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If you are a creative or graphic designer and you are looking for a new laptop it might be difficult to choose the best one and which laptop suits better for your graphic design ideas and budget, that is why I made this list with the 12 best laptops you can find right now for graphic design and help you choose the best one for you!
MacBook Pro 16-inch (Best Laptop for Graphic Design)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio (Best Windows Laptop)
MacBook Pro 13″ (Best Overall Laptop For Graphic Design)
Dell XPS 17 (Best Big Screen Laptop for Designers)
LG Gram 17 (Best 17-inch laptop)
Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (Powerful Dual-Screen Laptop for Graphic Design)
MacBook Pro 14” (Best Laptop for Graphic Design with Smaller Screen)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (Best Gaming Laptop)
Dell XPS 13 (Dell’s Latest laptop is perfect for graphic design)
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) (The Best Value Laptop)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 (Best 2-in-1 Laptop for Graphic Designers)
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 (Best Budget-Friendly Laptop for Graphic Design)
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If you are a professional graphic designer looking for a new laptop and want to know the best laptop for graphic design, here are the Top 3 best laptops you can find right now in the market.
Best Windows Laptop For Graphic Design
Microsoft Surface Studio
CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core H Graphics: Intel Iris Xe or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU RAM: 16GB-32GB Screen: 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow (2,400×1,600) touch display Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD
Best Laptop For Graphic Design
MacBook Pro 16-inch
CPU: Apple M1 Pro 8-Core – M1 Max 10-Core Graphics: 32-Core GPU RAM: Up to 64GB Screen: 16,2-inches Liquid Retina XDR display Storage: Up to 8TB M.2 PCle NVMe
Best Value Laptop For Graphic Design
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
CPU: Apple M1, Graphics: Integrated 7-core /8-core GPU, RAM: 8GB-16GB, Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology, Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD, Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches
Specs: CPU: Apple M1 Pro 8-Core – M1 Max 10-Core Graphics: 32-Core GPU RAM: Up to 64GB Screen: 16,2-inches Liquid Retina XDR display Storage: Up to 8TB M.2 PCle NVMe
If you are a looking for the best laptop for graphic design with a smaller screen the MacBook Pro 16-inch is the best option in the market right now offering you a great performance and incredible screen with a 16-inch liquid Retina XDR Display that supports 1,600 nits of brightness and P3 wide color gamut giving you a great color accuracy.
If you want to buy the MacBook Pro 16-inch as a graphic designer you will have a powerful laptop with the M1 Pro and M1 Max Apple CPU that will boost your work with fast performance, also this laptop cames up to 64GB of RAM that will give you a powerful experience while you are working on your next design project.
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Specs: CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core H Graphics: Intel Iris Xe or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU RAM: 16GB-32GB Screen: 14.4-inch PixelSense Flow (2,400×1,600) touch display Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD
If you are a graphic designer who prefers to use Windows OS Microsoft Surface Studio is the best option for you offering you a beautiful screen with 120Hz and 2400×1600 resolution with powerful specs like the 11th Gen Intel Core H or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Graphics perfect for graphic design.
The Microsoft Surface Studio has a PixelSense touchscreen being a really useful tool for graphic designers and creatives that will make your design projects look great, apart from the great screen, this laptop has a really comfortable keyboard and great battery life that will help you to work during long hours everywhere.
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Specs: CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPUGraphics: Integrated 8-core GPURAM: 8GB-16GB unified memoryScreen: 13.3-inch 2560×1600 LED-backlit Retina displayStorage: 256GB-2TB SSD
Another Apple inclusion on this list of best laptops for graphic designers and now it’s the turn for the MacBook Pro 13” this laptop shares some qualities with the MacBook Pro 16”, but the only difference is that this laptop has a smaller screen making it perfect for graphic designers who want the best laptop but the 16” screen is too large for you, then you should go for this one.
MacBook Pro 13” comes with Apple’s own M1 Chip processor giving you impressive performance and with the great battery life of this laptop makes it perfect for graphic designers and video editors who want to edit in 4K or 8K, and if you are a traveler graphic designer and you want a great laptop, lightweight and with huge battery life, then MacBook Pro 13” is your best choice.
Specs: CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core i9-11980HK Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 RAM: Up to 64GB DDR4-3200MHz Screen: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display Storage: Up to 8TB
If you are a graphic designer who likes to work with a high-end big-screen everywhere you should consider buying Dell XPS 17 as this laptop offers you an incredible 17-inch UHD+ Screen with HDR being a great tool for designers and creatives to take care of every detail of your work.
Despite the big screen, Dell XPS 17 has a thin and light design being really easy to carry it everywhere, another great feature of this laptop for graphic design is the power of it, having 11th generation Intel Core processors, up to 64GB Ram and Nvidia RTX GeForce 3060 graphics perfect for most intensive graphic design projects and 3D design.
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Specs: CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core i7 Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X Screen: 17-inch WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS LCD Storage: Up to 2TB NVMe SSD
If 15-inch or 13-inch screens are small and you are a graphic designer who loves to work with large screens, your best choice is the LG Gram 17, offering you a great screen with a 2560×1600 IPS LCD display giving you a large workspace to take care of every detail of your next design idea.
Another great thing about the LG Gram 17 is its lightweight of it, having a large screen is incredible that it only weights over 1kg is a really useful for designers as it’s very comfortable to carry everywhere, so if you want an easy to carry a large laptop with excellent battery life, the LG Gram 17 is a great option for you.
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CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7 Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce MX450 RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X RAM Screen: 4-inch OLED touchscreen display 1920 x 1080 pixels (primary screen), 12.65-inch ScreenPad Plus with a resolution of 1920 x 515 pixels (secondary screen) Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, HDMI 2.0b, MicroSD card reader OS: Windows 10 Pro
The Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a powerful dual-screen laptop that offers a stunning OLED display, making it a perfect fit for graphic designers who demand the best visual experience. With its unique ScreenPad Plus, this laptop offers a secondary display that allows me to have my design tools right at my fingertips, while still working on the main screen. It’s also equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, making it ideal for running heavy graphic design software and multitasking.
If you’re a graphic designer looking for a laptop that can help you take your work to the next level, then the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is definitely worth considering. With its powerful hardware and innovative design, this laptop is perfect for anyone who demands a high level of performance and versatility. So why not give it a try today and experience the power of the Asus Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED for yourself?
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CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU Display: 14-inch Retina display with 3024 x 1964 pixel resolution RAM: 8GB or 16GB unified memory Storage: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB SSD storage Ports: Two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, SDXC card slot, headphone jack Battery: Up to 17 hours of web browsing or up to 11 hours of video playback
The MacBook Pro 14″ is a top pick for graphic design with a smaller screen due to its 14-inch Retina display boasting 3024 x 1964 pixel resolution. This high-quality display offers exceptional color accuracy and detail, making it perfect for graphic design work. Additionally, the laptop comes equipped with an Apple M1 chip, providing lightning-fast performance and improved power efficiency for longer working periods without worrying about battery life.
The MacBook Pro 14″ is the ideal choice for graphic designers who require top-tier performance, reliability, and portability. If you’re seeking a laptop that can handle demanding workloads, consider giving the MacBook Pro 14″ a try. Its sleek design, powerful hardware, and advanced features make it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a reliable and powerful laptop for graphic design work. However, remember that individual work requirements may vary, so be sure to assess your specific needs before making a final decision.
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Specs: CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS or AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS Graphics:NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 RAM: Up to 32GB Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920×1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz or 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560×1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz Storage: Up to 1TB M.2 NVMe PCle 3.0
If you are a graphic designer and gamer at the same time and you are looking for a great laptop for your work and gaming the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the best gaming laptop you can use as a graphic design tool offering you a powerful CPU performance with the AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS or AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS.
This gaming laptop offers you an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Graphics and up to 32GB of RAM perfect to run every game and offering you a great performance for your graphic design projects, this powerful laptop comes in a lightweight and ultra-thin design making it really easy to carry it everywhere, so if you are a gamer and designers looking to a laptop to combine both things you should buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14.
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Specs: CPU: Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7, Graphics: Up to Intel Iris Xe Graphics, RAM: Up to 32GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x, Screen: 13.4″ FHD+ (1920×1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 13.4″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display, Storage: Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Dell is making really great laptops for graphic design and the Dell XPS 13 is one of them being a great tool for creatives and designers, not only has a beautiful design but it also gives you an extraordinary performance thanks to 11th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU and Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
The screen size is 13.4” with UHD+ (3840×2040) giving you a great display, at the same time that this laptop offers you large battery life perfect to work during hours on your graphic design idea, and if you are looking for the best screen on a laptop you should consider to buy the Dell XPS 13.
Specs: CPU: Apple M1, Graphics: Integrated 7-core /8-core GPU, RAM: 8GB-16GB, Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology, Storage: 256GB-2TB SSD, Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is the best value laptop of 2023 as the latest model comes with ARM-Based Apple M1 chip as CPU and integrated 7-core/8-Core GPU graphics to give you an extraordinary performance and amazing battery life perfect to work many hours to complete your graphic design project.
For the first time, the MacBook Air laptop supports the P3 Color gamut giving you perfect color accuracy perfect for graphic designers, also great quality for MacBook Air is the lightweight of this laptop perfect for traveler graphic designers as you can take it with you everywhere.
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Specs: CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7 Graphics: Intel Iris Xe RAM: 16GB LPDDR4-3200MHz Screen: 13.3-inch FHD 1080p touch Storage: Up to 2TB SSD
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 is the best 2-in-1 laptop for graphic designers who need a versatile machine that can handle a variety of tasks. Its 14-inch display offers excellent color accuracy and detail, making it ideal for graphic design work. Plus, the laptop features a 360-degree hinge, allowing users to switch between laptop and tablet mode with ease, providing additional flexibility and convenience.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 is equipped with an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, providing powerful performance and fast rendering speeds for graphic design tasks. Its battery life is also impressive, providing up to 15 hours of use on a single charge, making it a great option for designers who need to work on-the-go. With its advanced features and excellent performance, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 is definitely worth considering for anyone looking for a reliable and flexible 2-in-1 laptop for graphic design work.
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CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Display: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon graphics Memory: 8GB DDR4 RAM Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, 2 x USB-A 3.1, 1 x USB-C 3.1, HDMI 1.4b, 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack, SD card reader Battery: Up to 10 hours
Looking for an affordable laptop that can handle your graphic design needs? Look no further than the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14. With a sleek design and powerful hardware, this laptop offers excellent performance at a budget-friendly price point. It’s equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, which provides fast and efficient performance for demanding graphic design software. The laptop also features a 14-inch FHD touchscreen display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which offers vibrant colors and excellent detail for graphic design work.
Despite its affordable price, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 doesn’t skimp on features. It has a 360-degree hinge, allowing you to use the laptop in a variety of modes, and comes with an included stylus pen for precise drawing and design work. It also has a backlit keyboard, making it easy to work in low-light conditions. If you’re a graphic designer on a budget, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 is definitely worth considering. So why not give it a try today and experience the power and affordability of this budget-friendly laptop?
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Having a good laptop is a crucial tool for graphic designers that are traveling or moving around as it’s important to have a great performance and that the laptop is easy to take with you everywhere, I hope this list helped you choose the best laptop for your preferences and budget and now you can work only focusing on your design ideas.
When choosing a laptop for graphic design the first thing you should consider is the operating system you want to work with, for example, if you are familiarized with Apple computers or tablets you should go for a laptop with macOS like the MacBook Pro, another OS is Windows from Microsoft and Google’s Chrome OS that usually is used by more budget-friendly laptops.
CPU is the most important part of any computer and it’s also important to take a look at the CPU when choosing a laptop for graphic design as it’s the brain of your laptop and any computer, having a powerful CPU will help designers to run complex software fasters and better.
RAM is also another crucial element to invest in as a graphic designer for your laptop, as it will let you run graphic design software like photoshop or illustrator smoother and simultaneous, the minimum amount you should use as a graphic designer is 8GB but the optimal amount for professional designers is 16GB, so consider to buying a laptop with high amount of RAM to be able to work smoothly in your design projects.
Storage in laptops is the amount of capacity it has, there are two types of hard drives you can find in laptops HDD (Hard Disk) or SSD (solid-state), the first ones have more capacity and they are much cheaper, but SSD on the other side are lighter, faster and much more durable, but they are more expensive than HDD. The optimal hard drive in a laptop for graphic designers is SSD as it will give you more speed when you are working on your design projects.
For graphic designers is important to have a laptop with good color accuracy that will provide you with rich and vibrant colors to take care of every detail of your project, regarding the size 15-inch laptops are optimal for designers but if you have more space you can go for bigger screen laptops.
The main reason to invest in a good laptop for graphic designers is to be able to take it everywhere and work from home, in the park, coffee shop, or your favorite place, that is why is important to buy a laptop with good battery life, this will provide plenty of time to work on your projects without the necessity to charge it.
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Yes, actually MacBooks are considered the best laptops for graphic designers being the most popular option for designers and creatives due to the great build quality and powerful performance giving you a great tool for your design projects.
If you want to invest in the best laptop for graphic design you definitely should buy the MacBook Pro 16”
The best laptop for graphic designers is the Apple MacBook Pro for macOS users, and for those designers who prefer to work with Windows, the best one is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4.
Yes, Asus laptops are good for graphic design work, on this list, you can find the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 which is the best gaming laptop you can use for graphic design offering you a great performance for design and games.
Yes, you definitely need a dedicated graphics card to run graphic design software like photoshop and work on them smoother, but if you want to work in 3D design or more intensive design works you should invest on buying a good graphics card to support it.
Both OS are good for graphic design, it all depends on the hardware you will use and Windows and Mac laptops have booth powerful options for graphic design, to choose between both OS it’s also important to consider your preferences, if you already use macOS devices like iPad or iMac definitely going for an Apple laptop will be the best for you to integrate a workflow with other Apple devices.
The best MacBook for graphic design is the MacBook Pro as it’s the most popular among creatives and designers thanks to its power, design, and quality, and the best option is the MacBook Pro 16”, other great MacBooks are the MacBook Pro 13” if you want to save some money and the MacBook Air which is the best value laptop that will offer you great performance for design projects.
The short answer is yes, as the SSD disks will offer better performance, more speed, and better build quality really important for graphic designers, regarding the disk space for graphic design at a minimum you should buy a laptop with at least 512GB SSD to manage large files.
To work as a graphic designer with a laptop you should at least buy one with a Four or eight-core processor with good clock speed to be able to perform graphic design tasks and 3D rendering with an optimal speed and performance.
Yes, you can use a laptop to work on graphic design, for example, if you are going to work mostly with 2D images you can buy a mid-range laptop or a good budget-friendly laptop, but if you want to make more complicated tasks such as 3D design you definitely should invest on a high-end laptop with powerful specs to carry on these tasks.
The minimum amount of RAM you need for a graphic design laptop is 8GB, but the optimal amount will be 16GB to perform all graphic design software smoothly and easily, and 32GB would be the best option for more complicated tasks and large graphic design projects.
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Having a good laptop is a crucial tool for graphic designers that are traveling or moving around as it’s important to have a great performance and that the laptop is easy to take with you everywhere, I hope this list helped you choose the best laptop for your preferences and budget and now you can work only focusing on your design ideas.
If you found this post useful you might like to read these posts about Graphic Design Inspiration.
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