Ranking: Best laptops for editing photos and videos

Compared to its predecessor (Late 2023 model) with the Apple M3 Max SoC, the new 2024 MacBook Pro 16" remains visually unchanged but brings several technical upgrades. The mini-LED display now delivers over 1,000 cd/m² of SDR brightness and offers an optional nano-texture matte finish. Thunderbolt 5 and an improved 12-MP camera also come included, whereas Wi-Fi 7 does not.
The M4 Pro chip, with 14 CPU and 20 GPU cores, surpasses the M3 Max, particularly in single-core performance. GPU performance has increased by 30 to 45%, depending on the workload.

The mini-LED display features an extremely low black level, achieving OLED-like contrast. Subjectively, image quality is nearly perfect here. However, PWM flickering at 15 kHz might be an issue for sensitive users. The panel covers nearly 100% of the DCI-P3 color space and offers high color accuracy, making it ideal for photo and video editing. A major downside is Apple's costly upgrade policy, with zero RAM or SSD upgrade options for users to perform on their own.

A configuration with 14 CPU and 20 GPU cores, 24 GB of RAM, and a 512-GB SSD costs around 2,700 euros in Germany. Upgrading to 2 TB of storage adds 500 euros to the bottom line, while an M4 Max version with a 32-core GPU, 36 GB of RAM, and a 1-TB SSD is priced at 3,665 euros as of this writing.

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 concuming 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 also a matte display option with only a very slight loss of vibrancy, which is supposed to make working outdoors easier.

The new 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 its constant 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. It's 210 euros more for 1 TB of storage.

The Yoga Pro 9i 16 Gen 10 should please those closer to the Windows world than Apple's ecosystem. With this machine, you get an insanely bright tandem OLED display with 1,000 nits (1,600 nits HDR peak), as well as outstanding speakers and input devices, for a Windows laptop. Intel's Core Ultra 9 285H and Nvidia's RTX 5070 do the rest.

Further advantages of the 120-Hz 3.2K touchscreen are the extremely low response times, touch functionality with pen support, full AdobeRGB coverage and perfect factory calibration.

One major drawback of the Yoga is its soldered-in RAM. The SSDs (M.2 2280 + 2242) are thankfully upgradeable.

Lenovo's Yoga Pro 9i 16 is currently the best choice for photo and video editing in the Windows world.

The Yoga Pro 9i 16 G10 costs around €2,154 directly from Lenovo Germany with a Core Ultra 9, an RTX 5060 and the Tandem OLED display described abvoe.

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 power supply cable is an annoyance and there is no USB 4.0 on the AMD model. The keyboard is comfortable, PCIe 5.0 is supported as well as 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 with very high contrast and brightness values, but is not well calibrated ex-works. At least the local dimming zones can be temporarily deactivated for when it's 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 makers, Medion offers mini-LEDs 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.

The keyboard is almost as good as a mechanical one, while Intel's Core i9-275HX 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 suffers from no such issues. There are also good speakers, a fairly long 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 (2 slots), not soldered-in. However, the system can get loud under load.

There are few bad things about Medion's Erazer Beast 16 X1, but the 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 in this list relying on a mini-LED panel plus an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090. In SDR mode, the 240-Hz QHD+ display shines with a brightness of over 770 cd/m². Nicely calibrated P3 and sRGB profiles are available ex-works 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 its 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-cd/m²-bright mini-LED display resolves at QHD+ and 240 Hz with accurate P3 and sRGB color profiles available ex-works. Local dimming can be deactivated for more accurate image editing, and sRGB content can be converted to the P3 color space 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 is available, instead, a RAID 0 array of PCIe 4 SSDs is used. 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, although they are all on the sides.

The disadvantages to consider are - in addition to the 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 the aforementioned configuration including a 2-TB SSD of storage and 64 GB of RAM from Galaxus.de or Computeruniverse, among other options.

Another 18-inch gaming laptop featured in this list is the Aorus Master 18 from Gigabyte, which, like the Scar 18, shines with its RTX 5090 and Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX. The four SO-DIMMs and three M.2 2280 slots are an advantage over other laptops. The casing and input devices raked in well to very well marks in our testing, and there are also plenty of ports on offer, including Thunderbolt 5.

A QHD+ mini-LED display with a 240 Hz refresh rate and an SDR brightness of 450 cd/m² (around 1,000 cd/m² in HDR mode) is installed. Its color accuracy is good ex-works, with only blue lagging behind out a little with a DeltaE of around 4.5. CPU performance is behind that of the Scar 18. When under 3D workloads, we measure high noise of 52 dB(A) in balanced mode; idle consumption is bigger than it should be and the SSD throttles under continuous load.

The Gigabyte Aorus Master 18 is a very solid choice for content creation. To bad the display's dimming zones cannot be made to act as a single zone.

With its Raider A18, MSI offers an extremely powerful CPU and GPU combo, namely AMD's Ryzen 9 9955HX3D and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5080. In addition, a fast 120-Hz 4K+ mini-LED display is included to please the user's eyes. Storage is fast thanks to PCIe 5.0. On the downside, there are no USB 4 ports, its 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 temporarily make the separate lighting zones function as a single one. At least the keyboard is pretty good.

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

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