What laptop specs do I need for video editing?

video editing laptop

Some of you might be looking for a new Windows laptop for video editing. Well, that’s great. But the problem is when you are looking for a laptop for video editing, you don’t know which specs need to consider. I’m going to help you make your choice. So I made the list of important specs you need for video editing.

For 4k or Full HD video editing, you need at least a 6 core processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX series or AMD Radeon RX GPU, 32GB RAM, 15-inch display, and 256GB storage. In addition, make sure the laptop has a minimum of 5 or 6 hours of battery life, Thunderbolt connectivity, and good built quality.

Laptop Specs For Video Editing

So let’s dive deeper to know more about the laptop’s specifications for video editing.

Weight and size

Choose a laptop that is lightweight and thin. It can be difficult to carry a laptop in your luggage and backpack if you’re traveling or hiking. So it’s better not to have a laptop with more than 4 or 5 lbs. If you do not travel and hiking, but do video editing at home, then it does not matter to weigh.

Display

I believe a bigger display, which is color accurate, is much needed. So choose at least a 15-inch IPS display. A 15-inch works well for small edits, but when you’re working on a larger project, a 17-inch display comes in handy.

It’s not like editing at home, where you can easily connect an external monitor to your laptop. In such a situation, that laptop display is not very important. The higher resolution, giving you double the number of pixels. Not necessary, but it’s great because you’ll see more detail in your video and photo work.

Battery Life

If you are doing heavy work, then, of course, the battery life gets reduced a lot. Almost every brand is a little bit excited about its battery performance.

If you have a laptop in mind, try searching for a battery test video. So make sure your laptop offers at least 5 or 6 hours of battery life.

Processor

It is essential to make sure that you have a good processor that handles all the video editing software you use. The Core i7 is the best processor for video editing that can take everything from Premiere Pro to Final Cut Pro and beyond.

The Core i5 processor is also a good option as it offers quad cores and can edit videos quickly. So, quad-core for Full HD and 6, or even 8 core processors is recommended for editing 4K.

RAM

RAM is another important component of a laptop, you know. It is essential to get RAM that works well for your video editing software.

You need at least 16 gigabytes of RAM for Full HD video editing and 32 for 4K editing. Of course, the 64 is even better for doing 3D work or if you’re doing a lot of 3D-ing in Adobe After Effects. Choose 32 if your budget is an issue.

Storage

Understanding your storage needs and the amount of space needed to store your video editing software is essential. For example, if you have a lot of footage you want to keep on your computer, a large hard drive is a good idea. The more storage you have, the more programs you can run.

The two most common storage devices for video editing are SSD and HDD. SSDs are faster and can hold more data, but they are also more expensive than HDDs. Get at least 256 GB SSD storage.

GPU

Video editing is still very processor-based. The GPU mostly kicks in when using effects and rendering. And yet, many effects don’t even use the GPU. That’s why a good GPU is very important for video editing. So make sure you have the Nvidia GeForce RTX series or AMD Radeon RX GPU.

Connectivity.

Make sure your laptop has Thunderbolt as you can connect multiple USB ports, Ethernet ports, and even an external graphics card. So it doesn’t matter if your laptop doesn’t have a dedicated card. You can connect it to an external card whenever you want. This will give you a great performance increase when working with effects.

Also, make sure your laptop has an SD card reader, and a USB 3.0 or higher port is recommended as you will be using it for data transfer.

Build Quality

Make sure your laptop has a good build quality. It is not made of a plastic case like the old Acer laptop, which is a very cheap laptop. If you take an old Acer laptop on your travels, it will break very fast. That’s why build quality is essential when traveling. It’s okay if the laptop is made of aluminum or tough premium plastic.

Best selling budget laptop for video editing

acer aspire 5
Acer Aspire 5
acer aspire 5 slim
Acer Aspire 5 Slim
lenovo ideapad l340
Lenovo Ideapad L340

Best laptop for video editing

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best laptop for video editing is not easy due to its features and qualities. So if you are looking for a video editing laptop, you look at the specifications listed above.

A powerful laptop is recommended as 4k quality is popular nowadays. So make sure to choose a laptop that can handle 4k video editing.

For any doubts, “contact us through the comments sections, and I’ll be happy to answer any questions.

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