The Best Notebooks for Photo and Video Editing
February 2023 Update. The requirements for a laptop that is going to be used primarily for video and photo editing are rather unique. For example, a top-notch display paired with excellent application performance are two absolute must-haves. The following table contains an overview over the best laptops that meet the basic requirements for a portable workstation with a FOCUS on video and photo editing.
One of the most common usage scenarios for notebooks is the storing, viewing, sorting and editing of pictures as well as videos. A laptop for this purpose should have a very high-quality display to represent your collections as accurately as possible and obviously provide the necessary performance to ensure a productive workflow. For this reason, we only list those laptops with the highest score in our test criteria display and application performance (weighted score) here. You can also use the following top lists for further research:
The Best Laptops for Photo and Video Editing
The table above contains an overview over the best notebooks reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.Link: all devices in this class reviewed
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st – Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023 M2 Pro
Apple MacBook Pro 14 was recently refreshed and will be powered by the new M2 Pro SoC with up to 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores in 2023. On the outside, everything has remained the same, such as the sturdy unibody case with its perfectly aligned hinges. However, up to 96 GB of RAM with a very high 400 GB/s bandwidth is now possible if you choose the M2 Max. The multi-core CPU performance increases by 20 percent from the M1 Pro to the M2 Pro. The long battery runtimes remain the same.
The mini-LED display is high-resolution, particularly contrasty, has a 120 Hz refresh rate and is already color-accurate without calibration.
The slow response times and the constant PWM flickering have to be accepted, just like in the predecessor model, in the otherwise very good display.
The device can be purchased either directly from Apple or through authorized resellers such as Amazon.
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nd – Asus ROG Flow X16
With the Asus ROG Flow X16, we tested a special notebook that turns into a 16-inch tablet with a foldable display and can be operated with the pen. This can be very useful for picture and photo work.
Thanks to mini-LEDs, the display is one of the best we tested and also one of the brightest, with up to 1,100 nits at peak HDR content. Contrast is very high and colors accurate, except for blue, which remained quite off with a Delta E value of 6.5 after our calibration. However, the model we tested extensively was a pre-release version, so the launch model could improve quite a bit.
The AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces are covered 100% and thus enable professional image and video editing. There are no compromises in performance either, a fast AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX and an RTX 3070 Ti, with a high 125 W TGP, deliver plenty of power. The hardware is equally suitable for gaming and can be enjoyed with the 165 Hz fast panel including 2.5K resolution and HDR1000.
The Asus ROG Flow X16 not only offers a high-quality mini-LED display and high performance, but also remains pleasantly quiet, cool and does not forget the frequent typists, who will appreciate the keyboard with 1.7 mm travel.
The overall package is rounded out with very good speakers, adequate battery life, 100-W power delivery, upgradeable RAM, and SSD that works very fast, which becomes especially relevant for large rendering files. However, Thunderbolt and USB 4 are not available, even though Asus could still add them via a software update. There are no other real drawbacks, even though PWM with 7,400 MHz is used to dim the display. The card reader is unfortunately only microSD.
Currently, users can purchase the device through manufacturer’s online store for 2,399.
Best Laptops for Video Editing, Motion Graphics Animation in 2023 (June Update)
Best Laptops for Video Editing, Motion Graphics Animation in 2023 (June Update)
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When your business requires you to edit video after video to provide your client with the best possible result, having a laptop that lacks the power and the gear to get the job done can cause serious problems.
With our updated list of the best laptops for video editing and animation in 2023, we wanted to show you the best choices out there to make your work shine.
Also, see our video editing laptop buying guide at the bottom of this article to help you decide what video editing laptop is best for your needs.
What is the Best Laptop for Video Editing in 2023?
Apple MacBook Pro 2023 is our pick for the best laptop for video editing in 2023. Although, you can check the comparison table below to see what fits best to your needs.
Dell XPS 15 7590 Laptop 15.6 inch, FHD InfinityEdge, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX.
Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin Light Laptop, 13.9″ 3K Touch, 8th Gen i7-8550U, 16 GB.
Dell XPS 15 7590 Laptop 15.6 inch, FHD InfinityEdge, 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA GeForce GTX.
Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin Light Laptop, 13.9″ 3K Touch, 8th Gen i7-8550U, 16 GB.
Top 10 Laptops for Video Editing, Motion Graphics Animation You Can Buy in 2023
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 (M2 Pro) (Editor’s Choice)
The best laptop for video editing 2023
Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate; 3024-by-1964 resolution | Processor: Apple M2 Pro | Graphics: 16-core or 19-core Apple GPU | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB/1TB SSD
If you are into motion graphics, then it shouldn’t be surprising that the latest 14-inch MacBook Pro is our favourite laptop for graphic designers.
From beginners to pros, this laptop is a popular choice among creatives who want a fast, reliable, and lightweight laptop with many other features that make it fun and effortless to work on your video editing projects.
The M1 chip on the previous generation is still one of the fastest processors around, but with a newer M2 Pro chip equipped with up to 12 CPU cores, up to 19 GPU cores, and up to 32GB of RAM you get lightning-fast performance that will keep up with even the most demanding editing tasks.
What we love the most about the MacBook Pro, however, is its stunning 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display which is perfect for video editors with its Extreme Dynamic Range and a 120Hz refresh rate.
In our review, every visual felt life-like and super smooth plus with a long battery life of up to 18 hours to complement it, meant we could work all day and through the night without having to plug in.
While the massive performance improvement comes at a premium, we certainly think it is worth it if the best laptop that will serve you well for years to come is exactly what you are looking for.
Jacob Cass, the founder of JUST Creative, has been using the MacBook Pro series for over a decade now and he JUST loves it. Jacob uses it for photo editing, video editing, animation, logo design, and running his creative business.
If you still think you need a bit more oomph, consider the 16-inch variant with the M2 Max chip, which is the fastest MacBook that Apple has made to date. Or for a more budget-friendly option from Apple see the MacBook Air.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- SUPERCHARGED BY M2 PRO OR M2 MAX — Take on demanding projects with the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. M2 Pro has up to 12 CPU cores, up to 19 GPU cores, and up to 32GB unified memory. M2 Max has 12 CPU.
- UP TO 18 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Go all day thanks to the power-efficient design of the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. And the MacBook Pro laptop delivers exceptional performance whether it’s running on.
- FULLY COMPATIBLE — All your pro apps run lightning fast — including Adobe Creative Cloud, Xcode, Affinity Designer, Microsoft 365, and many of your favorite iPhone and iPad apps.
- BEAUTIFUL PRO DISPLAY — The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display features Extreme Dynamic Range, over 1000 nits of brightness for stunning HDR content, and pro reference modes for doing your best.
- ADVANCED CAMERA AND AUDIO — Look sharp and sound great with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a studio-quality three-mic array, and a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 (M2 Pro) Video Review
Check out the video review and see why the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch 2023 (M2 Pro) is a blessing for creatives.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-56-32DK
The best budget laptop for video editing
CPU: 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6 inches | Storage: 128GB NVMe SSD
Every time you switch on Acer’s new Aspire 5, with its eleventh Gen Intel Core i3 processor and faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for a wonderful computing experience, you can push the boundaries of its performance.
It is best for such things as image and video editing, gaming, and work-associated programs due to its optimal layout, which presents an unsurpassed pace and dependability. Because of the slender bezel layout and 15.6” Full HD IPS display, you’ll have a mass of a display screen area to pay attention to what’s in front of you.
You’ll revel in short startup times, a recognizable however large Start menu, and extraordinary new techniques to finish responsibilities with Windows 11 Home in S mode. An ergonomic hinge increases the keyboard for greater snug typing, more cooling, and stepped-forward sound quality. All a video-editors best friend!
This is a brilliant laptop for multitasking and the best budget option, however, the 4GB RAM may mean larger video exporting tasks take longer to process.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Powerful Productivity: 11th Generation Intel Core i3-1115G4 Dual Core processor delivers unmatched speed and intelligence, enabling impressive creating, productivity, and gaming experiences. With.
- Visibly Stunning: Experience sharp details and crisp colors on the 15.6″ Full HD IPS display with 82.58% screen-to-body, 16:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels
- Ergonomic Typing: Ergonomically-designed hinge lifts the keyboard for comfortable typing, improved cooling, and a better sound experience
- Internal Specifications: 4GB DDR4 on-board memory (1 slot available); 128GB NVMe solid-state drive storage (1 hard drive bay available) to store your files and media
- Acer’s Purified.Voice technology, features enhanced digital signal processing to cancel out background noise, improve speech accuracy and far-field pickup, which not only makes calls clearer, but.
Microsoft Surface Book 3
The most powerful 2-in-1 laptop available
CPU: Intel Core i5-7300U – Intel Core i7-8650U 1.9GHz | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620; Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 (2GB GDDR5 VRAM) | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 3,000 x 2,000 (267 PPI) PixelSense display, 3:2 aspect ratio | Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD
Many video editors may not look at a 2-in-1 laptop as their first choice for editing video but when it comes to the Surface Book 3, they should reconsider.
The components inside the Surface Book 3 are more than powerful enough to handle video editing especially if you choose the version that comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics card.
Excellent battery life and a beautiful design make it great to use as a tablet or a traditional laptop. A handy option is using the tablet to shoot video and edit it on the laptop when on the go.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Most powerful Surface laptop yet, with quad-core powered, 10th Gen Intel Core processors. than 50% faster than Surface Book 2 13.5”.
- Fastest graphics on Surface, powered by NVIDIA GTX GeForce GPU. 40% more graphics performance than Surface Book 2 13.5″.
- Power when you need it. Up to 15.5 hours battery life[1] — plus improved standby that extends battery life when you’re away.
- Robust laptop, powerful tablet, and portable studio in one.
- The connections you need, including USB-A, USB-C, and full-size SD card slot.
Huawei Matebook 13
A great MacBook Pro alternative
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8565U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620. Nvidia GeForce MX150 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.9-inch 3K (3,000 x 2,080) | Storage: 256GB SSD
Huawei is one of those companies that is continuously flying under the radar and those editors that are Smart enough to realize how good they are can get an amazing laptop for their work.
With its beautiful design along with a stunning screen, the MateBook X Pro is loaded with an 8th generation Intel Core CPU and a battery life that puts many other choices to shame.
The MateBook X Pro is the best laptop for video editing under 1000 and an amazing alternative to the MacBook Pro.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- World’s First FullView Display: Immersive 13.9-inch 3K touchscreen with 91% screen-to-body ratio, only 0.57-inch thin and weighs only 2.93 lbs., perfect for at-home or on-the-go computing
- Powerful Inside: Windows 10 Home Signature Edition with no bloatware. 8th Gen Intel Core i7 8550U processor NVIDIA GeForce MX150. boosts performance up to 40% over its predecessor
- Home Theater: 3K touchscreen with 3, 000 x 2, 000 resolution, 1500:1 contrast ratio and 260 PPI allow you to see vivid details when viewing HD content. 2nd Gen Dolby ATMOS for immersive audio
- One Touch Power Button: Enabling users to power on the notebook, finish identity authentication through Windows Hello and access the desktop in less than 8 seconds. Bluetooth. Bluetooth 4.1
- Includes compact Mate Dock 2.0: USB-A port, USB-C port, HDMI port and VGA port. Includes 1 year Office 365 Personal and 1 year manufacturer warranty.60Hz refresh rate
Alienware Area-51m
Most powerful laptop for video editing
CPU: 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900K | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 17.3 inches | Storage: 2 X 256GB SSD (R0) 1TB SSHD
Alienware Area-51m is a beast.
This machine is powered by an overclockable 9th Generation Core i9 desktop processor and the most recent graphics card RTX 2080. And everything looks amazing on a 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display.
Also, along with its massive, upgradeable power, the machine has a stunning design and an SSD with a transfer rate of 1,272 MBps.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 9th Generation Intel Core i9-9900K (8-Core, 16MB Cache, up to 5.0GHz w/ Turbo Boost)
- 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz Anti-Glare IPS Display w/ NVIDIA G-SYNC Tobii eyetracking technology
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6 (OC Ready)
- 32GB (2x16GB) 2400MHz DDR4 Memory
- 2 X 256GB PCIe Solid State Drive (R0) 1TB (8GB SSHD) Hybrid Drive
Dell XPS 15
The best value laptop at a great price
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 9750h | Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge Anti-Glare Non-touch IPS – 15.6-inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) Anti-Reflective InfinityEdge Touch IPS | Storage: 512G PCIe SSD
If most of your day-to-day is spent editing videos, the Dell XPS 15 is an amazing investment.
Be sure to get the powered-up version with a 9th-generation i9 CPU, gorgeous 4K display, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, and 64GB of RAM. Even with all of this high-end tech packed into the case, the Dell XPS 15 costs less than its MacBook Pro equivalent.
Plus, there is no shortage of ports on the XPS including an SD card reader slot. All in all, this is one great investment that you should consider.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 15.6 inch Fhd (1920 x 1080) Infinity Edge anti glare Non Touch IPS 100 percentage RGB 500 nits Display
- 9th Generation Intel Core i7 9750h (12MB Cache, up to 4.5 Gigahertz, 6 Cores)
- 8GB DDR4 2666MHz, 2x4G
- 512G PCIe SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
A professional laptop with serious power
CPU: 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6-inch OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
Laptops from Razer are typically marketed for the gaming crowd but the Blade 15 Studio Edition has been built with creatives in mind, especially considering the high-end graphics card packed inside.
An Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 plus the 15.6-inch OLED 4K display makes everything you put on it look amazing.
No surprise to anyone is the price that this incredible workstation comes with. While the price is steep, if being able to have the best workflow possible is important during your day, you may want to consider going outside your budget.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Zero-Compromise Creative Mobile Workstation: Built for creative work in a 0.7″ thin CNC aluminum unibody with high-performance, vapor chamber cooling powered by an NVIDIA Quadro series GPU
- Futureproof Design: Thunderbolt 3 capable, compatible with Razer Core external GPU enclosures for additional power; supports dual-channel memory and SSD upgradability
- Professional-Grade Studio Display: Features an individually calibrated 4K OLED touch display covering 100% DCI-P3 with a blazing fast 1ms response time
- Ready to Connect: Plug in multiple devices directly to expand the view on up to 3 extrenal displays via Thunderbolt 3, MiniDislayPort, and HDMIm and get over gigabit speeds through Intel Wi-Fi 6 for a.
- Biometric Security: Supports Windows Hello instant facial unlock with integrated webcam and IR sensor
HP ZBook FireFly
Beautiful design combined with incredible brains
CPU: Intel Core i7-1255U 4.7 GHz | Graphics: NVIDIA T550 Laptop GPU | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 16″ diagonal WUXGA display | Storage: 512 GB SSD storage
With a weight of just over four pounds, the ZBook Firefly from HP is a good laptop for video editing and motion graphics.
With its 4K screen and Intel Xeon processor, this little laptop has some serious power behind it. Along with a great Nvidia Quadro graphics card and an easily upgradeable 512GB SSD.
The ZBook offers great value for the money and is one of the best laptops for video editing.
MSI GS65 Stealth
Built for gaming, perfect for video editing
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H GTX1660Ti | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti 6GB GDDR6 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) anti-glare, wide-view 144Hz panel | Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD
The GS65 Stealth is built primarily as a gaming laptop but with the excellent specs inside it, it is also an amazing option for video editors as well.
Packed with an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor plus an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card meaning that the Stealth can handle multi-tasking and editing with ease.
Plus if you want to get some gaming in on the weekend, you can do that too.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 15.6″ FHD, Anti-Glare Wide View Angle 144Hz 3ms 72%NTSC NVIDIA GeForce GTX1660Ti 6G GDDR6
- Intel Core i7-9750H 2.6. 4.5GHz Intel 9560 Jefferson Peak (2×2 802.11 ac)
- 16GB (8G 2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB
- Killer Gaming Network E2500 Dynaudio Speakers 2W2 720p HD Webcam
- USB 3.2 Gen2 3; Thunderbolt 31
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme
Our pick for Lenovo laptop
CPU: Intel Core i5/Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti | RAM: 8-64GB | Screen: 15 inches | Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is the company’s first 15-inch laptop with a discrete graphics card – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GPU.
It’s a monster that can be outfitted with an 8th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and 64GB of RAM.
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme can withstand high temperature, humidity, sand and dust, and repeated drops. In addition to all these amazing features, it also has an optional IR camera, allowing you to use Windows Hello facial recognition to sign into your laptop.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 【Upgraded】 Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. 15.6″ Full HD (1920×1080) 60Hz IPS Display; Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), 720p HD.
- 【Powerful Performance with Intel Core i7-1165G7 Quad Core】 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 2.80GHz Processor (upto 4.7 GHz, 12MB Cache, 4-Cores, ) ; NVIDIA GTX 1650 Integrated Graphics.
- 【High Speed and Multitasking】 32GB DDR4 SODIMM; 65W Power Supply, 3-Cell 45 WHr Battery; Glossy Black Color.
- 【Enormous Storage】 1TB SATA SSD; 1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI, No Optical Drive, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack.
- Windows 10 Pro-64., 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech (Professionally upgraded by GreatPriceTech)
Asus ZenBook 15
The best ultra-slim laptop for video editing
CPU: Core i7-10510U | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6 inches | Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
ZenBook 15‘s ultralight, ultracompact chassis brings in a new age of ultraportable design that every video editor desires. The ZenBook 15 is 12% lighter and 3.6 lbs lighter than the ZenBook 15 of the previous generation (UX530), and it has a four-sided NanoEdge display with a touch option.
The new ScreenPad 2.0 improves on the conventional laptop experience by adding a second interactive touchscreen that boosts productivity and offers limitless options. Your own smooth multitasking workflow is easy to create because of its simple, smartphone-like UI.
A number of useful Asus utility programs are available to increase productivity, including Quick Key, Handwriting, Number Key, Doc Xpert, Slide Xpert, and Sheet Xpert, which automate complex keyboard sequences with a single tap.
You can easily add apps to ScreenPad for Rapid access, and ScreenPad 2.0 cleverly fits several apps within the 5.65-inch touchscreen. Your favorite apps, like Evernote and Spotify, will immediately function flawlessly on this secondary display thanks to the newly optimized ScreenPad experience, eliminating the need for a ScreenPad-specific version.
Additionally, Asus closely collaborates with outside developers, such as Corel, a developer of video editing software, to enhance the productivity of adaptive ScreenPad tools making it an ideal choice for all editors and animators.
Cons
Latest Price on Amazon:
Lenovo Yoga 9i review: a true workhorse
These days, it’s pretty easy to find a laptop that fits your exact needs at a price that’s fairly competitive. Head on over to Best Buy’s website or Newegg.com and you’ll have plenty of options to choose from. If you’re not a hardcore gamer or someone who uses their laptop for media production, anything under 1,000 will get the job done and all you really need to worry about is how big of a display you want and how long the battery will last you.
That being said, it’s a bit harder to find the perfect laptop if you need a true workhorse horse – something that has enough power to edit and render video but doesn’t necessarily come with accented RBG lighting and flames on the side like many gaming laptops do these days.
Enter the 15-inch Lenovo Yoga 9i. A serious laptop, built to get serious work done.
On paper, the 10th Gen core i9 with the GTX 1650 can’t even come close to the performance I can get out of my custom PC build featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 3700 with a GTX 3070, but I have to admit that I’ve used the Yoga 9i just as much, if not more than my desktop computer.
Specifications Price
The first thing I’ll say about the 15-inch Yoga 9i that I’m reviewing is that it’s not a budget-friendly laptop. The base model starts at 1,699 and goes all the way up to 2,699 if you want to max things out with 16GB of RAM, a 4k HDR display, 2TB of SSD storage, and that 10th Gen Intel Core i9 I already mentioned. Spending 2699 on a laptop may sound excessive, but if you’re using it as a tool for work rather than something you’re using simply to check your feed or watch Netflix, the price isn’t as bad as it seems.
- Processor: 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK Processor
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64
- Memory: 16 GB DDR4 2933MHz (Soldered)
- Storage: 2 TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 15.6″ UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS, touchscreen with Dolby Vision HDR 400, 500 nits
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB
- Battery: 69 Wh
- Webcam: 720p
- Security: HDFingerprint Reader
- Keyboard: Backlit with number pad
- Connectivity: 802.11AX (2 x 2) Bluetooth 5.0
Design Keyboard
As the name implies, the Yoga 9i is a 2-in-1 form factor which means the hinge allows the display to flip all the way around to the back, allowing the laptop to transform into a massive tablet or flip over into tent mode for watching videos.
Along the left edge are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support and Lenovo’s proprietary charging port while the right edge houses a single USB A port and the power button. Since this laptop built for heavy-duty media creation, it’s disappointing to see that Lenovo decided not to include an SD or even a microSD card slot for those who need to transfer files to the laptop from a camera. This is especially consuming when you see microSD card slots on many of Lenovo’s cheaper laptops and even some of their Chromebooks despite the fact that ChromeOS really isn’t built for media editing.
When using the laptop in tablet mode, the Wacom pen that’s stored inside the body of the laptop, along the right edge, comes in extremely handy if you like taking written notes or use a pen for digital artwork. Just like the S Pen on a Samsung Galaxy Note, the pen charges when it’s inserted into its’ slot. It’s not as comfortable as the Surface Pen since it’s quite a bit smaller, but the fact that it comes included with the laptop and that you have a safe and secure place to store it makes it quite a bit more compelling.
But don’t think that it’ll act as a good replacement for an iPad Pro. While Windows 10 works pretty well with touch input, it’s nowhere near as compelling as iOS or even Android tablets, mainly due to how apps are designed for the platform. And of course, a 15-inch tablet that weighs 4.4 lbs isn’t quite as compelling as a smaller device unless you’re resting it on your lap or setting it on a desk while using it.
The built-in 720p webcam above the display is a bit of a disappointment. Having a physical privacy shutter that slides over the webcam is a nice touch, the webcam can get the job done in a pinch. But with so many people relying on webcams these days for video calls, the quality you get here on such an expensive laptop is definitely disappointing. You’d honestly be better off using the selfie camera on a 300 smartphone for your Zoom calls.
The laptop uses the same TrueStrike keyboard that we’ve seen on Lenovo’s Legion lineup with quite a bit of room between the keys, a dedicated number pad and customizable backlighting (as long as all the customization you want is off, medium or bright). Since we’re talking about a 15-inch laptop, it shouldn’t be surprising that the typing experience here is comfortable with decent key travel and enough space between each key that allows for pretty accurate typing.
Unlike many of today’s laptop keyboards, there isn’t a noticeable learning curve when switching to the Yoga 9i.
The large glass trackpad gives you plenty of room to navigate the massive display. Lenovo could have easily increased its size by 20% or more, but you’ll have no real issues with using the trackpad if you’re not the type who lugs around a wireless mouse with you everywhere you go.
Display Audio
If you do a lot of video, photo, or graphics work, the update to the 4k display is definitely something to consider, giving you a much crisper panel to view your content on with incredibly accurate colors featuring Dolby Vision, HDR support. While the panel can seem quite bright while indoors with 500 nits of peak brightness, the glossy glass finish comes with a lot of glare that can make viewing the display a bit hard if you talk it outside or are working with your back to a window. The display is brighter than what Lenovo delivered with the Yoga C940, but with how bright displays can get these days on a smartphone, 700 or 800 nits of peak brightness is what I would expect when paying more than two and a half grand for a laptop these days.
Lenovo has experimented with a variety of different hinges on its Yoga laptops over the years. The hinge we see here is the same one we got on the previous generation which I honestly think is one of the best hinges we’ve seen on a laptop in years. It’s extremely sturdy while still allowing you to open the lid once handed thanks to the overall weights of the laptop. But the real reason why I love it is that it houses the stereo Dolby Atmo speakers which deliver incredible sound for a laptop. While typically rely on headphones while doing my video editing work or watching shows, I’ve used the built-in on this laptop significantly more than I expected.
Performance Battery Life
The Yoga Yoga 9i 15-inch was built with performance in mind. It’s not light and when you max out its specs with a Core i9 chipset, a 2TB SSD, 4k display, and 16GB of RAM, it’s definitely not cheap. The good news is that the performance you get out of this machine is definitely respectable. While it’s meant more as a work laptop for creators, it can also double as a gaming machine, just as long as you’re not worried about getting the best frame rates possible or having graphics settings set as high as possible.
- 3D mark: 3487
- PC Mark 10: 5686
- Geekbench 5: single 1332, multi- 6948 (CPU), 42871 (compute)
That being said, if you don’t have an unlimited budget, getting the Core i7 variant which comes with only 1TB of internal storage will still deliver a great gaming and productivity experience while allowing you to keep an extra 900 or so in your
When it comes to battery life, the numbers offered up by the 69 Wh can be wildly inconsistent. Depending on what you’re doing, the battery inside this laptop can last between 2 hours while gaming or up to 12 hours if you’re watching videos with headphones for your audio. The reason for this comes down to how hard you’re pushing the GTX 1650 Ti graphics card and the Intel Core i9 CPU.
Those who divide their laptop time between catching up on emails in the morning, editing files in PhotoShop or Illustrator, and then jumping into Premiere Pro for a few hours to wrap up a video should be able to get about 5 hours between charges with roughly half of that 5 hour period dedicated specifically to video editing. Cut video editing or any other task that leans heavily on the GPU out of your daily workflow and you can easily get 6-7 hours.
I would definitely recommend taking the massive charging brick with you if you’re planning on spending a whole day working away from your desk. Being able to charge the laptop over USB-C with a much smaller charge would have been nice, but if you’re pushing the laptop to its limits, a 100W PD charger wouldn’t be able to keep up.
Final thoughts
While the Yoga 9i showed up at my doorstep a few weeks before I built myself a custom desktop PC for video editing, I still use it a lot more than I expected. The simple answer to why the Yoga can pull me away from a custom-built PC is because Lenovo has built an incredibly versatile laptop with very few compromises.
Being able to have a portable workstation that I can take with me everywhere I go is something that’s extremely hard to pass up.
Lenovo Yoga 9i Rating: star_fullstar_fullstar_fullstar_fullstar_empty ( 4.0 / 5 )
The Bottom Line
The Lenovo Yoga 9i is an incredible laptop for those looking to get some serious work done. If all you need is a laptop for some light word editing between catching up on and your favorite shows on Netflix, there are plenty of laptops that will do the trick for less than half the price.
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Lenovo Yoga C940 Review: An Exceptional 2-in-1 Laptop
Are you considering the idea of getting a Lenovo laptop? Then this Lenovo Yoga C940 review is for you.
By Olatunbosun Adesoye | Updated February 27, 2023 | 9 minutes read | 37 Reads
Itechguides’ Take on Lenovo Yoga C940
The Huawei MateBook X Pro 2021 is a decent ultrabook with some impressive features. These features include a QHD resolution touchscreen display, 1 TB SSD storage, and a Core i7 processor. However, it lacks a lot of ports, and its price tag is very high.
- Premium design
- Excellent display
- Fast performance
- Long battery life
- Good speakers CPU
In this review, you will learn about Lenovo Yoga C940 performances in various areas. Specifically, I will review the laptop’s CPU, GPU, RAM, battery, and storage performances.
At the end of this review, you would have known the good and bad sides of the Lenovo Yoga C940 laptop. Hence, making your purchasing decision will be a lot easier.
My Initial Thoughts
The Yoga laptops have always been Lenovo’s most innovative line of laptops.
Furthermore, like its previous models, the Lenovo Yoga C940 comes with many nice features. It has a beautiful screen, fast performance, and long battery life.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Design, Dimension Weight Review
The Lenovo Yoga C940 is made entirely out of aluminum. It is a very clean and well-finished laptop.
Lenovo offers the Yoga C940 in two colors. You can get a Mica colored model or an Iron Grat colored model.
Moving on to the actual design specifics, the absence of patterns and branding – aside from the “Yoga series” etching on the lid – adds to the simplicity of the laptop.
Despite its simple build, the Lenovo Yoga C940 feels very premium thanks to its solid and portable build. This laptop weighs 1350 g and measures 320.3 x 215.6 x 14.5 mm.
However, this laptop is a bit heavier than both the 13-inch HP Spectre x 360 and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1. They weigh 1260 g and 1330 g respectively.
Due to the Lenovo Yoga C940’s solid build, there’s very minimal flex in the keyboard deck area and on the lid of the laptop. Although the lid tends to wobble a little, it is stronger than its predecessors.
over, the laptop’s hinge is also sturdy enough to enable it to be used in a tent mode, stand mode, or tablet mode.
As you would expect from Lenovo, the Yoga C940’s keyboard is superb. From good spacing to excellent key travel, to a remarkable tactile feel, there’s a lot to like about the Lenovo Yoga C940.
Unfortunately, I cannot express this excitement for the touchpad. Although it is a large touchpad, it does not offer the same superb functionality as the keyboard.
Furthermore, the Lenovo Yoga C940 offers a good selection of ports. You get 2 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C ports, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A, a power delivery and a headphone jack.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Yoga C940 scores a nine in this review for its beautiful design and solid build.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Processor (CPU) Performance Review
Lenovo equips the Yoga C940 with a quad-core Intel Core i7-1065G7 processor. This processor has a base frequency of 1.30 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.90 GHz.
The Lenovo Yoga C940 delivers an excellent processor performance. It can handle both regular computing operations and heavy tasks.
In various CPU performance tests, the performance of this laptop was excellent compared to that of its competitors. On a Geekbench 4 test, the Lenovo Yoga C940 scored 18,709 points.
This laptop beat the 13-inch HP Spectre x360 that scored 18,408 points. Furthermore, the Lenovo Yoga C940 also surpassed the premium laptop average of 16,314.
Only the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 performed better with a score of 19,225.
Overall, this laptop showcased an impressive processor performance in the test I carried out. Therefore, it scores an eight in this CPU performance review.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Memory (RAM) Performance Review
The Lenovo Yoga C940 comes with 8 GB LPDDR4 RAM. This RAM can be upgraded to a maximum capacity of 16 GB.
Like its processor, the Lenovo Yoga C940’s RAM performance is commendable. The overall productivity of this laptop wasn’t affected during a series of tests.
The Lenovo Yoga C940 ran smoothly with 25 Chrome browser tabs while two YouTube videos were streaming. It continued to operate without slowing down when I began to do some document editing.
Furthermore, switching between the browser tabs was very swift. However, the Lenovo Yoga C940 began to slow down when I attempted to download an 8 GB multimedia file simultaneously.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Yoga C940 scores an eight for its excellent multitasking power.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Storage Options Performance Review
Lenovo offers a 2 TB PCIe SSD for this laptop’s storage. However, the Lenovo Yoga C940 doesn’t come with an SD card option for storage expansion.
Nevertheless, the 2 TB storage is large enough to store a large number of your files. over, it offers an impressive speed to enhance the laptop’s performance.
On a CrystalDiskMark test, it offered a sequential read speed of 2340 MBps and a sequential write speed of 1863 MBps. In comparison to its competitors, Lenovo Yoga C940 performed better.
For example, Yoga C940 delivered a better storage speed than the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 with a sequential read speed of 1801 MBps – and a sequential write speed of 1223 MBps.
Furthermore, the Lenovo Yoga C940 needed just 5 seconds to copy a 4.97 GB multimedia file at a rate of 1018 MBps. It completely outmatched the HP Spectre x360’s 320 MBps copy rate.
Overall, the Lenovo Yoga C940 delivers an amazing storage speed. Therefore, it scores a nine in this storage performance review.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Graphics Card Performance Review
The Lenovo Yoga C940 features an integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics card. This GPU has a base frequency of 300 MHz and a boost frequency of 1100 MHz.
Iris Plus graphics card is one of the fastest integrated GPU available with an Ice Lake processor. However, it doesn’t have a dedicated VRAM.
To an extent, this laptop’s GPU offers a relatively good gaming experience. With the Intel Iris Plus GPU, you can play most modern games with reduced graphics settings.
As expected, the Lenovo Yoga C940 is suitable for light gaming. On medium settings, it played BioShock Infinite at 72 FPS, The Witcher at 36 FPS, and Rocket League at 65 FPS.
However, it played X-Plane 11.11 at 21 FPS. Nevertheless, it scores a seven for its good gaming performance.
Lenovo Yoga C940 Battery Life Performance Review
Lenovo ships the Lenovo Yoga C940 with a 4 Cell 60Wh internal battery. Lenovo advertises 10 hours of battery life.
However, the Lenovo Yoga C940’s battery life came short of the promised battery performance. However, it was only short by a little.
The Lenovo Yoga C940 lasted 11 hours 50 seconds in a battery test that involved continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi.
In comparison with its competitors, the Lenovo Yoga C940’s battery life is excellent. It outlasted the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 that lasted 10 hours 55 seconds.
It also outlasted the Lenovo Yoga C930 that lasted 10 hours 10 minutes. Furthermore, the Lenovo Yoga C940 lasted longer than the category average 8 hours 50 minutes runtime.
Only the 13-inch Spectre x360 lasted longer, delivering 13 hours of battery life. Nevertheless, the Lenovo Yoga C940 scores a nine in this review for its incredible battery life.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lenovo Yoga C940 is an excellent 2-in-1 laptop, especially if you need more screen space than the HP Spectre x360 or the Dell’s XPS 13. It is a very fast laptop with incredible processor performance. over, it delivers an excellent battery life.
The Lenovo Yoga C940 is a good laptop for video editing. It has an all-round functionality and usability designed towards improving the workflow of creatives. over, it has two display options that are excellent.
When it comes to drawing, the Lenovo Yoga C940 is excellent. Drawing on this laptop feels very smooth and pleasant. Although it doesn’t offer an exceptional experience that matches that of the Apple iPad Pro, it still does a remarkable job.
Yes, it does. Lenovo offers either an FHD or 4K UHD display with an IPS touchscreen.
The Lenovo Yoga C940 is not powerful enough to play the latest games at max settings. However, it is good enough to play them with the settings reduced. Though Lenovo Yoga C940 doesn’t qualify as a gaming laptop, it’s powerful enough to offer a satisfactory gaming experience
My Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, you might find the Lenovo Yoga C940 to be a bit expensive. Obviously, there are cheaper laptops with nearly the same specs but they are heavier and bigger than the Lenovo Yoga C940.
Therefore, this laptop is for someone that values a powerful and portable laptop. Overall, the Lenovo Yoga C940 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you will find in today.
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Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro review: Uncompromised mobile creativity
That’s portability, power, and display accuracy in a single device which is just about everything that content creators like us would ever want from a mobile workstation. We need a crazy amount of processing power to edit those RAW photos and render those videos, so being able to do that anywhere we want can be a liberating experience.
Head over to the TechKuya tech review channel on YouTube to watch our Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro video review, or continue reading for a detailed breakdown.
Design and portability
The Yoga product line has always pushed the limits of portability, and the Slim 7 Pro is no exception, weighing only 1.4 kilos or about 10-12 bananas – cavendish, of course.
Weight is just one factor, but what really sells the experience is its compact design. At its thinnest, the device is just 14.9cm! Most phones are around 7-8mm thin, so can you imagine having two phones with a 14-inch screen squeezed together? How about two iPads?
Despite its size, the product designers still managed to pack two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. That’s about all one could ever ask from a Windows laptop … almost. If we’re being honest, one of the USB-C ports could have supported Thunderbolt, and it would be perfect.
There are no external video ports like HDMI or DVI, but we’re good without it. We have a dock from the Lenovo ThinkPad, and that was enough for us connect the Yoga Slim 7 Pro to two external monitors, a full mechanical keyboard, and a mouse.
By the way, unlike other iterations of the Lenovo Yoga Series, the Pro does not have the ability to bend backwards into a “tent”.
Input devices include a multitouch trackpad and a backlit keyboard which is good, but icing on the cake? There are three light modes – low, medium, and auto which you can control through a function key combination on the keyboard.
Display
The 14-inch display does not support touch input, and we’re good. It would have been a nice “touch” (wink wink), but it’s not a necessity, especially on a productivity device which might be used for creative work. We like keeping our displays smudge free, thank you.
Being a productivity device, OLED is a must here and boy, this display panel is bomb! 400 nits is not that high compared to more advanced OLED panels, but is good enough and it does support HDR which is great for watching one of the 10 shows on Netflix that support it.
We’re kidding of course, but that 2.8K resolution is key for content creation. You know how it is with apps like Photoshop, Premiere, and Resolve and having all 10,000 panels open at the same time – it’s a madness that can only be solved with multiple monitors or, barring that: higher resolutions.
90Hz is not a lot for gaming, but it’s higher than the standard 60 – it’s better than nothing, and it adds a bit of fluidity, but unlike smartphones it’s not a huge selling point on a laptop.
Productivity and benchmarks
A big selling point though, is that AMD Ryzen 9 CPU, 16GB of memory, 1TB NVMe SSD, and that GeForce MX450 GPU. Okay, the GeForce MX450 is not exactly the beefiest, but what are we going to do? It’s a laptop! Have you seen how big discrete GPUs are? The fans on those things are the size of bricks!
Upon testing, we scored an average of 5200 points in PCMark 10, well above the recommended 3450 points for digital content creation. It is a good score, and it manifests in the user experience, one that we can only describe as smooth and snappy, even after upgrading to Windows 11.
Did we just say Windows 11?
Yes folks – we tested the machine on both the out-of-the-box Windows 10 installation, upgraded it to Windows 11, and did some more tests.
Editing it in real time, we can feel the system struggling to keep up as we scrub through the timeline, so there’s a slight delay before we can play it back every time we make a change or move the play head back and forth.
Anyone who is familiar with Resolve knows that the default settings are particularly taxing since everything is being rendered in real time at native quality with no caching. Rendering was quite speedy as well thanks to Ryzen’s multi-core, multi-threaded operation.
Our proof of concept has demonstrated that the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro can go toe-to-toe with powerful video editing desktops. It’s good enough to be a mobile editing station for content creators and creatives who cover events like weddings where you need a machine that is mobile and powerful enough to create those same-day-edits (SDE).
Entertainment
With an HDR-capable OLED display on our hands we could not wait to kick back, relax, and watch some shows and play some games because hey, what else are we going to do during our breaktime?
YouTube was the simplest and most straightforward – we were able to stream 8K HDR content with no issues. No lag, no stutters. Just pure audio visual bliss.
Amazon Prime Video was also straightforward, displaying the HDR and UHD icons on content that support them.
Netflix, however, was more challenging, since it employs stricter security to prevent their content from getting pirated. Playing it in a browser only got us HD 1280×720 at most with no HDR, so we had to install the Netflix app from the Microsoft Store.
In doing so, we finally managed to get the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos icons to show up. In order to validate that we were streaming 4K, we fired up the 4K Test Pattern in Netflix which confirmed it.
We were even happy with the audio quality of the built-in speakers, which had enough bass and loudness to keep things exciting.
Gaming
Powerful productivity machines typically make good gaming rigs and vice versa. While the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Pro has a powerful CPU, ample memory, and fast storage, NVIDIA GeForce MX450 lags behind other GPUs. Its desktop equivalent would be the aging NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, an entry-level to mid-range GPU released back in April 2019.
While it supports DirectX 12, the card only has 2GB of GDDR6 memory, which prevented us from even launching some of the newer AAA titles such as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Fortunately, we got Shadow of the Tomb Raider, another DirectX 12 game, to run.
At its native resolution of 2880×1800, we only averaged around 8 FPS, but after dropping down to 1920×1080, switching to DirectX 11, and making some small tweaks, we started getting a more respectable average of 27 FPS.
It’s not exactly your gaming beast, but the Yoga Slim 7 Pro is beefy enough to scratch that occasional itch during your free time – which as working professionals we all have way too much of, right? Right?
Benchmark scores weren’t too shabby either, getting a high of 2.5k points in 3DMark Time Spy.
Battery life and thermals
In order to test the machine’s thermals, we took Yoga Slim 7 Pro off the plug and took some measurements with our thermal scanner. The warmest areas in the under chassis (where it touches your lap) averaged around 37-38 degrees Celsius, going as high as 41 degrees near the vent.
The bottom vent itself was only 42 degrees Celsius at its warmest region, so if you want to cook eggs then we’re sorry to say – this laptop is not going to get warm enough to fry anything.
Powering the Slim 7 Pro is a 61Wh battery which typically lasts at least 8 hours, going all the way up to 12 hours:
- MobileMark 2018: 8.6 hours
- Local video (1080p) playback @ 150 nits: 11.8 hours
Using the 95W charger, it takes at least 2 hours to fully charge the device while it is running, which is better than most. What’s great is that it uses the same USB-C port which you can also charge using other, slower chargers.
Verdict
The Lenovo Yoga 7 Pro immediately grabbed our attention for three reasons: portability, power, and display. These three things can be challenging to balance, especially for creative professionals. often than not, portability is sacrificed for processing power.
Lenovo has managed to stay true to the standards of portability that the Lenovo Yoga is known for and pack powerful hardware and a quality display panel, so you can stay mobile without compromises.
Priced at P64,995 it’s sweet deal that will pay for itself over time. It’s a very tempting deal, even for professionals who want to switch over from the MacBook Pro M1. While the latter packs more powerful, it also costs twice as much.
It’s a great Windows alternative, and one worthy of serious consideration for anyone in need of a mobile workstation.
