Laptops are becoming more and more powerful. Long gone are the days when you needed a desktop PC if you wanted high performance out of a computer.
More and more manufacturers are prioritizing pre-builts and laptops. In 2023 a good laptop is the tool of choice for YouTubers, especially those that work on the go.
Whether you are just starting or looking to upgrade, we’ve got you covered.
Below you can find the best laptops for YouTubers in 2023.
TOP RECOMMENDATIONS – A QUICK OVERVIEW:
- Stunning screen
- Lightning speed
- High-quality build
- Superior performance
- Liquid Retina display
- Excellent battery life
- Portable design
- Reliable performance
- RGB keyboard
Main Factors Considered
Portability
This is especially important for vloggers and travel/explore YouTubers.
The two main things that affect the portability of a laptop are its size and battery life.
If you often work outside the office/studio, you wouldn’t want to haul a huge laptop in addition to all your other gear.
Also, if you are someone continuously on the move, you’ll want a reliable laptop with a decent battery life that won’t leave you scrambling for a power outlet in the middle of work.
Performance
While a low-end laptop is good enough for planning and writing scripts, YouTubers will need something more powerful for editing videos.
When it comes to specs, a decent laptop for YouTubers will have at minimum the following: an Intel Core i5 8th Gen or Ryzen 5 processor, dedicated graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and SSD drive.
Display
The last thing you want is to record, edit, and upload a video to YouTube, then open it on your phone only to see that the video looks completely different.
Color grading is one of the most important things in YouTube videos, which is why you need a laptop with a good screen that has a high color gamut range.
Best Laptops For YouTubers – Top 5
The Dell XPS 17 is a long-time favorite of YouTubers and all other kinds of professionals.
With an exterior made of aluminum and carbon fiber, this laptop has a very sturdy and reliable build.
Although the model comes in different spec ranges, even the more basic models achieve high performance and make working in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve a breeze.
While some would prefer the smaller 15” XPS, we definitely recommend the XPS 17 for YouTubers and content creators as it is easier to edit videos on a bigger, 4k display.
- Superb 17” 4k display
- Powerful performance
- Aluminum and carbon fiber finish
- Can get hot
- Poor battery life
Given its size, the new MacBook Air really packs a punch. With amazing battery stamina, you can work on this laptop for a full day without the need for a charger.
And it’s not just for writing scripts and planning. The MacBook Air has a stunning Retina display with a 114.3% sRGB color gamut, and the M1 chip is powerful enough to enable effortless video editing while on the move.
Even without a cooling fan, performance doesn’t suffer… although gamers and streamers should look into a laptop more intended towards high-end gaming.
With just two USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports, connectivity can sometimes be complicated, but on the bright side at least they kept the 3.5mm headphone jack.
- Retina display
- Awesome battery life
- Noiseless
- Lack of ports
- Not for gaming
If you are just starting out as a YouTuber and have a limited budget, we’ve got a great pick for you.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a good entry-level gaming laptop with sufficient performance to handle video editing.
Honestly, even for a display with an IPS panel, the color gamut is only 58% sRGB which is really lacking, so you need to invest in a good additional monitor further down the road.
On the bright side, it has a really solid build quality and doesn’t get too hot, even when pushed to its limits.
All in all, this laptop is an awesome option for beginner YouTubers, considering its good performance at an affordable price range.
- Solid performance
- Robust build
- Good thermal management
- Weak battery stamina
- Subpar display color gamut
Let be real, this is one expensive laptop.
And while it outprices the competition, it also outperforms them.
With Apple’s new M1 Pro/Max chip inside, every workload is handled flawlessly and with ease. And for a long time too.
With a battery life of up to 20 hours, working on this laptop is reminiscent of the old mobile phones that we charged once a week.
Also, the return of the MagSafe power connector is a very welcome one.
The Liquid Retina display offers exquisite image quality, however, at that price range, it would be nice to see a touch screen.
When the price is not an issue, neither should the performance. This is why the Apple MacBook Pro is the perfect pick for someone looking for top performance and is able to afford it.
- Stunning battery life
- Superior performance
- MagSafe power connector
- Expensive
- No touchscreen
The Razer Blade 14 is a compact gaming laptop offering a great balance between size, performance, and price.
With a Ryzen 5900HX and beginning with an Nvidia RTX 3060 (up to RTX 3080) packed in a compact chassis, this laptop is powerful, yet portable.
Just make sure to have a power outlet near you since the battery life is far from durable.
On the bright side, the Razer Blade 14 features a very high-quality IPS display with 100% sRGB gamut.
Streaming YouTubers will appreciate the RGB keyboard, however more professional content creators might notice the lack of a Thunderbolt port.
The bottom line is, the Razer Blade 14 is one of the best picks if you need a laptop that is not overpriced, yet offers great performance and portability.
- Versatile 14” size
- Amazing IPS display
- RBG keyboard
- Below-average battery life
- No Thunderbolt port
Final Thoughts On The Best Laptop For YouTubers
With a high-quality 17” display and high-end performance, the Dell XPS 17 is one of the best laptops for YouTubers.
While it is not the most affordable, the XPS 17 certainly brings excellent value for its price.
This laptop can effortlessly fill all your needs if you want a powerful and reliable daily driver for planning and editing videos.
It’s more than just an alternative to the MacBook Pro.
