Best laptops for video editing 2024: Work faster with these expert picks

Why we like the Asus ProArt P16

The Asus ProArt P16 is a phenomenal choice for creative professionals and prosumers because of its stunning 4K OLED display, diverse selection of connectivity options, and long battery life. The 16-inch 3840×2400 display “boasts an incredible color gamut and deep contrast,” according to our review. It also has a taller 16:10 aspect ratio, which is great for multitasking and productivity tasks alike.

You’ll find the following ports on this machine: two USB-C, two USB-A, one HDMI, a crucial SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio combo jack. One of the USB-C ports even supports USB 4.0, which is capable of transmitting up to 40 Gbps. This machine also lasted over nine hours on a single charge. That’s a pretty good result given the powerful hardware inside.

Who should buy the Asus ProArt P16

Serious content creators! The display alone is an “excellent choice for a laptop aimed at professional creatives and consumers,” according to our review (which was written by a content creator). The resolution is great when editing high resolution photos. Although it can run hot under heavier loads and the overall look is on the boring side, it’s still worth your consideration, especially if you need the sharpness of a 4K display.

Why we like the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra offers powerful performance as well as a gorgeous OLED display. Thanks to the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H CPU and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, it’s well equipped to handle any video editing task you throw at it. Plus, the 16-inch OLED display has a resolution of 2880×1800 and a refresh rate of 120Hz–so you can expect a crisp-looking picture with rich colors. Sure, it’s not 4K, but it’s still a fantastic screen for content creation. Battery life is absolutely absurd, too. This machine lasted a whopping 18 hours and 54 minutes on a single charge. Wall outlet? Who is she?

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra

Anyone looking for a powerful, long-lasting laptop and doesn’t need to edit 4K videos. In addition to the stunning OLED display and the long battery life, the audio is also quite punchy, sounding great up and down the audio range. If you switch on the Dolby Atmos feature, you’ll hear even richer sound. Though content creators may not necessarily need good audio (or likely use dedicated headphones), it’s still a nice perk.

Alternative option: The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i ($1,699.99) is another great laptop to consider. It comes decked out with a 16-inch 3200×2000 165Hz refresh rate display, 32GB of RAM, and tons of ports (including an SD card reader). Compared to our current pick, the Yoga Pro 9i has a sharper screen with a faster refresh rate. That said, it only managed nine hours on a single charge. It’s an acceptable result, but it’s nothing like the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra’s 18 hours and 54 minutes.

Why we like the Asus ProArt PX13

The Asus ProArt PX13 is a creators laptop, full stop. It comes with the latest AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage — in other words, it’s powerful with a capital P. In addition to the impressive internal components, it also has a 13.4-inch 1880p OLED display with touchscreen and stylus support as well as a lightweight form factor. In fact, it weighs just 3.04 pounds, making it a fantastic option for those who are always on-the-go. Other cool features include Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and a 1080p webcam.

Who should buy the Asus ProArt PX13

Anyone that needs a portable powerhouse for creative work, and doesn’t need a 4K display (or is willing to connect the laptop to a 4K monitor). If you commute into the office, you can easily toss this laptop into a bag and be on your merry way. It also has a lot of connectivity options, which is useful for video editors that need to offload their work. The port selection includes two USB Type-C, one USB Type-A, one combo audio jack, one HDMI 2.1, one microSD reader, and one power in. The ProArt PX13 also has a 360-degree hinge, which allows you to use it like a tent or lie it flat on a surface.

Why we like the Acer Nitro V 16

The Acer Nitro V 16 is an affordable gaming laptop with competitive hardware and a big, fast display. The 1920×1200 IPS display measures 16 inches with a refresh rate of 165Hz, which means you can expect smooth-looking visuals. It also comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, so it definitely has enough horsepower to handle more demanding editing tasks. The battery life isn’t the best (four hours on a single charge), but that’s not surprising given that this is a gaming laptop and they’re known for their power-sucking components. If you don’t mind staying parked at your desk, then the Acer Nitro V 16 is a good pick for video editors looking to save some cash.

Who should buy the Acer Nitro V 16

Video editors looking for an affordable laptop with discrete graphics. It’s a good value, full stop. For just under a grand, you’re getting powerful hardware as well as a high refresh rate display. The battery life is shorter than we like to see, but this may not be a deal-breaker for you, so long as you stay parked at a desk. The gamer aesthetic is on the flashier side, too. If you can live with those trade-offs, then you can’t really beat the price-to-performance value.

Alternative option: The Asus TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition ($1,099.99), which was our previous Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing pick, is still a good option to consider. For about a grand, you’re getting reliable graphics performance, a spacious keyboard, and long battery life.

Why we like the Apple MacBook Pro (M3, Pro)

The Apple MacBook Pro (M3, Pro) will kick you in the teeth with its power (in the best way possible). Inside, you’ll find a 14-core GPU as well as 18GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. That amount of RAM will keep things running nice and smooth while the beefy GPU will chew right through any intense edits, though intense video editors will want to upgrade to a model with more storage or invest in an external SSD for added capacity. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display also has a ridiculously high resolution of 3024×1964, so editing should be a delightful experience. It even comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports for speedy data transfers.

Who should buy the Apple MacBook Pro (M3, Pro)

Anyone who prefers Apple’s ecosystem. This configuration shows a 44 percent increase in performance (according to Geekbench’s Compute Metal test) compared to the M3 (sans Pro) model. You’ll also be able to see every detail of your photo or video editing work thanks to the gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display. Battery life isn’t too shabby, either. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro will last you over ten hours on a single charge, which is more than a full work day.

Alternative option: If you’re looking for a bigger screen, then you should check out the MacBook Pro, M2 Pro. The Liquid Retina XDR display measures 16.2-inches and has a resolution of 3456×2234, so visuals should be sharp as knives. The M2 Pro also comes loaded with a powerful 19-core GPU.