Here’s the thing about video editing in today’s world: even your smartphone can edit videos. But here’s the rub: it can only edit a simple 1-minute video. If you’re a professional video editor and are looking to step up your game, then you have to get yourself the best laptop for video editing.
Also read: How to Change Video Source on Laptop?
The key points to consider when buying a laptop for video editing is the processing power, RAM, hard drive size and screen size. That’s why we’ve put together a chart below of the best laptops designed for photo editing.
Top 10 Laptop for Video Editing Overview Chart
| Picture | Name | Screen Size | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71 15.6-Inch FHD Gaming Laptop, NVIDIA GTX960M | 15.6" | $$$ | 5.0 |
 | 2. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro Black Edition VN7-791G-71P5 17.3-Inch Full HD Laptop | 17.3" | $$$$ | 4.8 |
 | 3. Dell XPS 13 13.3-Inch Touchscreen Laptop (XPS9343-6364SLV) | 13.3" | $$$$ | 4.7 |
 | 4. Lenovo Z70 17.3-Inch Laptop (80FG0037US) Black | 17.3" | $$ | 4.6 |
 | 5. Apple MacBook Pro MGXC2LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (NEWEST VERSION) | 15.4" | $$$$$ | 4.5 |
 | 6. Toshiba CB35-B3340 13.3-Inch Chromebook 2 (Full-HD Screen) | 13.3" | $ | 4.4 |
 | 7. Toshiba Satellite S955D-S5374 15.6-Inch Laptop (Ice Blue Brushed Aluminum) | 15.6" | $$ | 4.4 |
 | 8. MSI GE70 Apache Pro-012 17.3-Inch Laptop | 17.3" | $$$ | 4.2 |
 | 9. HP Pavilion 17.3" Laptop Computer - AMD Elite Quad-Core A8-5550M | 17.3" | $$ | 3.8 |
 | 10. ASUS N550JK-DS71T 15.6" FHD Touchscreen Aluminum Laptop | 15.6" | $$ | 3.8 |
Windows vs Chrome OS
- The first and foremost thing to note for video editors is that if you’re an Adobe user, then Chrome OS is definitely not an option for you; Adobe doesn’t exist on Chrome OS. Windows, in turn, supports Adobe, which means it’s the best laptop for video editing. Although there are a few options for video editing if you’re using Chrome OS: Magisto and WeVideo.
- Although neither Windows nor Chrome OS supports every SINGLE file type, with Windows you can download codecs to play on your laptop. For example, Chrome OS doesn’t play QuickTime. Furthermore, Chrome OS doesn’t support .h264 files, which amounts to nearly 60% of all Web videos and many cameras record in it.
- Therefore, while Chrome OS will do fine for casual users, for professional video editors Windows laptop is a must. The other excellent choice is of cause Apple iOS.
Core i5 vs Core i7
- Both Core i5 and Core i7 from Intel’s 4th Generation family support Hyper-Threading Technology. Hyper-Threading Technology increases laptop’s performance while multitasking. If you’re running several applications at the same time, for example, rendering a video and browsing the Internet, you get advantages from this feature.
-  While Core i5 can handle heavy work such as using several applications simultaneously without crashing, lagging or freezing, Core i7 works even faster. Core i7 is built for video editing and audio rendering, which demand a lot in terms of laptop’s performance.
-  As of today, Core i7 are the best CPUs you can have as they provide the best in terms of power, speed, graphics and performance. So if you’re a professional video editor, Core i7 has all you need.
Top 3 Best Laptop for Video Editing Reviews
1. ASUS ROG GTX960M
ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71 with its 15.6 inch screen is simply the best laptop for video editing available. With its Intel Core i7-4710HQ 2.5GHz processor, and graphics with Optimus Technology it’s perfect for video editing.
Thanks to the Full HD display you can edit your videos at 1080p. Furthermore, with just one click, the NVIDIA GeForce Experience software optimizes the video editing process to give it the best performance and image quality possible.
You should not worry about the battery life: the Optimus Technology automatically switches between discrete and integrated graphics to provide you with the exact performance you need any time you need it, thus extending your working time with video editing.
As mentioned above, if you’re a professional video editor, Core i7 is all you need. So since ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS71 is armed with this processor, this is your best laptop for video editing.
2. Acer Aspire V17
Acer calls its Nitro a “beast,” and that’s an on-point description. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro is a beast that excels at every aspect of video editing.
With a Core i7 processor and a large high-quality screen (17.3 inches), Acer is all about productivity, speed and power. Editing videos, let alone watching them, is simply a pleasant experience.
If you like to edit your videos at night, this beast has a little surprise for you. It has a red-lighted keyboard. Although it’s just a little thing, it makes the laptop enjoyable to use and work with.
Acer Aspire V17 Nitro brings fascinating cinematic visuals for entertainment and work. Its Full HD IPS Display offers you bright colors and detailed imagery from all angles.
3. Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13 is incredibly lightweight and a portable laptop. While being slim and compact, XPS 13 is free of containing materials like lead, mercury and some phthalates. It is said to be the greenest XPS laptop ever.
The laptop is equipped with Core i5, which is not the best option for video editing, but it’ll do just fine for non-professional video enthusiasts. The screen goes from edge to edge without a border, which still makes it a good choice for video editing.
With its breath-taking UltraSharp QHD+ screen resolution (3200×1800) and 13.3 inch screen, the design and the esthetics of Dell XPS 13 are super stunning.
Although it does have a negative thing. The 3200×1800 scaling is completely fine on the laptop, but it appears to be blurry when you connect an external monitor.
Thanks for a practical, well-organized and very useful site. Helps a lot when trying to make a purchase decision. I’ve been using HP Pavilion 17+in for years and notice that they didn’t make the list. My experience has been that they don’t last very long; is that why you didn’t include them? They work quite well until they don’t. Overheating and poor connection to screen (which causes color shift to yellow, which is fatal for any kind of editing) are the reason I’m looking right now.