Here are the top 5 laptops under $500 you can buy today! If you want to use professional video editing software but your budget is low, finding a laptop with the right tech specs is important for producing high quality video content.
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Download FREE AEjuice Plugins$500 is an extremely low price for laptops considering the value and functionality they provide. For video editing, vfx, motion design and other activities which involve high CPU and RAM usage, it is recommended to invest in a fast, powerful laptop that can handle processor consuming softwares. Although extremely cheap, here is a list of the top 5 laptops which provide the most 'bang for your buck' value for video production.
My personal laptop is the Asus X515. Although it costs a little over $770 USD, it's worth the money. I manage most of my websites including Free Visuals from this laptop. I'm able to run multiple programs and tabs on google at the same time, all without any lag or speed issues. That's because it has powerful Intel i7 processor and 8gb of ram (which isn't much but it's still good compared to most of the laptops I've listed here.
The #1 laptop that money can buy for video editing would undoubtedly be the Dell Inspiron 3511. Not only does it have an 11th gen i5-1135G7, but it also has 8gb RAM. Note: this laptop isn't actually under $500 but it's been on sale for the past few months so I might as well just add it in.
The Lenovo Idea pad is a great starter laptop for basic video editing as well as gaming. It's very slim and portable so you can transport it easily if your job or school involves frequent relocation from one location to another.
Cheap, powerful and multi-functional. The HP 6X0R2PA has multiple functionalities which the other laptops listed here don't have. If you require a camera with average quality, this laptop comes equipped with a 2mp front facer. It also charges faster than most laptops, reaching 50% in just 45 minutes!
You're not going to find a high performance laptop in new condition with at least an i7 processor for under $500. With that being said, running any video editing software on any of these budget laptops may be strenuous when working with large file sizes and high resolutions. You should consider increasing your budget if you intend to produce complicated effects, long length or high quality videos in video editing softwares such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Adobe After Effects.
The Asus VivoBook goes way over the $500 budget which you probably have if you're reading this post. I've decided to include it anyways because it is the cheapest laptop you can buy that has an i7 Processor.
Featuring 512GB SSD storage with 8GB RAM, the Asus VivoBook provides the most value considering it's low price in comparison to other laptops available in the same price range. It's perfect for running any video editing program and producing any type of video, regardless of how complex it may be. Since Final Cut Pro cannot run on windows, we recommend Adobe After Effects with plugins as a low cost alternative if you choose to purchase this laptop for video editing.
If you choose to use this laptop for YouTube video editing, I wish you all the best. It only has the bare minimum requirements for running nay creative software. At best, you'll be able to run Hitfilm, but it won't be long before you run out of storage space. Luckily this laptop does come with some positive features. You can expand the RAM of this laptop easily up to 20gbs. It also comes with multiple USB 2, 3 and 3.1 ports providing compatibility for external drives and devices. If that's not all, it also comes with Acer True Harmony Audio, all for under $500!