The demand of video editing projects have been increasing over the time and more freelancers are engaged in using software and tools which helps in editing specific video shots and adding after effects to create the attractive visuals. Video editing software plays critical role in providing aid to the editor for creating an interesting videos shot and manipulate the special effects to make it attractive to the viewers.
Best Video Editing Laptops Under 500 Dollars
We will also help you in listing down best video editing laptops under 500 available in the market, also be sharing those specifications and features which makes it best video editing laptop under 500.
Acer Aspire 5 Slim
Acer came up with an amazing laptop when they launched Acer Aspire 5 Slim. It is definitely good value for money and meets the requirements of beginning level video editor. Its display related specifications are very productive for a freelancer performs video editing projects.
Its 15.6-inches screen and Full HD IPS display offers display clarity about how the video would look alike after being edited and how special visuals are going to make difference. To create & edit the videos at 1080p for big screens having latest display technology, editor must have the same or close enough technology on own laptop which this laptops offers.
It comes with three powerful hardware components which performs video editing functions for the user. It’s AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor which CPU clock speed can reach up to 3.5GHz, having 2 cores for processing information. Its 4GB DDR4 RAM is enough for beginning level video editing projects, it also offers slot for upgrading RAM and user can add one more 4GB RAM to make it total 8GB RAM.
It also offers Vega 3 Graphics card which is entry-level card but can support the CPU to meet the end-user requirements. Processor is the most important component in performing video editing functions and then comes RAM; GPU is the third and last most hardware as per its criticality.
Its other features include backlit keyboard which lights turns on in dark surroundings and user can type without error. Its 128GB SSD offers limited storage capacity but its SSD technology is highly efficient and loads the programs faster than HDD technology. It also provides an extra slot for drive to expand the space if you desire for it.
Its thin bezels make the screen more attractive and look bigger; users enjoy watching content on thin bezels screen. It is available in Silver color and comes with Windows 10 in S mode pre-installed. This is definitely the best video editing laptop under 500 dollars.
As far as its Cons are concerned, this laptop comes with only 4GB RAM which only meets the minimum requirements of heavy sized software, the good thing is you can upgrade it up to 8GB RAM. The second Con in the list is meager 128GB SSD which can only fill limited amount of data. The good news is user can upgrade it later by adding another SSD into second slot available on laptop.
Overall, its upgrading option also includes it in the list of one of the best video editing laptops under 500.
ASUS VIVOBOOK ( F512JA-AS54 )
This laptop comes with powerful specifications in reasonable price range. Its thin and light-weight body makes it portable laptop and can easily fit into the backpack. All video editors requires big and Full HD screen to edit the videos and adding the special effects to make them appealing. Editor cannot have any idea about the quality of edited videos on HD less screens having low resolution.
This laptop offers 15.6-inches Full HD screen and ( 1920 x 1080 ) resolution, having 1080 pixels, perfect display specifications for video editors. Its 4-way Nano-Edge bezels do not distract the user attention from screen and rather helps in focusing on work.
Its powerful performance comes from 8GB DDR4 RAM and Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor which makes it beast laptop. These specifications meets the requirements of mostly available video editing software which enables adding special effects, application of creativity, inserting sound effects, manipulating and editing film pieces, adding after & visual effects and many more.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 ( 81W10094US )
If you are in search of cheaper price laptop which just meets the minimum requirement of video editing software, its name is Lenovo IdeaPad 3. Its AMD Ryzen 3 3250U processor which comes with two Zen + cores and its maximum processing speed clocked at 3.5 GHz processing speed. According to experts, it is better than Intel Core i5 5200U processor.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 comes with powerful processor as described, Its 8GB DDR4 RAM makes this laptop more useful for beginner level video editors, even they can perform mediocre level video editing as well. You can upgrade the RAM to 12GB anytime later for better performance.
Its 15.6-inches screen with narrow side bezels increases the user focus on screen which is essential requirement of any video editor. Its 128GB SSD offers limited storage capacity but it is enough for only professional usage and not personal. This laptop gives premium look in “Business Black” color and carrying it would be impressive.
This laptop also has some features which makes it less desirable. First of all, there is no USB Type-C port in laptop which is used for faster data transferring and enables data transfer in Gigabytes within few minutes. Secondly, it looks premium but actually made of poor build quality when you touch it, though we should not expect more in this budget.
Though, these two drawbacks are not directly concerned with video editing.
Acer Aspire 5 ( A5 15-55-35SE )
Acer comes again in the list, its Aspire 5 laptop comes with 10th generation Intel Core i3 processor which is designed as per latest research results, its efficiency and performance is better than processors from previous generations. Its maximum turbo speed goes up to 3.4GHz which can process heavy graphic data and video editing is all about that.
Its 4GB DDR4 RAM is not an impressive spec these days, still it can share the processor workload to make it more efficient in processing information for video editor, you can upgrade the RAM up to 16GB which is more than enough even for advanced level video editing.
RAM and processor coordinate the workflow for better performance. Video editor will enjoy the smooth working experience while adding new effects and applying all editing features.
It comes with 128GB SSD storage which can easily store the user’s work related data. You can upgrade it with 1TB SATA SSD because it provides the slot for expanding the memory. This laptop is ideally for those who have plans to upgrade its specifications later for starting advanced level video editing.
It also comes with backlit keyboard which contains light underneath the keys, so user could see the keys even in dark. Its fingerprint reader feature provides the protection of data from unauthorized user.
Acer Aspire 5 has one minor drawback which also needs to share with readers. Its touchpad is slippery and not comfortable in use. A user is most likely to use a mouse instead of its touchpad to enjoy better experience. This is true that this laptop has no major drawback which makes this machine less desirable for video editing purpose.
ASUS VivoBook 15 F515
ASUS launched this amazing and one of the thinnest laptop which comes with narrowest bezels. Its weight is just 3.97lbs which makes it portable and user can carry it easily during travelling. Its Nano-Edge bezel display which enhances its attractiveness, screen-to-body ratio is 83%.
Its specifications are very promising in providing powerful performance for editing the videos by applying all creative ideas. Its Intel Core i3-1005G1 processor which processing speed clocks at 3.4GHz and it allows running the video editing software smoothly, while using its features and this processor enables the video editor to create innovative videos through using multiple tools and features provided by software.
According to the official team of Adobe, processor is the most critical hardware component in video editing projects.
It comes with 4GB DDR4 RAM which means user cannot be engaged in multi-tasking while using heavy-ended editing software. If you want to enjoy smooth video editing experience, need to open only one that editing software and should not be expecting multi-tasking with 4GB RAM. This is realistic expectation with any laptop under 500 dollars.
ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 comes with 128GB SSD storage, you cannot expect downloading hundreds of movies and Netflix content on such limited space, though this is enough space for only professional usage. Secondly, it is better to have SSD than HDD technology; SSD loads the Windows and Software faster and also shares the processor load which enhances its life.
Its other features include a backlit keyboard which lights turns on for better typing experience in dark surroundings. Its fingerprint reader is highly responsive and no other person can login on your laptop by unauthorized impression. It comes with multiple USB ports and allows easy connectivity to laptop.
This laptop comes with few weak features which a potential buyer should know about. Its screen is not that vibrant and user has to stay inside for video editing job, its screen is not good in sunlight and one cannot see something clear on screen and neither edits the videos sitting outside.
Secondly, its looks are good but actually the build quality is not satisfactory and it feels made of cheap plastic, though this drawback is not directly relevant for video editing purpose.
Overall, ASUS VivoBook 15 F515 is one of the best video editing laptops under 500 and capable of running software like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is trustworthy travel companion because of its slim body and light-weight, only 2.97 lbs. You can easily work from outside sitting at restaurant, café or park as it is easy to backpack.
The powerful performance is real concern for any video editor, Processor and then RAM plays critical role. The good news is, it comes with Intel Core i3-10110U processor having 2 cores. One core for video decoding and one core would be used for running video editing software. It will offer quite satisfactory performance considering its price.
It comes with 4GB DDR4 RAM which shows limited muscle for multi-tasking. It is better not to be engaged in multi-tasking while using heavy-ended video editing software because it would already be consuming most of the RAM, this way user can also enjoy smooth working experience. You have to make compromises with laptops available under 500 dollars.
The best thing about this laptop is also its display; it offers 1080p resolution on 13-inches Full HD screen. The video editor requires at least 1080p resolution to edit high quality videos, else low resolution would not give an editor any idea how videos looks like on higher resolution where it is supposed to be watched by audience. Video editing is the complex job and requires multiple considerations.
1920 x 1080 is recommended resolution for editing purpose and this laptop offers the same. Its battery life can last up to ten hours which means no need to re-charge during working hours.
It comes with only 64GB SSD which is definitely not a lot of space to store data. It offers multiple USB ports to get connected with laptop and transferring data on flash drives to store. It offers 2 USB Type-C ports and one USB Type-A port.
Its other useful features include Wi-Fi 6 technology which lets the user get connected to internet at higher connectivity speed. Wi-Fi 6 is good at functioning as single network to get connected with for enjoying internet; Wi-Fi 6 can better manage the internet speed distribution and good for official usage.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 15 also comes with Cons and its weak features also need to be discussed. First of all, its touchpad is very uncomfortable and handling is difficult. User has to perform the functions with a separate mouse and it may be difficult managing it all the time from going one place to other.
Its second weak feature is cramped 64GB storage drive; there is no way it can be justified. A user has to be extra ordinary good at managing skills in the time of data management, have to store and retain critical data only. They can manage by only storing video editing projects and not personal data like movies which takes too much space.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 ( Latest Model )
This is the latest model of Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 with higher specifications and so the price, still under 500 dollars.
Latest model comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 10th generation Intel Core i3-1011U processor which manages its optimal performance. Latest model offers 8GB RAM instead of 4GB, it shows multi-tasking muscles and also supports main processor to make it more efficient.
Video editors are definitely going to enjoy better experience and even applying the advanced features from software would not disturb the laptop’s performance. Its processor belongs to 10th generation and it is designed for optimal performance through efficiency, billions of dollars have been spent for designing 10th generation processors by these Corporate.
It comes with 13.3 inches touch-screen feature; it can be used as Tablet once you rotate its screen on opposite side. Its battery life can last up to ten hours which keep the editor mind relaxing from the worry about low battery. Video editing software consumes more battery comparing to daily routine software.
It comes with 128GB SSD which offers limited storage, the good news is also provides slot for microSD card. You can expand the storage by inserting SD card and enjoy the more space for downloading.
There are two Cons observed in this laptop which is not directly impact the video editor job, still needs to be discussed. Its touchpad is made of poor quality plastic and you would not like touching and using it. User would have to perform functions with separate mouse which should not be big issue though.
The second undesirable feature, this machine comes with weak speaker’s means not going to enjoy sound quality while watching movie. Quality headphones or external speakers are the options one would have.
How to Choose Best Video Editing Laptop Under 500 Dollars?
The best video editing laptop under 500 dollars is not an easy job; it definitely requires compromises and should not be expecting extremely powerful hardware and higher specifications from all sides. We have list down and recommend laptops after considering following points.
Processor
A powerful processor is the most required feature for video editing purpose in any laptop. Processor is more engaged in performing editing functions comparing to RAM and GPU.
Processor performs previews during the editing process which enables you seeing the whole progress and what you have worked in real time. Processor also encodes and decodes the video to serve the main purpose. We only recommended you the laptops which come with powerful processors.
RAM
RAM is mainly used for managing preview files and keeps it ready for playback. It is interesting to know more RAM is required for videos with higher resolution, 1080p videos definitely requires more RAM comparing to videos being edited at 720p resolution.
We recommended you laptops with 4GB and 8GB RAM, it was difficult to laptops with 8GB RAM under 500 dollars. RAM is the second most important hardware in video editing job.
Graphic Processing Unit
GPU has definitely a critical role in video editing, to choose the laptop with powerful GPU under 500 dollars is almost impossible. This is why GPU has least critical role in given option and we keep it in the third number after processor and RAM. GPU helps the main processor a lot in video rendering at higher resolution.
SSD or HDD
It is recommended to have SSD technology over HDD. SSD seeks the data required data in less time and improves the user experience. SSD also loads the Windows and other programs faster than HDD, overall it is latest technology and more efficient.
As far as storage capacity is concerned, one should expect at least 128GB storage from any laptop available under 500 dollars, compromises is not bad in case of less storage capacity but should be no compromises on weak processor.
