Are Gaming Laptops Good for Video Editing? A Comprehensive Guide

Are gaming laptops good for video editing? Videography has become one of the most demanding fields as far as visual media is concerned. In other words, there are more opportunities for video editing professionals than ever before.

In fact, a recent survey found that the demand for video editing services is expected to grow by nearly 20% over the next decade. However, if you’re planning to enter this field and start working as a video editor, you might be wondering if gaming laptops are good for video editing.

After all, they’re obviously not designed specifically with video editors in mind. However, they do make sense under certain circumstances. Even though they’re not technically made for it, a gaming laptop can be an excellent choice for video editing if you take some precautions first.

Keep reading to learn more about how gaming laptops can be used for video editing and whether or not you should use one for this purpose.

Are Gaming Laptops good for Video Editing?

Are Gaming Laptops good for Video Editing?

A gaming laptop is excellent for editing videos due to its extremely strong GPUs and CPUs. This is due to the fact that gaming laptops are designed for playing games, which require more processing power compared to regular tasks like editing videos.

Gaming laptops are generally more powerful than regular laptops.

So, yes, a gaming laptop is great for editing videos. The only issue is that you cannot use a gaming laptop for any task like you would with a regular laptop. If you want to use a gaming laptop for video editing, you should use it for that only.

You cannot play games on it, as doing so would heat up the system and cause it to break due to excessive heat. Overall, gaming laptops are excellent for video editing due to their strong CPUs and GPUs.

Start out with a cheap gaming laptop

The first thing you should do is find a cheap gaming laptop that has all the features you need for video editing.

Instead of spending a lot of money on a powerful laptop, buy a cheap gaming laptop first and use it for editing videos until your skills improve. Once your skills improve and you want to start making better videos, you can then buy a more expensive laptop with better features.

This ensures that you don’t spend a lot of money and you don’t get into debt because of it. Once you have gained more experience and know what you need in a laptop, you can then look for a more expensive gaming laptop that has the features you need for video editing.

CPU, GPU & RAM of Gaming Laptop for Video Editing

The most important part of any laptop is its processor. Video editing requires a lot of processing power, and a laptop with a powerful processor will be able to perform this task easily.

So, first and foremost, look for a gaming laptop that has a powerful processor. The GPU (graphical processing unit) of the gaming laptop is also an important feature. The GPU is responsible for the laptop’s display, which is why it is important for video editing. The more powerful the GPU, the better the display will be.

The best gaming laptops for video editing have a strong CPU and GPU. The RAM of the gaming laptop is also important. Ideally, you should get a laptop with at least 16GB of RAM.

This ensures that the laptop can perform multiple tasks without slowing down or running out of RAM. The more RAM the laptop has, the better it will be for video editing.

CPUs

A gaming laptop will have a good enough processor for video editing. However, you have to ensure that the processor is an i5 10th Gen or above. A good processor will make the editing process faster. If you choose a processor that is not good enough for video editing, the editing process will be very slow.

When it comes to processors, Intel and AMD are the most popular brands. Both of these brands are excellent for video editing. The Intel Core i5 10th gen and above and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 are good enough for video editing.

You can also look for the number of cores that a processor has. A processor with at least 8 cores is recommended for video editing. A higher number of cores will make the editing process faster.

You should also consider the speed of a processor. The higher the speed of a processor, the better it will be for video editing. Thus for video editing, we recommend AMD Ryzen 7 5800X or Intel Core i7 11th gen or a better CPU. 

GPU

A video editing laptop must have a good graphics card (GPU). The GPU, as the name suggests, is responsible for rendering the graphical output of a computer. The minimum is Nvidia GTX 1060Ti and above is necessary for video editing.

A good GPU is, therefore, necessary for video editing. A cheap laptop with a high-end GPU, for instance, can perform video editing better than a gaming laptop with a lower GPU. However, for video editing, we recommend Nvidia RTX 3060Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT and above.

When it comes to gaming laptops, the GPUs are designed to handle 3D gaming. In this situation, the GPUs are not suitable for video editing. You should, therefore, look for models with a dedicated graphics card.

A dedicated graphics card can be used for video editing. You should also consider the amount of VRAM that a gaming laptop has. The higher the amount of VRAM, the better the gaming experience will be. A minimum of 6 GB VRAM is recommended for video editing.

RAM

A good gaming laptop with at least 8 GB RAM is recommended for video editing. The minimum required RAM for editing 1080p projects is 8 GB.

A laptop with less than 8 GB RAM will not be good enough for video editing especially if there are other programs running in the background. With lower than 8 GB RAM, you will not be able to open many video editing software. Another thing to note is that the edit time will be very long.

The following are the different amounts of RAM available in laptops and how they will perform for video editing:

  • Less than 4GB RAM: This size RAM can not manage video editing even without any programs running in the background.
  • 4 GB RAM: This size of RAM can handle 720p projects but with no applications running in the background.
  • 8 GB RAM: This size of RAM can handle 1080p projects but without any programs running in the background.
  • 16 GB RAM: This size of RAM can handle 1080p to 2k projects however unlike the others above it can run a few background applications simultaneously.
  • 32 GB RAM: This size of RAM can handle 2k – 4k projects easily with multiple applications running simultaneously.
  • 64 GB RAM: This size of RAM can handle 8k footage easily even with multiple programs running simultaneously.

Laptop Screen for video editing

The screen of the laptop is also an important feature. The best gaming laptops for video editing have a high-quality screen. The best laptop screens for video editing have a high-resolution display.

A high-resolution display ensures that the colors are vibrant, images are crisp and you can see everything on the screen very clearly. A high-resolution display is perfect for video editing. Laptops with Full-HD or 4K displays are best for video editing.

Storage of a gaming laptop

SATA drives and SSDs are mainly used for storing computer data. These drives are available in both gaming laptops and regular laptops.

When it comes to gaming laptops, you can expect at least one SATA drive. Apart from storing computer data, SATA drives can also be used for video editing. An HDD, on the other hand, is used for storing large files.

You can also store your video project on an HDD. A RAID array is an array of several drives that are configured together to look like a single large drive.

RAID is mainly used for storing data that is prone to failure. For example, if you have a RAID 1 configuration, your data will be readable even if one of the drives fails. RAID can be used for storing your video project.

SSD vs HDD: Which is better for video editing?

The next important feature of the gaming laptop is its storage. Ideally, you should get a laptop with an SSD (Solid State Drive) as this is much faster than an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The following are the main reasons why SSDs are better for video editing as compared to HDDs:

  • SSDs are 10 to 20 times faster than HDDs– The fast access to storage and the transfer of files from the storage components to the Random Access Memory/ CPU is very important in both video editing and gaming. It will enable you to open multiple programs simultaneously and also edit complex projects.
  • SSDs have little to no heating problems– HDDs have movable parts while SSDs do not. Due to this, SSDs generate much less heat as compared to HDDs.
  • SSDs produce less noise when editing video: As explained above, SSDs have no movable parts. This makes the SSDs excellent for video editing since they produce no noise while running.
  • Able to handle 1080p, 2k, 4k, and 8k videos with ease– Due to the fast nature of SSDs, they are able to handle all classes of videos, unlike HDDs. Thus, there are minimal lags when using higher frame rates with SSDs.
  • SSDs last longer than HDDs– Due to having no moving mechanical parts, SSDs are far more durable than HDDs. Moreover, the SSDs do not slow down due to fragmentation issues.
  • SSDs are lighter in weight & smaller in size than HDDs– Generally, SSDs are smaller in size and lighter as compared to HDDs because SSDs are made up of integrated circuit chips unlike magnetic disks and platters in HDDs.

However, SSDs are more expensive than HDDs since they are a newer technology. However, with all the above advantages, I would recommend an SSD for a gaming laptop.

This ensures that the laptop is quick and you can edit videos without any issues. The laptop should have at least 256GB of storage.

This ensures that you have enough space to store your videos without having to delete them or use an external drive. The more storage space the laptop has, the better it is for video editing.

Related: Are Gaming Laptops Good for School?

Why you should get a gaming laptop for video editing

Apart from the fact that gaming laptops are excellent for video editing, they are also portable. This ensures that you can take your laptop wherever you go and edit videos from there.

You don’t have to be at home to edit your videos. You can do it anywhere as long as you have a laptop. This makes gaming laptops the best laptops for video editing.

Also, gaming laptops are designed for gaming and other functions. So, you can be sure that the laptop will run smoothly and won’t get any viruses or infections. You can also update the laptop to keep it running smoothly.

The best gaming laptops for video editing and why

The best gaming laptops for video editing are the ones that have powerful processors and GPUs. The gaming laptop that you get should be able to perform the task of video editing without any issues. The following gaming laptops are the best ones for video editing.

ASUS ROG Strix GL502VS-DB71

The ASUS ROG Strix GL502VS-DB71 is one of the best gaming laptops for video editing and is great for the price. This laptop has a strong CPU and GPU, a great display, and enough RAM and storage to perform the task of video editing. The laptop also has a sturdy build and can be used for long hours.

Best gaming laptop for video editing: Asus Rog Strix

ASUS ROG Strix Hero II

The ASUS ROG Strix Hero II is another great gaming laptop for video editing. This laptop has a stronger CPU and GPU than the ASUS ROG Strix GL502VS-DB71, and thus, is slightly more expensive. The laptop also has a great display and enough RAM and storage to perform the task of video editing.

How is a gaming laptop different from a regular laptop?

There are differentiating factors between a gaming laptop and a regular laptop. A regular laptop does not have any gaming features. It does not have a dedicated graphics card, for instance.

On the other hand, a gaming laptop has all the features that a gamer needs. A gaming laptop has a dedicated graphics card, a high-end processor, and a sound system, among other things.

These features will not be found in a regular laptop. Apart from these features, gaming laptops are also designed to be portable. They have lightweight bodies and thin frames.

Unlike regular laptops, gaming laptops have more ventilation for better heat management. All these features make gaming laptops different from regular laptops.

Gaming PC Is Suitable For Video Editing

A gaming laptop is designed for gaming. It has the best hardware and software for gaming. This is why gaming laptops are not suitable for video editing. You can use a gaming PC to edit videos instead.

A gaming PC can be used and is suitable for video editing. Before buying a gaming PC, you have to ensure that it has good enough hardware for video editing. A good gaming PC can be used for video editing, but it will be very expensive.

Therefore, if you don’t game regularly, you don’t need to get a gaming laptop for video editing. However, if you already own a gaming laptop, you don’t need to invest in another video editing laptop but you can use the already available gaming laptop.

A gaming PC can be suitable for video editing only if it has the following features:

  • The minimum required RAM for editing 1080p projects is 8 GB. –
  • A good processor: The minimum required is i5.
  • A good GPU is necessary for rendering the graphical output. A minimum of GTX 1060Ti is recommended.
  • A gaming PC has enough storage space for storing your video project.
  • A gaming PC can be used with any video editing software.

What is Video Editing?

Video editing is the process of manipulating and modifying existing video or audio content. Video editing is done by using a video editor, which is an application that allows users to edit videos.

These applications let you do many things, such as adding music and sound, adding graphics, and even adding special effects.

Video editing is used for many different things, such as making music videos, documentaries, podcasts, and even iMovie.

Conclusion

A gaming laptop is designed for gaming and can be a suitable choice for video editing. A gaming laptop can be used for video editing, but it will be very expensive.

A gaming laptop will have great hardware and software for gaming, and thus the CPU, RAM, GPU, and storage among others are good enough for video editing.

A gaming PC has everything that a gaming laptop has, but it can be a more suitable choice for video editing because it is cheaper and has fewer features.

Citations:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/best-laptops-for-video-editing#:~:text=If%20you%20want%20to%20get,video%20editing%20for%20the%20future.

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