Ranking: Best laptops for editing photos and videos

Visually, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro model) is no different to older models, up to the 2023-year one. Technical improvements are limited to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 here, courtesy of the Apple N1 chip, as well as the new M5 Pro SoC which is around 20 percent faster in multi-core workloads than its predecessor. The integrated graphics unit has once again become 30 to 50 % faster, too, depending on the application.

Its mini-LED display has an extremely low black level and therefore delivers very high contrast values, almost like OLED panels. Subjectively, picture quality is almost perfect with the MacBook.

One point worth criticizing is the ever-present PWM flickering, and slow pixel response time. Those sensitive to this will not be happy with the MacBook Pro. The panel does cover almost 100 % of the DCI-P3 color space as usual and is very color-accurate, so we can recommend the panel for photo and video editing. One drawback is certainly Apple's expensive upgrade policy for RAM and SSD, neither of which can be upgraded by the user down the line.

Kitted out with an M5 Pro, 24 GB of RAM and a 1-TB SSD, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 costs around 2,700 euros in Germany.

For the first time in quite a while, we have a ThinkPad occupying one of the top spots. It's for a good reason, too, as the P1 16 G8 makes use of the latest Tandem OLED display technology, as well as fast LP-CAMM2 RAM, Thunderbolt 5, and a Core Ultra 7 255H. Of course, this compact and lightweight workstation notebook cannot keep up with its beefier rivals, especially with the built-in Nvidia RTX Pro 2000 GPU only consuming 75 watts or less, but you still get plenty of computing power on the go.

Its bright matte OLED display can look a little grainy up close, and battery life is quite short. At least the display's Delta-E color fidelity values look good thanks to factory calibration. IPS-display SKUs are available as well with full DCI-P3 colors but no touch/pen support.

The system comes with two M.2 2280 SSD storage slots, while pre-installed RAM options max out at 64 GB.

Lenovo's ThinkPad P1 16 G8: The tandem OLED option is what makes it truly interesting. Either way, the machine features a well thought-out set of components. 

The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 can be had directly from Lenovo Germany in the configuration tested for around €3,439.

4K+ IPS-display models featuring a slightly slower GPU come in at around 2,900 euros.

Apple's MacBook Pro 14 (2025) with the M5 chip and its 10 CPU cores is not particularly different from previous-gen models. The new MacBook's mini-LED display with around 1,000 cd/m² of brightness in SDR mode is about the same as well. There is a matte display option available with only a very slight loss of vibrancy; it's supposed to make working outdoors easier.

The new M-series chip's single-core performance is 14 % higher as compared to the M4, and unlike any other CPU currently available. iGPU-wise, there is a whopping 30 % increase in performance over the M4 GPU. The system's battery life has grown longer, and fan noise when under GPU load is now lower. You also get Thunderbolt 5 ports and a higher-resolution webcam, but Wi-Fi 7 has once again not made it to the spec sheet.

The mini-LED panel is high-resolution and contrast-rich, comes with a 120-Hz refresh rate, and offers high color accuracy.

The model's drawbacks are largely similar to its predecessors', such as the display's slow response times and ever-present PWM flickering, as well as the MacBook's lack of post-purchase maintenance/upgrade options. SKUs with more RAM and SSD storage come with a very noticeable price hike.

Either way, the configuration with 16 GB of RAM and a 512-GB SSD costs around 1,545 euros in Germany. It's 210 euros more for 1 TB of storage.

The Early 2025 Neo 16 from Schenker/XMG gets a massive boost in regards to processors, display options and GPUs. Both AMD and Intel models deliver outstanding performance, made possible by either a Ryzen 9 9955HX3D or a Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090.

At 300 Hz, the 16-inch mini-LED panel is super-fast, and its brightness is also outstanding at over 850 cd/m² in SDR mode. The DCI-P3 color space is completely covered, but the panel definitely requires post-purchase calibration. Local dimming can be deactivated for color-accurate work. The short charging cable is an annoyance and there is no USB 4.0 on the AMD model. The machine's keyboard is comfortable, PCIe 5.0 is supported, as are up to 128 GB of RAM. Its casing is sturdy and the SD card reader is quick with file transfers.

The mini-LED display of the XMG Neo 16 scores points with very high contrast and brightness values, but is not well calibrated out of the box. At least the local dimming zones can be temporarily deactivated when needed.

The base price for the Neo 16 is €2,639 (AMD) or €2,699 (Intel). The RTX 5080 and mini-LED SKU should cost around €3,400.

Like many other laptop brands, Medion offers a mini-LED-toting display in its Erazer Beast 16 X1; the offer includes a 300-Hz refresh rate, QHD+ resolution and SDR brightness of over 800 cd/m². Color accuracy is pretty good, but there is no way to deactivate local dimming.

Its keyboard is almost as good as a mechanical one, while Intel's Core Ultra 9 275HX offers plenty of performance, albeit with occasional dips under longer loads. Thankfully, the GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU with a whopping 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM has no such issues. There are also good speakers, fairly long Web browsing battery life of 8 hours, two M.2 2280 slots (one of them PCIe 5.0), as well as solid connectivity including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 7. RAM is upgradable with 2 slots available, not soldered-in. However, the system can get loud under load.

There are few bad things about Medion's Erazer Beast 16 X1, but its inconsistent CPU performance and the lack of a way to make the display's dimming zones act as a single zone tarnish the overall picture somewhat.

For around 4,300 euros, you can get the aforementioned specs, including 32 GB of RAM and a 2-TB SSD, directly from Medion Deutschland.

Asus's ROG Strix Scar 16 is a yet another system on this list relying on a mini-LED panel, plus an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090. With SDR content, the 240-Hz 1600p display shines with a brightness of over 770 cd/m². Nicely calibrated P3 and sRGB profiles are available out of the box, and local dimming can be deactivated.

Its other features include a very comfortable keyboard, Thunderbolt 5, two RAM and two M.2 2280 slots. PCIe 5.0, however, has not made it. In contrast to its bigger 18-inch brother, this system comes without an AniME matrix on the lid while fortunately retaining the overall visual appeal.

The current-generation ROG Strix Scar 16 offers plenty of power as well as a brilliant mini-LED display, good upgradability and plenty of ports.

On to the shortcomings. Its ports are all on the sides; its power consumption is high, and so is fan noise under load. The lack of PCIe 5.0 means less future-proofing.

The 2025 ROG Strix Scar 16 is currently available for around 5,000 euros in a very powerful configuration including a 2-TB SSD and 64 GB of RAM.

The 18-inch ROG Strix Scar G835, one of Asus' flagships, is noteworthy thanks to its enormously fast components, a Core Ultra 9 275HX and a GeForce RTX 5090. The 750-nit-bright mini-LED display resolves at QHD+ and 240 Hz with accurate P3 and sRGB color profiles available right out of the box. Local dimming can be deactivated for more accurate image editing, and sRGB content can be converted to P3 in HDR mode.

You also get a comfortable keyboard, Thunderbolt 5, two SO-DIMMs and two M.2 2280 slots for future upgrades. However, no PCIe 5.0 SSD options are available, instead, a RAID 0 array of PCIe 4 SSDs is employed. Its visual design should be appealing to potential buyers, thanks in no small part to the AniME Vision display on the lid.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 currently offers the best performance and display combo among Windows laptops for creators. Upgradability and ports also look good; they are all on the sides, though.

The disadvantages to consider are - in addition to high power consumption - how loud it is with higher-performance profiles on, as well as how mediocre its battery life is, and how the case is a dirt/dust/fingerprint magnet.

The Asus ROG Strix Scar is available for 5,300 euros in Germany in the aforementioned configuration including a 2-TB SSD and 64 GB of RAM from Galaxus.de or Computeruniverse, among other options.

An RTX 5070 Ti with a 140-W TGP, a very bright 300-Hz mini-LED screen, very good maintenance/upgrade options, PCIe 5.0, AMD Ryzen 9 16-core CPU, and a very comfortable keyboard - all this can be had by ordering the XMG Apex 16 Max.

On the downside, it lacks Thunderbolt / USB 4, and Wi-Fi 7. It also has loud fans, which is noticeable when under longer CPU + GPU loads, as well as short battery life and an inaccurate stock P3 color profile.

Two SSDs and two RAM modules can be installed here, and a full-size SD card reader is onboard.

The Apex 16 Max is a spec monster, but finer details lack polish. For some, this might be acceptable in view of the reasonably low price.

One advantage of the XMG Apex 16 is the low entry-level price of around 2,099 euros.

Both the ThinkPad T16g Gen 3 and the ThinkPad T1g Gen 8 have accurate and very bright, if slightly grainy, tandem OLED displays. The T16g's Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, on the other hand, is significantly more powerful than what the T1g sports. Performance sustainability of the CPU is not ideal, though.

At 105 W, the TGP of the graphics unit (RTX 5080) is also significantly higher than the 75 W of the T1g Gen 8. It is not particularly high for a 30-mm-thick and rather heavy machine. That being said, weight has been reduced by almost half a kilogram compared to the previous-gen model here.

The Lenovo ThinkPad T16g Gen 3 is a workstation with plenty of power that comes with several compromises and generates a lot of noise when under load.

The ThinkPad T16g G3 as tested is available for around 4,800 euros in Germany.

With the Raider A18, MSI has an extremely powerful CPU and GPU combo to offer the customer, specifically, AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080. In addition, a fast 120-Hz 2400p mini-LED display is included to please the user's eyes. Storage is fast thanks to PCIe 5.0, and the keyboard is good.

On the downside, there are no USB 4 ports here, the machine's cooling solution is loud, its speakers are poor and there is practically no battery life to speak of. In addition, the bright (470 cd/m²) display delivers less-than-stellar color accuracy even after calibration, and it is not possible to make the lighting zones function as a single one at will.

The Raider A18's performance is unbelievable, but its poor cooling system and the mini-LED display's inaccurate colors drag the machine down by a lot.

The Raider A18 with 64 GB of RAM and a 2-TB SSD is available for 4,350 euros from Amazon Germany, among other options.