calvinhunt98

Estimable
Dec 11, 2015
6
0
4,510
Okay I haven't done a lot of research as far as Laptop's go. Obviously Laptop Grade CPU's are going to be worse in performance I could only assume, but I am looking for something I could use to Edit in Premiere Pro, After Effects, Lightroom, and Photoshop. It's always great to be able to play some video games here and there, but that's not the primary target. It'd be nice to do some 3D rendering with Element 3D in after effects as well.

With Price Per Dollar comparison to the MacBook Pro in performance, I honestly don't feel that OS is worth the extra money.

Any ideas would could be good? I'm looking at spending anywhere from $1000-$2500 for a Laptop. But if there are minor upgrades like Ram, SSD's, and what not. I can always upgrade those personally later.

Any good ideas? The reason I need something mobile is for Freelance work. I am certified in Premiere Pro, and Final Cut Pro. But prefer to use Premiere. I also am going to be going school for film as well. So I see this purchase as more of an investment towards my career, rather than something to just use for my personal satisfaction.
 

bboiprfsr

Honorable
Dec 23, 2013
8
0
10,520
get an i7 and high end components, like 16gb of ram, etc. You're shooting for productivity, so i'd also recommend a discrete graphics card so it can process its own VRAM, allowing the CPU + memory to free up on its usage.

I'm confused why you included a Macbook Pro remark. Of course it sucks in value; however, it's an interesting platform if you stick with Apple in general. So i'm interpreting/assuming you're going with PC. cool.

Brands are somewhat subjective. Dell, Asus, MSI, Acer, Razor and Lenovo are pretty popular brands. It's highly optional what you choose; however, i must caution that if you prefer portability (thinness), that laptop is shooting for less "performance" since the components tend to be power-optimized and battery conscious. If you choose a "gaming" laptop that's a little heavier, it utilizes more energy => performance, so less battery life. Again, it's something you have to explore on the market. Each brand/company offers different selling points. You could basically pick your top 3 and decide what you're getting for the price tag. Or you could get a micro atx desktop for $1200 (sweet spot) for real editing, and a $800 laptop for on-the-go portability since you're a student. Tons of options. I notice a lot of students nowadays also have tablets, smartphones and laptops, so they have a lot of flexibilty with note taking. Desktops are more bang for your buck for performance though. Portable items have more of a premium pricetag due to supply&demand, along with design/power optimizations.
 

calvinhunt98

Estimable
Dec 11, 2015
6
0
4,510


Do you have any specific recommendations?
 

bboiprfsr

Honorable
Dec 23, 2013
8
0
10,520
i like asus - they seem more upgradable than the other manufacturers. I'd stray away from dell - too proprietary and overseas customer service/long wait times. you have to ask yourself... Do i want a think ultraportable with integrated graphics that's 4lbs and can last 5-6 hours or a beefy gaming laptop (good for video editing) that's 8lbs that can last 1-2 hours (basically plugged in whereever you go.

after contemplating, just go amazon/newegg shopping. use the filtered search engine for a laptop. make sure u want an i7, x amount of ram. u know what to do. ;p

and you can narrow down your brand/specifics.