Best Laptop For DaVinci Resolve – Reviews

Not any laptop will do when you want to run a specialized video editing application like DaVinci Resolve.

It would be best if you had excellent hardware to handle the video editing workload.

If you are looking for the best laptop for DaVinci Resolve, then you’re in the right place.

We’ve tested over 100 models and have come up with a handful of laptops that can be categorized into different sectors for their demographics.

Without making you wait any longer.

Best Laptops For DaVinci Resolve

The best notebooks for running DaVinci Resolve are:

• ASUS ROG Strix G15 – Editor’s Choice
• Acer Predator Helios 300 – Runner Up
• Asus TUF FX505DT – Budget Pick
• Apple MacBook Pro – Mac Pick
• MSI GF63 Thin – Honorable Mention

1. ASUS ROG Strix G15 – Editor’s Choice

The ASUS ROG Strix G gaming laptop was our Editor’s choice for the best laptop for DaVinci Resolve.

The Asus ROG Strix G model is a gaming laptop with all the hardware components needed for a seamless video editing experience.

But beyond specs, this model from ASUS is a wholesome laptop that takes all the suitable hardware and gives the user a satisfying user experience.

Let’s talk about the design of this laptop. It comes in a lovely shade of black and gives you a stealthy look. This design goes well with gamers and is nothing we can’t use.

This ASUS ROG Strix G model is one of the slimmest gaming laptops you will find. With a 15.6″ screen, the laptop weighs around 5.28 lbs which is very good for what it does.

The keyboard has an excellent ‘gaming-style’ design and is pretty good to type on. It comes with red backlighting and looks good even in a completely dark environment.

There is no dedicated number pad on this keyboard, but they seemed to have made up for it by giving you a virtual number pad on the trackpad. The trackpad is excellent and gives you a smooth surface for your gestures.

The ASUS ROG Strix G display is a 15.6″ one with full HD resolution. This is an excellent display in terms of color accuracy. Though it can’t stand up against the likes of more high-end displays, it does fare well for your price.

The screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, making it excellent for gaming. This refresh rate also makes things easier when editing videos shot at 60fps or 90fps. Most laptops max out at 60Hz, but this display will give you additional sophistication.

An Intel Core i7 processor from the 9th gen of Intel chips powers the ASUS ROG Strix G. This is one of the most powerful processors out there and can handle anything you throw at it.

With six physical cores and 12 logical cores, this processor can clock from 2.6GHz to a maximum of 4.5GHz with the help of Turbo Boost. If you’re planning to do some heavy video editing on DaVinci Resolve, then this is a processor you want to have on your laptop.

The memory department is no slouch. We have 16 gigs of DDR4-type memory that is quite good for using DaVinci Resolve. You can increase the memory to 32 gigs, depending on the user’s need.

The laptop also comes with spacious storage in the form of a 512GB solid-state drive. Having an SSD will make things so much easier for you daily. You will appreciate the speed in all the small things you do.

But this laptop gives you the speed and a ton of space to play with. With 512 gigs, you should be able to manage your library of files without any problem, at least in the near future.

^{Here comes the best part of the laptop, the graphics card.}

The graphics card here is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 with a dedicated video memory of 6GB that is of GDDR6 type. The GPU comes with a base clock speed of 960MHz and a maximum speed of 1200MHz.

This GPU gives you all the firepower you need to do some heavy lifting with DaVinci Resolve. Compared with the desktop version, this mobile GPU only lacks 30% of the output but makes up for it by consuming much less energy (80-90%).

The 6GB dedicated memory gives you a lot of scopes to do some serious video editing. You can try a lot of effects and don’t have to hold yourself back, which is great if you’re a video editor who wants to try new things over time.

Regarding connectivity, the ASUS ROG Strix G is a mixed bag. It comes with three USB 3.0 ports, a USB type C port, and an HDMI port. The lack of an SD card is a bit disappointing as most cameras use SD cards for storage.

The laptop comes with excellent wireless support. You get support for AC WiFi and Bluetooth, which should help you eliminate wires for quite some time.

The battery life of a gaming laptop is never its most enticing feature. The same is true here as well. With a light load, you should get around 4 to 5 hours of battery life, and that’s it. Since we recommend this as a laptop for DaVinci Resolve, we’d expect you to plug your laptop in most of the time.

Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix G laptop is a solid laptop for video editing, making it the best for DaVinci Resolve.

2. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Runner Up

The Acer Predator Helios 300 is our runner-up in running DaVinci Resolve.

The laptop is a lot cheaper than our Editor’s choice, and you do lose some of the good bits you get from the ASUS ROG laptop.

With a price of around $1000, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is a solid gaming laptop. The hardware in it makes it one of the best options for DaVinci Resolve and other video editing applications.

The display is one of the best features of this laptop. We get a 15.6″ display with a 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. This refresh rate is excellent for gaming and also for video editing.

The excellent picture quality makes this display suitable for watching tv shows and movies. The viewing angles are also fantastic, so working as a team on this laptop is no problem.

The refresh rate is super handy when you edit videos. If you are working on videos with refresh rates of 60Hz and 90Hz, you can see them render in all their glory.

The keyboard here is an excellent one. It is nice to type on and gives you neat tactile feedback. It comes with nice backlighting. There is also a dedicated number that could be handy for some. The trackpad is also good and does as advertised.

The processor that powers the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an Intel Core i7 processor. This is the same chip our Editor’s choice has and performs pretty much the same. The Turbo boost is helpful when you need that extra power and does wonder for your workflow.

The processor gets good support from the memory department. We have 16 gigs of DDR4-type RAM that should be good enough to handle all your multitasking needs. Even when running DaVinci Resolve, this RAM keeps things on track without bringing down the device’s performance.

The graphics card here is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, and it comes with a dedicated memory of 6GB. This upper mid-range graphics card can handle most games without any issues.

With it comes to DaVinci Resolve, the GPU does well and handles it without any issues. You can edit all the videos you want, and this GPU can take them.

This model needs an excellent cooling system to manage heavy loads like a gaming laptop. Fortunately, the Acer Predator Helios 300 has a unique cooling system that controls things even when working on processor-heavy stuff.

For storage, you get a 512GB solid-state drive. This is a fast storage option, but you can’t help but feel that this is a bit small. To be honest, it is. But you get fast storage, so increasing that is also going to increase the laptop’s cost substantially. One way to tackle this is by getting cheaper external hard drives with more capacity.

If you can afford more SSDs, you can easily upgrade the storage as there are more slots for stacking up more storage.

There are many connectivity options in the Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop. You get USB 3.0 ports, USB 3.1 type C ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. There is also support for all the essential wireless standards.

The Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with average battery life. We don’t recommend using this laptop for DaVinci Resolve without plugging it into a power outlet.

If you’re looking for a laptop to run DaVinci Resolve without spending a lot of money on the flagship laptop, this one here is a perfect choice.

3. Asus TUF FX505DT – Budget Pick

Note: If you don’t have the budget to get a top-notch DaVinci Resolve, you can always go for a budget laptop that can still get the job done.

The Asus TUF FX505DT is our best budget laptop for DaVinci Resolve.

This Asus TUF FX505DT model is a very affordable laptop with most hardware specs that are good enough for running DaVinci Resolve.

Our display is a 15.6″ one with a full HD resolution. What got our attention is the fact that even though this laptop is budget-priced, it still comes with an IPS panel.

Having an IPS panel gives you a ton of advantages. First, you can make excellent colors on display, which makes for a pleasant viewing experience. The second advantage is that the viewing angles are excellent.

The Asus TUF FX505DT laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor. This quad-core processor comes with a base clocking frequency of 2.1GHz and a max clock speed of 3.7GHz.

This processor is a mid-range chip and can handle most of your everyday tasks without any issues. Concerning DaVinci Resolve, this processor does well without any issues.

With 8 gigs of RAM in the memory department, you can do a decent amount of multitasking without any problem. The processor-RAM combo is solid for a budget laptop and will get things done.

The graphics card is an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 with 4 gigs of dedicated RAM. This upper mid-range graphics card from Nvidia is excellent for most games.

For DaVinci Resolve, this GPU does a decent job. You’re not going to get the DR experience, but you can certainly get things done on a budget with this laptop.

For storage, the laptop comes with a 256GB SSD, which gives you many performance improvements. The storage space may not be much, but the speed enhancements make up for it. For more storage, you can utilize cheaper external hard drives.

The Asus TUF FX505DT is a gaming laptop equipped with a decent cooling system. This ensures that the laptop is still operating at an optimum level while editing videos.

Overall, the Asus TUF FX505DT is a solid budget laptop for running DaVinci Resolve. If you’re on a tight budget, this one can give you a good video editing experience without too many compromises.

4. MacBook Pro – Best Mac For DaVinci Resolve

The MacBook Pro 16″ is the best choice for DaVinci Resolve if you are a fan of Apple computers.

The MacBook Pro 16″ is Apple’s flagship laptop and comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a laptop.

The design shows that this is a premium device, and you have to pay a premium price for yourself. No, we’re not joking; this is one of the most expensive laptops around.

The first thing that will get your attention when you open the laptop is the screen. We have a 16″ display that comes with a retina resolution.

One of Apple’s design changes with this laptop is reducing the bezels surrounding the screen. By reducing the bezel thickness, Apple has kept the size of the laptop in check. With a bigger screen, there is no extra weight added to the laptop.

The screen is perfect for media consumption and working with videos. The colors are vibrant, and you can enjoy watching movies and other content on this display. There is also enough real estate to have a fulfilling video editing experience.

The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor. This is a hexa-core processor that can clock upwards of 4GHz when there is a need for more power, thanks to the turbo boost functionality.

The memory department in this laptop comes with 32 gigs of RAM, which is excellent for a video editor. This is a lot of memory and will allow you to run multiple applications together without impacting regular performance.

Let’s talk about the storage solution in this MacBook Pro. We have a solid-state drive with a capacity of 512GB which is pretty good.

One of the best things about Apple storage is that they are stupidly fast. This SSD has amazing read and writes speeds, and you can even move mammoth files within a few seconds thanks to this snappy performance.

The graphics card in the MacBook Pro is an AMD Radeon VEGA graphics card, and it comes with a dedicated video memory of 6GB which is excellent for video editors. There is also an option to get a GPU with 8 gigs of dedicated video memory.

Though the MacBook Pro sports a slim design, it comes with an outstanding cooling in place. Even at high loads, the laptop does not get heated without control. You might experience some throttling when the laptop runs at full capacity for longer.

Another impressive feature of the MacBook Pro is its battery life. With a light load, you can squeeze out 10 hours of battery life which is amazing. With video editing, you should expect around 4 to 6 hours which is still industry-leading.

Overall, if you don’t want to use Windows machines and swear by macs, this MacBook Pro is the laptop you want for DaVinci Resolve.

5. MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 – Honorable Mention

MSI has been making some of the best gaming laptops for quite some time. Gaming laptops are an excellent choice for video editing as they have the same workflow demands.

The MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 is our honorable mention as it comes close to the two primary laptops but falls short for a few reasons.

The keyboard on the laptop is an excellent one. It gives you nice feedback on typing and keeps your typing speed up. Backlighting allows us to work even in dark situations. The trackpad is also decent and gets the job done.

The MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 comes with a 15.6″ screen that has full HD resolution. The display also comes with a neat refresh rate which is excellent for super-smooth gaming experiences.

Thanks to the IPS panel, the colors on display are excellent. The viewing angles are great; you can have some company for your weekend movies.

An Intel Core i7 processor powers the MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 laptop. This Hexa-core processor comes with a base clock speed of 2.6GHz and a max clock speed of 4.5GHz.

For everyday tasks, this processor is overkill as it can blast through all of them like a hot knife through butter. Regarding video editing, the processor does an excellent job overall.

The 16GB DDR4 type memory complements the processor nicely and delivers a solid multitasking experience to the users. With this kind of memory, you don’t have to hold yourself back when it comes to running several apps at the same time.

The MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti, a pretty good GPU for video editing. The GPU has a dedicated memory of 6 GB, giving the users an excellent DaVinci Resolve experience.

There are several connectivity options in the MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 laptop. You get USB 3.0 ports, USB type C ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a headphone jack.

Overall, the MSI GF63 THIN 9SCX-005 laptop is excellent for DaVinci Resolve. If you’re not happy with our main recommendations, this one is definitely worth a shot.

Conclusion

We hope you were able to find the best laptop for DaVinci Resolve.

Video editing applications need more resources to function flawlessly, and DaVinci Resolve is no different. All our recommendations are listed in this post after extensive research by our team.

If you have any concerns, please let us know. We’d also love to hear your thoughts about the laptops mentioned above.