10 Best Laptops for Graphics Design in 2024

A graphics designer needs a powerful laptop for tasks like photo editing, video editing, and 3D modeling. There are so many options in the market that it has become challenging to select a better laptop for a particular work.

If you have become a professional artist or want to become one, buying the right laptop for digital art is one of the best tools for you to go into the digital era.

Due to the portability of laptops, you can take on any project even after you are out and about and complete it efficiently. Competition in all industries is fierce, and the technology sector is advancing rapidly.

It would be best to have a better and more powerful laptop to make your professional graphics design work easier and avoid falling behind.

To help you in this competitive market, we’ve compiled a list of the best laptops for graphic designers in this blog post.

When picking these laptops, we considered their price, performance, and screen quality. We included choices for different budgets so you can find one that matches what you want to spend.

What to look for in a graphics designer laptop?

Best of all, your needs can change depending on the type of design you do and the software you prefer to use. You should ensure you find a laptop suitable for your specific design tasks.

Here are some important factors to consider when choosing a laptop for graphics design:

A Powerful Processor

A powerful processor is essential for graphics designing projects. Select the latest generation hexa or more core Intel i5, i7, or AMD Ryzen 5, 7 processors.

Also Read: How to choose a CPU? A Guide to Choosing the Right Processor

A Smooth Graphics card

Always choose a graphics card that can run projects like design; it will help you run more demanding tasks like photo editing and video rendering more smoothly.

Choose Intel iris xe, or an equivalent AMD Radeon Vega shared graphics card. An NVIDIA GeForce RTX with at least 4GB of VRAM would be ideal.

Also Read: What to Look for in a Graphics Card? Everything You Need to Know

Get More RAM

Graphics design software such as Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, etc., require more RAM, so choose a laptop with 8 GB or more memory. 16GB+ would be ideal.

Fastest storage

Graphics design application files can be large, so you need a laptop with enough storage space. Choose at least a 512GB SSD; a 1TB or more SSD would be a good choice.

Display

A high-quality display is important for graphic designers to see their work accurately. Aim for an IPS or OLED panel with a high-resolution display (at least 1920×1080 pixels) and good color accuracy (sRGB and AdobeRGB). Screen sizes of 15-17 inches are generally more suitable for design work.

A refresh rate of 60 Hz is fine since most screens with higher refresh rates are used for gaming.

Others Features

Laptops come in different price ranges, so set a budget that fits your needs and aim for the best performance and features within that budget.

Consider the laptop’s weight and battery life. If you need to work outdoors, a lightweight laptop with long battery life can be a significant advantage.

Ensure your laptop has various ports, including USB, Thunderbolt, HDMI, and an SD card reader, for easy connection to external devices.

Look for a well-built laptop that can withstand daily use. I prefer metal chassis or sturdy plastic material.

A comfortable and responsive keyboard with backlighting and a good trackpad or external graphics tablet for precise input are essential for design work.

As far as operating systems go, both Windows and macOS are suitable for graphic design, but choose the operating system you’re most familiar with that supports the software you need.

Our Recommended Laptop Requirement for Graphics Designers

Specs	Minimum	Recommended
Screen	13-16 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080)	13-16 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) or More
CPU	11th Gen Intel Core i3 or equivalent AMD Ryzen 3	12th, 13th Gen Intel Core i5, i7, or equivalent AMD Ryzen 5,7 or more
GPU	Integrated Intel or equivalent AMD	Shared Intel Iris Xe or NVIDIA GeForce RTX
Memory	4GB	8GB or more
Storage	256GB SSD	512GB SSD or more
Battery Life	4 Hour	6 hours or more
Keyboard	Backlit feature with Medium size Trackpad	Backlit feature with Large size Trackpad

Top 10 Laptops for Graphics Designers: Best Picks

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1. Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro)

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	Apple M2 Pro Processor (up to 10-core CPU)
GPU	Apple 16-core GPU
RAM	16GB, 200GB/s memory
Storage	512 GB SSD
Screen	14.2-inch 3024×1964 pixels Liquid Retina XDR Display, 1600 nits, 120Hz
Weight	3.5 pounds (1.60 kg)
Battery	70 Whr, Li-Po, with 67W USB-C Power Adapter (up to 18 hours)
Others	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Touch ID, 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1080p FaceTime HD camera

The new and futuristic Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) is the best laptop to satisfy all your endless desires. It has an Apple M2 Pro Processor with a 10-core CPU and an Apple 16-core GPU, which is enough for your workload. It has a 16GB of RAM with 200GB/s memory speed and 512 GB SSD storage.

Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) has a 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for an amazing visual experience. It also has 1600 nits peak brightness for a clear outdoor view and can be helpful for your image captioning and design critique tasks.

Being able to carry it around easily is important for students working on their design projects in various settings.

A lightweight, slim laptop with a long-lasting battery can be a big plus. The Apple MacBook Pro (M2 Pro) is the best choice for graphic designers in this case. It weighs only 3.5 pounds (1.60 kg).

This MacBook features a 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery. The battery can provide up to 18 hours of battery life. With the 67W USB-C Power Adapter, you can charge your notebook really fast.

Creating 3D models and rendering them in detail can put a lot of stress on your laptop’s graphics and processing power. However, its active cooling sustains blazing-fast performance. It prevents your notebook from heating up. And it keeps your MacBook lag-free.

It has a Touch ID for a quicker and more secure way to unlock your notebook. Talking about ports, it has three Thunderbolt 4 ports via USB-C with Charging and DisplayPort support. It also has an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a MagSafe 3 port.

Last but not least, connect wirelessly to other devices via Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3, and enjoy long hours of uninterrupted work with its long-lasting battery life.

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2. ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX (2.2 to 5.6 GHz, 24 Core, 32 Threads, 36MB Cache)
Graphics	NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4060 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM	16GB DDR5 RAM, 5200 MHz
Storage	1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
Screen	16″ OLED 3.2K (3200 x 2000) 16:10 touch display, 120Hz, 0.2ms, 500 nits, 100% DCI-P3
Weight	5.29 lbs (2.4 kg)
Battery	90Wh, Li-ion
Others	Backlit Keyboard, 3-button Touchpad, ASUS Dail, Wi-Fi 6E, Windows 11 Home

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 is undoubtedly a laptop ahead of its time; it has the latest technology and is very affordable, considering the benefits you get with it.

The 16-inch OLED 3.2K touch display with 3200 x 2000 resolution and 16:10 aspect ratio takes things to a different level. It has a 120 Hz refresh rate display with 0.2ms response time and 500 nits screen brightness, as the colors are pleasing to the eye and don’t wash out even when viewed from odd angles; it will be very helpful for performing Image captioning and Design critiquing.

If you’re a fan of touch screens, you’ll love this laptop because it comes with touch screen support with 100% DCI-P3 color gamut.

To save battery power and remain subtle, this laptop comes with ultra-efficient chips from Intel’s 13th generation series, the Intel Core i9-13980HX, with 24 cores and 32 threads, which makes it perfect for video editing as you won’t feel any lag or bottleneck.

A dedicated GPU, especially one from NVIDIA or AMD, speeds up tasks like graphic rendering and 3D modeling. It helps design students use advanced software like Adobe Creative Cloud, AutoCAD, and 3D modeling applications without problems. It has NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4060 graphics with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM, allowing you to use all those advanced software.

The device also comes with up to 16GB DDR5 RAM capacity, so you won’t run out of memory quickly. In terms of storage capacity, it is equipped with 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD, and we all know how fast it is when transferring files.

It also has a rotary controller known as ASUS dail where you can control different parameters on different apps like brush control or layer switching on Adobe Photoshop, adjusting music when video editing on Adobe Premiere Pro, etc.

Talking about ports, it has 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports via USB Type-C, 2 USB Type-A ports, a full-featured SD card slot for easy connection to external media, and many more.

This laptop is as thin as a pin and weighs only about 5.29 pounds (2.4 kg), which enhances portability when running. The 90Wh lithium-ion battery is expected to power your hardware, providing a decent battery life without causing any problems.

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3. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i7 13800H (2.5 to 5.2 GHz, 14 Cores, 20 Threads, 24 MB Cache)
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Graphics (6GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM	16GB LPDDR5X-7500 MHz Memory
Storage	512GB SSD
Screen	14.4-inch QHD+ (2400 x 1600) pixels, Touch Screen, 650 nits, 120 Hz display
Weight	4.37 lbs (1.98 kg)
Battery Life	58Wh, Li-ion (Up to 18 hours)
Others	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Dolby Atmos audio, Windows 11 Home

Once again, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a classically stylish and ultra-portable touchscreen laptop that weighs just 4.37 pounds (1.98 kg). It has some attractive features and is a stylish piece of hardware where you can easily do design critique and image classification tasks.

It’s simple yet purely sophisticated, with a 14.4-inch QHD+ touchscreen display, a 3:2 display ratio, and a 2400 x 1600 pixels display, which is ideal for editing photos and videos.

To make sure colors look right in your designs, you might need to use many resources to fix and set up colors accurately, but this laptop manages CPU and GPU quite well. It does not get heated, allowing you to perform Color Correction and Calibration tasks efficiently.

Regardless, this Surface Pen input-enabled display is powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Graphics with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM, giving you some nice visuals.

This laptop has a 1080p HD camera, so you can easily log in to Windows Hello with facial recognition. It has a Windows 11 Home, which is a built-in operating system.

A laptop with a strong CPU, like an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen processor, can run graphics design programs well. This means your work with big files, complex illustrations, and rendering will go smoothly.

This Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 has a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 13800H processor, 16GB LPDDR5X-7500 MHz Memory, and an impressive 512GB SSD storage.

This laptop has a 58Wh, Li-ion battery that can run continuously for over 18 hours on a single charge and is supported by fast charging technology, making the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 one of the best Graphic Design laptops of 2024.

Read our Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 Review

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4. MSI Creator M16

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Specifications

Processor	13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H (up to 4.9 GHz, 10 cores, 12 threads, 24 MB cache)
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM)
RAM	32GB DDR5 RAM
Storage	2TB PCIe SSD
Screen	16-inch QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS 60 Hz display
Weight	4.98 lbs (2.26 kg)
Battery Life	3-cell, 53.5Wh, Li-ion
Others	Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Sensor, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, Windows 11 Home

The MSI Creator M16 has a powerful CPU. However, it is much more than that. The CPU performance is excellent. It outperforms many laptops with similar specs. Performance was not an area that was compromised or ignored in this MSI, and you can do all your tasks flawlessly, like Creating design prototypes, Image style transfer, video editing, and multi-tasking on the go.

This laptop has a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13620H with 12 threads and 10 cores, and you’re getting much horsepower.

MSI Creator M16 has NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM is perfect for this. The graphics card had no issues handling any high-intensive tasks. It also has 32GB DDR5 RAM to load multiple applications and a 2TB PCIe SSD to store all your files.

Creating 3D visuals that move in real-time, like walking through buildings or interactive product demos, needs a powerful computer to keep them looking smooth and rendering in real-time. Still, this laptop can handle heavy tasks like Real-time 3D Visualization easily.

It has a 16-inch QHD+ IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 screen resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate, providing you amazing visual experience. There is almost no lag and it doesn’t have color bleeding. Additionally, the colors are very accurate.

The trackpad is very responsive and has a backlit keyboard to work in dim light conditions.

A sturdy laptop can handle the rough and tumble of everyday use, and you won’t have to fix or replace it as often. This MSI Creator M16 has a solid build quality. It weighs only 4.98 pounds (2.26 kg) and has a 3-cell, 53.5Wh, Li-ion battery, providing a couple of hours of battery backup.

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5. Dell XPS 13 Plus

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P (18 MB cache, 12 cores, up to 5.00 GHz Turbo)
GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM	16 GB LPDDR5, 6000 MT/s
Storage	512 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Screen	13.4-inch FHD+ (1920×1200) 60Hz, Touch, Anti-Reflect, 500 nits, InfinityEdge
Weight	2.71 lbs (1.23 kg)
Battery Life	3 Cell, 55 Wh, 60W AC Adapter Type-C
Others	Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5, Windows 11 Home, Backlit keyboard, Fingerprint reader

The Dell XPS 13 Plus has a better weapon to beat its rival in the touchscreen wars as it has InfinityEdge, which means you can create design prototypes and test various designs without having any obstacles on your screen.

Infinity Edge is a nearly bezel-less 13.4-inch FHD+ touch screen, offering a royal experience for drawing and creative work. For Graphic Design students, a stylus-compatible touchscreen laptop is ideal for sketching and digital art, making it a top choice.

But obviously, performance isn’t something to be sad about since we’re talking about the 13th-generation Intel i7-1360P at this price point. It has an 18 MB L3 cache memory with 12 cores. The clock speed can be turbo-boosted up to 5.0 GHz.

Working with large files in graphics design software can take up a lot of computer power, but its increased fan speed can make your system cooler. It has an optimized balance of performance and thermals.

Dell XPS 13 Plus doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, so you’ll have to use the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, but working on Adobe Sensei, Canva, Figma, etc, will not be a big deal as you can run all these applications with ease.

You get 16 GB LPDDR5 RAM with 6000 MT/s memory speed and 512 GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD. You should be able to upgrade the RAM and storage if you need more.

Thankfully, the keyboard is platinum backlit with a fingerprint reader and bright enough to type comfortably in the dark.

Connectivity-wise, you get two Thunderbolt 4 via USB-C with DisplayPort and Power Delivery support, a USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter, and a USB-C to 3.5mm headset adapter. There is no Ethernet connection.

Dell XPS 13 Plus has a 3-cell, 55 Wh battery with a 60W AC Adapter (Type-C). This laptop can last for up to 14 hours when streaming on Netflix.

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6. Apple MacBook Air M2

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	Apple 8-core M2 chip CPU and 16-core Neural Engine Processor
GPU	Apple 10-core M2 GPU
RAM	8GB Unified Memory
Storage	256GB SSD
Screen	15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display (2880×1864) pixels, LED-backlit, 500 nits brightness
Weight	3.3 pounds (1.51 kg)
Battery Life	Up to 18 hours
Others	Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Fingerprint sensor

The Apple MacBook Air M2 15.3-inch variant is performing exceptionally well. It has excellent features, performance, and possibilities, but you should reconsider its cost if you’re not a professional graphic designer or creator making hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This Macbook has the latest Apple 8-core M2 chip CPU and 16-core Neural Engine Processor with an Apple 10-core M2 GPU, which incredibly compresses your HD videos in real-time at lightning-fast speeds that makes editing a breeze, making it one of the best laptops for Graphic Designer.

By leveraging 100% advanced graphics processing power, this laptop can seamlessly render even the most spectacular virtual worlds for 3D design software, complex UI/UX, and more.

It has 8GB of unified memory to run all the graphic design applications smoothly and 256GB of SSD to store all your files and data. Even though it doesn’t have enough RAM and storage, you can upgrade later.

In addition to a fast CPU and a very powerful GPU, other coveted features include ultra-secure Touch ID, a 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 2880×1864 resolution up to 500 nits of brightness, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three mic-array and a 6-speaker with Spatial Audio.

Editing high-resolution videos, especially in 4K or 8K, needs a lot of processing power and can make your laptop heat up. Still, Apple has good thermal management, does not allow your notebook to heat up much, and can outperform without any lag.

It’s handy to have a variety of ports (USB, HDMI, Thunderbolt, etc.) because you can connect things like drawing tablets, extra screens, and other devices to your laptop, so this Macbook also has a few ports, such as two Thunderbolt ports via USB Type-C with Charging and DisplayPort support, a MagSafe, and a headphone jack.

Apple MacBook Air M2 is a portable notebook; you can take it anywhere you go; it weighs just 3.3 pounds (1.51 kg).

Read our Apple MacBook Air M2 Full Review

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7. Razer Blade 15

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i7-13800H (14-core, 20 threads, up to 5.2 GHz Turbo Boost)
GPU	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 8GB GDDR6 VRAM
RAM	16GB DDR5 RAM 5200MHz
Storage	1TB PCIe SSD
Screen	15.6-inch QHD (2560×1440) pixels 240Hz display
Weight	4.40 lbs (2.0 kg)
Battery	80Whr, 4-cell Li-Po, 240W power adapter (up to 6 Hours)
Others	CNC Aluminum, Chroma RGB, Thunderbolt 4, Windows 11

The Razer Blade 15 has been phenomenal, as its quality is reflected in its chassis, and its amazing processing power is certainly a precedent for other competitors on the market.

It comes with a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13800H processor, which unsurprisingly will surprise you because it has 16GB DDR5 RAM with 5200MHz memory speed that can help process things like butter for the same intensive tasks which can run Creating accessible designs and Analyzing design performance tasks very fluently.

Having storage that’s both fast and roomy is essential. SSDs (Solid State Drives) make files and apps load faster. If your laptop has both an SSD and an HDD, you can get a mix of speed and storage space, and so the icing on the cake is that you also get 1TB PCIe SSD storage capacity with this laptop, making it one of the best laptops for Graphic Designers.

You have a 2560 x 1440 pixel display here with a 15.6-inch display and a native resolution of QHD. The screen has NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to remove screen tearing for an amazing visual experience, and every pixel delivers ultimate clarity with a 240Hz refresh rate.

It’s not over yet. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card comes with 8GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM and is based on NVIDIA’s unparalleled Turing architecture to make it perfect.

This CNC aluminum thin and light compact laptop features a stunning single-zone (Razer Chroma) RGB-backlit keyboard and a precision glass trackpad. The Razer is a little pricey, but it’s worth every penny.

Using design software to add cool effects, simulations, or complex filters can use up your computer’s power. Still, Razer Blade 15 has an Ultra-efficient Vapor Chamber Cooling system that can cool down your laptop upon heat and do Simulations and Effects tasks flawlessly.

It is a portable laptop weighing only 4.40 pounds (2.0 kg) and has an 80Whr, 4-cell Li-Po, with a 240W power adapter providing up to 6 hours of battery life.

Talking about ports, it has 3 USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 2 Thunderbolt 4 via USB-C support with DisplayPort and Power Delivery support, an SD card reader, an HDMI port, and an audio combo jack.

All these features combine to make a package so attractive that it’s almost impossible not to get it.

Read our Razer Blade 15 Full Review

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8. HP Pavilion 15

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U (1.3 GHz to 4.6 GHz, 10 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB cache)
GPU	Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM	8 GB DDR4 RAM
Storage	512GB PCIe SSD
Screen	15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) diagonal BrightView IPS Micro-edge Display
Weight	5.07 lbs (2.29 Kg)
Battery Life	3-cell, 41 Whr, Lithium-ion (10 Hours)
Others	Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, Windows 11 Home

If you’re not a fan of thick and heavy gaming laptops, you’ll love this HP Pavilion 15 because it’s the sleekest and lightest laptop in this price range.

The magic behind this laptop’s agility and lightning speed is the 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1335U processor, which takes gaming and processor-intensive tasks to a new level, allowing you to perform Image captioning and Image classification tasks very easily, making it one of the best laptops for Graphic Design student.

Even the longest tasks will be calculated in minutes or seconds as the processor has a maximum Boost of 4.6 Ghz and 12 MB cache, so speed will be the only factor you will be dealing with as you will be using 10 cores and 12 threads in your arsenal.

Best of all, it has Intel Iris Xe graphics, and no matter how much load you put on the integrated GPU, it doesn’t experience thermal throttling or getting hot. This is impressive since Intel-integrated GPUs aren’t known for having that much power.

When working with detailed vector graphics or changing complicated pictures into vectors, your laptop has to do a lot of work, but it has a good thermal solution. It can do Vector Tracing and Complex Illustrations very quickly.

Having 16GB or more RAM helps graphic design students work on many layers and high-resolution images without slowing down the computer. It also makes rendering and doing many things at once faster. HP Pavilion 15 has 8 GB DDR4 RAM, which is enough for graphic design tasks and applications.

As for the display, the 15.6-inch FHD IPS Micro-edge display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 gives you a natural feel when watching movies, playing games, Generating text for designs, Translating designs, etc.

Still, the HP Pavilion 15 gaming laptop is an excellent device for such an affordable price, mainly because it has WIFI 6 capabilities and offers 10 hours of battery life, so you can still play a few games in a row and do 3D Rendering tasks without charging.

Read our HP Pavilion 15 Laptop Review

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9. Acer Nitro 5

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H (6 cores, 12 threads, Boost up to 4.5 GHz)
GPU	4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
RAM	8GB DDR4 3200MHz
Storage	512GB NVMe Gen 4 SSD
Screen	15.6-inch full HD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz widescreen LED-backlit IPS display
Weight	5.51 lbs (2.5 kg)
Battery Life	Up to 7 hours
Others	Red Backlit Keyboard, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, Windows 11 Home

The Acer Nitro 5 has to be the best budget laptop for Graphic Design students like you. The outlook could be better since it’s a budget laptop with low-to-mid-range specs.

Let’s talk about the screen first because you’ll be staring at it for hours. The 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) monitor is an IPS panel with widescreen LED backlit monitors. The brightness could have been higher; you should still be able to work outside confidently.

Besides all the possibilities, it has a 144 Hz refresh rate display, making it even more attractive, and you can do your tasks by Creating accessible designs and analyzing design performance flawlessly.

Looking down from the screen, we found a Nitro Gen 2 gaming red backlit keyboard with an RGB highlight. Dedicated command keys in the numeric keypad launch NitroSense from there. NitroSense is NVIDIA’s control panel, where you can easily control many things, including dual fan speeds.

It’s crucial to have a laptop with good cooling, especially when doing things that need a lot of resources, like video editing software in Adobe CC. This keeps the computer from getting too hot, which could slow it down and make the system unstable. Due to its energy, this laptop has a dual fan cooling mechanism, allowing you to work on Adobe Sensei and Canva for your design and editing tasks.

That power comes from an Intel Core i5-12500H clocked at turbo speed up to 4.5 GHz, which is more than enough for your work. However, during intense graphics rendering, you may see spurious lag here and there. 12 threads and 6 cores are standard for a Graphic Design student.

At this price, the GPU is nothing and not too luxurious. Still, it will get the job done without any complaints. You should expect it to run in parallel with your CPU, giving it all the power it needs to play content and run many Chrome tabs while handling some movie-world-related tasks. It has 8GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB NVMe Gen 4 SSD storage, which is enough for multi-tasking.

Acer Nitro 5 is a portable laptop weighing only 5.51 lbs (2.5 kg), and it has a battery life of up to 7 hours.

Read our Acer Nitro 5 Full Review

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10. Acer Swift Go 16

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Specifications

CPU (Processor)	13th Gen Intel Core i5-1335U (1.3 to 4.6 GHz, 12MB Cache, 10 Core, 12 Threads)
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe
RAM	8GB LPDDR5, 6400 MHz
Storage	512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD
Screen	16-inch WUXGA (1920×1200) 100% sRGB 400 nits Display
Weight	3.53 lbs (1.6 kg)
Battery Life	65Whr, Li-ion
Others	Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Wi-Fi 6E, QHD Webcam, Windows 11 Home

A good, clear screen is essential for graphic design. If your laptop has an IPS panel, shows colors almost perfectly, and has a high-resolution (Full HD or 4K) screen, your designs will look accurate and colorful. Acer Swift Go 16 has all these features, making it one of the best laptops for Graphic Design students.

The screen is a 16-inch IPS screen and provides an FHD+ display with 1920×1200 resolution. With some super-narrow bezels, 100% sRGB, and 400 nits screen brightness, this also becomes a neat large laptop.

A 13th-generation Intel Core i5-1335U powers this laptop with a 10-core powerful processor. It has a base clock of 1.3 GHz and can be turbo-boosted to a maximum frequency of 4.6 GHz.

Even though this laptop doesn’t have a dedicated GPU, it still performs well in the graphics department. It integrates Intel Iris Xe Graphics into the system processor. Seeing the benefits of the processor will make you go crazy while working, launching heavy graphic design applications, working on design critiques, or creating design prototypes.

When you Export high-resolution images for printing or big screens, it can use up much of your laptop’s power. Still, this laptop has TwinAir cooling technology to remove heating, and Rendering High-Resolution Images will not be a big deal.

That being said, you’ve got a beefy 8GB LPDDR5 RAM that can handle things like multi-tabs that are pretty smooth. The SSD here is a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, which is enough for the price and other specs you get here.

Acer Swift Go 16 has a QHD webcam to ensure high-quality video editing when needed. The keyboard is backlit, and you also get a fingerprint scanner.

Finally, battery support is excellent. It has a 65Whr Li-ion battery that can provide a decent battery backup on a single charge and is supported by ultra-fast charging technology.

Read our Acer Swift Go Full Review

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How to choose the best laptop for Graphics Design

There is no definite answer when you want to select a laptop for graphics design because many models are available. It depends on which software you want to design with.

There is no single laptop that is launched as a “laptop for graphic design,” but there are some specs you need to consider.

Having the maximum amount of RAM in your laptop is essential to run graphics-intensive programs efficiently, as is having a new generation of powerful processors.

RAM also comes in DDR3, DDR4, LPDDR4x, and other types, with frequencies of 3200, 4800, 5200 MHz, etc.

Graphic design software such as Affinity Design, Adobe Creative Cloud, Sketch, and Canva mostly consume more RAM.

That’s why you should choose memory with maximum frequency and new categories.

For graphics design software, at least 8GB of RAM is required. 16GB is a better option, but if you want to use your laptop for the next 4-5 years without facing any issues and having the budget, you can also go for 32GB RAM.

The processor works like any computer’s brain, so you should always buy a powerful processor.

When choosing a processor, you should remember how many cores, threads, and, most importantly, what generation it is. Just like an Intel 13th Gen i5 laptop will easily beat Intel’s 12th Gen or older processors in terms of performance.

Therefore, always buy the latest Intel Core, AMD Ryzen, or Apple’s M-series chips.

If we talk about screens, then higher-resolution screens are a better choice. Look for a monitor with good color accuracy, aiming for 100% DCI-P3 or a high percentage of sRGB coverage to ensure accurate on-screen colors.

If you primarily design static graphics, you can save money using less storage space and an integrated graphics card. On the other hand, motion graphics design requires a powerful processor, a discrete GPU, and as much RAM as possible.

If you want to get good performance from any laptop, then using an SSD as primary storage is necessary. Graphic design files are mostly large, so your computer should have at least 512 GB of storage space. If you have the choice and funds, buy a 1TB or more SSD laptop.

Finally, consider factors such as operating system, CPU power, VRAM capacity, RAM, storage, display size and resolution, battery life, and port selection.

FAQs

How much RAM do I need for graphic design?

A laptop with at least 8GB of RAM is suitable for basic design work. This includes tasks like photo editing, simple illustrations, and basic graphic-related work.

A laptop with 16GB of RAM is recommended if you’re aiming for intermediate-level work. Having more RAM enhances your speed and efficiency when working with demanding software.
An ideal laptop should have 32GB of RAM or more for professional and complex projects. Professional graphic design tasks such as 3D rendering, high-resolution image editing, video editing, and complex vector graphics benefit from ample RAM. Remember, more RAM leads to smoother performance.

The recommended RAM for various graphic design software:

Software	Recommended RAM
Adobe Photoshop	16GB or more
Adobe Illustrator	16GB or more
Adobe InDesign	16GB or more
CorelDRAW Graphics Suite	16GB or more
Sketch	16GB or more
Affinity Designer	16GB or more

Is a Mac or a Windows laptop better for graphic design?

Choosing Windows laptops or Apple Mcs depends on your personal preferences, budget, and the specific software you plan to use

Both Mac and Windows laptops can be used effectively for graphic design. Factors such as CPU performance, GPU performance, and the features that are most important to you (such as display quality and portability) must be considered.

Aspect	Mac for Graphic Design	Windows for Graphic Design
Hardware & Software Integration	Known for seamless hardware and software integration, providing a stable environment.	Offers diverse hardware options, including more budget-friendly choices.
Color Accuracy	Renowned for color accuracy on displays, ideal for photo editing and color-critical work.	Display quality varies, but high-quality options are available.
Software Compatibility	Supports Adobe Creative Cloud, a standard in the industry, available on both Mac and Windows.	Offers a broader range of software options, including design, 3D modeling, and animation.
Customization	Limited hardware customization options.	Allows for extensive customization, such as RAM and storage upgrades.

Can gaming laptops be used for graphic design?

Gaming laptops provide the power and performance required for graphic design, making them a smart choice for designers.

Why is a gaming laptop best for a graphics designer?

Gaming laptops come with strong processors, dedicated graphics cards, and ample RAM, which are crucial for graphic design work.

Gaming laptops are excellent for creating complex and professional designs.

They offer high-quality displays with resolutions like Full HD and good color accuracy, essential for graphic design.

Graphic design rendering needs a lot of VRAM and memory, and gaming laptops usually have more than regular or business laptops.

If you’re getting a gaming laptop for graphic design, pick one with a new processor and the components needed for design software.

Final Words

Finally, we would like to say that if you want to buy a good graphic design laptop, look at the reviews online. According to the amount of money you have, choose the laptop’s components such as processor, graphics card, memory storage, screen, portability, power and connectivity, display design, and all this.

You don’t need an expensive, advanced-level laptop if you’re a beginner-level graphic designer or a student. You can opt for a laptop with a latest-generation Intel Core i5 or an equivalent Ryzen 5 processor, 512GB storage, and 8GB RAM.

However, if you aspire to pursue graphic design professionally, choose a high-end laptop with the latest-generation Intel Core i7, i9, or the latest-generation AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 chip. Look for one with a dedicated graphics card with a minimum of 4GB VRAM.