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What Laptops Do Graphic Designers Use?
If you’re looking for the best laptops for graphic design, you’ve come to the right spot. We’ve compiled a list of the top laptops of 2021 that are suitable for graphic designers, regardless of budget.
Any laptop on this list is capable of running challenging graphic design software. Because of their strong components, they will greatly minimise the time it takes to complete intensive activities, which can have a significant impact on your workflow.
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After all, the quicker the laptop completes assignments, the faster you can achieve your project. If you’re a talented graphic artist, you’ll be able to take in more customers. The best graphic design laptops on this website aren’t only for professionals; we’ve even got recommendations for beginners and students (though students can also check out our best college laptops roundup or our list of best Walmart laptops if you live in the United Kingdom).
With too many choices available, it’s understandable if you’re unsure where to begin. If that’s the case, skip down to the bottom of this post for helpful hints about what to check for while selecting a laptop for graphic design.
01. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
It can come as no surprise that the perfect notebook for graphic designers is a MacBook Pro. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the flagship of Apple’s MacBook Pros, which are hugely popular among creatives and graphic designers due to their outstanding build quality, style, and strength.
It has a bigger screen than previous 15-inch versions, giving you more workspace to work with, and the improved resolution ensures that your work looks the finest. Even better, Apple has managed to expand the screen size while maintaining the sleek and light look we’ve come to expect from MacBooks.
Not only did Apple increase the size of the screen on this MacBook, but it also upgraded the hardware inside, equipping it with strong Intel processors and advanced graphics cards from AMD, making it an excellent choice for graphic designers. Even if this model was released in 2019, it is still a fantastic laptop that works admirably, which is why it is still the perfect laptop for content developers, artists, and other creative professionals in 2021. With incredible (and loud) speakers and a much superior keyboard to match.
02. MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)
If you need a MacBook Pro for graphic design work but the 16-inch model above is too big, we have some good news for you. Apple released a new MacBook Pro 13-inch model with a significant hardware upgrade last year, and it is unquestionably one of the strongest laptops for graphic design. It now includes Apple’s own M1 chip (rather than an Intel processor), allowing the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) to provide seriously amazing results.
As a result of the M1 chip’s capacity, you can comfortably edit 4K – and even 8K – material while still running challenging graphical applications. Best of all, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) has the longest battery life of any MacBook ever. We put it through its paces and found it to be very amazing, enabling you to work all day and still have plenty of battery life remaining. This is easily the finest laptop money can purchase for graphic designers who fly often.
03. Dell XPS 15 (2020)
Although MacBooks are our top two choices for the best graphic design laptops, what if you prefer to stay with Windows 10? Fortunately, the Dell XPS 15 (2020) is a fantastic replacement to Apple’s laptops.
This laptop is ideal for graphic designers who will be using it for intense artistic work, since it contains strong mobile components in a slim and light package that is both sleek and rugged, as well as a dazzling 15.6-inch monitor and a discrete Nvidia graphics card.
Best of all, the battery life is excellent, so you won’t need to be tethered to a desk to use this versatile laptop.
04. Acer ConceptD 7
Another excellent Windows 10 option for graphic designers is the Acer ConceptD 7. It has serious processing capacity for innovative applications, a sleek interface, a beautiful Pantone-validated 4K IPS monitor, and a lower price than Apple’s laptops.
It also has Nvidia RTX graphics, which gives it a degree of strength that even laptops this small and compact cannot match.
This is indeed a costly notebook, but the amount of power available here, along with Acer’s superior build quality, makes this a great purchase for graphic designers searching for a laptop that will last them for years.
05. MacBook Air from Apple (M1, 2020)
Yes, there is even another MacBook on this page. But we’re not biassed – Apple really makes some of the greatest laptops for graphic design, and the newest MacBook Air is deserving of a place on this list of the best laptops for graphic design. Previously, we may not have recommended a MacBook Air, but the new edition has the same ARM-based Apple M1 processor as the more costly MacBook Pro 13-inch.
This means it’s almost as strong as the MacBook Pro in several respects, and it’s an excellent option for a graphic design laptop. Its fanless architecture allows it to work as hard as the MacBook Pro for as long as it can, but it also ensures it’s absolutely quiet in operation and can handle a number of intense workloads without overheating.
In addition, for the first time in a MacBook Air, the new model embraces the P3 colour gamut, which ensures the screen can show realistic colours, which is critical for artistic professionals. Add in excellent battery life and a stunning slim and compact build, and you have a fantastic graphic design notebook.
06. Dell XPS 13 (Late 2020)
Dell’s XPS 13 notebooks are among the finest in the world for graphic design, and the new edition maintains the great tradition. This is a beautiful laptop with a slim and compact build and some of the most versatile mobile components that is simple to bring around while being powerful enough to perform graphic design activities without breaking a sweat.
