We often hear that video editing and graphic design are intensive tasks reserved for high-end desktops. The first assertion is true, the second a little less.
A laptop is certainly a little more limited than a desktop PC in terms of performance, but today the difference is increasingly small. Some laptops compete with towers and even without typing in the very high end, it is possible to find laptops perfectly suited for editing and video editing work.
So today we are bringing you a list of the Best Laptops for Adobe Premiere Pro 2021
Keep reading…
Best Laptops for Adobe Premiere Pro
Table of Contents
Whether you are an Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Davinci Resolve, Sony Vegas, or Pinnacle user, it doesn’t matter, as long as you know what components to consider and what kind of computer to choose.
That’s all the point of this article: not just to give you a list of the best video editing laptops, but also to help you understand the why and how this or that laptop is great for editing. In this article, you will understand that the solution to choosing a good laptop dedicated to video editing is to find the right balance between processing power, graphics resources, RAM, and internal storage.
So yes computers that meet these criteria are not cheap but I will try to include laptops of different price ranges, to find yourself within your budget.
But before presenting you these computers, let me explain how to choose a laptop dedicated to editing.
14+ Best Laptops for Adobe Premiere Pro 2021 | Comparison Table
Image | Title | Brand | Buy |
---|---|---|---|
Dell XPS 15 - 15 Inch FHD+, Intel Core i7 10th Gen, 16GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home (Latest Model) - Silver | Dell | Check Price | |
Newest Dell G5 SE 5505 15.6" FHD IPS High Performance Gaming Laptop, AMD 4th Gen Ryzen 5 4600H 6-core, 8GB RAM, 256GB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, AMD Radeon RX 5600M, Windows 10 | Dell | Check Price | |
2019 Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, 2.6GHz Intel Core i7) - Silver | Apple | Check Price | |
HP Omen 15t Laptop - 512GB PCIe SSD - 32GB RAM - 2.3GHz - Intel Core i9-9880H - GeForce RTX 2080 with Max-Q Design - Windows 10 Home 64-bit New | HP | Check Price | |
Acer Predator Triton 500 PT515-52-73L3 Gaming Laptop, Intel i7-10750H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, 15.6" FHD NVIDIA G-SYNC Display, 300Hz, 16GB Dual-Channel DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, RGB Backlit KB | Acer | Check Price | |
Alienware Area 51M Gaming Laptop, 17.3" 300hz 3ms FHD Display, Intel Core i7-10700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super 8GB GDDR6, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, Lunar Light (AWARR2-7323WHT-PUS) | Alienware | Check Price | |
Microsoft Surface Book 2 15" (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 GB), Silver | Microsoft | Check Price | |
HP Spectre X360 15.6 Inch 4K UHD Touch-Screen 512GB SSD + 32GB Optane 1.8GHz i7 2-in-1 Laptop (16GB RAM, Quad-Core i7-10510U, GeForce MX330, Windows 10 Home) Nightfall Black 15-EB0043DX | HP | Check Price | |
HP 3XT78UT Smart Buy Zbook X2 G4 Workstation, 8 Gb | HP | Check Price | |
OEM Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 15.6” FHD 1920x1080 IPS, Intel Hexa Core i7-10750H, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, Fingerprint, W10 Home | Oemgenuine | Check Price | |
MSI WS66 10TMT-207 Mobile Workstation i9-10980HK/RTX5000/64GB/1T/WIN10PRO, 15-15.99 inches | MSI | Check Price | |
Alienware m15 R3 15.6inch FHD Gaming Laptop (Lunar Light) Intel Core i7-10750H 10th Gen, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6, Windows 10 Home (AWm15-7272WHT-PUS) | Alienware | Check Price | |
Asus TUF Dash 15.6" 144Hz FHD Gaming Laptop | 11th Generation Core i7-11370H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 | 16GB DDR4 | 512GBSSD | Backlit Keyboard | Windows 10 | Gray | with Woov Mouse Pad Bundled | ASUS | Check Price | |
Dell Precision 5540 Mobile Workstation - 15.6" Ultrasharp UHD (3840 x 2160) IGZO4 Touch Display - 2.6Ghz Intel Core i7-9850H 6 Core - 16GB - 512GB SSD - Quadro T2000 4GB GDDR5 - Win10 pro | Dell | Check Price | |
GIGABYTE AERO 17 HDR XD - 17.3" UHD 4k IPS Anti-Glare, Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Win10 Pro, Creator Laptop (AERO 17 HDR XD-73US524SP) | GIGABYTE | Check Price |
Prices and images pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
14+ Best Laptops for Adobe Premiere Pro 2021 | Products Overview
- 62% larger touchpad, 5% larger screen, and 5.6% smaller footprint
- 16:10 FHD+ edge to edge display equipped with DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision
- Integrated Eyesafe display technology
- Quad speaker design with Waves Nx audio
- High-polished diamond-cut sidewalls
- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0GHz) with Windows 10 Home. Keyboard Backlight
- Overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Graphics with Max-Q Design & 8 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
- 15.6 Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS display with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology; 300Hz Refresh Rate; 3ms Overdrive Response Time; 300nit Brightness; 100% sRGB
- 16GB DDR4 2933MHz Memory; 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots with 1 Slot Open for Easy Upgrades)
- Per-key RGB Backlit Keyboard with Customizable Lighting; LAN: Killer Gaming Network E3100G; Wireless: Killer Double Shot Pro Wireless-AX 1650i 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6; 4th Gen All-Metal AeroBlade 3D Fan
- Massive memory: The Area-51m R2 is also Alienware’s first gaming laptop to support up to 64GB of DDR4 memory at 2933Mhz or 32GB of DDR4 XMP memory at 3200Mhz
- 2.5Gbps Ethernet: The Area-51m R2 features a 2.5Gbps bandwidth Ethernet connection, giving gamers 2.5x the amount of common wired Ethernet connections for blazing-fast file transfers
- Advanced keyboard: With the Alienware TactX keyboard, N-key rollover technology enables over 108-key commands for maximum actions per minute and 1.7mm of key travel allows for rapid response for any keystroke
- The world’s most powerful laptop just got an upgrade. With extraordinary desktop-level processing power, CPU and GPU upgradability, advanced cooling and a premium, revolutionary design.
- Microsoft Surface Book 2 Features a 8th generation Intel Quad Core i7 Processor, 512 GB of storage, 16 GB RAM, and up to 17 hours of video playback
- Enhanced Graphics performance with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 discrete GPU w/6GB GDDR5 Graphics Memory
- The fastest Surface Book yet, with 4x more power
- Vibrant PixelSense Display: now available with a new 15 touchscreen. Weight : Starting at 4.2 pounds including keyboard
- Four versatile modes of use and new USB-C port
- 360° Flip-and-Fold Design, 1.8GHz 10th Gen Intel i7-10510U Quad-Core (up to 4.9GHz)
- 15.6 Diagonal 4K UHD WLED Touch Display (3840 x 2160) 340 nits, NVIDIA GeForce MX330 Graphics (2GB)
- 512GB SSD + 32GB Intel Optane, 16GB DDR4 SDRAM, SD Card Reader, Bang & Olufsen Quad speakers
- Windows 10 Home, Intle Wi-Fi 6 AX 201(2x2) + Bluetooth 5.0, Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Fingerprint Reader
- 13.5 Hours Battery Life; Ports and Slots: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C; 1 x USB Type-C; 1 x HDMI 2.0; 1 x USB Type-A; 1 x AC smart pin; 1 x Headphone/Microphone combo; 1 x Media Card Reader
- Processor Manufacturer: Intel
- Processor Type: Core i7
- Processor Generation: 10th Gen
- Processor Model: i7-10510U
- Processor Core: Quad-core (4 Core)
- 15 G7 15.6 Mobile Workstation - Full HD - 1920 x 1080 - Intel Core i7 (10th Gen) i7-10510U Quad-core (4 Core) 1.80 GHz - 16 GB RAM - 512 GB SSD - Windows 10 Pro - in-Plane Switc
- 15.6 FHD (1920 1080), Finger Touch panel, 60Hz 72%NTSC NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 6GB GDDR6
- Intel Core i7-10875H 2.3 - 5.1GHz Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(2 2 ax)
- 32GB (16G 2) DDR4 2666MHz, 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB 1TB NVMe SSD
- INTEL/I225-V(SLN9D) Infineon SLB 9670 Speakers 2W 2 IR 720p HD Webcam
- White backlight keyboard (84 Key) Silky Glass Touchpad + fingerprint
- High-end materials like magnesium alloy, copper and steel provide a premium, lightweight and performance-driven gaming experience with iconic AlienFX lighting
- 144Hz 300nits 7ms Full HD for smooth, high-speed motion graphics
- Alienware Cryo-Tech optimizes component cooling, which maximizes overall performance and keeps your laptop cool to the touch
- FHD display with 7ms response time, 800:1 contrast ratio, 144Hz refresh rate and 300-nit brightness for pulse-racing gameplay
- At just 4.65lb and under 20.5mm, the new Alienware m15 is the thinnest laptop in Alienware history—even lighter and leaner than our previous m15
- Detailed Configuration, Substantial high-bandwidth 16GB RAM to smoothly run your games and photo- and video-editing applications, as well as multiple programs and browser tabs all at once. A flash-based 512GB SSD has no moving parts, resulting in faster start-up times and data access, no noise, and reduced heat production.
- Intel Core i7-11370H Processor, 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 4.8GHz. The perfect combination of performance, responsiveness and battery life. Enjoy boundary-breaking performance with the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. Stay productive with fast-charging, long-lasting battery.
- 15.6 FHD display with 144Hz refresh rateThe 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity. Supports 1080p content. Energy-efficient IPS display. Explore options that enhance your competitiveness with blindingly fast refresh rates up to 144Hz. Backlit keyboard for easy typing in dim or dark locations.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphic, Backed by 6GB GDDR6 dedicated video memory for an ultrafast, advanced GPU to fuel your games. Virtual Reality Ready: This computer has the required specs to run Virtual Reality hardware and software and is compatible with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Windows Mixed Reality Ultra.
- Woov Accessory Bundle, Bundled with Woov Mouse Pad featuring high-quality cloth surface promotes smooth mouse gliding and enhanced precision.
- Free Woov Mouse Pad Bundled
- Dell 15.6 Precision 5540 Mobile Workstation
- NVIDIA Quadro T2000 4GB GDDR5 - windows 10 pro
- 15.6 inch UltraSharp FHD (1920x1080) Anti-Glare IGZO4 100% sRGB Non-Touch Display
- Intel Core 9th Generation i9-9880H Processor (8 Core, Up to 4.80Ghz, 16MB Cache, 45W)
- 32GB (2x16GB) 2666MHz DDR4 Non-ECC-M.2 1TB PCIe NVMe Class 40 Sol id State Drive
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6 | NVIDIA DLSS for groundbreaking AI rendering
- Intel Core i7 10th Gen 10870H (2.20 GHz) | 32 GB RAM | 1 TB PCIe SSD
- 2x M.2 SSD slots (Type 2280, supports 1x NVMe PCIe & SATA/ 1x NVMe PCIe)
- 17.3 4K/UHD 3840 x 2160 UHD HDR IPS-level, 3mm Ultra-thin Bezel | X-Rite Pantone Certified Display, individually factory calibrated
- 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C), 1 x Mini DisplayPort 1.4 | 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), 1 x HDMI 2.1 | 1 x UHS-II SD Card Reader
- NAHIMIC 3 Surround Sound
- WINDFORCE Infinity Next-Gen Cooling for Laptop
- Worlds First Microsoft Azure AI Notebook
- Specially Designed Privacy Camera Cover
- 16.7M Colors Backlight Keyboard
How to Choose The Best Laptops for Adobe Premiere Pro 2021 | Unrivaled Guide
Here are the main components found in a laptop computer and which are important parameters to consider when choosing your laptop.
The processor (CPU): The processor is the basis of an assembly PC. The number of cores and the speed of the processor determine how quickly you can perform editing tasks.
If your laptop doesn’t have a powerful processor, it will be slow regardless of any other component. Modern editing software such as Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas, and Final Cut Pro take advantage of the many processor cores and hyperthreading.
Therefore, It is essential to invest in a computer dedicated to video editing to be equipped with a high-performance processor.
I generally recommend taking a computer with a Core i7 (six or eight cores) as the processor but if your budget is tight, you can fall back on a core i5 (four cores).
The Graphics Card (GPU): It might sound counterintuitive, but the graphics card (aka the video card) is a bit less important when it comes to video editing and creative work done with most software.
Compared to the processor, it’s generally okay to save some money and settle for a decent card, nothing more.
The exception to this rule is if you plan to edit with Resolve, you absolutely need a powerful graphics card, as this software is primarily powered by a GPU, not a CPU.
By itself, it’s not even necessary to have a dedicated graphics card to use most editing software. However, modern video editing software takes advantage of graphics cards by hardware acceleration for encoding and rendering.
Having a moderately powerful graphics card will therefore make all the difference. This will make renderings faster if you invest in a high-end graphics card, so the graphics card is kind of a bonus, useful but not mandatory.
For an entry-level video editing GPU, I recommend the GTX 1650 or GTX 1650 Ti.
At 4K or higher, a GTX 1660, 1660Ti, or RTX 2060 with 6GB of VRAM is a good choice. If you have the budget, go for the high-end: RTX 2070, 2080, or the super variants of these: RTX 2070 Super and RTX 2080 super or even the latest cards from the NVIDIA RTX 3000 series.
Note: Graphics cards are very important for gaming computers. So if you plan to play PC games with your video editing PC as well, you should invest more in a high-end graphics card.
Storage (HDD or SSD?): When it comes to data storage, you have two options: SSD (Solid State Drive) or conventional hard disks (HDD). Both of these options work, but SSDs offer many other advantages over HDDs.
In summary, SSDs offer much better performance than hard drives once you get into complex edit timelines that involve playing multiple clips simultaneously.
Again, your video editing PC does not need an SSD at all. A hard drive will be fine if you are just editing H.264 videos to 1080p.
That said, if you can afford it, get yourself a laptop computer equipped with at least a small SSD drive (128 GB or more) to install your operating system and important software. You will see an overall performance gain from your computer, not just in video editing.
RAM: Having enough RAM is essential in the world of video editing. If you are editing 1080p video, I recommend 8GB and I’m talking about the bare minimum.
For 4k, go for 16 GB minimum. Either way, the more RAM you have, the better. Note all the same that its priority remains lower than that of a good processor and a good graphics card.
The more RAM your video editing laptop has, the better able it is to handle processes simultaneously before the computer starts to get bogged down.
If you both want to be working on a big project while having a ton of Chrome tabs open, you’ll need to have a fair amount of RAM. Standard laptops will usually have 8 GB of RAM, while laptops optimal for video will have 16 or 32 GB.
It’s also recommended that you look for video editing laptops with expandable RAM in case you need to give them a boost.
Video editing is one of the few areas that makes the most of large amounts of RAM; so invest as much as you want. 16 GB or more is not insane amounts of RAM for video editing.
The display: Obviously, when you do video editing, the screen is a key component. Make sure that the laptop you choose has a screen that provides accurate color representation, enough brightness to use in a bright location, high resolution for the sharpest details, and size to suit your needs.
When it comes to performance laptops in this segment, you’ll find plenty of 15 “displays, but there are also 13” ones. Your specific use case will determine which screen size is right for you, but I generally recommend against anything other than 15 ”or 17”.
Software: The majority of video editing software these days is available for at least the two major operating systems – macOS and Windows.
However, depending on your video editing preferences and the software you want to use, some of them will work with a specific operating system. If you’re a Final Cut Pro X fan, your only option is to go for a Macbook. But if you are comfortable with Adobe Premiere, you can use both Mac OS or Windows.
Q: Gaming laptops for video editing?
Almost all laptops have the word “gaming” in their title. That doesn’t mean you can only play on it. The gaming community is one of the biggest target groups and one of the most eager to buy. This is why most of the marketing actions are aimed at gamers.
Laptops that can be played on can also be used very well, video editing being one of the many things that can be done excellently on “gaming PCs”.
Q: Do I need a laptop with a 4K screen to edit 4K footage?
No , it is not necessary to have a 4K monitor to edit 4K, we edit 4K on a PC with a 1080p screen and on the latest Macbook Pro 13 ′ (2560 × 1600 so it’s not 4K ).
Q: Is 8 GB of RAM sufficient for video editing?
You never have enough RAM!
That said, an i7 with 8GB of RAM running on an SSD could handle it, but you still want to have as much RAM as possible. For information, 8 GB of RAM is the minimum required for Adobe Premiere Pro.
Q: Are Intel i5 processors good for video editing?
The Core i5 is a line of consumer processors , roughly in the middle of the Intel lineup in terms of power, that you will typically find in recent mid-power computers from 2012. It is therefore designed to handle multimedia tasks. essentials , such as video and photo editing, which still require a lot of processing power. There are several models of Core i5, some faster than others for editing videos. The processor isn’t the only one handling video, so more RAM and more powerful graphics cards can help too.
Q: Is 32GB RAM overkill for 4K video editing ?
No … Well .. . It all depends on the software you will be using, but if your video codecs support multithreading, you should also go for a good processor. Even though the editing software does not need as much RAM, the operating system can use it as a buffer cache to speed up file operations.
For comparison , I’m using Google Chrome which uses around 8GB of RAM and 10GB of virtual memory, which makes a machine with 16GB of RAM a bit slow as it consumes 1.5GB of swap. So more RAM is better.
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