Guys, I need a new laptop...

So I actually do need a new laptop on this day. the 11th of February, 2025.

Been using Chromebooks for years at this point, but want to dabble in videos.   To edit, I want to use the free version of DaVinci Resolve.

This is what I am told is a screen grab of the requirements-







The issues are
1) I am not up to speed on Windows computer specs since my last one was over a decade ago.
B- I really don't want to figure out an Apple-based system while I am trying to figure out what can be considered a challenging video editor
π (who doesn't like π??) I am pretty cheap, but I don't want to put myself in a trickbag by buying something that is not quite up to snuff
IV (the itchy part of this quest) I would like to stay under $1K.   Well under $1K, if possible.

I've been told gaming laptops have most of what would be needed for an editing laptop, but as you should be able to tell from 1), I'm not into gaming.   At All.

The Apple part is non-negotiable at this point. I really am not getting stung by B

I'm not in wonderful financial shape, but I have to scratch an itch while dealing with IV.

Before you finish your reply don't forget your π!

Not apple, solid machine with ram and good video card sounds like an excellent excuse for a refurb Lenovo thinkpad.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235950890916?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235950891071?

Both of these are overkill on the RAM at 64gb but have 4gb dedicated graphics cards that are new enough you should be able to update to that Nvidia driver listed.  They are bricks, desktop replacement laptops that don't get amazing battery life and will want to be plugged in whenever you do any heavy lifting while editing. I have a refurb P53 that I bought last summer and absolutely love it. I have a little less RAM at 48gb but more graphics card and I haven't been able to stump it yet even running large CAD assemblies and a professional grade 3D scanner.  i get 3-3.5 hours of browsing on the battery if I don't have the screen brightness too high and it will run the battery flat in 40 minutes if I'm pushing it with the 3D scanner.

Must it be a laptop? You're basically preventing yourself from graphics card upgrades (does the meat of editing) by getting a laptop. Find a generic Dell business desktop (Optiplex line) and get a new power supply and GPU. Or an old Alienware desktop might be better and more upgradable. 
 

My 2 cents. 
 

Also, if you did happen to find a cheap Mac Pro desktop, they run Windows just fine. 
 

At a quick glance look at this one. Needs more VRAM tho

eBay Alienware desktop

I second the evaluate the real need for a laptop concept.  That portability comes at a pretty high cost.

I'm gong to be downloading and editing on the road at times.
Tough to take a desktop with.

Sorta. When you buy a desktop, you then need to buy ancillaries like monitor, keyboard, mouse (and speakers, for video editing).

while none of those things are all to expensive alone, they do all add up. And can be an extra annoyance to source.

don't even get me started on how enraging it is to go to use a computer and the keyboard batteries are dead, then you find that you don't have any AAA in the house. the simple point I'm trying to make is that desktops do have a lot of hidden additional costs in terms of money and headspace.

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

And they really don't fit well in the overhead compartment.

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

And they really don't fit well in the overhead compartment.

The small form factor desktops fit easily in a carry on - I ferry mine back around fairly frequently.  It's the 32" monitor and keyboard that don't fit.

I've had good luck with Toshiba hardware.  Getting a higher spec laptop like you need does get expensive pretty quick.

The problem with most SFF machines is that you don't really get a powerful enough graphics card to have a workable solution for something like DaVinci Resolve (which really wants a powerful graphics card). So you have to lug around an external graphics card.

I like Lenovos for Windows laptops, so if a MacBook Pro - and an ARM MacBook Pro is probably the correct answer - is out of the question, I'd get something like the P53 mentioned above or an as-new-as-the-wallet-can-stand-it P15 workstation with the most powerful optional graphics processor they were available with. Just keep in mind that the Lenovo portable workstations are more like luggable workstations.

In reply to RacetruckRon :

I really appreciate the links, and that is much cheaper than I was expecting. I didn't want a used gaming computer, as they seem to be more flash than stone axe.

I owned a ThinkPad in the old IBM days, and the permanent dent in my index finder to prove it.   Durability is something I didn't mention, but a huge plus.  I usually carry a single backpack when I travel, and it gets tossed in the overhead or shoved under the seat in front of me, and tossed in the passenger seat when I'm driving. The list of requirements that I posted is different than what I remember seeing about a year ago, but it is what it is.  The GPU of at least 4 gigs of VRAM has me a bit confused, as I am not sure where to find that in the specs, or even exactly what it is.   I've had it explained to me by my daughter via text in the past, but it doesn't really stick unless I am hands-on with whatever I am supposed to learn.

BoxheadTim said:

The problem with most SFF machines is that you don't really get a powerful enough graphics card to have a workable solution for something like DaVinci Resolve (which really wants a powerful graphics card). So you have to lug around an external graphics card.

I like Lenovos for Windows laptops, so if a MacBook Pro - and an ARM MacBook Pro is probably the correct answer - is out of the question, I'd get something like the P53 mentioned above or an as-new-as-the-wallet-can-stand-it P15 workstation with the most powerful optional graphics processor they were available with. Just keep in mind that the Lenovo portable workstations are more like luggable workstations.

 

The graphics card is one of my concerns, but I don't even know enough to know what to ask.

jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

And they really don't fit well in the overhead compartment.

  It's the 32" monitor and keyboard that don't fit.

 

My point remains.

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

The video RAM or graphics card RAM isn't super clearly listed in either of those ebay links. Both of those laptops have Nvidia Quadro T2000 cards, if you look that up in a separate search you find that the Quadro T2000 has 4gb of dedicated ram. I went back and forth on this quite a bit when shopping for my laptop 8 months ago.
The P53 has the graphics card directly mounted to the motherboard, on the P15 the graphics card is a separate board and in theory you can swap in a more powerful graphics card later on. I ended up buying as much graphics card as I could at the time with my P53 since that was locked in. 

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:

Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself said:

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

And they really don't fit well in the overhead compartment.

  It's the 32" monitor and keyboard that don't fit.

 

My point remains.

Not to belabor the point since it sounds like you've ruled out desktops, but if you're willing to settle for a 14" notebook screen, nothing says you must use a 32" external monitor. 
 

And the point of an old gaming computer is not that it's awesome but that they're very easy to customize. Business desktops are hard to get the right PSU and an aftermarket graphics card that you can guarantee will fit. 
 

But yeah, I hear you that you don't want that, just clarifying some misconceptions. 

In reply to P3PPY :

Have you read this whole thread?

There are zero misconceptions here that need to be cleared up.  An SFF won't work in my use case.  I can shove a laptop in the single backpack I carry on my fly and drives or road trips, and then take it out, open it up, and get to work immediately.  If doing some heavy lifting, I can plug the adapter in.  The only other cord to worry about is if I download from my phone or camera and I already carry that to charge my phone.  I'm not interested in figuring out how to stick a separate monitor into a backpack without damaging it when someone else crams their hard sided luggage into said backpack in a stuffed overhead bin, and certainly not interested in setting up a monitor, keyboard and mouse in my truck or whatever car I happen to drive.

The (specific) gaming computers were recommended for DaVinci because they could handle the workload and the video as-is.  Not because they were customizable.  The complaint I have about the gaming computers is that they look flashy on the outside, but not very durable.  Also, I expect a gaming computer to be "rode hard and put away wet" due to their intended use, which is why I don't want a used one, besides the fact that it may have been customized in the past with who knows what and why.  

The business laptops the Ron recommended are able to do the work I am looking to do, as far as I can tell. And I realize I am not the best judge of computers, but I believe Ron is a pretty darn good judge of them, and I am a pretty good judge of people.   I had concerns about what I considered to be DaVinci Resolve specific on those machines, and Ron addressed them while making sure to do so in a way I am able to understand. (he had already done the work to be to address the possible issue before I even asked)  He also didn't assume I didn't know what I wanted or why I wanted it, and instead worked with what I was asking to try to help me fill a need.    I can tell you, it feels good not to have to explain myself when I ask a fairly specific question, and I appreciate that someone was willing to do that, and not tell me that I maybe should be looking for a different form factor than I am asking for. 

 I am not literate with computer specs, but that does not mean I don't know what works best for me when I travel.   I've thought about this long and hard over the years, and I know what works.  Simple, easy to understand, and durable.   Chromebooks covered two of those three over the last ten years, but not the third.   But that was mitigated by price; they are the paper plates of the computer world.  When all you have to do with one is browse the web and maybe edit a photo or 3 to lower a truck or make a meme, a chromebook is a perfectly cromulent idea.  Throw it away and get another if it fails.   No chromebook will ever work with Davinci ReSolve in its current form, so I thought through my other options while being simple and easy to understand (for me) and then came here to ask for laptop recs.  Ron gave me choices that cover all three of my travel requirements without even knowing about my feelings on the durabilty.  But I'm sure he did have a very good idea because he paid attention to my initial post.  (Or maybe he simply is a ThinkPad fanboi and got lucky, but I am am still going with the former.)  

The workstation thinkpads are pretty tough and very serviceable (with well documented service) if something does need repaired. I had a gen2 P15 at my last job that had been around the world with me a couple times at my last job, I've done quite a bit of travel with my P53 just in my backpack and we recently acquired a brand new P16 at my current job that's been around the US on mine sites.

I guess I've become a little bit of a Lenovo fanboy but they just work and check the boxes for heavy computing power on the go. I also like that the P53/P15/P16 fits in my backpack laptop slot albeit it's quite heavy compared to a Macbook Air.  Another thing I like about this series of Lenovo is they have the number pad and middle mouse button on the trackpad, which can both be a big productivity booster on the go depending on what program you are using.

Another vote for Lenovo ThinkPad P53 or P15. I needed a new laptop around the time my last employer went bankrupt and sold everything out of the vacant cubicles of the people who had been laid off. I picked up a P15 that was both newer and more capable than the P53 I had in my own cubicle, for about $500 with power supply and wireless keyboard + mouse plus a couple monitors.

i use the free version of davinci resolve and, while I kinda suck at it and don't do much beyond basic editing, I have not noticed any computing-related issues with it.

my machine is a P15 Gen2 with Intel Core vPro i7 2.5 GHz processor and 16.0 GB installed RAM.build date 03/2022. 

Another Lenovo fan person here.

Here's a 2nd gen P15 with the mid level graphics card option: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276860391610

These have 4GB of VRAM, the A4000 equipped ones have 8GB but I couldn't find one of those.

One of the annoyances with their new model naming scheme is that they don't change the model number so you have to search for model number and generation these days. 

In reply to P3PPY :

I appreciate your educational words as someone who isn't the OP but is reading this thread and will also need to make a computer purchase in the near future.

In reply to RacetruckRon :

I knew where you were coming from.   I figured you were probably a ThinkPad fanboi, but the key is you aren't just a ThinkPad fanboi.  

I also figured you like the MacBook from your reply, which ordinarily should be the Easy Button here.  It just doesn't work that way for me, personally.  I appreciate the fact that you didn't try to push me down that road.  Trust me, I've contemplated it many, many times myself for this fact over the past couple years.  I have an older (I mean old) iPad with an add on keyboard/folio that was given to me (don't even remember how old, but it's pre M1 and even before the Pros, for that matter, so DR is out of the question on it) and I may toss it in the backpack from time to time for browsing, but it is faaar from comfortable for me to use; the operating system just doesn't jibe with me.  I've used MacBooks from time to time that were owned by spouses/girlfriends, and while it may look like I'm doing fine with them, it always feels like I am trying to pleasure myself with my non-dominant hand.  

This would be my dream setup for traveling if I felt comfortable with iOS, and I was sure that it would fill my needs.



But I don't feel comfortable with the operating system, and it also isn't very good for final editing, so I would still have to get something else for final editing, which brings me back to my OP.  (Circle of Life)
Not to mention, I would be spending even more money before even getting my feet wet with Resolve.

Bit of a ramble, sorry.  Snow Day.

P3PPY said:

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

 

1) Metaphors only go so far, but if someone came to a shoe store saying asking for the best dress shoes for running in, wouldn't it be kind of the salesman to suggest running shoes? And it's okay for the customer to say "no, I need them to be dress shoes". And yet no one was rudely "assuming" in that situation. 
 

2) I think you might have taken offense at the idea of a misconception?
 

3) Note also that your OP never stated your use case of needing to travel, anyway. 

1) If someone asks me about the best shoes for running in, I will tell a grown man what they are if I know.
Because he will know what running shoes are, since he specified dress shoes that he will be running in.  Specifying is the key.

2) It wasn't the idea of a misconception, it was a statement of "some misconceptions".   If you said "what may be misconceptions," this conversation wouldn't be happening right now.

3) Which is why I asked if you read the whole thread.  I would imagine you did, because you quoted me in the response where I mentioned an overhead bin and suggested that I could travel with a monitor that is smaller than 32"  I had already mentioned that I travel with a single backpack at that point.

My replies in this are me attempting to be as clear as possible.   
 

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

It is good to hear from someone who runs Resolve on a ThinkPad and recommends it.  That's about as specific as it can get to allay my fears.   BRT- sorry I couldn't meet you during that long wait I had when I missed my connecting flight at DTW when picking up the Dajiban in Seattle.

I expect my experience with Resolve on the Lenovo will mirror yours in more ways than one. Probably everything you stated.  But I'm gonna try.   

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Okay, now I am at three different possibilities, and my head is swimming.  (seriously)

I appreciate having choices, no complaint there. And I greatly appreciate the explanation of the model numbers, as I kinda noticed that, as well.   Made me feel like I was trying to cross-shop mattress models from the same manufacturer in different stores.  Every store seems to have a different line, and keeping all the different features in my head from store to store was giving me a headache.


So, to all the Lenovo Bros-

Of the three listed here, which would each of you say is best for running Resolve?  I'm a cheap SOB, but if the more expensive one will work out better, I'm willing to go there.  If they will all run it for a reasonable case scenario (I am not sure how far I will go with this, but if I don't suck at it, and can afford it, some day I would like to try out their Speed Editor, but I don't really want to think about the odds of my not sucking at this, let alone tell you guys what those odds are.

In reply to Russian Warship, Go Berkeley Yourself :

My weak sauce answer - the newest model that fits in your budget as it likely has the longest lifespan left from both a hard- and software point of view.

Also, Resolve relies a lot on the graphics card for rendering, so a weaker processor (say, an i7 instead of an i9) has less impact than a weaker graphics card.