If you want to know about the best laptops for photo editing for professional or semi-professional work, you have come to the right place. Whether you are a professional photographer capturing dreamy landscapes or an occasional DSLR enthusiast who likes to capture moments, the best laptop for photo editing can make a huge upgrade to the feel of your photos.
Even if you like to take the occasional snap from your smartphone to capture memories, the best laptop for photo editing is a worthwhile option to consider. A picture is worth a thousand words and when it comes to lifetime memories, there should be no compromise on the standard of the camera shots.
Laptops are amazing devices for photo editing due to their portability and ease of use. Even though some people might like to work from the comfort of their homes, for those of you who like to live in the moment and capture beautiful scenes whenever the opportunity presents itself, the best laptop for photo editing can be a useful tool.
When we talk about the best laptop for photo editing, there are some considerations to be kept in mind before you decide on an option. A photo editor would need a laptop that packs a punch in terms of power, has a lot of high-speed ports available, is durable, and has a lasting battery.
Personal preferences also play a role. For example, do you prefer battery life over CPU power? Or would you rather have portability or a big screen to edit your photos? We have kept all these points in mind to bring you the best options.
Our Top 3 Picks Of The Best Laptops For Photo Editing
DELL XPS 15
Overall best photo editing Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i7
GPU: GTX 1650Ti
Dell XPS 17
Intel i9 17-inch UHD Plus Laptop
Processor: Intel Core i9
GPU: RTX 3080
Razer Book 13
FHD+ Touch Display Thunderbolt 4
Processor: Intel Core i7
GPU: Intel Xe
Read the relevant guide by Techprogeeks on the Best Laptops For GIS
What Do You Need in a Best Laptop for Photo Editing?
Processor
The latest processors are running 6-8 cores capable of multithreading up to max clock speeds of around 5 GHz. But when we talk about the best laptop for photo editing, that would be a lot of extra power.
For any decent experience, Intel’s Core i5 (10th gen) or any other equivalent to it would serve beautifully and fulfill your laptop’s requirements.
Memory
Your memory speed and storage space determine the speed and performance of your laptop. Obviously the higher the better but for the best laptop for photo editing, top-of-the-line may not be required.
Anything from 8 GB DDR4 and above is a very good option. In some conditions, even a 4 GB memory would serve you well as long as you balance out the other specs.
Storage
Standard SSD storage is the minimum recommended. The storage space can be as per your own requirements but for the best laptop for photo editing, a minimum of 256 GB is recommended. So you can easily save all your work.
HDD drives can also work if the SSD is going over the budget. It will have a slight effect on your memory speed but overall an HDD would work just fine as well.
Battery Life
For those users who like to work on the go. Or take their photo editing laptops with them while traveling or sightseeing, a decent battery life is required so that you don’t have to worry about charging it every other hour.
For the best laptop for photo editing, a min of 7-8 hours of battery timing is recommended. However, you can take all these specs as far up as you can for your own usage depending upon if you’re using this laptop for autocad, video editing, entertainment, etc.
Best Laptops for Photo Editing
1. DELL XPS 15 9500
| CPU speed: | 5.0GHz |
| Memory: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 1TB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 12 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 Pro |
The XPS 15 is a sleek-looking touchscreen laptop by Dell. It is celebrated as one of the best all-rounder laptops for Windows.
It is powered by one of the latest CPUs available today, the Intel Core i7 – 10750H is one of the reasons why the XPS 15 is on our list. The 5.0 GHz 8-thread processing is one of the best processing speeds available in the consumer market.
XPS 15 has 16 GB DDR4 RAM so you don’t have to worry about running multiple tasks simultaneously, it is smooth sailing all the way. To top it all off, the XPS 15 runs very quietly if you want to use it for office work.
The earlier versions of XPS 15 had the OLED screen but they don’t have the option anymore. However, you don’t have to worry as the new 4k Ultra HD screen (3840 x 2400 pixels) is a very welcome replacement. The best laptop for photo editing does need an attractive screen that shows the full potential of your photos.
XPS 15 is equipped with an NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti. The Turing architecture dedicated graphics card makes it a definite choice in the best laptop for photo editing. It has 4 GB of DDR6 memory which will be enough to render any kind of graphics and run the most advanced gaming titles as well.
However, it does not have the ray tracing tech. The gaming visuals may suffer a little bit but all your photo and video editing software will run smoothly still. The stunning 12 hours of tested battery life will let you take your laptop anywhere on the go.
Also, the laptop weighs only 3.7 pounds which increases its ease and portability. The storage is 1 TB SSD memory, coupled with 16 GB DDR4 RAM and you get a fluid-running laptop with no hitches. All of these factors make the XPS 15 one of the best laptops for photo editing.
Your desired performance for photo editing.
Elegant display.
The thin design makes it look good.
Convenient keyboard and touchpad.
Long battery life.
Medium-level graphics card.
2. Dell XPS 17 9700
| CPU speed: | 5.3GHz |
| Memory: | 32GB |
| Storage: | 1TB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 11.5 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 Home |
The XPS 17 9700 comes with a massive 17 inches screen which is bound to make you think of it as one of the best laptops for photo editing.
It comes with Intel’s latest core i9 – 10885H 10th-gen processor. In terms of processing power, it just does not get any better than this in the consumer market. It is the top-of-the-line CPU and our basic reason for choosing the XPS 17 as one of the best laptops for photo editing.
It has a stunning 32 GB of DDR4 RAM. When we talk about memory, you just don’t need any more than this unless you are a professional gamer running high FPS games on multiple screens. In your daily work and photo editing, you will find that 32 GB leaves little to be desired.
Your laptop will be running multiple programs along with your photo editing software without so much as a loud breath.
Couple the staggering 32 GB memory with the fast storage (1 TB of SSD) and you get smooth booting up and a very fast-performing laptop.
The dedicated graphics card is the NVidia GeForce RTX 2060, with 6 GB of DDR6 memory. It is one of the latest GPUs with ray-tracing technology available and will run the latest names in gaming smoothly on a high graphics setting.
It also has the processing power to render photos and videos smoothly without a snag making it one of our choices for the best laptop for photo editing.
The 17 inches 4k UHD screen is a stunning display, but, it does reduce the portability of your laptop as it weighs around 5.5 pounds. 11.5 hours of tested battery life is enough to offset the other disadvantages though making it one of the best laptops for photo editing.
Latest Gen Processor.
Memory that you wished for.
A decent exterior.
4K resolutions.
Long lasting battery time.
Not ultra-portable.
3. Razer Book 13
| CPU speed: | 4.7GHz |
| Memory: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 256GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 9 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 |
Razer book 13 is one of the best laptops for photo editing because of its compact and portable size. But that is not all.
It has a Core i7 – 1165G7 11th gen processor. Yes, Intel has released a newer 11th gen processor for all their CPUs. Even though their flagship Core i9 11th gen did not do all that well, but, the 11th gen processors have the new Intel Xe graphics architecture improving the graphics performance by 50%.
11th gen also supports a higher-speed memory. The processor has a slightly low top clock speed but it won’t leave anything more to be wanted from the best laptop for photo editing.
Razer Book 13 has the M.2 storage, which is 3 times faster than SSD and slightly smaller in size too, adding to the overall compactness of the laptop. The memory is 16 GB DDR4 and coupled with the high-speed M.2, it will give you a lightning-fast experience of laptop usage.
The Razer Book 13 does not have a dedicated graphics card, which may be a problem for gamers. But, the new Intel Xe graphics can handle all photo editing and rendering tasks fairly well.
The screen is 13.4” FHD (1920 x 1200 pixels) which does not really stand out when compared to the UHD screens on other laptops, but the FHD screen consumes less power and the portable 13.4” size gives it a weight of a feathery 3.09 lbs. That means you can throw it in your bag and take it anywhere, you will barely notice it.
Razer may not be a powerhouse when compared to other laptops, but they are famous for building sleek-looking portable designs with a premium finish, earning it a spot in our list of best laptops for photo editing.
11th gen Processor.
Fast built-in GPU.
Sleek design.
Portable.
Light weight.
Display could be better than this.
4. ASUS VivoBook 15
| CPU speed: | 3.6GHz |
| Memory: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 5.5 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 Home |
The VivoBook 15 is another integrated graphics laptop that has other specs to be on the list of best laptops for photo editing. The laptop comes under the $800 budget and it pays off pretty much for this price
It has a 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor with a 3.6 GHz max clock speed. This may look less in comparison with the laptops that we were talking about before, but it can hold its own when it comes to photo editing software.
The laptop does not have a dedicated graphics card. It relies on the internal graphics card of the CPU. 10th gen processors have integrated Iris graphics which, although not as good as the latest Xe architecture, provide a decent and much better experience than the lower gen processors.
It has NVMe M.2 SSD and has 512 GB of it. This means that the memory will be performing several times better than the normal SSD as it is made with both upgraded technologies. The memory is 8 GB DDR4, which is not adequate if you are a gamer but for a number of normal everyday tasks including photo editing, this is decent memory space.
The combination of a faster SSD and 8 GB DDR4 RAM will work for any normal user very smoothly. It is capable to handle all editing tasks thus making into our best laptop for photo editing.
It has the standard 15.6” inches FHD screen, but with all the standard configurations, the battery time for VivoBook 15 is a bummer. It is tested to last only 5.5 hours and it would create some hindrance if you take your laptop on hikes to capture the beauty of the world.
The backlit keyboard is a very welcome addition for those of you who like working in offices or dimly lit places.
Light and portable.
Achieves high-end performance.
Backlit keyboard.
Good GPU.
Best processing power for photo editing.
Low battery timing.
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
| CPU speed: | 5.0GHz |
| Memory: | 32GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 7 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 Home |
Surface Book 3 by Microsoft is a slim and prime-looking laptop with a 10th gen Core i7 processor. The staggering top speed of 5.0 GHz for the processor leaves very little room for improvement when we talk about the CPUs available for the consumer market. That is what has earned Surface Book 3 a spot in the best laptop for photo editing list.
In addition to the high-speed processor, Surface Book 3 has a staggering 32 GB of DDR4 memory space making it one of the fastest laptops among its peers. 32 GB of memory space is enough to handle pro-level gaming requirements. And when we add in the fast-speed SSD storage (512 GB), you get a laptop that runs all requirements smoothly.
So it can definitely handle the latest photo editing software available on the market. The lightweight of 3.62 pounds makes it a smart choice for all of you who like to work on the go. Toss it into your travel bag and you’ll hardly know it’s there.
It has a dedicated graphics card from NVidia GeForce having 4 GB memory, which makes it an attractive choice for those who dabble in a bit of gaming. Although it might not be able to handle the latest games on high graphics specs, it will still give you a decent performance.
Even though the weight is portable, the battery timing is just ok, 7 hours of working time on a normal workload are nothing impressive, but still decent enough to make it one of the best laptops for photo editing.
Good dedicated graphics card.
Performs according to your expectations.
More memory.
Attractive design.
More storage.
Below average battery life.
6. ASUS ZenBook Pro
| CPU speed: | 3.1GHz |
| Memory: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 6.2 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 |
The ZenBook Pro is one of our low-budget choices for the best laptop for photo editing. That is because it has a 6th gen Core i7 processor by Intel that was launched somewhere in 2015. It has a top clock speed of 3.1 GHz and works on Intel UHD graphics.
That being said, it still has the decent processing power and can perform routine tasks adequately, when we talk about the best laptop for photo editing, you will not have any problems with the processor of ZenBook.
The memory is 16 GB DDR4 and coupled with the 512 GB NVMe SSD, it provides fluid and smooth operations. The NVMe SSD is more than 3 times faster than the normal SSD and the DDR4 memory works with it like a charm.
It has a GTX 960M graphics card which, to say the least, is not the latest option available to the user. But, even though it may not be meant for advanced gaming, it can still run photo editing software rather well.
The screen is the standard 15.6” 4k UHD, but the touch screen option is definitely one of the reasons ZenBook has made it to our list of best laptops for photo editing. The laptop is fairly portable, but the 5 pounds of weight along with just 6 hours of battery timing may prove cumbersome for users on the go.
Less expensive.
Ideal memory.
More storage.
Good display.
Acceptable design.
Relatively older CPU.
7. Apple MacBook Pro
| CPU speed: | 3.2GHz |
| Memory: | 8GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 20 hours |
| Operating System: | Mac OS |
Do we have a treat here for mac lovers? The MacBook Pro has been the choice of professionals for a very long time so it would be strange not to have one of the latest MacBook Pros in our list of best laptops for photo editing.
Apple has moved from Intel to Apple’s own M1 chip as the CPU. Even though the top clock speed is only 3.2 GHz, the performance of the M1 chip is nearly revolutionary. It is an 8-core CPU with no hyper-threading but it is built with the new 5Nm tech instead of the traditional 14 Nm. The M1 chip in the MacBook pro far outperforms Core i7 and sometimes i9 CPUs by Intel.
The memory is only 8 GB but you can bet that the integrated MacBook will run its worth. With 512 GB SSD storage, Apple is giving its peers a run for their money in terms of performance. The fluidity is remarkable.
The graphics processing unit is integrated into the M1 chip and is taking the lead on all benchmark tests from the latest Intel-integrated graphics. Apple’s integrated 8-core GPU is five times better than the rest in the market.
Although it does not have a dedicated graphics processor it will smoothly complete all your photo editing requirements thus earning it a spot in the best laptop for photo editing. For users who like the Mac OS better than windows, this is a definite choice.
MacBook’s premium-built chassis is a feathery 3 pounds and the laptop is giving a staggering 20 hours of battery timing. Even though there are only 3 ports on the laptop, it is not likely to cause any problems. The portability of the MacBook is unrivaled in our list of best laptops for photo editing.
Ultra-portable.
Comparatively long-lasting battery life.
Stores tones of data.
Looks attractive.
Resolutions on point.
Memory need improvements.
8. Dell Inspiron HD 7000
| CPU speed: | 3.9GHz |
| Memory: | 4GB |
| Storage: | 128GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 7 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 |
What we have in Dell Inspiron, is a budget option for users who can work with slightly above-average laptops due to limited finances. For those with an under $500 solution in mind, Inspiron is one of the best laptops for photo editing.
It has an Intel Core i3 (8th gen) processor with 2 multithreading cores and a top clock speed of 3.9 GHz. Now with the i7 and i9 available for consumer usage an i3 may sound a little less developed. But, the 8th gen CPU can make it work at an above-average rate.
The memory is 4 GB DDR4. With most modern laptops offering a minimum of 8 GB RAM, 4 GB is rare to find. But 4 GB RAM can make your laptop work at an acceptable and adequate rate. You will not face any problems with any photo editing software.
The laptop is not recommended if you want to dabble in a little graphics rendering because it lacks a dedicated GPU and the internal graphics won’t be able to keep up with it. But, sacrifices need to be made when you are a little tight on cash.
Now let’s see another reason that got Inspiron in the list of best laptops for photo editing. Yes, we are talking about the touch screen and 2-in-1 configuration. For all those who like small details in their photo editing, a touch screen is the best solution.
However, the extremely limited battery life would put a little drag on the overall portability.
Economical.
Touch-screen.
Can be used as 2-in-1.
Awesome graphics card.
Performs well.
Low memory.
Also, read the Best Gaming PC Under 800.
9. Lenovo Yoga 720
| CPU speed: | 3.8GHz |
| Memory: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 8 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 |
We have another 2-in-1 configuration laptop here but a little more up to speed. Lenovo’s Yoga 720 is an averagely designed laptop, but looks are not the reason why it has made it to the list of best laptops for photo editing.
It has the 7th gen Core i7 processor with a max clock speed of 3.8 GHz and 4 multithreading cores. Even if it is not the newest one in town, it still has comparable specs and runs reasonably well. With the processor, we have 16 GB of DDR4 memory.
The memory is enough to put up with the heavy requirements of editing and multitasking and even semi-pro gaming. Combine that with the 512 GB SSD storage and you’ll get a smoothly functioning laptop with very low boot timings and immense multitasking capability.
Yoga 720 has the GTX 1050 by GeForce, again, not the latest available but, with the 2 GB of dedicated memory space, it will give you a decent gaming experience with most of the games on moderate graphics settings. And will run all your required editing software making it one of the best laptops for photo editing.
The touch screen and 2-in-1 configuration with an 8-hour battery life make it a portable laptop that can be taken anywhere and you can be all personal with your editing with the touch screen. Although the 4.4 pounds of weight might be just a little bit cumbersome to carry.
Better performance.
Eye-catching design.
Touch-screen feature.
More memory.
Convenient Keyboard and touchpad.
GPU isn’t that good.
10. Dell G5 15
| CPU speed: | 3.9GHz |
| Memory: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 128GB SSD |
| Battery Life: | 7 hours |
| Operating System: | Windows 10 Home |
It has a cumbersome name so let’s just call it the G5. G5 is an entry-to-mid-level gaming laptop by DELL. It has an 8th gen core i7 processor with a max clock speed of 3.9 GHz. In terms of CPU processing power it is not at “the” top but definitely falls in the top line category earning it a place in our best laptop for photo editing list.
In addition to the processor, it has 16 GB DDR4 RAM which is more than adequate for most of the new games on the market. Therefore, photo editing with 16GB RAM would be a breeze experience.
The storage has a unique configuration. You get a 128 GB SSD along with the cheaper 1 TB of HDD. It is recommended that you keep your system settings and programs in the SSD for fast boot and other system operations. The 1 TB HDD will serve you just fine in all other normal operations.
The dedicated graphics card is the NVidia GeForce 1050Ti, a mid-range graphics card with 4 GB of video memory. It can run most of the new games on the market with a decent graphics setting without causing you any trouble.
Therefore the software for editing won’t even make it take a loud breath earning G5 a spot in our list of best laptops for photo editing. The laptop weighs a hefty 6.28 pounds and if you want to carry it somewhere take the charger along because it has an average of 7 hours of battery life.
But, that depends a lot on the kind of task the laptop is on while operating on battery. Normal everyday tasks would extend the battery to 8.5-9 hours while gaming at moderate settings would bring it down to 6. But, overall the G5 is one of our picks for the best laptop for photo editing.
Latest gen RAM.
Latest processor.
Dedicated GPU.
Good display.
Performs well for photographers.
Design isn’t that attractive.
‘Best Of’ Price Laptops Guides
Best Laptops Under 300
Best Laptops Under 500
Best Laptops Under 600
Best Laptops Under 1000
Best Laptops Under 1300
Best Laptops Under 2000
‘Gaming Laptops’ Guides
Best Gaming Laptops
Best Budget Gaming Laptops
Conclusion
Photo editing is a passion for some and a good hobby for others, but no matter the intensity of your interest in the thing, it is an art. And for the artist of the 21st century, it is not always the canvas and paints that are necessary.
The modern artist needs a good laptop as a partner for his/ her imagination. If chosen correctly it will help the artist translate the images in his head onto the photo that has been taken and create a beautiful sight to behold. So, take our advice and keep our picks for the best laptop for photo editing in mind.
Our list will help you choose the best laptop for photo editing according to your different considerations ranging from budget to power consumption to battery life etc.
