5 best laptops for photo editing in 2023

Here are some of the best laptops you can use for photo editing.

Best laptop for photo editing in general: ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 offers a wealth of conveniences, along with outstanding performance, making any professional editor's job much easier.

NVIDIA 40-series GPUs are useful when you do simple photo editing tasks - like graphics and 3D modeling - or you want to export at a higher resolution on an external display. This is the 13th generation Intel CPU that you will love the most thanks to the available cores and threads that make multitasking easy.

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 is also equipped with an M.2 NVMe SSD, ensuring the entire system operates faster. From loading software and booting quickly to transferring large image files, you won't notice much slowdown.

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Advantage

1. Take advantage of NVIDIA's 40-series GPUs
2. Can choose between AMD or Intel CPUs
3. Faster performance with SSD
4. Can act as a gaming laptop

Defect

1. Battery life is not very good

Best cheap photo editing laptop: Acer Aspire 5 15 Slim

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The Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop is easily the safest choice if you fall into one of two camps: Need to maximize your budget or a lightweight laptop that you can use to complete quick editing tasks.

Part of its success is the 8GB RAM and six-core AMD Ryzen 5, which itself has integrated Radeon graphics. In short, this laptop is great for light photo editing without making the laptop slow down.

To round things out, the Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop's SSD ensures the system runs as smoothly as possible, while also adding faster data transfer speeds than traditional hard drives.

Advantage

1. 6-core CPU
2. SSD helps transfer data faster
3. Reasonable cooling design
4. Surprisingly good quality

Defect

1. Only 8GB RAM is the minimum

Best MacBook for photo editing: Apple MacBook M2 Max

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It's no secret that Apple designs some of the best photo editing laptops on the market, and the Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max continues that tradition. Its M2 Max chipset - as well as the M2 Pro - is extremely impressive in terms of performance.

With multiple cores and threads, the Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max makes quick work of any edits you make. You don't have to stop at taking photos either; You can also switch to video editing software or other similar programs!

What you will find especially useful, especially as a photographer, is the battery. Even with regular use, the Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max still has enough power to handle a day's work.

Advantage

1. M2 Max is a great chipset
2. The 16-inch display is sharp and beautiful with excellent color accuracy
3. Great battery life
4. The SD card reader is a welcome feature

Defect

1. Slightly higher prices

Most versatile photo editing laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio

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Laptops really can't beat the functionality and freedom of movement that tablets offer, especially if you work in graphic design and regularly edit photos. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is the best product to meet both these needs!

If you use the Surface Pen, the Surface Laptop Studio becomes a productivity powerhouse. The latest Surface Laptop Studio 2 does even more, but the first generation is still powerful enough for photo editing and is much cheaper.

You also have plenty of space to work with thanks to the Surface Laptop Studio's 14.4-inch touchscreen. Compared to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, one of the best tablets for students, that makes a significant difference when it comes to editing.

Advantage

1. Switch from laptop to tablet with quick adjustments
2. 14.4 inch touch screen
3. Easy companionship
4. A compatible Surface pen can be charged in the front

Defect

1. Surface Pen sold separately
2. There are only two Thunderbolt 4 ports

Most travel-friendly photo editing laptop: Apple MacBook Air

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The Apple MacBook Pro isn't exactly the easiest travel companion as it weighs nearly 2.3kg. However, it would be a shame to miss out on the M2 chipset, so why not choose the Apple MacBook Air M2?

Compared to its siblings, the M2 Max and M2 Pro, the Apple MacBook Air M2 comes in a comfortable third place. But you still get the benefits of the chipset, in a much smaller form factor, as well as its great efficiency.

Weighing just 1.2kg, the Apple MacBook Air M2 is very light, not to mention its thinness and compact size. And with nearly all-day battery life, you'll be eager to toss it in your travel bag for a hassle-free adventure!

Advantage

1. Light, compact and very sturdy
2. The M2 chip handles art software, photography, and video editing
3. Battery efficient
4. Silent operation

Defect

1. Missing SD card slot
2. There are only two Thunderbolt 4 ports

Marvin Fry

Update 16 November 2023