Best laptops for graphic design 2023: Reviewed and ranked

Table Of Content

• Price
• How We Selected and Tested the Best Budget Laptops for Graphic Designing
• The best laptops for graphic designers: Expert tested
• MacBook Air (M2,
• 4. User Experience
• Graphics Tests
• How to choose the best laptop for graphic design
• thought on “10+ Best Budget Laptops for Graphic Design — Expert Picks 2024 (April)”

However, the RTX 3070 Ti and RTX 4070 outright eclipsed it in every benchmark. We've tested a bunch of machines of late with the GeForce RTX 4060, and you can see below how it decisively outperforms the RTX 3060 (assuming they're given similar power ratings, which will vary from laptop to laptop). Now we'll get into gaming-specific and workstation-minded laptop GPUs. We'll organize this section by the tiers mentioned above, from entry-level to high-end. Indeed, in the laptop world, sometimes two GPUs with the same name may not perform the same in different laptops! That's because that same chip may be configured to operate at different clock speeds or have to work under different thermal constraints, depending on how it's implemented.

Price

To help you run graphic design software smoothly, the laptop comes with the M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU. On top of that, there’s an 8GB of RAM paired with a 256GB SSD for faster speeds. It features support for one billion colors, thanks to which it delivers clear, vibrant visuals. If you’re someone who loves to create content while sitting outdoors, you’ll benefit a lot from the display’s maximum brightness of 500 nits.

How We Selected and Tested the Best Budget Laptops for Graphic Designing

The Apple MacBook Air (M3, 2024) stands out as an exceptional laptop for graphic designers, offering a modern, sleek design that's both light and portable—ideal for professionals on the go. It features notable design enhancements including superior top-mounted speakers for improved audio quality and slim bezels around a 1080p webcam. It’s worth noting that your perfect configuration for a graphic design laptop could be different from someone else’s. If you work with motion graphic design, you’ll need to splurge on a discrete GPU, a powerful processor, and as much RAM as you can afford. The Asus Zenbook Pro 14 makes this possible, with a 14.5-inch 4K touch OLED panel that outputs an ultra-bright 547 nits while covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The best laptops for graphic designers: Expert tested

There are also an array of great brands that make good-looking, great-performing laptops that cost less than those two products. This laptop is the perfect one with its ports for HDMI, dual USB 3.0, headphone/mic jack, as well an SD card slot for easy transfer of those massive design files. This laptop has zero compromises and is a versatile workhorse designed for modern on-the-go pros.

Students in this program will explore design history, animation, book arts, human-centered design, typography, identity design, UI/UX design, and illustration. Established in 1969, the Graphic Design Program at San Jose State University (SJSU) is the only program of its kind in a public university in Silicon Valley. Courses for the UCLA DMA and Media Arts Programs are taught as studios, typically with no more than 22 students. DMA BFA students will complete course 159, Capstone Senior Project in Design Media Arts, to graduate. In 1961, Walt and Roy Disney formed California Institute of the Arts through a merger of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and the Chouinard Art Institute.

4. User Experience

Basically, the FHD display may not offer the highest screen contrast, resulting in slightly washed-out colors. And with its glossy screen, you may struggle with bright reflections– affecting your viewing experience in well-lit environments. Plus, the VivoBook S15 offers a sleek and lightweight aluminum body, making it perfect for professionals on the go. The ergonomic chiclet backlit keyboard with a fingerprint sensor further adds a touch of convenience and security to your work. Moreover, the IdeaPad Flex 5 offers USB-C and HDMI ports, allowing you to easily connect external displays and peripherals.

Graphics Tests

Western Washington University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Established in 1893 as New Whatcom State Normal School, WWU serves around 15,200 students enrolled in more than 200 academic programs in seven colleges that house dozens of departments. USF Design alumni work in design studios, for start-ups, museums and other non-profit entities, and in-house for companies in just about every industry. Some go on to enroll in graduate programs at New York University (NYU), Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD), Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and University of the Arts London, among others. Depending on the program, students will complete a final project or thesis.

How to choose the best laptop for graphic design

But it's expensive, joining models like the Gigabyte Aero 16 OLED and Dell XPS 16 in the high-priced spread. Having a laptop that can process tasks quickly and efficiently is paramount for video editing. When it comes to display size, McQuaid said the more you can see, the better. "I edit on a 13-inch [laptop], but often with an external monitor." He travels for work, so he uses a more lightweight laptop with a smaller screen, though he recommends newer editors go bigger. Through our rigorous testing experience, we found the HP Pavilion x360 to be the best budget laptop for graphic design in the current market. It’s an all-rounder– excelling in terms of processing power, convenience, capacity, and display quality.

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A high-resolution display is critical for graphic designers to view and work on intricate details accurately. For a high-resolution display, options like the Dell XPS 15, full HD, or Retina resolutions provide accurate and detailed visuals. Additionally, consider laptops with an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel for wider viewing angles and accurate color representation. We identified and prioritized essential features and specifications such as color accuracy, high-resolution displays, storage capacity, and connectivity options.

The College of Arts & Sciences (ArtSci) at University of Washington (UW) has a Design Program with undergraduate and graduate degree options. Housed in the ArtSci School of Art + Art History + Design (SoA+AH+D), the Bachelor of Design (BDes) has Visual Communication, Interaction Design, and Industrial Design Majors. The UW Master of Design (MDes) is interdisciplinary, providing plenty of opportunities to study Visual Communication. The BFA Program emphasizes collaboration, cross-disciplinary studies, craft, and presentation skills.

If you need a laptop with a decent-quality screen to work with photos or create real estate floor plans, purchase this one. Besides, it reproduces a decent sRGB color gamut and supports DCI/P3. This laptop for graphic design has a shallow Magic keyboard and several ports to connect accessories.

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For lightweight, cheap, or travel laptops, having a good battery life is incredibly important. Most of the time, these models don't have the greatest hardware in the world and are often mid-range devices. You won't have to worry about your laptop dying on you in the middle of a project. The MacBook Pro with the M3 chipset delivers performance, a long battery life, and a stunning screen.

We also measure how hot a laptop gets after watching a 4K or 8K YouTube video for 15 minutes, as well as how long the battery lasts when the laptop continuously surfs the web at 150 nits of brightness. A wide array of ports is always a good thing, as it eliminates the need for an adapter. This is useful for hooking up to an external monitor, especially if the laptop’s display is dim or not as clear. It comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which will be more than sufficient for most users. It is empowered by a Dolby Atmos audio system, preloaded with Dolby Access, which allows you to switch equalizer presets for games, movies, music, and voice calls, as well as custom profiles. From Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to 3D modeling software like Blender with its up-to-8-core Intel Core i9 CPU, 32GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000.

Graduates are Brand Managers, Packaging Designers, User Experience Designers, Exhibit Designers, Creative Directors, Layout Artists, Book Designers, Publication Designers, Art Directors, and Web Designers. Program graduates have also gone on to launch their own studios and freelance businesses. Both the AA and BA Programs provide opportunities to work with the partners listed earlier, and other industry partners such as Warner Bros, Signal Snowboards, and Yes To. FIDM Graphic Design students will graduate with a professional portfolio of their best work.

If you’re more of a Windows person or you want something that’ll double as a graphic design laptop and a gaming laptop, we’ve got you covered with stellar options from HP, Lenovo, and Samsung. The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is one of the more unusual entries on this roundup. You can also remove the keyboard and use it as a touch-enabled tablet.

In the third year of the program, students will complete the Junior Portfolio Review. Students in the program have the option to choose an emphasis such Illustration or Action Sport Design. Examples of course requirements include Visual Communication I-II, Digital Media Design, Fabrication Lab, Typography, and Design Fundamentals. Elective examples include Sustainable Systems In Design, Copy Culture, Advanced Typography, Interaction Design and Critical Brand/Package Design.