Best laptop for video editing 2023: Top picks from Apple, Asus and more

Apple has lengthy been the most productive corporate at generating laptops for in depth workloads corresponding to video enhancing, and that hasn’t modified with the brand new MacBook Professional (2023). With the choice of an M2 Professional or M2 Max chips, you’re getting blistering speeds that can breeze thru rendering instances.

This makes the brand new MacBook Professional much more robust than the 2021 version. You’ll admittedly in finding Home windows laptops powered by means of GPUs with identical (if in all probability extra) graphical grunt. However no different computer can steadiness this kind of robust efficiency with battery existence – our trying out displays the MacBook Professional to have the ability to outlasting the day, whilst high-end Home windows laptops can’t even final a couple of hours clear of the mains.

The 14-inch display screen dimension of the MacBook Professional additionally makes this computer delightfully transportable, which turns out to be useful for many who love to paintings at the move or go back and forth into the workplace. Apple does additionally be offering a 16-inch type should you’d desire a bit of extra display screen house over advanced portability.

There’s one primary problem to the MacBook Professional, and that’s the cost. With a £2149/$1999 beginning worth, it can be too steep for entry-level video editors. We suggest in search of a reduced MacBook Professional 2021 if the cost is an issue, and even taking into account switching over to Home windows.

Reviewer: Max Parker
Complete evaluation: Apple MacBook Professional 2023 evaluation

If you happen to’re in search of a Home windows-sporting choice to the MacBook Professional, then glance no additional than the Asus Zenbook Professional 14 OLED (2023). It’s a device with the whole bundle, and is derived with one thing that even the very good MacBook Professional doesn’t but be offering.

The important thing characteristic introduced by means of Asus, however no longer by means of Apple, is within the title, and that’s an OLED show. The display screen at the Asus Zenbook Professional 14 OLED makes it perfect for editors who crave correct and impressive colors. The sumptuous OLED generation is sponsored up by means of a 2.8K solution, HDR and robust color gamut effects. It will get supremely vivid too for HDR content material, hitting virtually 600 nits. On peak of all of that, you get a 120Hz refresh fee too for tremendous easy timeline scrolling.

It is a nice computer for on-the-go inventive paintings, even though it received’t be capable to fit as much as the efficiency introduced by means of the MacBook Professional when clear of energy. Nonetheless, it’s an impressively transportable instrument for what’s on be offering, with our evaluation type wearing an Intel thirteenth Gen Core i9 and RTX 4070 combo that helps to keep up with high-end gaming laptops, in spite of providing extra office-friendly seems and an inexpensive dimension. Whether or not you’re in search of an adaptable device for 3-d modelling, in depth enhancing or some gaming, the Zenbook Professional 14 OLED is an amazing all-rounder.

For many who recognize further keys relating to helping you along with your enhancing workflow, the Asus additionally has a to hand DialPad within the peak left nook of the trackpad. This lets you abruptly scrub timelines, transfer between brushes and extra.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Complete evaluation: Asus ZenBook Professional 14 OLED (2023) evaluation

If you happen to’re in search of an immensely robust computer for video enhancing that still gives a sumptuous and sturdy design, the Razer Blade 16 is the device to imagine. It gives Razer’s signature MacBook-like construct however in an up to date greater, extra workstation-like, shape issue. It isn’t constructed for portability (even though it’s attainable) and is healthier suited as a desktop substitute that appears the section too.

Essentially the most fascinating characteristic of the Razer Blade 16 is a gaming-flavoured one, being able to transfer between UHD+ 120Hz and FHD+ 240Hz natively. This targets to offer advanced FHD+ efficiency, when compared with simply decreasing the solution on your settings, and it does simply that, even though the impact is slight. In spite of this option no longer being one who’s made to woo video editors, the remainder of the show tech must. The type that incorporates this Twin Mode characteristic could also be a Mini LED panel, and it’s surprising. You get surprising blacks and crisp distinction, along side top-notch accuracy. No matter you do in this show, whether or not it’s video enhancing or gaming, you’re going to be continuously inspired.

There’s no query that this computer has the juice to again up the beautiful display screen too, with an Intel Core i9 and RTX 4090 aggregate on the excessive finish. This display of pressure gives up energy for in depth video enhancing and high-end gaming. The Razer Blade 16 isn’t affordable however should you’re after a luxe workstation to your tough video enhancing wishes then you definately received’t be disenchanted.

Reviewer: Adam Speight
Complete evaluation: Razer Blade 16 (2023) evaluation

The largest drawback with laptops designed for video enhancing is that they may be able to empty your financial savings account in a single fell swoop. The HP Envy 16 (2022) is a refreshing alternate, with a extra reasonably priced beginning worth of £1599/$1749. That’s no longer precisely affordable, nevertheless it gives nice bang to your dollar whilst you imagine the ability of the specifications.

Powered by means of the combo of an Intel Core i7-12700H processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, our benchmark checks display the HP Envy 16 to be with ease robust sufficient to blaze thru inventive workloads corresponding to video enhancing. It boasted greater than two times the ability of the Dell XPS 15 with an RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

The HP Envy additionally comes with a 16-inch display screen with a pointy 2560 x 1600 solution and easy 120Hz refresh fee. Our checks did display it most effective coated 70% of the Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts – that are supposed to be ok for entry-level creatives, despite the fact that those that crave best possible color accuracy might wish to glance somewhere else, and even improve to the non-compulsory OLED type.

We do have minor considerations concerning the computer’s design, particularly with reference to how heavy it’s. However taking into account the relatively low worth, there used to be all the time going to be a compromise or two.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Complete evaluation: HP Envy 16 (2022) evaluation

The strategy to have a dual-screen setup shall be a draw for video editors, because it no longer most effective means that you can use the second one show as a toolbar for sure content material advent apps, but in addition to provide you with more space to look further home windows and apps. The Asus ZenBook Professional 14 Duo OLED is a shining instance of what it may possibly do.

Inside of, the Intel Core i7-12700H processor gives a smashing efficiency, with our benchmark effects appearing it to be some of the quickest Home windows laptops recently in the marketplace. The Xe built-in graphics on be offering will suffice for elementary video enhancing paintings, and if you want for an added spice up in graphics efficiency, you’ll be able to configure the Zenbook Professional 14 Duo OLED with a discrete Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU.

An actual standout characteristic here’s the 14-inch OLED panel that we discovered to supply very good color accuracy along inky blacks which assist to spice up the distinction considerably. We measured color coverages of 97% DCi-P3 and 96% Adobe RGB, making sure the Asus computer is able to appropriately presenting pictures and video.

The one genuine drawback here’s battery existence, because the Zenbook Professional 14 Duo OLED may most effective muster 4 and a part hours in our checks ahead of shutting down, albeit with each displays operating. Even with the smaller ScreenPad Plus off, Asus’ dual-screen candidate lasted for most effective round six and a part hours. This implies that is actually a computer that’s perfect used when plugged in to your video-editing exploits.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Complete evaluation: Asus ZenBook Professional 14 Duo OLED evaluation

The Acer Thought D Ezel 7 is a well designed convertible computer with a artful hinge that permits the display screen to be tilted in opposition to the consumer, in addition to flipped across the again of the keyboard for a extra conventional tablet-style enjoy.

It gives an improbable LCD show , with our colorometer proving that it’s succesful of a few really incredible color protection, which is essential for video enhancing. Curiously, the LCD show right here additionally works with a stylus that makes use of the similar digitizer tech that’s found in a few of Wacom’s high-end drawing capsules. This implies the Ezel 7 is a brilliant selection for illustrators too, given the stylus beef up and the responsive nature of this kind of mild stylus.

Packing a tenth era H-series Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU, the Ezel 7 can blaze thru duties for pro creators. The SSD within the Ezel 7 could also be lovely immediate, and will probably be fast sufficient for loading and saving huge video information very quickly in any respect. Thermal efficiency is first rate sufficient, and there’s a just right quantity of cooling on be offering, despite the fact that the fan gadget can get a bit of noisy every now and then. 

At 2.5kg, the Ezel 7 is a heavy beast and compares extra in weight to some of the perfect gaming laptops than one for creatives. Nevertheless, it feels very good in hand with some incredible construct high quality because of a steel body. We discovered the connectivity right here to be very good with beef up for Thunderbolt 4, in addition to ethernet, HDMI and DisplayPort. Simply be careful for the somewhat shallow keyboard in comparison to the Ezel 3 Professional, and the rather garish and dim orange backlight.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Complete evaluation: Acer ConceptD Ezel 7