If you’re a graphic designer, you need the best laptops for graphic design no questions asked. It’s an extension of your mind, the canvas for your digital creations, the device that gets all the work done. And it needs to be as advanced as the software that you use on it. If you’re looking for a laptop specifically for graphic design work—and not just any old computer—here are five that fit the bill.
Apple MacBook Air M2
PROS
- Excellent performance
- Great battery life
- Lightweight and portability
CONS
- Fanless design
Specs:
- CPU: Apple M2
- RAM: 8 GB
- Storage: 256 GB
- GPU: Apple M2
- Display: 13.6”
- OS: Mac OS
The Apple MacBook Air M2 is a great laptop for graphic design. It’s lightweight, with a large screen and long battery life. Plus it has a powerful processor that can handle the intense tasks of editing photos, videos, and other graphics. The keyboard is also comfortable to type on if you spend long hours at your desk each day.
The Apple MacBook Air M2 comes with a 13-inch screen and a 1920×1080 resolution. Weighing 2.6 pounds, they are very light compared to most laptops on the market today which may weigh more than twice as much. This makes them ideal for traveling when you’re working away from home but still need access to programs like Photoshop or Illustrator without having to lug around heavy equipment all day long!
The processor speed is just right too—at 1 GHz it won’t bottleneck performance while doing complex tasks like rendering high-resolution images in After Effects CS6 software.
Dell XPS 17
PROS
- Excellent multi-core processor
- Great GPU for graphic design
- Large UHD screen
CONS
- Expensive
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
- Display: 17″
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
A laptop with a lot of power, the Dell XPS 17 makes the list as the overall best laptop for graphic design. It allows you to run Photoshop and other graphics programs without any lag or issues. The CPU is an Intel i7 processor with six performance cores and eight efficiency cores, which runs at 4.7 GHz. The GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 6GB card, which provides enough power to handle most 3D modeling tasks with ease (including gaming).
The RAM comes in at 16GB DDR4 RAM with up to 32GB available if needed. The storage comes in either 512SSD or 1TB HDD + 1TB HDD, depending on what model you get; both have great speeds for reading data off of them quickly (which helps when working on large files). Lastly, we have the display: 17-inch FHD (1920×1080). The only downside? It’s a tad expensive, but a well-worth purchase nonetheless.
Apple MacBook Pro M1 (16-inch)
PROS
- Fast processing power
- Amazing battery life
- Geared toward graphic designers
CONS
- Expensive
- Dated design model
Specs:
- CPU: Apple M1 Chip
- RAM: 16GB – 32GB
- Storage: 512 GB – 1 TB
- GPU: Apple M1 Chip
- Display: 16.2″
- OS: Mac OS
The Apple MacBook Pro M1 is the most powerful laptop on this list, with a fast processor, at least 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, and the latest Apple M1 Chip. It also has a 16.2-inch Retina display, perfect for graphic designers who prefer a large screen. Most of the programs for graphic design are compatible with Mac, as MacBooks are mostly geared towards creatives and graphic designers. If you’re looking for an all-in-one device that makes designing easier than ever before, this could be your best bet.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6
PROS
- Excellent specs
- Durable build
- Great battery life
CONS
- Parts not upgradeable
Specs:
- CPU: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe
- Display: 14″
- OS: Windows 10 Pro
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 is the best 2-in-1 laptop for graphic designers. It has a 14-inch display, which makes it easy to see all your work while designing on the go. The Intel Core i7 processor makes it fast and powerful so you can create beautiful designs without any lag or slowdown. It also comes with 16GB of RAM, which means that you won’t have to close unnecessary tabs and windows as often when working on multiple projects at once. To top things off, this laptop comes with 512GB SSD storage so you can store all your files in one place without worrying about running out of space anytime soon. For a ThinkPad, this 2-in-1 laptop is built with a durable design, capable of handling work for up to 15 hours. The only downside is this laptop is not upgradeable, so make sure you get the specs of your choice.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
PROS
- Solid build and specs
- Great display resolution
- Good GPU
CONS
- No backlit keyboard
- No dedicated GPU option
Specs:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 128 GB – 512 GB
- GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 9
- Display: 13.5″
- OS: Windows 11 Home
The Surface Laptop 4 is a powerful machine for a Microsoft laptop. It’s light by laptop standards, but not as light as some other machines out there. If you’re looking for something between an entry-level and mid-range laptop, this might be the choice for you. The Surface Laptop 4 has been updated with AMD Ryzen 5 processors and plenty of RAM to handle anything you throw at it. It also has an excellent screen resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels. There are many good reasons why graphic designers should consider purchasing this laptop—but it does have its downsides too. It doesn’t come with dedicated graphics card options like most gaming laptops do. And the keyboard isn’t backlit like many other high-end laptops on the market today, which could make working in dark environments more difficult. But overall, Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is a good option for graphic designers.
Advanced Graphic Design Requires a Powerful Computer
Your laptops for graphic design must run the latest software and get you through a long day. And you also need to be able to create the most complex designs, whether it’s for print or for the web. But the best laptop for you will be different depending on your needs and budget. To keep things simple, we’ve broken down the most important features to look for when shopping around. These include:
- a powerful processor
- enough RAM memory (8 GB)
- ample storage space (128 GB or more)
- a high-resolution display with touch capabilities
- and at least one USB port.
If you consider these factors, you’ll definitely get the right laptop for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What laptop specs do I need for graphic design?
1. A high-end CPU for faster processing 2. Ample display size (1600x900 or 1920x1080) 3. Large storage capacity 4. Latest or best working GPU