Whether you are a professional filmmaker or a YouTuber, having a quality video editing computer is a must-have. While there is hardly anything that can beat a dedicated video editing desktop PC, lugging around one can be a true chore, especially if you are constantly on the move. That is why you should perhaps consider purchasing a quality video editing laptop. Such a laptop would provide you with the same features and functionality while being much more energy efficient and allowing you to stay on the move.
How to pick the perfect laptop for video editing
Storage capacity
When looking for a capable video editing laptop, check its storage capacity, and, more importantly, its SSD access. When doing video editing, your laptop’s storage will be one of the crucial factors that will determine the quality and efficiency of your job. It is well-known that high definition videos, especially ultra HD ones, can take up dozens of gigabytes of space. Therefore, if you want to avoid being on the edge of your storage space, make sure to look for the laptops that have at least 1 TB of available space.
If you have a bigger budget, don’t hesitate to buy a laptop that features an SSD. When compared to standard hard drives, SSDs are much faster, efficient and durable.
Processor
If you have a habit of running multiple programs and applications at the same time, you should purchase a laptop that has a multi-core CPU with plenty of threads.
When it comes to video editing, your laptop’s CPU is perhaps the single most important component, alongside the storage device. The speed of a video editing process mostly depends on the number of CPU cores and their frequency. Therefore, if you want to make HD videos fast, a good idea would be to invest in a 6 core or an 8 core CPU with a core frequency of at least 3.0 GHz. However, make sure not to purchase a laptop that has a CPU that is way stronger than, say, its GPU or RAM. To get the best performance, always look for a laptop that has a good balance between its components.
Quick accessories
In addition to the previously mentioned key components, you should also look for a laptop that features a number of extra accessories that can make the entire process much more smooth and easy. For example, if you want to dump audio from cards or pictures, you will need an SD card slot. Additionally, you will also want a good mouse, since trackpads can get highly uncomfortable during prolonged editing sessions.
Operating system
The type of the operating system will largely influence the types of editing software you will use for your work. Therefore, make sure to check whether a laptop comes with a Windows OS, a Mac, or Linux. Keep in mind that every OS has its specific set of editing software and tools, which usually don’t work with other operating systems.
Data transfer
If you plan on doing a lot of video editing, you will surely have to transfer huge amounts of data from your laptop to external drives. To ensure a fast and smooth transfer, make sure to look for a laptop that features 3.0 USB ports or FireWIre ports.
Check out this post best laptops for video editing in 2017- buyer’s guide – Laptop Verge if you want to learn more about picking the right laptop for your video projects.