If you’re an artist or designer, you know just any old laptop won’t cut it. With art technology rapidly improving, an average laptop cannot keep up with the resources demanded from editing or animation programs. These laptops are prone to overheating and freezing, which prevents artists from getting their work done. You’ll spend more time troubleshooting problems than making art without the right laptop.
The best laptops for content creation are the machines that prioritize graphic performance. With a strong CPU and GPU, you can feel confident running your editing or animation program while interacting with other applications. A laptop is an essential tool for any artist or designer since you’ll need to access resource-intensive programs daily. That’s why investing in the best laptop will be crucial for your line of work.
While many artists value portability in their laptops, it’s also important to have adequate power to carry out your work. Let’s look at the seven best laptops for artists and designers:
1. ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED W7600
The ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED is a popular and practical laptop for people who work as creatives. It has recognition as the world’s first 16-inch laptop with a 4K OLED HDR display. Your work will be displayed crystal clear on the beautiful screen with a vast 3840 x 2400 resolution. The display has 100% DCI-P3 color range and up to 550nits at peak brightness.
This laptop comes with an innovative technology called the ASUS Dial. This built-in controller offers you precise fingertip control while using creative applications. You can adjust the brush size, modify layer opacity, or reverse actions with a single touch. Over 70 functions are available in this highly customizable feature. The ASUS Dial is compatible with Adobe software, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Lightroom Classic.
The ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED is powered by the Intel® Xeon® processor and NVIDIA RTX™ A5000 graphics. With its state-of-the-art specs, you will enjoy fast loading times whether you’re rendering 3D content or editing 4K videos. If you’re looking for a computing powerhouse, this is one of the best laptops for artists and designers.
2. Acer ConceptD 7
The Acer ConceptD 7 is a unique mobile workstation that artists and designers will find intuitive to use. This laptop comes with a vibrant 4K IPS display with Pantone validation to ensure colors are always displayed accurately. The 15.6-inch display is touchscreen compatible. It works seamlessly with the Wacom EMR pen, which replicates the feeling of drawing with ink.
This laptop is optimized for multitasking with the Intel i7 2.6GHz CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060. You can run editing programs while listening to music and interacting with other applications. Professionals that work on the go will appreciate the seven hours of battery life offered by the ConceptD 7.
3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
The Microsoft Surface 4 is a sleek laptop designed to make life easy for graphic designers. With the 11th generation Intel i7 CPU and the Intel Iris Xe GPU, you’ll enjoy a smooth performance as multiple programs run simultaneously.
Graphic designers that work on the go will appreciate the 11 to 12 hours of battery life that carry you through long days. The 13.5-inch touchscreen displays your work in impressive 2256 by 1504 resolution, allowing your laptop to display vibrant colors. The display on the Surface Laptop 4 features a unique 3:2 aspect ratio, which gives designers and artists extra vertical space for work.
4. ASUS ROG Flow X13
The ASUS ROG Flow X13 is a 2-in-1 laptop that allows artists to switch between three working positions seamlessly. Designers can quickly switch between laptop mode, tablet mode, and stand mode based on their preferences. The flexibility allows you to find the best position for drawing or sharing your ideas in a group setting. Additionally, the laptop’s performance is improved in stand mode, as the 360-degree hinge allows the device to rest in a position that increases cooling by 8%.
The ROG Flow X13 is extremely powerful thanks to the Ryzen 9 CPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. With up to 32GB of RAM, you can run any program on this laptop and feel confident rendering high-quality 3D content. These features help solidify the ROG Flow X13 as one of the best laptops for artists and designers.
5. Acer Spin 3
The Acer Spin 3 is a lightweight laptop capable of turning into a tablet. This laptop is powered by the Intel i3 CPU and the Intel Iris Xe GPU. The 13.3-inch touchscreen features IPS technology to produce vibrant images.
This laptop uses a unique 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives you more vertical room while drawing. Weighing just 3.3 pounds, the Acer Spin 3 is an excellent option for artists and designers that travel a lot.
6. MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro features an impressive Liquid Retina XDR display, perfect for people who work with images and videos. This display is calibrated to show true-to-life colors while enhancing shadows and the small details in your media.
The M1 Pro chip acts as a 10-core CPU, so designers can run multiple editing and media programs at the same time without delay. This laptop comes with a powerful six-speaker sound system that accentuates the layers in your favorite audio.
7. HP Envy x360
The HP Envy x360 comes with a 15.6-inch full HD touchscreen, which you can interact with using a stylus. The touchscreen input makes it easy to draw images and increases precise inputs when working with art.
This laptop comes with a backlit keyboard, enabling you to use this device in low-light environments. The Envy x360 is powered by the Intel UHD GPU and the Intel i7 CPU, which can clock up to 4.9 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology.