Are you tired of lags while editing photos? Fed up of Photoshop or Lightroom slowly running on your old laptop or PC? Do you want to carry a powerful and portable photo retouching device in your backpack? Then check out this list of 5 state-of-the-art laptops among which you’ll definitely find the best laptop for photo editing http://fixthephoto.com/best-laptop-for-photo-editing.html for your budget and purposes.
1. ASUS VivoBook M580VD-EB76
Specs: 15.6″ Full HD, Intel Core i7-7700HQ, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD+1TB HDD
Pros:
- Attractive price
- Aluminum body for a low price
- Good cooling system
Cons:
- No Bluetooth support
- Coolers are active all the time
This VivoBook reminds me of LG Gram – lightweight, but with a large screen. Yes, it has a weaker processor and only a Full HD resolution, but you can get it for almost half the cost, which makes it the best laptop for photo editing on a budget. The laptop’s build quality is great too.
Processor-wise, Core i5-7300HQ is enough for most photoshopping tasks. So the Core i7-7700HQ modification only makes sense for users who really need the performance offered by the latter chip.
The laptop is quite loud when under heavy load, but that’s the case with most modern portable PCs powered by heavy-duty components. Its battery lasts for slightly over four hours with maximum screen brightness. That’s an average value.
As for storage space, the laptop has a 256GB SSD and a 1TB hard drive. The SSD allows loading the OS and all photo editing softwares quickly.
Being a gaming laptop, it offers several benefits and additional functions. Another unique feature is two cooling fans. They disperse more heat and help keep the laptop cool while running demanding Adobe software.
2. Dell Inspiron 7000 i7559
Specs: 15.6″ Ultra HD, Intel Quad-Core i7-6700HQ, 16GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 128GB SSD
Pros
- Calibrated screen
- Comes with a couple of drives (SSD and HDD)
- Powerful general specs
- Adequate battery life for its hardware
Cons
- Last-gen processor and graphics card
- Slow SSD
- Useless sensor screen
Inspiron 7000 i7599 is a laptop for photo editing with a 15” screen and a max resolution of 3840×2160. The manufacturer promotes it as a gaming model, but user reviews state that their claim is unjustified and the laptop isn’t worthy of that label.
When running image editing apps, the i7559 offers great performance. The weakest link of its configuration is the system SSD drive – Hynix SC300. This drive has a low speed for an SSD. A 128GB system drive isn’t large enough for this day and age, especially when working with Adobe Premiere Pro.
Thankfully, the addition of a 1TB HDD mitigates that problem. I don’t really understand why this laptop has a touchscreen, but maybe fans of this technology will appreciate it. Despite its flaws, this model can be considered the best laptop for photo editing in its price range.
3. LG Gram 17
Specs: 17” WQXGA, Intel Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
Pros:
- Lightweight despite having a large screen
- Thunderbolt 3 support
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Slow SATA 3 SSD
- Doesn’t feel sturdy enough
- Doesn’t have a dedicated graphics processor
It’s better to start the description by saying that this is the first 17-inch laptop with a weight of 2.9 pounds in the world. It comes with a large 17” IPS-screen with 114% color gamut and powerful hardware, which makes its display the best 17-inch screen for editing photographs in Lightroom or Capture One.
This is definitely one of the best laptops for photo editing that is also supplied with such powerful components like an Intel Core i7 processor paired with a massive 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. LG Gram 17 can easily tackle most tasks.
Its only the drawback is that it has an integrated Intel UHD graphics card. Nonetheless, the laptop can still handle all types of photo production in Photoshop or Lightroom without any problems. But you’ll face some delays when trying to edit videos on it.
4. Apple MacBook Pro 15
Specs: 15.6” Retina, 6-core Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD
Pros:
- True Tone Retina screen
- Large and convenient trackpad
- Can be upgraded
- Fingerprint reader
Cons:
- All ports are of the USB-C type
- Quite expensive
If you’re ready to spend a bit more and switch to MacOS, then this is the perfect choice for you. MacBook Pro 15 has an astonishing 15.4” True Tone Retina screen with a 2880×1800 resolution. It is a good choice for Lightroom color correction.
Inside, you’ll find a 6-core last generation Intel Core i7 processor that is paired with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. There’s also a version with even more memory, but it will cost you additional $300.
Other than that, this MacBook is supplied with a powerful set of tools for editing photographs and videos, including a large trackpad and a sensor panel located above the keyboard. It is useful for image editing in Photoshop but takes some time getting used to.
Sadly, this isn’t a perfect laptop – it has only 4 ports, 2 on each side, and all of them are Thunderbolt USB Type-C. That’s why transferring photos from your camera to the laptop requires an adapter that isn’t included in the package.
Moreover, this model is noticeably more expensive than identical Windows laptops. Summing up, MacBook Pro 15 remains one of the most favored laptops for photo editing by professionals due to its performance and reliability.
5. ASUS ZenBook 13
Specs: 13.3” Full HD, 8th gen Intel i5-8250U, 8GB RAM, 256GB M.2 SSD
Pros
- Nice 13.3-inch Full HD screen with anti-glare
- Satisfyingly thin and lightweight
- 8th-generation processor
- Max battery duration of 12 hours
Cons
- Prolonged work causes heating up
- SSD only has 256GB
ZenBook UX330UA-AH55 is the perfect laptop for working on the road. Yes, it has a 13.3” screen and that might not be enough for working in Photoshop. But the weight of 2.6lbs (1.2kg) will make you look at this laptop from a different perspective.
The device has a Full HD (1920×1080) screen and anti-glare protection that makes working in bright lighting conditions simpler. It has an Intel i5-8250U processor of the 8th generation with a 1.6GHz frequency. It means fast photoshopping without delays.
The laptop comes with a 256GB SATA 3 M.2 SSD, but you can also find a version with a 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD. Lastly, the ZenBook has a distinct aesthetic feature – a metal body that became a trademark of this series.
I suggest choosing this laptop because of its compact size since you can fit it even into a small traveling bag. Moreover, it offers solid performance, long battery life, a low noise level and great screen quality.
Are you into video editing but find the specs of all laptops to be lackluster? Then you’ll be interested in picking the best computer for video editing http://fixthephoto.com/best-computer-for-video-editing.html.
Moreover, if a large and clunky PC isn’t to your taste, but a laptop’s screen is too small, pick the best monitor for video editing http://fixthephoto.com/best-monitor-for-video-editing.html and work with comfort.
