What the guide actually recommends
The guide was first published in 2022 and was last updated on 2 November 2026. It is an editorial roundup, not a head-to-head benchmark. Each pick reflects the publication's own reviews, which were run at different times on different configurations.
| Category | Pick | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Best overall | MacBook Pro 14 (M5 Max) | macOS |
| Best value | MacBook Pro 14 (M5) | macOS |
| Best Windows laptop | Asus ProArt P16 H7606WX | Windows |
| Best budget | Asus TUF A16 | Windows |
| Best 2-in-1 | Surface Pro 11 | Windows (Arm) |
| MacBook alternative | Surface Laptop 5 | Windows |
| Large screen | Razer Blade 18 (2026) | Windows |
| More options | 15-inch MacBook Air M5, HP OmniBook X Flip 16, Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Aura | Mixed |
Windows machines make up most of the list by count, though the top two slots go to Apple. The guide's own advice is to look at comparably priced Windows laptops, which it says can offer more performance per dollar and sometimes better upgradability.
The Windows pick: Asus ProArt P16
The guide's best Windows laptop is the ProArt P16. Its reviewed configuration had a 12-core Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 64GB of RAM and a 4K OLED touchscreen. The publication measured 99% P3, 95% Adobe RGB and 100% sRGB coverage. It also praises the Asus Dial, a customizable wheel that can scrub a Premiere Pro timeline.
Other reviewers back up the broad picture. RTINGS describes the P16 H7606 as a 16-inch Windows creator laptop with a 4K+ OLED touch display. It says the laptop is available only with the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, with an RTX 4060 or 4070 option running at 105W TGP. RTINGS also lists drawbacks. These include short battery life and a glossy finish that struggles with bright reflections. Digital Camera World likewise lists the reflective screen as a downside.
The guide's caveat about older owners holds up. Fstoppers reviewed a unit pairing the same Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with an RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. That fits the guide's point that the P16's refresh is mostly a GPU change, with the same processor as the previous two models. If you already own a 2024 P16, the guide itself says there is little reason to upgrade.
The "P16" name covers many configurations. The guide's praise applies to a top-spec review sample with 64GB of RAM. Fstoppers notes that cheaper P16 models start in the low $2,000 range, with an RTX 4060 model at $1,999.99 and an RTX 4070 model at $2,299.99. Those are one reviewer's figures and retail prices move, so treat them as a snapshot.
Budget, portable and large-screen Windows options
- Asus TUF A16. The guide calls it a bargain, but not a cheap laptop. The configuration it describes has an 8-core Ryzen 9 7940HS, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a 2560 x 1600 IPS panel with 100% DCI-P3. The publication reports roughly 10 hours of light use. It warns that this drops sharply during long 4K exports. It is also over an inch thick, and it is not 4K.
- Razer Blade 18 (2026). The guide's pick for a big screen is an 18-inch 4K display. The reviewed unit had a Core Ultra 9 290HX and an RTX 5090 Laptop GPU. Thunderbolt 4 and 5 ports keep fast external SSDs at full speed. It is large and heavy, and the guide says full performance drains the battery quickly.
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Aura. This is the travel pick. It has a Core Ultra 7 258V with integrated graphics and a 15.3-inch 2.8K touchscreen. It weighs about 1.5kg and is 13.9mm thick. The publication reports nearly 22 hours of video playback, but only two USB-C ports and no discrete GPU.
- HP OmniBook X Flip 16. The guide calls this a value 2-in-1 with a 1920 x 1200 screen, 100% sRGB and 87% DCI-P3. It has a Core Ultra 7 256V. In the publication's test, 16GB of RAM limited the heaviest workloads, and the lack of a dedicated GPU can slow rendering in some apps.
A caveat on the Surface entries
The Surface Pro 11 section describes Snapdragon X Elite options, up to 32GB of RAM and a 13-inch 2880 x 1920 display. Its "read our full review" link points to a Surface Pro 9 review. The Surface Laptop 5 section is also an older review, from the Intel-era generation.
The Surface Pro 11 verdicts therefore may not come from fresh testing of that machine. This is my reading of the page, since the publisher does not say it. Treat the Surface testing claims accordingly. That covers the findings that it copes with fairly demanding work, can't multitask during an export, and has limited ports.
Two other points apply:
- The Surface Laptop 5 verdict is more cautionary. In the publication's tests, intensive Premiere Pro work caused stutters and glitches on its integrated graphics. The guide says it suits light-to-medium edits.
- If you edit on Arm Windows, check that your editing app and its plug-ins run natively. This is general industry knowledge, not a claim from the guide.
Checking the Apple context
Apple's own announcements support the MacBook details the guide relies on.
- Apple's March 2026 newsroom post confirms the M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models, with availability starting on 11 March.
- The U.S. starting prices at announcement were $2,199 for the 14-inch M5 Pro and $3,599 for the 14-inch M5 Max. The 14-inch M5 started at $1,699 with 1TB of storage.
- Apple's spec sheet confirms hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, ProRes and ProRes RAW. The M5 Max has two video encode engines and two ProRes engines. Memory options reach 128GB.
- Apple's published battery figures vary by chip and test. They are not editing runtimes. The guide's 17-hour figure for the M5 Max is a publication claim, and Apple's own sheet lists 22 hours of video streaming for that chip.
These specs confirm the hardware is capable. They do not prove the guide's subjective claim of "near-instant" Premiere Pro responsiveness, which stays attributed to the publication.
One more check on the guide's wording. Its first pick says even the "base" M5 MacBook is a serious investment. The M5 Max is also a $3,599-plus machine at announcement, so the real choice for many Windows buyers is a P16-class laptop against a high-end MacBook Pro.
The buying advice that holds up
The guide's checklist is sensible, with some caveats of mine:
- Screen size. It suggests at least 15 inches, since editing software splits the screen into preview, timeline, effects and bin panels. An external monitor can make up for a smaller laptop.
- Storage. It calls an SSD essential and 512GB the bare minimum for 4K work, with 1TB or more preferable. External drives can extend that.
- Display. It recommends IPS at minimum, OLED for better contrast and color, and factory calibration for accuracy.
- CPU. Its advice to focus on core count and base frequency is rough. Core counts matter for exports, but sustained power limits and cooling matter as well.
- GPU. A dedicated graphics processor can speed up encoding. The guide says a mid-range GPU is enough and a flagship is mainly for gamers. That depends on your software, codec and effects, so check your editor's GPU acceleration support first.
Bottom line
Read the guide as a set of trade-offs, not a single ranking:
- Maximum Windows power: the ProArt P16 or Razer Blade 18, which trade battery life and weight for performance.
- Cost-conscious: the TUF A16 gets you strong CPU performance and a good display at a lower price, with some compromises.
- Portability: the Yoga Slim 7 Aura, OmniBook X Flip 16 and Surface Pro 11 give up GPU power and ports.
Use Digital Camera World's lab numbers for the machines it tested. Check prices yourself, since they change often, and be wary of the Surface testing claims.