Top 12 | Best Laptop for Video Editing Under $1000 | Guide

As a content creator, you need a powerful device that can keep up with your demands. However, you may not have the budget for a high-end laptop. In fact, can you even get decent, inexpensive laptops for under $1000? The good news is that you can!

While you may need to make a trade-off in performance to come in under budget, as long as you know what you’re looking for, there is no reason you can’t find an amazing machine for this budget.

We’ve compiled a list of the best machines to make your task of finding the best laptop for video editing under $1000 as easy as possible. And, be sure to keep reading to the end to find our handy guide with everything you need to look out for.

Note – Please know, some of the external links on this page are affiliate links, this means that if you purchase after following one, I make a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to yourself.

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Can I get a decent video editing computer for under $1000?

The answer is yes! There are several laptops on the market that offer excellent performance for video editing without breaking the bank. I have my buying guide at the end of this post, but before we dive into the best video editing computers, here are a few quick tips.

Video editing can be resource-intensive, requiring a powerful computer with a fast processor and plenty of RAM. However, it is possible to find a decent video editing laptop for under $1000.

Look for a laptop with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, at a minimum (unless you’re getting the Apple M1 chip), and at least 8GB of RAM. A dedicated graphics card is also helpful for smoother video rendering.

Regarding storage, look for a laptop with a solid state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional hard drive. SSDs are faster and more reliable, which is important when working with large video files. The bigger the storage GB the better.

Finally, make sure the laptop has a decent-sized screen. A 15-inch display is ideal for video editing, but you may be able to get by with a smaller one if mobility is more important to you as a vlogger.

With these considerations in mind, you should be able to find a great laptop for youtube video editing under $1000.

Note: prices are right at the time of publication, there will always be a slight variance depending on manufacturers pricing.

Best laptop under $1000 for video editing

1. Apple MacBook Air
2. Asus ZenBook 13
3. Lenovo Yoga 720
4. Dell Inspiron 7000 15.6″
5. Samsung Notebook 7 13.3”
6. HP Pavilion Flagship 15.6″
7. Lenovo Premium Gaming Laptop L340
8. Lenovo Legion 5
9. Dell Gaming G3 15 3500
10. Asus TUF Dash 15
11. Acer Swift X video editing laptop
12. Acer Nitro 5 video editing laptops

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1. Apple MacBook Air

Apple are well known for making some of the best laptops for creators, but they come at a price. So, if you are lusting after the Macbook Pro, but can’t quite budget it, the MacBook Air is a very good second option.

Performance-wise, it delivers what you would expect for its price. It is an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU blessed with 8GB of RAM, and Apple rigged the processor to have short bursts of pleasing performance at lightning-fast speeds that peak at 3.6Ghz.

However, the storage space leaves even less to be desired with a terrible 128Gb of space offered, whereas rival tech nowadays comes with double that. To make matters worse, upgrading to a 256Gb hard drive would require an additional $200 investment, and at that rate, buying an external storage unit looks like the better decision. The battery life is just a bit better and has been tested to last just half an hour longer than the recorded average. 

It is in its display, however, that it seems Apple placed its bets with the MacBook Air proving intelligence with every color rendered. Through the magnificent True Tone feature, the resolution of the MacBook Air provides a delicious spectacle to cater to your video editing needs. Apart from that, it was nice to hear this device continues Apple’s momentum with Audio goodness, and it felt even better to be heard to a very decent degree by Siri despite being enveloped in noise. 

2. Asus ZenBook 13

The Asus ZenBook 13 is a Windows laptop that redefines the tag of budget laptops for video editing by delivering the quality of resourcefulness that would normally only comes with premium laptops. First, it has to be said that it looks heavenly, even though that has never helped any travel vlogger. However, good performance can help, and the Asus Zenbook delivers with distinct aplomb. 

An 8th generation Intel Core i5-8265U processor and 8GB of RAM in its make-up ensures that it is very capable of handling complex tasks with decent performance, to put in perspective for a travel vlogger, it took the Asus Zenbook half the time it took a MacBook Air to transcode the same 4k video to 1080pixels. All of its abilities have it competing fairly with only premium-level systems. 

As for the graphics, it underwhelms with the mention of an Intel-sponsored UHD 620 summing up its Graphic prowess. Also, just like many others valued at a similar price, it also has a terrible 720p Webcam accessory. But then again it does a great job of lasting through the day, with mind-blowing battery life in store for the owner.

Overall, this is among the best budget ultrabook laptops and the best laptop for beginner video editing you are likely to find.

3. Lenovo Yoga 720

This beauty comes in a heavier package than her mates, and with its numerous plusses, you can tell exactly why it is. The Lenovo Yoga 720 is armed with a core i7 processing unit and the latest Nvidia GeForce 10-series graphic card that guarantees you an amazing performance regardless of the task. The storage size is a respectable 256Gb worth of space, in the world of SSDs, you can suck it up. Also, the Lenovo Yoga 720 impresses even more with a battery lifespan that puts her competition to shame running with the operating system Windows. 

Its design can look very bland, but being a convertible could make up for those quirks, as the mobility you get from using it either as a tent, tablet or laptop makes it fancy enough to impress. Ahem, I mean, makes it able to get work done on the go. 

The 1080p display resolution on the 15.6″ of the Lenovo Yoga 720 is unfortunately very average, it reproduces color gamuts very well, but lacks the precision and lighting blend that would earn it some praise, nevertheless it is a great beginner video editing laptop.

4. Dell Inspiron 7000 15.6″

The due process would be to first take off hats to the most beautiful and sleekest laptop Dell have ever made. The visual appeal of this tech piece is its first selling point. On a more functional note, the 8th gen Intel Core i7 and 16Gb of RAM built-in promise and deliver an unmatchable experience for laptops under the $1000 benchmark, recording 4k to 1080p transcoding speeds and overall performance that many premium laptops can only dream of. This is mismatched by the less inspiring graphic ability of the Inspiron 7000 that is accompanied by a rather meek quality of audio output.

Fortunately, the product is saved by an illuminating display that creates a thirst for more 4k panels, and an innovative combination called the ‘Active Pen’. The Active Pen is the banner for the 2-in-1 options for the laptop’s usability – A pen that equally registers notable responsiveness on touch with the screen, is brilliantly placed in a crevice fashioned off the hinges of the system. This addition accounts for the spike in the ergonomic satisfaction scores of the Dell Inspiron 7000, but does nothing to rescue the battery life of the laptop from the load of the 4k display.

5. Samsung Notebook 7 13.3”

For all the direction that Samsung laptops of the past have shown, it is ironically becoming clear that Samsung is becoming disillusioned when it comes to the design of laptops. The Samsung Notebook 7 13.3” doesn’t shake that feeling at all.

However, if you look past the looks, the Notebook 7 delivers when it counts with an arsenal made up of up to 16Gb RAM, a Core i7 processor and a strong 256GB SSD hard drive that can be upgraded to 512Gb if needed. That said, it is perhaps only faster at transcoding videos from 4k to 1080p than some other laptops in its class, and is warm enough to make it hard to swallow with a basic graphic card, but that’s not saying it doesn’t farm videos well, it does.

When it comes to displays, the Samsung Notebook 7 has 13+ inches of white balance accuracy and color reproduction to defend it. Also, it’s screen resolution is no scam, outdoing itself with an absolute clarity that will be appreciated by even people with little to no knowledge about screens. All that matters though, is that the Notebook 7’s middling quality is okay for its price and still useful for certain levels of video editing.

6. HP Pavilion Flagship 15.6″

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With this HP Range, they are certainly not joking around when they came out with one of the best laptops for video editing under 1000 bucks. The specs drop many jaws with an insane 16Gb RAM working together with an AMD Octa-Core Ryzen 7 5700U processor unit integrated AMD Radeon graphics to form a reliable brain capable of breaking down the strongest walls, on paper at least. In reality, this editing laptop is a little less dramatic, but very effective nonetheless. 

The battery life of HP’s Pavilion Flagship is also deserving of a passing score, nothing more or less. Its Hard drive is a whole terabyte, but clocks low transfer speeds, but is future-proof with enough type C USB ports in a full deck that includes an earphone Jack and a HDMI port, not bad for a cheap laptop for video editing.

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8. Lenovo Legion 5

The Lenovo Legion 5 is a sweet deal for a video editing laptop under $1000, and here’s why. This powerful AMD 4th iteration of the Ryzen 5 4600H processor machine also doubles as a gaming laptop. Ignore the aesthetics, and this laptop was designed with more attention on performance rather than beauty. With six cores and twelve processing threads, Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card, high-performance cooling system to keep your laptop at a balanced temperature during video editing, you cannot deny its quality.

However, video editors who like sleek and lightweight laptops may be disappointed; this laptop weighs 5.5 pounds. But it makes up for this with a storage 256GB SSD and 16GB RAM capable of being upgraded to 32GB for more significant projects. The Legion 5 is also equipped with a 3GHz base clock that can be boosted up to 4GHz to meet your video editing needs.

This laptop may not offer an optimum gaming laptop experience with its graphics card, but you’ve got just the suitable machine if your requirement is video editing. It is capable of rendering 4K and 3D videos with its high VFX utilization. In addition, it is intelligently equipped with a 15.6 inch HD screen that easily supports 120Hz refresh, and a solid IPS display for speed and color clarity when editing or gaming.

Performance and efficiency are the language of this machine from Lenovo. It is undoubtedly a steal below for video editing under $1000. This laptop can guarantee high performance and durability for video editors without fear of lagging. It certainly has a few cons here and there, but if you’re looking for a high-performance video editing laptop on a budget, you can’t find much better than this one.

9. Dell Gaming Laptops G3 15 3500

As far as gaming laptops and video editing laptops below $1000 go, the Dell G3 15 3500 is arguably the best best cheap gaming laptop. This laptop boasts super durability and assures you the best video editing experience for many years to come. In addition, the Dell G3 has a powerful 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10300H processor for more speed and better performance, making rendering heavy video projects fast and seamless.

Furthermore, this laptop possesses an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU with a VRAM of 4GB. Equipped with a Hexa-core processor with 12 processing threads and a base clock of 2.6GHz, which can be boosted to 5GHz when needed, this machine can quickly render 3D effects and 4K video, perfect for most video editing software and video editing apps. However, it may err in the storage and memory department with only 8GB RAM suitable for low-resolution video editing. But if you want to work with heavier files without necessarily needing to look for another laptop, the Dell G3 has a slot of up to 32GB for another memory to be added.

Another obvious flaw of this otherwise super reliable laptop is its display, with a mere 15.6-inch FHD WVA display with poor brightness levels. Though it has an anti-glare screen, with the bright display being an almost compulsory need for video editors, this might be a turn-off for most. However, you can as well buy another show if this laptop meets your other requirements.

On the upside, the Dell G3 has an incredibly long battery life, better than most within its category. It promises over 6 hours of battery life at optimum performance while running editing projects and video gaming alike.

In summation, the Dell G3 is great if you require a gaming laptop for small and mid-sized video editing projects. It’s about the cheapest gaming laptop in Dell’s collections that still offers fantastic features, and what’s more, it comes in a beautiful matte-black plastic design.

10. Asus TUF Dash 15

The Asus TUF Dash is a typical gaming laptop package that doubles as a high-performing laptop for video editing. It is the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-11370Hz laptop with 4 CPU cores and eight threads. So if the best gaming laptops and video editing laptops close to $1000 is what you’re looking for (this is a smidge over), look no further than this powerful machine. It has a 15.6 inch Full HD display and a high graphics performance with the Nvidia RTX 3050Ti GPU, making for exciting gaming and video editing experience.

Boasting a dedicated 4GB GDDR6 VRAM, a 512GB SSD, and 8GB DDR4 RAM that supports additional slots to increase RAM capacity, you shouldn’t be having issues with storage. This laptop has an advanced cooling system with optimal thermal tuning keeping it cool even at high-performance mode. Rendering lengthy video projects will not be an issue with this machine as it comes with a base 3GHz base clock speed and a Turbo Boost option of up to 4.8GHz.

This laptop also has a backlit keyboard and an excellent trackpad to customize and control its performance. Besides, the makers omitted a webcam, fingerprint reader, and external lighting; it is generally an ideal video editing laptop for under $1000.

While it has a heavy build with a weight of 4.41 pounds, it is surprisingly thin at 19.9mm and carefully designed to be solid and thick. The base comes with a smooth, strong plastic covering, while the back is fitted with a metal lid. It is satisfyingly designed with a smooth surface and a turquoise backlighting very visible on the WASD keys if aesthetics is your thing.

Overall, it has a sub-par display and some other flaws and omissions, but this is one of the best video editing laptops you can get at under $1000, given its impressive specs and strong battery life.

11. Acer Swift X video editing laptop

This is a high-performance portable laptop packed with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU (4GB GDDR6 VRAM) and a powerful AMD CPU, making it undoubtedly able to handle video editing and gaming with speed and ease. The Acer Swift X laptop also has you covered with its long battery life, 14 inches Full HD (1920 x 1080 IPS non-touch) screen, 16GB memory, amongst a plethora of other juicy specs you cannot ignore.

If you’re in doubt about how much of a good deal buying this laptop will be, you’ll be shocked to know that the Acer Swift X laptop guarantees a 100% RGB display with brightness levels of 300nits and a 16:9 aspect ratio. There’s more. Your laptop’s security is two times secure with the fingerprint reader feature and Windows Hello sign-in options.

As the name ‘Swift’ implies, this machine was created for the go. At 3.06lbs, it is remarkably lightweight and thin, making carrying it around easier. Moreover, a battery capacity of 58.7 Watt-hours ably backs it for a longer work time for all its high-performance features.

Like every other laptop, the Acer Swift X is not free of flaws, but some of the themes can be made up for in other areas depending on your specific video editing needs. The fans can get noisy at high performance, and the keyboards can get warm. The speakers are not impressive, and the 720p webcam can do with a bit of upgrading as the quality is relatively low. In the keyboard section, this laptop has minor keys and a rather tricky page up and down arrows which are unusually very close to each other. Though the spacing is good enough, another obvious flaw is the location of the power button at the top right corner directly above the delete key.

Is the laptop the perfect laptop for video editing? It all depends on your needs. However, considering its flaws, if the upsides meet your requirements, then it is absolutely a good deal at under $1000.

12. Acer Nitro 5 video editing laptops

Another laptop from the gaming lineups of manufacturers, the Acer Nitro 5 is up there as one of the best video editing laptops on a budget. The specs do speak for themselves with an i5-9300H processor and top clock speed of 4.1GHz, 15.6 inch Full HD display, and a 144Hz refresh rate. Powered by a 10^th Generation Intel Core i5-10300H processor, it has four cores and eight threads.

For the visuals, the Nvidia GTX 1650 with 4GB RAM makes it a super-efficient laptop for video editors. You have little to worry about using video editing suites and software as the 8GB DDR4 RAM, and a 256GB SSD guarantees seamless editing workflow and hassle-free video editing.  With a dual storage setup, you can decide to add another SSD when you need to.

One of the many outstanding features of this powerful laptop is its attention to detail in the design. In addition, it is thoughtfully fitted with a supercooling system (Acer CoolBoost technology) and vents to keep the laptop cool while working. If you like lightweight laptops, this solid cheap gaming laptop may not be your choice as it weighs 5.07 pounds and is 0.98 inches thick.

However, it has a strong build and battery life of over 8 hours despite its weight and performance levels. There are only a few laptops under $1000 that can be compared with this laptop. Though it lacks in some areas, including its absence of microSD slots and Type-C connectivity, you cannot go wrong with this one as far as good video editing laptops go.

Buying Guide – Things to consider in a laptop for editing videos

Processor

When it comes to video editing, choosing the right processor is essential. After all, the processor is responsible for handling all of the encoding, decoding, and rendering of your video footage. So, how do you choose the right one? Here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, consider the type of video you’ll be editing. If you’re working with high-resolution 4K footage, you’ll need a powerful processor that can handle all that data. On the other hand, if you’re working with standard 1080p footage, you won’t need as much power.

One way to gauge a processor’s power is by its clock speed, which is measured in gigahertz (GHz). A higher clock speed means that the processor can handle more data per second.

Another factor to consider is the number of cores. A dual-core processor can handle two threads of data at once, while a quad-core processor can handle four threads. For video editing, a quad-core processor is generally considered the minimum.

Finally, keep in mind that the price of a laptop often reflects the power of its processor. In general, laptops with more powerful processors will be more expensive. With that in mind, if you’re looking for a laptop for video editing under $1000, you’ll likely need to compromise on power. However, there are still some great options available.

Here’s a video that looks a bit more in-depth at the subject of choosing the right CPU for a video editing PC.

RAM

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is an essential component of any video editing computer. When working with large video files, a laptop’s RAM can quickly become taxed, leading to choppy playback and slow rendering times. For this reason, it is important to choose a laptop with as much RAM as possible.

The good news is that RAM is relatively affordable, so it is possible to find a laptop with plenty of RAM without breaking the bank.

For video editors on a budget, 8GB of RAM should be the minimum; however, if you plan on doing any serious video editing, 16GB or more is recommended.

Something to consider is that RAM is pretty easy to upgrade at a later date. So, if you find a laptop with less RAM than you would like but that meets all of your other needs, it may be worth considering upgrading the RAM down the line.

The Hard Drive

When you’re looking for the best laptop for video editing under $1000, one of the most important things to consider is storage space. After all, video files can take up a lot of space, particularly if you’re working with high-definition or 4K footage.

A laptop with a large hard drive or solid-state drive will be able to store more video files, so you won’t have to worry about running out of space in the middle of a project. In addition, a laptop with a lot of storage space will be able to accommodate larger video files, so you’ll be able to work with more complex projects. When it comes to video editing, storage space is definitely something to keep in mind.

Storage Speed

This brings us nicely onto speed. Apart from the amount of storage, one of the most important choices you’ll make is between a hard drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD). HDDs are the traditional type of storage found in laptops. They’re less expensive than SSDs but tend to be slower and have shorter battery life. SSDs are newer and more expensive, but they’re much faster than HDDs and use less power, resulting in longer battery life. However, the speed and enhanced performance of an SSD is traded off by the fact they will generally have less space than a traditional hard drive for the money.

Also, if you are on the move a lot, I would recommend an SSD over a traditional hard drive due to them having fewer moving parts that could break.

When choosing a video editing laptop, SSDs are generally the better option. However, they can be more expensive, so if you’re on a budget, an HDD may be the way to go.

Battery Life

Battery life is super important, especially when it comes to finding the best laptop for YouTubers working on the road. After all, there’s nothing worse than having your laptop die in the middle of a project.

Video editing is a demanding task that requires a lot of processing power. As a result, your laptop will likely need to work harder when you’re editing videos, which can reduce the amount of time it can run on a single charge.

For this reason, it’s important to choose a laptop with a good battery life. Otherwise, you may find yourself needing to frequently recharge your laptop.

GPU

Any laptop that’s good for video editing needs a powerful Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The GPU is important because it’s responsible for handling all the complex graphics calculations needed to render videos.

A powerful GPU will be able to handle these calculations quickly and efficiently, resulting in smoother video playback and shorter rendering times. For this reason, laptops with a dedicated GPU are typically much better for video editing than those without one.

A tip here is to look to gaming laptops. There isn’t really a specific subset of video editor laptops, but gaming laptops share many similar requirements.

So when choosing a laptop for video editing, make sure to pay close attention to the specs of the GPU to ensure you’re getting a powerful enough model for your needs.

Monitor Screen Quality

When it comes to laptops for video editing, one of the most important factors to consider is the quality of the screen. After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time looking at the screen while you edit, so it’s important to have a good one.

When it comes to resolution, a good minimum for a budget creator laptop is 1080p. However, if you can afford it, a 4K monitor will give you an even sharper image.

The screen size is also important, as you’ll want to be able to see as much of the footage as possible. A 15-inch screen is a balanced option for most people.

Finally, make sure that the laptop has good color accuracy. This will ensure that your footage looks its best when you export it.

When I’m editing my videos, I really appreciate having a 2nd screen, so you could even consider investing in a portable monitor as well.

Each of the qualities and requirements above demands loads of money to bring to reality, so most people are forced to trade between each to get a tool they can attempt to edit their videos with. Have no such fear! For this written piece is here to expose the best budget laptop for video editing that finely balances all the requirements to help you get the best of all worlds. What’s more? These are cheap laptops for video editing that cost below $1000.

FAQ section

Final thoughts on the best laptops for video editing for under 1000 dollars

All in all, the goal was to find the best cheap laptop for editing youtube videos and creating vlogs on the go. While they clearly have a few limitations, any of these low-cost laptops will doubtlessly prove good enough as a computer for editing videos while traveling, as well as everyday computing.

And so, with systems like the Asus ZenBook 13 and Lenovo Yoga 720 up for grabs, and a MacBook that just happens to fall under that category (everyone loves the Mac), there is no need for further proof that having a budget below $1000 is no excuse for buying a low-quality laptop. All that is needed is a little direction, and this list rounds up the best budget video editing laptops. Good Luck!

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