If you’re looking for the best laptops for graphic design, you must consider other things beyond sheer power. Having the best graphics card or the best processor may be necessary for graphic design, as they allow your laptop to handle graphically-intensive applications without breaking a sweat. However, they’re not all that you need.

There are a few other things to tick off the list when searching for the best laptops for graphic design. A display that reproduces colors accurately and minimizes eye strain when you’re putting in long hours is just as important. As is a fast and bigger capacity RAM, which helps your PC process its tasks faster. And finally, a chassis that is lightweight and svelte yet robust is necessary, so you can take your laptop anywhere without being a burden to you.

Keeping those in mind, we found the best laptops for graphics design 2021 has to offer. From Windows devices or macOS powerhouses, this list will help you choose the right laptop for your needs.

1. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)


THE BEST APPLE LAPTOP EVER

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

+Stunning 16-inch screen+New and improved keyboard

–Expensive–Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports

2. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition


A SERIOUSLY POWERFUL PRO LAPTOP

CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition

RAM: 32GB

Screen: 15.6″ OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated

Storage: 1TB SSD

+Powerful+Beautiful screen

–Expensive

If you think Razer laptops are only for gaming, then the new Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition is here to prove you wrong. Razer takes its ever popular Razer Blade 15, fits it with even more impressive specs and turns it into one of the best mobile creative workstations on offer. This powerhouse has been crafted for creative professionals, content creators and musicians, which makes it one of the best laptops for graphics design. You’ll be spending a lot of money to take this laptop home. But, make no mistake, it will be one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make. That is, if you can afford it.

3. HP Spectre x360 15

Starts at $1,299
Display 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2160 resolution
Processor Intel Core i7-1065G7
RAM 16GB
Storage 512 GB
Graphics Card Intel UHD Graphics 620
HP claims that the Spectre x360 “transcends” expectations. A big claim, but this is a very impressive laptop from HP’s ‘prosumer’ sub-brand. It isn’t quite as slender as Dell or Lenovo’s offerings, but it does boast a nice 17.5 hours of battery life.

The x360 also throws in a stylus for free, unlike the Surface Book 2.

GRAPHIC DESIGN ON THE HP SPECTRE X360

The Spectre comes with a cornucopia of ports compared to its rivals, with a Thunderbolt 3, a USB-C, a USB-A, a Micro SD Card Reader, and an HDMI port.

So, if you aren’t quite ready to commit to a dongle-led future but don’t fancy a chunky workbook, this might be your perfect laptop.


4. Microsoft Surface Book 3


Starts at: $1,599 / $2,299
Display 13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000 resolution / 15-inch, 3240 x 2160 resolution
Processor 10th Gen Intel Core i5 / Core i7
RAM 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB / 16GB or 32GB
Storage 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD / 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB PCIe SSD
Graphics Card Iris Plus / Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660Ti
The Surface Book 3 is available in two models, and we’ve included the specs for both in the above bulletpoint list. If you’re using it for creative design work, though, we’d recommend the higher end model, largely because it’ll net you an i7 processor rather than the i5, in addition to more RAM and the same or higher SSD.

Whichever you opt for, both models retain the reversible and removable touchscreen from previous generations as well as a slick but utilitarian chassis, meaning you can use it as a tablet or as a traditional laptop.



USING THE SURFACE BOOK 3 FOR GRAPHIC DESIGN

The Surface Book’s touchscreen does offer some advantages over the non-touch MacBook Pro – it’s great for sketching or annotating documents or images using Microsoft Ink. The optional Surface Pen irritatingly costs an extra $99, but it’s more precise than your humble index finger, and allows for some neat tricks such as shading.


5. Starts at $1,899
Display 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160 resolution
Processor 8th gen Intel Core i5 to i7
RAM 8GB to 32GB
Storage 128GB SSD to 1TB SSD
Graphics Card Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
Dell claims its XPS range of laptops is built to be the best – and even a quick glance at the XPS 15 will attest to this. This is the top-end of Dell’s range, packing all of the latest components and tech into a tiny package.

The XPS 15 feels closer in size to a typical 14-inch laptop, but it packs a full 15.6-inch screen with hardly any bezel and a slim frame.

5. DELL XPS 15

Absolutely – with a fantastic touchscreen, powerful processor and excellent graphics card, the Dell XPS 15 has all the power a designer might need.

Plus, this laptop is much more than just a slender, trendy device for business professionals. Granted, that slim frame, power-hungry i7 processor, 4K panel and AMD graphics card don’t make for an amazing battery life: Dell says you’ll get 8 hours, which isn’t amazing, but isn’t terrible either. The XPS 15 weighs just five-and-a-half pounds, so it’s unlikely to give you back pain on the way to your next pitch.

Source: http://smarthack.club