Top 5 Best Laptops for Graphic Design in 2025
Get creative with the best laptops for graphic design
Color-accurate screens and top-tier specifications for Photoshop, Illustrator, Affinity, and other programs are features of the finest laptop for graphic design.
Together with my team, I have examined hundreds of design basics, such as the top graphic design software and graphic design monitors. Additionally, these are our top choices for laptops that facilitate fluid design workflows.
The greatest laptop available now for graphic design is the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch. With an M3 chip, it offered one of the best laptop displays available and outstanding performance for a variety of content creation jobs. I’ve compiled our list of suggested laptops for artists and designers at all price points.
Every device we highlight here has undergone rigorous testing and benchmarking, and we’ve also investigated color coverage and accuracy throughout the sRGB and Adobe RGB color spaces.
Table of Contents
BEST OVERALL
1. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max)
BEST MAC
2. Apple MacBook Air 13in (M2)
BEST FOR STUDENTS
3. Dell XPS 14
BEST FOR PROFESSIONAL
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9
BEST BATTERY LIFE
5. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)
1. Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max)
With Apple’s newest CPUs, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) offers unrivaled power and is unequaled in its aptitude for graphic creation.
It performs noticeably better than earlier models at performing demanding design activities, such as editing 4K and 8K videos, without stuttering. With a new Space Black option that deters fingerprints and keeps the gadget looking immaculate, its appearance stays the same.
Benchmark tests show a significant improvement in performance, especially in apps that require a lot of graphics, which simplifies creative operations. It can allow extended creative periods on a single charge because to its 24-hour battery life.
Despite being expensive, its powerful features make it worth the purchase for graphic designers looking for a high-end laptop that blends effectiveness, robustness, and style.
2. Apple MacBook Air (M2)
With good reason, the Apple MacBook Air M2 is a very popular notebook. It has a brand-new design and offers excellent performance overall for the price. The updated body and bigger screen are elegant and contemporary.
By implementing the notch, the M2 MacBook Air enhances the overall immersive experience of the screen. It was also a pleasant surprise when MagSafe was brought back to MacBooks this year, making charging considerably quicker, safer, and feasible without using up ports.
For the price, the Apple MacBook Air M2 has an amazing amount of power. Most people find the MacBook Air with M2 chip to be a sufficient computer, however some may find it to be overpowering.
3. Dell XPS 14 (2024)
With its sophisticated design, state-of-the-art processor, and optional 3.2K OLED display, the Dell XPS 14 establishes itself as a top option for graphic designers and raises the bar for color accuracy and visual clarity within the XPS series.
Starting at $1,499, the laptop could need extra money for upgrades like the Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU to reach its full potential, but for professionals looking for performance and longevity, it’s worth over $2,400.
Notable design improvements include narrow bezels surrounding a 1080p webcam and excellent top-mounted speakers for better audio quality.The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and Nvidia RTX 4050-powered XPS 14 effectively handles a variety of tasks, from simple computing to intricate content production, despite its thin profile. This makes it a necessary tool for graphic artists who value performance, robustness, and aesthetics.
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 9
With its 2-in-1 form, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 excels at providing both productivity and flexibility, enabling users to seamlessly switch between tablet-like work and traditional laptop use.
Because of its versatility, it may be used for a wide range of professional duties, such as creating reports, illustrating concepts, and delivering presentations. The device’s flexibility to fold into several orientations, including tablet mode for convenient navigation or tent mode for content display, makes it a flexible tool for any corporate environment.
Regarding battery life and charging, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 9 has both quick charging and long-lasting battery performance. Professionals can remain productive throughout the workday without taking frequent pauses to refuel thanks to this feature.Long work sessions are a good fit for this device because it can perform demanding activities with great battery economy.
5. Apple MacBook Air (M3, 2023)
An outstanding laptop for graphic designers is the Apple MacBook Air (M3, 2024), which has a clean, contemporary style and is lightweight and portable, making it perfect for professionals who are constantly on the go.
Without compromising the laptop’s portability, its large, bright display with thin bezels offers an immersive experience for intricate creative work. The MacBook Air performs exceptionally well in terms of speedy boot times and seamless program handling, both of which are essential for handling intricate design work.
Long design sessions are made easier by the ergonomic, updated keyboard, which boosts output.Its remarkable 16-hour battery life also allows for prolonged creative activities without the need for frequent recharging, which makes it ideal for designers working on lengthy projects or on the go.
Which laptop specifications are best for graphic design?
Your GPU and CPU hardware requirements will vary depending on the tools you use, but all graphic design laptops need memory because media files can be fairly large and if you’re working on a design with a lot of layers or effects added to the mix, these will quickly fill up your app’s RAM memory allocation. You’ll need at least 16GB of RAM, but 32GB is ideal.
Does graphic design work better on Macs?
In terms of graphic design work, Macs are superior to Windows laptops in a few areas, with font rendering being one of the most significant. However, in the last few years, Windows laptops have made significant progress in bridging that disparity. Since all of the main graphic design programs are available on both platforms and the display quality (as well as color gamut coverage) of the finest Windows laptops can even surpass that of the best MacBooks and MacBook Pro laptops, it really comes down to personal preference for the OS ecosystem.
There is no one solution when it comes to selecting the finest laptop for graphic design. The trick is to first decide how you want to utilize the device because there are so many different types and manufacturers available.
The quick answer is as follows:
Our experience has shown that a competent laptop for graphic design requires at least an AMD Ryzen 5, Intel i5, or M1 processor. At least 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM are required; however, 32GB is better for flawless performance on complicated projects. Verify that your screen has a minimum resolution of 1080p and that it has excellent sRGB and Adobe RGB color coverage. This ensures that the color accuracy of your designs is maintained both in print and on screen.
However, for a more thorough response:
The type of work you’ll be performing will determine which laptop is best for graphic design. However, as a starting point, we advise having at least 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, along with one of the top photo cloud storage services for backups. To get the most true colors on-screen, get a display with DCI-P3.
Another option is to use a screen that has a very high percentage of sRGB coverage. With this kind of power, a machine will keep you in the zone.
Power users and professionals should choose portables that can increase power and performance as much as they wish. Because graphic design programs like Adobe Illustrator can strain technology, it’s critical to choose one that can execute them without lag.
Look for the best CPU, GPU, and RAM specifications that your budget will allow. You should also look for a device with a lot of storage. It’s possible to invest in the best graphic design laptops, but it’s not always essential, particularly if you’re a casual user or using less resource-intensive tools like online design programs like Canva or the best logo makers and free logo makers.
We test devices designed for a variety of vocations and occupations, such as the greatest laptops for engineers, journalists, and video editors.
We thoroughly evaluate each laptop against a list of criteria when determining which are best for designers, paying particular attention to screen quality and performance. When using graphic-intensive apps like the best VFX software and the best 3D modeling software, as well as creative apps like graphic design software and photo editors, these are two of the most crucial resources. We regularly employ Photoshop and Lightroom in our evaluations because, in general, if Adobe products function properly, any of the best alternatives to Photoshop and Lightroom should be good.
In general, we choose laptops with internal SSD storage of 1TB or more and at least 16GB of RAM, while 32GB is ideal. Additionally, they have the newest CPUs from Apple, AMD, and Intel.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that several of the machines we evaluated are frequently touted as the best gaming laptops or business laptops, as these computers must also be able to run demanding software without experiencing any issues. For expert alternatives for graphic design work, we also suggest looking at the top Lenovo ThinkPad laptops.