Looking for the best laptops for photography? This article will have you editing in no time!
If you’re a photographer, professional or amateur, having the right equipment means that your photos look their absolute best. Long gone are the days of photos being developed strictly in a darkroom, many photos these days are developed and processed digitally, more specifically, on a laptop.
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With that in mind, we wanted to spotlight the best choices of laptops for photography so that if you’re in the market to upgrade your tech, you know which ones you can choose to take your photography to the next level.
Before we start though, we thought that it might make things easier to show you how you to choose the best laptop for photography. You can also view our blog on best photography courses.
11 Best laptops for photography in 2022
There can be a lot of different choices out there if you’re in the market for a laptop for photography. This can create a lot of confusion if you’ve never bought one before. To help, we got rid of the clutter and bring you our choices of the best laptops for photography:
- MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) — Best all-round laptop for photographers (Editor’s Choice) – 13″
- Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition — Powerful photo editing laptop – 15.6″
- Microsoft Surface Pro 6 — Budget laptop for photo editing – 12.3″
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon — Best value laptop – 14″
- Gigabyte Aero 17 — Best laptop for photo editing – 17.3″
- Microsoft Surface Book 3 — Premium laptop for photo editing – 15″
- MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) — High-end laptop – 16″
- Dell XPS 15 (2020) — Best Windows 10 laptop for photo editing – 15.6″
- Surface Laptop 3 — Best portable laptop for photographers – 15″
- HP Spectre x360 — Best 2-in-1 photo editing laptop – 15.6″
- LG Gram 14″ — Best lightweight laptop for creatives – 14″
Also see our features on the best monitors for photo editing as well as how to get an Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop discount.
Also see our features on the best camera tripods, the best memory cards and the best studio lighting kits. Plus edit your photos with the best laptops for photography and take your photography skills to new heights with these photography courses.
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What is the best laptop for photography?
Our pick for the best laptop for photography is the MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) but check out comparison table below to see what’s best for your needs.
If you are also interested in photo editing, you can check out our top picks for photo editing tablets so you can complete your tasks on the go.
How to choose the best laptop for photography
Choosing the right laptop for your photography shouldn’t be an excruciating process. To help bring a bit of focus to what you should be looking for when you start shopping, let’s take a look at the main things you should be on the lookout for.
Screen quality
Years ago, when laptops were first being released, the screens that they came with were more utilitarian than the ones on laptops today. Thankfully, the horrible contrast and terrible viewing angles have been replaced through the use of IPS display tech, and choosing a laptop using anything less does a disservice to your work.
Speedy storage
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A solid-state drive (SSD) is found in just about every new laptop on the market. However, having an SSD with a low capacity will just end up causing you more problems. If you’re doing work with 4K video, choose a laptop that has a minimum of 512GB. More is better but it can also increase the cost of the laptop.
Graphic novelty
While a dedicated graphics card is great for playing games, its not necessary to have a dedicated graphics card in this case. The processors in the laptop can handle most tasks you would take on because they pack enough power inside of them to handle editing photos
The right processor
Finding the correct processor based on its number is like trying to decipher the Dead Sea Scrolls. Instead, focus on things like speed (base frequency, measured in GHz), and the number of cores the processor has (two, four, or six).
Mac or PC
While many photographers prefer the MacBook and for good reason, you shouldn’t rule out PCs as a choice either. While they may not have the gravitas that a MacBook does, you can get more value with a PC and the ability to upgrade components of the laptop which you cannot do on a MacBook.
Best laptops for photography in 2022
1. MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) (Editor’s Choice)
The best all-round laptop for photographers
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 – 10th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics 645 | RAM: up to 32GB | Screen: 13-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 256GB – 4TB SSD
If you’re looking for the best all-round laptop for a photographer, here it is. While you will see its larger cousin, later on, the reason why we’ve included it on our list is the portability that the 13-inch screen provides you. While the screen is beautiful to look at every time you turn it on with its Retina display and True Tone capability, the Touch Bar is great for photographers, putting context-sensitive buttons and shortcuts within easy reach. The newest version comes with an updated Intel processor and faster RAM making the 13-inch MacBook Pro a great choice.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Great battery life (13 hours) | ➖ More expensive than other featured MacBooks |
| ➕ Powerful M1 chip |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Tenth-generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
- Brilliant Retina display with True Tone technology
- Backlit Magic Keyboard
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- Intel Iris Plus Graphics
2. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
A powerful laptop for photo editing
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CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6″ OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
While the components inside its case as more commonly found inside a high-end gaming laptop, the Blade 15 Studio Edition from Razer is designed with creatives and professional photographers in mind. The Nvidia graphics card and 8th Gen Intel processor gives you the guts to help make all of your images their very best and the beautiful 4K Touch 15.6” screen will make every photo or design look its best every time. The laptop is thin and compact with an excellent cooling system that allows maximum performance.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Strong performance | ➖ Expensive laptop |
| ➕ Quality display | |
| ➕ Great design | |
| ➕ One of the most powerful laptops |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- More Power, More Cores: The 8-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor provides the ultimate level of performance with up to 5. 1GHz Max Turbo.
- Studio Ready: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) graphics is up to 25% faster than the original RTX 20 Series with more cores and higher clocks.
- Vivid Visuals: The 4K OLED touch display delivers blazing fast 1ms response time and a wide color range covering 100% of the DCI-P3 space, while the HDR 400 True Black ensures deep blacks and vibrant...
- Thin and Compact: The CNC aluminum unibody frame houses incredible performance in the most compact footprint possible, while remaining remarkably durable and just 0. 7" thin.
- Innovative Cooling: A unique vacuum sealed, liquid filled, copper vapor chamber spans the heat generating components and is the key to getting maximum performance and user comfort in a compact, thin...
3. Microsoft Surface Pro 6
The best budget laptop for photo editing
CPU: 8th Generation Intel Core | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12.3-inches | Storage: 128GB
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 is a great, detachable laptop for photo editors. With Intel’s Core i5/i7 quad-core CPU and integrated GPU, you can easily run apps like Lightroom and Photoshop. The bright, accurate, and vivid 12.3-inch display covers 136% of the sRGB color gamut. The laptop has a great battery life of 13.5 hours of video playback. The light and slim laptop consist of sensors like an Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, and Gyroscope. By adding a Surface Pen to this, editing is seamless for animators and creatives.
After adding the essential accessories, the price on this laptop can get expensive for some, but the performance of the Surface Pro 6 makes it a constant companion of creatives.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Clear display | ➖ No USB-C port |
| ➕ Great performance | |
| ➕ Great battery life |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- A best in class laptop with the versatility of a studio and tablet
- More power now with the new 8th Generation Intel Core processor
- Ultra slim and light, starting at just 1.7 pounds. Sensors : Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
- All day battery life, with upto 13.5 hours of video playback
- Pair with our signature type cover in luxurious Alcantara material and rich colors for a full keyboard experience
4. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Best value laptop and a great choice for photographers on the go
CPU: Intel Core i7-8565U (4 cores, 1.8GHz base frequency) | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 512GB SSD | Screen: 14-inch IPS LCD, 2560×1440
Available in several different iterations, the X1 Carbon is a great laptop for any photographer on the go with its lightweight and portable design. Don’t start to think that just because its a lightweight machine that it cant stand up to hard work. With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, it can handle just about anything you can throw at it. The 14-inch QHD display makes every photo look incredible. With its great combination of speed and power without draining the battery life, the X1 Carbon from Lenovo is one you should consider.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Lightweight and compact | ➖ Users can’t upgrade RAM |
| ➕ Great battery life |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- This machine does not support Windows 11 upgrade.
5. Gigabyte Aero 17
The best laptop for photo editing
CPU: Intel Core i9 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 17.3-inches | Storage: 512GB SSD+1TB SSD
Gigabyte Aero 17 is a dream laptop for creatives and photographers. With an excellent build quality, this powerful mobile workstation is equipped with Core i9-10980 HK CPU and GeForce RTX 3080 GPU plus a massive 64GB RAM. It offers incredible performance and a smooth experience while running high-end apps and games. The battery life could be better, but the exceptional display that you get at a reasonable price, makes it an ideal pick for photographers. It is less expensive than many, and with the specs it offers, it is a bargain.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Excellent build quality | ➖ Face heating issues |
| ➕ Unbelievable performance at a reasonable price |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 8 GB GDDR6
- Boost Clock 1245 Mhz & Max Graphics Power of 105W
- NVIDIA DLSS for groundbreaking AI rendering
- 11th Gen Intel Core i9-11980HK (2.6GHz~5.0GHz)
- 32GB RAM (64GB Max), 512GB SSD + 1TB SSD
6. Microsoft Surface Book 3
Premium laptop for photo editing
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15-inches | Storage: 256GB SSD
Microsoft’s Surface Book 3 is a premium gadget that comes with one of the best displays out there on the market. The hybrid design proves to be amazing for creatives, and the comfy keyboard surely beats MacBook Pro’s keyboard. With 10th generation Intel i5/i7 CPU and GeForce GTX 1660Ti GPU, the 13.5-inch laptop delivers outstanding performance. If your budget is not a constraint, this gem is an innovative choice for photo editors and content creators.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Amazing design | ➖ Trackpad is small |
| ➕ Power performance | ➖ Dim speakers |
| ➕ Great display and keyboard |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Most powerful Surface laptop yet, with quad-core powered, 10th Gen Intel Core processors. Now 30% faster than Surface Book 2 15”.
- Fastest graphics on Surface, powered by NVIDIA GTX GeForce GPU.
- Power when you need it. Up to 17.5 hours battery life[1] — plus improved standby that extends battery life when you’re away.
- Robust laptop, powerful tablet, and portable studio in one.
- The connections you need, including USB-A, USB-C, and full-size SD card slot.
7. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
A great high-end laptop, with a high-end price
CPU: Intel Core i7, Intel Core i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M or Radeon Pro 5500M | RAM: 16GB to 64GB | Screen: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 512GB to 8TB SSD
While we already highlighted the MacBook Pro’s 13-inch little brother before, the 16-inch model is a real powerhouse in the world of laptops. Replacing last year’s 15-inch model, Apple has upgraded the design to accommodate for the larger screen, Under the hood, the AMD Radeon Pro and Intel Core processors will provide you with all the processing power you will need to make your photos look their best. A redesigned keyboard has been added to silence the critics of their last keyboard. With all this at your fingertips, you should be ready to pay pretty handsomely for it. If it is within your budget, you are getting one incredible machine.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Stunning screen | ➖ Limited Thunderbolt 3 ports (4) |
| ➕ Improved keyboard | |
| ➕ Users can extend RAM and internal storage |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
8. Dell XPS 15 (2020)
The best Windows 10 laptop for photo editing
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 15.6″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Dell has come a long way from those memorable commercials in the 90s and with the XPS 15, they’ve created a machine that if you’re not a Mac person, is the laptop to get. Loaded with the best components available, the design is thin and light – perfect for any photographer not looking to be tied to the office. The 15.6-inch screen is bright and vibrant and also large enough to easily edit photos on during the day. The Integrated Eyesafe display technology of the Dell XPS 15 makes it more efficient. The laptop is also known for its Quad-speaker design with Waves Nx audio. While it’s not the cheapest laptop on our list, it is more than worth the price you will pay.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Awesome display (4K OLED) | ➖ Not a great battery life |
| ➕ Great performance | |
| ➕ Webcam positioning is perfect | |
| ➕ Slim and compact design |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 62% larger touchpad, 5% larger screen, and 5.6% smaller footprint
- 16:10 FHD+ edge to edge display equipped with DisplayHDR 400 and Dolby Vision
- Integrated Eyesafe display technology
- Quad speaker design with Waves Nx audio
- High-polished diamond-cut sidewalls
9. Surface Laptop 3
The best portable laptop for photographers
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 Microsoft Surface Edition | Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 9 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15-inches | Storage: 256GB SSD
Microsoft’s Surface Laptop 3 is one of the very best portable workstations for photo editors. The slim aluminum chassis give this beauty a sleek look and premium feel. What’s more? The vivid 15-inch, 2K display can reproduce 105% of the sRGB color gamut. Powered by Intel’s CPU & GPU, all the photo editing apps run brilliantly on this lightweight laptop. The smooth and fast performance, and its long battery life, make this one a loyal companion of photo editors on the go.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Lightweight and compact | ➖ Limited port selection |
| ➕ Attractive design | |
| ➕ Speedy performance |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Clean, elegant design — thin and light, at just 3. 4 pounds, Surface Laptop 3 15” is easy to carry.
- Complement your style with rich color and premium finishes.
- Improved speed and performance to do what you want, with the latest processors – Surface Laptop 3 with AMD Ryzen 5 Microsoft Surface Edition processor is over two times faster than Surface Laptop 2.
- More ways to connect, with USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging.
- All-day power on the go, with up to 11. 5 hours of battery life, plus standby time when you're away.
10. HP Spectre x360
The best 2-in-1 photo editing laptop
CPU: Intel 11th Gen Quad-core i7-1165G7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inches| Storage: 512 GB SSD
HP Spectre x360 is a 2-in-1 package as you can use this touchscreen laptop as a tablet as well. The system software detects the motion of the laptop and adapts the interface automatically. However, it is a 15.6-inch laptop and, for many, might be too large of a tablet.
And with a 4K AMOLED screen and Corning Gorilla Glass anti-scratch coating, it is an impressive and secure piece for editors. The 11th generation Intel i7 processor with no GPU and 16 GB of RAM provides enough power for photo editing. But for playing high-end games on it, don’t get your hopes up.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Great design | ➖ Bezels are thick |
| ➕ Great graphics |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 15.6 Inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), Multitouch-Enabled, IPS, Edge-to-Edge Glass, 340 nits, 72% NTSC
- 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage + 32GB Intel Optane, 16GB RAM DDR4 (2666MHz)
- Intel 11th Gen Quad-core i7-1165G7 (Up to 4.7GHz), Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 10 Home, 13.5 Hour Battery Life, Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, microSD Card Reader, Webcam, Wi-Fi 6 AX201, Bluetooth 5.0, Audio by B&O; Dual speakers
- HP Tilt Pen Included; Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 with USB-C (USB Power Delivery, 1 x DisplayPort, HP Sleep and Charge); 1 x SuperSpeed USB-A; 1 x HDMI; 1 x Headphone/Microphone Combo
11. LG Gram 14″
The best lightweight laptop for creatives
CPU: Intel 10th Gen Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 6GB | Screen: 14-inches | Storage: 1TB SSD
The LG Gram 14″ laptop is a lightweight, portable option for creatives and photographers who love to edit while traveling. The full HD display and a wide, plus accurate, color space coverage are adequate to deliver a delightful viewing experience.
Despite the slim design, it offers multiple ports for smooth connectivity. The quad-core Intel Core i7 processor provides decent performance, and the laptop has a pretty good battery life for working long hours. At just 1kg of weight, this is definitely an affordable option to consider.
| Pros | Cons |
| ➕ Lightweight and slim | ➖ Screen resolution is not the best |
| ➕ IPS screen | |
| ➕ Excellent battery life |
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 14” Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS LCD Touch Screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
- Converts to 14” Tablet - includes Stylus Pen
- 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB (512 GB x 2) Name SSD
- Intel 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10510U CPU
Frequently Asked Questions
What laptop do most photographers use?
Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition, MacBook Pro 16, HP Spectre x360 are the top laptops that most photographers use.
What laptop specs do I need for photo editing?
Specs a laptop should have for photo editing are -
- CPU - Intel I7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor
- RAM - 16Gb
- Resolution - 1080p
- Memory - 500Gb SSD
- Ports - at least 2 USB ports
Which laptop is best for Photoshop?
MacBook Pro 16 is the best laptop for Photoshop software.
Best laptops for photography in 2022
When you work in photography as a professional or even as an amateur, the last thing you want to do is waste time with technology that doesn’t work or doesn’t provide you with the tools you need to make your photos look their absolute best. We hope our list of the best laptops for photography has shown you some of the amazing options out there so you can stop stressing about your laptop and get back to what’s important: taking great photos.
If you also want to know about cameras, visit our blog on best Cameras for Photographing Artwork. If you are already using these laptops for photography, share your reviews and experience through comments below.
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