Since such devices are extremely portable and can be used anywhere, which is important for demonstrating the created graphics to customers.
In addition, modern models are equipped with a powerful processor with high data processing speed, a powerful video card and a high-quality matrix for the most accurate reproduction of all shades of the color gamut.
After analyzing statistics on laptop purchases from various manufacturers for 2020–2021, studying official test results, functionality, reviews from experts and customers, we selected the 20 best models in terms of price/quality ratio.
Rating of the TOP 20 best laptops for designers in 2021
| Place | Name | Price |
| TOP 3 best laptops for a designer by price/quality for 2021 | ||
| 1 | Lenovo Legion 5 15 | Find out the price |
| 2 | ASUS TUF Gaming FX505 | Find out the price |
| 3 | HUAWEI MateBook D 14″ | Find out the price |
| TOP 3 best laptops for a graphic designer | ||
| 1 | Xiaomi RedmiBook 14″ | Find out the price |
| 2 | ASUS VivoBook 14 M413 | Find out the price |
| 3 | Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 12.5″ 2019 | Find out the price |
| TOP 3 best laptops for working with Photoshop for motion/web design | ||
| 1 | HP PAVILION 15-dk1 | Find out the price |
| 2 | Apple MacBook Air 13 Early 2020 | Find out the price |
| 3 | HP PAVILION 15-dk0 | Find out the price |
| TOP 3 best laptops for a designer with good color reproduction | ||
| 1 | Xiaomi RedmiBook 14″ II Ryzen Edition | Find out the price |
| 2 | HONOR MagicBook 14 | Find out the price |
| 3 | HP PAVILION 17-cd1 | Find out the price |
| TOP 3 best 17-inch laptops for a designer | ||
| 1 | HP 17-by3 | Find out the price |
| 2 | ASUS TUF Gaming A17 FX706 | Find out the price |
| 3 | ASUS ROG G712 | Find out the price |
| TOP 3 best 15-inch laptops for a designer | ||
| 1 | Acer Aspire 3 A315-23 | Find out the price |
| 2 | ASUS VivoBook 15 X512 | Find out the price |
| 3 | HUAWEI MateBook D 15.6″ | Find out the price |
| TOP 2 best budget laptops for a designer | ||
| 1 | Lenovo V15 | Find out the price |
| 2 | HP 17-ca1 | Find out the price |
Display
We only need the display type - IPS ! Any type of IPS - H-IPS or E-IPS, etc. - it doesn’t matter! The main thing is IPS! TN type matrices are not suitable! They invert colors at angles and are impossible to calibrate! Be sure to make sure when purchasing that you have an IPS display, because many manufacturers produce the same models with different types of screens!
Display resolutions are different now! It’s definitely not worth taking less than FHD 1920*1080 If you want a higher resolution, for example 4K - UHD 3840*2160 , then remember that this will increase the load on an already weak machine, hence heating, less operating time!
- The most optimal FHD 1920*1080!
- If you want UHD 3840*2160, look at laptops with GTX1060 or GTX1070 video chips
Remember that IPS does not guarantee accurate colors! Be sure to Google the exact name of your laptop model and look at the “COLOR GRANGE” in the sRGB space - it should be at least 85% ! If it is less, there can be no talk of any precise work with color!
Well, another important parameter is the brightness of the display! It is indicated in candelas per square meter. —cd/m2. It is advisable to take at least 300 cd/m2
How to choose a laptop for a designer and what to look for?
When choosing a laptop model for graphic work, you need to pay special attention to six technical parameters:
- Matrix . It is considered the most important component in the operation of a laptop for a designer. Since it is the matrix that helps to transmit different colors and create bright material with excellent color rendition. Manufacturers produce laptops for design purposes with the following types of matrices:
- IPS (In-Plane Switching) . Such matrices have the largest color gamut among all existing ones. Laptops have natural color reproduction, which is necessary for the work of designers and photographers, and wide viewing angles. Such matrices support Full HD resolution and higher.
- WVA (Wide Viewing Angles) and SVA (Super Viewing Angles) . These two matrices are variations of the TN matrix with slightly better viewing angles. Their color rendering is duller.
- TN (Twisted Nematic) . This matrix is installed in the most inexpensive computers. It has a very fast response (1 ms), but the viewing angles are not wide enough and the color gamut is not very wide.
- Screen diagonal . For a designer to work, the diagonal of a laptop should be selected in accordance with the preferences of a professional. Typically, designers who carry a laptop with them prefer models with a diagonal of no more than 14 inches. Because they are compact and light weight. 15.6 and 17.3 inch models are also suitable for working at home.
- Processor (CPU) . A powerful processor is required to process graphics and create design projects. For simple graphics, laptops with an Intel Core i3 and AMD Ryzen 3 CPU are suitable. For serious and resource-intensive work, it is better to purchase a laptop with modern Intel Core i5 or i7 processors, as well as AMD Ryzen 5 or 7. They will allow you to quickly process large amounts of data. Also, with such a powerful CPU, a good cooling system must be installed, which will protect the laptop from overheating and possible breakdown.
- Video card . To work with animation, drawing projects and graphics, you will need a powerful graphics controller with its own amount of video memory, which should be at least 2 GB, and ideally 4–6 GB. Stable professional work with image processing programs will be ensured by the following models of video cards from two manufacturers:
- NVIDIA – GeForce MX150–MX350, GTX 1050–GTX 1660 Ti, RTX 206–RTX 2070.
- AMD – Radeon Vega (6 / 8 / 10), Radeon RX 560X.
- RAM . Simple photo editors and drawing programs will require 6–8 GB of RAM to run normally. To support resource-intensive programs for creating graphics and animation (Adobe Photoshop, Canva, CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe After Effects) you need from 16 to 32 GB.
- Drive type . Laptops require both solid state drives (SSD) and hard drives (HDD) for designer work. SSD drives will launch resource-intensive programs faster, and it is better to store finished works on an HDD drive. Since graphics and animations usually take up quite a lot of space, the SSD drive should be at least 256 GB in size, and it is better to choose a HDD drive size of 500 GB or more.
Basic parameters for working with graphics programs
To work with any graphics editor, be it raster, vector or a hybrid of both, a laptop needs good “stuffing”. And if you work with three-dimensional graphics, then indicators of such parameters as processor power, video card model and RAM size should be at a high level.
When choosing a laptop for graphics programs, the parameters that can be called basic are the following:
TOP 3 best laptops for a graphic designer
Xiaomi RedmiBook 14″
The 14-inch Xiaomi RedmiBook 14 model is suitable for both everyday work and play .
Stable and fast operation of the device is supported by a central processor from Intel (Core i3 / i5 / i7). To prevent it from heating up, it has its own cooling cooler.
The graphics and image in the laptop are provided by an integrated graphics card Intel UHD Graphics 620 or a discrete one from the NVIDIA GeForce MX series.
The built-in speakers support DTS technology, which allows you to reproduce clear and surround sound.
The body of the device is very durable - it is made of aluminum.
And at the same time, the laptop is lightweight (only 1.5 kg), making it convenient to take with you. Security from outside interference is ensured by Smart Unlock 2.0 technology, which allows you to unlock the laptop using the Mi Band.
Specifications:
- display – 14″ (IPS);
- operating time – about 10 hours;
- drives – 4–16 GB (RAM), 256/512/1024 GB (SSD).
pros
powerful hardware for graphics processing;
light weight and compact design;
long battery life.
Minuses
no webcam.
ASUS VivoBook 14 M413
The modern Asus Vivobook 14 M413 laptop will provide all the necessary computing power to work in graphic editors and content creation programs .
The processor and video card from AMD are installed in various configurations - Ryzen 3 / 5 and Radeon Graphics / Vega 8, respectively.
The NanoEdge display uses an LCD matrix that allows you to display images in Full HD quality with wide viewing angles.
The laptop's light weight (1.4 kg) allows it to be used on the go . Many ports will make it possible to connect an external monitor, projector, flash drive or microSD memory card to the laptop.
And the “Link to MyASUS” function allows you to connect other mobile devices to your computer.
Specifications:
- display – 14″ (IPS);
- operating time – from 6 to 7 hours;
- storage – 8 GB (RAM), 256/512 GB (SSD).
pros
lightweight and compact;
high level of performance;
excellent sound quality.
Minuses
RAM expansion is not available.
Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 12.5″ 2019
The ultrabook with a strict design has a durable metal body and good hardware .
An energy-efficient dual-core processor (Core M3 or Core i5) and a capacious battery are suitable for fast and high-quality work in the office or while traveling. The cooling system of the model is passive (there are no fans), thanks to which the computer is characterized by silent operation.
The Intel UHD Graphics 615 graphics controller transmits images to the display in Full HD quality with natural color reproduction.
The AKG speaker system delivers high, clear sound to the speakers without extraneous noise.
Specifications:
- display – 12.5″ (IPS);
- operating time – about 10 hours;
- storage – 4 GB (RAM), 128/256 GB (SSD).
pros
powerful sound;
operating time on one charge;
excellent color rendition.
Minuses
non-standard keyboard.
No. 4 – ASUS Zenbook 13 UX325EA-AH029T
Price: 63,990 rubles
The article in which we talk about which laptops are best to buy based on their characteristics is gradually coming to an end. ASUS Zenbook 13 is a cool model equipped with a Thunderbolt connector, thanks to which you can connect a discrete graphics card to it. Another feature of the laptop is its miniature size. For example, the case thickness is only 14 mm.
The 13.3-inch screen is made using IPS technology, so it produces rich and contrasting colors. The display has a matte finish, so even when exposed to sunlight, the image is not distorted. The laptop also boasts 10 hours of battery life, a comfortable keyboard and a sensitive touchpad that is responsive to user commands. Owners only complain that the model has only one USB port. However, we still recommend the model to anyone who doesn’t know which laptop is best to buy for home use.
ASUS Zenbook 13 UX325EA-AH029T
TOP 3 best 15-inch laptops for a designer
Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
The productive Acer Aspire 3 A315-23 laptop with a quad-core AMD Ryzen 3 or 5 processor is suitable for any task: working with text files, graphics, web surfing, watching videos and productive games .
The screen has high contrast and brightness, as well as high image resolution - 1920x1080 pixels. It has a matte finish that prevents the display from glare in bright light and in the sun.
A graphics controller from AMD will help you display dynamic scenes in games and animation clearly and without loops..
The computer is quite compact and has a capacious battery. This makes it possible to take the device with you on trips and to work. LAN, HDMI and USB connectors will help you connect the laptop with other devices.
Specifications:
- display – 15.6″ (TN);
- operating time – about 7 hours;
- drives – 4–12 GB (RAM), 128/256/512/1024 GB (SSD), 1000/1024 GB (HDD).
pros
high-speed CPU;
quiet operation;
high-quality assembly.
Minuses
cold color rendering.
ASUS VivoBook 15 X512
The sleek design of the ASUS VivoBook 15 X512 goes well with powerful software .
The processor and video card from AMD, Intel and NVIDIA are installed in various configurations. The NanoEdge display uses an LCD matrix that allows you to display images in Full HD quality with wide viewing angles.
The device is completely mobile, so it can be used on the go . The laptop's keyboard is height adjustable using the ErgoLift screen hinge.
Many ports will make it possible to connect an external monitor, projector, flash drive or microSD card to the laptop . And the built-in “Link to MyASUS” functionality allows you to pair your laptop with other devices.
Specifications:
- display – 15.6″ (IPS / TN);
- operating time – about 5 hours;
- drives – 4–12 GB (RAM), 128/256/512 GB (SSD), 500/1000 GB (HDD).
pros
high image quality;
good build quality;
fast processor.
Minuses
insufficient cooling.
HUAWEI MateBook D 15.6″
In the 15-inch model of the MateBook D 15.6″ laptop computer, the manufacturer HUAWEI allows you to select the desired processor configuration (Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5/7) and video controller (AMD or NVIDIA), as well as the amount of memory when purchasing .
To protect the created files and the system in general from outside interference, the design included a power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner.
If you need to play music or any other sound, the computer has a built-in audio system.
It is equipped with surround sound technology and correction of possible interference . Thanks to this, the laptop broadcasts high-quality and clear sound in studio, DVD or CD format.
You can connect flash drives, TV, monitor or other digital devices using HDMI and VGA connectors.
Also, without additional adapter wires, you can project your smartphone screen onto a laptop. For this purpose, a functionality called “Multiscreen” is provided.
With its help, you can not only transfer files to devices, but also manage the functionality of both devices.
Specifications:
- display – 15.6″ (IPS);
- operating time – from 7 to 8 hours;
- drives – 8 GB (RAM), 256 / 512 (SSD).
pros
excellent speed;
stylish case design;
beautiful image with natural color reproduction.
Minuses
There is no backlight on the keyboard.
Acer
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-42
There is a version with a good AUO B156HAN06.0 screen, but the modification of the laptop and the cost should be clarified when purchasing. The processors are AMD, which is interesting in itself. A discrete AMD Radeon RX 560(X) graphics card is also installed, which roughly corresponds to the NVidia GTX 1050.
There are many possibilities for upgrade. There are two memory slots, there is M.2 in addition to the classic 2.5-inch drive. There is a connector for wired Ethernet, several USB versions and HDMI.
The laptop is quite heavy and not so thin that it can be easily carried with you, but it is quite suitable for long-term stationary work, especially since the screen is devoid of any flicker. The cost of modifications with the required matrix starts from 56,000 rubles.
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-54
Modifications with a good matrix BOE NV156FHM-N4K (BOE082A) exist in nature, but I can’t say in what kind this screen is found and whether it is sold here. At a minimum, it is certainly possible to install such a panel in a more affordable modification of the laptop.
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55
This laptop model has a ton of modifications. The specifications for a laptop often indicate exactly the matrix whose capabilities suit us, but it would be better to check before purchasing. The Innolux N140HCE-EN2 (CMN14D5) screen is very good.
Otherwise, it’s an average ultrabook, lightweight and compact. True, you have to pay for this by the impossibility of upgrading the memory (it is soldered) and the lack of a 2.5-inch drive (M.2 only). Yes, and there are few interface connectors, although this is partly compensated by the presence of USB Type-C.
TOP 2 best budget laptops for a designer
Lenovo V15
The Lenovo V15 laptop has a powerful system for protecting personal data, documents and other user materials .
Built-in Trusted Platform Module microcode ensures timely encryption of data and passwords. The design of the device provides two drives of different capacities (SSD and HDD).
Increased performance of the budget model is provided by a central processor from the Core i3–i7 or Ryzen 3–5 line, a discrete graphics card from NVIDIA or AMD Radeon.
Vivid color reproduction and picture clarity were achieved thanks to the installation of an FHD display (1920×1080).
The laptop comes pre-installed with Windows 10 Pro, which is equipped with the Cortana voice assistant . It will help you find photos, documents, remind you of meetings and perform many other functions.
Specifications:
- display – 15.6″ (TN);
- operating time – about 6 hours;
- drives – 4–12 GB (RAM), 128/256/512 GB (SSD), 500/1000/1024 GB (HDD).
pros
sufficient time to work without recharging;
high-speed CPU;
quiet work.
Minuses
there is no reserve of screen brightness.
HP 17-ca1
HP 17-ca1 is a laptop computer from a reliable manufacturer of modern technology, HP .
This model perfectly combines the price and quality of the device. All the main hardware is produced by AMD. It features stable operation and reliable data storage with moderate power consumption.
The bright wide-angle screen broadcasts clear images in HD quality with excellent viewing angles . Surround sound reproduction will be provided by the powerful built-in Audio Boost audio system.
Thanks to the fast charging function in the hardware, the laptop battery can be recharged to 50% in just 45 minutes.
Specifications:
- display – 17.3″ (IPS);
- operating time – from 6 to 10.5 hours;
- drives – 4–16 GB (RAM), 128/256/512 GB (SSD), 500/1000 GB (HDD).
pros
powerful processor;
fast SSD drive;
many ports
Minuses
poor typing of characters on the keyboard;
programs can only be installed on Windows 10; older versions are no longer supported.
MSI
A laptop for Photoshop under $1000 is not a specialized topic for this brand. Still, MSI are, first and foremost, gaming laptops. And yet you can pick up something.
MSI Modern 14 A10M
A compact ultrabook on a new platform (10th generation Intel processors) with a good screen, even a very good one. The Chi Mei N156HGA-EAL matrix has high contrast and almost completely covers the sRGB color space. PWM is present, but at a high frequency of 25 kHz and at low brightness values - less than 28%.
There is also a modification, Modern 14 A10RB, the main difference of which is the use of a discrete Geforce MX250 video card.
The storage device is an M.2 SSD, which can have a SATA or PCIe interface. There is only one memory slot. Compact dimensions impose restrictions on the number and range of interface ports. However, there are two USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A and HDMI.
MSI PS42 Modern 8RC (RA, RB)
It is no longer a new laptop model leaving the market, but has not yet left it. The screen with the Chi Mei N140HCE-EN2 matrix boasts almost complete sRGB coverage, no PWM, and good brightness and contrast values.
The top configuration may have a GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q 4 GB video card, but choosing this particular configuration is a controversial decision. Compact dimensions impose restrictions on the efficiency of the cooling system, and reducing the temperature of a graphics chip that heats up well is a difficult task. In simpler versions, the laptop may well be interesting.
Just keep in mind that there is only one memory slot, there is one M.2 SSD drive, and you can install both SATA and PCIe solid state drives. There are a pair of USB 3.2 Gen1 in Type-C and Type-A form factors. There is no wired Ethernet here.
Which company should you choose?
In 2020–2021, a large number of manufacturers are producing high-quality laptops that can satisfy the needs of any designer.
Therefore, it is difficult to single out any specific companies.
If you take a laptop for the long term, then it is better to turn your attention to models from HP, Acer and ASUS. Since laptops from these companies can be upgraded. For example, install a more powerful video card, add RAM or install an additional drive.
If you focus on a certain cost, you can find laptops:
- in the budget segment from Acer, Xiaomi, HONOR.
- at an average price from manufacturers ASUS, HUAWEI, HP.
- premium class from Lenovo, Apple.
Criteria for choosing a laptop for Photoshop under $1000
There are few requirements. The cost should be approximately 65,000 rubles. (about $1,000), but I will allow myself to expand it to 70,000 rubles. The main criterion is a screen with a good color gamut, at least 70% sRGB. I will also limit myself to screen sizes of 14-15 inches. I will not put any more restrictions.
The concept of a “good screen”, of course, does not only include color gamut. The brightness/contrast values, the DeltaE parameter, backlight uniformity, the presence (preferably, of course, absence) of PWM, etc. are also important. And yet you have to start from something, and for such a “stove” you need to choose a color gamut. Without it, accurate color rendition cannot be achieved, no matter how bright or contrasting the display is, no matter how warm the soul and pleasing to the eye the absence of flicker.
Selecting laptop models
It must be said right away that you should not expect that 50,000 rubles will be enough for such a purchase. or even less. A good matrix itself is not cheap, and hardly any manufacturers will install it in a budget laptop. Most likely, such a screen can only be found in older modifications of models, the prices for them will be appropriate, i.e. you need to be prepared that the cost will be close to a thousand evergreens or even slightly exceed it.
And yet there is a solution. If a particular laptop model uses several different matrices, then why not replace the cheap one with a better one? Of course, this requires some costs, both material and manual, but results can be achieved. I'm not sure that this is always possible, and this issue requires study in each specific case, but it is potentially very interesting.
Other opportunities for saving could be choosing a slightly less powerful CPU, installing only 8 GB of memory with the prospect of an independent upgrade in the future. It will also help to reduce the price by purchasing a modification with only an HDD, or with an SSD, but of small capacity. Again, with a reserve for a future upgrade.
Prices are given for mid-to-late February 2020, and they should be treated as indicative, because for various reasons they may change significantly.
Cooling system and throttling!
This is perhaps the most important part of the laptop! It is very difficult to integrate a normal cooling system into a thin laptop case! Almost not real! Therefore, to prevent the laptop from heating up, the processor is made noticeably weaker than its desktop counterparts so that it does not generate a lot of heat!
But even with this, the heating still turns out to be strong, and the more complex the task, the higher the frequency (see MAX TURBO frequency above) and there are two outputs!
The first is to run the fans at maximum speed and we get a loud annoying buzzing noise! Moreover, if in a stationary computer, which is under the table or behind the monitor, we do not feel the noise, since the case is far away! Then the laptop is in front of our noses and the noise hits our ears!
Is it possible to properly cool something with these two (and often only one cooler costs) little ones?
And alas, often the laptop cooler simply cannot cope with the task, even despite the enormous rotation speed, the temperature still continues to rise! And at the same time , the processor can reach enormous temperatures and begin to melt or fuse neighboring elements!
The more tubes and coolers the better! Google your chosen laptop model in disassembled form!
fans ) are a very important cooling element The more of them, the better the laptop cools! But the noise is also higher, but alas, if you want performance in a laptop, learn to tolerate the noise!
The second important part is the heat pipes ! They carry heat away from the hot elements of the system (processor and video card) to the coolers! The more tubes, the more efficiently heat is removed and cooled!
And so - To prevent the melting of important laptop systems from happening, there is a second way out! The processor begins to throttle - as the temperature rises, it begins to forcibly reduce its power (reset the frequency)! Let's look at the processor parameters above: Base frequency - base frequency - for example 1.6 Ghz - weak tasks, such as a calculator or word, will be performed at this frequency, if complex tasks are performed at this frequency, for example PHOTOSHOP - then this will not be enough and the system will brake hard! Therefore, for complex tasks, such as PHOTOSHOP, MAX TURBO frequency is turned on, and the frequencies rise, for example, to 3.4 Ghz (2 times!!) which leads to heating, the higher the frequency, the hotter it is. And the longer the processor operates at peak power, the hotter it gets! When the thermostat detects an extremely dangerous temperature, it forcibly lowers the frequency, sometimes even below the Base frequency , and you get a brake system - everything freezes! Or the device turns off altogether! Therefore, if the cooling system cannot cope, no matter what processor it is, you can end up with a slow machine!
This is what happened in MACBOOK PRO 2018 - new powerful processors were installed there, and the cooling system was designed in 2021 for old processors in order to make the laptop thin, light and beautiful! Naturally, it cannot cool new processors and throttles terribly! The problem was partially solved “on the knee,” but still, buying the most powerful version of the Macbook Pro 15 2021 with an i9 processor for 300,000 rubles, you get a weak computer that will be noticeably inferior to any Windows laptop on i9 for 100,000 rubles.
This happens in any processor, even in your phone (for example iPhone) when you run complex tasks or a demanding toy on it, after some time it becomes very hot and starts to slow down!
And one more, but very important BUT!
The cooling system of a laptop (any) gets clogged very quickly and ceases to be effective (no matter how advanced it is!). In stationary computers, this problem does not exist (it’s just that the appearance inside is not beautiful), but for a laptop this is an Achilles heel! Therefore, keep in mind that the cooling system will need to be cleaned at least once a year! And the easier it is to access the fans, the longer your laptop will live!
