Professional Picks: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Laptop for Graphic Designers - In-Depth Analysis

Ultimate Guide to Buying the Perfect Designer Laptop: In-Depth Analysis and Expert Opinions

Graphic design apps can be some of the most demanding programs you can run on a laptop. Sure, almost any new laptop will be able to run them, but not all are built to run them well. If you’re a designer and need a laptop that can breeze through the most intensive visual tasks, you’ll want to spring for a specially designed machine for that use case.

Also: The best laptops for college in 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Luckily, we’ve gone hands-on with many great laptops built specifically to handle demanding design tasks. This means powerful processors and video cards, as well as useability features like styli, brush and toolkit hotkeys, not to mention gorgeous, color-accurate displays. Let’s take a look at some of the best to help you choose which laptop for graphic design is best for you.

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What is the best laptop for graphic design right now?

We tested many excellent laptops to create this list, but our pick for the best laptop for graphic design is Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro (2023). It has a stunning display and excellent M3 chip performance. However, the list includes a variety of other top-tier options from Asus, Dell, and Lenovo, so there’s an option for a wide range of budgets and use cases.

The best laptops for graphic designers in 2024

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Pros

Stunning display
Awesome performance from M3 chip
Long battery life

Cons

Expensive
Limited amount of ports

Apple MacBook Pro M3

Best laptop for graphic design overall

Taking the top spot as our best graphic design laptop is Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro M3. This entry probably comes as no surprise, as MacBooks are lauded for their hardware performance, and this model is no different. The powerful M3 processor on board this laptop allows for solid multitask performance across various apps while handling resource-heavy software without skipping a beat. For graphic designers and creators, this makes for fast rendering, while 4K resolution video editing is a breeze.

Review: MacBook Pro (M3 Max)

Its performance is supported by a stunning 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, which outputs content at 4K resolution. The display’s 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio makes for bright, vivid colors and supports ProMotion tech, enabling an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. To top it all off, the M3 MacBook has a maximum battery life of 22 hours, enough to last an entire day.

There are two versions of the 2023 MacBook: the 14-inch model I just described and the 16-inch option. I recommend the former for its more compact design and lower price point. However, if you want the best of what the MacBook Pro can deliver, go with the 16-inch laptop.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch s pecs: CPU: Apple M3 | GPU: M3 integrated graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display

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Pros

Lightweight and slim
Support up to two external monitors
Great performance

Cons

Substandard speakers
Limited array of ports

Apple MacBook Air M3

Best MacBook alternative for graphic design

If you want Apple hardware that’s easier on your wallet (and even more portable), we recommend the MacBook Air M3. The M3 chipset is a force to be reckoned with, even on the lightweight MacBook Air. Right now, the M3 MacBook Air is currently on sale at Amazon for just $899, one of the lowest prices we’ve ever seen for this machine.

Review: M3 MacBook Air review: Apple’s AI computer for the masses has arrived

Besides the ultra-thin form factor, graphic designers will love that it can output up to two different external monitors simultaneously, allowing you to do your work on a bigger screen. The M3 chip on board the Air also allows for future-proofing down the line, with integration with Apple Intelligence and all the upcoming AI features on the horizon.

MacBook Air M2 specs: CPU: Apple M3 | GPU: M3 integrated graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB SSD | Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display

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Pros

Gorgeous 2.8K touchscreen
Compact design
Comfortable keyboard
Comes with a stylus

Cons

Short battery life

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1

Best 2-in-1 laptop for graphic design

Earning its place as the best 2-in-1 graphic design laptop is Lenovo’s recent Yoga 9i 2-in-1 refresh. Convertible 2-in-1 laptops lend themselves very well to design, as you can write up a document while the machine is in laptop mode and immediately flip the screen to place it into tablet mode.

The Yoga 9i 2-in-1 features a stunning 2.8K OLED display with vibrant colors something graphic designers and creatives will love working on. But the display isn’t the best part. The speakers are housed on the hinge, which sound great (especially for a laptop), complete with subwoofers for that extra punch. Also, you get a free stylus with purchase, allowing you to jump right into your work.

Review: Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1

Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 OLED specs: CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | GPU: Integrated Intel graphics card | RAM: 16 GB | Storage: 512 GB | Display: 14-inch 2.8K resolution OLED

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Pros

Stunning OLED display
Long-lasting battery
Powerful hardware
Strong speakers

Cons

Slim Pen sold separately
Middling AI features

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition

Best drawing laptop for graphic design

Microsoft has consistently made some of the best drawing laptops out there, and that trend continues with the 11th-generation Surface Pro. This device sees multiple improvements, with the most important upgrade being the Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

Microsoft definitely had the MacBook Pro in its sights when designing this laptop, and in our testing, we found it to be a worthy opponent.

What makes the Surface Pro so good for drawing comes down to three key features. The back has a flap that pops out, serving as a stand. The display is a stunning 13-inch OLED touchscreen, consistently showing an image resolution of 2,880 x 1,920 pixels. And its Slim Pen accessory is incredibly accurate, perfect for catching every brush stroke.

Review: One of the best tablets for work travel I’ve tested is not made by Lenovo or Apple

Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition specs: CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite | GPU: Integrated Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite GPU | RAM: 16GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 512GB SSD | Display: 13-inch 2880 x 1920 OLED touchscreen

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Pros

Lightweight
3K OLED display
Solid hardware

Cons

Middling battery
Runs hot

Asus Zenbook S 16

Best Windows laptop for graphic design

ASUS has been consistently great at developing powerful graphic design laptops and their Zenbook S 16 is no different. The device houses AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 365 chipset. “AI” is the most important indicator in that name because it signifies the fact the model houses a neutral processing unit. More specifically, it is the AMD XDNA 2 NPU and what this does is allows the Zenbook to perform much better than other similar devices.

In our review, we learned the laptop is a very capable machine; able to support image and video editing workloads with ease. Graphics designers will get a lot of mileage out of the chipset as well as the gorgeous 16-inch, 3K OLED touchscreen. The display runs at a fast refresh rate of 120Hz and is Pantone validated . This means it can show off various hues at a high degree of accuracy.

Review: This Asus has one of the best OLED displays I’ve seen, and I’ve tested hundreds of laptops

In addition to the solid internal hardware, the Zenbook S 16 is quite the looker. It is made out of ceraluminum which is a composite material “made of ceramic and aluminum” hence the name. Not only does it give the laptop a unique aesthetic, it ensures strength and durability. Those two things are important to have on a laptop if you plan on taking it on the road with you.

Asus Zenboook S 16 specs: CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 | RAM: 24GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 16-inch 3K OLED

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Pros

Long-lasting battery
Hi-res OLED display
32GB of RAM

Cons

Bloatware
Low quality webcam

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i

Best graphic design laptop for content creators

The IdeaPad Pro 5i is a versatile 16-inch laptop, but its solid stack of hardware paired with the 2K OLED display makes it shine in the office.

Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, resulting in rock-solid performance. We tested the hardware by running many common workplace tasks from web browsing to writing documents and video conferencing platforms simultaneously. It handled everything we threw at it without skipping a beat.

Review: One of the longest-lasting laptops I’ve tested also has one of the best displays

Additionally, it has 32GB of memory, ensuring load times are partially nonexistent. This hardware configuration even allows the IdeaPad Pro 5i to act as a capable gaming laptop, perfect for when you have those long days and want to relax with a game.

The IdeaPad Pro’s generous heft allows for a full-sized keyboard, which, when paired with the rubber-like keycaps, results in a very comfortable typing experience. And lastly (but perhaps most importantly), the battery is quite good – particularly for a laptop with an OLED display – lasting almost nine hours straight during our livestream video test.

Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i specs: CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 | RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 16-inch 2K OLED display

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Pros

Large OLED
Great performance
Long battery life

Cons

Clogged with bloatware

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra

Best graphic design laptop for Samsung users

Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Ultra is a fantastic graphic design laptop first and foremost for its stunning 16-inch 3K AMOLED touchscreen. Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Book4 Ultra with anti-reflective Corning Gorilla glass that greatly reduces reflections and glare, and the large display is well-suited for intensive graphical tasks.

Review: I tested Samsung’s flagship laptop and it gave my MacBook Pro a run for its money

Besides the high-quality display, the device lasts, on average, 10 hours before needing a recharge. That length of time on a machine with a 3K resolution screen and a discrete graphics card is a result of the powerful Snapdragon X Elite processor on board, allowing for battery life that defies expectations for an OLED machine.

As good as the Galaxy Book4 Ultra may be, it really shines when its paired with other Samsung devices. Galaxy S24 owners can connect their phone to the computer, use it as a webcam, and remote into the device from the desktop, while support for other devices within the Samsung ecosystem come with additional feature sets.

Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra specs: CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 185H | GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RYX 4070 | RAM: 32GB | Storage: 1TB SSD | Display: 16-inch 3K Dynamic AMOLED

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Pros

Upgraded processor
Hi-res OLED screen
Sleek design

Cons

Limited ports
Runs hot

Dell XPS 13 (2024)

Best compact laptop for graphic design

Graphic design professionals who are constantly on the go should check out this year’s Dell XPS 13. The series is known for having sleek designs and top-of-the-line performance. That tradition continues as this model has the same stylish zero-lattice keyboard and capacitive touch panel about it.

It is about 13.4-inches across and weighs a measly 2.6 pounds You can stuff it inside a bag and take it with you easily. Dell’s machine is not going to encumber you in any way.

Review: I tested Dell’s XPS 13 and its eye-catching design is its second best feature

Most of the important changes on the 2024 XPS 13 are found inside the laptop. The early model boasts an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc graphics and 32GB of memory. Everything together results in a fast processing speeds, quick load times, and smooth multitasking. Of course, we can’t forget the high quality display which is capable of outputting a 3K image resolution.

The OLED model has a peak refresh rate of 60Hz. If speed and accuracy is important to you, then we recommend purchasing the mid-range since its refresh rate can go up to 120Hz.

Dell XPS 13 specs: CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | GPU: x | RAM: 32 GB | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Display: 13.4-inch 3K OLED touchscreen

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What is the best laptop for graphic design?

We chose the 14-inch Apple MacBook Pro from 2023 as the best laptop for graphic design due to its exceptional high-resolution display and great hardware performance.

If you’re thinking about getting something else, the table below compares the best graphic design laptops according to price, screen size, and CPU.

Best laptop for graphic designers	Starting Cost	Display	CPU
Apple MacBook Pro M3	$1,399	14” Liquid Retina XDR display	Apple Silicon M3
Apple MacBook Air M3	$899	13.6” Liquid Retina display	Apple Silicon M3
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1	$1,349	14” OLED touchscreen	Intel Core Ultra i7-1360P
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition	$999	13” OLED touchscreen	Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
Asus Zenbook S 16	$1,399	16-inch 3K OLED	AMD Ryzen AI 9 365
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i	$1,897	16” OLED touchscreen	Intel Core Ultra 9 185H
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra	$1,799	16” 3K AMOLED touchscreen	Intel Core Ultra 7 or 9
Dell XPS 13	$1,649	13.4” 3K OLED display	Intel Core Ultra 7 155H

Which graphic design laptop is right for you?

Graphic design laptops can handle many tasks, but some are better than others in certain scenarios. Hardware-demanding work, such as video editing, requires a high-end computer.

For this reason, you need to know what you’re looking for in a laptop. You don’t want to buy a device that’s going to struggle. Here’s how to figure out which laptop for graphic design may work best for you:

Choose this laptop for graphic design…	If you want…
Apple MacBook Pro M3	The best graphic design laptop overall. The MacBook Pro with the M3 chipset delivers performance, a long battery life, and a stunning screen.
Apple MacBook Air M3	An alternative to the MacBook Pro. It’s significantly cheaper than its counterpart, but still offers great performance.
Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1	The best 2-in-1 laptop for graphic designers. Its 2.8K resolution touchscreen and comfortable keyboard lets you work all day.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition	The best drawing laptop for graphic design. Its angled sitting posture and hi-res touchscreen make it ideal for illustration.
Asus Zenbook S16	The best Windows graphics design laptop. It houses AMD’s next-gen AI chipset as well as 3K display for showing a wide array of colors accurately.
Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5i	The best graphic design laptop for work. The device’s long-lasting battery life and powerful hardware make it an ideal pick to and from the office.
Samsung Galaxy Book4 Ultra	The best graphic design laptop for Samsung users. It comes with multiple apps aimed at improving the user experience for Galaxy phone owners.
Dell XPS 13	The best compact laptop for graphic design. The 2024 model boasts a new processor to better handle tough workloads and a hi-res OLED touchscreen

Factors to consider when choosing a laptop for graphic design

A laptop designed for creative users must provide far more power than a laptop aimed at general usage. Here are some of the top factors you’ll want to consider before making a purchase:

Hardware: Creative professionals rely heavily on their laptops’ graphics cards to do much of the work. However, graphics cards must be paired with strong CPUs to perform at a high level and be supported by a good amount of RAM.
Display: All that performance doesn’t mean squat if the laptop’s display can accurately showcase your work. Creative professionals greatly prefer high-resolution displays for that reason.
Screen size: 16-inch or 17-inch displays are larger and much heavier than a 13-inch or 14-inch laptop. Regular travelers may want to go something smaller on the run and leave the laptop with the big screen at the office or home.
Battery life: Decide whether you need a high-end laptop that can accomplish tasks but only run for a few hours or a mid-ranger that can last an entire day.
Price: Price is an important factor to consider when shopping for laptops. Obviously, the more expensive options tend to have better hardware. But that doesn’t mean you should completely discount the cheaper models because many still deliver awesome performance.

How we test laptops

There are many excellent laptops for graphic design on the market, and our staff at ZDNET gets an opportunity to review many of them. We look at all the abovementioned factors, including display, battery life, and value. We then test them as we would use them in the real world, from surfing the internet to streaming videos to more specific use cases for graphic design. The goal is to see what they’re capable of in real-world use.

Once all the testing is complete, the ones we liked are reviewed and sorted, given a specific category, like the best Windows laptop for graphic design, and placed on the list.

For more on our testing process, check out our comprehensive laptop testing methodology page.

Is battery life important in the best laptops for graphic designers?

Yes, but it depends on what you have.

Battery life is essential for lightweight, cheap, or travel laptops, which are ideal for travel. These models don’t have the most superb hardware in the world and are often mid-range devices. As a result, they’re not very power-hungry. You won’t have to worry about your laptop dying on you in the middle of a project. Plus, they’re not heavy.

Battery life doesn’t matter as much for bulky, powerful laptops like the MSI Creator Z16. You’ll be using this machine primarily at home, and computers of this caliber are heavy. Speaking from experience, you don’t want to lug around a big laptop daily. Plus, their hardware demands a lot of power, so your battery will drain much more quickly.

Is connectivity important in the best laptops for graphic designers?

Having a wide array of ports on a graphic design laptop is important, but ultimately, it comes down to what you, the user, need.

Some manufacturers equip their hardware with only a few inputs in order to keep sizes small and weight low. This is a good design move for ultraportable laptops. However, creative professionals work with a variety of devices and peripherals. Perhaps they need to connect their laptop to an external display or multiple monitors. This extends to audio equipment and SD cards from cameras.

Good laptop connectivity options are crucial to many professionals’ work. Luckily, there are solutions to this problem. You can solve this by buying a docking station to complement your computers. These devices offer way more inputs and outputs than a normal computer could ever hope to deliver.

Also: The best 5 laptop docking stations

If you just want a single device, you may be better off buying a heftier laptop with a variety of ports. A lightweight machine is ideal for travel.

Are MacBooks really that much better than Windows laptops when it comes to graphic design?

When it comes to hardware, not really. Modern MacBooks certainly have powerful M-series chipsets, allowing them to rise above the rest. However, Windows laptops have come a long way in bridging that gap. I would argue that Windows hardware is comparable to, in some cases, better than Apple’s tech.

The main difference between the two comes down to software. MacBooks have a great selection of apps onboard that still trounce Microsoft software. GarageBand is still great for editing music, and iMovie is also fantastic for making basic video edits. Of course, many of the best editing software are exclusive to Apple’s hardware.

Also: Boost your security and productivity with the top Mac apps

Windows 11, on the other hand, doesn’t have the greatest selection. For years, base apps on Windows computers were terrible. No one in their right mind takes Paint seriously as an illustration tool. You have Photoshop for that. Things have improved much, but base apps on Windows 11 still pale compared to what’s on macOS. Those starting software choices can make a huge difference.

Can gaming laptops be used for graphic design?

Gaming laptops are definitely a great alternative for graphic designers. They are often equipped with some of the most powerful processors in the tech industry. They also have great graphics cards, huge storage drives, and a ton of RAM, providing professionals with all the power and space they need for work. Many even have stunning displays.

However, there are multiple problems with them. 1) Gaming laptops can be heavy. In some cases, over seven pounds. 2) They’re expensive. 3) They don’t always have the most pleasing designs. Several models feature bulky, all-black designs. And 4) People may not enjoy their RGB lighting. On certain gaming laptops, the lightning can be too much.

When do laptops go on sale?

Graphic design laptops go on sale multiple times throughout the year. Prices usually drop around major US holidays or designated sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, you can get major discounts during Amazon Prime Day, which is when the retailer slashes the price tag for many products on its platform.

Also: October Prime Day 2024: Everything you need to know

The next Prime Day event kicks off on Oct. 8 and Oct 9. at the time of this writing. We have a list of the best October Prime Day laptop deals so far . We highly recommend checking it out.

Other graphic design laptops we’ve tested:

As established earlier, we choose the top seven laptops based on pricing, performance, display, and more. But, if the group above doesn’t work for you, here are other models to consider.

Best travel laptop for graphic design LG Gram Pro 17

If you’re looking for a laptop with a huge display (but is still portable), it doesn’t get lighter than LG’s Gram Pro 17. Its powerful hardware Meteor Lake processor and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU work in tandem with a brilliant 2K high-res WQXGA display and wafer-thin form factor.

Review:I tested LG’s 17-inch Gram Pro and it’s the big-screen, lightweight laptop to beat

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Best alternative MacBook for graphic design Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022)

If you want Apple hardware that’s easier on your wallet, we recommend the M3 MacBook from 2022. The difference between the M2 and M3 chips are not as big as one might assume, and the M2 is still a powerful, performant laptop in its own right. In fact, it was ZDNET’s product of the year in 2022.

Review:Apple’s M2 MacBook Air: ZDNET Product of the Year

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Best alternate Windows laptop Asus Vivobook Pro 15 ASUS’ Vivobook Pro 15 is a solid alternative for Windows users. Not only does it possess an OLED display, the laptop also has a Nvidia GeForce graphics card and a full-sized keyboard for solid performance. View at Best Buy