Video editing is a demanding task that requires focus, attention to detail, creativity, technical knowledge, and of course a powerful computer (especially when using Adobe Premiere). The last requirement can make or break your videos; that’s why professional video editors need all the good tech they can get from the best high-end video editing laptop models.
But first, what constitutes a high-end video editing laptop?
It’s a bit different since you can’t just pick a gaming laptop and slap a video editing tool sticker on it. While a decent GPU can help with acceleration and certain visual effects, most video editing software relies on the CPU and the RAM to get the work done.
Hence, our recommendations for what we consider as high-end video editing laptop models consist of beefy CPUs from this generation.
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MSI Creator Z16 HX Studio Laptop
PROS
- So much RAM
- Generous storage
- QHD display
- Touchscreen
- Top-of-the-line 13th-gen Intel processor
- Slim form factor
- Minimalist design
- Great for gaming too
CONS
- Expensive
- Refresh rate could be a bit higher
- 720p webcam
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i9-13980HX
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM / Memory: 64GB DDR5
- Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD
- Display: 16″ QHD+ 120Hz Touch Panel
This is as best as it can get while staying under a reasonable high-end budget. The MSI Creator Z16 HX Studio packs in quite a punch with its top-of-the-line 13th-gen Intel processor paired with an RTX 4070 which is a GPU you won’t be able to maximize for video editing but it’s still good to have.
But look at that extravagant serving of DDR5 RAM, you don’t see many laptops with that kind of RAM at this price point. Most of them come with 32 GB. With 64 GB and the CPU it has, crashing your video editing software is going to be an uber-rare occurrence, it at all. The display is also a touchscreen, which is a good bonus.
MSI Creator Z16 HX Studio Laptop
Apple 16" MacBook Pro (M2 Max)
PROS
- Beautiful screen
- Sleek design
- Generous RAM
- 3456 x 2234 resolution
- MacOS is unparalleled in simplicity and ease-of-use
- Apple ecosystem integration is handy
- Decent battery life
CONS
- Expensive
- It gets too hot at times
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Apple M2 Max 12-Core Chip
- GPU / Graphics Card: 38-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- RAM / Memory: 32GB Unified RAM
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 16″ 3456 x 2234 Liquid Retina XDR Screen
Touted as a premium tool for creatives, the 16-inch MacBook Pro Max has always been one of the most sought-after laptops for video editors or even filmmakers. The simplicity of use paired with that surreal display makes it ideal for people who want to focus on creativity rather than technicalities.
It doesn’t have the best RAM (adding more would be expensive) and it’s still not good or even decent for gaming, but the operating system and the Apple ecosystem will keep you coming back to it once you’ve tried it.
Apple 16" MacBook Pro (M2 Max)
Razer 16" Razer Blade 16 Gaming Laptop
PROS
- Gorgeous Mini-LED display
- Powerful CPU
- 4K resolution
- Can switch to a lower native resolution to save power
- 120 Hz refresh rate
- Generous RAM
- Minimalist design
- Great for gaming too
- Gen 4 SSD
CONS
- Expensive
- Razer software can be fickle
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i9-13950HX
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM / Memory: 32 GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD
- Display: 16″ 3840 x 2400 120 Hz Mini-LED Display
You don’t exactly need 4K or a good display in order to edit videos but it might help with color grading your edits or spotting some details you don’t want in your videos such as Starbucks cups. In any case, the latest Razer Blade 16 with the Mini-LED display is about on par with the MacBook and its Retina screen.
Mini-LED displays, after all, are the latest craze for panels right now– with some even claiming they’re better than OLED. As for video editing, it has everything you need and then some.
Razer 16" Razer Blade 16 Gaming Laptop
Dell XPS 17
PROS
- 17-inch screen
- 4K resolution
- Generous RAM
- Slim and minimalist form
- Touchscreen
- Great for gaming too
CONS
- Expensive
- RAM and Storage could be better for the price
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i9-13900H
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
- RAM / Memory: 32 GB DDR5
- Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 17-inch UHD InfinityEdge Touch Display
A bigger screen will always help regardless of what you’re doing digitally, but anything too big will make the device too bulky for mobile use. So 17-inch form factors are good for balance. And the Dell XPS 17 is one of the most competent options here.
It also comes with a touchscreen display and a gaming GPU just in case. Everything else is great for video editors who also want a bit more screen real estate since it helps a lot in longer clips and videos.
Dell XPS 17
Lenovo Slim Pro 7
PROS
- Fast RAM
- Affordable price, for its specs
- Gen 4 SSD
- Touchscreen display
- 2560 x 1600 resolution
- Slim design
CONS
- Refresh rate could be higher
- Soldered RAM, can't be upgraded or replaced
- Storage could be better
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- RAM / Memory: 16 GB LPDDR5-6400MHz (soldered)
- Storage: 512 GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4
- Display: 14.5″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600), IPS, Touch, 90Hz
If you’re just new to video editing or don’t want to splurge too much on high-end hardware, here’s a high-end CPU+RAM pairing that will still make video editing a breeze. The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 is a thoughtful package.
It comes with a current-gen Ryzen 7 CPU that is more than capable of video editing and a good pair of RAM sticks which are unfortunately soldered. For its price, there are some compromises, but that’s fair, especially if you need a device solely for video editing.
