Best Laptops for photo editing in 2021

“Which are the best laptop for photo editing?” A question that pops up in every photo editor’s head.

When someone starts working as a photo editor, the first thing he needs is a laptop. But, that laptop needs to be good. Otherwise, he won’t be able to do the best work. Besides, using such powerful software as Photoshop, Lightroom- one needs to have a powerful device.

Otherwise, in the time of work, this software will stop working or give hard times.  And, if you get a hard time in the time of doing work, your work will not be okay. You’ll find many lacking in your work.  Having the poor quality of work will hamper your career as well as your business.

For this reason, you need to have the best laptop for doing your photo editing work. But, in the market, there are a lot of laptops out there. Every one of them seems good. With a good marketing skillset, they all somehow convinced their customers that their laptops are the best.

But, are all of them the best? No, not all of them are best. You can easily manipulate them, but that didn’t make their product the best. In the market, there are very few laptops that are the best in this specific field. Here, we will tell you about those laptops and their specifications, which make them the best for photo editing in 2023.

The best photo-editing laptops in 2023

Photo editors need laptops with high configuration. But, in this era of high-quality laptops, which are best for photo editing? Here, we are going to talk about the best laptops for photo editing.

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020) the best laptop for photo editing in 2021
Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020; source: pixabay

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch  is the Best Laptop For Photo Editing

One of the best Apple creations is the new 13-inch MacBook Pro 2023. It’s featuring a Touch Bar, Magic Keyboard, and Touch ID. The Touch Bar innovation came in 2018. And this touch bar makes the work easier in Photoshop. Because in mac, there will be shortcuts that are not available on any other laptop. These include quick addition to albums, selecting your favorite photos, editing straight in the Photos app, etc.

The M1 chip of Apple makes this mac one of the greatest laptops of all time. Its 8 core CPU and 8 core GPU make it the first choice for all photo editors.

Specification Of MacBook Pro 13

Display: Retina

  •  IPS technology with 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display;  support for millions of colors with 2560-by-1600 native resolution at 227 pixels per inch
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1680 by 1050
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1024 by 640
  • 500 nits brightness
  • P3 Wide color
  • True Tone technology

Chip:

  • Apple M1 chip
  • 8-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and 4 performance cores
  • 8-core GPU
  • 16-core Neural Engine

Memory: 8GB memory up to 16GB

Storage: SSD 256GB up to: 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

Battery Life: Up to 10 hrs.

Peripherals and ports: 3 ports of two thunderbolt

Weight: 3.1 lbs ( 1.4 kg)

Dell XPS 15
Dell XPS 15; source: Dell

Dell XPS 15

For photo editing, Dell’s laptops are one of the best. Especially, Dell XPS 15 (2020) for its price, wrapping power, and sleek design.

After getting Dell XPS 15 in your hand, you’ll at first notice the 4K display. Because 4K display means you’ll be able to work on photos with perfect detail. Besides, photos look awesome with the stunning colors guaranteed by IPS technology.

If we talk about the power, Dell XPS 15 comes with the 10th gen Intel Core i7 process with 16 GB of RAM. In simple words, we can say, any photo editing software will run on this laptop without a hitch. Here, you’ll get a 512 GB SSD, which will be good enough for accessing quickly and copying photos.

In terms of size, 15 inches is the best. But, the size depends on the photo editor you are using. Besides, 15 inches offer a nice amount of screen real-estate while it is still relatively portable.

Finally, you’ll consider the price. The Dell XPS 15 price is very reasonable for a photo editor. In a word, if you want to buy one of the best laptops for photo editing, then go for Dell XPS 15.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon; source: Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

Are you looking for a powerful laptop with an affordable range for photo editing? Then, you came to the right place. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the best choice for you. It’s both powerful, and the price of it is in mid-range.

Besides, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon gives you the best experience with both Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. So, in a word, this is the best choice for you to buy.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Specification:

Processor: 10th Generation Intel® Core™  i5-10210U Processor (1.60 GHz, up to 4.20 GHz with Turbo Boost, 4 Cores, 6 MB Cache, 8 Threads)

Display Type: anti-glare, 14.0″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS,  400 nits

Memory: 16 GB LPDDR3 2133MHz (Soldered)

Hard Drive: SSD 512 GB PCIe

Graphics: Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics

Asus ZenBook Duo UX581
Asus ZenBook Duo UX581; source: Pixabay

Asus ZenBook Duo UX581

Asus Zenbook Duo is specially made for photographers and photo editors. The dual-screen of this laptop helps to do multitasking, which is important for photo editing.

Asus ZenBook Duo UX581 specification:

CPU: Intel Core i9-9980HK

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 (Laptop)

Display: OLED, 15.6”, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160)

Storage: SSD 2000 GB

RAM: 2666 MHz, 32GB DDR4

Weight: 2.50 kg (5.5 lbs)

Razor Blade 15 the best laptops for photo editing
Razor Blade 15 the best laptops for photo editing; source: Razor Blade

Razer Blade 15 – The Best Laptop For Photo Editing

If money is not a matter to you and you want the most powerful object, the Razer Blade 15 is the best choice. Here, you can do almost any kind of work without a glitch. Razer Blade 15 is the best laptop for Lightroom.

Razor Blade 15 Specification:

CPU: 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-10875H (8-core, up to 5.1GHz, 16MB cache )

Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 200 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)

RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,933MHz)

Screen: 15-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS, 300Hz.

Storage: 1TB SSD (PCIe)

Conclusion

Finding the best laptop for photo editing is up to you. Every laptop that we discussed here is the best for photo editing. But, not all of them are suitable for you. Because you need some specific configuration, also you have your price limit. All of these things make one of them is the best laptop for you. So, you need to find the best one from this list according to your comfort zone. Then, start working on your project. You’ll have the best experience of your life in your photo editing career.

F.A.Q

Q: What is the best laptop for photo editing 2018?

Ans: The best laptop for photo editing in 2018 is Dell XPS 15.

Q: How much RAM do I need for photo editing?

Ans: 16 GB RAM is better for photo editing.

Q: What computer do professional photographers use?

Ans: Most professional photographers use Apple Mac Mini 2020.

Q: What is a good cheap laptop for Photoshop?

Ans: Good cheap laptop for Photoshop is Acer Aspire E 15.