Best Laptops for Graphic Design 2021

Graphic designers always need powerful laptops that satisfy all their design needs. They need a laptop that allows them to create and organize work effectively and efficiently. These days, searching for the best laptops for graphic design is a challenging task for professional graphic designers. So, to help you we have provided a list of best graphic design laptops 2021 that are best suited for quality graphic design tasks.

After doing extensive research, we have collected this list of best laptops for graphic design that delivers fast and powerful processor, huge RAM, high resolution and high-end graphics card. Out of them, you have to decide which laptop best suits your personal needs in Graphic Design.

But, before you rush to the store to buy a laptop for graphic design, you need to check a few important things on a laptop for quality graphic design.

Important things to consider before buying a good laptop for graphic design

When you are looking for a laptop for graphic design then the price tag is not enough. There are many things you should check. Here are some recommendations you should consider before buying a graphic design laptop:

Display

Unlike with a photo editing laptop, you’ll need a laptop with high resolution (i.e. 1920 x 1080) for graphic design work. If you are not on a tight budget, try to go for as high as possible for the best laptop graphic design. The size of the screen also matters. For graphic design, a larger screen is preferred as it is convenient to use. A 14 to 15-inch screen size is ideal for graphics designing.

Operating System

You can use both Windows or macOS for graphic design but going with MacOS is probably be the best option. Many people in this industry prefer a Mac over PC because they are more stable for this kind of work.

Processor

A processor is an important part of the computer that ensures multiple open applications can run smoothly on your device. If you are looking for a good laptop for graphic design, choose Core i5, Core i7 processors because they are most suitable for this work.

RAM

For most graphic design purposes, get something that has 8GB RAM or more. If you have a good budget to buy a laptop for graphic design, go to 16GB or higher because it will allow actual multitasking.

Battery

The battery is another crucial factor to consider when you’re buying a laptop for your graphic design work. As an ideal graphics design laptop, it should have 12-14 hours of battery life so you can stay productive throughout the day.

Top 8 Best Laptops for Graphic Design

1. Acer Predator Helios 300

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming LaptopThe Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop is a popular gaming laptop that comes with high-level graphics. A professional graphic designer always prefers a laptop that turns your work into a joyful experience. This laptop comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display which offers bright colors and super-detailed imagery from all angles.

The laptop is powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM that provides fast loading speed with zero lag performance. For storage, this laptop is equipped with 512GB of a fast solid-state drive. If you need more storage space you can upgrade it up to 1TB SSD as this laptop supports SATA based storage drive. Graphics of this laptop handled by 6GB of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card which is excellent to handle your intensive graphic design software.

For all your graphic design needs, the machine ensures a breathtaking experience. Overall, with high performance and amazing graphics, this is an ideal graphic design laptop.

Main Specifications of Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 VRAM
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 7-hours
Weight 5.0 lbs
MORE: Top 10 Most Recommended Gaming Laptops Under $800 – Can also be used for graphic design

2. Apple 16″ MacBook Pro Best Mac for Graphic Design

Apple MacBook Pro 16For professional graphic designers, Apple MacBook Pro always remains their top choice. It is a powerful laptop with a 9th generation Intel Six-Core i7 processor paired with 16GB of RAM that gives quick results even while multi-tasking. The laptop comes with a 16 inch full HD retina display with a resolution of 3072×1920 pixels.

This Apple MacBook Pro is featured with discrete graphics of Radeon Pro 5300M which makes it the most powerful laptop for graphic design. The only down part of this laptop is that it has only USB-C ports. If you want to copy some files to an SD card, you need to buy an additional USB-C SD reader. It should come as no surprise that a hugely expensive laptop but for the outstanding design and performance that Apple offers, the Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for graphic design.

Hardware Specifications of Apple 16″ MacBook Pro
Processor 9th-Generation Intel Six-Core i7 Processor up to 4.5GHz
RAM 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 16″ FHD LED-backlit Retina (3072×1920) Display
Graphics Radeon Pro 5300M with 6GB of GDDR6
Operating System macOS Big Sur
Battery Life Up to 11-hours
Weight 4.3 lbs

3. Acer Aspire 5 Budget Laptops for Graphic Design

Acer Aspire 5 A515

If you are on a tight budget and looking for a good laptop for graphic design work, this Acer Aspire 5 would be the best choice for you, or we can say that it is the best budget laptop for graphic design. It sports a 15-Inch full HD display widescreen LED IPS display which is very good for photo editing work. The laptop is powered by the latest 10th generation Intel Core i5 paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD for storage.

With 2GB of NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card, there is a lot on the laptop to make graphic designers like the machine. The Acer Swift 3 runs on Windows 10 and boasts of a 10-hour battery backup. It means you can do your graphic design work for a long time without worrying about the charging. Based on its performance, we find this laptop perfect for graphic designers – both beginners and professionals.

Hardware Specifications of Acer Aspire 5 Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1021U Processor (Turbo Up to 4.2GHz)
RAM 8GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2GB memory
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 10 hours
Weight 3.97 lbs

4. Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Microsoft Surface Pro 7Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is the most versatile laptop and best drawing tablet, you can buy in 2021 for your graphic design work. Considering its design it comes with a magnesium-aluminum alloy frame which is rounded at the edges. It sports a 12.3-inch PixelSense touchscreen with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels which is good for sketching and creating graphics. As it is a 2-in-1 device so, you can switch modes between drawing and typing, between work and play.

The laptop is powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The laptop runs on Windows 10 Home operating system which is good if you’re into graphic designing. Although, you have to buy a Surface Pen and detachable keyboard separately. This will increase your spending limit but, if we look at its powerful configurations, this is one of the best laptops for graphic designers.

Hardware Specifications for Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Processor 10th generation Intel Core i7 processor
RAM 16GB RAM
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 12.3″ PixelSense Touchscreen (2736×1824) Display
Graphics Intel HD graphics 620
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 10.5-hours
Weight 1.7 lbs
You may like to read – Top 10 Best Gaming Laptops under $1500 – Also Suitable for Graphic design

5. HP Spectre x360 15t with Active Stylus

HP Spectre x360-15t

The HP Spectre X360 is a gorgeous looking lightweight laptop that comes with cutting-edge design aluminum chassis. It’s exterior is finished in the black-and-copper colorway. The laptop is also packed with 10th gen Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB of SSD for storage. The graphics of this notebook are featured with NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2GB of dedicated graphics memory which is good enough for graphic design.

It’s one of the most powerful machines on the market. The HP Spectre x360 comes with a 15.6-Inch 4K ultra-HD backlit touchscreen display having a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. For additional specifications, the laptop comes with an Active Stylus Pen that allows you to sketch, blend, write, and navigate with astonishing accuracy. The Spectre x360 provides a pretty great battery life of up to 10 hours for a big-screen notebook. Overall, it is a compact and convenient laptop for Graphic Designers.

Hardware Specifications of Latest HP Spectre x360 15t Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7-1051U Quad-Core Processor (Turbo up to 4.9GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB PCIe SSD + 32GB Optane
Display 15.6″ 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) WLED-backlit Touchscreen Display
Graphics 2GB NVIDIA GeForce MX150
Operating System Windows 10 Home 64-Bit
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 4.79 lbs
You may like to read: Top 10 Best Laptops Under $700

6. Dell XPS9500 4K Ultrabook

Dell XPS 9570Dell has always been known for producing high-performance machines. Their Dell XPS series is the most recommended laptop series along with Apple MacBook Pro for professional graphic designers. Here’s the Dell XPS9500 which is perfect for those who are looking for a great processor and a decent graphics card in their machine. It is designed with a silver color aluminum chassis which gives it a premium touch. The Dell XPS 15 features a 15.6-inch 4K InfinityEdge display that gives a sharp and wide viewing angle. It is the only laptop with a 100% minimum Adobe RGB display making it the best laptop for graphic design.

The laptop is powered by a 10th generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processor with 16GB of RAM. With 512GB SSD and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti graphics, this is a powerful machine for designers and students who are learning graphic designing. There is a number of ports available on the laptop including an HDMI, two USBs, a Thunderbolt, and an SD card reader. It runs on the Windows 10 operating system which makes it one of the most compatible and best graphic design laptops.

Hardware Specifications of Dell XPS9500 Ultrabook
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H Processor (Up to 4.1GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 512GB SSD
Display 15.6-inch 4K (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti with 4GB GDDR6
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 10-hours
Weight 4.0 pounds

7. ASUS VivoBook K571 Ultrabook

ASUS Vivobook K571

The ASUS VivoBook K571 is another great laptop for graphic designers. It can be an ideal choice for graphic designers who are looking for a portable and premium looking laptop. It is the most recommended laptop for graphic design because of its superb performance and reliable graphics card. The most basic configuration for this laptop features the latest 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor with 16GB of DDR4 RAM.

For storage, the ASUS VivoBook comes with 256GB SSD with 1TB HDD which is good for the fast loading of applications as well as to store your files and software. It comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels which is good for graphic design work. With thin, lightweight, and long battery life features, this laptop is best for designers that travel a lot. Overall, the laptop is yet another perfect laptop if you’re looking for the best laptop for graphic designers.

Hardware Specifications of ASUS VivoBook K571 Ultrabook
Processor 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H Processor (Turbo up to 4.5GHz)
RAM 16GB DDR4
Storage 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Display 15.6” Full HD (1920×1080) IPS Display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
Operating System Windows 10
Battery Life Up to 9 hours
Weight 4.3 lbs

8. ASUS ZenBook UX534FD Laptop

ASUS ZenBook UX333FAIf you’re looking for a laptop with a unique design, the ASUS ZenBook UX534 is a great place to start. It provides a sleek design and tons of power for far less than high-end competitors like the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It comes with 15.6-inch NanoEdge multi-touch 1080p display. It’s a laptop that can chew through even demanding work like graphic design, photo, and video editing, etc.

The laptop is powered by a 10th generation Intel i7-10510U quad-core processor with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and gaming-grade NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics. For storage, the laptop is featured with 1TB of a solid-state drive which delivers superb responsiveness. The laptop has a full-size silver-backlit keyboard, making typing more comfortable and more accurate. The laptop offers a massive battery life of up to 14 hours which is great because demanding tasks like graphic design require a lot of working hours. All-in-all it is one of the best laptops for graphic design at an affordable price.

Hardware Specifications of ASUS ZenBook UX534 Laptop
Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10510U Quad Core Processor (Turbo up to 4.9GHz)
RAM 16GB LPDDR3
Storage 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
Display 15.6″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) 4-sided frameless nano-edge display
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB Graphics
Operating System Windows 10 Home
Battery Life Up to 14 hours
Weight 3.64 lbs

Picking the one ‘best laptop for graphic design’ would be unviable. It all depends upon your own experience and usage whether a machine is the best fit for you or not. With a premium display, HD graphics, fast processor, it perfectly sums up what the best laptops for graphic design should offer.

We think our short review of graphic design laptops will help you to find the best machine. If you still need any suggestions or guidance related to the laptops, feel free to ask and leave a comment below.

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