Just like running games, video editing is also a heavy task. It requires a high-performing laptop to seamlessly carry out video editing, especially with the high video quality standards consumers and clients expect nowadays.
While you make your mind up to go for a laptop that can serve high-end performance, it isn’t easy to keep hold of the budget. To be honest, not everyone is capable of investing thousands of dollars right away.
If you’re considering getting into the video editing industry – no matter if it is as a content creator or as a video editor for businesses – it’s better to invest in a laptop that can get the work done without breaking the bank.
But where do you begin?
Let’s start by defining a good budget laptop for editing.
View more:
- Best Video Editing Software for YouTubers
- Best Laptops for YouTubers
- Best Laptops for Streaming
- Best Laptops for Video Conferencing
- Best Ring Lights for Laptops
What Is The Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing?
Making compromises of some sort with performance seems obvious considering the budget factor. Still, it might come as a surprise to many that affordable devices out there can aid in efficient video editing.
If you seek my recommendation, there’s no better choice than the 2020 Apple MacBook Air with M1 Chip.
Ever since it got released, it has blown everyone’s mind in terms of performance, thermos, and all-around user experience.
Of course, it is on the high-end of the spectrum, but this laptop will last you all the way to professional work if you have the money.
Having said that, I have compiled this list of the 10 best budget laptops for video editing you can find in the market and devised it according to varied price ranges to make it easier for you to pick the one that best fits your budget and needs:
Best Video Editing Laptops Under $500
Best Video Editing Laptops Under $700
Best Video Editing Laptops Under $1000
Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing (Under $500)
1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3: Best Video Editing Laptop Under 500
Engineered to perform everyday tasks seamlessly, Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is the cheapest laptop you can have for video editing.
The 15.6 Inch Full HD display with excellent color saturation makes sure you never miss any detail. 10Th Gen Intel i3 processor powered with 8 Gigabytes of RAM makes sure its users never compromise with mild performances.
Although it might not be a great option to carry out heavy editing (like 4k editing), considering how it carries mid-level editing, IdeaPad 3 can be an excellent choice for beginners.
Lenovo Idea Pad 3 Specs:
| Display & Resolution | 15.6 Inches with 1980×1080 Native Resolution |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel i3 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery | 8 Hours |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Weight | 7 Ounces |
| Available Ports | 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- Full HD Display
- Capable Processor
- Availability of required ports.
Pricing:
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 costs around $449.00.
2. Asus Vivo Book: Best IdeaPad 3 Alternatives
The second laptop in our “under $500” list is the 17.3 Inch Vivo Book from Asus. Powered by AMD’s Ryzen 3 chipset, this laptop serves performance with ease. Moreover, the latest 4-way Nano Edge full HD display helps to take your visual experience to a whole new level.
8 Gigabytes of RAM, 256GB fast SSD Storage, and built-in AMD Radeon Graphics build up to a good laptop for video editing under a tight budget.
Asus Vivo Book Specs:
| Display & Resolution | 17.3 Inches with 1920×1080 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 3 3250U |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 SD RAM |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe SSD |
| Battery | 5 Hours |
| GPU | AMD Radeon |
| Weight | 5.07 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Type C, 1 x USB 3.2 Type A, 1 x HDMI, 2 x USB 2.0 |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks Video Editing:
- Processor with accelerated power and efficiency
- High Performing Display
- Availability of multiple ports.
Pricing:
The Asus Vivo Book 17.3” costs around $491.99
Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing (Under $700)
3. Asus Vivo Book 15
The 15.6 inches full HD display with an 88% screen-to-body ratio of the Asus Vivo Book 15 makes up for impressive visuals.
In addition, its AMD Ryzen 7 processor powered with 8 GB of DDR4 RAM makes the device well capable of carrying out heavy tasks.
Asus Vivo Book 15 Specs:
| Display & Resolution | 15.6 Inches with 1920 x 1080 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | 4GHz AMD Ryzen 7 |
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery | 6 Hours |
| GPU | AMD Radeon VEGA 10 |
| Weight | 3.53 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- Full HD Display
- Powerful Processor with 2M cache and up to 4 GHz
- Built-in AMD Radeon VEGA 10 Graphics
- Availability of required ports
Pricing:
The Asus Vivo Book 15 costs around $649.99.
4. 2020 HP 17.3” HD+ Premium
The 2020 edition HP HD+ makes it to our list of laptops for video editing with an impressive 12 GB of DDR4 RAM assisting the Ryzen 5 chipset towards high performance.
The 17.3-inch laptop comes with a 512GB super-fast SSD and AMD Radeon R5 GPU, which is a perfect choice for handling any video editing project you need to complete.
However, you might end up facing some issues while processing edits at the extreme high-end levels.
HP HD+ Laptop specs:
| Display & Resolution | 17.3 Inches with 1600 x 900 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | Ryzen 5 3500U |
| RAM | 12 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 SSD With 256 |
| Battery | 6 Hours |
| GPU | AMD Radeon R5 |
| Weight | 5.40 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 2 x USB 3.1, 1 USB 2.0 Type A, 1 x HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Live Streaming:
- 12 GB RAM
- Powerful Processor with a memory speed of up to 2400 MHz
- Capable GPU
- Availability of required ports
Pricing:
The 2020 HP 17.3” costs around $657.00.
5. Acer Swift 3: Best Laptop Under $700
Powered by the latest Ryzen 7 processor and 8 Gigabytes of RAM, the Acer Swift 3 is relatively swift and smooth in performing heavy tasks.
In addition, this laptop comes with a performance unit AMD Radeon GPU for carrying out visual renderings.
Acer Swift 3 specs:
| Display & Resolution | 14 Inches with 1980×1080 Native Resolution |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700 U |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery | 5 Hours |
| GPU | AMD Radeon |
| Weight | 2.65 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 1 x USB Type C, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- Full HD Display
- Powerful Processor with capable GPU
- 4.1 GHz memory speed
- Availability of required ports
Pricing:
Acer Swift 3 costs around $679.99.
Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing (Under $1000)
As we move towards more powerful laptops for video editing, the first one I have for you is the Nitro 5 from Acer.
6. Acer Nitro 5
Known for processing heavy tasks, the Acer Nitro 5 is an excellent choice for editing videos. It comes with the powerful 10th Gen intel i5 chipset assisted by 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU to take the performance factor to the next level.
Acer Nitro 5 specs:
| Display & Resolution | 15.6 Inches with 1920 x 1080 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5 |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Battery | 9 Hours |
| GPU | GeForce GTX 1650 Ti |
| Weight | 5.07 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 1 x USB 3.2 Type C Gen 2, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB 3.2, 1x HDMI 2.0 |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- 1080p Display with 144 Hz Refresh Rate
- 10th Gen Powerful Processor
- High performing GPU
- Excellent battery Life
- SSD Drives
- Availability of required ports
Pricing:
The Acer Nitro 5 costs around $729.99
You also have the option to go for other upgraded variants that comes with 9th Gen intel i7, but for that, you have to break that $1000 threshold.
7. Asus TUF Gaming Laptop
The third best budget laptop to have for dealing in all the video editing processes, we have the 9th Gen Intel i7 powered Asus’s TUF Gaming variant. Designed to perform, the TUF gaming processes heavy tasks with somewhat ease. Whether it be for beginners or professionals, this laptop can efficiently render high-end videos and edit them accordingly.
Asus TUF Gaming Specs:
| Display & Resolution | 15.6 Inches with 1920 x 1080 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | 9th Gen Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| Battery | 5-6 Hours |
| GPU | 4 GB GeForce GTX 1650 DDR5 |
| Weight | 4.85 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 2x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI 2.0 |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- 1080p Display with 144 Hz Refresh Rate
- Powerful Processor high performing GPU
- Memory speed of up to 2666 MHz
- SSD Drives
- Availability of required ports
Pricing:
The Asus TUF costs around $879.00
8. Lenovo Legion 5
The second-best video editing laptop under $1000 is the flimsy, light, and powerful Lenovo Legion 5.
it comes with unmatched adaptability and performance factor, offering plenty of execution alternatives for any video editor to meet its purpose.
Highlighting AMD Ryzen 7 processors with 8 super responsive centers, NVIDIA GTX 1660Ti GPU, and 16 GB DDR4 RAM, this device is flexible for carrying out the video editing task with ease.
Lenovo Legion 5 specs:
| Display & Resolution | 15.6 Inches with 1920 x 1080 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4800H |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR4X SDRAM |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
| Battery | 5 Hours |
| GPU | 6GB Nvidia GTX 1660Ti |
| Weight | 5.41 Pounds |
| Available Ports | 4 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB Type C, 1 x HDMI |
| Operating System | Windows |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- Full HD Display with 144 Hz refresh rate
- SSD Storage
- Powerful Processor Powered by 16GB RAM
- Powerful GPU
- Availability of required ports.
Pricing:
The Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop costs around $941.28.
1. Apple MacBook Air with M1 Chip: Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing
We are all well aware of Apple’s performance with its laptop, and the case is no exception when talking about video editing.
This powerful device lets you solve video editing ventures with the blasting fast 8-center CPU. To add to that, the 16 Core neural engine makes sure the overall AI processing is up to 9 times faster.
Besides its performance, its fanless design will make long hours of video editing feel more comfortable and peaceful.
Unlike most laptops on this list, the M1 doesn’t have that many compromises when it comes to power and usability. However, you’ll have other types of compromises like:
- You’ll have to use Final Cut Pro to use the whole potential of the laptop. It still can use Premiere Pro but we’re still waiting for a native M1 version of the software.
- Port options are not that great. This is easily fixable with an adapter but it can be annoying for those that use a lot of external drives, screens, etc.
That said, these two areas aren’t as big of a deal as it seems. There are workarounds for both issues and – unless you have a super rigid workflow – it won’t matter in the long run.
M1 Macbook Air specs:
| Display & Resolution | 13.3 Inches with 2560 x 1600 Pixel Resolution |
| Processor | 8 Core CPU with M1 Chip |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery | 11 Hours |
| GPU | Apple 8 Core GPU |
| Weight | 2.8 pounds |
| Available Ports | 2 x Thunderbolt 3 up to 40 Gbps, USB 3.1 Gen 2 up to 10 Gbps |
| Operating System | Mac |
Best Perks for Video Editing:
- High performing display
- SSD Storage
- Latest M1 chip for high performance
- Excellent battery life
- Availability of thunderbolt 3 and other required ports.
Pricing:
The Apple MacBook Air costs around $949.00
Note: Other available variants come with 512 GB of SSD storage, but you will need to break your budget for that as it costs around $1170.
Tips for choosing the best budget laptop for video editing
Before you leave, I want to share with you some factors I always consider when purchasing a new laptop for my workflow.
- Make sure you go for a device that comes with at least 8GB of RAM.
- Go for laptops with SSDs for faster processing. To aid the storage purpose having an external drive is recommended.
- Most of the time, companies charge way too much for extra storage. Go for lower storage capacity as you can always use an external SSD for cheaper without compromising read/write speed.
- While choosing the laptop, make sure you have a clear view of what level of editing you want your device to process.
- Make sure the laptop comes with a GPU to back up the processing of your chipset.
I hope you found what you were looking for on this list. If you already have some of these, please share your experience in the comments. I’ll update the article and you’ll definitely help some editor in need.
Happy editing!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to optimize a budget laptop for video editing?
To optimize your budget laptop for video editing, you’ll need to keep the OS updated, make sure all the utility drivers are up to date, and avoid third-party or malware applications.
Are laptops good enough for video editing?
The answer is a straightforward yes. Ensuring you have access to the laptop with appropriate specifications will let you edit videos on your laptop efficiently. We recommend the M1 Macbook Air or the Acer Swift 3.
Can we use gaming laptops for video editing?
Yes, gaming laptops are built to deliver high-end performance. This makes gaming laptops well capable of dealing with heavy-duty video editing.
Is Core i5 good for video editing?
If you are looking for a budget laptop for video editing, Core i5 can be an efficient choice. However, if you can afford i7 processors, then that’s a better choice for future-proof your machine.
Is 8GB RAM enough for video editing?
For budget laptops, the ones with 8GB RAM are enough for editing videos. However, if you are capable of breaking your budget, having at least 16 GB is recommended to increase the longevity of your device, and multitask more efficiently.
Does video editing require GPU or CPU?
CPU and GPU enhance the processing power of any device, thus having a good CPU or GPU is vital for having a smooth experience while editing videos.
Leave a Reply