Best Laptop for Graphic Design
Graphic design today is serious business. It requires the right hardware to get the job done efficiently without freezes or slowing down. Because not all laptops are cut out for graphic design, it is important that you have the right information about the best laptops for graphic design to ensure that you buy a device that is capable of performing even the most complex graphic design tasks while balancing price, portability, battery life, and more.
Because graphic design software tends to be quite demanding on a computer’s processor, it is essential that you select something that has the right processor speed, memory, screen resolution, and is the right size based on how often you travel and need to work while flying. It is also helpful to consider exactly what you are going to need from your laptop for your graphic design work. Is a touch
screen going to help you better utilize your software better? Are you going to need extra storage for transferring large files or high resolutions for photo editing?
Once you consider all the specific uses that you need from your device, the time then comes to look at the options available.
The Best All-Around Graphic Design Laptops
When we balance out the price, processing power, memory, storage, resolution, and size of a laptop, we can find devices that can do their jobs sufficiently and to a high enough standard to not slow you down while not costing an entire arm and leg. These laptops are the mid-tier in terms of graphic design capabilities and are perfect for amateurs and anyone who is not running overly complicated and demanding programs.
A general rule for graphic design laptops regarding the screen size, however, is that 15” should be your minimum target. You want to be able to clearly see every aspect of your work as well as all your toolbars and control panels. This is to prevent you from wasting time constantly having to zoom in and out on a smaller screen.
With that said, here are some of the best all-around graphic design laptops available:
The ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 Mobile Workstation is one of the first recommendations for graphic design laptops because it has a 15.6” HDR display and a maximum of 5.0GHz of processing speed. While the more cost-conscious models of the ThinkPad P1 have 8GB of memory along with 256GB of hard drive storage space, the other models go up to 32GB of memory with 1TB of hard drive storage.
These devices are built with 9th Generation Intel Core i7 processors, ensuring that these devices are able to execute even the more demanding program instructions. All of the ThinkPad P1 Workstation models come with the NVIDIA Quadro T1000 4GB graphics cards for optimum visual quality and processing, and also includes an Ultra Performance Mode that allows the device to use its airflow and thermal saturation to improve efficiency for maximum performance and power.
Another great laptop that can keep up with the demands of graphic design is the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 laptop. The ThinkPad X1 is another great option that has a 15.6” FHD display that produces 500 nits for enhanced brightness and detail. The two different models of this laptop that customers can choose from have either an i7 Intel Core Processor with a maximum of 4.60GHz, or an i9 Intel Core processor with a maximum of 4.80GHz of processing speed.
Customers will also benefit from the 16GB or 32GB of memory, 512GB or 1TB or hard drive storage space, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB graphics card that is intended to provide graphic designers with all of the necessary tools for more complex work without completely draining the bank account.
The Best Laptops for Graphic Design While Traveling
If you are somebody who travels frequently then you know how valuable travel time is when you are sitting on an airplane. There is nothing worse than when your laptop battery cannot last the distance when there is no opportunity to charge it in the airport or on the plane, meaning that you lose precious time that could be spent working and being productive.
The following laptop options are ones that are perfect for traveling even on long flights due to having extended battery charges that will keep you working for longer. Travel-friendly laptops also tend to be more compact, however since you want to keep your screen size to at least 15” then we will be focusing primarily on battery capacity in this next section.
With a battery that can last a up to 16 hours, the ThinkPad P15 Mobile Workstation is one of the best graphic design laptops for traveling as it will last longer than most flights do and is built with Rapid Charge technology that allows the battery to charge to 80% in just one hour, which is perfect for layovers.
The range of models for the ThinkPad P15 means that customers can choose between a wide range of processors from Intel Core i5 processor with a maximum of 4.60GHz, to the Intel Core i7 processor with 5.00GHz of processing speed.
The display of this device is a 15.6” FHD display that in less expensive models emits 300 nits of light with a resolution of 1920x1080, while more expensive models have touch screens with a resolution of 3840x2160 OLED displays that emit 500 nits of light. Memory can also range from 8GB to 64GB, while hard drive storage ranges from 256GB to 1TB based on your exact needs.
The Best Laptops for Graphic Design
If you are an amateur graphic designer who wants to improve themselves and grow or are a professional who simply cannot justify overspending on a graphic design laptop, there are plenty of laptops under decent price that have large enough screens and powerful enough processors to complete most graphic design tasks.
Before making a purchase, however, always check to see what the requirements are for your intended uses to ensure that you purchase a device capable of what you have in mind.
One of the best laptops for graphic designers that costs less than decent price is the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 laptop. Not only does this IdeaPad have a 15.6” FHD touchscreen that allows you to move between using a mouse or stylus for your work, but it is also equipped with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor that can run up to 4.70GHz with an 8GB memory and a 512GB hard drive storage space, giving you all of the basic capabilities with a quality display.
The other recommended graphic design laptop that costs decent price is the Lenovo Yoga C740, another device with a 15.6” FHD touchscreen that is enhanced by Dolby Vision for more vibrant colors and sharper definition. This laptop has a maximum 4.90GHz processing speed generated by an 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, and its 16GB memory and 1TB of hard drive storage space allows it to fulfill almost all graphic design tasks with plenty of storage.
Regardless of whether you are an amateur or professional graphic designer, the equipment that you use is often going to be your limiting factor, so it is always important to choose the right laptop for your job. By considering the screen size, processor output, and display you will be able to find the right one for you and your needs.
