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9 Best Laptops For Film Students and Video Editing in 2024 [Expert Recommended]

Best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing

If you are in a hurry, You can pick our expert’s best choice the latest ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17.

In this article, we have enlisted the best laptop for film students and video editing that will be able to fuel your endeavors without breaking into a sweat.

Video Editing is a complex and resource-intensive process. As a film-making student, you need to focus on all aspects of video editing, compositing, color grading, audio editing, and 3D rendering to become a professional in the film industry.

That’s why it’s essential to choose the best laptop for video editing because they have to meet all filmmaking processing requirements for overall professional performance.

This is a harmonious process in which students cannot distinguish the software that performs a particular function.

Instead, you should be familiar with various software related to imaging, image rendering, video rendering, and custom audio.


On this list, we’ve done our best to provide the best laptops for filmmaker students with budgets ranging from $1000 to $2500.

All of these laptops are suitable for video editing. The first three laptops are the most powerful (reducing power consumption).

These are all powerful and portable.

When choosing a laptop from this list, keep in mind that these are the primary device, and the more you invest, the better device you will get.

On the other hand, adapting to low-end machines doesn’t mean bad edits. It just means slow edits!


1. Best Versatile Laptop: ASUS ROG Strix Scar 6

EDITOR'S CHOICE
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 (2023)...
  • THE PINNACLE OF PERFORMANCE - Dominate the battlefield with Windows 11 Pro, a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090...
  • BLAZING FAST MEMORY AND STORAGE – Multitask swiftly with 32GB of DDR5-4800MHz memory and speed up loading times with 2TB of PCIe 4x4 in RAID 0 with...
  • ROG NEBULA HDR DISPLAY – The Nebula HDR badge means you are getting the highest tier panel, featuring Mini LEDs with up to 1100 nits brightness and...
  • ROG INTELLIGENT COOLING – To put this amount of power in a gaming laptop, you need an even better cooling solution. The SCAR features upgraded...

This is what you are looking for. ASUS ROG Strix Scar 16 has everything to run video editing software to make it the best laptop for filmmakers.

Several benchmark studies on GPUs and CPUs have shown that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 and 14-Core CPU are the perfect components for video editing laptops.

Exceeding this parameter, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 with Intel Core i9-13980HX, reduces rendering, encoding, transcoding, and other results.

However, the Latest 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor has a high clock frequency, which provides excellent results during video editing and effects.

It has the fastest 32GB DDR5 4800MHz RAM, and 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 Performance SSD to make your editing fast.

However, since the Core i9 has reached clock frequencies up to 5.0 GHz, there is no significant difference in processors’ performance above 5.0 GHz

Compared to previous laptops, ASUS Rog Strix also has an Intel Core i7-12700H processor and 32GB of memory.

However, the storage sector has found that SATA is superior to DSP, so 1TBPCIe-based SSDs are available.

In addition to this, as mentioned above, the graphics card is also fantastic. This model is equipped with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM.

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Speaking of screens, it’s a massive laptop with a 16-inch Quad HD  (2560 x 1440)  screen. But on the other hand, it makes the machine bulky and a curse of battery life.

But this isn’t the only condition that makes this laptop best for movie editing, and this friend has also gained an enthusiastic response.

That means you don’t have to worry about the temperature rising or the watch dropping, which can be an essential feature of any laptop.

Not only is it important to equip your laptop with powerful hardware, but the efficiency you can achieve is also important, and temperature control is part of it.

Let’s talk about connectivity on this device. The left side is HDMI, Mini Display Port, 2 USBs (1x Type-A, 1x 3.1), and headphone port, and the right side is 2x USB 3.1 port and the latest type USB. -C.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Stix Scar 16 Edition 2024 is the best laptop for film students, with everything you need to edit your computer.

PROS

  • Top-line GPU and CPU
  • High-quality 1440p display
  • Clicky optical-mechanical keyboard keys
  • Superb gaming and application pace
  • Bold, RGB-covered design
  • Solid build quality
  • The 16-inch QHD+ display is large and brilliantly colorful
  • Ultrafast SSD RAID0 array
  • Decent battery on iGPU
  • On-board speakers are loud and good

CONS

  • No optical drive
  • Pricey

2. Best For Professionals: MSI Creator Z17

MSI Creator Z17 17"...
  • Brilliant Performance: The 12th Gen. Intel Core i9 processor, delivers high performance. Take on any tasks and applicaTions with ease.
  • Get Up To Date: Hit the ground running with the all new Windows 11 Pro perfect for at home use or running a business.
  • Visual Performance: The 17" 165Hz QHD+ Touch Display has you covered for any situation whether it be competitive fast paced games or creative...
  • Supercharged Graphics: The MSI Creator Z17 is powered by a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ti, breezes through today's most demanding creative workflow tasks.

As a Filmmaking student, you should always buy a fully imported computer, such as the MSI Creator Z17, if your budget allows it.

With this laptop, you can enjoy every aspect of filmmaking and keep up with leisure trends.

For Core, you can get the Intel Core i9-12900H processor. This processor is perfect for meeting video and audio editing requirements.

Most importantly, despite the 14 Cores offered, Hyper-Threading Technology allows you to use 18 threads at a time, especially for multi-core activities such as composition, 3D rendering, and color grading.

Besides, turbo clock speeds up to 5.0GHz making it easy to handle workflow-centric tasks.

This machine is equipped with a first-class NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU and 16GB VRAM.

This processing component makes it easy to handle NLE video editing tasks and 3D modeling using Maya, Houdini, and other applications.

That means the GPU is equipped with real-time ray tracing and AI to utilize best the complex, graphics-intensive resources associated with film production software units.

You will get 64GB of DDR5 RAM on this device, which is very useful when creating comprehensive workflows using Storyboarder, Studio Binder, and Ever note. Also, 64GB of DDR5 RAM can improve CPU execution by accelerating data access.

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The MSI Creator Z17 is equipped with a 2TB NVMe SSD based on Teton Glacier technology.

Thanks to Intel’s Optane H10 technology, this storage drive has an excellent file upload speed and a fast Windows 11 operating system, making this laptop the best for film students.

The 17-inch 4K display is exceptionally bright and colorful, making it ideal for Filmmajors.

The GPU and performance come together to form a Go-to application software unit, helping students learn advanced color grading through primary light sources and manuals.

The laptop’s panels have anti-glare characteristics, with a full resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and an sRGB color gamut close to 100% for the highest color reproduction levels.

This laptop features the simplest touchpad with a fingerprint sensor, a backlit keyboard, powerful speakers, and a beneficial webcam for structural improvements, making this device very powerful for filmmaker students.

It weighs only 7.93 pounds, which makes this device easy to carry.

This device’s width is only 0.63 inches; it is one of the thinnest laptops on the market.

Port management fully supports Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and other legacy performance and data transfer ports.

You can use these ports to create external workflows. In terms of connectivity, it has access to Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 5 standards.

The high level of smoothness of the profile allows current fabrics to provide a stable 8-hour backup.

Overall, the MSI Creator Z17 is the best device for filmmaking students to handle all technical disciplines, regardless of the computing resources required.

PROS

  • Powerful processor
  • Supports first-class GPU, 8K video decoding
  • SSD with memory option
  • Frontline display
  • Excellent battery
  • VR ready

CONS

  • Little heavy

3. Best Functional Laptop: Razer Blade 14

Razer Blade 14 Gaming Laptop:...
  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics for Stunning Visuals: Built on NVIDIA’s award-winning 2nd-gen RTX architecture, these GPUs provide the most...
  • Whether gaming or creating, AMD Ryzen processors offer ultimate performance: AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processors power the next generation of demanding...
  • Next-gen Displays to Meet Your Needs: 165Hz QHD display for the best of both worlds in fast gaming and ultra clear display
  • Vapor Chamber Cooling for Maximized Thermal Performance: The laptop quietly and efficiently dissipates heat through the evaporation and condensation...

The Razer Blade 14 has excellent specifications and is one of the first choices for most filmmakers.

The 8-Core, AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX chipset is the leader in similar products in terms of raw power and performance.

Turbo clock speeds up to 3.3GHz ensure perfect logic processing related to creating more demanding movie modules, including Logic Pro, Ren, and film modules.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is an extremely powerful GPU.

Numerous existing Turing architectures and CUDA cores ensure excellent GPU-accelerated rendering and 3D modeling. Learn more about explosions in movies and other environments.

You can also get 8GB of video RAM. This will help Blade 14 understand complex 3D textures and get the best compositing experience.

To meet your storage needs, you can efficiently multitask with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and dual storage modules.

1TB SSDs play an essential role in reducing boot time.

Still, it is recommended that you install the most resource-intensive application here for faster access.

A 1TB hard drive can handle large files, 3D models, audio projects, and even source and studio material.

Film students have to seek extraordinary performance, and Razer Blade 14 grabbed the show with its vibrant 15.6-inch panel.

Most importantly, a matte full HD panel ensures excellent visibility.

However, the level of color reproduction associated with 1080p displays is provided by the 100% sRGB color gamut.

The Chroma keyboard is an innovative new feature with a backlight that allows you to customize your device. Plus, you’ll get beautiful, responsive trackpads and powerful speakers. Structurally, it uses an aluminum chassis and weighs about 3.92 pounds.

The Razer Blade 14 also has first-class connectivity, including support for Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, Mini Display Port, and Gig Ethernet.

There is no doubt that Thunderbolt 3 is an ideal asset for film students.

You can even pair multiple external 4K displays to manage various edits at once and transfer data at 40 Gbps.

The superior transfer rates associated with Thunderbolt 3 ports compared to RAM modules allow external monitors to accelerate files and information processing.

This feature eliminates performance delays and downtime issues.

The 13-hour battery backup feature of this device is as powerful as the review model. It makes it the best portable laptop for film students.

Based on continuous use over the last 15 days, Shaver 15 is one of the most effective tools for basic CPC and advanced film labels, making most CPU and GPU-intensive tasks easy.

PROS

  • Powerful processor
  • Premium port layout
  • Clear display and thin bezel
  • Original GPU based on Turing architecture
  • Dual storage module

CONS

  • Allotted SSD storage is at the bottom

4. Best Multi-Purpose Laptop: Acer Predator Triton 500

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Acer Predator Triton 500 SE...
  • Aspect Ratio:16:10
  • Extreme Performance: Compete or create with impressive power and speed of the 12th Generation Intel Core i9-12900H processor, featuring 14 cores and...
  • RTX, It's On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (16GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning Ampere architecture with NVIDIA Advanced...
  • Blazing-Fast Display: This 16" WQXGA (2560 x 1600) DCI-P3 100% IPS LED-backlit NVIDIA G-SYNC display featuring 16:10 aspect ratio, an incredibly fast...

As a film student or video editor, having a reliable and powerful laptop is crucial for your success. The Acer Predator Triton 500 is a top-of-the-line choice that can handle any task you throw at it. This Acer is one of the best laptops for filmmaking students.

With its powerful components and exceptionally reasonable price, it’s a perfect laptop for students who want to edit movies and videos.

At the heart of the Triton 500 is a 12th-generation Intel Core i9-12900H processor, featuring 14 cores and 20 threads. This powerful processor can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, making it perfect for multitasking and running resource-intensive video editing software.

Video editing is a resource-intensive task that will get benefit from more cores.

The Triton 500 also boasts the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, with 16GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM. This GPU is powered by the award-winning Ampere architecture and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, providing stunning visuals and smooth performance for even the most demanding games and creative software.

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The RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, is fabulous and suitable for video editing.

Film students need to have a laptop that can edit video, so finding the right GPU and CPU and a fair amount of RAM and storage space is very important.

In terms of storage, the Triton 500 comes equipped with the latest 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB Gen 4×4 SSD, giving you plenty of space for all of your files and programs. It also features Killer Doubleshot Wi-Fi 6E and Thunderbolt 4 technology, providing fast and reliable connectivity.

Which is pretty good for video editing, but it’s undoubtedly good here. For filmmaking students, it’s acceptable.

The Triton 500’s display is a 16″ WQXGA (2560 x 1600) DCI-P3 100% IPS LED-backlit screen with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology and a lightning-fast 240Hz refresh rate. This ensures that you can enjoy smooth, lag-free visuals for both work and play.

To round out the package, the Triton 500 includes a dual-mode USB/wireless gaming mouse with 8 programmable buttons and a Pixart 3325 sensor. This mouse allows you to customize your experience and switch between wired and wireless modes with ease.

Overall, the Acer Predator Triton 500 is a top choice for film students and video editors looking for a powerful and reliable laptop. With its impressive processor, graphics card, and display, it has everything you need to compete or create at the highest level.

PROS

  • Avant-garde and futuristic design
  • Overall excellent game performance
  • Comfortable and customizable keyboard
  • Keep cool while rendering the video.
  • High system performance
  • The 16-inch gaming laptop has a long battery life.
  • Very comfortable keyboard
  • Preferential price for GTX 1060 GPU

CONS

  • No touch screen
  • No optical drive

5. Best Cheap Laptop: Acer Nitro 5

Acer Nitro 5 AN515-58-725A...
  • Dominate the Game: With the 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor, your Nitro 5 is packed with incredible power for all your games
  • RTX, It's On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning architecture with new Ray Tracing Cores,...
  • Visual Intensity: With the sharp visuals of a 15.6” Full HD IPS display with a lightning-quick 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time, your game...
  • Internal Specifications: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz Memory (2 DDR4 Slots Total, Maximum 32GB); 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots, 1 x 2.5" Hard Drive...

If your budget is not high, then the Acer Nitro 5 laptop may be your perfect choice.

It’s the cheapest laptop on the list and offers many impressive specifications at its price.

The Acer Nitro 5 features a 15.6-inch IPS full HD screen.

It is inexpensive and provides reasonable image quality, and has a high resolution, making it the best budget laptop for film students.

This Acer has the latest 12th Gen  Intel Core i7-12700H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM) Graphics GPU, and 512GB Gen 4 SSD storage; this laptop can easily handle 1080px components.

However, for complex effects, you will usually find that performance is the very best.

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Also, the export will take longer than the other high-priced laptops on this list. But as a cheap laptop, your expectations for this machine are not high.

The battery life of this laptop is fabulous. A single charge can last up to 9 hours, which I think is impressive.

But on the other hand, it makes the laptop a little heavier, and may feel uncomfortable when carrying it.

Overall, the Acer Nitro 5 is the cheapest laptop for movie students with a Full HD screen, powerful processor, excellent display quality, Nvidia dedicated GPU, and longer battery life.

PROS

  • Cheapest laptops for movie students
  • LED backlight and Full HD resolution IPS panel have excellent display quality
  • 12th Generation Intel Core i7 Processors Offer Reasonable Performance at Reasonable Prices
  • Battery time increases
  • Easily upgrade memory and storage by simply removing the cover

CONS

  • It is a little heavy

6. Best Fastest Laptop: ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15

EDITOR'S CHOICE
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED...
  • Complimentary 3-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription with the purchase. Learn more on ASUS website for more details
  • ScreenPad Plus: 14 inch 4K matte touchscreen, giving your endless way to optimize your multitasking experience by extending the screen or split...
  • 15.6 inch OLED 4K (3840 x 2160) NanoEdge touch main display, Pantone Validated, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500
  • 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900H Processor (24M Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 6P plus 8E cores) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Laptop GPU with 8GB VRAM...

Film majors mainly like devices that offer higher productivity.

The ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 has become the best laptop for film creators and video editors with its innovative 2.0 screen pad.

This incredible machine relies on first-class extensions rather than its original processing capabilities.

In terms of chipsets, ASUS announced the 12th generation Intel Core i9-12900H, a high-power processor with a TDP of 15W.

This SoC’s base clock speed is very high, and it supports Turbo Boost 2.0 and can be boosted up to 5.0GHz if needed.

The 14-core processor is the most powerful component. It makes it easy to handle complex video editing and maintenance workflows through hyper-threading technology. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU is a rich feature combined with 8GB of powerful VRAM.

However, the graphics processing unit can be used on the iGPU to help the device handle complex 3D models and accuracy.

Most importantly, a dedicated GPU emphasizes the Max-Q design, making it smoother and reducing the TDP value of the processing pool.

Regarding RAM support, ASUS offers the fastest 32GB LPDDR5 RAM storage capacity. It can provide enough functionality to handle large-scale rendering, file composition, and other multitasking needs.

For storage, a 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 4.0 SSD is the right choice. As for the operating system, ASUS comes with Windows 11 Pro, which works perfectly with many filmmaking software modules.

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The 15.6-inch Full HD panel is extremely bright and features excellent wide viewing angle technology.

This feature allows most video editors and 3D modelers to understand the need to change a particular scene or image’s angle In terms of resolution, ZenBook Pro Duo 15 can accurately display 1920×1080 pixels.

ASUS has reserved space for a backlit keyboard, powerful speakers, and a convenient infrared webcam supporting facial recognition.

Screen Pad 2.0 is in the limelight with its responsive touchpad, integrated application switcher, vibrant 15.6-inch screen, and advanced touchpad capabilities.

The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 features a durable and stylish chassis and weighs only 5.16 pounds.

For connectivity, you can access USB Type-C, HDMI, and other feature slots before accessing Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.0.

Despite the two displays, the built-in battery provides 9 hours of backup time when used correctly.

In short, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is one of the best laptops in the market for Filmmaker.

Suppose you are an aspiring filmmaker and want to buy a device that can easily handle all your professional applications and equipment. In that case, this device is for you.

PROS

  • The outstanding performance of nanotechnology
  • Courtesy of TDP
  • Powerful RTX GPU compatibility
  • Mass storage
  • Long battery life

CONS

  • No Thunderbolt 3 port

7. Best Performative Laptop: HP OMEN 17

High Performance HP OMEN 17.3"...
  • 💻【16GB DDR5 4800Mhz Memory 2TB PCIe SSD】: This laptop has been professionally upgraded to 2TB PCIe SSD. Original Seal is opened for upgrade...
  • 💻12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H (14-Core) Processor. 3.50 GHz, up to 4.70 GHz Max Boost, 14 Cores(6 Performance-cores,8 Efficient-cores), 20...
  • 💻NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Graphics, 8GB(150W), MUX switch hot-swap
  • 💻17.3" IPS Micro-Edge Anti-Glare QHD (2560 x 1440) 400-Nits 165Hz Display

The HP OMEN 17 is a top choice for film students and video editors looking for a powerful and versatile laptop. With its 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12700H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics, this laptop has the power and performance to handle any task you throw at it.

One of the standout features of the OMEN 17 is its 17.3″ IPS Micro-Edge Anti-Glare QHD (2560 x 1440) display, with a stunning 400-nits brightness and a fast 165Hz refresh rate. This makes it perfect for both work and play, with crystal clear visuals and smooth performance.

In terms of storage, this laptop has been professionally upgraded to a 2TB PCIe SSD, providing plenty of space for all of your files and programs. It also comes bundled with an HDMI cable, making it easy to connect to external displays.

The OMEN 17 boasts a full-size 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard, making it easy to type in low light conditions. It also has a webcam, making it easy to stay connected with friends and colleagues.

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In terms of connectivity, the OMEN 17 has a range of ports, including Thunderbolt 4 with USB4 Type-C, SuperSpeed USB Type-A, and HDMI 2.1, as well as a multi-format SD media card reader. This makes it easy to connect to a variety of devices and peripherals.

The HP OMEN 17 is a video editor choice that requires maximum specifications, portability, and versatility.

Overall, the HP OMEN 17 is a top choice for film students and video editors looking for a powerful and versatile laptop. With its impressive processor, graphics, and display, it has everything you need to succeed in your studies or career.

PROS

  • Incredible gaming performance
  • Ample storage space
  • Very good 165-Hz panel
  • Full-size Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070Ti
  • Elegant design
  • Stylish keyboard illumination
  • Competitively priced
  • Cool and quiet while gaming

CONS

  • Plastic build
  • Subpar touchpad

8. Best Budget-Friendly Laptop: Lenovo Legion 5

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop,...
  • Escalate your game with up to 8 high-performance cores in the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage
  • With NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics behind you, you can enjoy the depth and visual fidelity of real-time ray-tracing – RTX Gaming, It's On
  • The 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display on the Legion 5 gaming laptop delivers speed and color clarity for full-fidelity gaming
  • Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight; 2 x 2W speakers with Nahimic Audio for Gamers

Lenovo Legion 5 is the thinnest and most powerful ultrabook, making it the best portable laptop for film editing.

It is incredibly lightweight and easy to carry. The laptop runs on Windows 11 but provides a MacBook experience.

This laptop has a 15.6-inch full HD screen with a full-screen display and a 4.4mm ultra-thin frame.

Despite its compact structure, the resolution is up to 1920×1080 pixels. With a 1500: 1 contrast ratio, 60Hz refresh rate, and 260PPI, you can enjoy ferocious detail when watching and editing HD or Ultra HD content on this laptop.

The second-generation Dolby Atmos, a great audio system with four speakers, enhances the viewing experience.

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Portable theatres are typically used for movie previews and other productions.

The Lenovo Legion 5 has the AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor with an NVIDIA GeForce  RTX 3050 Ti graphics unit.

Graphics can handle all rendering and other practical video editing tasks.

When it comes to storage, laptops have 16GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage to control any quick-start storage. As a strict competitor to Apple’s MacBook, this notebook has excellent battery life.

With 12 hours of video playback or 14 hours of business hours, you can spend a relaxing day. Larger batteries do not affect their weight. The laptop weighs only 5.29 pounds.

The laptop also has an integrated fingerprint reader, a high-resolution webcam, and a one-touch power button with Windows Hello support.

This laptop has USB, HDMI, VGA, USB-C, and Mate Dock 2.0 connection ports, including Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Buy this laptop and get a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.

But there’s no doubt that the Lenovo Legion 5 deserves a dazzling place on the best laptops on the movie student list.

PROS

  • Faster processor
  • Large display
  • Sensitive fingerprint reader
  • Excellent battery life
  • Drip-proof keyboard

CONS

  • The webcam is not the best.

9. Best All-Rounder Laptop: Dell Precision 3000

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Dell Precision 3000 3571 15.6"...
  • Intel Core i7 2.40 GHz processor provides lightning fast speed and peak performance for the toughest of tasks and games
  • With 32 GB DDR5 SDRAM of memory, runs as many programs as you want without losing the execution
  • 15.6" display with 1920 x 1080 resolution showcases movies, games and photos with impressive clarity
  • Windows 10 Pro can be best fit for both home and office and it features an improved 2 x 2 snapping, helps you make more productive on desktops

The new Dell Precision 3000 is the best laptop for movie maker students interested in portable and powerful laptops.

Today’s devices perform well with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12800H chipset, which can accelerate up to 2.4GHz. The internal firepower may not come as a surprise. Still, today’s processors have excellent multi-core performance, better than the significant Intel Core i7-11750H.

Despite being a mid-range processor, the i7-12800H can meet your editing applications, necessary color grading, and audio production needs with minimal effort, which makes it the best laptop for film editing professionals.

The SoC has supported NVIDIA GeForce RTX A1000 GPUs (supporting 4GB RAM).

Suppose you want to handle multitasking requirements easily. In that case, the Dell Precision 3000 Pack has 32GB of DDR4 RAM.

We can’t be upgraded, but you can quickly improve processing performance.

Files, data, application software, and the Windows 11 Home Edition operating system are installed on a 512GB SSD with fantastic read and write speeds.

The Dell Precision 3000 performs well, and its 15.6-inch panel displays a cumulative resolution of 1920X1080 pixels.

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The Pixel Sense display is very active, supports multi-touch, and has a very high viewing angle.

Most importantly, the color grading experience on this device is highly efficient through first-class color reproduction levels.

For aspiring filmmakers, it features a variety of productivity-focused features such as a backlit keyboard, a responsive touchpad, and a functional dual camera setup (8MP rear shooter and 5MP front shooter).

This laptop also has front-end Dolby Atmos technology speakers.

At 3.66lb, it is one of the lightest devices on the market, especially for film students. Also, the magnesium-coated chassis further enhances the aesthetic appearance of the removable laptop.

Dell has replaced USB Type-A, Type-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and other useful features in terms of connectivity.

The moderate use of the battery in this device can last up to 10 hours, which is a useful feature, especially when you’re on the go.

Overall, Dell Precision 3000 provides outstanding performance and unmatched portability to filmmakers.

So it’s also one of the best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing.

PROS

  • Powerful graphics-optimized processor with excellent single-core performance
  • Excellent GPU with Nvidia technology
  • Minimum heat
  • Lots of RAM
  • It is a vibration sieve.

CONS

  • No Thunderbolt 3 port

Attention: If you do not follow these specifications, you will not perform high-speed video editing. Your Laptop will be useful for cutting news videos only.

When you start mixing effects or creating vibrant colors, this mixing will shock you. Try to get as close as possible to our next suggestion.

CPU for Best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing

Intel:
The recommended CPU for perfect video editing is an Intel (10-core or 12-core) core i7 processor with 8th, 9th, 12th, or 13th generation. Example: Core i7- 1355U, 12700H, 10750H, 8750H, 9750H.

The 12th generation Core i5 is specially marked with an H label. Example: Core i5 12500H, Core i5-1255U, and some Core i7-1355U processors are also possible but should not be used.

AMD:
If you find many discounts on a laptop with an AMD processor, it says Ryzen, and make sure you have an H somewhere: Ryzen 7 6800H, Ryzen 5 5800H, Ryzen 9 4=6800HS.

RAM:
The 8GB RAM is good, but ideally, 16GB is required.

If your laptop has 8GB of RAM, you can upgrade to 16GB later.

GPU:
If you want to enable the effect, you need to get a dedicated GPU RTX 4050 / 4080Ti or higher.

Which one is perfect? See the last section with a table of all GPUs on your laptop. For something relatively simple, such as the cloth removed, one with 1050 power may be sufficient.

Avoid entry-level GPUs (Radeon MX150, MX250, 555X, 940M GPUs) unless you rely on simple effects.

Display:
A clear and bright LED display with at least 1920×1080 resolution is enough. The screen size must be at least 15 inches. FHD display is perfect enough for 4K editing, but higher resolution consumes more battery.

Storage:
For video editing, 128 / 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD or 512GB SSD only is enough.

Otherwise, the laptop storage must be upgradeable (non-pasteable). SSD is required to save OS + Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere.

This will speed up the start-up of all these files. Extra space or a 1TB hard drive can act as a repository for all raw data / completed projects (although you can purchase an external storage device for this).

Weight:
As the movie’s main theme I shot in college, I found a relatively powerful laptop while maintaining portability.

Is it portable?
3-4.5lb, unfortunately, portability + features = expensive.

Connectivity:
High-speed external connector: Thunderbolt 2/3 or USB 3.1 Type-C. Whenever you buy the latest laptop, you will get all these features.


Here are some most useful software for different Film Students and Video Editing purposes;

  • Avid Media Composer and Adobe Premiere Pro are the recommended non-linear video editors for the most demanding software.
  • Adobe can do after-effects of videos.
  • Autodesk Maya for advanced 3D modeling
  • DaVinci resolution for color grading
  • FL Studio and Ableton are used for music production/audio editing.

Above, we only mentioned some video editing software. Students of filmmaking usually also need to use other video editing software depending on the institution’s preferences.

No universal device can meet all the requirements, so some specifications need to be paid attention to, depending on the recommended specifications.

To meet film making’s essential requirements, you need a powerful CPU for fast processing and a good GPU for processing graphics-intensive applications.

Also, filmmakers can take advantage of top-notch wired and wireless connections to accommodate fictitious filmmaking workflows.

After that, a high-quality screen should be the 2nd preference when choosing the perfect device for video editing.

If you have enough budget and battery life is not a big issue for you.

So, you can also opt for a 4K OLED display. But the Full HD IPS panels are a perfect choice.

In addition to the above specifications, after the Thunderbolt 3 port is available, you should check the RAM (More is better) on the laptop immediately if you want to perform editing, color grading, and compositing at the same time.

A summary of what you should see will find more details in the last part of this article.


Best Laptops For Film Students and Video Editing – Recommended Specs

Processor12th Generation Intel Core i7
GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Memory32GB DDR4/ 16 GB DDR5
Storage512GB SSD
Display15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080)
WeightUnder 6 lbs.
BatteryUp to 6 Hours
KeyboardBacklit Keyboard
OSWindows 11, 64-bit

FAQs on Best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing

What is the best video editing laptop?

If you’re willing to spend a lot of money looking for the best video editing laptop, the Dell XPS 15 and 16-inch MacBook Pro are the best choices.
They provide a gorgeous, high-resolution display with a high-speed CPU and GPU that can support most of the video editing projects we offer. Both laptops feature a slim aluminum chassis, making them extremely portable.

If you’re looking for a video editing laptop for less than $ 1,000, the best option is to find a cheap gaming laptop. Something like the Dell G5 15 SE (2020) with AMD Radeon RX 5600 MGPU and outstanding performance is enough to complete some challenging tasks.

However, suppose the money isn’t a problem. In that case, you can buy the Alienware Area-51M, which is the best video editing laptop because it has very powerful components, faster Lightning SSDs, and is fully upgradeable.

But if you’re not a gamer and want to focus on video editing, that’s not a problem. Consider choosing a workstation such as the MSI WS659TM, which is the best workstation you can buy overall.

The Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 GPU is optimized for video editing tasks. Thanks to its colorful 4K display, you can see all your creative work in front of you.

How to choose the best video editing laptop for you?

Choosing the best video editing laptop for you depends on a few things. One is your budget: how much do you mind spending? The other is the purpose of using it.

Of course, I’m editing a video, but will you crop short videos only in 720p? Or will you edit a large project in 4K? Your answer will determine the type of system you need.

If you want to make video editing a hobby, we recommend starting with a cheap gaming laptop. If you’re going to continue editing your video in the future, we offer powerful features and experiences.

If you are a professional and need a top-notch video editing laptop, you need a fast and bright screen to get your job done, and it costs you a lot of money. Therefore, ask yourself when buying a video editing laptop. How much do you need?

How do we test the best video editing laptops?

Run some tests on your video editing laptop and meet standards such as Geekbench to measure overall CPU performance and Handbrake video-editing tests to decide the transcoding time for 1080px to 4K videos.

We used comprehensive benchmarks such as 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited and 3DMark Fire Strike to test the GPU.

Performance isn’t the only issue when buying a video editing laptop. We also looked at performance, sRGB color gamut coverage, especially resolution, and the average number of NITs that its panel can generate. OLED screens, phones, or huge color TVs allow you to see every aspect of content you can’t see on an ordinary screen.

The video editor should be sure that his users can watch the full part of the content.

What are the most demanding areas of filmmaking in terms of computing resources?

Adding effects to existing images and visual effects through VFX and achieving your CGI or CGI is the most demanding filmmaking aspect.

These features are CPU and GPU intensive and require a high-end laptop such as the MSI P65 Creator.

How important is laptop portability to film-making students?

Film students need to travel around the world to learn more about the filmmaking process. Therefore, it is suitable for lightweight devices and solid-state batteries.

For laptops, portability is the perfect balance between weight and battery backup, which can reduce performance.

What are the benefits of touch screens for film-making students?

Filmmaking is not as simple as editing video or audio, as it involves multiple processes simultaneously. Besides, each application has a separate user interface that requires continuous interaction with the system.

The touchpad is useful because it reduces the need for a keyboard and requires a touchpad to power and operate existing software.

Why are portable workstations not always suitable for film-making students?

Film majors often find it challenging to invest in another laptop for work and entertainment.

So if you find that your workstation laptop can handle 3D modeling, CGI, color grading, compositing, VFX, and other demanding processes, you’re lacking in gaming skills and will join casual games. It won’t be easy.

Quadro is mainly connected to the GPU. Also, the workspace is not portable and is very popular with students.

What is the most powerful CGI tool for aspiring filmmakers? Which computing resource are you using?

If you’re looking for an excellent CGI tool for professionals and students, you should consider Autodesk Maya.

You can use your existing application software to handle 3D animation, 3D modeling, photography, 3D rendering, and motion graphics.

Therefore, for Maya’s optimal use, you should purchase a laptop with an RTX 40 series GPU with a powerful Intel i7 or i9 hyperthreaded processor and at least 6GB of VRAM.

Do all film-making students need to know how to use the required software modules?

Simply the answer is yes. In addition to Autodesk Maya, you need to learn a variety of Adobe After Effects for proper video editing and compositing, as well as a full range of Mexican resolutions for effective color grading.

However, these top-level applications require powerful laptops such as overclocked processors, GPUs for ray tracing, and even more RAM to easily handle multiple workflows.

What is the right screen for a budget-focused video editing laptop?

If you have a tight budget and looking for a video editing laptop, then Acer branded laptops are for you. Acer laptops provide you with a widescreen display experience, and a 45% NTSC color gamut.

Color Intelligence technology has Acer-branded laptops and Splendid Imagery technology on Asus-branded gadgets.

How much RAM do you need for basic video editing?

Video editing files, presets, samples, and semi-finished projects are large and require at least 8GB of RAM to meet the various trimming and reindexing requirements.

However, RAM is one of the most comfortable features to upgrade, so you should consider buying a laptop with dual-slot RAM modules and adjust the upgrade only when needed.

Is integrated graphics enough for video editing?

Video editing, introduced through Premiere Pro and Elements, primarily consumes many CPU resources and prohibits rendering, transcoding, encoding, color grading, and selection processes.

Therefore, if you are not involved in complex video editing tasks and are mainly interested in editing, crazy things, B volume management, and other related processes, an integrated GPU will suffice.

Final Cut Pro for Film Students and Video Editing?

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 neither of these two can handle video distortions or even simple transitions (possible, but very painful).

If your institution uses Final Cut Pro X (actually the latter), then until then, there is no real choice. It’s a tedious and experienced reverse machine, but it gives you even more options; you can invest in it.

Mac for Film Students and Video Editing?

Most important is the MacBook Pro, which is less powerful than the Macintosh. However, as workflows improve, we find that more and more professionals are using Macs.

That means more support for the movie. This is a popular competition. Good software programmers only program for the Mac. This situation has existed for some time.

(Next, we’ll talk about laptops) It all depends on the camera you’re referencing. If you want to buy a digital SLR camera, that’s a good thing. H264 is a very crude but versatile file type. I don’t like FCP, but it’s easy to edit on my new Mac.

Hackintosh for Film Students and Video Editing?

I specialize in hacking on a Mac, but for a cheaper Mac, is it a Hackintosh? I’ve seen posts about gaming PCs. Maybe some people can comment here about these PCs.

We do not recommend using Hackintosh as it is challenging to configure and use. The moment you hack your laptop, you are no longer a movie editor but a hacker.



Best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing Reviews – 2024


Conclusion: Best Laptops for Film Students and Video Editing

There aren’t many devices on the market, especially for filmmaking students.

We can always choose the best laptops for film students and video editing professionals, but students need a more comprehensive device selection method.

Therefore, select each of these 9 devices according to your budget, professional and academic preferences, as well as leisure and entertainment.

  • So if you’re looking for an insanely powerful laptop that outperforms your competitors and makes it easy to understand all aspects of this creative space, the ASUS ROG Strix Scar is for you.
  • However, suppose you’re looking for portability, and there are no performance trade-offs. In that case, MSI Creator Z17 is about to be invested.
  • Finally, if you need a cheap laptop with a top CPU, the ACER Nitro 5 should be an easy choice.
  • There are many options on the market, but we recommend that you always prefer the ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo 15.

It is also appropriate to check the syllabus of the institute before proceeding with the purchase.


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William Larson is a computer engineering graduate and a techy writer and a laptop enthusiast based in New York who is the man behind BestLaptopsVenture.com, where he reviews and writes professionally about laptops & cutting-edge technology with more than 12 years of experience in the industry. He tends to spend most of his time researching the best laptops. His love for studying laptops enables him to assist others to find the best laptops. He has written and managed content for tech websites like Laptops, Computers, T-Sprint, and TracFone Wireless, etc. On YouTube, he reviews laptops, How to guides, Tips, peripherals, and hold giveaways. You can follow him on Twitter.

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