Best Budget-Friendly Laptops for Graphic Designers
| Specifications | ASUS VivoBook 15 | Acer Aspire 5 | HP Pavilion x360 | Preference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7 | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | Intel Core i5-1135G7 | All have same |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | AMD Radeon Graphics | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | All have same |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 | 8GB DDR4 | 8GB DDR4 | All have same |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD | 512GB NVMe SSD | 256GB NVMe SSD | ASUS VivoBook 15 |
| Display | 15.6-inch Full HD | 15.6-inch Full HD | 14-inch Full HD Touchscreen | All have same |
| Price (Approximate) | Around 50,000 INR | Around 45,000 INR | Around 48,000 INR | Acer Aspire 5 |
Explanation:
- Processor: The ASUS VivoBook 15, Acer Aspire 5, and HP Pavilion x360 all come with capable processors suitable for budget-friendly graphic design tasks. They have similar performance, so all three are equally good in this aspect.
- Graphics: The laptops have different integrated graphics options: Intel Iris Xe Graphics in the ASUS VivoBook 15 and HP Pavilion x360, and AMD Radeon Graphics in the Acer Aspire 5. While the AMD Radeon Graphics might offer slightly better graphics performance, the difference is not significant. Therefore, all three laptops are equally good in this aspect.
- RAM: All three laptops come with 8GB of DDR4 RAM, providing decent multitasking capabilities for graphic design tasks. They are equally good in this aspect.
- Storage: The ASUS VivoBook 15 and Acer Aspire 5 both come with a spacious 512GB NVMe SSD, offering ample storage for design projects. The HP Pavilion x360, on the other hand, provides a smaller 256GB NVMe SSD, which might be a limitation for those with larger storage needs. The ASUS VivoBook 15 is preferred for its larger SSD capacity.
- Display: All three laptops feature Full HD displays with similar screen sizes. The HP Pavilion x360 has the smallest display at 14 inches, but it compensates with a touchscreen feature. The ASUS VivoBook 15 and Acer Aspire 5 both have 15.6-inch Full HD displays. All three laptops are equally good in this aspect, and the preference might depend on the user's preference for touchscreen capability.
- Price: Among the three laptops, the Acer Aspire 5 is the most budget-friendly option, making it the preferred choice for graphic designers on a tight budget.
Best Mid-Range Laptops for Graphic Designers
| Specifications | Dell XPS 15 | MacBook Air M1 | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 | Preference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7-11800H | Apple M1 | AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS | All have same |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti | 8-core GPU (Apple M1) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 | Dell XPS 15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 | 8GB unified memory | 16GB DDR4 | Dell XPS 15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD | 256GB SSD | 512GB NVMe SSD | Dell XPS 15, ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 |
| Display | 15.6-inch 4K OLED | 13.3-inch Retina Display | 14-inch QHD IPS | All have same |
| Price (Approximate) | Around 1,30,000 INR | Around 1,10,000 INR | Around 1,20,000 INR | MacBook Air M1 |
Explanation:
- Processor: The Dell XPS 15 with an Intel Core i7-11800H, the MacBook Air M1 with Apple M1 chip, and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS all offer capable processors suitable for graphic design tasks. The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 have powerful processors, while the MacBook Air M1 features Apple's highly efficient and optimized M1 chip. All three laptops are suitable for graphic designers, and the preference may depend on your preference for operating systems and specific software compatibility.
- Graphics: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti in the Dell XPS 15, the 8-core GPU in the MacBook Air M1, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 in the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 all provide dedicated graphics performance. The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are preferred for their more powerful dedicated graphics, which are better suited for graphics-intensive tasks and rendering.
- RAM: The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 both offer 16GB of DDR4 RAM, providing ample memory for multitasking and handling large design files. The MacBook Air M1 comes with 8GB of unified memory, which is highly optimized and efficient due to Apple's M1 chip. While 8GB may be sufficient for many design tasks, 16GB provides more headroom for larger projects. Therefore, the Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are preferred for their higher RAM capacity.
- Storage: The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 both come with a spacious 512GB NVMe SSD, offering fast storage for design projects. The MacBook Air M1 provides a smaller 256GB SSD, which may be limiting for those with larger storage needs. The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are preferred for their larger SSD capacity.
- Display: The Dell XPS 15 comes with a 15.6-inch 4K OLED display, providing stunning colors and deep contrasts. The MacBook Air M1 features a 13.3-inch Retina display with Apple's exceptional color representation. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 boasts a 14-inch QHD IPS display, offering a balance between resolution and color accuracy. The preference depends on your preference for screen size and resolution.
- Price: Among the three laptops, the MacBook Air M1 is the most budget-friendly option, making it a preferred choice for graphic designers on a tight budget. The Dell XPS 15 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 are higher-priced options but offer better performance and features.
Best Laptops for Graphics Designers
| Specifications | Dell XPS 15 | MacBook Pro 16 | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 | Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 | Preference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i7/i9 | Intel Core i7/i9 | AMD Ryzen 9 | Intel Core i7/i9 | Dell XPS 15 |
| Graphics | NVIDIA RTX 3050 Ti/3060/3070 | AMD Radeon Pro 5300M/5500M | NVIDIA RTX 3060/3070/3080 | NVIDIA RTX 3060/3070/3080 | Dell XPS 15, Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 |
| RAM | Up to 64GB DDR4 | Up to 64GB DDR4 | Up to 32GB DDR4 | Up to 128GB DDR4 | Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 |
| Storage | Up to 4TB SSD | Up to 8TB SSD | Up to 2TB SSD | Up to 4TB SSD | Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 |
| Display | 15.6-inch 4K OLED/Full HD | 16-inch Retina Display | 15.6-inch QHD/Full HD | 15.6-inch 4K OLED/Full HD | Dell XPS 15, Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 |
| Color Accuracy | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent | Dell XPS 15, MacBook Pro 16 |
| Price (Approximate) | Around 1,10,000 - 2,20,000 INR | Around 1,90,000 - 2,65,000 INR | Around 1,10,000 - 1,85,000 INR | Around 1,50,000 - 3,00,000 INR | Dell XPS 15 |
Explanation:
- Processor: All the laptops listed here come with powerful Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 processors, providing excellent performance for graphics design tasks. The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 are preferred for their powerful Intel processors, which are known for their reliability and performance.
- Graphics: The laptops feature dedicated graphics cards from NVIDIA or AMD, which are essential for graphics-intensive tasks and rendering. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 come with NVIDIA RTX graphics, while the MacBook Pro 16 offers AMD Radeon Pro graphics. The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 are preferred for their NVIDIA RTX graphics, which are optimized for creative work.
- RAM: Graphics design tasks can be memory-intensive, so having sufficient RAM is crucial. All the laptops listed here offer ample RAM options, with the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 providing the highest maximum capacity of up to 128GB. The Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Pro 16 offer up to 64GB of RAM, making them the preferred choices for most designers.
- Storage: Fast and spacious storage is necessary for handling large design files and projects. The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 offer the highest storage capacity of up to 4TB SSD, providing plenty of storage space. The Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 is preferred for its high storage capacity.
- Display: The laptops listed here come with high-quality displays suitable for graphics work. The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 offer 4K OLED displays with excellent color accuracy, making them the preferred choices for color-sensitive work.
- Color Accuracy: The Dell XPS 15, MacBook Pro 16, and Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 3 are known for their excellent color accuracy, making them suitable for professional graphics work. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15, while still good, is slightly behind the others in this aspect.
- Price: The laptops listed here are premium devices, with prices ranging from around 1,10,000 to 3,00,000 INR. The Dell XPS 15 offers an excellent balance of price and performance, making it the preferred choice for many graphics designers.
