Apple MacBook Air M2 (Renewed)
HP Victus 15.6"
ASUS TUF F15
Welcome, digital creators and video editing enthusiasts! This guide is specially crafted for those of you who are on a quest to find the perfect laptop for video editing, but without breaking the bank.
In a world that’s becoming more visually-driven by the day, creating stellar video content has never been more critical. Whether you’re a budding YouTuber, an aspiring filmmaker, or someone who just enjoys creating beautiful videos as a hobby, you know how much difference a good laptop can make in the video editing process.
However, we’re all aware that this equipment can often carry a hefty price tag. Especially those devices that pack the powerful performance, impressive graphics, and fast processing speeds needed for editing.
That’s where we come in.
In this article, we’ll be looking at various aspects that make a laptop perfect for video editing. From processing power and storage capacity to screen quality and overall performance, we’ve navigated through the countless options out there to bring you the best of the best.
Let’s get started!
How to Find the Best Laptop for Video Editing Under $1000
CPU
The processor, also known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit), is essentially the brain of your laptop, this tiny chip dictates how fast and efficiently your laptop can run software, including video editing applications. A powerful processor is necessary for smooth video editing, especially if you’re dealing with high-resolution files, applying complex effects, or multitasking with various programs.
You need at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor for decent performance, but an i7 or Ryzen 7 would be more suitable for heavy-duty video editing.
RAM
Think of RAM (Random Access Memory) as the short-term memory of your laptop. It temporarily stores data that the processor can access quickly, improving overall performance. For video editing, you’re going to need quite a bit of it. This is especially true when working with high-resolution videos or complex timelines with multiple layers and effects.
A minimum of 8GB of RAM is acceptable for basic editing, but for professional video editing, aim for at least 16GB. A laptop with 32GB of RAM would be even better, allowing you to multitask smoothly without any slowdowns.
GPU
While the processor does most of the heavy lifting on all of your laptop’s features, the graphics card, or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), plays a critical role in rendering videos and applying effects. Many laptops come with integrated graphics, which share resources with the CPU. However, for video editing, a laptop with a dedicated graphics card is better because it has its own resources, leading to smoother performance.
Look for a laptop with at least an entry-level dedicated graphics card, like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 5500M.
Storage
This is where all your files, videos, and software live when they’re not in use. There аre two types of storage: HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and SSD (Solid State Drive). HDDs are cheaper and offer more space, but they’re also slower and more prone to failure becаuse they hаve moving parts. SSDs, on the other hand, are faster, more reliable, and more energy-efficient, although they are also more expensive.
For video editing, SSD storage is preferable because it leads to quicker load times and better overall performance. Your laptop should have at least 256GB of SSD storage, but if you work with a lot of large files, aim for 500GB or more.
Display
When you’re editing videos, you want them to look their best. This means you need a laptop with a high-quality display. A display with at least a 1080p (Full HD) resolution is essential for video editing. You might also want to consider the color accuracy of the screen, especially if you’re doing professional work.
Look for a laptop with an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel, as these tend to have better color accuracy and viewing angles than other types of displays. The size of the display is also a factor to consider, since tiny displays will difficult your work on most video editing apps.
Battery Life
Video editing is a resource-intensive task that can drain a laptop’s battery quickly. If you plan to do a lot of editing away from a power outlet, you’ll need a laptop with good battery life. Aim for a laptop that promises at least 8 hours of battery life under heavy usage. Though more battery life usually means a higher price, some renewed versions of the Macbook meet that quota for a decent price.
Best Video Editing Laptops Under $1000
- Best Laptop for Video Editing Under $1000 Overall — Apple MacBook Air M2 (Renewed)
- Best Gaming Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — Acer Nitro 5
- Best Large Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — Lenovo Legion 5
- Best Performance Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — HP Victus 15.6″
- Best Value Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — ASUS TUF F15
1. Best Laptop for After Effects Overall — Macbook Air M2 (Renewed)
Selection Criteria:
- CPU and GPU: Apple M2
- Our Score: 9/10
- RAM and Storage: 8 GB LPDDR4X,256 GB SSD
- Our Score: 8/10
- Display Resolution: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display features over 500 nits of brightness, P3 wide color and support for 1 billion colors for vibrant images and incredible detail and 2560 x 1664 pixels
- Our Score: 9/10
- Battery Life: 18 Hours
- Our Score: 10/10
- Price: $929.00
- Our Score: 9/10
About the Macbook Air M2 (Renewed)
The Apple MacBook Air M2 takes the crown as the overall best laptop for video editing under $1000. It features Apple’s revolutionary M2 chip, which offers superb performance across the board for processing, graphics, and machine learning tasks.
With its compact design and lightweight profile, it’s also extremely portable, perfect for editors on-the-go. The laptop’s 13.3-inch Retina Display offers a crisp, clear image with wide color gamut, essential for color grading your videos. Not to mention the extremely long lasting battery, which is an advantage in itself, giving you more productive hours without the need of constantly plugging in your device or hunting for power outlets.
Plus, with Apple’s impressive build quality and macOS’s intuitive interface, you get a reliable video editing machine. As a renewed product, it offers a great value proposition, giving you top-tier performance at a lower price.
Pros
- Long lasting battery life
- Excellent CPU and GPU
- Amazing Display
Cons:
- Smaller than other laptops
- Limited RAM
- Non-upgradable
2. Best Gaming Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — Acer Nitro 5
Selection Criteria:
- CPU and GPU: i7-11800H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- Our Score: 9/10
- RAM and Storage: 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Display Resolution: 15.6″ FHD 144Hz display, 1920 x 1080 pixels.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Battery Life: 8-9 Hours
- Our Score: 10/10
- Price: $1,050.10
- Our Score: 8/10
About the Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5 merges the worlds of gaming and video editing effortlessly without breaking the bank. With a potent Intel Core i7-11800H processor and a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 3050 Ti GPU, it delivers stellar performance for gaming and video editing alike.
The laptop boasts a 15. 6-inch Full HD IPS display, ensuring a high level of detail and vibrant colors. A significant advantage is the laptop’s cooling technology, designed to keep the system cool during resource-heavy tasks like rendering and exporting videos.
In addition, it features a large 512GB SSD and 8GB of DDR4 RAM which is also upgradable for future proofing, providing ample storage and seamless multitasking. The only downside would be that the battery is not as strong as the rest of this laptop’s features, however at the price currently listed, many will certainly overlook that.
Pros
- Excellent CPU and GPU
- Expandable RAM
Cons:
- Below average battery life
- On the heavy side
3. Best Large Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — Lenovo Legion 5
Selection Criteria:
- CPU and GPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- Our Score: 9/10
- RAM and Storage: 16GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD
- Our Score: 8/10
- Display Resolution: 17.3″ FHD 120Hz Display, 1920 x 1080 resolution boasts impressive color and clarity, Anti-glare micro-edge LCD screen.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Battery Life: 6-8 Hours
- Our Score: 7/10
- Price: $929.00
- Our Score: 8/10
About the Lenovo Legion 5
The Lenovo Legion 5, with its larger 17.3-inch Full HD IPS display, offers more screen real estate, ideal to fit any video editing software interface and make your life easier. It has a 144Hz refresh rate, which is a nice perk for this laptop’s price.
Driven by the powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor which is amazing on its own, and a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 3050 GPU, designed to handle demanding software like Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve smoothly.
One standout feature is the Legion 5’s excellent keyboard, offering a comfortable typing experience for long editing sessions. Its robust build quality and understated design make it a fitting choice for both work and play.
Pros
- Larger, high-quality display
- Great performance
- Enhanced microphone and speaker
Cons:
- Average battery life
- Average screen brightness
4. Best Performance Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — HP Victus 15.6″
Selection Criteria:
- CPU and GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, AMD Ryzen 7 5800H.
- Our Score: 9/10
- RAM and Storage: 16 GB DDR4, 4 GB SSD.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Display Resolution: 15.6 Inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels.
- Our Score: 9/10
- Battery Life: 8-0 hours.
- Our Score: 10/10
- Price: $841.38
- Our Score: 8/10
About the HP Victus 15.6″
The HP Victus 15. 6″ stands out for its top-notch performance in the sub-$1000 price range. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and NVIDIA GTX 3050 graphics, it can handle intensive video editing tasks with ease.
A large 15.6-inch Full HD IPS anti-glare display ensures you get accurate visuals, while its 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD provide ample memory and storage for video editing and will run all of your apps and software smoothly.
The laptop also features an array of connectivity options, enhancing your workflow with easy data transfer and peripheral connection for those extra monitors, SSD Drives and peripherals. Additionally, it comes equipped with HP Fast Charge, which can take your battery from 0% to 50% in less than an hour, making it one of the most complete laptops under $1000.
Pros
- Great build and design
- Amazing CPU and GPU for unparalleled performance
- Fast charge
- Upgradable RAM
Cons:
- Average screen brightness
- Cooling fans on the loud side
5. Best Value Laptop for Video editing Under $1000 — ASUS TUF F15
Selection Criteria:
- CPU and GPU: Intel Core i5-10300H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650.
- Our Score: 9/10
- RAM and Storage: 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD+1TB HDD
- Our Score: 9/10
- Display Resolution: 15.6″ Full HD Display (1920 x 1080) with Refresh rate up to 144 Hz.
- Our Score: 8/10
- Battery Life: 8-9 Hours
- Our Score: 8/10
- Price: $999.00
- Our Score: 8/10
About the ASUS TUF F15
The ASUS TUF F15 offers impressive value for the price. It’s powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, enabling it to handle video editing tasks effectively.
Its military-grade build ensures durability, while the 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display delivers sharp and vibrant visuals. Notably, it also features a backlit keyboard and advanced cooling technology, which enhances the overall user experience and ensures uninterrupted working sessions, and takes the risk of crashes away.
With 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD plus 1TB HDD, the TUF F15 is the perfect laptop for those large projects that need all the additional RAM and storage, offering a great balance of performance and affordability for video editors on a budget.
Pros
- High-performance CPUs and GPUs
- Durable build quality
- Effective cooling system
Cons
- Display may not be color-accurate
- Heavier and bulkier than other laptops
- Average battery life
Conclusions
In conclusion, finding a reliablе and powerful laptop under $1000 is no longer a drеam, but a reality. Whether you’re a student, a gamer, or a working professional, there’s a dеvicе tailored to your needs.
Prioritize what matters to you most – bе its performance, portability, or battеry life, and you’ll find a great companion within this budget. Remеmber, a high price tag doesn’t always mean a bеttеr fit for your individual nееds.
Happy laptop hunting!
