Editing Laptop Black Friday deals 2024: offers across all models & budgets

by IR Staff

posted Friday, November 29, 2024 at 11:10 AM EST

Black Friday is the best time to get an editing laptop deal, bar none. If you're looking for a machine capable of churning through workflows with ease you're going to need some powerful internal components, and they don't come cheap, nor do laptops with color-accurate displays, if you're intending to do any color-accurate work in your editing. That being the case, saving hundreds on these laptops in the Black Friday-Cyber Monday sales is a very good idea, and you won't find price reductions this size at any other time of year. We've seperated the best deals into a few different categories to help you make your choice, so cast your eyes below. Additionally, if you're in the market for additional storage for your laptop (most editors are) take a look at our Black Friday SSD deals hub. If you're still not sure if you'd rather opt for a desktop computer, take a gander at our Black Friday computer deals page.

Apple editing laptop deals

Although there's been stiff competition of late from Windows laptops, the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air (for lighter, less demanding work) remain some of the best editing machines out there. If you're looking to use Final Cut Pro for your editing, this is a Mac-only application so it's MacBook or nothing. Besides terrific build quality and colorful bright displays, these laptops have exceptionally good battery life, particularly the latest generation MacBook Pros.

Windows editing laptop deals

For most people, Windows is the operating system they're most familiar with and so is the preferred OS for editing or general productivity work. Windows machines have the benefit of being far more widely compatible with different applications, supporting many more forms of software than MacOS machines, and being better for gaming. The latest 2024 release of the Microsoft Surface Laptop has been a boon to creativves and productivity users looking for an a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air.

Dual-use editing & gaming laptop deals

Most of the things which make a powerful editing laptop also make a good gaming laptop, certainly in terms of the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage space. As a result, you can pick up a Windows gaming laptop and use it for both purposes quite happily. The one thing you have to make sure of is that the display has sufficient color gamut coverage and accuracy, if you're planning on doing color accurate work that is; thankfully all the laptops we've hand-picked below definitely tick this box, so you can pull the trigger on any of these deals without worrying about it.

What do you need in a good editing laptop?

A good editing laptop should have a combination of performance, display quality, and usability to handle demanding tasks like video editing, photo manipulation, or graphic design effectively. Here are the essential features to look for:

Powerful processor: A fast, multi-core processor like an Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 7/9 is essential for handling complex editing software and rendering tasks efficiently. For high-end video editing, prioritize processors with more cores and threads, as they can better handle multitasking and intensive workloads.

Dedicated Graphics Card (GPU): A discrete GPU, such as NVIDIA GeForce RTX or AMD Radeon, is crucial for video editing, 3D modeling, and rendering. It accelerates tasks like color grading, applying effects, and encoding videos, especially when working with high-resolution footage like 4K or 8K.

High-resolution display: A laptop with a high-resolution display (at least Full HD, but ideally 4K) ensures accurate detail visibility. Look for a screen with good color accuracy, wide color gamut (e.g., 100% sRGB or AdobeRGB), and support for HDR to ensure precise editing. An IPS or OLED panel is preferable for better color consistency and viewing angles.

Ample RAM: For smooth multitasking and handling large projects, 16GB of RAM is a minimum. However, 32GB or more is recommended for working with high-resolution video files, complex timelines, or large image files.

Fast storage: A fast SSD (Solid-State Drive) is essential for quick access to files and programs, reducing load times and speeding up exports. Opt for at least 512GB, but 1TB or more is ideal if you frequently work with large media files.

Connectivity Options: Editing laptops should include ports like Thunderbolt, USB-C, HDMI, and an SD card reader for connecting external drives, displays, and cameras. Thunderbolt ports are especially valuable for transferring large files quickly and connecting to external GPUs or high-resolution monitors.

Reliable Cooling System: Editing tasks generate heat, so a laptop with an efficient cooling system is vital to prevent thermal throttling, which can reduce performance during long editing sessions.

Portability and Battery Life: If you need to edit on the go, choose a laptop with a good balance between power and portability. A lightweight design with decent battery life (at least 6-8 hours) is a bonus, though heavy workloads may still require plugging in.

Expandability: For future-proofing, consider laptops that allow for RAM and storage upgrades, ensuring you can adapt to growing project demands over time.

Software Compatibility: Ensure the laptop meets the hardware requirements of the editing software you plan to use, such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro. Investing in these features will ensure your laptop can handle the rigors of professional editing without compromise.

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