Best Laptop for Photo Editing: Top Affordable Picks

Are you struggling to find the best laptop for doing photo editing tasks with speedy performance? Well! We will solve this issue shortly. Image editing software is a demanding tool that needs some specifications to run in a machine. It works with high-resolution and large files. So, it might be a problem to work with a slow processor with less power of functionalities.

If your laptop is not good enough to handle the processing load, it can make the whole process time-consuming and unsuccessful. Today, in this article you will get a list of user-friendly and powerful laptops to perform high-end photo retouching, color correction, clipping path, and other advanced photo editing activities smoothly. Also, it is summarized to provide budget-friendly products. Hope, you will love it.

Before going to the central point, we would like to share some essential points. Don’t worry! It will take less time than you think.  It’s all about quick tips that will definitely help you to make a wise decision in buying the best laptop for Photoshop.

Quick Tips to Consider Before Buying a Laptop

• Resolution: Whether you are trying to buy a laptop for image editing, you need to consider this factor seriously. It should have a higher resolution screen like 1920×1080 pixel or more, which can adjust with your photo editing requirements.
• Processor: Photoshop or any other image editing tools require the processor with better performance than the usual one. For example, it’s better to choose the Core i9 processor rather than choosing the backdated processors like Core i7, i5, or i3.
• Displays/Screen Size: Display or screen size does matter when you work with larger files. It’s a one-time deal as you can’t change it like the RAM or ROM. So, you have to be sincere before buying a laptop. It’s better to select a large size screen to do the editing task comfortably.
• Memory: Memory is among the criteria to choose the best laptop for photo editing. As a photo expert, you may deal with a lot of files that take a huge space altogether. There is another memory unit called RAM, where the working data and machine codes are stored. It allows running multiple applications at the same time with efficiency. So, it’s better to use as larger as you can (8GB/ 16 GB/ 32 GB, or more).
• Graphics: Make sure that the laptop contains good quality graphics. It is a kind of must thing if you need to work on advanced image editing and graphic design jobs. Also, you can add an external graphics card to your machine.
• Platform: Your laptop should have the ability to work for multiple platforms. Although, most of the devices have compatibility with Windows and Linux. You better check to ensure it as you may need to switch the existing platform for any reason.
• Budget: Budget is a strong issue before you decide to buy any product. There are varieties of laptops at different prices. The more you keep the budget to buy your machine, the more you get a stronger and better quality product. The ideal price might be $500-$1000.

Best Laptop for Photo Editing

As there are a lot of technical terms to understand in buying a laptop, it needs expert reviews to make the decision. We tried to sort out this thing for you regarding some essential criteria. So, let’s have a look at our selected shortlist of the best laptop for photo editing.

Apple MacBook Pro

If you are after the best machine for photo editing, MacBook Pro can be undoubtedly the first choice. It comes with a faster and powerful processor, larger screen, multifunctional touch bar, and many more intending to provide the best support for image retouching activities. Although, it has both the 13-inch and 15-inch models to choose from. We recommend the second option to have a better user experience. Also, it is regarded as the best MacBook for photo editing in the present time.

Essential Features

• MacBook Pro lets you work with several helpful shortcuts in Photoshop that enables quick editing and retouching high-resolution photos at lightning speed.
• It includes advanced graphics with higher render speed and blazing-fast storage. You can run multiple applications at a time like Photoshop and Autodesk Maya.
• It also provides a stunning retina display with higher pixel density. Besides this, it features a touch bar and touch ID to enhance the productivity of the machine.

Pricing:   Pricing for MacBook Pro 13-inch starts at $1299 that includes 1.4GHz Quad-Core Processor, Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz, Touch Bar and Touch ID, and 128GB SSD storage. And, the 15-inch display features 2.6GHz 6-Core Processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.5GHz, and 256GB SSD storage at $2399.

HP Spectre X360

HP Spectre X360 laptop comes with the most flexible features with improved hardware in making the photo editing job simple and fun. It’s one of the helpful products in modern time, which has been a favorite for both image and video editing. It gives a stunning look from every angle and includes a gorgeous anti-reflective display for an unrivaled viewing experience. All in all, it’s a complete solution for photo/video editing and light gaming.

Essential Features

• HP Spectre X360 offers up to 16GB memory with UHD graphics 620. It enables users to work with any advanced photo editing software smoothly.
• Besides this, it contains a powerful and reliable battery, which provides backup up to 22 hours for uninterrupted image retouching services.
• It provides the facility of achieving true color accuracy at the time of editing photos, online shopping, and watching.

Pricing: The price of HP Spectre X360 with a 13-inch display starts at $869.99 with 8GB memory, 256GB SSD storage, and 8^th Generation Core i5 processor. And, it will need $1349.99 to get the 15-inch display with 9^th Generation Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650(4GB), 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD storage.

Dell XPS 15

Once again, Dell XPS 15 comes with a modern and budget-friendly laptop for the users. It comes with a ton of hardware options to choose from. It lets you feel much better experience in all the aspects including image retouching and gaming purposes. This is also a touch-friendly device that helps to interact with your technology flexibly.

Essential Features

• Dell XPS 15 comes with UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD display, which lets you experience each detail of every pixel without zooming. You will get full freedom to edit images with maximum accuracy without blurriness.
• It contains an anti-reflective screen and an IPS panel with a wider viewing angle. It lets you get a beautiful view from any angle without missing a thing.
• Dell XPS supports up to 16GB of memory, including a super-fast processor and GTX 1050Ti graphics card.

Pricing: The initial price of Dell XPS 15 starts at $1449.99. It will require more if you expect extended memory, graphics card, and higher processor.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Lenovo is always a great choice for all types of users, including photographers. This time, we come with a modern and feature-rich model, named as Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (7^th Gen). It includes the option for global LTE-A connectivity with RapidCharge technology that delivers up to 15 hours of battery life. Also, it provides a higher resolution screen, with a faster processor and larger storage.

Essential Features

• Faster performance with Nvidia Quadro P1000/2000 graphics. It enables you editing images in a flexible manner.
• Lighter than many different brands with less cost and a better processor.
• Enables excellent color accuracy, Adobe RGB coverage, and brightness that brings the outstanding outcome to the digital photo editing processes.

Pricing: The price starts at $1199 that includes a 14-inch display, 256GB SSD, 8GB RAM, and Intel Graphics 520.

Microsoft Surface Book 2

Once again, Microsoft Surface Book 2 is one of the best laptops for photographers. Like Apple’s MacBook Pro, it gives you a better image and video quality. If you expect a faster processor with a larger screen for photo editing work, you can go with the Core i7 processor and a 15-inch display with 16GB RAM. Also, it is the best Surface for its usability, longevity, and incredible graphics.

Essential Features

• It’s among the powerful machines with 1060 Nvidia GeForce GTX graphics by which you will have richer gaming experience and better driver support.
• It lets you have an excellent performance in 3D applications and photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop.
• Can handle any type of image editing task flexibly with a gorgeous display.

Pricing: You can purchase Microsoft Surface Book 2 at $1049. Also, you can get it through the installments of $54.96month for 24 months.

Huawei MateBook X Pro

Huawei MateBook X Pro is another best laptop for photo editing on a budget from a world-class brand, Huawei. It’s a true competitor of brands like Apple and Dell. This laptop is beautifully designed with excellent features and components to perform photo editing activities smoothly. It comes with two different color variations- Space Grey and Mystic Silver.

Essential Features

• It contains a powerful processor with memory up to 16GB.
• The battery is built with Lithium polymer with a typical capacity of 57.4 Wh. It can provide the backup for up to 13 hours.
• It provides a 100% color gamut with a maximum brightness of 450 nits. Also, you will get a high-resolution display (3000*2000) in this device that helps to view and work with photos properly.

Pricing: The price starts at $1049.99 with the specification of the 13.9-inch display, 8GB RAM, 8^th Gen i5-8250U, and 256GB SSD. It will require $1649.98 if you extend it to the Corei7 processor with some extra features.

Acer Swift 3

It’s another best budget laptop for Photoshop. If you expect a machine that can maintain your daily workload, including the image retouching tasks, Acer Swift 3 can be a good choice. Moreover, it would be great for both students and professionals as well for its affordable price and efficiency.

Essential Features

• The latest Gen processor and dedicated graphics let you achieve a powerful performance in the area of photo/video editing, and gaming as well.
• Includes a comfortable keyboard and touchpad to work on different applications efficiently.
• It gives a long-lasting and terrific battery life having power up to 12.5 hours.

Pricing: The price starts at $799.99 that covers 8GB RAM, 14-inch display, 256GB SSD, and Intel HD Graphics 620.

DELL Inspiron 13 7000

DELL Inspiron 13 7000 is another affordable laptop with a sleek design and strong performance. If you are searching for the best laptop for photo editing under 1000 dollars, you can pick it without any hesitation. Besides the as usual behavior, it can also be folded to the table format. You will be glad to hear that it works smoothly for high-resolution image manipulation and other graphical tasks. Although the display is not larger enough, it’s a good device for longevity, speed, and compatibility.

Essential Features

• It comes with the facility of extended power up to 10^th Gen Intel Quad-Core processor, and 16GB LPDDR3 memory. It gives you the freedom to use multiple applications simultaneously.
• It lets connect with multiple devices, including iOS and Android smartphone without hampering user attention.
• Includes the latest technology to keep air flowing through the back of the laptop to stay cool even after using it for a long time.

Pricing: The price starts at $879.99 with Intel Optane Memory H10 32GB, 8GB RAM, and UHD Graphics with shared graphics memory. You have to pay $1099.99 for its black edition.

What Next?

What should be the next phase after you choose the right laptop for your image editing tasks? Here is the ultimate question to get high-quality images. Actually, it’s not all about the machine and software. It’s also the photo editing experts who will be the reasons to ensure the perfectness of your images.

We have a bunch of experienced and highly-skilled designers who are capable enough to provide the best image retouching service for you. Before sending Quote Request, let’s try our quality by hitting the Free Trial button. It can be a proper way of deciding before you choose the best service provider.

Well! As image editing software is something crucial for several reasons, the properly compatible machine for this kind of software should be chosen with great care. Before going to buy the best laptop for photo editing, you need to consider some criteria. After that, you should search for a suitable one within your budget. In this article, we tried to let you know about the guideline, including a shortlist of top laptops for photo editing that will help to make a wise decision regarding the issue.

Not necessary, you should take our list as a bible. But, undoubtedly, it can be beneficial in taking the perfect decision. Do you have any different choices besides our list? If yes, please let us know your findings. It can be a great resource to help our audience. Till then, have a nice day!