When your business means editing video after video to provide your client with the best possible result, having a laptop that lacks the power and the gear to get the job done can cause serious problems.
With our updated list of the best laptops for animation and video editing in 2021, we wanted to show you the best choices out there to make your work shine.
Also, see our video editing laptop buying guide at the bottom of this article to help you decide what video editing laptop is best for your needs.
10 Best Laptops for Video Editing & Animation in 2021
- Apple MacBook Pro 2021 Best Apple laptop for video editing [Editors Choice]
- Dell G5 15 SE Best budget video editing laptop
- Huawei MateBook X Pro Best Mac alternative for video editing
- Alienware Area-51m Most powerful laptop for video editing
- Dell XPS 15 Best value laptop for video editing overall
- Razer Blade 15 A professional video editing laptop with serious power
- HP ZBook Firefly Beautiful design combined with incredible brains
- Microsoft Surface Book 3 The most powerful 2-in-1 laptop video editing available
- MSI GS65 Stealth A laptop built for gaming but perfect for video editing
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Our pick for Lenovo laptop
What is the best laptop for video editing in 2021?
Apple MacBook Pro 2021 is our pick for the best laptop for video editing in 2021. Although, you can check the comparison table below to see what fits best to your needs.
You can also check out our consolidated list of best camera tripods if you are interested in buying one.
Video Editing laptop Buying Guide: How to choose whats right for you
When you buy a laptop for video editing, there are many different things that you should focus on when you choose which one is right for your needs. Overall though, we feel like the majority of the laptops can be picked based on four different factors:
Resolution
While the resolution of the laptops display can help make whatever video clips youre working on look clearer and crisper, not every laptop that is available for video editing has made the migration to 4K yet. Thats why at a minimum, you should look for a monitor with a resolution of at least 1080p. Anything less and the quality of the video youre editing will not look professional at all.
Processor
It seems like every couple of months the latest and greatest processor from Intel or AMD is announced and every new one is better than the last because of the power they offer to help your editing software run smoothly and without any lag issues. While the ideal option is an Intel Xeon CPU or better, having either an 8-core Intel CPU or equivalent is recommended for optimal results
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Video card
The video card or GPU is essential to your video editing process. The benefit of having a great GPU is that when youre editing a video, the workload is split between the CPU and GPU, taking less strain off the CPU and letting it perform up to its capabilities. Shooting for an Nvidia RTX of AMD Radeon Pro video card is at the pinnacle of the available options out there.
RAM
Having a laptop with more available RAM means that it can allow your computer to work with more information at the same time and can improve the overall performance of the system. While as a baseline, having 16GB of RAM is a good place to start, the more RAM you have the better and 64GB is the ideal place you should be.
Top 10 Laptops for Video Editing, Motion Graphics & Animation You can Buy in 2021
1. Apple MacBook Pro 2021 [Editors Choice]
The best Apple laptop for video editing
| CPU | Apple M1 Pro chip |
| Graphics | Apple 14-core GPU or Apple 16-core GPU |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Screen | 14-inch |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
After months of rumors and speculation, finally, the 14-inch MacBook is here, and it comes with Apples custom M1 processor for fast computation and greatly extended battery life. With a plethora of extras to match its price tag, the ultraportable reintroduces a surplus of useful ports. And theres good news for some: Apple ditched the novel but somewhat useless Touch Bar.
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What more? Now you get an improved speaker system with spatial audio capabilities and the miniLED screen with a resolution of 3024 by 1964 pixels. Despite the fact that it is still in beta, macOS Monterey runs like a dream, and the laptop battery lasted more than 14 hours.
Also check out the best Macbook Pro accessories and best Macbook Pro monitors to go with your new laptop.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great Liquid Retina XDR display | Display is not 4k |
| Exceptional battery life | No USB-A port |
| 1080p webcam | |
| Excellent speakers |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chip for a massive leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Up to 10-core CPU delivers up to 3.7x faster performance to fly through pro workflows quicker than ever
- Up to 32-core GPU with up to 13x faster performance for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 16-core Neural Engine for up to 11x faster machine learning performance
- Longer battery life, up to 17 hours
Apple MacBook Pro 16 Review
Want a closer look at this fine laptop? Check out this Apple MacBook Pro 16 review video:
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Video credit: The Tech Chap/YouTube
2. Dell G5 15 SE
The best budget laptop for video editors, animators & motion graphic artists
CPU: AMD Ryzen | Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5600M | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6 inches | Storage: 512 GB SSD
The Dell G5 15 SE [2020] is one of the first gaming laptops to come equipped with all-new AMD hardware. For the price range, the Dell G5 15 SE with an AMD R7 4800H CPU outperforms its competitors. Trust me G5 15 SE is a steal when paired with its 15.6-inch display that covers 108% of the sRGB color gamut and emits 301 nits of brightness.
You want more? You got it. The battery of this model lasts for 7 hours and 14 minutes.
You may also want to see our full list of the best Dell laptops.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great value for the price | All plastic design |
| It can run most of the games at 60fps | |
| Great selection of ports |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Equipped With The Powerful and Latest AMD Ryzen 7 Processors, AMD Octa-Core Ryzen 7 4800H [Beats I7-9750H], [2.9 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, L3 Cache 8MB / L2...
- 15.6" Full HD [ 1920 x 1080 ] 144Hz Display, Antireflective finish reduces eyestrain and widens the field of view I Dedicated 6GB AMD Radeon RX 5600M
- Microsoft Windows 10 Home [64-bit], RGB Backlit Keyboard, Integrated Widescreen HD 720P Webcam with Dual Digital Microphone Array, Game Shift Technology, Wi-Fi 6 - Wireless AX1650 and Bluetooth, Two...
- 512GB PCIe SSD; 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 1 USB 3.0 Type C; 1 USB 2.0 Type-A; 1 USB 3.0 Type A; 1 HDMI out; 1 Media Card Reader; 1 Headphone/microphone combo jack
3. Huawei Matebook 13
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A great MacBook Pro alternative
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8565U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 , Nvidia GeForce MX150 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.9-inch 3K [3,000 x 2,080] | Storage: 256GB SSD
Huawei is one of those companies that is continuously flying under the radar and those editors that are smart enough to realize how good they are can get an amazing laptop for their work. With its beautiful design along with a stunning screen, the MateBook X Pro is loaded with an 8th generation Intel Core CPU and a battery life that puts many other choices to shame. The MateBook X Pro is an amazing alternative to the MacBook Pro, especially with its lower price point.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great performance | The screen is a bit dim |
| Excellent build and compact design | Short battery life |
| Nvidia MX150 GPU included | No Thunderbolt 3 support and no USB-A port available |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Thin, light & portable: weighs only 2.86 pounds [or less with integrated graphics] and measures 11.26 wide x 8.31 deep x .59 high
- Fullview touch Display: feels larger than 13 - thin Bezel at only 4.4mm, 88% screen-to-body ratio, 2K [2160x1440] touchscreen, 200ppi, 1000: 1 contrast ratio
- Powerful performance: 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8565Uprocessor boosts performance up to 40% over its predecessor. Nvidia GeForce MX150, perfect for casual gaming and photo editing.
- Innovative cooling design: Huawei Shark fin design 2.0 cooling solution reaches up to 8, 000 revolutions per minute and increases airflow approximately 25% more than conventional laptop fans
- Includes compact Mate dock 2.0: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port. Includes 1 year office 365 personal and 1 year manufacturer warranty
4. Alienware Area-51m
Most powerful video editing laptop
CPU: 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900K | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 17.3 inches | Storage: 2 X 256GB SSD [R0] + 1TB SSHD
Alienware Area-51m is a beast. This machine is powered by an overclockable 9th Generation Core i9 desktop processor and the most recent graphics card RTX 2080. And everything looks amazing on a 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display.
Also, along with its massive, upgradeable power, the machine has a stunning design and an SSD with a transfer rate of 1,272 MBps.
| Pros | Cons |
| Mesmerizing station aesthetic | Lacks MicroSD Card Slot |
| Outstanding performance and graphics | Expensive as hell |
| Fast SSDs |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 9th Generation Intel Core i9-9900K [8-Core, 16MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz w/ Turbo Boost]
- 17.3" FHD [1920 x 1080] 144Hz Anti-Glare IPS Display w/ NVIDIA G-SYNC + Tobii eyetracking technology
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6 [OC Ready]
- 32GB [2x16GB] 2400MHz DDR4 Memory
- 2 X 256GB PCIe Solid State Drive [R0] + 1TB [+8GB SSHD] Hybrid Drive
5. Dell XPS 15
The best value laptop at a great price
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 9750h | Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6 FHD [1920 x 1080] InfinityEdge Anti-Glare Non-touch IPS 15.6-inch 4K UHD [3840 x 2160] Anti-Reflective InfinityEdge Touch IPS | Storage: 512G PCIe SSD
If most of your day-to-day is spent editing videos, the Dell XPS 15 is an amazing investment. Be sure to get the powered-up version with a 9th-generation i9 CPU, gorgeous 4K display, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card and 64GB of RAM. Even with all of this high-end tech packed into the case, the Dell XPS 15 costs less than its MacBook Pro equivalent. Plus, there is no shortage of ports on the XPS including an SD card reader slot. All in all, this is one great investment that you should consider.
| Pros | Cons |
| Sleek design | GPU falls short of hardcore gamers demands |
| Great performance | |
| Robust speakers | |
| USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 3 available |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 15.6 inch Fhd [1920 x 1080] Infinity Edge anti glare Non Touch IPS 100 percentage RGB 500 nits Display
- 9th Generation Intel Core i7 9750h [12MB Cache, up to 4.5 Gigahertz, 6 Cores]
- 8GB DDR4 2666MHz, 2x4G
- 512G PCIe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
6. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
A professional laptop with serious power
CPU: 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
Laptops from Razer are typically marketed for the gaming crowd but the Blade 15 Studio Edition has been built with creatives in mind, especially considering the high-end graphics card packed inside. An Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 plus the 15.6-inch OLED 4K display makes everything you put on it look amazing. No surprise to anyone is the price that this incredible workstation comes with. While the price is steep, if being able to have the best workflow possible is important during your day, you may want to consider going outside your budget.
| Pros | Cons |
| Premium design | Overwhelming for many people |
| Good battery life |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Zero-Compromise Creative Mobile Workstation: Built for creative work in a 0.7" thin CNC aluminum unibody with high-performance, vapor chamber cooling powered by an NVIDIA Quadro series GPU
- Futureproof Design: Thunderbolt 3 capable, compatible with Razer Core external GPU enclosures for additional power; supports dual-channel memory and SSD upgradability
- Professional-Grade Studio Display: Features an individually calibrated 4K OLED touch display covering 100% DCI-P3 with a blazing fast 1ms response time
- Ready to Connect: Plug in multiple devices directly to expand the view on up to 3 extrenal displays via Thunderbolt 3, MiniDislayPort, and HDMIm and get over gigabit speeds through Intel Wi-Fi 6 for a...
- Biometric Security: Supports Windows Hello instant facial unlock with integrated webcam and IR sensor
7. HP ZBook FireFly
Beautiful design combined with incredible brains
CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U [1.8 GHz to 4.9 GHz] | Graphics: Intel UHD graphics | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2160 pixels | Storage: 512GB SSD 2Tb
With a weight of just over four pounds, the ZBook Firefly from HP is a great choice for video editing and motion graphics. With its 4K screen and Intel Xeon processor, this little laptop has some serious power behind it. Along with a great Nvidia Quadro graphics card and an easily upgradeable 512GB SSD. The ZBook offers great value for the money and is one of the best laptops available for video editing.
| Pros | Cons |
| High-quality aluminum case | Micro SD reader and RJ45 not available |
| 2 RAM slots | CPU/GPU architectures are outdated |
| Good battery life | |
| Silent fan |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 【Upgraded】; Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. 15.6" Full HD [1920x1080] 60Hz Display; Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Wifi, Bluetooth 5.1, 720p HD Webcam, Fingerprint...
- 【Powerful Performance with Intel Core i7-1165G7 Quad Core】; 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 2.80GHz Processor [upto 4.7 GHz, 12MB Cache, 4-Cores] ; Intel Iris Xe Integrated Graphics, .
- 【High Speed and Multitasking】; 16GB DDR4 SODIMM; 45W Power Supply, 3-Cell 56 WHr Battery; Graphite Grey Color, Micro SIM Slot.
- 【Enormous Storage】; 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD; 2 USB 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2 Thunderbolt 4 [Type-C], Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack., Windows 10 Pro-64., 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech...
- ; Includes Dockztorm USB Hub[Special Edition Portable Docztorm Data Hub;Super Speedy Data Syn Rate upto 5Gbps]
8. Microsoft Surface Book 3
The most powerful 2-in-1 laptop available
CPU: Intel Core i5-7300U Intel Core i7-8650U 1.9GHz | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 [2GB GDDR5 VRAM] | RAM: 8GB 16GB | Screen: 3,000 x 2,000 [267 PPI] PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio | Storage: 256GB 1TB SSD
Many video editors may not look at a 2-in-1 laptop as their first choice for editing video but when it comes to the Surface Book 3, they should reconsider. The components inside the Surface Book 3 are more than powerful enough to handle video editing especially if you choose the version that comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics card. Excellent battery life and a beautiful design make is great to use as a tablet or a traditional laptop. A handy option is using the tablet to shoot video and edit it on the laptop when on the go.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great battery life | Thunderbolt 3 missing |
| Solid performance | |
| Detachable screen |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Most powerful Surface laptop yet, with quad-core powered, 10th Gen Intel Core processors. More than 50% faster than Surface Book 2 13.5.
- Fastest graphics on Surface, powered by NVIDIA GTX GeForce GPU. 40% more graphics performance than Surface Book 2 13.5".
- Power when you need it. Up to 15.5 hours battery life[1] plus improved standby that extends battery life when youre away.
- Robust laptop, powerful tablet, and portable studio in one.
- The connections you need, including USB-A, USB-C, and full-size SD card slot.
9. MSI GS65 Stealth
Built for gaming, perfect for video editing
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H GTX1660Ti | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti 6GB GDDR6 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD [1,920 x 1,080] anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel | Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD
The GS65 Stealth is built primarily as a gaming laptop but with the excellent specs inside it, it is also an amazing option for video editors as well. Packed with an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor plus an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card meaning that the Stealth can handle multi-tasking and editing with ease, Plus if you want to get some gaming in on the weekend, you can do that too.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great design | Heating issue while gaming |
| Excellent graphics performance | |
| Audio quality is extraordinary | |
| Thin bezels |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 15.6" FHD, Anti-Glare Wide View Angle 144Hz 3ms 72%NTSC NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti 6G GDDR6
- Intel Core i7-9750H 2.6 - 4.5GHz Intel 9560 Jefferson Peak [2x2 802.11 ac]
- 16GB [8G 2] DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB
- Killer Gaming Network E2500 Dynaudio Speakers 2W2 720p HD Webcam
- USB 3.2 Gen2 3; Thunderbolt 31
10. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme
Our pick for Lenovo laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5/Core i7| Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 8-64GB | Screen: 15 inches | Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is the companys first 15-inch laptop with a discrete graphics card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GPU. Its a monster that can be outfitted with an 8th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and 64GB of RAM.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme can withstand high temperature, humidity, sand and dust, and repeated drops. In addition to all these amazing features, it also has an optional IR camera, allowing you to use Windows Hello facial recognition to sign into your laptop.
| Pros | Cons |
| Phenomenal display [4K HDR] | Battery life is not good |
| Great performance | |
| Beautiful design |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Intel Core i7-9750H 2.60GHz Processor [9th Gen, upto 4.50 GHz, 12 MB SmartCache, 6-Cores] ; 32GB DDR4 SODIMM RAM
- NVIDIA GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 Integrated Graphics
- 15.6" Full HD [1920x1080] Display; Bluetooth 5.0, 720p HD Webcam, Fingerprint, Backlit Keyboard, Black Color
- 1TB SATA SSD; 2xUSB3.0, 1xHDMI, 1 x mDP Port, 2xThunderbolt, SD Reader, 3.5mm Combo Jack., Windows 10 Pro-64, 3-Cell 80WHr Battery, 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech [Professionally...
- Includes Portable USB 3.0 Data Hub
Frequently Asked Questions
What is important in a laptop for video editing?
There are two major factors one needs to consider. These components are the CPU and memory. The more cores and the latest CPU technology you have, the better. Also, memory plays a crucial role in the smooth editing of videos without any lag or disruption.
What laptop is good for 4K video editing?
Dell XPS 15 is perfect for 4K video editing - equipped with high-end tech and enough memory; this laptop makes video editing look like a breeze. The best thing about it is the reasonable price range that makes it the right pick for 4K video editing.
Is 8GB RAM enough for video editing?
That depends on the video size and resolution. For 1080p videos, 8GB RAM can get the job done if you close background applications. But for 4K videos, you need to have 16GB RAM or 32GB RAM for a flawless experience.
What is the best budget laptop for video editing?
HP Envy x360 is the best budget laptop for animators, video editors, & motion graphic artists. With this laptop, you can get the premium editing feel without burning a hole in your pocket. With an amazing specs list, this laptop delivers top-notch performance when editing videos.
Can a gaming laptop be used for video editing?
Well, gaming laptops are mainly loaded with a powerful GPU. If it's a mid-range gaming laptop, it won't be good for editing 4K videos as it lacks a high-end CPU. So, if you have a gaming laptop with both high-end GPU and CPU, you can edit videos flawlessly.
Best laptops for video editing, motion graphics & animation in 2021
If you want to succeed editing videos in 2021, you have to have the best technology to do it. With our list of the best laptops for video editing and graphic design in 2021, we hope weve provided you with enough options so that when youre ready for your next laptop, the choice you have to make is an easy one.
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