Graphic designing is among the most hardware and software demanding professions! In the current market of laptops, the characteristics of laptops such as weight and portability have achieved much importance. If you are choosing a laptop for graphic designing, you have to find a perfect balance between weight, performance, features, and affordability.
At a Glance:
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
- The lower price of entry
- New 10th generation processors
- Improved keyboard
It is fortunate that in the present times, laptop manufacturers develop laptops for each job and category. We have arranged a list of laptops which have excellent performance in graphic design. Hence, if you are looking for something similar, then it’s your lucky day because you are in the right place!
I’m a graphic designer and I’ve compiled a list of laptops that are the best fit for me. These are all well-known, reputable brands that have been around for years. Some are more expensive than others but they are worth it in my opinion. No matter what type of laptop you’re looking to buy there’s something on this list for you!
You can find out more about these great laptops by reading the blog post below!
| Design | Best Laptops | Retailer |
|---|---|---|
Best Pick  | Check Price | |
Staff Pick  | Check Price | |
Budget Pick | Check Price |
Apple MacBook Pro Touch Bar
Best Pick| CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 |
| Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 – 655 |
| RAM: 8GB – 16GB |
| Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2,560 x 1,600 |
| Storage: 128GB – 2TB SSD |
| Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.49cm |
Everyone knows Apple as a reliable brand that makes excellent products. Even if their product specifications don’t look astonishing on paper, their software is optimized to such a level that lower specifications products also work extremely well. This is the case with their MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, which is highly recommended for graphic designers. The laptop is equipped with a thin OLED display at the top of the keyboard, called the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar can be used to log in to the laptop by scanning your finger. As the laptop is equipped with an 8th-generation Intel Core i5, it is capable to run pretty much every graphic design-based application. Also, the laptop has an integrated GPU of Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 – 655 along with 8-16 GB RAM depending upon which configuration you opted for!
Pros
- Much more powerful
- More storage
Cons
- Keyboard learning curve
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
Staff Pick| CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H |
| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition |
| RAM: 32GBScreen: 15.6″ OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated |
| Storage: 1TB SSD |
Razer Blade 15 has proven every such person wrong who thinks Razer is only suitable for gaming purposes. Razer has taken its Razer Blade 15 and equipped it with improved specifications to make it the best creative and mobile workstation. The laptop has been specifically designed by considering the needs of content creators, creative professionals, and musicians. Hence, it is among the best laptops for graphic designers. However, the laptop costs a little more than expected but it will be such an investment which will benefit you in the long run! We would highly recommend this laptop if you have the budget to purchase it.
Pros
- Powerful
- Beautiful screen
Cons
- Expensive
Acer ConceptD 7
| CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 |
| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080 |
| RAM: 16GB – 32GBScreen: 15.6″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 16:9 IPS |
| Storage: 1TB |
The Acer ConceptD 7 is for all those users, who want a powerful machine but consider the price of MacBook Pros to be expensive. The laptop is equipped with an Nvidia RTX GPU, which is developed by considering the needs of a creative content creator. Hence the laptop is capable of managing demanding tasks without any hustle. Also, the laptop features a 4KIPS display that offers a stunning Pantone-validated screen. In addition to its raw power, the laptop is equipped with a decent selection of ports. Moreover, the laptop has a minimalistic white design which delivers a solid and stunning look. The laptop is a great choice if you want a less expensive window alternative of MacBooks for your creative requirements.
Pros
- Cheaper than MacBook Pro
- Good selection of ports
Cons
- Expensive
- Plain design
- Not as thin and light as MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro 16
| CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 |
| Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M – Radeon Pro 5500M |
| RAM: 16GB – 64GB |
| Screen: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone |
| Storage: 512GB – 8TB |
MacBook Pro 16 falls under the premium category. You can buy a useable car for the money Apple charges for their top-tier laptops! But you can have mind-blowing performance with the Apple MacBook Pro 16. This machine is used by businesses and professionals all around the world to accomplish their goals.
They say, “You get what you pay for”, and this is true with the MacBook Pro 16. Professional users have been using this line-up of machines from Apple for years, and they have never been disappointed. This is the machine you should get if you are not bounded by the budget! The machine will provide blazing fast speed in graphic designing. Also, the laptop features class-defining speakers to screen that sound and looks extremely good.
Pros
- Stunning 16-inch screen
- New and improved keyboard
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports
Lenovo ThinkPad P1
| CPU: Intel Core i5, Core i7, Core i9, or Xeon |
| Graphics: Nvidia Quadro P1000 / P2000 |
| RAM: 8GB-64GB |
| Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) |
| Storage: 256-4TB SSD |
The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 is developed while considering the needs and requirements of high-level content creators, hence it’s among the most powerful windows based laptops available in the market. The laptop comes with a Xeon processor and has a variety of CPU options. The user can choose from Nvidia Quadro P1000 / P2000 in terms of GPU performance. The RAM can be configured from 8 GB up to 64 GB. The 15.7” full HD screen is a treat for your eyes and a joy for your professional work. The laptop also includes all the ports you could need e.g. two USB 3 and USB-C ports each, an SD card, and a DisplayPort along with an HDMI 2.0 port. If we consider all the performance and features the laptop provides, it becomes really difficult not to title this laptop as a great one for graphic designers.
Pros
- Fantastic screen
- Slim design
- Oodles of performance
Cons
- Expensive
Dell Precision 3540
| CPU: Intel Core i5 |
| Graphics: Intel UHD 620 / AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 2GB |
| RAM: 8GB |
| Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) |
| Storage: 256GB SSD |
Dell Precision 3540 is a 15.6” Full HD display device that has such specifications that can handle the most demanding tools of lightroom and Photoshop. The laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5 quad-core processor along with a GPU of AMD Radeon Pro WX 2100 2GB. Hence, the laptop is extremely capable of performing 3D and OpenCL tasks. The laptop has an extremely well price tag even though it is equipped with a 256GB fast M.2 SSD and 8 GB of RAM. The laptop is also recommended for graphic designers. If you have your mindset on this machine, then do research further. But when you have researched enough then think no further and get the machine, you’ll not be disappointed.
Pros
- Large 1080p display
- Discrete AMD graphics
Cons
- 8GB RAM may be limiting
- Only a single internal SSD
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Budget Pick| CPU: Intel Core i3 – i7 |
| Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
| RAM: 8GB – 16GB |
| Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology |
| Storage: 256GB – 2TB PCIe-based SSD |
The 2020 model of the Apple MacBook Air has seen a lot of improvements as apple has introduced its biggest updates in this model. The MacBook Air is the most affordable MacBook by apple so far, which easily makes them top in our recommended list. For the first time, Apple has equipped the MacBook Air with a quad-core CPU. Also, the laptop features 10th generation Intel processors which give them a great performance boost!
We’d like to include that, with this product apple has also doubled the amount of storage in its base model e.g. 256GB. However, the laptop can’t compete with the MacBook Pro 16-inch in terms of power, but this is by far the best MacBook Air made by apple. Also, the entry price is once again lowered by apple, hence you are getting more in less price. Generally, it’s a great laptop and we’d highly recommend this one for writers.
Pros
- The lower price of entry
- New 10th generation processors
- Improved keyboard
Cons
- Screen colors a little muted
- Battery life only OK
- Webcam still just 720pBattery life only OK
Huawei MateBook X Pro
| CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 |
| Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5 |
| RAM: 8GB – 16GB |
| Screen: 13.9-inch 3K (3,000 x 2,080) |
| Storage: 512GB SSD |
Most people do not consider the brand of Huawei when they are thinking of getting a new laptop. But the Chinese-based brand has proved to everyone that it can also compete with top-performing products by introducing its Huawei Matebook X Pro. The main attractive feature of the laptop is its stunning screen even though the aspect ratio is a little odd! The laptop is designed by giving a lot of thought to attractiveness and sneak a look. The laptop is also equipped with a lot of competent specs that allow the user to perform better. The laptop has such a performance that it rivals the MacBook Pro. It runs on window 10, hence you can install every graphics-based application on it. Also, the battery of this machine is better than most of the competition. If you are looking for a laptop for your graphic designing needs, then do check this option out in detail.
Pros
- Fantastic display
- Terrific battery life
Cons
- No SD card slot
- Webcam not great
Dell XPS 15
| CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 |
| Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti |
| RAM: 8GB – 64GBScreen: 15.6″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS – UHD+ (3840 x 2400) |
| Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD |
The Dell XPS 13 has been a popular choice in the Dell XPS line-up, but in the present times, the Dell XPS 15 has also gained some big good feedbacks from the consumers. If you are someone who wants to get a high-performing windows laptop for graphic designing, we’ll highly recommend the Dell XPS 15. Similar to the MacBook Pro, the XPS features all the great functionalities from trackpad quality to speakers to keyboards.
Even though the prices of Dell seem to increase year after year, you can still acquire great specs at less prices than Apple. The XPS 15 is a delight with stunning looks, and keep in mind it’s a premium laptop so you’ll not get it cheap.
Pros
- Fast performance
- Eye-catching design
Cons
- GTX 1650 Ti is a little weak
- The 15-inch screen might be too large for some
Dell XPS 13 (2020 Model)
| CPU: 10th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 |
| Graphics: Intel Iris Plus |
| RAM: 8GB – 16GB |
| Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – 4k (3840 x 2160) |
| Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD |
We have already mentioned the Dell XPS 13 as the most favorite machine of the XPS line-up. The product and the line-up have passed the test of time. It’s hard to choose a windows based laptop as there are many, but you wouldn’t be disappointed with the Dell XPS 13.
The model with the 13.4-inch screen is an exceptional all-rounder. The laptop is very light and comes as an attractive and speedy package with a great screen.
The laptop can use a little better battery life but you can still get around six hours of battery between charges. However, the prices as mentioned before tend to increase each year. Nonetheless, the laptop is great for graphic designers and anyone who’s going to buy it will be satisfied with it.
Pros
- Gorgeous design
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Lackluster audio
- Expensive
Summary Best laptops for a graphic designer
| Design | Best Laptops | Retailer |
|---|---|---|
Best Pick | Check Price | |
Staff Pick | Check Price | |
Budget Pick | Check Price |
Conclusion: Best laptops for a graphic designers
Conclusion paragraph: The best way to find a laptop for graphic designing is by considering your needs and the features of each option. For example, if you need portability, then choose a lightweight model with 8GB or more RAM memory. If you are on a budget, then go for an affordable model that has less than 8GB but still offers some excellent performance. In all cases, make sure to have enough hard drive space as well!