chuckpuckett
All good advice above. Sounds like a simple question but it's tough to spec even a desktop for video editing - most will say hardware recommendation is "as much as you can afford".
Bear in mind that even the most potent laptop cannot give you the functions of a large screen - or better yet dual large screen desktop with a multi terabyte raid0 7200 rpm high capacity HDD and a SDD for software, 16GB + memory etc. Core i7 six and eight core CPUs coming in 2016.
Despite all the buzz laptop makers generate about how fantastic their products are, the truth remains that a desktop computer will perform better at video editing and most resource hungry tasks than its portable counterpart at any given price point. A 15.6" laptop screen is too small for editing. I just don't like any laptop screen or keyboard so I wouldn't attempt editing on even the most expensive laptop.
If portability is a must and the compromise is acceptable then realistically you don't want to waste money so I would consider the following:
Are you using 4k or will you be soon? 4K is a challenge for desktop hardware.
How important is H.265 vs H.264?
How much HDD storage do you need - a high capacity USB3 external HDD may help.
When I am on the move I take a mid-range Lenovo i3 15" laptop with a 3TB USB3 external HDD. I use the laptop to preview my camera footage daily and dump it to the external HDD for later editing and clear the cameras sd cards.
Here is some more info from independent sources.
https://www.wiknix.com/best-laptop-for-video-editing-2015/
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/167156-the-best-laptops-for-video-editing
https://www.rocketstock.com/blog/how-to-pick-the-perfect-laptop-for-video-editing/
Good luck,
Al
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at Dec 24. 2015 08:47
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