VIDEO EDITING laptop. What do you think?

Hello friends. So I'm in the market for a new laptop. I'm a professional video editor / colorist working mostly in premiere pro, davinci resolve and a little after effects. Usually working with 4K footage. I travel A LOT through out the year so it's important to me to have something that is portable. I've been using Alienware for many years. Their 17" laptops. They've done alright but I'm at the point where I'm really sick of the size and weight. They're so heavy and burdonsome. I would really like to get something more light weight. My primary use is of course work (video editing) but I also really enjoy gaming. I play a lot of online competitive stuff like Overwatch and CSGO but would love to be able to play new graphics intensive games as well. I've been eyeing the newer Dell XPS 17. But would love to get your guys opinions and recommendations.

1) What is your budget?
$2500-$3000

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
17" (potentially 15" as well)
3) Which country will you buying this notebook?
USA

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Video editing (premiere pro, davinci resolve, after effects). Gaming (Overwatch, CSGO, also graphics intensive games)

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Traveling

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? (If so, please state which games or types of games?)
Overwatch, CSGO but would also like to play graphics intensive new games.

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
Doesn't matter. Will use mostly plugged in.

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
No

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Chrome OS, etc.
Windows

Screen Specifics

12) What screen resolution(s) would you prefer? (See further below for explanations.)
1080p/4k

13) Do you want a glossy/reflective screen or a matte/non-glossy screen? (See further below for explanations.)
No preference

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
No

15) How much hard drive space do you need?
500gb should be enough

16) When are you buying this laptop?
Soon, within the next few months.

17) How long do you expect to use this laptop?
Few years

18) How long could you afford to do without your laptop if it were to fail?
Not very long. Few weeks tops.

19) Would you be willing to pay significantly extra for on-site warranty, or would it be acceptable to you to have to ship the laptop to the vendor for repair with perhaps a week or more outage?
Not willing to pay extra for on site warranty.

 

Xps 17 or 15 if you want lighter and smaller. I really hate that I like the asus pro art devices too, but been burned by them in the past.

 

Since you're editing with 4K, look for a graphics card that has 8GB of video memory. That limits you to gaming notebooks and workstations, but since you want to game, gaming notebooks are the way to go.

The MSI GS66 Stealth is a good pick - thin, light, and it's available with an 8GB GeForce RTX 2070/2080.
There is also the Razer Blade 15, which has an optional 4K screen, though it gets pricey, and I'm discouraged from recommending it based on the warranty issues people report.

Charles

 

If you are looking for a display that is good for gaming and photo editing, you may consider the Lenovo Legion 7i. The HDR400 FHD panel is 144hz with a 7ms response time yet has wide gamut color. I am guessing Lenovo service and support should be decent, although I would try to get an extended warranty in case there are issues like the hinges failing prematurely. The 2070 is a good upgrade option for $150, but I would not bother with the MaxQ options that are more expensive.