The best laptops for video editing in 2023

Not an Apple fan? The ASUS ProArt Studiobook OLED (H7604) proves that you don't need a Mac to have a great video editing laptop, so don't worry. The best option is to stick with Windows if that's what you like.

However, it manages to combine an excellent set of features with the capacity to run cool and quiet, meaning it can deliver powerful performance without breaking a sweat. This is a big advantage for labour-intensive tasks like video editing.

Our review unit featured a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics and 64GB of RAM. After testing these powerful components, our reviewer concluded that ASUS' laptop is "on par with the best processors currently on the market, including those from Cupertino." In other words, your performance won't suffer if you choose Windows over macOS.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is often overlooked among Apple's laptop models, but it still has a lot to offer digital artists. One reason is that it's very reasonably priced and offers a lot for the price. According to our reviewer, it is, simply put, "an excellent performer and has outstanding battery life".

In addition, you get Apple's M2, which, while not the brand's flagship CPU, is still highly efficient and performant. And because the MacBook Pro includes fans (unlike the MacBook Air), it's able to stay cool and composed even under heavy video workloads.

You also get Apple's exceptional build quality, a battery life that exceeds all expectations (15 hours, 31 minutes in our tests), and a device that runs almost silently, even with the fans running. The MacBook Air may not be the best choice, but some of the other laptops in this article may offer higher performance. But the price/performance ratio of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is very hard to match.

The m17 R5 laptop from Dell's Alienware line is a great option for creatives, even though the company is best known for its gaming hardware. It features a powerful AMD processor and graphics card, making it a great choice for Red Team supporters.

When we tested it, our tester said that it "sprinted through both gaming and creative tasks, and multitasking was a breeze in our tests". In 3D rendering and video encoding tests using Cinebench and Handbrake, it outperformed almost all of its similarly priced competitors.

It has a large 17-inch screen and a fast 120Hz refresh rate, and the display is, in our reviewer's words, "absolutely fantastic". It'll give your films plenty of breathing space while you work on them.

The appeal of Apple's Macs among artists is perhaps its best-known feature. The MacBook Pro 16-inch 2023 shows why they're so beloved for video editing work, so their positive response is not out of place.

The amount of power Apple can pack into a laptop is very important. The most powerful chip available in Apple's portable Macs is the M2 Max, which can be plugged into the device. When it comes to colour grading in DaVinci Resolve, Apple claims it's up to 30% faster than the previous generation M1 Max and twice as fast as the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Pro's stunning display is another key selling point for video creators. At 16.2 inches diagonal, it's big and spacious, and is equipped with Apple's mini LED display, which produces incredibly accurate colours and deep blacks. In fact, we praised it in our review as "truly amazing to look at and use".

The best laptop for video editing is undoubtedly the one with 22 hours of battery life, a great keyboard and trackpad, and lots of RAM and storage.

Not all excellent video editing laptops are bulky, heavy machines with huge fans and flashing RGB lights everywhere. Take the Dell Precision 5470 as an example. You might not be impressed by this unassuming PC, but you'd be acting fast if you rejected it because of it.

In our testing, we found the computer to be a good all-around performer. In fact, as our reviewer noted, it passed our tests with "no lag or performance issues" and delivered results on par with Dell's 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro CPU, which costs £1,000 more than the alternative.

This gives you a good idea of the value this laptop offers. In our assessment, it's a "wolf in sheep's clothing" despite its simple appearance, because it offers you outstanding performance and long battery life, which is crucial for video editing tasks.

In the past, no one would have considered the MacBook Air to be a good laptop for video editing. But today everything has changed, and the newest model of Apple's thin and light Mac is more than capable of handling simple and light video editing tasks. As we put it in our review, it is, simply put, "everything a creative professional would want from an upgrade".

We use the terms "light" and "medium" because Apple's M2 CPU only requires passive cooling, so the MacBook Air doesn't have a fan. It can slow down a bit on really demanding video workloads because it gets a bit warm during particularly strenuous processes. However, it can easily handle almost everything else.

Apple launched a 15-inch MacBook Air in June 2023 to add more screen space alongside the 13-inch model. That extra capacity can be crucial if you want to edit any video on it. And because it's an Apple display, you get a nice screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio and P3 wide colour gamut compatibility.

The Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a remarkable laptop, no doubt about it (and not just because of its long name). With a second screen placed between the keyboard and the main panel, it fits not one but two displays.

What is the purpose of this additional screen? It becomes ideal for video editing. It allows you to transfer different application interface elements to this screen, such as a collection of controls and tools or a video timeline. Instead of being stuck on your main screen, they are moved to where they have a separate area. The change in the workspace of a video editor is great.

Of course, none of this would matter if this notebook were not extremely competent. However, it features a powerful Intel Core i9 CPU that can handle video tasks with ease. That means you get a tonne of performance packed into a creative, user-friendly workspace that seems to be designed specifically for editors and renderers. According to our reviewer, it's a "real treat" with "excellent build quality, two gorgeous displays and some seriously powerful components".

Investing in a 2-in-1 laptop lets you quickly switch between editing video on a laptop and setting up timelines on a tablet. This versatile use case is where the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio really shines, and you'll appreciate how easy it is to switch between forms.

'Easel' mode, which positions the screen at the perfect angle for sketching, is a feature you'll appreciate if you're also fond of digital painting. In the words of one of our reviewers, "It's a pretty cool design that will no doubt appeal to digital creatives with its pen compatibility." Plus, its tight interaction with Microsoft's Slim Pen 2 makes drawing and doodling incredibly easy.

While more powerful options are available, few offer the versatility and mobility you get with Surface Laptop Studio. It's a fair performer when it comes to video editing. This 2-in-1 is a great option if you need something that doubles as an excellent tablet, if you want to work on the road, if you want to combine video editing with digital art, or if you just want something that's a little more versatile.

The Razer Blade 17 (2022) is a great option if you're looking for a laptop with a big and beautiful display for video editing. It offers a range of options to meet your demands, from 1080p to 4K resolutions and refresh rates up to 360Hz. The 1440p version reaches 100% of the P3 colour range, while the 4K version has a display that reaches 100% of the Adobe RGB colour spectrum. In any case, they are suitable for colour-accurate video production.

However, this laptop is more than just a great display. It has tremendous performance, a very stylish look and a tonne of useful ports and inputs. It's a complete package that appeals to gamers and artists alike.

Our reviewer praised what they saw, saying, "Not only is it one of the most powerful laptops on the market for gamers and creative professionals, it's also stylish enough to replace many desktop systems." Overall, they concluded, “this is what a creative professional's dream device should look like.”

Do I need a dedicated graphics card for video editing?

While a dedicated graphics card is not technically necessary for routine video editing, buying a laptop with a dedicated GPU can be a wise investment if you want to do some ambitious video editing and create complex graphics effects. The word "investment" is important here because laptops with dedicated graphics cards sometimes cost a lot more, so before spending any money, you should make sure you really need this kind of power.

Nvidia Studio drivers, customised drivers that use artificial intelligence to improve performance in a wide range of creative applications, can be run on some laptops equipped with Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics cards. Any laptop using the latest Nvidia technology is likely to be more expensive than a laptop with an older GTX series card or a laptop with integrated graphics (i.e. graphics processors built into the CPU), as these GPUs are generally more expensive.

MacBooks no longer have a dedicated GPU. Instead, the firm's M-series processors feature powerful integrated GPUs that work flawlessly and are more than capable of running all common video editing programmes.

How should I choose the best laptop for video editing?

What distinguishes a good laptop for video editing? Firstly, you need authorisation. Because video editing can be challenging, especially when dealing with ultra-high-resolution material, you will need a laptop with lots of RAM (at least 8 GB, but 16 GB is recommended). You also need to have an up-to-date CPU, preferably from Intel or AMD. If you want a MacBook, Apple's own M-series processors have proven to be a great video editing technology.

Video files can be quite large, so video editors will also want a laptop with lots of fast SSD storage. Even if you use external storage devices, you need something that will open your files quickly or allow you to transfer them between the laptop and a backup drive, for example.

In some cases, as with many Nvidia Studio laptop options, a dedicated graphics card can also be useful, especially when using AI-enhanced software or producing visual effects.

The best laptops for video editing will also have high-resolution displays so you can work comfortably and see the true colours of your material. For the highest possible video quality, some of the laptops on this list will have properly calibrated displays.

The soundtrack to your films is just as important as the actual content, so having excellent built-in speakers is a big plus. With good speakers, you can (and probably will want to) listen to and edit your film's soundtrack without having to buy external speakers.

Are laptops for video editing expensive?

Many of the best laptops for video editing can be quite expensive due to their combination of powerful technology and stylish looks. But you can still get a great laptop for video editing without breaking the bank. Even if you can only edit footage at lower resolutions or have to put up with longer processing times, many users will find this perfectly acceptable.

As you can see from the list above, a number of gaming laptop manufacturers, such as Alienware and Razer, also make laptops for creative workers. While these laptops may lack the gaming-specific functionality (and flashy looks) seen in high-end gaming devices, they still pack powerful technology. Most importantly, they come with powerful graphics cards that can significantly reduce the time required for video editing and processing.

Should I buy a MacBook or Windows laptop for video editing?

One of the most important decisions you have to make when buying the best laptop for video editing is whether to get a MacBook or a laptop running Windows.

Individual preferences play a role in this. If you're used to using Windows, you may find that macOS, the operating system that MacBooks run on, is a little difficult to use, and vice versa.

However, video editing software packages are mostly the same on Windows and macOS. However, the well-known Final Cut Pro programme is exclusive to macOS.

Windows laptops also benefit from a wide range of manufacturers, so if you don't like the style of a particular brand's laptop you can always choose another one. Since only Apple makes MacBooks, you're out of luck if you want one but don't like its aesthetics.

Although many video editors use Apple Macs, you can also use Windows for video editing. Several Apple laptops (such as the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air) feature a fanless design, and all include native compatibility for the company's Final Cut Pro video editing software. All of Apple's latest laptops, including flagship models (such as the M2 Max), provide excellent video editing capability, even at extremely high resolutions such as 8K.