In order for the maximum productivity, a graphic designer need a laptop that does not limit creativity, and functionality in any way. Here, we’ll look at the best laptop for Graphic Designers. Several tools exist for graphic designers using laptops. These include programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, just to name a few. These programs, require a laptop that can easily handle them without having performance issues. We’ve come up with criteria for choosing the best laptop that you can buy for graphic design.
Criteria Used: First, the laptop, should easily be able to handle all the common software used by graphic designers. You don’t need a laptop that is not able to handle large posters, images and designs. This is a disservice to your creativity and productivity. For that reason, a minimum of Intel Core i5 laptop, or equivalent have been listed here. Speaking of the RAM, you should get at least 8GB. Anything less than that, you start experiencing problems when using most design software. You won’t be able to switch intuitively between programs when using less than 8GB RAM in a laptop. When handling large designs, the programs are known to temporarily store assets in the RAM, therefore, you need as much RAM as possible.
The display, size, type and quality, is one of the features that is of great importance when choosing a laptop for graphic design. You don’t want to be in a situation where the tone of colors you choose for your designs change when viewed in another screen, or printed. To avoid this situation, a color accurate display is important. A highly subjective matter, is the screen size preference. Some people, can comfortably work with 12 inch displays, while other prefer larger ones of 15 inches. Anything from 14 inches, to 15 inches, will suit many people.
Other features taken into account include, battery life, build quality and weight. All the laptops here, are recommended for graphic designers and meet the criteria above. You’ll get laptop brands such as Microsoft Surface, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Razer, Gigabyte, MacBook and many more.
Also see best laptops for Adobe Illustrator.
The Following are the Best Laptops for Graphic Designers (2021):
- Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch-i7-256GB
- MSI P65 Creator-1084 Laptop
- Dell G7 17 Gaming Laptop
- HP Spectre x360-13t Laptop
- Sager NP6855 Laptop
- Razer Blade 15inch RTX 2080 Laptop
- Asus ROG Strix Hero III Laptop
- Gigabyte AERO 15 Classic-WA-U74ADP Laptop
- Asus Vivobook K571 Laptop
- XPC MSI PS63 Modern Gamer Notebook
- ASUS ZenBook 14 Slim Laptop
- Lenovo Legion 15.6 inch laptop
- Alienware M15 Laptop
- Microsoft Surface Book 2 15 inch Laptop
- GIGABYTE Aero 15W v8-BK4 Laptop
- ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 Laptop
- HP Omen 15 Laptop
- MSI GS65 Stealth-002 Laptop
- Lenovo IdeaPad L340 Laptop
- Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop
1Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch-i7-256GB
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| CPU | 9th-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor |
| GPU | Radeon Pro 555x Graphics with 4GB |
| Display Size | 15.4-inch |
| Display Resolution | 2880-by-1800 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB |
| Operating System | MacOS |
| Ports | Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports |
| Dimensions (H x W x L) | 0.61 X 13.75 X 9.48 inches |
| Weight | 4.02 pounds (1.83 kg) |
| Pros | Battery life, Performance, Display quality |
| Cons | Storage capacity |
2MSI P65 Creator-1084 Laptop
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| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750h 2. 6 - 4. 5GHz |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6G GDDR6 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | Uhd (3840*2160) |
| RAM | 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2400MHz |
| Storage Space | 1 TB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Ports | HDMI, USB, Ethernet |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.08 x 10.24 x 0.69 inches |
| Weight | 8.55 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Display quality |
| Cons | Heavy |
3Dell G7 17 Gaming Laptop
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| CPU | 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h (12MB Cache, up to 4. 5 GHz, 6 Cores) |
| GPU | Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti 6G GDDR5 Video Graphics |
| Display Size | 17. 3 inches |
| Display Resolution | Fhd (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid state Drive |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, Audio Jack, RJ45 |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 11.7 x 15.91 x 0.98 inches |
| Weight | 7.28 pounds |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | Quite heavy |
4HP Spectre x360-13t Laptop
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| CPU | 4 GHz Intel Core i7 |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Display Size | 13.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR3 |
| Storage Space | 512 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USBs, HDMI, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 12 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches |
| Weight | 2.78 pounds |
| Pros | Thin and Lightweight, Long battery life, good performance |
| Cons | |
5Sager NP6855 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750H Processor (2.6GHz) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB GDDR5 |
| Display Size | 15.6” Full HD IPS |
| Display Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 500GB SSD + 1TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | Card Reader, HDMIs, Mini Display Ports, Audio Jack, LAN |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.16 x 14.21 x 0.98 in |
| Weight | 4.85 lbs |
| Pros | Good Price, Performance |
| Cons | |
6Razer Blade 15inch RTX 2080 Laptop
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| CPU | 9th Gen Intel Core i7 9750H 6 core processor w/ 2.6GHz/4.5GHz (base/max turbo) |
| GPU | NVIDIA Geforce 2080 RTX Max-Q |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage Space | 512GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | HDMI, USB |
| Dimensions (L x H x W) | 13.98 x 0.7 x 9.25 in |
| Weight | 4.74 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality |
| Cons | None |
7Asus ROG Strix Hero III Laptop
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| CPU | 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750h Processor |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 (base: 960 MHz, Boost: 1200 MHz; TDP: 80W) |
| Display Size | 17.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | full HD 1920x1080 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ports | HDMI, Headpphone Jack, Mini Display Port, USBs, Ethernet |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.74 x 11.55 x 1.03 inches |
| Weight | 6.28 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Large display |
| Cons | Weight |
8Gigabyte AERO 15 Classic-WA-U74ADP Laptop
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| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750h (2.6Ghz-4.5GHz) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GDDR6 6GB |
| Display Size | 15.6" 0.11 inch ultra-thin bezel |
| Display Resolution | 3840x2160 IPS Anti-Glare display |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | M.2 NVMe PCIe 512GB Intel 760P SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | Intel Thunderbolt 3 | Intel Wi-Fi AC adapter, UHS-II SD card reader, Bluetooth V5.0 + LE | HDMI2.0 | mini-DP 1.4 |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14 x 9.8 x 0.74 inch |
| Weight | 4.49 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality, Design |
| Cons | Quite Expensive |
9Asus Vivobook K571 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750h Processor (12M Cache, up to 4.5 GHz) |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR5 |
| Display Size | 15.6'' 120Hz NanoEdge |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.1 Type-A, USB 2.0, and HDMI; Wi-Fi 5/802.11AC Wi-Fi |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.1 x 9.8 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 4.7 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Price |
| Cons | NA |
10XPC MSI PS63 Modern Gamer Notebook
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| CPU | 8th Gen Intel Whiskey Lake Core i7-8565U Quad Core (1.8GHz-4.6GHz, 8MB Intel Smart Cache, 15W) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q 4GB GDDR5 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USBs, HDMI, Ethernet, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.05 x 9.2 x 0.63 inches |
| Weight | 3.53 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Price |
| Cons | NA |
11ASUS ZenBook 14 Slim Laptop
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| CPU | Intel Core i7-8565u Quad Core Processor (6M Cache, up to 4.6 GHz) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX250 |
| Display Size | 14 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage Space | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | HDMI, USB Type C, gigabit-class Wi-Fi 5 (802.11AC), Bluetooth 5.0 and Micro SD card reader |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 12.6 x 7.8 x 0.7 in |
| Weight | 2.98 lbs |
| Pros | Lightweight |
| Cons | - |
12Lenovo Legion 15.6 inch laptop
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| CPU | 9th Generation Intel Core i7-9750H Hexa-Core Processor 2.8GHz (up to 3.80GHz) 6MB Cache |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 512GB SSD+1TB HDD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 (Type-C), 1 x MiniDP , 1 x HDMI, 1 x Combination Audio Jack, 1 x RJ-45, 2 x 2W Harman Certified Speakers with Dolby Audio Premium |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15" x 10.4" x 1.0" |
| Weight | 5.29 lbs |
| Pros | Performance, Display Quality, Build quality |
| Cons | Heavy |
13Alienware M15 Laptop
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| CPU | Intel Core i7 9750h (6 Core, 12MB Cache, up to 4. 5GHz w/ Turbo Boost) |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 (OC ready) |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | Fhd (1920 x 1080) 144Hertz |
| RAM | 16GB, 2x8GB, DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 512GB PCIe M. 2 SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 3x Type A USB 3.1, 1x Thunderbolt 3 port |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 18.2 x 16.2 x 4.7 inches |
| Weight | 4.76 pounds |
| Pros | Good performance, Quality Design, Good Buils Quality |
| Cons | None |
14Microsoft Surface Book 2 15 inch Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Quad Core i7 Processor |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 discrete GPU w/6GB GDDR5 |
| Display Size | 15 inches Pixel Sense |
| Display Resolution | 3260x2160 pixels |
| RAM | 16 GB LPDDR3 |
| Storage Space | 1 TB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Ports | USB-C, Audio Jack, Card Reader |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.9 inches |
| Weight | 4.2 pounds |
| Pros | Long battery life, Performance, Design |
| Cons | Price |
15GIGABYTE Aero 15W v8-BK4 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H (2.2GHz-4.1GHz) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 GDDR5 8GB |
| Display Size | 15.6" Thin Bezel |
| Display Resolution | 1920x1080 |
| RAM | 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 512GB M.2 SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, Mini Display, LAN |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14 x 9.8 x 0.78 inches |
| Weight | 4.62 Ib |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | None |
16ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 Laptop
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|
| CPU | 9th generation Intel Core i9-9980HK Quad Core Processor (16M Cache, up to 5.0 GHz) |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 3840 x 2160 pixels |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | HDMI, USB Type C with Thunderbolt, Gigabit-class Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.1 x 9.7 x 0.94 inches |
| Weight | 5.5 pounds |
| Pros | Good performance, Display Quality, Build and Design Quality |
| Cons | Quite heavy |
17HP Omen 15 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750h Processor, 6-Core, 2.6GHz up to 4.5GHz |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB GDDR5 dedicated) |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage Space | 256GB SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | SD Card Reader, USBs, HDMI, RJ-45, Audio Jack |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 10.35 x 14.17 x 0.98 in |
| Weight | 5 lbs |
| Pros | Good performance |
| Cons | Storage capacity |
18MSI GS65 Stealth-002 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8750H 2. 2 - 4. 1GHz |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 8G Max-Q GDDR6 w/ New Ray Tracing Technology |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2666MHz |
| Storage Space | 512GB NVMe SSD |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USB, HDMI, Ethernet |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.08 x 10.24 x 1.16 in |
| Weight | 4.19 lbs |
| Pros | Performance |
| Cons | None |
19Lenovo IdeaPad L340 Laptop
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|
| CPU | 9th-generation Intel Core i7-9750h Processor |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 |
| Display Size | 15.6 inches |
| Display Resolution | HD IPS Display with 1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage Space | 1TB HDD + 256GB NVMe SSD Storage |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | USBs, Audio jack, HDMI |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 14.29 x 10.02 x 0.94 inches |
| Weight | 4.84 pounds |
| Pros | Performance, Price, Design |
| Cons | NA |
20Acer Predator Helios 300 Laptop
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|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core Processor |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Graphics with Max-Q Design & 8 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM |
| Display Size | 17.3 inches |
| Display Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory |
| Storage Space | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots | 1 Slot Open for Easy Upgrades) & 1 - Available Hard Drive Bay |
| Operating System | Windows 10 |
| Ports | 1 - USB 3.1 Type C Gen 2 port (up to 10 Gbps), 2 - USB 3.1 Gen 1 Ports, 1 - USB 3.1 Gen 2 Port (with Power-off Charging), 1 - HDMI 2.0 Port with HDCP Support, 1 - Mini Display Port 1 |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 15.89 x 11.02 x 0.97 inches |
| Weight | 6.61 lbs |
| Pros | Performance, Display size, Battery life |
| Cons | Weight |
You can also take a look at the Best Laptops for Architects in addition to the Best Tablets for Adobe Illustrator.