Laptop built for video editing don’t come cheap as they usually require a graphics card, fast processor and high-resolution display. If you’re looking at editing 4k videos, then you can’t cut corners by settling for a low-priced option. You will need to invest, whether this is your profession or weekend hobby.
If you’re a professional video editor looking to trade in your old laptop to recycle it and upgrade to a state-of-the-art Dell or Apple MacBook, then you’ll need to know what’s out there and the most valued and efficient laptop to invest in. This article looks at the best three options to choose from and some of the specific benefits for each model.
Dell XPS 15
Price: Around £1,500
Operating system: Windows 11 Home,
Processor: Intel Core™ i7
Display: 15.6” 4K OLED
Memory: Up to 32GB
Storage: Up to 1TB
Colour: Silver
Weight: 2kg
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1650
The Dell XPS 15 is considered one of the best video editing laptops currently on the market. Weighing a lightweight 2kg and lined with a premium chassis, this stands out as one of the best performing and visually appealing video-editing laptops.
Dell laptops have the advantage of the pre-loaded Premiercolor software, which allows more advanced tweaking from an extensive colour palette. This ensures your display is sharper when transferring over to large screens or monitors.
While it may be at the high end of the price spectrum, the Dell XPS 15 possesses an excellent battery life for a 4K laptop alongside stellar graphical performance.
Apple MacBook Pro 2021
Price: Around £1,900
Operating system: Mac OS
Processor: Apple M1 Pro
Display: 14.2”
Memory: 32GB
Storage: 1TB
Colour: Silver
Weight: 1.6kg
Graphics: Integrated Apple 16 core GPU
While certainly a pricey purchase, Apple products have an unprecedented reputation in the graphic design and video-editing community. The most recent Apple MacBook Pro is no exception. With its 244 pixels per inch, the mini LED screen explodes with lucid colours and is a treat to look at.
Apple users are also glad to hear that the novel touch bar has been abandoned in favour of more useful ports, meaning the keyboard space is used more efficiently. Finally, the MacBook Pro can transcode a 4K video to 1080p in under five minutes, a testament to how fast the processing unit really is.
Alienware Area 51-m
Price: Around £2,600
Operating system: Windows 10
Processor: Intel 8th Gen Core i7/ 9th Gen core i9
Display: 17.3” 4K/1080p
Memory: Up to 64GB
Storage: Up to 2TB
Colour: Black
Weight: 3.8kg
Graphics: GeForce RTX 2070
Alienware is renowned in the gaming community as one of the best brands out there, likewise it’s super-fast processor and premium graphics card have extensive uses in video-editing.
The Alienware Area 51-m features a range of different choices, with the highest end offering i9 processors and RTX graphics cards.
Boasting extremely quick transfer rates and a giant 17 inch screen displaying everything in 4k glory, this laptop is up for serious consideration with those who indulge in gaming on the side.