Choosing an outstanding laptop for graphic design and video editing

What kind of laptop for graphics to choose

Graphic designers and video editors need specific laptops to do their job successfully. The times when you could get powerful video editing hardware only in a bulky and completely non-transportable desktop computer are long gone.

Nowadays, even with a small and thin MacBook Pro 16' you get everything you need to perform any graphic tasks successfully. It makes the job of a video editor or graphic designer much more easier, and you can work absolutely from anywhere once you have a proper laptop with you.

So now you are facing the problem of choosing the best laptop for graphics or video editing, depending on your needs. And we are glad to tell you that you came to the right place to resolve your issue and get some advice. We will help you to resolve this conundrum and find the best option for you. Let's go!

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Laptop's operating system: what to choose, Mac or PC?

The vast majority of graphic programs nowadays work in any operating system. It doesn't matter if you prefer working on iOS from Apple, Ubuntu from Canonical, or Windows from Microsoft: your Adobe AfterEffects, Movavi video editor, or any other program will work perfectly fine on this platform.

But if you choose between Mac and PC, keep in mind that both of them have their own pros and cons. As for Mac laptops for video editing, these laptops tend to show more accurate colors, and their displays are usually of better quality than ones that work on Windows.

On the other hand, laptops with Windows are more common, easily upgradeable, and you should really look hard for graphic software that does not work on Windows. So if your PC is slow, you can absolutely help it with upgrading, but with Mac, you need to learn some tricks to learn how to speed up Macbook easily.

CPU

Deciding what kind of a powerful processor should be inside your laptop is a crucial task in your laptop choosing journey. You know, the CPU is the brain of your little portable friend, so knowing how to choose the best laptop processor in 2021 is what should be on the top of your list of priorities.

Your laptop needs a processor that will be able to run any graphics software you need without lags and freezes. Sometimes CPU and a graphics card come together in less powerful laptops: the card is just integrated into a processor.

It is not the best option for a graphic designer who does complex animation or 3D models because these graphics cards can't ensure the smooth operation of the software. But, if you make simpler editing or design work, you can take a look at laptops with an integrated graphics card.

Graphics Card

A graphics card is that one thing that can make your working life amazing or miserable. Graphic designers and video editors absolutely need a high-quality graphics card that allows you to work freely with free video editing software and graphic design programs.

So, we recommend you choose laptops with at least mid-range graphics cards, but high-end variants are better, of course. A professional high-end graphics card is an investment, and with it, you will get a laptop that will be relevant and capable of running complex graphic programs for years.

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Display

While most graphic designers spend years looking for the best monitors for graphic design, in a laptop world, we already have amazing options for people in a creative field. Macbooks and other laptops for graphic designers nowadays have displays that demonstrate the smallest color nuances and show you how the product will look in real life. And what can be more important for a graphic designer?

As for the size, usually, 15 inches is more than enough for comfortable work, but if you want and can handle a bigger laptop (it will be much heavier!), you are more than welcome to choose it over a regular 15-inch laptop.

Storage

There's just no such thing as too much storage space on your laptop. Even If you have a couple of terabytes of memory space, you will fill it up eventually. And usually, it happens way earlier than you think.

As for the type of memory, we now have HDD and SSD drives available on the market. The first one gives more storage space, but SSD ones work much faster.

So, to be comfortable with your laptop's capacity, we recommend you choose a laptop with SSD, decent storage space, and an option to upgrade it by adding another SSD into your laptop.

Where you can cut the corners

The best laptop for graphics or video editing is not always the cheapest one. Actually, usually, it is one of the most expensive in the market, so making a change or two to save some money can be a good idea if you need to stay within your budget. So, what can you do:

1.Choose a graphics card integrated into a processor. We've mentioned these cards before, and you should know that this option is cheaper than a separate card and CPU. If you can sacrifice in this part, surely you should do that!

2. Opt to more high-end, but last year's laptop models. Once the new model of any laptop comes to the market, you can see how previous models' prices decrease immediately. But they are still good! So pick a powerful laptop that is "out of fashion" over a "new and shiny one" and save a few bucks on it!

3. Buy the best laptop you can afford. It will not save you any money right now, but you will save a massive amount on upgrading in the long run. After all, it is an investment in the future.

What's left?

Now you just need to make your choice. You know what you need, and now you can find a laptop that will help you with any tasks you have: editing, photo retouching, sync files between computers very easily & quickly, etc.

There are many great options on the market, so it is time for you to make a final decision and get the best laptop for you!

Micah Soto

Update 31 May 2021