BEST BUDGET LAPTOPS FOR VIDEO EDITING: 7 BEST CHEAP VIDEO-EDITING LAPTOPS…
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Video editing is a difficult process that is made even more difficult if you do not have a laptop to keep up with your needs. A video editor’s laptop should have a nice display, a long battery life for on-the-go tasks, plenty of storage capacity to keep all your projects organized, and a strong CPU and GPU to aid with faster rendering times. Gone are the days when you had to spend a little fortune on a video editing laptop to obtain a wide range of features.
A FEW KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE MAKING GETTING YOUR BUDGET VIDEO-EDITING LAPTOP:
RAM:
RAM, or short-term memory, in your computer stores all of the data it is currently using before you turn it off. Video editing is now the most time-consuming task you can perform on a computer, regardless of whether you use a Mac or a PC.
This is why the majority of people believe that 64 GB RAM is required for video editing. After all, aren’t greater numbers better? No, not at all.
What’s more, you receive the most bang for your buck, which isn’t the case with 64 GB. To be honest, it’s a bit much. Because beyond 16 GB, there isn’t much of a difference in the amount of time it takes to produce a video. As a result, 8 or 16 GB is the best choice.
If you want somewhat better performance (even if it isn’t the best return on your money), you may go with 32 GB for 4K video editing, that is, if you plan to do a lot of other things while your films are being rendered.
Otherwise, 16 GB be more than enough for your computer to render your videos rapidly.
Even while RAM is crucial, I believe that a hefty processor is what separates you from the pack when it comes to video editing.
PROCESSOR:
The processor is your computer’s “brain,” which executes all computations. These logical judgments enable it to do all of your computer’s duties. Because your CPU handles the majority of your work, it’s always a good idea to invest in a good CPU.
This is particularly true when conducting time-consuming operations like video editing and rendering. So a sophisticated 6-core or 8-core CPU would be your best choice. This one-time purchase would go a long way toward improving your work life and ensuring that everything goes smoothly when editing your videos.
DISCRETE GRAPHICS:
The visuals in today’s games are incredible. You don’t just play a game in a virtual environment that imitates life; you become a part of it. The graphics card is the main computer component that allows you to have this incredible experience.
A graphics card is larger than a standard ‘card,’ measuring around 10 inches in length. The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which is the graphics card’s main functional part, sits on top of it. GPU stands for Images Processing Unit, which is a little processor that conducts extremely complicated computations at breakneck speed and generates gleaming graphics on the screen that everyone adores.
Is it really necessary to have a graphics card for video editing?
Yes, getting one is certainly preferable. Why? Specialization in a nutshell.
While your CPU does everything it can to execute all of your computer programs, the GPU was created specifically to handle the visuals. With a powerful GPU, you can have high-resolution displays, apply special effects, and conduct color grading while maintaining smooth video playing. There is no lag, and no frames are dropped. What a fantastic idea!
It may also considerably speed up video rendering time because it relieves the load on your CPU in terms of job allocation.
Getting a high-end GPU is, of course, a costly alternative, even with all of its advantages. However, if you work with complicated video editing, it will be well worth your time.
DISPLAY:
When it comes to video editing, you’ll need a display that can layout individual colors with great clarity.
So, which display do you want to go with? IPS or TN? Is TN acceptable for video editing, despite its lower cost?
IPS, in our opinion, is the clear winner. This is why.
The first consideration is the viewing angle. An IPS screen has a verified 178-degree viewing angle, which means you can look at it from any angle and get crystal-clear images. With a TN screen, this isn’t the case since if you’re not looking at it straight ahead, everything on the screen would appear washed out.
Second, IPS has a far better color representation than TN. Darker darks and more prominent lights are achieved with an IPS panel display, resulting in a more brilliant color experience. In video editing, it’s also critical to have precise and distinct colors.
STORAGE:
When it comes to storage, a solid-state drive (SSD) is preferable to a traditional hard disk. The most cost-effective option to store huge amounts of data is on hard drives, but they are also the slowest.
SSDs are significantly quicker than disk-based memory because they employ flash memory technology, which has no moving components. Though SSDs are more expensive, flash memory technology is rapidly developing, and costs are dropping while storage sizes are increasing. As a result, SSDs are becoming a more feasible alternative to hard drives.
Let’s get started with my recommendations now that you’ve known the basic laptop requirements for choosing your next budget laptop for video editing.
BEST BUDGET LAPTOP FOR VIDEO EDITING:
BEST UNDER $1000 -MSI GF63 THIN:
For video editing suites like Cyber Link Power Director, Adobe Premiere, or Da Vinci Resolve, the MSI GF63 is the best budget laptop. This laptop may be used for super-high resolution editing whether you are a hobbyist or a novice with a less than $1000 budget.
Brilliant creatives, graphic designers, and full-time professional video editors use the MSI GF63 Thin. Despite the fact that the laptop is designed for gamers, it is a significantly better-performing laptop that supports multi-track editing, fast multitasking, and overclocked performance.
This is a gaming beast laptop with a performance-friendly Intel Core i5 six-core processor with a base speed of 2.4GHz and turbo boost up to 4.5GHz. The multi-core CPU with outstanding heat dissipation and thermal management, which makes it perfect for video editing, is, without a doubt, the best feature of this laptop. With such a fast CPU, editing 4k film and 1080p footage becomes much simpler, which is normally taxing on most computers.
Overall, the MSI is the greatest all-around video editing laptop and a must-have for high-definition video editing. The 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card is up to the task of video editing.
The MSI GF63 delivers excellent value for money thanks to its recommended system requirements, making it an excellent choice for video editors.
This stunning gadget features a pantone-validated 4K IPS crisper display that gives video creators razor-sharp footage. As a result, with basic video editing skills, this factory calibrated 4k monitor may assist you in doing smooth video edits.
This video editing system is bulkier than other capable mobile workstations, so you won’t be able to edit on the move with it.
In addition, the laptop has a 1TB Full SSD storage option, which provides a significant quantity of storage capacity. Backlighting and a precision-friendly trackpad round out it’s well-built keyboard.
For many, having such powerful video editing computers in the $1000 price bracket may be a much cheaper and better bang for the buck choice. If you have a budget of over $1000 dollars, which is a significant expenditure for many people, this laptop is well worth it, making it the ideal video editing laptop.
This is a wonderful mid-range video editing laptop that may also be used in the film industry, according to this list of best laptops for video editing. With these characteristics, it’s a capable video editing laptop that’s also a better laptop for video editing thanks to flexible video editing software packages.
Overall, this is a fantastic laptop for video editing, offering a complete bundle of very strong components to help you fulfill your beginner-level video editing demands without sacrificing quality. A complete notebook suite that delivers satisfyingly good video editing results.
Although there are several more alternatives if you are willing to spend a bit more than $1000 on a laptop. Aside from that, the laptop is well-equipped in terms of storage and RAM, and it can handle video editing software as well as normal surfing. This allows you to keep all of your raw files and media outputs on the same disk and transmit them at lightning speed.
This is a standard gaming laptop package with narrower bezels and a higher refresh rate, which is an issue for gamers, but not for most video editors. This product is classified as gaming, so don’t be confused. However, the keyboard and trackpad, which make it a fantastic partner for video editing, should be kept in mind. It’s the biggest disappointment, but it’s also the only one that doesn’t have backlighting. Its anti-ghosting and silver lining boosts the overall typing experience.
There are numerous connection ports on this amazing video editing laptop that is geared towards video editors in terms of connectivity.
Overall, this gaming laptop has an incredible 7 hours of battery life and includes a powerful, dedicated GPU with overclockable resources. Color calibration, viewing angles, and color coverage are all outstanding on this full HD or 4K monitor. For all of the laptops listed, get extensive connection with flexible ports and a media card reader.
BEST CONVERTIBLE -LENOVO FLEX 14 2-IN-1 CONVERTIBLE LAPTOP:
Are you seeking for a portable video editing laptop that you can use to edit videos on the go? You shouldn’t look any farther than the Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop. This little laptop comes equipped with everything you’ll need to properly trim and edit your videos.
The powerful AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor and 12GB DDR4 RAM ensure that video editing tools work smoothly and that you can edit videos without delays. This entry-level video editing laptop includes a touchscreen, and you may use the active portable pen to precisely edit videos while focusing on the specifics.
The battery life of most powerful video editing computers is a major issue, but the Lenovo Flex 14 has a 10-hour battery life after a full charge. Furthermore, the rapid charging technology recharges the laptop to 80% in just one hour, eliminating the need to charge it overnight.
You can save numerous videos on the 256GB NVMe SSD, and you can rapidly transfer modified videos with the USB 3.1 Port. Because the Lenovo Flex 14 features an HDMI port, you may test the quality of your editing by watching the videos on a larger screen.
Because it’s a convertible laptop, you may fold it at any moment to access the touchscreen-only interface. When it comes to audio, Lenovo has utilized strong speakers that produce a robust sound that is ideal for listening to music and viewing movies.
In general, this is the best laptop for video editing that supports Windows 10.
The Full HD touch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 displays stunning images, and you can edit films and photos like an expert. The Lenovo Flex 14 is a lightweight laptop that is ideal for travel bloggers who need to edit and release videos often.
BEST CHROMEBOOK -ASUS CHROMEBOOK FLIP C302:
Don’t be fooled by the myth that video editing and Chromebooks are diametrically opposed. Since users can now install apps from the Google Play Store on their Chromebooks, there are a plethora of excellent video editors that can produce professional results quickly. Please don’t take my word for it, though. Simply go to the Play Store to check how many free and well-liked video editors are available.
However, when compared to professional video editing suites like Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere, most of these video editors from the Play Store do not offer the same amount of features and functionalities. It’s one of the most capable laptops for video editing.
A high-performance laptop, such as a MacBook or a Windows-based PC, is strongly suggested for users who want to learn how to produce visual effects or who want to edit many hours of video clips on a regular basis. However, if you only need to do little video editing, the Chromebook’s simplicity and dependability are unbeatable.
When it comes to Chromebooks, I think it’s a good notion to say that the ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 is my favorite. It is the best laptop for video editing. A
Full HD 12.5-inch screen display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution is included with the Chromebook, ensuring high-quality display pictures. The laptop also features a 360-degree joint that allows it to be easily converted between modes.
For simple usage of the device’s capabilities, it may easily be converted into a tablet. The gadget also has a dependable Intel Core M7 CPU, a decent graphics card, a Full HD display, Nvidia GeForce, and more. It has a small storage capacity of 64GB. With 4GB of RAM, users have enough of short-term memory. Nvidia GeForce technology is used to power the high-end display graphics. It features a long battery life and excellent SD card compatibility. One of the best laptops for video editing because of it’s RAM.
BEST MOBILE WORKSTATION -LENOVO PREMIUM L340.
Lenovo Premium L340 is the second best video editing laptop under a thousand dollars on my list. This isn’t a Chromebook; it’s a mobile workstation with gigabytes of RAM, a Windows 10 operating system, and input and output devices. If you frequently perform complex editing activities such as shading and color correction, purchasing a mobile video-editing station such as this is the appropriate advice and recommendation for you.
This isn’t your average laptop for surfing the web or watching videos; it’s a powerful shooting and editing machine with a 2.6GHz modern multi-core CPU that allows for more multithreading for unlimited video effects and specialized tasks like playing back multiple clips at once or working with 4K footage.
The 256GB SSD aids the system in loading editing software like as Apple Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro, and it’s performance skyrockets at 1TB. Even though it has the smallest and lightest profile, this laptop has two storage choices, including a 2TB hard disk drive for AAA-quality video games, making it a better fit for video editing.
This laptop can calibrate or edit any color profile, such as HD, FHD, or HDR, with accuracy and repeatability, allowing creative pros and stereotypes to conduct even the most casual editing, whether for little or marathon editing sessions.
Do you know how fast a computer can render a 3D image? You should try this laptop since it can streamline many editing chores, enabling you to edit on the go in hotel rooms or on flights without having to worry about the unit being plugged in because it has a decent amount of battery life despite the fact that video editing consumes a lot of power.
It’s a fantastic video editing laptop that has a setup for any sort of video editor, so you can experience richly detailed video editing whether you film predominantly in 4K or on other color-accurate screens. Unlike in the past, when editors had to rely on complex and expensive studio equipment. Such gadgets have adequate resources, such as cameras, woofers, speakers, and replacement adapters, to allow you to operate from anyplace you desire. This laptop offers great video editing specifications and is one of the computers designed particularly for video editing.
To operate video editing tools like Adobe Premiere, FCP, Da Vinci Resolve, and others, a laptop under $1000 appears to be an expensive computer. For limited rendering or editing of video files, budget laptops will never be able to surpass high-end laptops. So be cautious while selecting a laptop for video editing.
If you’re willing to pay a little more than $1000, this gaming-friendly laptop with dedicated graphics will provide you hassle-free video editing. It’s a blessing to have a 9th generation CPU with Hexa-core performance without sacrificing battery life. With important data on SSD and expanded storage on HDD, you may exchange storage space for faster speed. The device is excellent in terms of true-tone color reproduction, anti-glare display coating, and immersive viewing angles.
At this price, you should anticipate flashy RGB features and a better traveling typing experience. The smaller trackpad may persuade you to get a tiny wireless mouse. The gadget includes Dolby Audio speakers and a privacy cover. You don’t get a card reader with this portable kit, but it’s a powerhouse. It provides additional backup without sacrificing storage speed or space.
Overall, this is a capable editing station where you can perform the majority of your cutting, slimming, uploading material straight to other video editing suites or other video-editing chores, organizing clips, mixing audio, and other creative or precision-minded operations. This laptop combines the greatest video encoding procedure with a robust video-playback engine that makes exporting films a breeze for various video-editing circumstances.
BEST MACBOOK -APPLE MACBOOK AIR:
With the MacBook Air, video editing has never been easier. I won’t waste any time fawning over the capabilities of this computer; instead, I’ll explain why individuals might not want to use the MacBook Air for their editing needs. However, this is also why I hoped you’d be able to use this gentle beast for all of your editing chores.
Users who prefer an Adobe video editing laptop suite, such as Adobe After Effects and Adobe Premier, over Apple’s Final Cut Pro can pick between a Windows video editing laptop or the more powerful MacBook. If I had to declare one reality here, it’s that the 2015 MacBook Air isn’t very powerful.
I can confirm, however, that it is a competent gadget with excellent graphics and SD card reading capabilities. The Intel Core i5 CPU is one of the device’s best features. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, is limited by Intel HD Graphics 6000 and 8GB of RAM. When using the Final Cut Pro program on a video editing laptop, users may not realize how old it is.
Only Final Cut Pro is compatible with this laptop. Apple performed a fantastic job as developers in tailoring this stock editing suite to use the MacBook Air’s processing capacity down to the last megahertz. They were able to eliminate delays while also improving the software’s extraordinarily smooth feel.
If you use Adobe After Effects or Premiere, on the other hand, experiencing your first system slowness is only a question of time, since you will not have to wait that long. The MacBook Air is a fantastic choice for both aspiring video makers and casual consumers due to the device’s clever optimization.
It is suggested for these individuals since they may not require a large amount of storage space or high resolutions. It is sometimes best to choose a video editing laptop with less power, since this will not cause any issues when working on the go. The device’s battery life, graphics card, and processor core are all excellent. It’s one of the best laptops for video editing on the market.
BEST UNDER $700 -DELL INSPIRON 15:
I recall the Dell Inspiron 15 as one of the best budget laptops for video editing around $700.
This laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5–8250U CPU, which improves performance.
Because this laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5 CPU, it also comes with an Integrated 620 Graphics Card, which is ideal for video editing.
As a result, instead of finishing your tasks slowly, you may edit your videos quickly.
The laptop has a sleek and bulky form that also has some aesthetic appeal. Plastic and a silver slab make up this item.
The Dell Inspiron utilizes an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive, which is slower than an SSD but allows you to store a lot more than someone who wants to go for an SSD counterpart.
If you work late at night, a backlit keyboard is essential, and you may appreciate its existence on this laptop. This model offers a full HD display panel with a 1920 x 1080 resolution. This gadget is capable of effortlessly handling a variety of video editors. It allows you to effortlessly edit 1080p HD and 4K videos without experiencing any slowdown.
However, in my view, you should use this for Adobe Premiere Pro because it is the best laptop for the job.
This laptop also includes a USB 3.0 connector for transferring videos on the move.
However, the appearance of this laptop isn’t really appealing, and the battery life isn’t particularly impressive. Apart from that, this laptop delivers the extra performance you’d expect from a laptop, making it considerably superior to its competitors and similarly priced devices. And if your budget allows it, you should absolutely pick this.
BEST BUDGET LAPTOP FOR EDITING 4K VIDEOS -LENOVO IDEAPAD FLEX 5 14":
The Lenovo IdeaPad laptop series has proven to be a solid laptop series across a range of pricing points. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is the most affordable of these laptops, offering users a pleasant video editing experience with a lower to mid-tier processor and significantly restricted storage, GPU, and RAM.
With a boost speed of up to 3.70 GHz, an AMD Quad Core Ryzen 3 4300U CPU gives the Flex 5 enough of power for light video editing. For a laptop at this budget, this CPU provides an unexpectedly outstanding mix of performance power and speed, making it an exceptional bargain.
Tasks like video rendering don’t take that very long, but it might be difficult for you to run many video applications simultaneously, depending on your software and how huge your video files are.
This Flex model is available just for 4 GB of RAM, but may be increased to 8 Gb, which is the absolute lowest RAM for video editing suggested. This update is strongly suggested as 4GB of RAM may create a delay, disruption and decrease in the performance of your HD video editing.
The 128GB SSD helps with exporting speeds, but in the long term, storage for many videos is not enough, so as is common with such inexpensive laptops, if there is no way to replace the component, you should purchase an external drive. The storage may be increased to as much capacity as you need for this model.
A small GPU, an integrated AMD Radeon Graphics processor, is the Lenovo Flex 5 14. Although it’s not the best GPU out there, it’s good for light editing, possibly for beginners who still get to know how to edit.
The Flex display has a 360-degree hinge which enables you to adjust the display in the best configuration for your workflow editing, because it is a 2 in 1 laptop. The display is a 14 inch FHD IPS touch screen with a very bright backlight or a wide range of colors.
To some degree this impacts the color exactness level, but for more precise color reproduction an HDMI port may be connected to the port using an external monitor. The main drawback for video editing is the lower quality display of this laptop.
All in all, a very low budget video editing system is the Lenovo Flex 5 14 if you want a 2 in 1 laptop that can be used to edit light video and is a fantastic alternative for startup video editors that will want to upgrade to an improved laptop in the future. The Flex 5 14 can perform more editing operations than you may think if you don’t feel bad about the poor battery life despite the fact that Lenovo claims it to last for 12 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need an Apple laptop for video editing?
Macbooks are the favorite video editing devices, except for Final Cut Pro or iMovie programs that you use.
What is the finest suite for video editing?
You can’t utilize the Adobe Tools if you’re in the Apple environment. You may also determine if you’re editing video for a living.
What kind of laptop do you need?
It depends on whether you have a smaller amount of video editing or on bigger video editing duties. Well, both needed top-end discreet graphics cards, a lot of space, and lots of RAM, and it should cost less than 1000 dollars. You can obtain a magnificent computer and cost less than $1000 whilst paying for less cash. On a $1000 budget, you may enjoy the change left over if you go for such equipment.
Is it worth it to invest in the best 2-in-1 video editing laptop?
The mobility of a finest detachable video editing laptop is important.
Should you spend more than $1000 on a laptop for video editing?
For a video editor who is just getting started, a laptop that costs less than $1000 is excellent. However, if you want to edit 4k or 8k videos, you’ll need to upgrade.
Video editing is a time-consuming activity that requires a high-quality laptop to provide the finest editing workflow for each user. High-end video editing suites like Adobe Premiere Pro or simpler equivalents like CyberLink PowerDirector may be operated on any of the aforementioned computers.
If you don’t want to spend more than $1000, you’re covered, but if you earn a living as a video editor, your editing gear is what you deliver.
CONCLUSION:
When you factor in extras like laptop cooling pads, Wi-Fi extenders, and other items, you could wind up spending more simply to have a functional set. Although some of the higher-end laptops, such as the Alienware 15 R3, cost more than $2000, the cheap laptops on my list are more than enough for most tasks.
Some of the best budget video editing laptops I’ve seen include all the bells and whistles editors need to create great-looking VFX, however they may suffer with rendering times and even slow down if you’re running multiple programs. However, if you’re searching for a low-cost video editing laptop with good battery life, mobility, and processing speed, this is the list to look at.
Is there anything I missed? In the comments, tell me about the laptop you’re presently using to edit your videos.
Never had any? Tell us which one you’re going to acquire. Thanks for reading!
