Finding the Best Laptops for Graphic Designers may prove to be a challenge as the factors up for consideration are far different from purchasing a laptop for general use or gaming. Laptops for Graphic Design should be powerful, yet light and portable in order to complete intricate tasks on the go.
Here is an overview, in no particular order, of the 10 Best Laptops best suited for Graphic Design.
Our 10 Best Handpicked Laptops for Graphic Designers:
- MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
- Dell XPS 15 (2020)
- Acer ConceptD 7
- Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
- Dell XPS 13 (2020)
- Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XC
- Lenovo ThinkPad P1
- Huawei MateBook X Pro
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
The Apple MacBook Pro series is hugely popular with creatives in any possible field and graphic designers are no different. This is mainly thanks to the excellent build quality, stand out design and power. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the peak of Apple perfection.
Specifications
| 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 SSD |
The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with a much larger screen than its predecessors (15-inch models) which in turn gives Graphic Designers much more space to work with. Moreover – even though the screen sized up, it stayed super slim and light! The increased resolution only adds to the perks by making any design look its absolute best.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunning 16-inch screen | Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports |
| New and improved keyboard |
Topping off all the pros is the update hardware, with a powerful Intel processors and professional graphics cards from AMD making this Laptop any designers wildest dream!
MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
For graphic designers who want a MacBook Pro but the above mentioned 16-inch model is just too large, the MacBook Pro 13-inch is a fantastic choice. Apple launched the new MacBook Pro 13-inch model with the hardware receiving a huge overhaul.
Specifications
| CPU | Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU |
| Graphics | Integrated 8-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB – 16GB unified memory |
| Screen | 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display |
| Storage | 256GB – 2TB SSD |
| Dimensions | (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56 cm |
The MacBook Pro 13-inch comes with Apple’s M1 chip (rather than an Intel processor), which allows users to easily edit 4K – and even 8K – content all whilst running demanding graphical apps as well.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent Battery Life | Lacks in available ports |
| Great Overall Performance | |
| Able to run iOS apps |
Above all, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) boasts the longest battery life of any MacBook, which makes it perfect for designers on the go.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
While Microsoft may be best known as a leading software company, it has been offering up some excellent laptops, namely the new Surface Laptop 4.
Specifications
| CPU | 11th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 /AMD Ryzen 5 – 7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe / AMD Radeon |
| RAM | 8GB – 32GB |
| Screen | 13.5-inch PixelSense (2,256 x 1,504) touch |
| Storage | 256GB – 1TB SSD |
Not only does the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 have a thin, light and gorgeous design but it boasts an excellent PixelSense touchscreen, a first-rate keyboard, powerful specs and incredible battery life.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Comfortable keyboard | Lacking in ports |
| Beautiful screen |
All in all, The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 is more than capable of running any graphic design app imaginable.
Dell XPS 15 (2020)
The Dell XPS 15 (2020) is another brilliant choice for Graphic designers and this device is jam packed with powerful mobile components. The Dell XPS 15 (2020) has a thin and light design whilst, at the same time, remaining stylish and robust.
Specifications
| CPU | 10th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Plus Graphics – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti |
| RAM | 8GB – 64GB |
| Screen | 15.6″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS – UHD+ (3840 x 2400) |
| Storage | 256GB – 1TB SSD |
The Dell XPS 15 (2020) comes with a stunning 15.6-inch display and a discrete Nvidia graphics card, ensuring the utmost design quality.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Fast performance | Weak GTX 1650 Ti |
| Eye-catching design |
Apart from all the above-mentioned specs, the Dell XPS 15 (2020) also brings excellent battery life to the table.
Acer ConceptD 7
The Acer ConceptD 7 is a machine which packs some serious firepower for creative apps. Not only will it run any program a designer may need, but it will look good doing it thanks to a stylish design and a stunning Pantone-validated 4K IPS display.
Specification
| CPU | 9th-generation Intel Core i7 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080 |
| RAM | 16GB – 32GB |
| Screen | 15.6″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) 16:9 IPS |
| Storage | 1TB |
The Acer ConceptD 7 comes with Nvidia RTX graphics, which offers users a level of power that many other laptops simply cannot compete with.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| More affordable than the MacBook Pro | Plain Design |
| Large Selection of ports |
The Acer ConceptD 7 may bea more expensive choice, but the level of power on offer combined with Acer’s quality, makes it a worthwhile investment.
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Apple really does make and offer up some of the best laptops for graphic designers and the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) definitely deserves a place on this list. This reason being, the Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) comes with the same ARM-based Apple M1 chip as the more expensive MacBook Pro 13-inch.
Specification
| 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 (30.41 x 21.24 x 1.61cm; W x D x H) |
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) has a fan less design which means it can keep up with the MacBook Pro, being silent in use whilst doing so.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Silent to use | Old Design |
| Steller battery life |
The Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) supports the P3 colour gamut which results in accurate colour display. Furthermore, the thin, light design and amazing battery life makes it easy to use on the go.
Dell XPS 13 (2020)
Dell’s already popular XPS 13 range are some of the best laptops for graphic designers across the globe and the Dell XPS 13 (2020) continues in the tradition.
Specifications
| 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 x 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 |
The Dell XPS 13 (2020) offers users a thin and light design coupled with some of the most powerful mobile components available. The Dell XPS 13 (2020) is easy to carry, powerful enough to take on any design task and features one of the best screens available in a laptop to date.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunning Design | Sound quality is lacking |
| Crisp 16:10 display | |
| Excellent battery life |
The Dell XPS 13 (2020) does come at a higher price bracket but it definitely worth the investment for Graphic Designers who want the best.
Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XC
The Gigabyte AERO 17 HDR XC is a brilliant laptop which offers cutting-edge components, a 10th generation Intel processor, and new Nvidia RTX 3070 laptop graphics card.
Specifications
| CPU | Intel Core i7-10870H |
| Graphics | Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 |
| Screen | 17.3-inches, 3,840 x 2,160 non-touch 60Hz IPS |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
The best and most notable feature however is the stunning 4K 17.3-inch screen, which not only supports 100% of the Adobe RGB colour gamut but the display has also been Pantone calibrated.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Brilliant Screen and Display | Expensive |
| Powerful Graphics card |
The Gigabyte AERO 17 HDR XC feels robust and built-to-last, and the machine is packed with ports, which is a refreshing addition.
Lenovo ThinkPad P1
The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 is a brilliant graphic design workstation which is well-suited to high-level content creators. The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 offers options for Intel Xeon processors and pro-grade Nvidia Quadro P2000 graphics, along with up to 64GB of RAM, specs which are usually expected from a desktop workstation – however, it all fits in the users hand.
Specifications
| 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 has a slick design, with a slim chassis and a 4K display which offers 100% Adobe RGB coverage.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent Screen / Display | Expensive |
| Slim Design | |
| Stellar Performance |
The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 also have plenty of ports on offer, including two USB 3.0, two USB-C Thunderbolt 3, an HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort and SD card reader.
Huawei MateBook X Pro
The Huawei MateBook X Pro is an excellent graphic design laptop at a more affordable price.
Specifications
| 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 |
The Huawei MateBook X Pro boasts a gorgeous design with screen quality that can put its more expensive counterparts to shame.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Brilliant Display | No SD card Slot available |
| Excellent Battery Life | Webcam is lacking |
The Huawei MateBook X Pro also offers excellent mobile component which allows Windows 10 and the users selected creative apps to run smoothly.
In Conclusion
The final choice of Laptop should be a combination of power and portability. Every designer will need a laptop which is great for “on the go design” and will be able to handle a suite of creative tools.
