Up until a few years ago, creating a bokeh effect on your portrait picture or making it look as if
you’re levitating or breathing fire, was a task left to the photo editing experts. Nowadays however,
photoshop is pretty much a mainstream app found on nearly every device, while the same effects
and processes have become a whole lot easier to follow and apply.
That decentralization of the field has created an entire range of photo editors varying from fresh
amateurs to high quality experts. Hence, it’s quite important to make sure that all those people have
the proper tool to explore their artistic nature. And while desktops are a tad more cooperative in
such tasks, things are not that easy when it comes to mobile devices.
With that being said, we’re going to give you the best laptops for photo editing purposes. Before we
go any further though, it’s important to note that the number of people who spend time editing
pictures as a hobby is many times bigger than those who make a living out of it. That means, we had
to put the value-for-money factor as a contributory one.
ASUS VivoBook S S510UA-DS71
As it happens with pretty much all mid-range computers and gadgets, ASUS is ruling the field. That
could be partly due to the company’s headquarters – Taipei, China – which allow for lower
manufacturing prices and hence retailing prices as well, and partly due to its experience in the
industry that roots back to roughly 3 decades ago.
No matter the case, the Asus VivoBook S S510UA-DS71 is your #1 choice if you’re looking for an
entry-level photo editing laptop. Its 15.6inch display has been designed with the company’s
NanoEdge bezel technology in mind, which as the official site promotes, gives you up to 80% screen-
to-body-ratio. What’s best concerning the display, is the device’s Splendid visual optimization
technology which features four modes: Normal, Vivid, Eye-Care, and Manual. Add that to an existing
FHD resolution and there’s virtually no photo you can’t edit into a piece of art.
The dual-core 2.7GHz Intel Core i7-7500U will also prove worthy of your money, especially when
combined with the 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz. It goes without saying that all of that is
customizable, just keep in mind that the price changes according to the components you choose to
add or remove.
DELL XPS 15 2-in-1
A bit deeper than the entry level, there are plenty of options, ranging from $800 to $1.500. Yet,
Dell’s XPS 15 2-in-1 is the only device that stands out. As you probably get from the name, this is XPS
15’s alternative, which can also serve as a tablet; that’s especially useful if you want to edit or draw
something with your fingers.
Equipped with an Intel i5-8305G processor, 8GB DDR4-2400MHz of integrated RAM, and a 128GB
SSD, this beauty can process, edit and render any photo or graphic design you throw at it. And the
Radeon™ RX Vega M GL graphics card with 4GB of memory promises that the overall experience will
be above and beyond your expectations.
Of course, what good is a powerful system, if you can’t have the pleasure of viewing your creations
in a crystal-clear resolution? Dell’s InfinityEdge Anti-Reflective Touch 15.6inch FHD Display makes
sure that you won’t run into such problems.
At this point, it’s worth mentioning that the XPS 15 is a better overall laptop for photo editing
purposes. That’s especially thanks to its IGZO-based display which results to approximately a
stunning 100% of both the sRGB and AdobeRGB gamut. But it’s also considerably pricier.
If you want something a tad more professional and you can spare the extra bucks, then by all means,
go for it. If on the other hand you’re just starting to discover your passion for photo editing, then
perhaps the 2-in-1 version is a more suitable starting point.
13-inch MacBook Pro
Back in Adobe’s early years, it’s graphic designing software apps were available only on Mac
operating systems. Today, Windows-based platforms and devices can perform just as well and are
ultimately just as compatible with Adobe’s creative suite as any other operating system; including
the macOS.
Yet, there’s an entire generation of graphic designers and editors that started out on a Mac
computer and have now become teachers. They’re the ones holding the love relationship between
the two companies alive and quite frankly, they’re the main reason that a MacBook is ultimately on
this list.
Now, that doesn’t mean that Apple’s laptops are not cut for photo editing purposes. On the
contrary. Housing a 7th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics 640 and 8GB of
RAM is good enough to get a laptop on this list. The best of all is Apple’s hailed retina display which
translates to a resolution of 2560×1600, or 4,096,000 pixels!
Keep in mind that those specs refer to the basic version which goes for $1,299.00 on Apple’s official
site. 13 inches can be a tough pill to swallow but if you’re an Apple fan it may be worth it. The 15inch
starts from $2,399.00, just so you know.
Photo editing is fun, and it definitely gets a lot more interesting when you have the proper tool at
your disposal. All of the devices mentioned above are suitable for both amateurs and professionals
on a budget.
If you’re editing for a living and looking to invest more, consider the Microsoft Surface Book 2, or the
DELL Precision 7720. The first one is an optimal solution for people who move around a lot and want
to use their device in unconventional ways. As for the latter, it’s pretty much the epitome of
premium laptops designed for the most demanding graphic designers.
Now that you’ve got all your options at hand, get your favourite and happy editing!
Sources:
https://store.asus.com/us/item/201712AM130000001/-ASUS-VivoBook-S-S510UA-DS71-Ultra-Thin-
Laptop%2C-i7-8550U-processor%2C-8GB-DDR4%2C-128GB%2B1TB%2C-15%E2%80%9D-WideView-
FHD%2C-NanoEdge-Bezel%2C-Metal-Cover
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-laptops/xps-15-2-in-1/spd/xps-15-9575-2-in-1-
laptop/fncwlf417s?ref=p13n_system_pdp_eol&c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/macbook-pro/13-inch
https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/cty/pdp/spd/precision-17-7720-
laptop/xctop772017_us_sapp_2?prg=1&VEN1=10549103-6361382-trd-
9740050917126316215&dgc=BF&DGSeg=BSD&cid=198376&lid=45675&acd=12309198376456750&
VEN3=411104488957176012
