7 Ways to Choose the Best Laptop For Graphic Design

Graphic designers require the right laptop to complete their work, whether they’re creating a modern new logo for their company or a magazine cover that pops with vibrant colors and intriguing shapes. Here are seven pointers to help you select the best laptop for your graphic design needs.

1. Processing Power

High-end processors are not necessary for standard laptops because these devices are not used for heavy workloads or gaming. However, a laptop intended for graphic design needs a lot of processing power to run some of the design-related apps.

Consider an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor if your graphic design career is just getting started. A Core i9 processor from Intel is suggested if you work in motion design or video editing. The number of cores is crucial for design work, though. This is due to the fact that a 3D rendering program requires the processor to divide the workload. The minimum requirement is a four-core processor, but more cores are always better. The Ryzen 5 series of AMD processors has the power necessary for rudimentary graphic design tasks. Choose a Ryzen 9 for more power.

2. GPU

You’ll need a dedicated graphics card for graphically demanding projects like 3D design. Thankfully, the majority of gaming laptops have dedicated graphics and should breeze through those tasks. Consider an Nvidia RTX 3060 or 3050 Ti if you want to cut costs. Investing in an Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti or an AMD Radeon RX6800S will give your graphics performance a significant boost.

3. Memory

You’ll need at least 8GB of RAM to maintain a reasonable level of speed since graphic designers frequently manage numerous files. However, that is the bare minimum. 16GB of RAM should be more than enough for larger projects.

4. HDD or SSD?

We highly recommend solid state drive (SSD) storage for design work. You find that programs open faster, a reduction in load time, especially for large files, and better overall system responsiveness. You’re going to need a high-capacity SSD for those significant video editing tasks. The bare minimum that we advise is 256GB, though 512GB is unquestionably preferable.

You might even want to invest in a 1TB+ SSD if you frequently work with large files. The size and complexity of your project really determine the appropriate amount of storage you will need. A laptop that uses a hybrid storage setup, with one hard disk drive (HDD) and one SSD built in, is a viable option as well.

5. Laptop Display

When using a laptop for design work, the display might be among the most crucial features. However, the complexity of your project will really determine the size and resolution. 

Display Size: A 13- or 14-inch display is ideal for commuters because it is more compact and portable. If you’re working with high-resolution files or something else that requires a sizable amount of screen space, you’ll need a 17-inch monitor. However, the weight of the laptop will increase with the size of the screen.

Resolution: Avoid settling for anything less than 1080p in terms of resolution. You want to aim for that as your starting point. A 4K display is beautiful and ideal for creative work if your budget allows.

6. Battery Life

You may be wondering how long the laptop will last on a single charge before being considered a good choice. If you intend to carry your laptop around, you’ll want something that can last 10 to 12 hours on a single charge. That is more than eight hours of work. However, the machine’s portability is directly impacted by the battery size. The weight of the laptop increases with battery size.

7. How varied should my port choices be?

In order to avoid the need for an adapter, having a large number of ports is always a plus. A laptop with both USB-C and USB-A ports is something you ought to buy. Having an HDMI port is also beneficial. This is helpful for connecting to an external monitor, particularly if the laptop’s screen is dim or not clear.

Also: 6 Best Laptops To Gift To A Graphic Designer This Festive Season

The most important aspect is to have powerful hardware. For tasks like 3D modeling, you’ll need a powerful CPU and plenty of RAM. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, a processor with multiple cores may be required. The graphics card is another important piece of hardware. This is especially important when working with large textures.