Top 10 Laptops for Video Editing — Under €2500

Top 10 Laptops for Video Editing
Under €2500

Independent analysis · April 2026 · DaVinci Resolve & Premiere Pro · New + Used/Refurb considered

High Mid Low Windows macOS Refurb/Used
# Laptop OS CPU GPU Max RAM Storage Display PugetBench
DR Score
(higher=better)		 4K H.265
Export
10 min clip		 Battery Approx. Price
(€)		 Verdict
1 MacBook Pro 14" M4 Pro · 2024 ★ BEST OVERALL macOS M4 Pro
12-core CPU		 16-core GPU
unified mem.		 24 GB unified
up to 64 GB		 512 GB SSD 14.2" Liquid Retina XDR
Mini-LED 1000 nits
~2800
~3 min
hw encoder		 17–18h ~€2,099base config ProRes king. Best battery + thermal. Silent under load. Perfect for FCP & Resolve. No discrete GPU = less CUDA.
2 ASUS ProArt P16 H7606 · RTX 5070 · 2025 Windows Ryzen AI 9
HX 370		 RTX 5070
8 GB VRAM		 32 GB DDR5
up to 64 GB		 1 TB SSD 16" 3K OLED
100% DCI-P3, 120Hz
~3000
~2.5 min
NVENC		 ~6h ~€2,3003K OLED config Windows #1 pick. Stunning OLED, fast GPU, creator-focused. Slightly over budget but worth it.
3 ASUS ProArt P16 H7606 · RTX 4070 · 2024 Windows Ryzen AI 9
HX 370		 RTX 4070
8 GB VRAM		 32 GB DDR5
up to 64 GB		 1–2 TB SSD 16" 4K OLED touch
100% DCI-P3, 60Hz
~2600
~3 min
NVENC		 ~6h ~€1,900now discounted Sweet spot. 4K OLED + RTX 4070 + 32GB. Excellent Resolve perf. Best price/performance on this list.
4 HP Omen Max 16 RTX 5070 · 2025 Windows Intel Core Ultra 9
285HX		 RTX 5070
8 GB VRAM		 32 GB DDR5
up to 64 GB		 1 TB SSD 16" OLED QHD+
2560×1600, 240Hz
~2750
~2.5 min
NVENC + QuickSync		 ~5h ~€2,200launch price Runs coolest. 10–20°C cooler than competition under load. OLED is stunning. Intel QuickSync helps H.265.
5 MacBook Pro 16" M4 Pro · 2024 macOS M4 Pro
14-core CPU		 20-core GPU
unified mem.		 24 GB unified
up to 48 GB		 512 GB SSD 16.2" Liquid Retina XDR
Mini-LED, 1000 nits
~2750
~3 min
hw encoder		 15–17h ~€2,499base 24GB Big screen Mac. Same chip as #1 in bigger chassis. Slightly over budget but best-in-class thermal + battery for 16".
6 Lenovo Legion Pro 7 Gen 9 · RTX 4080 · 2024 Windows Ryzen 9 9955HX
16-core		 RTX 4080
12 GB VRAM		 32 GB DDR5
up to 64 GB		 1 TB SSD 16" IPS QHD+
2560×1600, 240Hz
~2800
~2 min
NVENC fast		 ~3–4h ~€1,800now discounted Raw power. RTX 4080 crushes GPU effects. 12GB VRAM for complex Resolve nodes. Display needs calibration.
7 ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 Intel Ultra 9 · RTX 4080 · 2024 Windows Intel Core Ultra 9
185H		 RTX 4080
12 GB VRAM		 32 GB LPDDR5
soldered		 1 TB SSD 16" OLED QHD+
240Hz, 100% DCI-P3
~2700
~2 min
NVENC + QS		 ~5–6h ~€2,000discounted 2024 Thin + powerful. OLED + RTX 4080 in a 2.1kg chassis. RAM soldered — no upgrade. Good thermal control.
8 MacBook Pro 14" M3 Pro · Refurb/Used 2023 Refurb M3 Pro
12-core CPU		 18-core GPU
unified mem.		 18 GB unified
up to 36 GB		 512 GB SSD 14.2" Liquid Retina XDR
Mini-LED, 1000 nits
~2200
~4 min
hw encoder		 15–17h ~€1,400used/refurb Budget Mac. Still very fast for 4K ProRes. Incredible battery. Gets you into Apple Silicon for cheap.
9 MSI Raider GE78 HX RTX 4080 · 2024 Windows Intel i9-14900HX
20-core		 RTX 4080
12 GB VRAM		 32 GB DDR5
up to 64 GB		 2 TB SSD 17.3" QHD 240Hz
IPS (needs calibration)
~2750
~2 min
NVENC fast		 ~3h ~€2,100discounted Desktop replacement. 20-core CPU + 4080 is a render beast. Big, heavy, short battery. Great for studio use.
10 ASUS Vivobook Pro 16 OLED RTX 4060 · 2024 Windows Core Ultra 7 155H
16-core		 RTX 4060
8 GB VRAM		 16 GB DDR5
upgradeable		 512 GB SSD 16" 3K OLED
100% DCI-P3, 120Hz
~1900
~4.5 min
NVENC + QS		 ~6–7h ~€1,200budget pick Budget king. Gorgeous OLED. 4K transcoded in 4:36 for 11min clip in testing. Upgrade RAM to 32GB (~€50).
Benchmark notes (all approximate, real-world conditions vary):
— PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve scores sourced from Puget Systems + community submissions. Higher = better.
— 4K H.265 export times estimated for ~10 min 4K H.265 footage with basic grade in DaVinci Resolve Studio using hardware acceleration.
— Apple M-series times reflect hardware media engine encode (very fast for ProRes, H.264/H.265 native). Windows times reflect NVENC + optional Intel QuickSync.
— GPU effects (noise reduction, AI mask, color science nodes) heavily favor higher VRAM + faster GPUs (RTX 4080 > RTX 4070 > RTX 4060 by ~30–50% per tier).
— M4 Pro MacBook is ~25x faster than 2018 Intel Mac mini in Resolve export (per Larry Jordan benchmark).
— RTX 4080 mobile in GPU rendering is approximately 2x the performance of Apple M3 Max (Puget Systems Mac vs PC 2024 study).
— ProRes/DNxHR intraframe codec editing: Mac wins. H.264/H.265 RAW media + GPU effects: RTX 4080 Windows wins.

Prices: Approximate EU street prices as of April 2026. Refurb/used via Apple Certified or reputable sellers. New pricing may vary ±10% by region.
RAM rule of thumb: 16–24 GB for 4K, 32–48 GB for heavy multicam or 6K.