Short answer: if you edit on Windows, the best laptop for video editing is the ASUS ProArt P16: a 16-inch OLED screen, an RTX 5070 and a touchpad dial built for editing apps. The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i has one of the best screens for colour work at a lower price, and the ASUS ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition packs 128GB of memory into a 13-inch convertible. If you’re open to a Mac, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is the strongest all-rounder, with hardware ProRes engines and long battery life. On a budget, an RTX 5060 gaming laptop like the Lenovo LOQ 15 handles 4K timelines for far less.
How we put this together: this guide is based on manufacturers’ official specifications plus published reviews and benchmarks from independent outlets (linked in each pick). It is not based on hands-on testing by iTech Level. Prices are list prices at the time of writing and change often. See how we choose products.
Best laptops for video editing compared
| Laptop | Best for | Processor / graphics | Screen | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS ProArt P16 (2025) | Best Windows laptop overall | Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, RTX 5070 (as reviewed) | 16″ OLED, 120Hz | Premium, varies by configuration |
| Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition | Best screen for the money | Intel Core Ultra 9, RTX 5050 or 5060 | 16″ 3.2K tandem OLED, 120Hz | Gen 11 from $2,799; Gen 10 $2,299.99 (RTX 5060) |
| ASUS ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition | Most power in a small laptop | Ryzen AI Max+ 395, Radeon 8060S, 128GB | 13.3″ 3K OLED touch, 60Hz | $3,999 |
| MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Pro) | Best for Mac users | Apple M5 Pro, ProRes engine | 14.2″ XDR, 120Hz | See Apple pricing |
| Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10 (RTX 5060) | Best on a budget | Ryzen 7 250, RTX 5060 | 15.6″ IPS | Under $1,200 |
The best laptops for video editing in 2026
1. ASUS ProArt P16 (2025): best Windows laptop for video editing
The ProArt P16 is built for creators first. It pairs an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with Nvidia RTX 50-series graphics (the RTX 5070 in the reviewed configuration), a 16-inch OLED screen, and ASUS’s DialPad, a touch-sensitive dial on the touchpad for scrubbing timelines and adjusting brush size or exposure in creative apps. It’s 14.9 mm thin, weighs under 2 kg and is MIL-STD 810H rated. Stuff calls it “an impressive Windows laptop for creatives with lots of power, sublime looks and a gorgeous OLED screen”.
Good to know: it’s expensive, and the same reviews question whether the faster renders justify the premium over older models. ASUS has also announced a new 2026 ProArt P16 for this fall, with up to 128GB of memory and a 4K tandem OLED option, but no price yet (Android Headlines), so the 2025 model may get cheaper.
Check ProArt P16 prices on Amazon →
2. Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i Aura Edition: best screen for the money
The Yoga Pro 9i is the one to get if colour and brightness matter most. Last year’s Gen 10 impressed Notebookcheck with a 1,100-nit OLED that it calls one of the best screens on the market, and in the US it came with a Core Ultra 9 285H and RTX 5060 for $2,299.99. The new Gen 11 moves to Intel’s Core Ultra 300 (Panther Lake) chips with RTX 5050 or 5060 graphics and an optional 3.2K 120Hz tandem OLED, starting at $2,799 in the US (Ubergizmo).
Good to know: the RTX 5060 is a mid-range GPU, fine for 4K editing but slower than the ProArt P16 for heavy effects and exports. With the Gen 11 now out, a discounted Gen 10 is often the better value.
Check Yoga Pro 9i prices on Amazon →
3. ASUS ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition: most power in a small laptop
Tom’s Guide names the PX13 GoPro Edition the best Windows laptop for video editing. Inside a 3.1 lb, 13.3-inch convertible, it has AMD’s Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with Radeon 8060S graphics and 128GB of unified memory, up to 96GB of which can go to the GPU, plus a 3K OLED touchscreen covering 100% of DCI-P3. It costs $3,999 and comes with a pen, a carry case, a year of GoPro Premium+ and three months of Adobe Creative Cloud (The Gadgeteer).
Good to know: Tom’s Guide flags the 60Hz screen and the microSD (not full-size SD) slot, and reviewers note battery life doesn’t match a MacBook’s. It makes most sense for creators who travel and edit large projects on the road.
Check the ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition on Amazon →
4. MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Pro): best for Mac users
If you’re not tied to Windows, a MacBook Pro is still the easiest recommendation for editing: Tom’s Guide ranks the MacBook Pro first overall for video editing. The 14-inch M5 Pro model has a bright XDR display, a hardware ProRes engine, HDMI and a full-size SD card slot, 1TB of storage as standard, and much longer battery life than the Windows picks. It also runs Final Cut Pro, which is Mac-only. Our best MacBook for video editing guide compares the M5, M5 Pro and M5 Max models in detail.
Good to know: you can’t upgrade the memory or storage later, so buy the configuration you’ll need. Some Windows-only plugins and tools won’t run on a Mac.
Check the MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Pro) on Amazon →
5. Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10 (RTX 5060): best on a budget
Gaming laptops make capable budget editing machines, because an Nvidia RTX GPU speeds up effects and exports in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. The LOQ 15 Gen 10 with an RTX 5060, a Ryzen 7 250 and 16GB of DDR5 is our top pick in the gaming laptops under $1,200 guide, and it handles 1080p and 4K timelines for much less than a creator laptop.
Good to know: a budget gaming screen isn’t made for colour accuracy, so for client colour work pair it with a calibrated external monitor. 16GB of RAM is the minimum for 4K editing; 32GB is more comfortable, so check whether the memory can be upgraded.
Check the Lenovo LOQ 15 on Amazon →
What matters in a video editing laptop
- Graphics and media engines. Editing apps lean on the GPU for effects, colour grading and exports. On Windows, an Nvidia RTX GPU is the safest choice for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. On a Mac, the M5 Pro and M5 Max add dedicated ProRes and video engines.
- Memory. 16GB is the minimum for 1080p and light 4K work. 32GB is the sweet spot for 4K, and 64GB or more helps with 8K, heavy effects or long multicam projects.
- The screen. Look for an OLED or mini-LED panel with wide DCI-P3 colour coverage if you grade colour. A 16-inch screen gives the timeline more room.
- Storage and ports. Video eats storage, so 1TB is a sensible minimum. A full-size SD card slot, Thunderbolt or USB4 for fast external drives, and HDMI for a second display all save time.
- Windows or Mac. Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve run on both. Final Cut Pro is Mac-only. Windows laptops give you more choice and upgradeable parts on some models; MacBooks win on battery life and quietness.
Also worth a look
- Dell XPS 16 (2026): a beautifully made 16-inch laptop from $1,749, but this generation has no discrete GPU option, only Intel integrated graphics (Tom’s Hardware). Fine for light editing; not for heavy 4K work.
- MacBook Air 15 (M5): good for light editing and short 4K projects, but it has no fan, so long exports slow down. See our MacBook video editing guide.
- A gaming laptop with an RTX 5070 or above: if you also game, a higher-end gaming laptop gives you more GPU for the money than most creator laptops. See our smallest gaming laptops for compact options.
Our verdict
For Windows editors, the ASUS ProArt P16 is the best all-round video editing laptop, and the Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i gives you a superb OLED for less. The ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition is the pick if you need workstation-level memory in a small laptop. If you can switch platforms, the MacBook Pro 14 with M5 Pro is the strongest all-rounder, and on a budget an RTX 5060 gaming laptop such as the Lenovo LOQ 15 does the job for under $1,200.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best laptop for video editing in 2026?
On Windows, the ASUS ProArt P16, with a 16-inch OLED screen, RTX 50-series graphics and a DialPad for editing apps. On a Mac, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, which has a hardware ProRes engine and long battery life. Tom’s Guide ranks the MacBook Pro best overall and the ASUS ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition as the best Windows option.
Is a gaming laptop good for video editing?
Yes, for the money. An Nvidia RTX GPU speeds up effects and exports in Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, so an RTX 5060 gaming laptop like the Lenovo LOQ 15 handles 4K timelines well. The trade-offs are a less colour-accurate screen and louder fans than a creator laptop.
How much RAM do I need for video editing?
16GB for 1080p and light 4K editing, 32GB for comfortable 4K work, and 64GB or more for 8K, heavy effects or long multicam projects.
Is Mac or Windows better for video editing?
Both work well. Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve run on both; Final Cut Pro is Mac-only. MacBooks have better battery life and hardware ProRes engines, while Windows laptops offer more choice, Nvidia GPUs and, on some models, upgradeable memory and storage.
What is the best cheap laptop for video editing?
An RTX 5060 gaming laptop such as the Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen 10, usually under $1,200. Add an external monitor for colour-critical work. On a Mac, the MacBook Air with M5 handles light editing, but it slows down in long exports because it has no fan.
