Best Laptops For Photo Editing

In the cutthroat world of photography, having the best laptop for picture editing provides you the biggest advantage. It can be frustrating to use a laptop that is inadequate. The necessary programmes cannot be run. You also cannot create photographic work. That can be the final straw for a promising photography career.

To help you select the right laptop for your needs, we’ve put together a list of the greatest photo editing laptops. We have both Windows and Mac laptops. The preferred operating system is yours to choose. We also offer laptops in every price range. Let’s set you up with the greatest laptop for photo editing.

When you are looking for a best laptop for photo editing, we understand that sometimes you can no longer see the forest for the trees. There are numerous laptops on the market, ideal for all kinds of applications. But which one exactly suits you, the photographer? We explain what your laptop should meet when you want to edit photos and give several examples of rugged and affordable laptops suitable for making your records even more beautiful. In this article we have explained all the top 10 best laptops for photo editing. Let’s review together.

Buyer’s Guide The Best Laptop for Photo Editing: What to Look for

We’ll examine the most crucial computing requirements for photo editing. Knowing what to look for in a laptop for photo editing is necessary. Additionally, the top laptops must have enough processing power to run Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Luminar Neo.

• CPU, or computer processor

The processor is the primary piece of hardware in a computer. It functions effectively as the computer’s engine. It uses data from the user and communicates with other hardware to carry out the user’s instructions.

In the past, computer processors only had one core. But to improve computing power, modern computers use many cores. It can perform more tasks concurrently if it has more cores. There are seven to twenty CPU cores in modern laptops.

A laptop’s number of cores is an important feature to consider when editing photos. Better performance doesn’t always equate to more. However, you don’t want a laptop that is unable to meet your needs for photo editing.

Another aspect of a laptop CPU to consider is clock speed. In gigahertz, the clock speed is expressed (GHz). This demonstrates the processing speed of a CPU. How many jobs it can complete in a second is shown by the GHz reading.

Generally speaking, a quicker laptop has a higher GHz level. However, comparing computers from several manufacturers can be challenging. The age of the machine is another important factor. A processor with 3 GHz in 2011 won’t be any faster than one with 2 GHz in 2022. One thing to think about is the clock speed. But by itself, it doesn’t reveal anything.

• RAM

Random Access Memory is referred to as RAM. We can determine how much memory a machine has by looking at its RAM. The more RAM you have, the more data your apps can access simultaneously. This is directly related to how quickly your computer operates.

You can run more programs simultaneously if you have more RAM. Additionally, it claims to be able to handle complex computer programs, such as photo editing software. Both Luminar Neo and Adobe Photoshop consume a lot of RAM. This means that for greater performance, you need a machine with more RAM.

A computer with more RAM may be more expensive. However, increased processing speeds enable quicker and simpler photo editing. And over time, you end up saving money.

• Graphic’s Card

The visual display you see on your screen is produced by the graphics card using computer data. They are more akin to CPUs even though they are termed cards. They can carry out several tasks at once thanks to their numerous cores. Once more, improved performance isn’t always the result of having more cores.

You get a better computer display with a better graphics card. It can increase the number of pixels and enhance colour fidelity, improving the legibility of the display. It’s crucial because picture editors require correct views of their work. When their work is printed or published, they don’t want any unpleasant surprises.

• Storage

This establishes the maximum amount of data the computer can store. The size determines whether it is measured in GB or TB. It also informs you of the maximum number of programs for and data that can be stored on the device. Professionals will undoubtedly require extra storage for their media libraries and editing software. But storage space is another consideration for inexperienced photo editors.

Using an external hard drive can always free up space on your laptop for storage. For all digital photographers and editors, they are a necessary piece of gear.

• Laptop display

Your initial thought should be the size of the screen. Ultimately, this comes down to taste. Larger screens are preferred by many editors because they provide a greater workspace. However, those who travel while working might find it more convenient to have a smaller screen.

The number of pixels on the display provides a decent idea of the image quality. A clearer image results from having more pixels. But you must consider the size of the screen. It’s possible that a high pixel count on a bigger screen isn’t always preferable to a low pixel count on a smaller one.

Today, some laptops come with touch screens. The user has a preference on this subject. Many editors prefer to use their laptops in a similar manner to how they use tablets.

Best Laptop for Photo Editing

1. Apple MacBook Pro 16

You must be a fan of Apple to choose this product, but the Apple MacBook Pro is definitely the best laptop for photo editing. The most important thing to consider with a laptop that needs to edit photos is the processor. This is a good thing with this MacBook; it contains an Intel Core i9 processor with eight (octal) cores. This is one of the most powerful processors on the market and ensures that you can run the most stringent programs with ease. For example, if you want to use Photoshop, this processor allows this with ease.

The retina display of this laptop for photo editing has an IPS panel and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. In addition, you don’t have to worry if you want to keep all your edited photos on the laptop. The 1 TB of storage space is enough for thousands of photos (if not more). As a result, you will not need an external hard drive while using this MacBook.

What is unique about this MacBook and what really counted as a result of it ended in place one is the Touch Bar. This laptop for photo editing contains many different features that work great with programs like Photoshop. (opens in new tab).

2. Dell XPS 15 9750

The Dell XPS 15 is an excellent photo editing laptop all-around. It works well for daily use. However, if you choose one of the higher-spec models, the Dell XPS 15 makes an excellent laptop for photo editing. It is accessible and simple to use. Additionally, it is powerful enough to serve as your mobile workstation for editing photos.

Dell is known for producing dependable PCs. And the XPS 15 maintains the trend, according to the hardware specifications. The CPU is an Intel Core-i7-11800H from the 11th generation, which has eight cores for efficient usage. A 24 MB Intel Smart Cache is also present, increasing the processor’s clock speed to 4.6 GHz.

DELL XPS 15 is based on the powerful Intel Core i7-9750H six-core processor; it also has 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD disk and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. This configuration allows for a lot. This is a laptop for photo editing for experts in this subject, using extensive and demanding software. It also scores with a 15.6-inch IPS Full HD touchscreen with Cinema Color technology. It offers a rich set of connectors, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi ac connectivity, and a built-in fingerprint reader for convenient logging into Window.

There are various Dell XPS 15 models, each with a different set of specifications. Options come in 16, 32, or 64 GB RAM configurations. And there are 1 to 4 TB of hard disc space options. You can choose the choice that best meets your needs. The one with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of internal storage is the one we chose, though. You now have the capacity required for photo-editing software. However, it doesn’t significantly raise the cost.

An HD webcam is incorporated into the Dell XPS. Dual array microphones are also available for high-quality sound recording. It includes two Thunderbolt 4 connectors and a USB 3.2 port. An SD card reader is also present. For photographers, such feature is quite useful.

We would like to see longer battery life. But you’ll still get hours of uninterrupted work. The Dell XPS is a good photo editing machine. And depending on the option you choose, there’s something for amateurs and professionals.

3. Lenovo Legion Y540

Another in a series of gaming laptops that photographers use for their work. I have some suspicion about the variety of this job, but I will keep it to myself. This best laptop for photo editing has equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card and an optimized cooling system, so it works quietly and does not distract the creator during work. I know from experience that every slightest noise can disturb the creative process, so I appreciate this option all the more.

The Legion Y540 is a relatively thin and light gaming laptop with minimal bezels, various configuration options, and a smart, mature, and ultimately appealing design. Lenovo took care to provide functions and aesthetic choices that make sense for photographers and gamers.

When it comes to mid-range gaming laptops, Lenovo is king. It has been like way for a while, but last year they unveiled a new design that concealed the gaming Legion series.

It’s interesting to note that Lenovo chose to stick with the Legion Y540’s ostensibly successful design. Now, it combines that with a graphics card that is noticeably more potent. You may see the Core i5-9300H and Core i7-9750H 9th Gen Intel processors installed.

The laptop for photo editing has a 15-inch Full HD screen with narrow bezels, so it has more than 2 million pixels. The anti-glare IPS display also has a refresh rate of 144 Hz and a brightness of 300 nits (that’s slightly less than Apple computers, but hardware enthusiasts see this as an advantage – pointing out that photographers working on “apes” tend to have too bright photos. Okay, that’s all the gossip.

4. Asus Zenbook 15

The Asus Zenbook 15 gives the impression that it will slip into any backpack. Even the most loaded with photographic equipment. This laptop for photo editing weighs very light so that it won’t be too heavy for the back. However, slimming down this equipment did not affect the screen, which the manufacturer describes as Nano Edge – emphasizing that thin frames only frame it. 3 mm on the sides!

Due to their portability and long battery life, thin and light ultrabooks are beneficial for both office workers and students. And one of the better possibilities at its pricing point is the Asus ZenBook 15. It is a mid-range laptop with a stylish, cutting-edge design and fantastic battery life, making it one of the best ultrabooks and laptops with an i7 processor.

Anyone wishing to spend under $1500 on a high-end thin and light ultrabook might consider the Asus ZenBook 15. With a respectable mobile CPU and GPU, lots of RAM and quick storage, and a gorgeous main display, the headgear is truly practical and not just a novelty.

Well, the quad-core Intel Core i7-8565U in this laptop is two generations old. Therefore, it will be a little bit slower than ultrabooks that were introduced this year and have newer CPUs. In fact, this laptop is available in a version with an inside Core i7 Intel Comet Lake (10th generation) processor. However, as it still has four cores and eight threads, it is only likely to be slightly faster and more efficient. Because it is an ultrabook, a proper desktop-grade graphics card is essentially out of the question from the GPU perspective.

When it comes to the category that this laptop dominates, it has an 8-cell, 71Wh battery. On a full top-up, the laptop can run for up to 17 hours. You will at least get 12 hours of battery life out of it, even if you are always running the most taxing job and forcing the CPU to surge up to 4.6GHz.

This laptop for photo editing has equipped with a screen, displaying a very sharp and dynamic image, ensuring precise color reproduction. It also uses the innovative technologies ASUS Splendid and ASUS Tru2Life Video, which allow you to fine-tune the color parameters for the user’s eyes’ comfort.

5. Gigabyte Aero 17 XB 

The Aero’s GPU is the first feature that draws my attention. It is one of the earliest laptops to be made available in 2021 and features the most recent NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30-series GPUs. This computer leads the pack in terms of graphics processing power whether you choose the 8GB GDD6 3070 or 16GB GDDR6 3080. These cards won’t blow your socks off even though they aren’t the desktop versions of the much anticipated (and impossible to obtain for anywhere near a fair price) cards.

The Gigabyte Aero 17 XB trumps in the HDR version with an extraordinarily bright and color-true UHD panel. The built-in graphics card (GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q), with 1920 x 1080 pixels, at least in photo editing, has to offer Can bring limits. The slim and visually discreet housing is primarily intended to appeal to the content creator group. Thanks to the excellent battery life, the device is quite suitable for working on the go despite its 17-inch format, also because the weight is very acceptable.

The Aero is designed to effortlessly handle 8K footage, ray tracing, virtual reality, 3D modelling and animation, and visual effects work, whether it’s Adobe Premiere or Da Vinci Resolve or something else. The AI-powered Dynamic Boost 2.0 manages power on a per-frame basis, enabling the computer’s AI to continuously optimise the CPU, GPU, and GPU RAM for the greatest performance boost. NVIDIA DLSS makes use of the Tensor Cores for an AI rendering boost. These capabilities are completely unnecessary for folks who only work with photos, but I can only assume that 3D artists and video editors will read these specifications and break out in a sweat while nodding enthusiastically. Because of this, it is the best option for those of us who edit both photographs and videos.

If you need much power on the go, you should take a closer look at this laptop for photo editing. The presence of a Thunderbolt 3 port is also exemplary. Gigabyte could improve the webcam positioning, the distribution of the interfaces, and the noise development under load, but you get a built-in full-size SD card reader.

6. Razer Blade 17

The Razer Blade 17 is one of the best gaming laptops around. You might not be a gamer. But a gaming laptop can also be ideal for creatives and photo editors. The processing power makes them fantastic photo editing laptops. And the Razer Blade 17 delivers on power and performance. It can handle any professional photo or video editing software.

The Razer Blade 17 uses a 12th-generation Intel Core-i7 processor. And that’s paired with an RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and 16 GB of RAM. That’s enough power for most modern computer games. And that means it has more than enough for Adobe editing programs. You can also opt for the Razer Blade with RTX 3080 Ti GPU. That gives you 32 GB of RAM. But it’s nearly double the price.

The hard disk has 1 TB of storage. That’s enough for all your editing suites. And you get a broad 17.3-inch LCD screen with an incredible 4K screen resolution. That gives you plenty of space to work in. It’s enough to have several programs operating at once. It has an excellent Vapor Chamber Cooling system. You don’t have to worry about the laptop overheating.

The Razer Blade has the connectivity options of a Desktop PC. There are two USB-C and three USB-A ports. There’s a built-in HDMI 2.1 port. And it has a UHS-II SD card slot. You can transfer photos from your memory card to Lightroom with no middleman. That’s a time-saving feature for photo editing.

The Razer Blade 17 is a serious computer. It might be marketed at serious gamers. But it has everything creative professionals need. Power and performance are not something you need to worry about, especially if you go for the 32 GM option. The Razor Blade 17 is one of the best laptops for photo editing. Videographers will love it too.

7. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon surface laptop studio is an incredibly light and high-quality workhorse. The laptop for photo editing is available with different displays; the Full HD screen with good brightness of 400 nits and full coverage of the sRGB color space should be sufficient for most image editors. More expensive models are equipped with a 4K HDR display.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has long been a fab choice for on-the-go photo editing, thanks to its compelling blend of high performance and sleek, lightweight design.

The current, 9th gen, X1 Carbon can be specced with several 14-inch screen options. All have at least a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and a respectable 400-nit max brightness, plus 100% sRGB color coverage. The range-topping display is an ultra high res 3840 x 2400 panel with a 500-nit brightness and a hugely impressive 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage.

Elsewhere, bang-up-to-date 11th-gen Intel Core processors provide ample computing power, and though RAM appears to top out at 16GB, you can customise some X1 Carbon configs to pack 32GB. However, it’s a pity the RAM comes soldered to the motherboard, so cant be swapped out for higher capacity modules at a later date, and it also means you’d be unwise to settle for a base 8GB X1 Carbon.

8. Apple MacBook Air 2020 M1

No wonder that the new Apple MacBook Air 2020 storms the sales charts. After all, Apple has achieved a real coup here: With the Apple M1, the manufacturer has installed a self-developed ARM-based processor that immediately rivals the level of current Intel, or AMD processors reached and in some cases even exceeded them. And that without active cooling. And it’s just the entry-level version of the processor.

The MacBook Air M1 best photo editing laptop is a component of Apple’s venture into ARM-based SoC (system on a chip) technology, along with the MacBook Pro M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max versions. The MacBook Air M1 is the entry-level model among MacBooks powered by Apple silicon, but don’t be misled; this is a potent piece of hardware that performs much beyond its price range.

The Air can handle almost any photo editing you can throw at it and can cut through 4K (and higher) video footage like butter for all but the most intense editing thanks to its eight-core CPU (four high efficiency and four energy efficiency cores), seven-core GPU, and either 8GB or 16GB of integrated RAM.

It can accomplish all of that while possessing one of the longest battery lives of any laptop you can purchase, if not the longest (rated at 17 hours of wireless web browsing by Apple and tests show that is not far off).

The fact that the MacBook Air M1 and MacBook Pro M1 share the same M1 CPU, 13.3″ 2560 x 1600 100% DCI-P3 Retina display, RAM options of 8GB or 16GB, and SSD up to 2TB may be the greatest of all. The only real differences between the two are size and weight, the MacBook Air’s absence of a Touch Bar, and the seven-core GPU as opposed to the eight-core GPU. For the first time in any computer, Mac or others, you lose almost nothing in performance.

The OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub is the greatest Thunderbolt 4 Hub available and gives you two additional Thunderbolt 4 ports, thus this is perhaps the biggest letdown. However, at least for me, this is easily rectified using a Thunderbolt dock or a smaller Thunderbolt hub. You can get the same, plus three USB-A 3.0, one USB 2.0, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and an ethernet connector, with the OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock.

9. ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15

To its already superb dual-screen gaming machine, Asus adds a fantastic high-refresh 4K screen and top-tier AMD and Nvidia components. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE GX551 has a lot to offer gamers and content makers, but the keyboard and touchpad are still uncomfortable.

With its Zephyrus Duo 15, Asus is serving a fascinating concept, especially for creative users. This laptop for photo editing integrates two screens: The 15.6-inch main display has a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels (IPS, Pantone-certified, 100% Adobe RGB, G-Sync) and offers high brightness, excellent contrast, and an extensive one Color space coverage (100% Adobe RGB).

In addition, a further display was attached above the keyboard, also known as a “screenpad,” which has a resolution of 3,840 x 1,100 pixels and can also be controlled via touch input. This results in exciting options for creative users. For example, toolboxes, menus, color tables, etc., can be shown on the lower display and controlled directly with a fingertip, while the main display is only available as a workstation.

The result is a novel powerhouse and one of the best gaming laptops, with a handy, roomy second screen to let you do and monitor other things while battling your opponents. There’s a lot to like here, including surprisingly good battery life and great productivity performance. But as is pretty much always the case with dual-screen portables (at least so far), the keyboard and touchpad suffer quite a bit for the sake of that second screen. And there’s still no webcam, which feels like a painful omission in a world where so many of us are still working, learning and gaming from home. 

10. Acer Swift 3

Many ask, “What is the best laptop for photo editing on a budget?” The Acer Swift 3 is an excellent answer to that question. It doesn’t have the specs of the pro laptops. But it’s more affordable. And you can still edit photos using programs like Photoshop and Luminar Neo.

The Acer Swift 3 has a good network of hardware. The Intel Core processor and Intel Iris graphic compressor give you a fast and easy user experience. You also get 8 GB of RAM for fast operating times. You won’t have the power to edit large 8K videos. But using photo editing software isn’t a problem.

The 13.5-inch screen makes it a portable laptop option. But you still have enough space to edit photos in comfort. You get a built-in HD webcam and microphone. And there are plenty of USB and other connection ports. The Acer Swift 3 is the best laptop for photo editing on a budget.

With a great display and solid hardware equipment, the Acer Swift 3 is recommended. Thanks to the Ryzen 7 processor and 8 GB of RAM, working with the Acer notebook is really fun.

The laptop for photo editing is not classified as an ultrabook and is possibly a bit heavier than its competitors. Nevertheless, it offers fantastic features for photo editing.

Conclusion

A laptop is very useful to have when it comes to photo editing. But, of course, a good purchase is better than a bad one. With these tips above, you have enough information to make the right choice every time. Of course, we always keep the list of best laptops for photo editing at the top of this article. So if you don’t want to do your own research, you can always choose one of the options that fit your price range.

Everyone wants the greatest laptop for photo editing. But before we click “purchase,” there are a few things to think about. Top priorities include operating systems, functionality, and cost. Fortunately, we were able to segment it in our list.

For Apple customers, the MacBook Pro M1 Max is the greatest apple laptop for picture editing. The best Windows laptop is the Asus ProArt Studio book. Both of them are expensive, professional computers. However, we have many laptops for picture editing that are affordable and suitable for beginners.

The finest computers for picture editing provide you greater screen quality control. Luminar Neo, Lightroom, and Photoshop can all be used to edit pictures. It is also possible to accomplish it from anyplace.

Overall, the top ten laptops for photo editing are all excellent choices, each one designed to support different types of creatives in producing stunning visuals and compelling content. It’s only fair to suggest that the tools we use help us to be more effective storytellers and expressive message-senders in this highly technological age.

We hope our list of the top laptops for photo editors in 2022 by leading digital publisher has streamlined your search for the gadget you’re looking for in this category.