Your laptop performance must be good when you’re running graphic design software, photo editors, and 3D modelling and rendering software. These resource-intensive creative apps can slow down your laptop and put a halt in your creative flow. Thus, to keep the design process on track and on time, you’ll need a laptop with real horsepower to run your software smoothly.
The best laptop for graphic design should have decent RAM, a fast CPU, and a powerful GPU. Also, the high-resolution screen should have a wide colour gamut that accurately reflects the colour spectrum. You’ll also need a lot of storage space – combining an SSD with the best photo cloud storage is perfect for keeping your work safe both offline and online.
So, in this article, we’ll talk about the top 5 laptops for graphic designers.
1. MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) – Best Laptop for Graphic Design
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Apple M1 Pro 8-core – M1 Max 10-core
Graphics: Integrated 14-core – 32-core GPU
RAM: Up to 64GB
Storage: Up to 8TB
With the M1 Max-armed MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), the MacBook Pro has truly transformed into a laptop for creative professionals.
It absolutely dazzles with breathtaking power and equally stunning battery life. Apple then adds its XDR display, with 1600 nits of peak brightness and a wide colour gamut, perfect for graphic design. The battery life is around 16 to 17 hours, and the screen is breathtaking, with a massive 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
The SD card slot, an HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports are all there to ensure you have access to all the peripherals you’ll need.
2. Dell XPS 17 (2021) – Best Laptop for Graphic Design
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i9-11980HK
Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6
RAM: Up to 64GB DDR4-3200MHz
Storage: Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
The Dell XPS 17 (2021) is a powerful laptop that can handle almost any graphic design work.
With specifications including an Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX GeForce 3060, you can even tackle 4K video editing, especially if you upgrade to a UHD display. The dedicated Nvidia GPU ensures a smooth gaming experience even in demanding games.
All this power fits into a 0.77-inch-thick machine, thus making XPS 17 the best laptop for graphic design.
3. MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) – Best Laptop for Graphic Design
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Apple M2 with 8-core CPU
Graphics: Integrated 10-core GPU
RAM: 8GB – 24GB
Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD
The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) is more powerful than ever, particularly for intensive tasks such as video editing and graphic design.
Surprisingly, the laptop’s battery lasts around two hours longer than the M1 MacBook Air 13-inch. Also, it stays quiet under pressure, which reduces distractions from your creative process, which makes the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) one of the best laptops for graphic designers.
However, it may not come with a new design update, which may disappoint folks who have been waiting for one, but the performance boost makes up for it.
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 – Best Laptop for Graphic Design
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: 11th generation Intel Core i5 – i7
Graphics: Intel Xe Plus
RAM: 8GB – 16GB
Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga is pricey, but it’s well worth it. Not only do you get Intel Xe graphics, the latest generation Intel processors, and Evo certification, but you also get a great screen with a wider 16:10 aspect ratio.
If you need to work in the field or on the road, it will also last a long time on a single charge. Its design isn’t the most impressive, and an SD card slot would’ve been nice, but the X1 can be a great choice for graphic designers.
This device has plenty of connectivity options, including two USB Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port.
5. Dell XPS 15 (2021) – Best Laptop for Graphic Design
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i9-11900H
Graphics: Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
RAM: Up to 64GB DDR4-3200MHz
Storage: Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
The Dell XPS 15 (2021) retains everything that has made this mid-size flagship model unique, but with updated internals. While the XPS 15 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s a great laptop for graphic design. With up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, you should be able to handle most image and video editing tasks easily.
It can even handle some gaming, though it’s a bit underpowered compared to some of its competitors and will overheat during prolonged gaming sessions.
But, with that gorgeous screen and the fantastic battery life that the XPS 15s have always had, you’ll forget about the computer’s flaws.
We hope our list has helped you find the best laptop for graphic design.
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