The 4 Best Laptops For Video Editing of 2025

The best laptop for editing videos we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024). This exceptionally well-built model delivers an outstanding user experience and can handle even the most demanding video editing projects. Its Mini LED display looks sharp, bright, and color-accurate, with full coverage of the DCI P3 color space. You also get a wide port selection, including an HDMI 2.1 and a full-size SD card reader. While all models can handle video editing, we recommend one with an M4 Pro or Max SoC (the M4 Pro model starts at $1,999 USD), as the base M4 chip will quickly hit its limits in highly complex projects.

This M4 model features a couple of notable upgrades and new features, including a brighter display (up to 1000 cd/m² in SDR when viewing content outdoors), a nano-texture display that further cuts glare, a 12 MP webcam with Center Stage support, and Thunderbolt 5 (Pro and Max models). If you want more screen space and don't mind a bulkier, more costly device, get the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2024). It's the same device but with better-sounding speakers.

For Windows users, we recommend the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024), a 16-inch premium model. It's available with Intel Meteor Lake CPUs, up to a Core Ultra 9 185H, paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or 4070 discrete GPU. RAM and storage max out at 64GB and 8TB, respectively, and unlike the MacBook Pro, these components are user-replaceable. There are a few display options, though only the top-end 4k+OLED panel has full DCI P3 coverage. You get tons of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI 2.1, and an SD Express 7.0 card reader. Its main downside is that it gets noticeably hotter and louder than the MacBook Pro.

Our best mid-range pick is the HP OMEN Transcend 14 (2024), a gaming/content creator laptop. This model is available with an Intel Core Ultra 7 or Core Ultra 9 CPU and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 discrete GPU, all capable hardware for video editing. It sports an excellent 2.8k OLED display with full sRGB and DCI P3 coverage, making it suitable for producing SDR and HDR content. While the display's brightness is fine for most indoor settings, it doesn't get nearly as bright as the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024) in HDR. Also, its glossy finish doesn't handle reflections all that well. You get plenty of ports to connect peripherals and external displays, including two USB-As, two USB-Cs (one Thunderbolt 4), and an HDMI 2.1. Battery life also falls short, lasting only around six hours of light use.

Another worthy mention is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024). It's very similar to the HP OMEN Transcend 14, as it also sports a 120Hz OLED display with full DCI P3 coverage and is available with NVIDIA 40-series GPUs, up to an RTX 4070. The main difference is that it's an AMD Ryzen system. The Ryzen CPUs perform well, but some programs, like Adobe Premiere, work better on Intel/NVIDIA systems, so the choice really comes down to which apps you use. Also, this laptop gets hotter and louder under load.

The best budget laptop for video editing we've tested is the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition (2023). When configured with a Ryzen 7 7735HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU and paired with an AMD Radeon RX 6700S or Radeon RX 7700S, it has plenty of processing power for intensive video editing tasks. RAM and storage max out at 32GB and 1TB, respectively—you can add more later, as both are user-replaceable. As for the display, you can choose between an FHD+ or a QHD+ panel. We recommend the latter; it has a higher peak brightness to combat glare and full DCI P3 coverage (the FHD+ display only has 100% sRGB), and its increased sharpness will allow you to see finer details more clearly.

This laptop feels very well-built, considering the price. It isn't overly bulky for a 16-inch device, but it's a 16-inch device nonetheless, so you'll need a fairly big bag to carry it. Port selection is great; you get two USB-As, two USB-Cs, an Ethernet, and a true HDMI 2.1 port. Unfortunately, there's no Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 support. Also, this laptop gets hot and loud under load, and there are no biometrics, like a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition camera.

The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) is a great option if you prefer an ultraportable for the occasional video editing. Its Retina display has full coverage of the DCI P3 color space, and it's superbly calibrated out of the box. Performance-wise, the base M3 SoC can handle most video editing tasks. However, it'll struggle in intensive projects with multiple high-resolution streams, causing frame drops and stutters. If your work is highly complex, you're better off getting a MacBook Pro with a more powerful M3 Pro/Max SoC. Also, remember that this is a fanless system, which is both good and bad, as you won't have to worry about fan noise, but there'll be some thermal throttling. Port selection is another weak point; it only has two USB-C ports and can only output to two external displays with the lid closed.

As Apple has recently released the new M4 series of MacBook Airs, the M3 series is now regularly on sale for around $850 USD. In addition to Apple's most recent silicon, the new models offer some notable upgrades including Thunderbolt 4 ports, support for using two external displays with the built-in display simultaneously, and the new 12MP webcam with Center Stage support that you already find on the M4 Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024). We're in the process of testing the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025); be sure to be on the lookout for our full reviews!