5 best laptops for video editing in 2017

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Having the right video editing tools can make a world of difference. That's why we've put together our pick of the best laptops for video editing – after all, choose the wrong one and you'll waste hours in post-production wrestling with erratic touchpads, squinting at pixelated images and drumming your fingers as your work slowly exports.

These five fantastic laptops will make video editing a doddle. As well as our pick of the best overall machines, we'll tell you the best video editing laptops for under £500 and £1,000. And whether you're a Mac fan or a Windows wizard, we have the laptop for you. 

Plus, check out our favourite video editing software for an idea of what to run on these great machines.

It might not surprise you to see Apple's most powerful laptop ever at the top of our list. The eye-catching Touch Bar may have attracted all the headlines on release, but it's the remarkable power, immaculate Retina display and vast trackpad that make it the best for video editing.

Mac devotees will nod sagely when we say that the software on Apple's computers is the ideal companion for post-production. And if you've never used a Mac before, now might be the time to start.

Read our sister site TechRadar's review of the MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Last year's Windows 10-based Dell XPS 15 is quite exceptional and pushes the MacBook very close to the title. It's a wonderful-to-use piece of kit in every department.

The beautiful combination of 4K 3840x2160 resolution InfinityEdge display (the bezel is barely there) and top-of-the-range graphics card will make your footage sing as you chop and cut. And you can pay extra to ramp up the RAM to a hefty 16GB. Rapid.

Read TechRadar's full Dell XPS 15 review

The Microsoft Surface Book wasn't far off toppling the XPS 15 for best Windows laptop for video editing, but it waltzes to best 2-in-1 laptop-tablet hybrid with ease. Give the screen a tug and it satisfyingly detaches from the keyboard, allowing you to use it as a tablet.

That's handy if you have a work in progress that you want to pass around a table. But, coming with the Surface Pen stylus, it also means you can get more control using the touchscreen. And as a laptop in its own right, it's extremely powerful.

Read our full Microsoft Surface Book review

Despite Apple's reputation for great expense, you don't have to pay top dollar for the sleek, powerful pleasure of owning one of its machines. The super-slim MacBook Air makes for a brilliant sub-£1,000 video editing machine.

The processor speed has just been upgraded to 1.8GHz and the default RAM has been boosted to 8GB instead – meaning silky smooth processing and fast exporting.

Read TechRadar's full MacBook Air review

It isn't easy to find a decently specced laptop, with a large screen and still get change from £500. But that trusty stalwart HP has somehow managed to produce a cheap laptop that isn't a disaster zone.

This isn't one for the pros, but if you're a beginner or keen amateur learning the ropes of video editing, the Pavilion is a good choice. Even the entry-level models have loads of storage for rolls of footage, and a little extra cash can get you more Ram, a better Intel processor or a full-HD display.

Read TechRadar's Pavilion 15 review

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