10 Best Laptops For Video Editing under 1000$

Are you looking for the Best Laptops For Video Editing under 1000$? Expensive laptops will mostly run smoother and faster than cheaper ones, especially when performing complex tasks such as graphic design or video editing.

Despite this, there are still some inexpensive devices that can still get the job done and not break the bank in the process.

It is however not easy for designers or editors, to choose a good cheap video editing laptop. For this reason, we decided to create a detailed guide for the Best 17 inch Laptops For under 1000$. A good video editing laptop should have, among other factors, reasonable RAM memory, and GPU, that is able to easily run graphics software such as Final Cut or Premier Pro or Photoshop.

A slow laptop is annoying and may most times not get the job done. Before we get into How to choose the best laptops for video editing, please check out our previous article to know What Editing Software Do Youtubers Use 5 Of The Best.

Which are The Best Laptops For Video Editing Under 1000$?

1. Lenovo Legion 5 Best Overall
2. HP Pavilion Flagship 15.6 Best with Dual Storage
3. Acer Swift X video editing laptop
4. Apple MacBook Air Cheap Macbook for video editing
5. Acer Nitro 5 Best from Acer
6. MSI GF75 Thin Best in Performance
7. ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 Best from ASUS
8. ASUS ZenBook 14 Best Multipurpose Laptop
9. Microsoft Surface Book 2 Best WINDOWS
10. Dell Inspiron 5000 Best value for money

Best Laptops for Video Editing

Lenovo Legion 5 Best laptop for video editing under 1000$ Editors choice

1. Display: 16” WQXGA (2560 x 1600) 165Hz
2. Processor and Memory: Intel Core i7, 16GB DDR5
3. Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070
4. Storage: 64GB
5. OS: Windows 11

As the best overall, Laptop For Video Editing Under 1000$ this Lenovo Legion 5 does not top for no reason. First, is the unique design and external build visible through the beautiful shine of the aluminum lid and diamond-cut edges.  At first sight, you will absolutely love the Lenovo Legion 5. The sturdy lid houses the vitals of the laptop while the plastic base ensures everything else is held in the right place.  The hinges are strong, thus enhancing user experience by guaranteeing a      steady screen with no wobbles.

As a video editing laptop, the keyboard with dark gray keys is highly responsive, with a well-lit backlit keyboard that’s colorful enough for a poorly lit environment. You will enjoy typing and gaming with this one. As the large touchpad, covered in Mylar, guarantees accuracy and smoothness.

As a video editor, it requires large sizes of storage memory and very fast RAM. This laptop provides you with two SODIMM slots that allow storage of up to 64GB of DDR5 memory. Which can be accessed through the PCIe x4 slots fit for Gen 4 drives.

It has an expansive battery life of up to 15 hours and 13 minutes, while online and 9 hours for video playback. In regards to the display,  this laptop offers a selection of options for QHD and FHD panels. Both with a refresh rate of 165Hz. Its overall brightness is key and colors are true to color as the contrast ratio which stands at 1130:1 is enough for its normal functioning.

Best with Dual Storage: HP Pavilion Flagship 15.6′′

Specs

• Display: 15.6”,
• Resolution – 1920×1080 HD
• CPU: Intel Core i7- 9750H 2.6GHz
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660
• Storage: 256GB + 1TB SSD

As a laptop with the best dual storage, this laptop doubles up as an awesome video editing laptop as well as an incredible gaming laptop. It features the AMD Ryzen 5000-series CPU.

Fully Core i7 configured, HP Pavilion is fitted with 16 GB RAM, 1 TB  SSD fitted with Nvidia graphics. For this budget, you get an awesome set of graphics within this laptop for your project.

The exterior is made of plastic, but very sturdy and solid. The keyboard has the keys decently spaced to allow movements of the fingers swiftly from one key to the next. On the right of the keyboard is the responsive Numpad for your calculations.

On the sides of the laptop are numerous ports with different functions: three USB ports, one USB-C port for video output and data transfer as well as an HDMI 2.0 port. Please note these ports are not usable for charging.

You can use the battery for up to 6 hours, and the base gets quite hot and loud when it gets busy. On the lower side, you might need to add an external microphone as the internal one is not as clear as you would expect.

Acer Swift X laptop for video editing under 1000

• Display: 14-inch FHD 
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5825U -4.5 GHz
• RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
• Storage: ‎512GB SSD

At just 3 pounds, with a 17.9 mm thickness, the Acer Swift X video editing laptop stands out as an ultra-slim portable laptop within this bracket.

The size defies all odds, by housing the strong 16-thread powerful processor on AMD’s Ryzen 7 5899U. That runs the laptop quite fast, courtesy of the discrete Intel-made GPU. It has a 14” display, with full HD capabilities. Along the sides are slim bezels and the hinge that holds everything together.

It stands out over other laptops, because of its extensive battery life. For instance, you can watch your movies at maximum display brightness for close to 6 hours. Such a decent watch time especially if you are exporting a video after editing. `It also features a collection of ports for data transfer and connectivity notably missing is a micro SD card reader port.

The touchpad has a smooth feel to it, complemented by the spacious keyboard even though at first use one might feel its shallowness. Take or hold virtual meetings through the webcam that produces good images but with little noise and grain.

Apple MacBook Air Cheap MacBook laptop for video editing under 1000

• Display: 13.3”, 2560 x 1600-pixel
• CPU: Apple M1,
• RAM: 8GB to 16GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Dimensions: 12 x 8.4 x 0.6”
• Weight: 1270 g

Apple MacBook Air M1 is one of the most loved products from Apple, and it has incredible upgrades that make it even better. The Apple MacBook Air is also one of the cheapest laptops from the Apple brand. It still carries impressive specs that can take your editing game a notch higher.

The MacBook Air, just like the MacBook Air Pro 13, has an ARM-based Apple M1 chip, and that is why we have included it in this list.

When it comes to performance, the Apple MacBook Air has excellent power and can handle massive projects like 4K videos and final cut pro without any lags or noise.

The display is another thing that makes this laptop unique. With P3 color gamut support, the screen displays colors with great accuracy, which is an essential feature for you as a video editor.

Acer Nitro 5 Best laptops for video editing From Acer

Acer Nitro 5 Specs

• Display: 15.6”.(full HD)
• Processor: Intel Core i5-12500H 2.5GHz ,RAM: 16GB,200Mhz
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
• Storage: 512GB

Acer Nitro5 is what we’d call a basic laptop with exemplified features to aid your video editing skills. It is thick, and bulky as it weighs 5.51 pounds measuring 10.67 by 1.06 inches. It fits perfectly in a regular backpack. Secondly, you will notice ports on three out of four edges.  The ports have different functions.

For instance, the two ports on the right are USB 3.2 charging ports for other devices such as smartphones even in sleep mode. The others USB-C ports and HDMI 2.1 ports perform other functions. Notably is the RJ45 ethernet jack, for  LAN internet connection.

The display’s resolution is 1920 by 1080, with a refresh rate of 144Hz. It measures 15.6”, with a surrounding of bezels which makes it thick. In line with that, is the 720p webcam located above the display. Going down is the standard keyboard, conjoined with a number pad on the far right of the keyboard housing. It is smooth to use, but with basic keys design. You will not miss a regular-sized touchpad on the left part of the deck.

In regards to performance this Nitro 5, is fitted with the Intel Core i5- 12500H processor. Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU. The RAM is 16GB while the internal storage is 512GB of SSD storage. Enough specs for your video editing tasks.

MSI GF75 Thin Best In Performance

• Display : 17.3″ FHD (1920*1080),
• Processor: Intel Core i5-10300H
• Graphics: GeForce GTX™ 1060 GPU
• Memory: 8GBgb RA expandable up to 64GB
• Storage: 512GB

MSI GF75 Thin is an excellent video editing laptop with good features to it. To begin with, the outlook design made of solid aluminum which makes it is cool and clean. Additionally, the solid metal ensures the laptop is strong and sturdy.

The beauty of this laptop is the fact that some of its hardware is upgradable to your standards as their parts are also available.

Let’s talk about type size, it measures 397x 260×22-23.1 mm with a display size of 17.3”. In line with that is that It weighs close to 2200g making it portable and thereby easy to carry around. The keyboard is centrally located, with correct spacing, enough backlit, and a nice finish making it comfortable for typing +and general use.

Connect the MSI GF75 to other devices and the internet through ports that are strategically placed and labeled on the sides of the laptop. It houses the HDMI, two USB-A ports as well as a power connector.

Last but not least, this laptop is built with an intel Core i7- 10750 H processor. Which is on a base frequency between 2.6GHz and 5.60 GHz. this gives the device able to carry out its operations such as video editing, and browsing seamlessly with little to no drags. In case of lagging, you can optimize its functionality by using the Dragon center software.

ASUS Zen Book Pro 15 Best laptops for video editing From ASUS

• Display: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
• Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 TiMax-Q design
• Memory: 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Storage: 1 TB storage space

ASUS Zen Book Pro 15 is an excellent laptop for video editing, and it packs many outstanding features. The physical design looks elegant and has a powerful performance.

ASUS Zen Book has a 4K display, NVIDIA GTX 1050Ti GPU, and a super-fast SSD. The laptop has two displays and is an excellent laptop for multitasking, and the second display can be used as a touchpad.

The only downside, though, is the battery doesn’t last so long, and we blame it on its high-end specs, and we figured out that maybe it’s because we had a great time multitasking.

ASUS Zen Book 14 Best Multipurpose laptop for video editing under 1000

• Display: 14-inch 1920 x 1080p display
• Processor: Intel Core i5-11240P, 1.60 GHz
• RAM: 8GB

If you are a minimalist, then the ASUS Zen Book 14 is designed from a minimalist perspective. Starting from the external design where the only visible thing at the top is the log while the bottom seems empty, except for the vent strips. It is made of a soft-touch aluminum casing, with plastic around the hinges and display. 

With an intel core i5-1240P processing capacity and 8GB RAM, the ASUS Zen Book 14 boasts incredible capabilities to function normally. Please note the RAM is not expandable.

The display is 90Hz OLED and measures 14” with a  screen resolution of 2880×1880. These display specs support 10-bit color. It has ports with different functions to aid in your overall experience. They include the HDMI port, Type A and C of USB 3.1, and the audio jack port.

Standing out is the keyboard, which s quiet, and comfortable to use as the keys are soft with a tactile feel for the excellent spacing.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 – Best laptop for video editing – Best Windows option

• Display: 15.1 Inches
• Resolution: 3,240 x 2,160 Pixels touch option
• Processor: 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-8650U
• Graphics: 6 GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
• Memory: 16 GB, SD RAM 1,866MHz
• Storage: 1TB

Microsoft Surface Book 2 is another versatile laptop for video editing. This Surface Book 2 has a detachable screen, so it can be used as a laptop, or a tablet is the most powerful notebook you can get for video editing.

This Surface Book 2 has a superb display with a resolution of 3240×2160 that displays colors vividly with high accuracy.

The performance of this laptop is impressive, all thanks to its Intel Core i7 processor NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050. It took about 11 to 12 hours on our test when it comes to battery life, and its display was terrific.

Dell Inspiron 5000 Best Value For Money

• Display: 15.6-inches
• Resolution: 1,366 x 768 Pixels HD
• Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-5500U
• Graphics: AMD Radeon R7 M265
• Memory: 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-5500U
• Storage: 1TB HDD

Are you in need of a laptop for your video editing projects, but you don’t have enough money to buy a high-end laptop? Dell Inspiron is a good laptop with great specs to help you edit your videos.

Even though this laptop is cheaper than all other laptops on our list, it still has excellent power, just like some of the meaning the power isn’t compromised.

The Dell Inspiron 5000 has a quad-core Intel processor, a full IPS screen with 1080p, and a discrete graphics card. You can also spend a little more and configure it if you need more power for a better experience.

With all these features, this laptop is, without a doubt, the best for video editing for beginners and even enthusiasts.

Can I Get A Decent Video Editing Computer For Under 1000$?

So, you want a great laptop, but you don’t know which one to choose in an ocean filled with all kinds of laptops? We feel you. With dozens of brands bringing in new laptops every day, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. There are however some specific things you can check for to get a fast and effective laptop for video edits.

For an in-depth description of the requirements of a good Graphic, Design computer check out the Best Computers For Graphic Design.

Display Size

First of all, when choosing a video editing laptop, the display size is very important. Sometimes you may need to split views into 4 or 2 sections which would be virtually impossible on a small screen. The footage view may be so small on a small screen that you may not be able to edit. A 15-inch and above screen is recommended.

Memory And Processors

Drive. A good processor and RAM memory will also determine how fast your computer will work during editing and most importantly during rendering.

Disk Storage

Raw footage is usually very large in size. To work efficiently you need a Laptop with large storage space or invest to buy an external Hard Drive.

Color Grading

Color grading is crucial in professional video editing. If you aim to work on top-level professionalism, then you must consider the screen resolution. If you shoot in 8K or 4K, make sure to get a 4K or 8K screen. An HD screen cant work for this.

In this article, we picked and tested some of the best laptops in the market today, and we bring you our honest and unbiased review of the best laptops for video editing.

Conclusion

Many video editing laptops are expensive. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t get one without breaking the bank. Some come at an affordable price, but they will limit you to editing 1080p videos. That resolution is okay with most people, so don’t beat yourself up.

If you want power, most high-end gaming laptops are faster than standard laptops, and they also run the best digital art programs with so much ease.

Best Laptops For Video Editing Under 1000$?

1. Lenovo Legion 5 Best Overall
2. HP Pavilion Flagship 15.6 Best with Dual Storage
3. Acer Swift X video editing laptop
4. Apple MacBook Air Cheap MacBook for video editing
5. Acer Nitro 5 Best from Acer
6. MSI GF75 Thin Best in Performance
7. ASUS Zen Book Pro 15 Best from ASUS
8. ASUS Zen Book 14 Best Multipurpose Laptop
9. Microsoft Surface Book 2 Best WINDOWS
10. Dell Inspiron 5000 Best value for money

About Author