The best laptops for video editing in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Our pick for the best video editing laptop should come as no surprise: The 2023 release of the MacBook Pro 16. It really can’t be understated just how good Apple’s hardware is for creative endeavors. The company puts so much effort into ensuring its products meet users’ needs.

The laptop comes equipped with an M3 SoC (system on a chip). The technology behind it is rather complicated, but all you need to know is that it is 60% faster than the old M1 hardware. This is partly thanks to the new neural engine allowing the MacBook Pro to enable on-device machine learning. It also has a better media engine for HEVC and H.264 hardware acceleration, plus support for ProRes RAW files. The MacBook Pro even has an AV1 decode engine to handle content from YouTube and Netflix.

Also: M3 MacBook Pro buying advice: Who it’s really for (and who should stick with M2 MacBook Air)

Of course, we can’t forget about the stunning Liquid Retina XDR display outputting a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 pixels (or 3K for short). Screens sporting this tech have a high contrast ratio and brightness level for top-tier image fidelity. Other notable features include a 1080p webcam and a 22-hour battery life. We recommend opting for the model with the M3 Pro chip as it offers great performance while not being eye-watering expensive. If you can afford it, the MacBook with M3 Max chip may be more your style.

Don’t just take our word for it. The for the MacBook Pro are overwhelmingly positive. Customers said they enjoyed many of the same things we did, like the battery, the build quality, and the crystal-clear video.

Apple MacBook Pro 16 specs: Processor: Apple M3 Pro | Display size: 16 inches | Operating system: Mac OS | Dimensions: 14 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches

If money is no object, then we highly recommend the HP ZBook Studio 16 G10. This thing is a beast. It sports a stunning 16-inch display outputting an image resolution slightly above 4K resolution (3,840 x 2,400 pixels, to be exact). The company also offers professionals a ton of hardware options to choose from. The base unit has an Intel Core i5013600H vPro processor with an integrated graphics card, but you opt for an i9-13900H vPro CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU.

Customization is a major aspect of the ZBook Studio 16 G10. Videos can take a lot of storage space. If you frequently struggle with saving your files, equip the laptop with a 2TB SSD. Do you plan on editing full-length movies and have tons of footage on hand? HP gives shoppers the opportunity to select 64GB of RAM. That amount of memory may be too much for the average person. Luckily, the company also offers 16GB and 32GB of RAM.

What’s surprising about the device is that despite all the powerful hardware, it’s not a bulky laptop. Sure, 16-inches can be a little tricky to carry, however it’s slim and weighs a little under four pounds. 

Again, this is not for people on a budget. Prices for ZBook Studio 16 G10 hover around $3,000 and only go up from there. But if you can afford it, you’ll be owning one of the best video editing machines out there.

HP ZBook Studio G10 Mobile Workstation: Processor: 13th-gen Intel Core i9-13900HX| Display size: 16 inches | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 14.02 x 9.54 x 0.76 inches

Nothing feels worse than when you’re in the middle of editing a long video and your computer alerts you that the battery is about to run out, especially if you forgot the charger. Well, with Lenovo’s IdeaPad Pro 5i, you don’t have to worry about this scenario as much because the laptop houses a great battery. It can last over 8.5 hours on a single charge. That may not seem like much at a glance, but you have to consider what you’re getting with this device. You’d may be surprised that 8.5 hours is quite a long time.

Review: One of the longest-lasting OLED laptops I’ve tested is not from Samsung or Asus

First off, the IdeaPad Pro 5i houses an Intel Meteor Lake processor alongside an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050; both of which provide an excellent hardware setup for video editing. The graphics card and 16GB of RAM perform well for rendering video clips. Of course, you have the option to customize the laptop by adding more powerful hardware.

And we can’t forget the 2K resolution OLED display. It is capable of showing off the finest details in the footage you’ve captured. Additionally, the speakers support Dolby Atmos allowing the sound system to output room-filling audio. The keyboard is quite nice as well with the arrow jutting out from the bottom for extra comfort.

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i specs: Processor: Intel Core Ultra 5 125H | Display size: 16 inches | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 14.02 x 9.88 x 0.69 inches

Dell’s XPS 16 is a fantastic laptop. We labeled it one of the best Windows laptops we’ve tested so far, for good reason. Its thin bezels enhance the ultra-high-quality 4K resolution display, giving the illusion of a bigger screen than it actually is. It’s a small trick, but it’s pretty effective. 

Internally, the device runs on the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, which is part of the recently released Meteor Lake series. This processor was subjected to benchmarking tests to learn how well it performed under heavy workloads. It did exceptionally well on the tests, earning a score of 12,972 on Cinebench R23, which puts it among the upper echelon of CPUs. 

Additionally, the Intel Core Ultra 7 is paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, which is great for video rendering. Editors should strive to purchase computers with strong graphics cards that handle visually intensive content. And you can’t get better than something from the GeForce 40 series.

Review: Dell XPS 16 (2024) review: Best Windows laptop I’ve tested so far this year

Things didn’t stop there, as the XPS 16 continued to impress us. The device has room-filling speakers supported by Dolby Atmos and a stylish yet energy-efficient design. 

There is a catch to the XPS 16. Having this much solid hardware makes the laptop expensive. Higher-end builds cost over $3,000, which is around the range of the MacBook Pro. Fortunately, you can customize it, so you won’t have to pay as much.

Dell XPS 16 (2024) specs: Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Display size: 16.3 inches | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 14.10 x 9.50 x 0.74 inches

LG’s Gram Pro 16 2-in-1 is a sleek, ultraportable laptop. For starters, it measures less than half an inch thick and weighs a little over three pounds enabling easy carrying. You won’t have to worry about the machine breaking, because the nano-magensium alloy makes it exceptionally sturdy. The slim design combined with the vibrant display and dark black chassis make it a stunning laptop. Very few laptops look this good. That flashiness is exclusive to its form factor.

The machine houses a high-quality 16-inch OLED display with multiple visual enhancers. It supports the entire RBG color scale, the whole P3 color gamut, and 94 percent of the Adobe RBG scale. What’s more, it has a refresh rate of 120Hz for silky smooth video output. 

Review: Our favorite lightweight laptop for work is not a MacBook or ThinkPad

The company throws in a free stylus with purchase, and you can use it for a more natural editing experience. Inside is an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU capable of handling just about anything you throw it at. The graphics card is an integrated Intel Arc. It would’ve been nice if it was a dedicated GPU from Nvidia, but with up to 32GB of RAM, rendering video isn’t a problem.

Do be aware that because of all this hardware, the Gram Pro 16 can run hot.

LG Gram Pro 16 2-in-1 specs: Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Display size: 16-inch WQXGA Plus OLED touchscreen | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 14.06 x 9.99 x 0.49 inches

One of the first things you’ll notice when shopping for a video editing laptop is that many of them are really expensive. We have a few on this list over $3,000. This should come as no surprise, as a good video editing laptop must have high-performing hardware, and that comes at a cost. Luckily, there are some solid budget options, too, like the Acer Aspire 5. 

I chose this model because of its solid hardware pairing: a 13th-Gen Intel Core i7-13620H processor with a Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card. This configuration is not the greatest in the world, but still respectable. Rest assured, this machine can handle video editing workload, although you may experience some performance issues. You could opt for the Iris Xe GPU to drop the price tag even lower to around $500, but we don’t recommend doing this. You would be better off spending more money on superior hardware.

Also: The best cheap laptops, starting at $350

The screen outputs a resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels with a refresh rate of 60Hz. It’s no 4K monster; however, at least it’s better than 1080p. Plus, it comes with various ports, including two USB-A inputs, HDMI, and an ethernet port.

Acer Aspire 5 specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H | Display size: 14 inches | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 9.30 x 14.21 x 0.70 inches

As previously established, gaming laptops lend themselves very well to video editing. These machines typically have some of the best hardware configurations on the market, making a desktop green with envy. But the main problem with gaming laptops is that you can’t really take them into the office. Their bright RGB lighting can be very distracting. Seeing an opportunity, Dell made a gaming laptop with the office worker in mind: the Alienware m16 R2.

In our review for this laptop, we point out how the device strikes a good design balance between being aesthetically pleasing and practical. It’s slim, lacking a bulky thermal shelf on the back, and is covered in a predominantly dark grey color scheme. However, the device’s most important design feature is its Stealth Mode, which can be activated by pressing F2. Doing so causes the RGB lights to turn white instantly. It’s a simple yet handy feature “for when you’re in a public setting.”

Review: Dell’s latest gaming laptop is an ultraportable machine I wouldn’t mind bringing to work

There is more to the m16 R2 besides its looks. It’s a powerful machine with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, and 32GB of RAM. This configuration is excellent for handling all kinds of workloads, from video editing during the day to gaming during the evening. It’s a highly flexible laptop, one that comes highly recommended. If that’s not enough, it sports a 2K resolution display with a fast refresh rate of 240Hz.

Alienware m16 R2 specs: Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9  | Display size: 16 inches | Operating system: Windows 11 | Dimensions: 14.33 x 9.81 x 0.93 inches