Creative Bloq is supported by the audience. When you make a purchase through a link on our website, we may receive affiliate commissions. learn more
By Orestis Bastounis and Matt Hanson November 19, 2021
Equip yourself with one of the best laptops for graphic design.
Jump directly to the most suitable laptop for graphic design 01. MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021) 02. MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) 03. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 04. Dell XPS 15 (2020) 05. Acer ConceptD 7
If you are looking for the best laptop for graphic design, then we can help because we have brought together some great devices that will help drive your creative work no matter where you are.
If you are a professional graphic designer, then buying a powerful but portable laptop to work may be one of the best investments you can make. The laptops on this list provide enough features to easily handle creative applications, reduce the time required to perform complex tasks and speed up your workflow.
This allows you to handle more projects and attract more customers, which justifies the sometimes high prices of these graphic design laptops.
The laptops on this page are not only powerful, but also equipped with gorgeous screens, so that your creative work really shines, while the thin and light design and long battery life allow you to be creative no matter where you are.
The best laptops for graphic design on this page are not only for professionals-we also provide options for beginners and students (although students should also check out our roundup of the best student laptops). We also have a very popular list of the best laptops for video editing, which is worth checking out.
Because there are so many outstanding laptops on the market, we are here to help you choose the most suitable laptop for graphic design as easily as possible, and provide you with clear buying advice for various budgets by cutting into the jargon.
With the arrival of Black Friday, November 26, 2021, we should also see significant price cuts for many of these graphic design laptops, which means that now is the ideal time to start looking for the next laptop.
There is no doubt that the MacBook Pro laptop is the best laptop we choose for graphic designers. Apple's MacBook Pro is popular with creatives and graphic designers due to its excellent build quality, design and functionality, and the new 16-inch MacBook Pro is the pinnacle of this.
The 16-inch (2021) MacBook Pro replaces the Intel-based model in 2019 and can be equipped with Apple’s powerful M1 Pro or M1 Max chips. They can handle even the most complex graphics design tasks, as well as the amazing XDR mini- LED screen and huge battery life.
Apple has also slightly increased the screen size and added a variety of port options, including HDMI and memory card slots, which makes it the best graphics design notebook computer available.
However, it is quite large, so if you want something more portable, check out the 14-inch model below.
Also read: MacBook Pro 16-inch review
The 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021) is a new size introduced by Apple. Compared with the old 13-inch MacBook Pro, the screen space has been improved. Like the 16-inch model above, it offers an amazing mini-LED screen that supports 1,600 nits of peak brightness and P3 wide color gamut.
It is also powered by the new M1 Pro and M1 Max Apple chips, which are the same as the 16-inch model, which means it offers a similar level of performance as larger laptops. Therefore, if you want a powerful laptop for graphic design, but you want an easy-to-carry laptop, then the 14-inch model may be your best choice.
The smaller size does not mean it missed the new design elements Apple added to the 16-inch model, because it is equipped with the same number of ports, including an SD card slot, an HDMI port and three Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Also read: MacBook Pro 14-inch review
Apple may make excellent laptops for graphic design, but its old rival Microsoft has introduced an excellent device equipped with a new Surface Laptop 4, which makes MacBooks more cost-effective than their money.
Although Microsoft may be known as a software company, it has recently launched some great laptops. Among its latest devices, it is the ideal laptop for graphic designers. It not only has a thin and gorgeous design, but also has an excellent PixelSense touch screen that makes your work look great. It also has an excellent keyboard, powerful specifications (including cutting-edge integrated graphics from Intel or AMD, depending on your configuration), and incredible battery life.
This is a great showcase of Windows 10, not only can it run any graphic design application you want. Now that Windows 11 is out, it can also be upgraded for free.
Although our top two choices for the best graphics design laptops are MacBooks, what if you want to stick to Windows? Fortunately, Dell XPS 15 (2020) is an excellent alternative to Apple laptops.
Containing powerful mobile components in a stylish and sturdy thin and light design, as well as a stunning 15.6-inch display and independent Nvidia graphics card, this laptop is ideal for graphic designers who will use this laptop for intensive creativity.
Most importantly, its battery life is very long, which means that if you want to use this powerful laptop, you don't have to be tied to your desk.
For more Dell laptop deals, see our dedicated best Dell laptop post.
Acer ConceptD 7 is another excellent Windows 10 replacement for graphic designers. It provides creative applications with powerful firepower, stylish design, stunning Pantone-verified 4K IPS display, and a cheaper price than Apple laptops.
It is also equipped with an Nvidia RTX graphics card, which provides many powerful features that such a thin and light notebook computer cannot compete with.
This is still an expensive laptop, but the power levels offered here, coupled with Acer's excellent manufacturing quality, are an excellent investment for graphic designers looking for a laptop that can last for many years.
If you want a MacBook Pro to complete your graphic design work, but the 16-inch and 14-inch models above are too big, then we have some good news. Last year, Apple introduced a brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro model with an overhaul of the hardware. It is definitely one of the best laptops in the field of graphic design. It is now equipped with Apple's own M1 chip (instead of an Intel processor), which allows the 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1, 2020) to provide some very impressive performance.
Therefore, with the powerful features of the M1 chip, you can easily edit 4K or even 8K content, and you can also run demanding graphics applications. Most importantly, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) has the longest battery life in the history of a MacBook. We have personally tested it and it is impressive, allowing you to work all day and still have battery life. For graphic designers who travel a lot, this can easily become the best laptop that money can buy.
Also read: MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) review
Dell’s XPS 13 series is one of the world’s best graphic design notebooks, and its latest models continue this fine tradition. With a thin and light design and some of the most powerful mobile components, this excellent laptop is easy to carry and powerful enough to handle graphic design tasks easily.
It also has one of the best screens in a laptop, which means your project will look its best. The battery life is also long, so you can work on the new Dell XPS 13 for hours without plugging in a power source.
It is currently one of the most expensive laptops, but we think that every penny is worth every penny for graphic designers who want the best laptop for work.
See also: The best 2-in-1 laptop for creatives
The new product of 2021, Gigabyte AERO 17 HDR XC is an excellent graphics design laptop, thanks to its cutting-edge components, including the 10th generation Intel processor and the new Nvidia RTX 3070 laptop graphics card. This is one of the best mobile GPUs in the world, which means that Gigabyte AERO 17 HDR XC can easily handle graphics design tasks and applications without sweating.
However, for graphic designers, its best feature must be the stunning 4K 17.3-inch screen, which supports 100% Adobe RGB color gamut-for anyone who needs color accuracy at work Both are essential, and the display has been calibrated by Pantone.
It looks really good, and it offers a resolution even higher than the powerful MacBook Pro (16 inches).
It also feels sturdy and durable, and is equipped with ports that allow you to plug in all necessary peripherals without an adapter. However, it is expensive, so graphic designers with limited budgets may want to look elsewhere.
Learn more in our Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XC review.
The new LG Gram 17 is an excellent graphic design laptop for two main reasons. The first is its large 17-inch display, which allows you to work comfortably. For those who think that the 15-inch or 13-inch screen is too small, LG Gram 17 is a good choice, it can provide ample working space for your graphic design work.
It is also very light, weighing only over 1 kg. For a 17-inch laptop, this is remarkable, which means that despite its large size, it is still very comfortable to carry around for long periods of time.
Therefore, it is an ideal choice for graphic designers who travel frequently but want a large-screen laptop. It also helps it contain some of the best mobile technologies you can find right now, including Intel’s new 11th generation processors and Iris Xe graphics cards. The battery life is also very impressive, and it can easily last about 12 hours on a single charge.
Of course, in terms of design, it is not the most exciting laptop, but the powerful components, light weight and large screen mean it is an excellent graphic design laptop.
Yes, another MacBook in this list. However, we are not biased-Apple does make some laptops that are most suitable for graphic design, and its latest MacBook Air is a product worth starting with. We did not necessarily recommend the MacBook Air in the past, but the latest model is equipped with the same ARM-based Apple M1 chip as the more expensive 13-inch MacBook Pro.
This means that it is as powerful as the MacBook Pro in many ways. Its fanless design means that it can work as hard as a MacBook Pro, but on the other hand, it means that it is completely silent in use, and it can still do A lot of heavy workload without overheating.
In addition, the latest MacBook Air supports the P3 color gamut for the first time, which means that the screen can display accurate colors, which is very important for creative professionals. Coupled with amazing battery life and gorgeous thin and light design, you will have an excellent graphic design laptop.
Also read: MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review
So, how do you choose the most suitable laptop for your work? Obviously, you will be guided by a price you can afford, which is why we are here to provide the best option for all budgets. But there are some other things to consider.
One is power and portability: you need something light and thin enough to fit in a backpack, but also powerful enough to run your creative tool kit. You also need to decide whether macOS or Windows is right for you. The former used to be the main content for creative professionals, but now it really doesn’t matter what platform you use.
Regardless of your preference, each machine here will provide you with all the power and performance you need to start the latest and greatest projects. You may also want to check out our guide to the best laptops for Photoshop.
When buying a laptop for graphic design, you need to consider the specifications of the model you are researching, but what specifications do you need?
For a good graphics design laptop, you need a modern processor from Intel or AMD. Speaking of MacBook, Apple has its own chip-M1-and it performs very well. If you want your laptop to face the future, we recommend that you use the 11th generation Intel or AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile processors.
When it comes to RAM, the more you have, the better, especially if you want to handle multiple tasks at the same time. We recommend at least 8GB RAM, but if your budget can be expanded, 16GB is best.
Dedicated graphics cards are also worth considering, especially for graphics-intensive workloads. However, these will greatly increase the price of notebook computers, and modern integrated GPUs are sufficient for the use of daily graphics design.
Sign up below to get the latest information from Creative Bloq and exclusive special offers sent directly to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up for Creative Bloq. You will receive a verification email shortly.
has a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Creative Bloq is part of Future plc, which is an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our company website.
© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. all rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.