The choice of a computer for those working in the graphic design sector must be a well-considered action, as there are several elements to consider. The first (and most obvious) choice to make is whether to buy a laptop or a fixed one. Both have advantages and disadvantages and there is no better choice at all: everything will depend on your needs.

Graphic Design: The Best 5 Laptop for Graphic Designers

For example, a laptop is definitely more suitable for those who are often on the road, for students who need to use a computer even when they are away from home and to all those who have little room at home to work on. In today’s article, I would like to talk to you about the best laptops currently in circulation to do graphic design.

In this article, I have included those that, in my opinion, are the laptops that for power, characteristics and usability are the most suitable for those working in the field of design. All laptops inserted have high-quality components, excellent screens, and excellent general functionality.

1. Microsoft Surface Book

• Processor: Intel Core i7
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Disk space: 128 GB SSD
• Graphics Card: Intel HD

The Microsoft Surface Book is an incredible computer, even in its variant “base.” The fact that you can also use it as a tablet makes it really interesting: just detach the screen and draw using the included Surface Pen, or buy the innovative Surface Dial (about $79.99 USD) that allows you to take advantage of an advanced control system, via Bluetooth LE connection, particularly suitable for rotating items on the screen, quickly browse articles and web pages, change the volume in apps like Groove, Pandora and Spotify and Finally, access quick links and drawing tools, editing and much more. The hardware consists of a sort of rotating aluminum dome, which can be clicked and return feedback via the integrated vibration.

High-performance battery, which will allow users to reach a range of up to 16 hours continuously. Another new feature is the display equipped with PixelSense technology. The screen has a 13.5-inch diagonal with a resolution of 3000 × 2000 pixels, while the body is made of magnesium alloy. To complete the equipment we find a fiberglass trackpad, Surface Pen, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth, 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front. Quite expensive (price above $1,900 USD), but excellent for those working in the field of graphic design.

2. HP ZBook Studio G4 DreamColor

• Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core
• Graphics card: NVIDIA Quadro M1200
• Screen: 15.6 inches – Resolution 3840 x 2160
• Disk space: 512GB PCIe M.2 SSD
• Memory: 16 GB RAM

If you are looking for a nice, performing and professional laptop you should consider the HP ZBook Studio G4 DreamColor. This is a high-end model, absolutely not cheap (price around $1,899 USD), but that includes incredible innovation and specifications, including a 15.6-inch DreamColor 4k display that returns incredibly real colors, a fast Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core CPU, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB PCIe M.2 SSD and a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro M1200 graphics card with 4GB VRAM. The handset also has several ports for devices and speakers. Its weight is just over 2.1 kg and is rather thin: 17.8 mm.

3. Apple MacBook Pro 15 with Touch Bar

• Processor: Intel Core i7
• Graphics Card: Radeon Pro 560 (4GB memory)
• Screen: 15 inches – 2880 x 1800 Retina Display
• Disk space: 512 GB SSD
• Memory: 16 GB RAM

Although it is a very expensive laptop (around $2,549 USD), the MacBook Pro has been the first choice among creative professionals for years who want the perfect blend of power and portability. Fast, light, thin and with a fantastic screen, this handset is supported by the new Touch bar that allows you to perform fast tasks in applications (as long as they are supported) with a finger.

The most impressive thing of all is the build quality, hardware assembly, software optimization and the display that, together, can consume less than 5 watts at the handset when doing basic jobs, almost as much as a Core m! Remaining in Apple, another excellent (and cheaper) choice is the MacBook Air 13 (128gb or 256gb of SSD).

4. Dell XPS 15 9560

• Processor: Intel Core i5
• Memory: 8GB RAM
• Disk space: 1TB HD / 32GB SSD
• Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU (4GB GDDR5)

Although for construction quality and power cannot be compared to Surface Pro or MacBook, the Dell XPS 15 has a Nvidia graphics card that makes a + 40% on certain contexts, with a battery that holds 7 hours even in the 4K version, with the ability to update RAM and SSD memory. And with a lower price (around $1,369 USD, basic version).

The XPS 15 is a truly amazing handset, also because it has an “InfinityEdge” screen with virtually no borders in Full HD resolution 1920 x 1080, a Core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM and 1 TB HD and 32 GB of SSD.

The Sharp SHP1476 panel of the 4K version reaches 397 nits (the FHD version remains a bit ‘lower: for comparison, the MacBook Pro 15 reaches 541 nits) and does not use pulse modulation (PWM) to reduce the brightness and, with the latest Windows 10 Creators Update, it coexists better with the UI of applications not yet optimized for HDPI screens. This laptop represents a good compromise between performance and reliability.

5. Apple MacBook

• Processor: 1.2 GHz dual-core 7th-generation Intel Core m3
• Memory: 8GB 1866MHz LPDDR3
• Disk space: 256 GB SSD
• Graphics Card: Intel HD 615

In my opinion, the MacBook is the best laptop for those who study graphic design. Although it has only one USB-C port and does not have the power or size of the “cousin” MacBook Pro, for $1,199 USD it is a great choice for design students. The screen has a resolution of 2304 x 1440 pixels and weighs only .92 Kg thanks to its aluminum construction. The thickness is only 13 mm.

In practice, the MacBook amazes for the quality of the IPS display with a 16:10 ratio, bright and clear like the MacBook Pro Retina, with the same anti-reflection coating. It is a Retina thanks to the density of 226 PPI. On OS X Yosemite makes up to 1440 x 900 pixels at most, for a surface that allows you to keep 2/3 on-screen windows open at a time.

Laptop Low-Cost

For those who do not want to spend certain amounts, know that there are good alternatives at lower prices.

• Lenovo G50 (around $329 USD)
• Asus K550VX (around $749 USD)
• Dell Inspiron 13 “series 5000” (around $829 USD)
• Lenovo ThinkPad E470 (around $899 USD)