{"id":890,"date":"2016-06-28T09:02:03","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T09:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/?p=890"},"modified":"2017-07-20T06:58:39","modified_gmt":"2017-07-20T12:58:39","slug":"best-laptop-graphic-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/picknotebook.com\/blog\/best-laptop-graphic-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Best laptops for Graphic Design (Over 170 laptops compared)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"BestFirst, we’ll start by figuring out what type of laptop you’re searching. That includes nailing down the your prefered laptop size, priorities when it comes to performance-to-portability ratio and general budget limits.\n<\/p>\n

\n Then, I’ll cover the most important specs and metrics that are essential for any good graphic design laptop. One by one, I’ll explain their role in our particular case and then what exact specs you should be looking for.\n<\/p>\n

\n Finally, I show what are the 10 absolute best laptops for graphic design. These notebooks were picked out of a pool of over 170 computers. And in the unlikely event that you don’t fancy a single of my recommended models – I’m giving away the comparison sheet of all 172 compared laptops for free. It is tailored specifically for graphic design so you’ll save hours.\n<\/p>\n

\n But first things first – what are the requirements for the best laptop for graphic design?\n<\/p>\n

What is crucial to a graphic design laptop?<\/h2>\n

\n First of all, to know what kind of laptop will be the best for you, you decide on your budget and preferred screen size.\n<\/p>\n

Size<\/h3>\n

\n For simplicity’s sake, I’ll talk about 3 most common laptop sizes: 13″, 15″ and 17″. I apologize for not including 14″, which I know is just in the sweet spot for some graphic designers. But their characteristics can be easily guessed as a mix between 13.3″ and 15.7″ laptops.\n<\/p>\n

\n Let’s begin with 13-inch notebooks. They are best suited if you need a very portable laptop. It’s the best size for travel due to its excellent portability. But the lack of screen “real estate” is not ideal for any type of visual work.\n<\/p>\n

\n 15″ is the most common option for most people, including graphic designers. 15 inches is the standard size for an office laptop.\n<\/p>\n

\n 17″ the best screen size if you’re searching for a desktop-replacement workstation and you will need to carry it only once in a while.\n<\/p>\n

\n \"external-screen\"
\n Don’t forget that often there are options for external displays. If you need a small laptop for home and a larger one for office – getting a 13″-15″ notebook with a few ports for display can be enough. So you’re not necessarily limited by a screen size. The number and versions of HDMI, Display Port, USB 3.1 Type C (w\/ Thunderbolt III) connections determine the number of screens you can use. 13″ laptops usually can have 1-2 external displays while a standard 17″ behemoth can have ~4 of them.\n<\/p>\n

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Requirements for best laptop for graphic design<\/h3>\n

Screen<\/span><\/h4>\n

\n No matter the size you’ll need a good quality display. To measure and compare different laptops I used 5 key metrics that I’ll cover now one by one.\n<\/p>\n

\n First, the IPS panel is a must for the best laptop for graphic design<\/strong>. IPS panels are designed for wide viewing angles and higher contrast than regular TN panels. And even knowing that a screen has “IPS panel” does not automatically make it suitable for graphic design. There are several types of exact panel types under this umbrella term. That’s why we need additional metrics to truly judge the overall quality. To add to that, there a few other Wide-Angle panels that can do a sufficiently good job but to make matters simple, I’ll refer to all of them as IPS or IPS-like.\n<\/p>\n

\n High resolution<\/strong> is another crucial requirement for a screen. Just a few years ago, having a Full-HD display for a laptop was just fine. But now, these “Retina-like” screens have fallen in price and now are widely available. The cheapest laptops with HiDPI cost ~$700, though if you need a larger 4K screen and a performant set of hardware on a side, you’ll need to spend about $1200.\n<\/p>\n

\n Brightness<\/strong> is important when working in very well-lit environments or outside on a sunny day. An average illumination of 300 nits (~325 nits at the center) should be enough for graphic design.\n<\/p>\n

\n Contrast<\/strong> can get somewhat overlooked as its range in laptops is not as wide as it is on external monitors. But whenever possible, I would urge you to check extensive reviews to know if a laptop comes with 900:1 contrast ratio or better.\n<\/p>\n

\n Lastly, a wide color gamut<\/strong> of ~90% sRGB is close to ideal for web graphic design and ~75% or higher Adobe RGB coverage is recommended when working with print.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\n\n Good\n <\/th>\n\n Great\n <\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Panel\n <\/td>\n\n IPS\n <\/td>\n\n IPS\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Resolution\n <\/td>\n\n 1920×1080\n <\/td>\n\n 3200×1800\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Brightness (avg.)\n <\/td>\n\n 270 nits\n <\/td>\n\n 330 nits\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Contrast\n <\/td>\n\n 900:1\n <\/td>\n\n 1200:1\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Adobe sRGB\n <\/td>\n\n 80%\n <\/td>\n\n 95%\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

Processor<\/span><\/h4>\n

\n I would recommend to go for at least Intel Core i5 HQ or i7 U<\/strong> processor. Anything below that can severely effect work with Illustrator<\/a>, Photoshop<\/a> or Sketch<\/a>. These processors can be used if you need higher mid-range performance with a good battery life.\n<\/p>\n

\n The fastest CPUs on the market right now are in Core i7 HQ and HK<\/strong> lines. These often are found in larger laptops as they consume more power.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n Price range\n <\/th>\n\n Processors\n <\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
\n $300 – $700\n <\/td>\n\n i3, i5 processors:
\n i5-4210U, i5-4300U, i5-4210H, i3-5010U, i3-6100U, i5-6200U\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n $700 – $900\n <\/td>\n\n i7 U processors:
\n i7-5500U, i7-6500U\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n $900 – $1,600\n <\/td>\n\n i7 HQ processors:
\n i7-4712HQ, i7-4720HQ, i7-5700HQ, i7-6700HQ\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n $1,600 and up\n <\/td>\n\n i7 high-end HQ\/HK processors:
\n i7-6820HK, i7-4770HQ\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

\n In short:<\/p>\n