I get many questions from both established and aspiring artists about what computers, especially laptops, are best for digital art.
So I decided to put this guide together to help you decide which laptop is best for you as a digital artist and illustrator. Let’s have a look!
| Budget Laptop for Digital Art #1 | HP Envy 2-in-1 |
| Budget Laptop for Digital Art #2 | ASUS Vivobook |
| Budget Laptop for Digital Art #3 | Acer Swift 3 |
| Budget Laptop for Digital Art #4 | Lenovo Yoga 2-in-1 |
| Great Value Laptop for Artists | Acer Swift Creator |
| “Budget” MacBook for Digital Art | Apple MacBook Air |
| Great Value 2-in-1 Laptop for Digital Art | ASUS Zenbook 2-in-1 |
| Ultralight Laptop for Digital Art | LG Gram |
| Powerful Laptop for Digital Art | ASUS ROG Zephyrus |
| Powerful Ultralight Laptop for Artists | Lenovo Slim Pro |
| Professional Digital Art Laptop #1 | DELL Precision |
| Professional Digital Art Laptop #2 | ASUS ProArt |
| Professional Digital Art Laptop #3 & My Laptops for Digital Art | Apple MacBook Pro 16″ Apple MacBook Pro 14″ |
Overview: Best Laptops for Digital Art, Artists and Illustrators
This is a good HP 2-in-1 laptop with a lot of good features for beginner and budget digital artists
Resolution: 1920x1080px (16:9)
Max refresh rate: 60Hz
Brightness: 250 nits
Color gamut: 64% sRGB - 48% Adobe RGB - 48% DCI-P3
High gloss
Uses HP Rechargeable MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen for drawing
Audio by Bang & Olufsen
Low blue light display
It is a great laptop for artists and illustrators who have a limited budget but don't want to compromise on performance and color gamut.
Resolution: 1920x1080px (16:9)
Max refresh rate: 120Hz
Brightness: 600 nits
Color gamut: 100% DCI-P3 (133% sRGB), Pantone validated
Color depth: 1.07 billion colors
Contrast ratio: 1,000,000:1
Glossy Display
ASUS Antimicrobial Guard
US Military grade chassis
EyeCare Display with 70% less harmful blue light
Physical webcam shield
This is also a great laptop for digital art suitable for art students, beginners and professional artists on a budget.
This is an excellent 16″ convertible laptop for artists and illustrators.
Stylus pen support (Lenovo Digital Pen 2)
This laptop brings an excellent combination of performance and price. It's a great creator laptop for digital artists and illustrators.
Comparable to MacBook Pro models, the newest MacBook Air brings enough performance and display quality to bring artists into the macOS ecosystem.
This laptop brings versatility of built-in tablet mode for drawing, painting, sketching, and photo editing.
Includes sleeve
This laptop is for artists and creators who value performance and portability.
This gaming laptop is a portable powerhouse suitable for both extensive 2D and 3D tasks.
This laptop delivers great performance and portability at the same time.
DELL Precision is your portable workstation that handles all 2D and 3D tasks without breaking a sweat.
This laptop was made for professional creators, digital artists, illustrators, video editors, photographers.
0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate
550nits HDR peak brightness
100% DCI-P3 color gamut,
Contrast ratio 1,000,000:1, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500
1.07 billion colors, PANTONE Validated Glossy display
EyeCare Display with 70% less harmful blue light
My personal choice and one of the most popular digital art laptops in the creative community.
3024 by 1964 pixels
SDR brightness: 500 nits max
Wide Color P3 Color gamut
ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
XDR brightness: 1000 nits sustained full-screen
SDR Brightness: 500 nits
Apple ecosystem magic
My personal choice and one of the most popular digital art laptops in the creative community.
3024 by 1964 pixels
SDR brightness: 500 nits max
Wide Color P3 Color gamut
ProMotion technology for adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz
XDR brightness: 1000 nits sustained full-screen
SDR Brightness: 500 nits
Apple ecosystem magic
Master Photoshop features, learn graphic design, digital illustration, and photo editing techniques, improve your workflow and grow your creative business. Watch on Skillshare!
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Budget Laptop #1: HP Envy x360 2-in-1 Laptop
Intel Core i5-1135G7, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, Backlit Keyboard, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Webcam, Windows 11
With good AMD or Intel configs and a touchscreen that flips into tablet mode, the HP Envy x360 is a flexible choice for artists needing a 2-in-1 convertible laptop for digital art
Best for: Artists desiring the flexibility of a convertible 2-in-1 design for drawing directly on-screen or using as a graphics tablet with the active pen (HP MPP 2.0 Tilt Pen). The Envy x360 makes a solid digital sketchbook thanks to tablet mode and robust config options.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Good performance while using Adobe design suite, photo editing, and video editing in Premiere Pro | ➖ Lower color gamut range (64% sRGB) on the display, which may limit creators |
| ➕ Excellent pen capabilities and touchscreen sensitivity for drawing and sketching | ➖ Weaker performance for intensive 3D modeling and rendering |
| ➕ Thin, lightweight aluminum design | ➖ Slower export times compared to more powerful gaming laptops |
| ➕ Stays cool during use | ➖ Mediocre battery life (4-5 hours for creative work). |
| ➕ Quieter fan noise compared to gaming laptops. | |
| ➕ Good keyboard and trackpad |
What do artist say?
Illustrator and animator Brad Colbow reviewed HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop for digital artists and illustrators on his channel.
He says the HP Envy x360 is a good budget Windows laptop for light creativity and drawing. It has decent specs like an AMD processor, 8GB RAM, and a 1080p touch screen, and feels premium with its metal body.
However, the included pen has jittery lines and palm rejection issues which need software fixes. Overall, it’s a good value pick for beginner digital artists and illustrators.
Budget Laptop #2: ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED
15.6” FHD OLED Display, AMD Ryzen™ 5 7530U CPU, AMD Radeon™ GPU, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 11 Home
For artists on a very tight budget, the ASUS VivoBook 15 OLED configures an exceptional 15.6-inch OLED screen paired with decent AMD Ryzen 5000 performance at a very affordable price point.
Best for: Digital artists and hobbyists seeking the best display quality possible on a tight budget. While not super fast, AMD Ryzen chips run industray standard art software like Adobe Suite quite smoothly. The OLED screen is amazing in reproducing colors with a super wide color gamut.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ 15.6-inch 1080p OLED display is gorgeous with true blacks | ➖ Capped at 16GB RAM |
| ➕ AMD Ryzen 5 and 7 processors with Radeon graphics | ➖ Significant chassis flex under pressure |
| ➕ Costs only $550-$700 for outstanding value | ➖ Poor 720p webcam quality |
| ➕ Weighs just 3.75 lbs for reasonable portability | |
| ➕ Good connectivity like USB-C, USB-A and HDMI |
Budget Laptop #3: Acer Swift 3
14″ OLED 2880x1800 | Intel Core i7-12700H | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | 16GB LPDDR5 | 1TB SSD | Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675 | Windows 11 Home
A frequently updated favorite, the Acer Swift 3 14 remains a solid budget choice for lighter 2D creative work thanks to modern Intel or AMD internals and a compact, durable chassis.
Best for: Cost-conscious artists and students on a budget. While not ideal for advanced 3D work, the Swift 3 14 handles basic 2D creative programs well while providing good battery life and portability for the money.The Swift 3 14 handles 2D creative programs well while providing good battery life and portability for the money.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Affordable starting around $650 | ➖ Maximum 16GB RAM |
| ➕ Intel 12th Gen or AMD Ryzen 6000 configurations | ➖ Dimmer 250 nit base display |
| ➕ Lightweight 2.9 lb chassis made of a magnesium-aluminum alloy | ➖ Significant chassis flex and build quality compromises |
| ➕ Nearly 11 hours of battery life for all-day use | |
| ➕ Vibrant 14-inch 2.8K OLED display option |
What do artists say?
Graphic designer Ben Kaiser, reviewed Acer Swift 3 after using it for one year.
He loves the excellent battery life of 12+ hours and fast 30 min charging. The durable aluminum build has held up with no dents or scratches. Performance is impressive thanks to the Ryzen 7 processor, handling tasks like live streaming, editing, and more.
However, he dislikes the lack of SD card slot for dongle-free editing. The display is not very color accurate, which limits it for creative work. The keyboard and trackpad feel mushy.
For performance, it handles Photoshop well but can’t playback 4K video smoothly. It works nicely for 1080p editing in Premiere though. The laptop stays quiet under load and runs fairly cool.
Overall, Ben recommends it as a highly portable, long-lasting productivity laptop for non-intensive creative work, but the display quality and 4K performance hold it back from being ideal for pro video/photo editors.
Budget Laptop #4: Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1 Laptop
2.5K 2560x1600 400nits 2-in-1 Laptop, 12th Evo Platform Intel 12-Core i5-1240P Upto 4.4GHz, 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, W/Stylus Pen, Win11
Lenovo’s new Yoga 7i 16-inch couples the flexibility of a convertible 2-in-1 with excellent 16-inch screen real estate, great for digital artists needing added workspace.
Best for: Artists wanting a larger convertible laptop with 16-inch screen real estate for digital drawing, painting, photo editing and graphics work. The versatile form factor pairs nicely with the spacious display.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ 16-inch 2.5K touchscreen rotates into tablet position | ➖ Heavy at 4.3 lbs in tablet mode |
| ➕ Intel 13th Gen Core i7 CPU and integrated graphics | ➖ No discrete GPU option |
| ➕ Premium aluminum chassis with sturdy 360 hinge | ➖ Maximum 12GB RAM is limiting |
| ➕ Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI and SD card connectivity | |
| ➕ Up to 12GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage |
Great Value Laptop: Acer Swift 14
14" Full HD 100% sRGB | AMD Ryzen 7 5800U | NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti GPU | 16GB LPDDR4X | 512GB SSD | Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit KB | Amazon Alexa | Windows 10 Home
The Acer Swift 14 hits a sweet spot between price, performance and portability. Built on AMD’s impressive Ryzen 6000 platform, it’s a great value choice for 2D digital art.
Best for: Artists and students seeking an affordable, capable digital art laptop for 2D work like painting, drawing, graphics, and photography. While not suited for intensive 3D rendering, the Swift 14 provides excellent performance for everyday art software.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ AMD Ryzen 7 6800U CPU and Radeon integrated graphics | ➖ Limited to 16GB RAM |
| ➕ 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with touch support | ➖ Chassis flex due to lighter materials |
| ➕ 17 hours of battery life for all-day use | ➖ No discrete GPU option |
| ➕ Just 2.9 lbs for easy portability | |
| ➕ Costs under $900 |
Budget MacBook: Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2)
15.3-inch Liquid Retina Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage, 1080p FaceTime HD Camera, Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad
With a larger 15-inch screen and slim bezels, the new 2023 MacBook Air gains screen real estate while remaining ultraportable. The entry-level M2 model is a capable digital art machine for budget-focused users.
Best for: Beginner and hobbyist digital artists looking for a Mac on a budget. While not suited for intensive 3D and effects work, the base MacBook Air 15 handles Fundamental 2D art tools smoothly while providing a gorgeous, immersive 15-inch canvas.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Beautiful 15-inch Liquid Retina display with slim bezels | ➖ Limited to 16GB unified memory |
| ➕ M2 chip still delivers excellent performance | ➖ 720p webcam isn’t great |
| ➕ Weighs just 3.46 lbs and 0.61 inches thick | ➖ No fans means throttling under heavy loads |
| ➕ Excellent battery life up to 18 hours | |
| ➕ Most affordable entry into Apple laptop ecosystem at $1,299 |
Best Value 2-in-1 Laptop: ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED 2-in-1 Laptop
14” OLED Touch Display, Intel Evo Platform, Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 11 Home
With a unique reversible touchscreen design, the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED transforms between laptop and tablet modes for versatile digital art capabilities.
Best for: Artists and creatives who want the versatility of built-in tablet mode for drawing, painting, sketching and photo editing. The vibrant OLED screen combined with robust stylus support makes for an excellent digital canvas.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ 14-inch 2880×1800 OLED touchscreen flips 360 degrees into tablet position | ➖ Maximum 16GB RAM limits heavy workloads |
| ➕ Active stylus with 4096 pressure levels included | ➖ Tablet mode is bulky compared to a dedicated slate |
| ➕ Discrete Nvidia GeForce MX550 GPU | |
| ➕ Up to 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD | |
| ➕ Solid battery life around 10 hours |
What do artists say?
Digital artist Roché draws on the ASUS Zenbook Flip 14 in one of her videos.
Roché says the pen feels smooth and natural with good pressure sensitivity, and she is impressed by the portability of having a full Windows laptop and tablet in one device.
However, the palm rejection could be better and the laptop seems a bit slow at times. Overall, she thinks it’s a good option for beginner digital artists who want an affordable two-in-one device, but it may not meet the needs of more advanced users.
The drawing experience is decent but not as intuitive as an iPad Pro with Procreate. Still, it provides a good alternative for those wanting a full computer plus drawing tablet in one portable device.
Ultralight Laptop: LG Gram 14
WUXGA IPS Intel i7-1260P 12-Core 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD Iris Xe Graphics Fingerprint Backlit Keyboard WiFi 6E Thunderbolt 4 Windows 11 Pro w/RATZK 32GB USB
Weighing less than 2.5 pounds, the LG gram 14 offers astonishing portable performance thanks to a combination of lightweight magnesium alloy construction and 13th Gen Intel processing power.
Best for: Artists and creative professionals who need powerful performance in an ultra-portable package. The gram 14’s long battery life, vivid OLED screen, and super lightweight design make this an ideal laptop for travel and working anywhere.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Incredibly lightweight body at just 2.2 lbs | ➖ Maximum 16GB RAM |
| ➕ 13th Gen Intel Core i7 performance | ➖ Chassis flex due to lightweight build |
| ➕ Bright 2.8K OLED display | ➖ No discrete GPU option |
| ➕ 20+ hours of real-world battery life | |
| ➕ Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, USB-A and microSD card connectivity |
What do artists say?
Urban sketching artist Teoh aka Parkablogs reviewed LG Gram 14 on his channel.
Teoh says the LG Gram 14 has a beautiful, color-accurate 16:10 display that’s great for creative work like graphic design and photo/video editing. Performance is solid thanks to 16GB RAM and fast NVMe SSD. The convertible design allows using it as a tablet with the included active pen.
The pen tracking is accurate but has some jitter on slow strokes. Line tapering is quite poor in most apps, feeling like drawing with a marker. The best pen experience is in Clip Studio Paint. Palm rejection works well in tablet-optimized apps.
As a tablet, the heavy 1.25kg weight makes it tiring to hold. The pen experience is decent but not as good as a dedicated graphics tablet. For drawing, you lose the keyboard in tablet mode.
Overall, the artist found it capable for creative workflows like Photoshop but the pen has limitations for serious illustration. It’s a good 2-in-1 for beginners wanting to draw on a convertible Windows laptop, but lacks the pen refinement of an iPad Pro.
Powerful Portable Laptop: ASUS ROG Zephyrus 14
2023 Newest, 14" FHD 144HZ Display, AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Graphics, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Bluetooth, Wifi6, Windows 11 Home
In a super slim 14-inch gaming chassis, the ROG Zephyrus 14 packs immense power with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU, perfect for 3D artists needing top-tier graphics performance.
Best for: 3D modelers, texture artists, animators and riggers seeking maximum graphics power for rendering, texturing and sculpting complex assets and scenes. The raw graphics performance makes the compact Zephyrus 14 a portable 3D powerhouse.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Up to Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti GPU for incredible graphics speed | ➖ Expensive, starting at $1,799 |
| ➕ AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU and up to 32GB RAM | ➖ Battery life capped around 6 hours for productivity |
| ➕ 1440p 120Hz/1080p 240Hz display options | ➖ Runs extremely hot under full gaming/3D loads |
| ➕ Surprisingly thin 0.7 inch magnesium alloy body at just 3.63 lbs |
What do artists think?
Graphic designer and video editor Ben Kaiser reviwed this laptop on his channel.
Ben has used the Zephyrus G14 for a few years and likes its battery life, efficiency, and performance.
For workflows like Premiere Pro editing, the RTX 4090 model provides excellent results. But for 3D modeling in SolidWorks, even the 4090 can’t match older Radeon models in price/performance.
Overall, the shift to only Nvidia and increased pricing has made recommendations more complicated compared to past years. The artist still thinks highly of the Zephyrus G14 line, but the value proposition has changed significantly.
Powerful Ultralight Laptop: Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14
Ryzen 9 6900HS, RTX 3050, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, 14.5'' Touchscreen IPS 3K (3072x1920) 120Hz Display, Windows 11 Gray
For artists focused on 2D digital painting and graphics work, the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 offers an ideal blend of performance, display quality, and slim portability.
Best for: Digital painters, illustrators, graphic designers and photographers prioritizing portability. The Slim Pro 7 is easy to toss in a bag and work from anywhere thanks to the bright OLED screen, long battery life, and lightweight magnesium-aluminum chassis.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Weighs less than 3 lbs for easy mobility | ➖ Maxes out at 16GB RAM |
| ➕ Bright 400 nit 14-inch 2.8K OLED display | ➖ No SD card slot |
| ➕ AMD Ryzen 6000 series processor and integrated Radeon graphics | ➖ Gets hot under heavy loads |
| ➕ Optional Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 discrete GPU | |
| ➕ Class-leading battery life over 12 hours |
Professional Laptop: Dell Precision 5570
17″ FHD+ 500-nits Display - 4.8 GHz Intel Core i7-12800H 14-Core - 32GB RAM - 512GB SSD - RTX A3000 (12GB GDDR6) - 5 Years ProSupport Warranty - Win11 Pro
The Dell Precision 5000 series offers excellent performance for 3D animation, CAD, and other demanding creative fields. The 5570 packs serious processing muscle while maintaining a slim, attractive chassis.
Best for: 3D modelers, animators, engineers, architects and other pros running intensive software like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Cinema 4D and 3ds Max will benefit from the raw power and ISV certifications of the Precision 5570. The slim design also makes it fairly portable.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ 12th Gen Intel Core i7 and Xeon CPUs configurable up to i9 | ➖ Very expensive, starting around $2,349 |
| ➕ Nvidia RTX or Quadro professional graphics cards | ➖ Battery life is just okay, around 7 hours |
| ➕ Vibrant 15.6 4K+ OLED display with touch available | ➖ Max RAM limited to 64GB |
| ➕ Excellent cooling and thermals for sustained performance | |
| ➕ Lightweight carbon fiber and magnesium alloy body |
What do artists say?
Digital artist Aaron Rutten reviewed DELL Precison laptop on his channel.
Aaron highlights the powerful specs including Intel Xeon CPU, Nvidia RTX A3000 GPU, 64GB RAM, and dual 2TB SSDs. The 17″ 4K HDR display is praised for its color accuracy, high brightness, and touch support. Connectivity is ample with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports. The premium build quality and large backlit keyboard are also noted positively.
In testing, Aaron found the laptop handles demanding creative tasks like digital art and video editing very smoothly. The color-accurate display is great for artwork and can be used outdoors. Dual M.2 SSDs enable fast video editing and rendering.
Aaron concludes that the Precision 5760 finally changes their mind about portable workstations, matching the power and functionality of a desktop. Unlike other laptops, it doesn’t force creative sacrifices. he highly recommends the configurable Precision line to digital artists and creatives needing portable power.
Professional Laptop: Asus ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED
16” 3.2K OLED Touch Display, Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 11
Asus’s ProArt line squarely targets creative professionals. The Studiobook 16 OLED packs desktop-caliber power into a stylish, slim chassis with a vibrant 16-inch OLED display.
Best for: Professional 3D artists, video editors, and VFX artists. With an Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU, the raw power of the Studiobook 16 OLED makes it ideal for intensive 3D rendering and effects work with programs like ZBrush, Blender, Maya, and After Effects.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ RTX 3070 Ti GPU delivers incredible graphics performance | ➖ Very expensive, starting at $2499 |
| ➕ OLED display features pure blacks and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut | ➖ Mediocre battery life around 6 hours |
| ➕ Up to 64GB RAM and 4TB storage for demanding workflows | ➖ Fan noise under heavy loads |
| ➕ Asus Dial interface streamlines creative app control | |
| ➕ Fairly lightweight at 5.2 lbs considering the power inside |
What do artists say?
Animator Wade compared this ASUS ProArt StudioBook to Asus Zenboo Pro Duo laptop.
The Asus ProArt StudioBook Pro 16 OLED has a single large 16″ 4K OLED display with taller 16:10 aspect ratio. It has a 3-button trackpad which is better for 3D work than a normal trackpad. The NVIDIA RTX A2000 GPU provides plenty of power while consuming less energy. The AMD Ryzen 9 processor is great for multithreaded apps like video editing and 3D rendering. It has a built-in SD card slot and the overall size/weight makes it very portable. The artist initially had mixed thoughts on the unique dial control, but found it useful for custom controls.
The Asus Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED is an extremely powerful laptop with two 4K OLED touchscreen displays. The second screen allows for expanded workspace which is great for productivity. It has excellent performance with RTX 3070 graphics, making it ideal for 3D, VFX, and rendering. The stylus works well but is not as responsive as a dedicated graphics tablet. The downsides are the cramped keyboard/trackpad and heavy weight.
Overall, Wade recommends the StudioBook Pro 16 OLED for animators and 3D artists needing high performance in a portable and ergonomic laptop form factor. The Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED is better for sheer processing power but less ideal for on-the-go use. Both are innovative, high-end laptops for creators.
Professional Laptop: Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M2 Pro)
Apple’s latest 14-inch MacBook Pro models feature the new M2 chip, bringing even more speed and efficiency. For digital artists, the MacBook Pro 14 hits a sweet spot between performance and portability.
Best for: 2D artists, photographers, and freelance creative professionals seeking power and portability. The combination of speed, display tech, and thin design makes the 14-inch MacBook Pro ideal for travel and working on the go.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Incredibly fast M2 chip delivers blazing performance for creative apps and multitasking | ➖ Expensive, starting at $1999 |
| ➕ Brilliant Liquid Retina XDR display with extreme dynamic range and contrast | ➖ Limited to 16GB RAM (may be restrictive for 3D workflows) |
| ➕ Excellent battery life, lasting up to 18 hours on a charge | ➖ No built-in SD card reader |
| ➕ Super thin and lightweight magnesium alloy body at just 3.5 pounds | |
| ➕ macOS is optimized for creative workflows |
Professional Laptop: Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M2 Pro)
With 12‑core CPU and 19‑core GPU: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR Display, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD Storage. Works with iPhone/iPad
The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip takes performance up another level. With a larger screen and more configuration options, it’s suited for intensive 3D and video work.
Best for: 3D artists, video editors, VFX artists, and other creatives running performance-intensive applications. The power under the hood combined with the gorgeous 16-inch screen makes the MacBook Pro 16 an ideal mobile workstation.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ➕ Cutting-edge M2 Pro and M2 Max chips offer incredible power | ➖ Very expensive, starting at $2499 |
| ➕ Can be configured with up to 96GB RAM and 8TB SSD storage | ➖ Design isn’t as compact and portable as 14-inch model |
| ➕ Stunning 16-inch mini-LED display with XDR contrast and brightness | |
| ➕ Long battery life up to 22 hours | |
| ➕ SD card reader included |
Main Criteria for Choosing Laptop for Digital Art
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Even though I’m not into specifications that much, I still know that performance is extremely important for an artist’s laptop. Lack of performance often drives a working artist crazy – and can even frustrate and block creativity.
So choosing the right laptop for your creative needs requires evaluating several key factors that impact your digital artwork and workflow.
In short, I think the best laptops for digital art and artists should have, at a minimum, the following specs:
- 8 GB of RAM – and preferably 16 – 32 GB (I recommend 32GB for 3D artists and animators)
- 256 GB SSD storage – and preferably 512 GB – 1 TB
- Full HD Display – and preferably 4K (all Apple laptops have QHD or higher resolution)
- OLED Display – for the price, OLED displays provide the best color gamut (sRGB, Adobe RGB, etc.)
- A fast, powerful latest generation processor and a good, fast graphics coprocessor
Here I included more details:
Display Quality
The display is arguably the most critical component of a digital art laptop. Be sure to consider:
- Color accuracy – Look for at least 100% sRGB coverage, but wider color gamuts like Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 are ideal for photography, video production, and print design work. You want colors on screen to match real-world and printed tones as closely as possible.
- Brightness – Aim for 400 nits or higher brightness, especially if you frequently work outdoors or in bright environments. OLED panels deliver the best contrast and “true black” levels thanks to per-pixel lighting. This creates scintillating image quality.
- Touch/pen support – For drawing, painting, sketching and similar tasks, you’ll want a touchscreen display paired with an active pen stylus. Look for pens with 4,000+ levels of pressure sensitivity for natural feeling strokes.
- Aspect ratio – More square 3:2 or 16:10 aspect ratio screens offer extra vertical workspace vs widescreen 16:9 displays. This added height is useful for toolbars, menus, and content creation.
- Size – Larger 15-16 inch screens provide ample room for layered canvases, tool palettes, and seeing fine details, at the cost of reduced portability. Smaller 13-14 inch displays optimize travel and mobility.
Performance
Raw processing power enables working with huge layered Photoshop documents, 3D models, 4K video editing, and other demanding creative workloads. Seek out:
- Fast CPU – Look for modern 12th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 6000 series processors. Higher power H-series chips better for 3D, video and FX workloads.
- Capable GPU – Integrated graphics are sufficient for lighter 2D creative tasks. Dedicated Nvidia RTX or AMD Radeon GPUs greatly accelerate 3D, animation, VR/AR workflows.
- RAM – Aim for 32GB memory for intensive 3D applications. 16GB usable for lighter 2D work. Make sure RAM is upgradable.
- Storage – Fast PCIe SSDs are essential. Look for 1TB+ capacity, as creative file sizes ballooon quickly. External storage helps too.
Size and Shape
The laptop’s design, dimensions, weight distribution and inputs impact the digital art experience:
- Thin & light – Excellent for throwing in a bag and traveling. But may sacrifice some performance in ultra-slim chassis.
- 2-in-1 convertible – Flipping into tablet mode is nice for direct on-screen drawing. But bulkier and heavier when held.
- Large, responsive trackpad – More surface area allows better multitouch navigation and gestures in creative apps.
Carefully evaluate these factors when researching your next digital art laptop.
Having optimal tools truly enables your best creative expression and workflows. Let me know if you need any specific model recommendations! I’m happy to provide tailored guidance based on your particular needs and budget.
Are Macs Better for Artists and Digital Art?
As you may imagine, one of the questions I often hear is, should I get a Mac or a Windows laptop computer for my artwork?
From my experience, I included that most artists I know use MacBook Pro laptops for digital art.
For many years, decades now even, the Mac has always been considered the “artist’s laptop” and the Windows PCs to be more for… well, I don’t know – the sort of mysterious daily activities that all those non-artists get themselves up to all the time. Spreadsheets? Databases? Coding?
But that is definitely not the case anymore.
Windows laptops and computers have always been known for their flexibility in terms of custom setup and scalability in terms of memory and storage space. And this flexibility has made them a favorite in a community of tinkerers and technically capable artists.
They might have started with a cheaper model with less hardware, but over time, they made it into a very powerful machine by adding the right parts (RAM & storage space).
On the other hand, Apple laptops, or MacBooks, have always been known for their intuitive and easy-to-use operating system. Just press the start button, log in, click the Photoshop (or other digital drawing software) icon and you can be creating your next artwork in a matter of minutes. Try that on Windows laptops five years ago (!)
The most important high-end software for creating digital art has been available for Windows and Apple for many years, such as Adobe Creative Cloud’s Photoshop & Illustrator, and Krita, Rebelle 5 for example.
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of your own experience and preference. Both the right Windows laptop and an Apple MacBook can be fabulous laptops for digital art, and great choices for any artist.
Both can have extremely high performance, incredibly high-resolution screens, and all of the best art software you could want or need – from the simplest to the almost absurdly complex and advanced.
So, if you know and love Macintosh, get a MacBook, and get a Windows laptop if you are a Windows fan.
Either way, you will be amazed at how the right laptop can help, inspire and even advance you and your art.
How Much Should You Spend on a Good Laptop for Art?
Having a good, high-quality laptop can make all the difference.
Yes, many laptops are out there at very low prices, and they are generally fine for most uses – binge-watching, surfing the internet, playing most games, and using basic programs like word processors.
However, we artists need more from our laptops. We need fast processors, plenty of memory, good fast storage, and bright, high-resolution screens with excellent color fidelity.
And this can come at the cost of anywhere between $500 – $2,500, depending on promotions and discounts. I believe that even if you’re on a budget or starting out, don’t cut back on your laptop.
You need to run any and all art software without problems or delays, see your work (and possibly show it to clients) beautifully, with accurate colors and in real detail, and keep your entire portfolio on your local drive if you choose.
Spending too little on your laptop can even be a worse idea than spending too much – you can easily end up with a machine that will be frustrating to use, discourage you and even hold you back in your learning, advancement, and enjoyment.
And it will almost certainly cost you more in the long run due to wasted time, missed opportunities and eventual replacement.
At the same time, if you are a new, aspiring artist, you don’t have much money, and/or haven’t yet established a clientele or reliable income, please don’t overspend on a laptop! Just make sure you are getting what you need!
So, to sum up, budget model laptops are really not for us, and I can’t stress this enough.
FAQs – Best Laptop for Digital Art
Yes, you an do digital art on a laptop. The modern laptops have enough RAM and processing power (both CPU (main processor) and GPU (graphics card)) that they can run all modern and industry-standard digital art programs, such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Krita, Clip Studio Paint, Rebelle, and other. Moreover, they are fairly light and very portable, so you can easily do digital art at home, in a cafe, or at school.
For digital art you need, at a minimum, 8GB of RAM. Digital art programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator will run smoothly without lagging. More is better, though; I use 16GB of RAM on my MacBook Pro.
For an art student, I recommend HP Envy x360 2-in-1 or ASUS Vivobook 15 OLED.
I think laptop is better for digital art because of its portability. But this depends on where you want to do digital art and if you need your computer to be portable. If you are sure you will only do digital art at home, then go for a desktop computer which allows for more flexibility in terms of scalability. If, however, you know you will work at home, in a cafe, at school, in a client’s office, or remotely on an island in the Caribbean, then get a laptop.
The best laptops for artists are MacBook Pro 16, ASUS ProArt Studiobook and DELL Precision.
The best HP laptop for artists is HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Touchscreen laptop.
I hope my guide helped you to find your new laptop to make awesome digital art!
Other articles in the Laptops for Artists and Designers series:
- Best Laptop for Animation
- Best Laptop for Drawing
- Best Laptop for 3D Modeling and Rendering
- Best Mouse for Designers
- Best Chromebook for Drawing and Artists
- Artograph Inspire 1200 Digital Art Projector Review
- Artograph Flare 450 Digital Art Projector Review
Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »
