Video creation is becoming a thing of the future; everyone is posting high-quality videos on YouTube. A lot of content creators are making a nice living producing videos with video editing software like virtualdub2 and thousands more aspire to become fulltime content creators too. Video editing is a big part of life as a content creator.
When you start shooting in 4K, having a capable machine for editing videos is a must. Don’t get me started on how demanding effects and color corrections are. If you’re looking for a capable laptop for video editing, here are some of the things you need.
A Capable Processor
Mobile processors are now more capable than ever, so video editing on the go isn’t a problem at all. You basically have two options, Intel’s latest generation Core i7 or AMD’s new line of Ryzen mobile processors.
Intel’s latest generation processors now offer more cores and threads. The Intel Core i7-8550U comes with 8 CPU threads in 4 cores, with 8 MB of Level 3 cache for smooth overall performance. Since this processor has a U at the end of its name, you can guess that it is a low-voltage variant.
The Intel Core i7-8750H offers more performance with 6 cores and 12 threads. It operates at a much higher voltage too, so you can squeeze more performance from it, especially during real-time scrubbing and rendering.
On AMD’s side, we have 2nd-generation Ryzen Mobile processors with its new Zen core architecture. The Ryzen 7 2700U offers 4 cores and 8 threads, plus it has a 10-core internal Vega GPU for improved graphical performance. The Ryzen line of mobile CPUs, however, consume more power compared to the equivalent Intel processors.
More RAM
RAM is another important part of a good video editing laptop. 8GB is your absolute minimum. Ideally, you want 16GB in dual-channel configuration for maximum editing performance. The extra RAM eliminates the need for buffering as you scrub through high-resolution videos.
Bigger RAM also helps with rendering. Many video editors and content creators even go as far as adding 32GB of RAM to their mobile editing laptops for a smoother performance. Since RAM is something you can upgrade later, it is also necessary to check if the laptop comes with one or two RAM slots.
GPU
GPU dictates the graphics power of the laptop. Thanks to NVidia Max-Q, more thin-and-light laptops now come with powerful GPUs. It is not difficult to get a capable laptop with GTX1070, even when you are on a fairly limited budget.
Go through laptop reviews on top review sites like Bestseekers.com and you will also notice how laptops with discrete GPU are rated higher than those with on-board Intel GPUs. A discrete GPU, even a low-end one like the GeForce MX150, gives you better performance when handling tasks like video editing.
Once you have these three elements figured out, the rest is fairly easy. You want a sufficiently large SSD to eliminate bottleneck and to have enough room for your video files. Good cooling is a plus too, since you won’t have to worry about the laptop throttling down. You’d want a good body design too, wouldn’t you?
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I guess this article is very much important for the people like me who like to edit videos in their laptop. This things we must consider before buying a laptop for video editing.