Help Finding a Laptop for Video Editing (Around $1000)

amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 21:51
Last edited 09/01/2017 - 22:02

Hey guys, I haven't looked into laptops for years so some advice would be heaps helpful!

I'm looking for a laptop that will give me no lag in editing FullHD video using H264 and ProResHQ. (I use Premiere…if that helps)

What I think I need:
* A quadcore CPU. (This is why I'm afraid of that great ThinkPad e570 deal)
* 8gb+ ram (Not too sure if 16 is nessesary but it'd be nice I guess)
* A GPU of 2GB+ (2GB is enough right? Sure I do graphics work, but I've never used more)
* USB3 (Chances are the HDD will be small so I'll probably try to edit using an external drive)

I don't care much about weight, screen glare, build quality, screensize, battery, brand…etc

I'm hoping for a deal around $1000. But I'm open to options up to $1,500 (but the cheaper the better of course). Also I'm in no rush so I can wait for a deal if anyone has any leads :).

Thanks so much! I honestly have no clue about these things. For instance is this a good option?
I never used AMD or Radeon…are they bad?

Computing

Comments

  • amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 22:12

    Like what about this?

    • scrimshaw on 09/01/2017 - 23:04
      +1

      That's pretty outdated. CPU is from 2015 era and it has mostly be superseded by much better Intel options.

      The MSI CR72 might be a better choice for a limited budget. It does not have a video card, rather most of it's power just comes from the quad core processor. (Price: $1149)

      17.3" Full HD (1920 x 1080)
      Core i7 6th gen Skylake Quad core (2.6GH, 3.5GHz Turbo)
      8GB DDR4 memory (maxes out at 32 GB)
      1TB HDD
      an empty M.2 slot for SSD
      win10 64bit
      2 yr warranty

      https://www.mwave.com.au/product/msi-cr72-6m225au-173-notebo…

      • amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 23:28

        Thanks! I think I'd need some sort of GPU for video editing wouldn't I? Also just curious, are larger screens more expensive? Because I'd be just as happy with a 15".

    • brokenglish on 09/01/2017 - 23:06
      +1

      That's 1TB HDD, I think you need an SSD for future-proofing.

      Around $1000, there's not many I can think of for a new laptop with dedicated graphics.

      You can easily get refurbished ones though:
      $1099 ASUS ROG G771JW-T7115H 17.3"/i7 4720HQ/128GB/8GB/GTX960 4GB GDDR5
      http://www.cfonline.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&p…
      The full list in ascending order is here: http://www.cfonline.com.au/index.php?route=product/category&…
      Search for "GTX"

      • amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 23:29
        +2

        Thanks! I totally don't mind refurbished! I'll look into these!

      • amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 23:54

        Just had a good look and the one you chose seems like the one I stopped at too. I could even throw in an extra $50 for a 4gb ram upgrade to total to 12GB. So does this all sound like a good idea? It sounds really good to me :).

        • brokenglish on 10/01/2017 - 00:17
          +1

          I'm choosing between the $1099 and the $1199
          The $1199 is a newer version of the same model - with more compact keyboard layout, and a sliiiiightly faster CPU
          $1099 i7-4720HQ
          $1199 i7-4750HQ
          But overall specs wise, not much difference.
          Whichever you choose, it is a very good deal! :)

          Edit: I'm not sure if there's going to be a sticker covering the screw holes to upgrade the RAM yourself (so you don't void the warranty), but if there isn't, get this Crucial 8GB DDR3L from MSY for $64 or any 8GB DDR3L you can find that is < $100.
          Maybe call them to confirm this, or
          Buy the RAM from MSY, and ask them to install it for you (there might be installation cost though)
          Ah, now it makes sense their +8GB RAM upgrade is $100…

    • frondono on 09/01/2017 - 23:09
      +1

      it would be worth changing the hard drive to the intel 600p. you get 3x the speed of most ssds for the same price.

    • amrdeus on 09/01/2017 - 23:49

      Cheers, but without much of an explanation I don't see what makes this a good deal. Its $1500 and it doesn't seem to have much more in specs then some other options..

      • scrimshaw on 10/01/2017 - 12:19
        +1

        It's got the latest generation CPU (7th gen)

        It has a pretty darn good graphics card, it should perform similarly to a desktop-grade GTX 960. Which is plenty enough for video editing and gaming.

        Backlit RGB keyboard for the extra snazz

        The display is IPS 1080p (well, so should be a lot of $1k laptops)

        It has 2 years warranty as a standard option

        Overall it's a pretty nice machine. The price isn't anything special however. If you can put up with refurb laptops, the ASUS ROG above is decent value, but if you want a new machine the Metabox is a good pick.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join