Best Laptops for Video Editing in 2026: Top 10 Picks for Video Editors

Video has become standard marketing content, with91% of businesses using video as a marketing tool in 2026, according to Wyzowl. Its research also found that 63% of video marketers now use AI tools to help create or edit videos, putting more pressure on editors to work quickly across increasingly demanding projects. We tested thebest laptops for video editingacross performance, display quality, portability, storage, and workflow flexibility to find the machines that suit everything from social clips to demanding 4K projects. 

Best Laptops for Video Editing: Quick Picks

• Best laptop for video editing overall:Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Pro
• Best Windows laptop for video editing:ASUS ProArt P16
• Best portable video editing laptop:Apple MacBook Pro 14 M5
• Best value Windows laptop for video editing:Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI
• Best budget laptop for video editing:HP OMEN 16 OLED
• Best video editing laptop for VFX and GPU-heavy workflows:Razer Blade 16
• Best thin-and-light Windows laptop for video editing:Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra
• Best workstation laptop for video editing:Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8
• Best creator-focused alternative:MSI Creator A16 AI+
• Best laptop for video editing and gaming:ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16

Best Laptops for Video Editing: Quick Comparison 

The 10 Best Laptops for Video Editing in 2026

A goodvideo editinglaptop needs more than a fast processor. We looked at how each machine balances CPU performance, graphics power, display quality, memory, storage, portability, and the practical demands of editing software.

1. Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Pro

The 16-inchMacBook Pro M5 Procombines an18-core CPU with up to a 20-core GPU, 307GB/s memory bandwidth, and dedicated media engines for H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW, and AV1 decoding. These media capabilities are particularly useful for editors working with high-resolution footage and Apple’s supported codecs.

The16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR displayis equally important. It offers 1,000 nits of sustained full-screen XDR brightness, up to 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness, wide P3 color, and ProMotion up to 120Hz. You also get 24GB of unified memory as a starting point on the M5 Pro configuration, with higher-memory options available. For accurate video editing, the combination of color coverage, brightness, and contrast makes it a compelling Mac laptop for demanding workflows. 

M5 Pro power with a 15-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 1TB SSD, and a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display.

2. ASUS ProArt P16

Creators need workstation-level components in a laptop they can still carry around. ASUS offers theProArt P16withAMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and graphics options ranging from the RTX 4060 to the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. The top configuration pairs the processor with NVIDIA’s flagship mobile GPU and up to 128GB of unified memory.

The display makes the P16 particularly interesting for editors. Its16-inch OLED panel runs at 4K resolution, supports 120Hz, reaches up to 1,600 nits HDR peak brightness, and covers 100% of DCI-P3. PANTONE validation also gives it a creator-focused color credential.

3. Apple MacBook Pro 14 M5

Apple MacBook Pro 14 M5is a great video editing laptop for creators who frequently move between home, office, and location shoots. It comes with a14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display and up to 48GB of unified memoryin a much smaller package. The base M5 has a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU, along with hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW, and AV1 decoding. The display reaches 1,600 nits peak HDR brightness and covers the wide P3 color space.

Battery lifeis another reason it works well for mobile editors. Apple rates the M5 model forup to 24 hours of video streaming, although intensive video editing tasks will be far more demanding. Three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe, and a headphone jack also reduce the need for dongles.

4. Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI

Acer’sPredator Helios Neo 16S AItakes thegaming-laptoproute and makes surprisingly good sense as an editing machine. It combinesIntel’s Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus with an RTX 5070 Ti and 32GB of DDR5 memory. The GPU has 12GB of GDDR7 memory, which gives editors considerably more room for GPU-accelerated effects and demanding timelines.

Acer also gives it a16-inch 2560 x 1600 stunning OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 100% DCI-P3 coverage. The refresh rate is largely irrelevant for editing, but the OLED panel and wide color coverage are useful when you’re judging footage. It can comfortably handle serious Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and After Effects work.

5. HP OMEN 16 OLED

TheHP OMEN 16is the option we’d look at when acapable video editinglaptop needs to stay within a tighter budget. It can be equipped with Intel’s latest Core Ultra processors, up to an RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, up to 64GB of DDR5 memory, and up to 2TB of SSD storage.

The OLED display configuration is particularly attractive for editing. HP lists a16-inch 2560 x 1600 panel with up to 165Hz refresh, 500 nits SDR brightness, up to 1,100 nits HDR brightness, and 100% DCI-P3 coverage.

The catch is that configurations vary considerably largely because it falls within the range of best budget laptops. A model with 16GB RAM and an RTX 5060 isn’t in the same performance class as a 64GB RTX 5070 configuration. We’d prioritize at least 32GB RAM and the stronger GPU if you regularly edit 4K footage.

14-inch OLED display, AMD Ryzen processor, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, integrated Radeon graphics, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity

6. Razer Blade 16

Razer’sBlade 16is the machine on this list for professional video editors who regularly push the GPU. You can configure the laptop with anRTX 5090 Laptop GPU running at up to 165W, alongside Intel’s Core Ultra 9 386H, up to 64GB of LPDDR5X-9600 memory, and a 16-inch QHD+ 240Hz OLED display.

The RTX 5090 configuration comes with24GB of GDDR7 VRAM, which is useful for GPU-intensive effects, compositing, 3D work, and demanding DaVinci Resolve timelines. Razer has also moved to a vapor-chamber cooling system designed to maintain performance during long workloads.

7. Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra

Samsung’sGalaxy Book6 Ultrais an unusual proposition. It puts dedicated RTX graphics into a relatively slim 16-inch Windows laptopwhile keeping the machine closely integrated with Samsung’s broader device ecosystem. Current configurations use Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors with RTX 5060 or RTX 5070 graphics and 32GB or 64GB of LPDDR5X memory.

The 16-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is a major attraction. Samsung lists a WQXGA+ resolution, 120Hz adaptive refresh, up to 1,000 nits HDR brightness, and touch support. You get generous storage of up to 2TB, with an expansion slot also available. Theoled screenprovides the kind of contrast andscreen qualitythat creative professionals often look for when evaluating footage. 

The real advantage is mobility. You get adedicated GPUwithout carrying a thick workstation. This makes it useful for creators who want anultraportable laptopwithout giving up discrete graphics. 

8. Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 8

TheThinkPad P1 Gen 8makes sense foreditors who need a professional workstation that can also handle demanding business workflows. Lenovo offers Intel Core Ultra H-series processors, up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory, and NVIDIA RTX PRO graphics, including the RTX PRO 2000 Blackwell generation.

Storage is one of its biggest strengths. The P1 Gen 8 supports two M.2 drives with up to 4TB per drive, allowing configurations of up to 8TB. It can also drive multiple external displays, including up to three 4K displays at 60Hz through its Thunderbolt ports and HDMI connections.

9. MSI Creator A16 AI+

MSI’sCreator A16 AI+sits betweena conventional gaming laptop and a traditional creator workstation. The configuration range includes AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with up to 50 NPU TOPS, alongside NVIDIA GPUs ranging up to the RTX 4070. MSI also offers several display choices, including 16-inch QHD+ 240Hz panels, a 3.8K 120Hz Mini-LED option, and an OLED configuration. 

We like the A16 AI+ for creators who want Windows flexibility without buying a laptop designed exclusively around gaming. Its main weakness is the variation between configurations, so check the exact screen and GPU before ordering. 

10. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16

From our perspective, theZephyrus G16is the obvious choice forsomeone who edits during the day and games after work. ASUS offers the 2026 model with Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processors and graphics options reaching the RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. The range also includes RTX 5060, 5070, 5070 Ti, and 5080 configurations.

Its 16-inch 2.5K OLED display supports 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3, G-Sync, and Pantone validation. Those gaming features don’t hurt an editing workflow, while the wide color gamut and OLED contrast make the screen useful for creative work.

ROG Nebula Touchscreen 13.4″ Convertible 2-in-1 Gaming Notebook AMD

How We Chose the Best Laptops for Video Editing

We didn’t treat processor speed as the deciding factor. Video editing puts several parts of a laptop under pressure at the same time. A machine that looks impressive on a spec sheet can still be frustrating if it has apoor display, limited storage, weak cooling, or an awkward port selection.

Our evaluation focused on five areas:

• Editing performance:We looked at the CPU, GPU, media engines, and sustained-performance potential for timelines, exports, effects, and rendering.
• Display quality:Resolution matters, but so do color gamut, brightness, contrast, HDR capability, and panel technology. A brighter display, for example, can make footage easier to assess in well-lit environments. 
• Memory and storage:16GB can work for lighter editing, while 32GB gives serious users more breathing room. Fast solid state drives (SSDs) also matter when working with large source files.
• Portability:A mobile editor needs to balance weight, battery life, charger size, and performance.
• Workflow fit:Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and other applications don’t use hardware in exactly the same way.

We also checkedcurrent manufacturer specifications to account for 2026 hardware changes. That’s important this year, with Apple’s M5 Pro generation competing against new Intel and AMD systems paired with NVIDIA’s RTX 50-series mobile GPUs.

How to Choose the Best Laptop for Video Editing

Picking the right laptop comes down tomatching hardware to your actual editing software and workflow, not just chasing the highest spec number. Here’s what we’d weigh first, based on what mattered most across our testing.

Start With Your Editing Software

Your software should influence the laptop you buy.Final Cut Pro points strongly toward macOS, whilePremiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve give Windows usersa much broader hardware pool.Resolve, in particular, can make good use ofpowerful dedicated GPUs, while Apple’s media engines can be extremely useful for supported video codecs. Checkapp compatibilitybefore buying a new laptop, particularly if you rely on specialized plugins or older editing software. 

Choose the Right CPU and GPU

A strongmulti-core CPU speeds up timeline scrubbing and effects rendering, while a capable GPU accelerates exports, color grading, and real-time effects previews. For 4K and above, don’t skimp on either.

Don’t Skimp on RAM

16GB is a bare minimum for 1080p editing today, and most editors working in 4K or above should aim for 32GB or higher, especially with multiple applications open simultaneously.

Prioritize a Color-Accurate Display

Look for100% DCI-P3 or sRGB coverage at minimum, and OLED or mini-LED panels for accurate blacks and contrast during color grading work.

Get Enough Fast Storage

NVMe SSDs read and write raw and ProRes footage far faster than older storage types. Budget at least 1TB internally if you’re working with 4K or 6K footage regularly.

Check Ports Before Buying

Thunderbolt or USB4 support matters for fast external drives and high-resolution external monitors. An SD card reader slot saves you from carrying a separate dongle on location shoots.

Consider Battery Life and Charger Size

MacBooks generally win on long battery lifefor editing work away from a wall outlet, while high-performance Windows laptops often need their full-size charger nearby for GPU-heavy sessions.

How Much RAM Do You Need for Video Editing?

For 1080p editing, 16GB is workable but tightonce you add color grading plugins or multiple browser tabs alongside your timeline. 32GB is the realistic sweet spot for most 4K editors in 2026, giving enough headroom for multicam sequences and effects-heavy timelines without constant memory pressure.

Editors working in 6K or 8K, or doing heavy VFX and 3D compositing alongside editing, should look at 64GB configurationslike those available on the MacBook Pro 16 M5 Pro, ASUS ProArt P16, or Razer Blade 16.

MacBook vs. Windows Laptop for Video Editing

Mac and Windows laptops can both handle professional video editing, but they approach performance differently.

MacBook Pro models have a major advantage in Apple’s integrated hardware and software ecosystem. The M5 generation includes dedicated media engines for formats such as H.264, HEVC, ProRes, ProRes RAW, and AV1 decoding.

Windows gives you considerably more hardware choice. You can choose between different CPUs, NVIDIA GPUs, RAM capacities, screen types, storage arrangements, and price points. RTX graphics also make most laptops particularly attractive for editors who rely heavily on GPU acceleration, AI effects, 3D applications, or DaVinci Resolve.

Are Gaming Laptops Good for Video Editing?

Yes. Gaming laptops often have exactly what video editors need.Powerful CPUs, dedicated graphics cards, high-speed memory, fast SSDs, capable cooling, and high-quality displaysare all common in this category. Our Acer Predator, HP OMEN, Razer Blade, and ASUS ROG picks show how well the hardware can translate to editing.

Thecompromise is usually portability and acoustics. A gaming laptop may become noticeably loud during a long export, and the charger can be substantially larger than the one bundled with a MacBook Pro.

If gaming isn’t part of your workload, you don’t need to buy a gaming laptop. But don’t dismiss one simply because it carries a gaming label.

What Else Do You Need for a Video Editing Laptop?

A powerful laptop is only part of an editing setup:

• External storageshould be high on your list. Keeping every camera file on the internal SSD gets expensive and eventually creates a capacity problem.
• A second monitorcan also transform the workflow. You can keep your timeline and controls on one screen while using the other for a larger preview, bins, scopes, or reference material.
• A good card readersaves time when transferring footage. USB-C readers are small enough to keep in your camera bag.
• Headphones or studio monitorsmatter for editors who work with dialogue, music, and sound effects. A visually perfect cut can still fail if the audio isn’t properly monitored.
• A laptop stand or cooling solutioncan help with long editing sessions, particularly on thin machines that rely on compact cooling systems.

You should also budget for video editing software and backup storage. Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Final Cut Pro, plug-ins, fonts, stock footage, cloud storage, and backup drives can add considerably to the total cost of your setup.

Final Verdict

The best laptop for video editingdepends on your software, budget, and how much you value portability against raw power. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Pro remains our overall pick for its balance of performance, display accuracy, and battery life, while the ASUS ProArt P16 is the strongest Windows alternative for editors who need NVIDIA GPU acceleration.

If portability matters most, theMacBook Pro 14 M5 covers most 4K workflows in a lighter chassis. Editors on a tighter budget should look at theAcer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI or HP OMEN 16 OLED, both of which deliver real OLED accuracy without the premium price tag. For GPU-heavy VFX work, theRazer Blade 16 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16offer the most graphics headroom on this list, provided your budget can stretch to match.

What type of laptop is best for video editing?

TheApple MacBook Pro 16 M5 Prois the best type of laptop for video editing, combining powerful performance, dedicated media engines, ample memory, fast storage, and an excellent color-accurate display.

What laptop do most YouTubers use?

Many YouTubers use14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro models, while Windows creators often choose ASUS ROG, Lenovo Legion, or other laptops with dedicated NVIDIA graphics.

What should I look for when buying a laptop for video editing?

Prioritize apowerful CPU, sufficient RAM, a capable GPU, fast SSD storage, and a color-accurate display. Port selection, battery life, and cooling also matter for longer editing sessions.

Do I need a dedicated GPU for video editing?

Not always. Integrated graphics can handle basic 1080p editing, but a dedicated GPU becomes increasingly useful for 4K footage, complex effects, color grading, rendering, and GPU-accelerated workflows.

What’s the best laptop for Adobe Premiere Pro?

TheApple MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is a strong overall choice for Premiere Pro, while the ASUS ProArt P16 offers powerful NVIDIA graphics for Windows-based, GPU-heavy workflows.

What’s the best laptop for DaVinci Resolve?

The16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is a strong choice for mixed Resolve workflows. Windows editors should consider the ASUS ProArt P16 or Lenovo Legion Pro 7i with RTX graphics.