There is more need for laptops for artists nowadays. Aside from paintbrushes, pencils, or pens, artists use laptops as well for their different projects. Sketching on a tablet has some novelty, especially when it comes to sharing many of these artworks on social media. Furthermore, many computer programs aid artists in their artwork creation process.
Most artists purchase a MacBook as it is one of the most popular laptops for artists. But if you’re an artist looking for something, or a laptop running on Windows OS, you’ll need something else besides a MacBook. But considering the demands of most graphics programs, not just any laptop will do—you need something that lets you work in a variety of settings. Demanding programs should be able to run on your portable laptop if you decide to bring it to a cramped coffee shop or studio with ample room for drawing or painting. So what are the best laptops for artists aside from a MacBook? Here are the most common recommendations:
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
PROS
- Great specs and performance
- Excellent battery life
CONS
- Stylus sold separately
- Fewer ports
Specs:
- CPU: Intel® Core™ i5/Intel® Core™ i7
- RAM: 16 – 32 GB
- Storage: 256 GB – 2 TB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- Display: 14.4″
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Battery Life: up to 19 hours
It seems Microsoft specifically created the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for creatives and artists. With strong specs that can handle pretty much any art program, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is your best choice among the Microsoft brand laptops. It comes with an i5 or i7 Intel Core processor and at least 16GB of RAM, so it’s fast enough to run your favorite programs without breaking a sweat. It also features at least 256GB SSD storage and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 This means that you’ll have plenty of space on your laptop for artwork, plus you’ll be able to edit video at high resolution without any problems.
Its bright display makes it perfect for any artist, and with a hinge design that enables you to use it like a stand, it makes it easier to draw on this tablet with the Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus. However, the stylus is sold separately so it may come at a greater cost for those on a budget.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
PROS
- Great specs with i9 processor
- Good battery life
- Comes with Asus Stylus
CONS
- Expensive
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i9
- RAM: 32 GB
- Storage: 1 TB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- Display: 15.6″
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- Battery Life: up to 12 hours
An excellent all-around laptop, the ZenBook Pro Duo is especially if you’re looking to have a portable laptop for artists. Though a bit heavy, it has great specs and battery life, lasting up to 12 hours so you won’t have to charge it constantly throughout the day. The Core i9 processor makes this one of the fastest laptops around, perfect for when you need speed and not just portability. With an IPS display that has great viewing angles, you’ll enjoy working with this computer no matter what angle your head is from the screen or what lighting conditions are like in your workspace. It comes with the Asus Stylus so this 2-in-1 laptop is ready to go on purchase. The keyboard is comfortable to type on (even for long periods of time), which is important if you’re planning on doing any art-related work on your laptop.
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
HP Spectre x360
PROS
- Good specs and performance
- Bright and sharp display
CONS
- Fans can get noisy
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 1 TB
- GPU: Intel’s XE Graphics
- Display: 13.5″
- OS: Windows 10 Pro
- Battery Life: up to 10 hours
Another 2-in-1 laptop, the HPs Spectre x360 contends with the ones on this list for being less expensive than the others (though still pricey) but with amazing specs. With a detachable screen that turns it into a laptop when you need it, it also has great battery life and good performance, so you can sketch or paint on your travels without much worry about running out of power. The display is bright and sharp, so you’ll get an accurate representation of your work as you draw it up. The build quality is solid as well—the keyboard feels sturdy when typing, and the tablet itself doesn’t flex or bend under pressure. This convertible laptop also comes with the HP Active Pen, so you really get everything you pay for. The only downside is the fan build, as it can get a little noisy with extended use.
HP Spectre x360
Dell XPS 15
PROS
- Good specs and performance
- Bright and sharp display
- Large display size
CONS
- Heavier weight
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- Display: 15″
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- Battery Life: up to 8 hours
Powerful and portable, Dell XPS 15 contends for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops offered in the market. As far as performance goes, it has everything you need: great screen quality and battery life; a powerful processor; plenty of storage space; and even 16GB of RAM. It has enough processing power to handle any graphics program and good display size to make it more suitable for sketching and drawing.
The only drawback here is that the XPS 15 isn’t exactly lightweight in terms of size (though it does come in several different models). Still, if portability isn’t an issue for your purposes then this might be worth checking out!
Dell XPS 15
Lenovo Flex 5
PROS
- Great price-to-performance ratio
- Has an affordable price
- Good touchscreen display
CONS
- Design not as beautiful
Specs:
- CPU: Ryzen 7 5700U
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
- Display: 14″
- OS: Windows 11 Home
- Battery Life: up to 10 hours
The Lenovo Flex 5 is a strong competitor with a processor that can keep up with the best of them. For high specs for a cheaper price, it’s no surprise this takes the crown for budget laptops for artists. The screen is also excellent with an anti-glare coating that works well for both drawing and watching videos. This laptop has good battery life as well, lasting for a good 10 hours, just enough to get through a day of many artworks and projects
For artists who want to travel light but still get the best performance possible, this machine offers plenty of power in a lightweight package—weighing around 3.3 pounds. The keyboard is quite nice as well—it has spacious keys and good tactile feedback when typing or drawing. It even comes with an optional digital pen if you want precision input from your tablet mode.
Lenovo Flex 5
Flexibility should be your priority when it comes to laptops for artists
When it comes to choosing a laptop for an artist, flexibility should be your priority. As an artist, you need a device that can handle many different tasks and needs—and not just art-related ones. For example, you may find yourself needing to do some video editing or play games on the side in addition to working on your latest project. In other words, don’t be satisfied with only one application for all of your daily activities because there could come a time when it won’t cut it anymore. Like your drawing skills have improved so much that you’d like to take things up another level by adding animation or you’ve decided to go freelance and can’t afford to lose any work because of technical issues or low performance.
As such, finding something versatile enough should be one of the main concerns when looking into devices like laptops and tablets specifically designed for artists—especially if money isn’t really an issue. As an artist, you need a device that meets all of your needs as well as your budget. You also have to consider whether it will be compatible with the software you’re using and if it can handle the workload of being used by multiple people at once. These are just some of the many things to consider when buying technology for artists like yourself, so make sure that before making any decisions on what laptop or tablet would work best.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why are Macs often used by artists?
The Apple ecosystem caters to many creatives like graphic designs, video editors, musicians, etc. Some artists may prefer laptops other than a MacBook if they're not part of the ecosystem or if they prefer to have a second option.