If you're a graphic designer, you already know how demanding the creative field can be on computing hardware. Whether you are a graphic designer working on logo designs, illustrations, animation, or even UX design, you will need a laptop that is capable of handling creative software, high-resolution graphics, and fast performance. With so many options available in the market, though, how do you choose the best laptop for graphic design in 2024? We have created this guide to tell you about our favorite recommendations for design-oriented laptops, and we will show you how they stand out within a crowded field. If you're on the hunt for your next laptop as a designer, check out these options first.

Our top picks for the best laptops for graphic designers in 2024

At the top of our list as the best laptop to buy for graphic designers, we have the newest MacBook Pro. It's the MacBook Pro M3 Max 16-inch. This MacBook is one of the newest and most powerful laptops to hit the market, and was one of several variants to launch in November 2023. It carries the highest price tag on this list at $4,000, but it packs a full suite of powerful hardware and software features that are indispensable to the graphic designer. There's the Retina XDR display, which is a 16.2-inch panel with a native 3456 x 2234 resolution that comes color accurate, an incredible speaker system, and a GPU that now features hardware-assisted ray tracing. We dived deeper into some of the more niche hardware features of the MacBook Pro M3 Pro Max in our review of the laptop.

Performance-wise, the MacBook Pro M3 Max comes with either a 14-core or 16-core CPU alongside a 30- or 40-core GPU, making it more powerful than Apple's previous M2 Max processor in both CPU and GPU performance. Paired with 128 GB of unified memory, the performance benchmarks of the MacBook Pro M3 Max Pro are impressive, to say the least. The most intensive design tasks are a breeze with the maxed out M3 Max Pro, whether you are designing 3D animations, editing photos, or editing high-resolution video.

Apple provides you with more than enough ports, but it's still worth looking into a Thunderbolt 4 docking station or other accessories. The display, which Apple calls the Liquid Retina XDR, is a Mini-LED panel that boasts a native resolution of 3456x2234 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It's ready out-of-the-box for design workloads with a 100% coverage of the P3 color gamut. The display features a maximum brightness of 600 nits, and when paired with high-performing hardware, makes it one of the best MacBook Pros a graphic designer could buy.

If you want something that's similar in performance to the 16-inch MacBook M3 Max Pro, but will fit more easily into a backpack and is a bit lighter, than the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2 is for you. While it's a step-down from the M3 Max Pro processor, this 14-inch MacBook Pro comes with last generations M2 processor which provides up to a 12-core CPU on the M2 Max. You will also get the benefits of a 38-core GPU, providing you with more than enough power for animation, illustration, or other creative rendering projects.

Display-wise, the MacBook Pro offers a 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a native 3024x1964 resolution, making any creative content that you are working on look excellent. The display also offers a 120 Hz refresh rate, and there's even HDR 1000 support. Color-wise, the 14-inch MacBook Pro provides the same 100% coverage of the P3 Color Gamut that is in the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro's display.

The port-selection is the same as the 16-inch variant of the MacBook Pro, so you still get three Thunderbolt 4 USB-c ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a MagSafe port for the charger, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Users of MacBook Pro's have come to expect a long-lasting battery life, and the 14-inch M2 MacBook Pro doesn't disappoint with a 70Wh battery that is capable of an 18-hour charge.

If you need a powerful Windows laptop for your design work and would like to have a 17-inch design, there isn't a better option for you than Dell's XPS 17 (2023). We reviewed it, and our Editor-in-Chief dubbed it the 'best 17-inch laptop on the planet' thanks to its premium build, powerful internals, and a best-in-class display. It's noticeably heavier than the MacBook Pro, but if you're looking for one of the best Widows laptops on the market, you can't do wrong with the XPS 17 (2023).

The display was the main talking point in our review, and while it's not an OLED display, our editor-in-chief found that the QHD display covered 100% of the sRGB and Adobe RGB color gamuts, while the P3 color gamut coverage comes in at 98%. These are OLED-like numbers from an IPS display, and the screen is plenty bright with 537 nits of peak brightness. Above the display there is a 720p webcam, which is disappointing in such an otherwise top-of-the-line laptop.

Performance-wise, there is ample power for creators with the XPS 17 (2023). At its base configuration, you get a Core i7-13700H processor, but you can opt for the Core i9 processor instead if you need the extra power. There's also a dedicated RTX 40-series GPU in the XPS 17 (2023), which makes it a great laptop for graphic designers and other creators. This is one of the most powerful laptops we were able to review in 2023, but it doesn't hold up against laptops like the MacBook Pro when it comes to battery life, with only between four-to-six hours of battery life. Still, if you want a Windows machine for your graphic design workload, there's not a more powerful option than the XPS 17 (2023).

The laptops we've mentioned so far are all powerful machines for the graphic designer, but they all come at expensive price points. If you are looking for something cheaper but want an ultraportable laptop that comes with a gorgeous OLED display, take a look at the Zenbook 14X OLED (2023) from Asus.

Performance-wise, the Zenbook 14X OLED comes with up to an Intel Core i9-113900H processor and a 6 GB RTX 3050 Laptop GPU. This is a small laptop, measuring just 12.7 by 8.9 by 0.67 inches (WHD) while weighing 3.44 lbs, making it about the same size and weight as the 14-inch MacBook Pro M2. The 13th-generation H-series processors give the Zenbook 14X OLED a speedy and snappy feel, and this is a laptop that can handle all but the heaviest workloads in graphic design and content-creation.

While the RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is not the most-recent NVIDIA RTX graphics card, it can still handle its own when it comes to graphic design work. This is a laptop that excels when using creative applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and the 14.5-inch OLED display makes content look great. The display packs a native resolution of 2880x1800 alongside a 120 Hz refresh rate, which makes content look great. The OLED panel provides the Zenbook 14X OLED with an infinite contrast ratio and an excellent color gamut that covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

The Zenbook 14X OLED is a great laptop for graphic design students or for anyone who is looking for an ultraportable laptop that is capable of handling design workloads. Just be aware, when it comes to connectivity, there are only two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a USB-A port, so it's worth checking out a docking station if you need expansive portable connectivity.

If you prefer the macOS operating system but want something a bit more affordable than the MacBook Pro, consider picking up an older MacBook Air, such as the 2020 M1 MacBook Air. The MacBook Air with the M1 CPU is a capable machine that, unlike prior MacBook Air's, is able to give the MacBook Pro a run for its money when it comes to performance and efficiency in creative applications.

Once Apple had transitioned to building their own processors, the MacBook Air quickly became a much more capable machine when it came to graphic design. While previous MacBook Air's may have lacked the performance power, the M1 processor in the MacBook Air provided the ultraportable laptop with a powerful processor that, while not as powerful as the MacBook Pro series, is capable of providing a smooth and efficient content creation experience in its own right.

Display-wise, the MacBook Air M1 (2020) features a mini-LED 13.3-inch display with a 2560x1600 native resolution. The display is capable of pushing 400 nits of peak brightness, and covers 100% of the P3 color gamut, making it a great choice for any designers looking for an ultraportable display laptop that's color accurate out-of-the-box. There's enough under-the-hood of the MacBook Air M1 that you won't have any problem working in multiple large file sets in the Adobe Creative Suite, or within other creative applications.

One thing to note, however, is that the MacBook Air uses a fanless design, so the laptop is prone to running hot during heavy workloads. There's also some debate regarding the keyboard. Personally, I've found the MacBook Air M1 keyboard to be comfortable, but some may find it uncomfortable due to how shallow the keyboard is inlaid into the chassis of the laptop.

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Studio 2 is the most powerful laptop Microsoft has yet to release in the Surface series, and it's one of our favorite laptops on the market currently for creative professionals. The first major difference between the Laptop Studio 2 compared to its predecessor is that the Studio 2 is a much more powerful machine, but it comes at the cost of weight and size. This is one of the heavier laptops on this list, weighing in at 4.00 pounds.

Taking a look under-the-hood, the Surface Laptop Studio 2 comes with the powerful 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13700H, a 14-core (6 P-cores and 8 E-cores), alongside a dedicated GPU, your choice of the RTX 4050 or 4060. Microsoft included high wattage components in the Studio 2, so while it may look underspecced compared to some laptops like the XPS 15, it actually, in our review and benchmarks, was able to outperform comparable laptops such as the XPS 15 thanks to the components running at higher wattages.

The touchscreen display, however, is the primary feature of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2. The Surface Laptop Studio 2 features a 14.4-inch touchscreen display with a native resolution of 2400x1600 and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Compared to the prior Microsoft Surface Studio, the Surface Laptop Studio 2's included pen features haptic feedback, causing the screen to feel more natural when writing or drawing.

The Surface Laptop Studio 2 is an ideal laptop for any graphic designer who is looking for a powerful Windows laptop that has a comfortable touchscreen to use in tent or tablet mode. However, it does come at an expensive price point, and you can save some money by opting for a laptop without a dedicated graphics card if you don't need all the power from a dedicated GPU for your graphic design workload.

The Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is a laptop that combines performance, portability, and versatility for graphic designers. It features a 14-inch OLED touchscreen display with a native resolution of 2880x1800 alongside a 90 Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The display offers vivid colors, contrast, and clarity. There is support for HDR and Pantone certification, ensuring accurate color reproduction for professional graphic design work. The display also features pen support, and the laptop comes with its own Asus Pen that allows you to draw, sketch and annotate on the OLED touchscreen.

Powered by the 13th-generation processors, the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED comes with your choice of either a 12-core Core i5-1340P or the 12-core Core i7-1360P. These processors are a great choice for graphic designers who need a powerful and versatile laptop that can handle creative workloads with ease. If you go with the configuration which provides 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, you will have more than enough power for graphic design workflows in the Adobe Suite or other creative applications.

The graphics on the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED are powered by integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, which, while not as powerful as the laptops with dedicated GPU's that we've covered, is still good enough to power a graphic design workload. The Zenbook 14 Flip OLED is a great laptop for anyone who doesn't need the power of a dedicated GPU, but still want a creator's laptop with a beautiful OLED display and touch support.

The Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop that offers a large and sharp touchscreen display, and a sturdy, albeit heavy, design at an affordable price point.

The Yoga 7i is available with Intel 13th Gen U- and P-series CPUs, up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage space for your design files. You have the option of choosing between a FHD (1920x1200 resolution) display or a QHD+ (2560x1600) IPS display, both of which feature touch support and stylus compatibility, although no stylus comes with the Yoga 7i, unfortunately. There's enough power here provided by the CPU options that you can surely work through graphic design workloads, although it's not going to be the best experience for any 3D animators out there, where we would recommend going with a laptop with a dedicated GPU.

The design of the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16-inch is largely the same as its predecessor, although there is an updated port selection with two USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, an HDMI port, and a MicroSD card reader alongside a headphone jack. This makes it one of the more expansive laptops on this list port-wise, and it further adds to the budget value of the Lenovo Yoga 7i.

Ultimately, one of the biggest points about buying the Yoga 7i as a laptop for graphic design is due to its low price point. Starting at $550, this is one of the cheapest laptops that you can buy that provides you with a touch-screen and 13th-generation Intel Core CPUs. As we mentioned earlier, the Yoga is quite heavy, weighing 4.5 pounds, so it's not the most portable design. But if you are looking for a cheap laptop that can handle a graphic design workflow, consider the Yoga 7i from Lenovo.

Conclusion

If money isn't an option for you, and you are looking for the best of the best when it comes to a laptop for graphic design, you really can't go wrong with a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro Max processor. It's the strongest MacBook Pro that's been released to-date, and MacBooks have been a favorite among graphic designers for years now thanks to software optimization with the Adobe Creative Suite applications.

That being said, there's not too much difference now when it comes to operating system and graphic design applications as there were decades ago, and we wanted to include our favorite laptops for graphic design in this list, regardless of OS. That's why you have seen a selection of Windows computers such as the affordable Lenovo Yoga 7i, which took our best budget spot, or if you prefer a cheaper macOS laptop, you can consider the older MacBook Air M1.