Whether you're an amateur or a professional graphic designer, choosing the best laptop for your needs can be challenging. You can easily overspend on a model with features you never use or a device unsuitable for such tasks, like a laptop with a poor-quality display. There are a couple of things to consider when buying a laptop. Look for a high-resolution screen that's large enough to work comfortably and covers the color space your projects require, such as sRGB, Adobe RGB, or DCI-P3. Good factory calibration matters, too, since wide color coverage alone doesn't guarantee accurate colors. For color-sensitive print work, check Adobe RGB coverage specifically, as a display with full DCI-P3 coverage won't necessarily cover the entire Adobe RGB color space.
A good CPU will allow for a smoother experience when manipulating images or applying effects, and if you work on more complex 3D designs, a dedicated GPU may be necessary. Naturally, if you travel with your laptop, you want something portable with enough battery life to get you through the day. The quality of the keyboard and touchpad is also important, and depending on your needs, you'll want to consider the port selection.
We've bought and tested over 180 laptops. Below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops for designers you can buy. You can also see our picks for the best laptops, the best laptops for video editing, and the best laptops for photo editing.
Since 2021, we've tested dozens of laptops every year. We buy our laptops to avoid bias and, following a rigorous methodology, test nearly every part of the laptop so we can deliver results you can rely on. We use a wide range of equipment to perform our tests, including a colorimeter, a Mecmesin MultiTest-i System Test Stand, and various performance benchmarking suites.
Want to know more? Check out our How We Test Laptops article, where we give you a broader overview of our review process, from the moment we purchase the product to the final review.
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Best Laptop For Graphic Design
Heavy WorkloadSchool & WorkGraphics PerformanceOut-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy:Color Gamut:Form Factor:Traditional (Clamshell)Screen Size:16"See all our test resultsOperating System:macOSThe best laptop for graphic design we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026). Its large, sharp 120Hz Mini LED display gives you plenty of room for your canvas and tool panels, while its fantastic factory calibration and nearly complete DCI-P3 coverage make it well-suited to color-sensitive work. Apple's M5 Pro chip provides plenty of power for professional 2D design, while the M5 Max is worth considering for demanding 3D work. The entry-level M5 Pro configuration's 24GB of RAM should be enough for most designers, though additional memory can help with large layered documents and heavy multitasking.
You also get a comfortable keyboard, a spacious haptic touchpad, and a useful port selection that includes three USB-Cs, an HDMI, and an SD card reader. The M5 Max configuration lasts over 16 hours of light web browsing, though demanding design work drains the battery faster. The main drawbacks are its weight, heat and fan noise under load, and non-upgradeable memory and storage.
For Windows users, consider the Framework Laptop 16 (2026). You can configure it with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop GPU, and its modular design makes repairs and upgrades easier. Just keep in mind that while its display offers wide color coverage, it needs calibration for accurate colors.
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Best Mid-Range Laptop For Graphic Design
Heavy WorkloadSchool & WorkGraphics PerformanceOut-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy:Color Gamut:Form Factor:Traditional (Clamshell)Screen Size:13.6"See all our test resultsOperating System:macOSIf you primarily work on 2D projects and don't mind going with a slightly less powerful laptop to save some money, check out the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026). Compared with the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026) above, you give up some processing power, the 120Hz Mini LED display, and conveniences like an HDMI port and SD card reader. However, it's still a capable machine for illustration, page layouts, and photo editing, and its lighter design makes it easier to carry around.
Its sharp IPS display covers the P3 color space, though its 60Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and motion look less fluid than on the Pro. The 13.6-inch screen can feel cramped when working with multiple tool panels, so consider the 15-inch version for more workspace. It also comes with a slightly more powerful 10-core GPU, compared with the base 13-inch model's 8-core GPU. You can configure the smaller model with the same 10-core GPU, though, if you'd prefer its more portable design. Both sizes start with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. We'd consider 24GB or 32GB of RAM for large layered files or working across several creative apps, since you can't upgrade it later. Battery life comfortably covers a day of light use, and its fanless design keeps it silent, although sustained rendering work is better suited to the Pro.
A good Windows alternative is the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025). Its 15.3-inch 120Hz OLED display provides deeper blacks and smoother motion, and you get USB-A and HDMI ports alongside two USB-Cs. Its SSD is replaceable, but its RAM isn't, and the OLED display's flicker may bother sensitive users.
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Best Budget Laptop For Graphic Design
WorkstationOut-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy:Color Gamut:Form Factor:Size:14"See all our test resultsOperating System:Windows 11The best budget laptop for graphic design we've tested is the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024). It doesn't feel as premium as the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 2026) above, and its keyboard and touchpad aren't as refined. However, its Intel Core Ultra processors provide plenty of power for photo editing, illustration, and page layouts. We'd get at least 16GB of RAM, or 32GB if you regularly work with large files and several apps at once. The memory isn't upgradeable, but you can replace the SSD.
The display configuration matters here. The FHD+ IPS panel covers the sRGB color space, making it suitable for web graphics and other sRGB work. The 2.8k OLED option provides a sharper image, deeper blacks, and wider color coverage, so it's worth considering if your projects require colors beyond sRGB.
You also get a wide selection of ports, including two USB-A ports, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, and a MicroSD card reader. There's a fingerprint reader for quick logins, too. The keyboard feels somewhat mushy, and the laptop can get hot during demanding work. Our IPS configuration lasts around 11 hours of light use; expect shorter battery life from the OLED version and when running creative applications.
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Best 2-In-1 Tablet For Graphic Design
WorkstationOut-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy:Color Gamut:Form Factor:Size:13"See all our test resultsOperating System:Windows 11For designers who want to draw directly on the screen, we recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026). Unlike the conventional laptops above, its keyboard detaches completely, leaving you with a compact tablet that's easier to position for sketching. The built-in kickstand supports a wide range of angles, and the optional Flex Keyboard works while detached, so you can keep shortcuts within reach while drawing. However, the keyboard and stylus are sold separately, adding substantially to the total cost.
Its sharp 13-inch touchscreen has a 120Hz refresh rate and comes with an LCD or OLED panel. The OLED option delivers deeper blacks, wide color coverage, and excellent factory calibration. The Snapdragon X2 processors can handle illustration, photo editing, and other 2D design work, and configurations offer up to 64GB of RAM. However, Windows on ARM still has compatibility limitations. Photoshop runs natively, but check that your other design apps, plugins, and peripherals work properly before buying. Our OLED configuration lasts over 11 hours of light web browsing, though creative work will shorten that runtime.
For a larger drawing surface, consider the LG gram Pro 2-in-1 16 (2026). Its 16-inch OLED touchscreen provides more workspace, and its Intel processor offers broader software compatibility. However, it's less convenient to handle as a tablet, and its display needs calibration for color-sensitive work.
Notable Mentions
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Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025):
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) is an alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026) if you want a smaller laptop with a similar Mini LED display. Its base M5 chip handles 2D design well, but the 16-inch model provides more workspace and more powerful standard configurations for demanding creative work.
See our review -
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026):
The Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 2026) is an alternative to the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) if you want an inexpensive Mac for basic design work. Its sharp sRGB display suits web graphics, but its fixed 8GB of RAM limits larger projects. The Acer offers more memory and a wider-gamut OLED option.
See our review -
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025) GZ302:
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025) GZ302 is an alternative to the Microsoft Surface Pro 13 12th Edition (2026) if you need more processing power and broader software compatibility. Its AMD hardware handles demanding creative projects, but the Surface is lighter, lasts longer on battery, and offers an OLED display with deeper blacks.
See our review
Recent Updates
Oct 20, 2026:
We updated our 'Best Laptop For Graphic Design' pick to the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M5, 2026) for its larger screen and newer processors. We also refreshed the mid-range and tablet picks, Windows alternatives, and Notable Mentions.
Nov 28, 2025:
Added the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M5, 2025) as a Notable Mention.
May 13, 2025:
We've replaced the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) with the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025) since the M3 model is discontinued. We've also removed the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (2024) from the Notable Mentions because it's getting harder to find, and added the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024) as a Notable Mention.
Mar 19, 2025:
Minor text change to provide information regarding the M4 Apple MacBook Airs. No change in recommendations.
Jan 29, 2025:
Replaced the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) with the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (2024) as an alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) because the OmniBook is a newer model that's easier to find. Added the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) as a Notable Mention.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we currently consider the best options for graphic design. In addition to the test results, we factor in price (a cheaper laptop wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), visitor feedback, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our laptop reviews. Most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results for the model we tested; for information on other variants, see the full review.