recovered that those sacrifices aren't excessively bad. It has an fantabulous processor, graphics card, and upgradeable RAM, truthful it handles editing bundle highly well. Add to that the IPS show for color, and you person yourself an affordable and susceptible editing machine.
Pocket-lint The i5-12500H processor is simply a 12-core speedster, and it's fundamentally unmatched successful this terms range. Its max timepiece velocity of 4.50GHz delivers a accelerated performance, and it tin adjacent grip 4K video editing. The 16GB of DDR4 besides transportation its weight, though we urge installing different 16GB to debar immoderate bottlenecks. And due to the fact that the Acer Nitro 5 was designed with gaming successful mind, it includes a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM. It's surely not arsenic accelerated arsenic immoderate of the premium laptops connected our list, but the Acer Nitro 5 is inactive a worthy choice.
Apple MacBook Pro 13in (M2, 2022)
4. Best worth for the price
A large terms driblet since its release, aforesaid awesome power
$1300 $1499 Save $199
The 2022 MacBook Pro's fame mightiness person been superseded by the latest 2023 model, but it's inactive an astonishing machine that holds its own.
Pros
- 2K surface resolution
- Long-lasting artillery life
- M2 spot is inactive highly fast
Cons
- Apple's minimalism means less ports
- The Touch Bar gets a batch of flak
When the 2022 MacBook Pro deed the market, we were thoroughly impressed. And conscionable due to the fact that the 2023 exemplary promises fancy caller upgrades to the chipset, the 2022 exemplary inactive retains its glory. The M2 spot is lone a small implicit a twelvemonth old, but its velocity and ratio stay top-tier. If your fund can't acceptable the 2023 model, spell with this one.
Pocket-lint's Adrian Sobolewski-Kiwerski gave america a broad comparison betwixt the 2 models, and helium concluded that the 2022 MacBook Pro is "a safe, blimpish prime to prevention immoderate money." If that sounds underwhelming, support successful caput that helium compared it to our apical wide pick. And lone a small implicit a twelvemonth aft its release, the 2022 MacBook Pro has seen a immense terms drop. Some folks lament the Touch Bar and constricted ports, but the velocity of the M2 spot is undeniable. It excels astatine video editing, and 4K projects tally accelerated and smoothly. You tin export successful a mates of minutes, render successful seconds, and scrub done footage without dropping a azygous frame. At this price, the 2022 MacBook Pro is simply a steal.
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15
5. Best laptop with 4K touchscreen display
Cutting-edge hardware successful a super-slim design
$2459 $2649 Save $190
With an unthinkable 4K OLED display, a 4TB SSD, and a whopping 32GB of RAM, the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is simply a portable powerhouse for editing.
Pros
- Two superb displays that tin relation arsenic one
- 4TB SSD tin store tons of files
- Lightweight and portable
- Extreme processing power
Cons
- Setup whitethorn impact manual firmware and operator updates
- Expensive
The specs connected the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 are thing abbreviated of impressive. The gorgeous OLED show boasts a 4K resolution, the SSD offers 4TB of storage, and the i9-12900H processor tin timepiece up to 5.50GHz of speed. It besides has 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a GeForce RTX 3070Ti graphics paper for flawless playback and rendering.
Of course, each that powerfulness comes astatine a price. The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is called “Pro” for a reason, truthful it's not thing that astir radical tin afford. The divided surface is besides not for everyone, and it takes immoderate getting utilized to. Personally, I deliberation it's fantabulous for editing, since you tin enactment effects windows and the timeline connected the little screen, and permission the main surface for previews and playback.
The bottommost line: What's the champion laptop for editing?
The Apple 2023 MacBook Pro is by acold the champion laptop for mobile editing, and it's each acknowledgment to its M3 Pro chip. That peculiar small spot represents a monolithic innovation successful computing technology, arsenic it combines the CPU and GPU into 1 synergistic unit. The effect is simply a laptop that flies done editing tasks with ease, truthful you tin hide astir waiting astir for your unsmooth render.
But determination are different fantabulous options retired determination arsenic well, and they don't each outgo rather arsenic much. For example, the Acer Nitro 5 has astonishing specs, and the terms is simply a bargain. And for professionals, the Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop is simply a premium instrumentality that boasts an insane 240Hz show and a GeForce RTX 4070 graphics paper for utmost performance.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3, 2023)
Editor's Choice
$1849 $1999 Save $150
How we chose the champion laptops for editing
Computer hardware has travel a agelong mode since I started my filmmaking career. Back successful the day, I had to digitize tapes onto a clunker of an iMac, and from determination edit 480p videos astatine frustratingly debased speeds. Since then, I've upgraded my cogwheel considerably, truthful I person extended acquisition erstwhile it comes to what works and what doesn't. I've besides collaborated with the squad of nonrecreational photographers and tech heads present astatine Pocket-lint, and we decided connected what features were astir important to look for.
Processor: When it comes to editing, the processor is arguably the astir important portion of hardware. The CPU volition find however rapidly you tin enactment wrong editing software. All editing tasks, from scrubbing done the timeline to applying masks, are highly processor-intensive. Thus, we urge making definite your laptop's processor has a precocious timepiece velocity and astatine slightest 6 cores.
Graphics card: The graphics paper is different important constituent to an editing computer, particularly for video editing. Most modern editing bundle relies connected the GPU to accelerate video encoding and rendering speeds. If your graphics paper isn't precise good, you'll apt hold astir for a overmuch longer clip for your videos to render. Even playback tin beryllium affected, truthful marque definite your GPU is up to the task.
RAM: We urge astatine slightest 16GB of RAM if you privation your editing to spell smoothly. If your machine doesn't person enough, editing bundle whitethorn frost oregon crash. In fact, your full machine tin clang if you encumber it with excessively galore tasks astatine once. Fortunately, astir laptops let you to instal other RAM, truthful you tin upgrade down the enactment if you tally into problems. Make definite your laptop's RAM is upgradeable if you privation to instal it connected your own.
Display: A laptop's show isn't going to beryllium arsenic elaborate oregon large arsenic a desktop monitor, but determination are inactive immoderate high-res options retired there. Anything greater than 1080p is simply a boon for editing to assistance you spot the good details. Another information is the colour profile, with IPS displays offering the top colour depth. OLED screens are the second-best displays for color, portion modular LCD screens show less colors overall.
Storage: Internal retention is truly bully to have, since it allows you to transportation files straight to your laptop and enactment disconnected of that. Working disconnected an interior hard thrust is astir ever faster than moving disconnected an outer drive, arsenic the latter's USB transportation tin throttle speeds. That being said, immoderate interior SSD 500GB and larger should beryllium enough, since you tin prevention files that you're not moving connected an outer drive.
What programme should I usage to edit videos?
We're large fans of Adobe Premiere Pro. Its nonrecreational capabilities and intuitive interface marque it a bully prime for some beginners and seasoned editors. Avid Media Composer is the adjacent measurement up, and it's utilized successful galore big-budget productions for its precocious codecs and plug-ins. For Mac users, Final Cut Pro is different intuitive option.
What programme should I usage to edit photos?
As you mightiness person already guessed, Adobe Photoshop is the champion photograph editing programme connected the market. And it's been that mode for galore years. Photoshop's toolkit is truthful broad that "photoshop" has go a verb successful the communal vernacular. Their latest iteration has AI-powered tools that marque adjustments arsenic casual arsenic typing a bid and hitting "enter."
Related
7 escaped Photoshop alternatives for speedy and casual photograph fixes
Fixing a photograph oregon creating a graphic doesn't ever person to travel with the terms oregon learning curve of Photoshop.
However, determination are immoderate escaped (albeit little advanced) options worthy trying retired if you don't privation to wage Adobe's costly subscription fee. For example, GIMP is escaped to use, and its interface is highly akin to Photoshop's. It's not the astir intuitive, but it inactive has rather a robust acceptable of tools. Affinity Photo from Serif is different large option, and you lone person to wage a acceptable terms 1 clip to unlock each of its features.
What's the astir important portion of a laptop for editing?
We prioritize the processor, RAM, and graphics card, successful that order. Your processor volition yet find however accelerated your editing programme tin run. That includes applying effects, opening files, rendering, and scrubbing done footage. Better processors volition person higher timepiece rates, specified arsenic 3.6GHz and above, and a greater fig of cores, with 4 cores being the minimum for editing high-res videos. RAM volition besides impact speeds, particularly erstwhile drafting from galore antithetic files. If you don't person capable RAM, your machine tin crash. Finally, the graphics paper isn't rather arsenic important, but it volition apt power playback and render times. Look for graphics cards with astatine slightest 2GB of on-board RAM.
English (US) ·