Top Picks for Best Budget Laptops for Video Editing
- Fast CPU Performance
- 1 TB HDD and 20 GB RAM
- Portable
- 17.3 inches wide Display
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800U Processor
- Powerful NIVIDA graphics card
- Uniform Color Display
- Good Battery Life
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- 80 FPS base display speed
- Good Cooling System
- Smooth 240 Hz Display
Making videos is fun, isn’t it? But editing and putting a video together is tough. If you are looking to start a YouTube channel or take up editing as a hobby, then budget laptops are a place to start and build your way up.
According to us, Acer Aspire 3 is the best budget laptop for video editing due to its fast CPU, decent graphics, and widescreen. Its 20 GB RAM gives it an edge over other laptops in this price range. A big RAM means more work is done in less time. Overall, the laptop results were good and it can even handle small animations.
But we understand that not all videos are made the same. Some require more efficient GPU, others expansive storage. So, to cater to the needs regarding different videos we have multiple budget laptop recommendations in each category. Explore it! You can read our best laptop for video editing under 1000.
Quick Comparison – Best Budget Laptop for Video Editing
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | RATING | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Overall |
| 9.9 | View on Amazon |
Best for Video Editing |
| 9.8 | View on Amazon |
Best on Budget |
| 9.7 | View on Amazon |
Runner- Up  |
| 9.5 | View on Amazon |
Premium Option  |
| 9.7 | View on Amazon |
Best Design  |
| 9.4 | View on Amazon |
Best Display  |
| 9.6 | View on Amazon |
Best Speed  |
| 9.5 | View on Amazon |
The Powerhouse  |
| 9.8 | View on Amazon |
Best for Travel  |
| 9.6 | View on Amazon |
How did we Test for Best Budget Laptops for Video Editing?
It sucks to get a laptop and then find out it doesn’t work for the thing you bought it for. Video editing is quite a heavy task and some laptops like Chromebooks, just can’t cope with it. So, our good old team joined forces to dig out the best budget laptops for video editing for you.
Our computer engineer, Micheal Hall, and Computer Hardware technician, Anthony Mark analyzed the hardware aspect as well as ran some benchmark tests that are gibberish to a layman. Ryan Miles and James Ridge have years of on-hand experience in reviewing laptops, so they compared all specs faithfully after using the laptops in person. We tested laptops on the following standards:
- Display
The first interaction of a user with a laptop is its display. In video editing, good color output in the best possible resolution is needed. So, we tested our laptops in real-life individually and side-by-side. For adding credibility, we ran color gamut tests like DCI-P3, sRGB, and Adobe RGB and compared the results.
- Processing Speed
If the CPU can work fast, the laptop automatically processes stuff faster. We tested laptops at different fps speeds. James tested them with various games to check the overall performance at a given fps, and resolution. CPU performance was also measured by Cinebench 5.4 Pro and PCMark10 benchmarks.
- Active Memory
RAM is super important because all the unsaved edits are temporarily stored in it. If it becomes clogged up then the whole system slows down and video editing becomes choppy. So, we opted for budget laptops with 8 – 32 GB RAM to cover the workload. We tested it with nothing fancy, just opening multiple tabs and playing 4K videos in each to get a real-life feel.
- HDD/SDD Storage
Hard-drive or PCle-NVM or SSD memory plays a major role in making a good video editing laptop. All editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, etc is stored on the hard drive. Also, there should be room to store the final edits at least. So, we passed each laptop from PCMark’s memory benchmark test to include them in this list.
- GPU
A video quality is determined by a laptop’s GPU power. All the rendering, texturing, after-effects, animations, etc are based on the graphics power. We tested by altering graphics mode in games and applying benchmarks as well. For NIVIDA cards, we used the 3DMark Port Royal test and for Intel / Radeon cards, we used the 3DMark Time Spy test.
Detailed Guide – 10 Best Picks of Budget Laptops for Video Editing
1. Acer Aspire 3
- Screen Size: 17.3 inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Black, Blue, Red
- Weight: 4.62 lbs
It has multiple ports that make connectivity easy. Its amazing hardware configuration gives optimal performance. The USB-C port along with USB 2.0, HDMI, and RJ-45X make it travel-friendly.
It is hard to find all features for good video editing in one budget laptop, but Acer Aspire 3 has done it. It has a wide 17.3 inches display that gives full coverage to edit videos in different frames. Also, it has an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor that is not the fastest one but is good for beginner-level video editing.
The 20GB RAM with 1TB SSD memory is a game changer that you won’t find in budget laptops. You can edit with multiple layers at a good speed given the spacious RAM. Also, the Intel Iris Xe graphic card adds an efficient touch to the editing experience.
This laptop can handle small animations and extensive video editing, but if you are looking for full-fledged animations or after-effects it is better to upgrade to Intel Core i9.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 17.3-inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 20 GB |
| ROM | 1 TB |
| Weight | 4.62 lbs |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Red |
| Material | Plastic + Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 15.9 x 10.4 x 0.82 inches |
- Excellent Storage
- Fast CPU Performance
- Full HD IPS Panel
- Portable
- No Backlit Keyboard
2. Acer Swift X SFX14
- Screen Size: 14 inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Steam Blue, Prodigy Pink, Safari Gold
- Weight: 3.31 lbs
It has 4GB DDR6 VRAM dedicated to GPU functions. It's Ampere architecture has new Ray Tracing cores, Tensor Cores, and Streaming multiprocessors supporting DirectX 12. It gives a lot of technical efficiency to video editing.
For video editing, Acer Swift X is the best option given its relatively newer processor and NIVIDA GeForce RTX 3050 graphic card. However, it runs a little short on space which can be upgraded or aided with a hard drive easily.
It has an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U CPU that is 35% faster and has a higher clock rate than the Intel Core i7 11370h of Asus TUF Dash. So, Acer Swift X can swiftly edit all sorts of video due to its powerful processor and GeForce GPU. It has 16GB RAM which is good enough along with 512 GB ROM. However, its display size is 3 inches less than Acer Aspire 3 mentioned prior in the list.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 14-inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| ROM | 512 GB |
| Weight | 3.31 lbs |
| Colors | Steam Blue, Prodigy Pink, Safari Gold |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 12.71 x 8.35 x 0.7 inches |
- Lightweight
- Uniform Luminance
- Strong GPU Performance
- Good Battery Life
- It has only one USB-C port
3. ASUS TUF Dash 15
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Moonlight White, Eclipse Grey
- Weight: 4.41lbs
It has Asus’ Armoury Crate performance-tracking software that automatically switches between the refresh rate and CPU power. It works in Silent Mode and can be turned on and off. It is an excellent tool to save battery.
If you are looking for good graphics within a budget then Asus TUF Dash 15 is perfect for you. It checks all the boxes, with a superb 15.6 inches display, and a good CPU like Intel Core i7 and NIVIDA Geforce GPU. It also has a long battery life that lasted more than 12 hours during our testing.
Asus TUF Dash 15 performed well on different benchmark tests with a base fps speed of 80 fps. Its 8 GB RAM is a workhorse and didn’t miss a beat while editing in Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci editor. In Adobe, it crunched a 4K file in only 5 minutes and 33 seconds which is impressive. So, it’s perfect for video editing within budget.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 240 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| ROM | 512 GB |
| Weight | 4.41 lbs |
| Colors | Moonlight White, Eclipse Grey |
| Material | Plastic + Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 14.17 x 9.92 x 0.78 inches |
- Elegant Design
- Good Cooling System
- Smooth 240 Hz Display
- Excellent Single Core CPU Benchmarks
- No webcam
4. ASUS VivoBook 14
- Screen Size: 14 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Black, White, Cobalt Blue
- Weight: 3.42lbs
It has Bluetooth 5.0 which allows connecting with multiple audio output devices at the same time. The speakers also have a nice sound balance but are a little short on bass.
It has a lot of compelling things but above all, it’s a budget laptop that doesn’t look like one. Asus Vivobook 14 has a premium-feeling all-metal chassis, with a fingerprint reader. The keyboard is awesome but its touchpad is a little fiddly.
This version of Asus included an Intel Core i5 1135G7 processor which is 20% faster than the Intel Core i3. Also, the Asus Vivobook’s score was 8261 points on the Geekbench 5.4 test which is remarkable. However, it’s not one for outdoor editing because its highest screen brightness was only 250 nits, fairly lower than other laptops on this list.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 14 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| ROM | 512 GB |
| Weight | 3.42 lbs |
| Colors | Black, White, Cobalt Blue |
| Material | Plastic + Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 12.81 x 8.50 x 0.78 in |
- Powerful Processor
- Faster Upgradable RAM
- Excellent Keyboard
- Good Port Selection
- Sound bass is a little low
- Average screen brightness
5. HP 14" FHD Laptop
- Screen Size: 14 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Silver, Black
- Weight: 5.06 lbs
It has 85% brightness distribution and 62% sRGB color gamut which makes it a good choice for color grading. The 14-inch screen is a little cramped up for rendering but you can get the job done.
For general editings like simple vlogs or informational content, HP 14 FHD laptop is good. It is not the best laptop for video editing but within budget, it is a nice option because of AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor and 16GB RAM. Its 1 TB HDD memory makes it even more likable.
The best thing about this laptop is its AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 graphics card with its dedicated 128GB space. It is unheard of in any other laptop in this price range. This GPU clocks at 1200 MHz and also supports DirectX 12 feature. HP’s PCMark10 benchmark score was 4809 points which is okay. This laptop may give choppy animations but is good for other aspects of video editing.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 14-inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| ROM | 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD |
| Weight | 5.06 lbs |
| Colors | Silver, Black |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 12.76 x 8.9 x 0.78 inches |
- Decent Chassis
- Impressive GPU Performance
- Huge Storage Space
- Good Thermal Control
- Battery runtime is not good.
6. Lenovo V14
- Screen Size: 14 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Iron Gray, Black
- Weight: 6 lbs
The keyboard is smooth. It has a balanced clicking mechanism, decent travel, and relatively large keycaps. It will be a breeze to write captions or subtitles with this one.
The Lenovo V14 is a durable laptop that adapts to its various uses. It has an aesthetically pleasing look along with an AMD Athlon Gold 3150U processor and Radeon graphics. The FHD anti-glare screen is perfect for working long hours and saves your eyes from piercing flashes or light reflections.
In comparison, the AMD Athlon processor performs 2.5X faster than the Intel Core i3 of the HP 17 Business laptop on this list. As per display, the pixel density is 157 PPI which is considered almost Retina used in Macbooks. However, it has only 50% sRGB and the brightness is 6500K (on the cool side), so color fidelity isn’t great.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 14 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 20 GB |
| ROM | 1 TB |
| Weight | 6 lbs |
| Colors | Iron Gray, Black |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 12.9 x 9.5 x 0.78 inches |
- Comfortable Keyboard
- It doesn’t use PWM for brightness adjustment.
- SD Card Reader
- Decent Battery Life
- No USB-Type C or RJ-45 connectivity port
7. HP 17 Business Laptop
- Screen Size: 17.3 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Rose gold, Silver, Black
- Weight: 5.25 lbs
Its display has 300 nits brightness which is far better than many budget laptops. Also, the screen is FHD and Anti-Glare just like Lenovo V14 with an improved 87% sRGB color gamut.
If you are looking for a smooth process without any fancy things, then the HP 17 is the best budget laptop for video editing. It has Intel UHD integrated graphics which when compared to Radeon Vega 3 is 4.82% faster. Its Adobe RGB is 62% which gives quite accurate colors for videos shot on cameras and other professional equipment.
Also, it renders at 7.27 fps vs 6.91 fps of Radeon Vega used in higher-end laptops. The parallax of the Intel UHD is at 8.6 fps and gives a slightly better peak texture detail than Vega (7.9 fps). In simple words, HP 17 has a good blend of graphics, processor (Intel Core i3-1115G4), and workable memory for seamless video editing.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 17.3 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| ROM | 1 TB |
| Weight | 5.25 lbs |
| Colors | Rose gold, Silver, Black |
| Material | Plastic + Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 16.33 x 10.72 x 0.96 in |
- Adequate Brightness
- Anti-glare IPS Display
- Fan sound is quiet
- NVMe-SSD
- Slow SD card reader
8. HP 15.6 Business Laptop
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Black, White, Silver
- Weight: 3.75 lbs
The fan noise was between 39 dB(A) and 42 dB(A) which is relatively quiet. It has two fans that produce noticeable sound when kicking in for intense work, but soon the noise dies down.
Speed is the second name for this HP 15.6 business laptop. It has AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU which works 24% faster than previous laptop models. We noticed an improvement in the FPS, with the current version at 77 fps while the older version ran on 60 fps. It is a powerhouse that has everything well thought from a crisp display to a clean design.
The 15.6 inches micro-edge display is quite good for video editing. Its DCI-P3 score was 42.9% and its sRGB score was 64% which is quite impressive. On top of this, 16GB RAM does wonder. The bummer was uneven backlight bleeding from the bottom corner, but it does not affect the video editing process.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 15.6-inches |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| ROM | 512 GB |
| Weight | 3.75 lbs |
| Colors | Black, White, Silver |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 14.11 x 9.53 x 0.78 in |
- Ergonomic Design
- Great GPU Performance
- Quiet Fans
- Good Audio Quality
- Insufficient 65W AC Adapter
9. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- Screen Size: 14.0 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Red, Blue, White, Grey, Rose Pink, Black
- Weight: 4.40 lbs
It has biometric technology that can read fingerprints. So, you can unlock the laptop with only fingerprints. It is quite feasible instead of entering the password every time.
Just like the HP 15.6” Business laptop above, the Lenovo Ideapad 3 also has AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor. It has a portable sleek design. At its price tag, it is the best budget laptop for video editing as per performance. On Cinebench 20 test, it scored 2760 points which are almost close to the Lenovo Thinkpad T14 G14.
Graphics are top-tier in this price range. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 scored 3079 points and competes with Asus Zenbook 14 (3739 points) but falls short due to obvious reasons. If you want a good video editing laptop, with top-class performance then Lenovo Ideapad 3 is the one for you.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 14.0 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| ROM | 256 GB |
| Weight | 4.40 lbs |
| Colors | Red, Blue, White, Grey, Rose Pink, Black |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 19 x 11.5 x 3 inches |
- Efficient CPU
- Q-control Thermal System
- PCle x4 and USB-C Support
- Backlit Keyboard
- Battery life is not good (4-5 hours).
10. Dell Inspiron 15 3511
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Color: Black
- Weight: 3.82 lbs
It has Dell ComfortView Low Blue Light software that protects against blue light at night time. It is good for long-term use and reduces the harmful effects of blue light. Eye comfort is optimized in this laptop.
It is one of those laptops you can always trust to get the task done. Dell Inspiron 15 3511 has the 11th Generation Intel Core i3 1115G4 which gives a sustainable performance. The overall Cinebench performance rating was 54%. Also, the PCMark10 test score was 4508 points for productivity.
It has average CPU and GPU performance which is okay for light video editing. Moreover, its 1080p HD display uses a BOE panel. It is not exceptional given the narrow color range, so not recommended for color grading. The audio quality is decent for everyday use and video editing without special sound effects.
Technical Specifications
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| ROM | 256 GB |
| Weight | 3.82 lbs |
| Colors | Black |
| Material | Plastic |
| Dimensions | 14.11 x 9.27 x 0.74 inches |
- Fast Performance
- Easy Serviceability
- Quiet machine
- 2x Storage Devices
- No USB-C Ports
- It cannot give output in 4K resolution.
Buying Guide
When looking for a budget laptop for video editing, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. These include the processor, graphics card, RAM, storage, and display.
Processor
The processor is one of the most important components to consider when buying a budget laptop for video editing. Ideally, you should look for a laptop with a quad-core processor, such as an Intel Core i5 or i7.
Graphics Card
A dedicated graphics card can significantly improve a laptop’s video editing capabilities. Look for laptops with graphics cards such as NVIDIA GTX or AMD Radeon.
RAM
The amount of RAM is also crucial for video editing. At minimum, you should aim for 8GB of RAM, but 16GB or more is ideal for smoother editing performance.
Storage
Video files can take up a lot of storage space, so you will want a laptop with plenty of storage. A combination of a solid-state drive (SSD) and a hard disk drive (HDD) is ideal, with at least 256GB of SSD and 1TB of HDD.
Display
A high-quality display is essential for video editing. Look for laptops with at least a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution, and if possible, an IPS panel for better color accuracy.
Recommended budget laptops for video editing
Some budget laptops that are suitable for video editing include the Acer Aspire 5, Lenovo IdeaPad 5, and HP Pavilion x360. These laptops have good processing power, dedicated graphics cards, plenty of RAM and storage, and decent displays. Keep in mind that these laptops may not be as powerful as more expensive models, but they can still handle basic video editing tasks with ease.
Conclusion
We have tried to come up with the best laptops for every need for video editing. If you want sufficient storage space, then consider Acer Aspire 3 and HP 14 FHD laptops. But if you want to dabble into gaming laptops for their superior graphics, Asus TUF Dash 15 is a good choice.
For professional use, we recommend Acer Swift X SFX14 and Lenovo Ideapad 3 because of their optimum productivity. If you are looking for a more portable option then Lenovo V14 is best with its sleek design. Other budget options are HP 17 Business laptop, HP 15.6 Business laptop, and Dell Inspiron 15 3511.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is an i5 processor good for video editing?
The i5 processor can handle basic video editing but not heavy stuff like animating or editing in 4K. However, with more RAM and a powerful graphics card, the i5 processor performs pretty well for video editing.
Is 8GB RAM enough for video editing?
If you are going for video editing up to 1080p and do not use many tabs in the background, then 8GB RAM for video editing will do. Reducing all storage-intensive features in the background can help but to a limit. However, 32GB RAM can work great with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop.
