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Velvet Digest

What is the best laptop to use for Photoshop?

Author

Eleanor Gray

Updated on April 20, 2026

If you're going to need a laptop for Photoshop to edit photos while travelling, a thin and light laptop should be your priority.

The 6 best laptops for Photoshop in 2020

  • MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
  • Dell XPS 15 2-in-1.
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
  • Microsoft Surface Book 2.
  • Razer Blade 14.
  • Dell Precision 7720.

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Moreover, which laptop is best for Photoshop and Lightroom?

Power, functionality, beauty and one of the most stunning 4K OLED displays around, HP's Spectre x360 15 is the best laptop for photo editing.

  1. HP Spectre x360 15.
  2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (4th Gen, 2019)
  3. Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
  4. HP ZBook Studio x360 G5.
  5. Dell XPS 13 2-in-1.
  6. Microsoft Surface Pro 6.

Additionally, what is a good cheap laptop for Photoshop? Best Budget Laptop For Photoshop 2020 | Reviews

  1. ASUS VivoBook S14 Budget Laptop For Photoshop (Editor's Choice) Key Specification:
  2. Acer Aspire E 15 Best Budget Laptop For Photoshop (Recommended)
  3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1.
  4. Dell Inspiron i5577.
  5. ASUS ZenBook Flip Screen Laptop For Photoshop.
  6. Apple MacBook Pro.
  7. Acer Predator Helios: Best Cheap Laptop for Photoshop.
  8. LG Gram.

Additionally, what kind of computer do I need for Photoshop?

Aim for a quad-core, 3 GHz CPU, 8 GB of RAM, a small SSD, and maybe a GPU for a good computer that can handle most Photoshop needs. If you're a heavy user, with large image files and extensive editing, consider a 3.5-4 GHz CPU, 16-32 GB RAM, and maybe even ditch the hard drives for a full SSD kit.

What is the best laptop for photo editing 2019?

The best photo-editing laptops in 2020

  1. Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (2019) This MacBook Pro is the ultimate photo-editing laptop.
  2. Dell XPS 15 (2019) A great all-rounder, and best Windows laptop.
  3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen. A great choice for on-the-go photographers.
  4. Asus ZenBook Duo UX581.
  5. Razer Blade 15 4K.
  6. HP Spectre x360 Convertible.
Related Question Answers

Is i5 processor good for Photoshop?

The 8th generation quad core i5 is in my MacBook Pro, and Photoshop runs great on it. Of course an i7 or i9 would be faster and offer more cores, so when buying a laptop with current generation Intel CPUs: If your priorities are getting higher CPU and graphics performance in a laptop, choose the i7 or i9.

Can you use Photoshop on any laptop?

Obviously, you can use just about any laptop to Photoshop any photo of your choice. Nevertheless, some laptops do a much better job than others. For this reason, it is crucial that you find the best one. The choice of the laptop also depends on whether you edit photos using Photoshop for fun or for a living.

How much RAM do I need for Photoshop?

That said, as a general rule, Photoshop is a bit of a memory hog, and will put as much memory into stand-by as it can get. Adobe recommends your system have at least 2.5GB of RAM to run Photoshop CC in Windows (3GB to run it on Mac), but in our testing it used 5GB just to open the program and leave it running.

What laptop specs do I need for photo editing?

You definitely need to look for 8GB of RAM, as well; plus at least an Intel Core i3 processor (preferably Core i5 or i7). You want plenty of on-board storage, too. Many laptops now have solid state drives (SSDs) but these tend to have lower capacity than traditional hard drives.

What do I need in a laptop for photo editing?

What to Look For When Buying A Laptop For Photo Editing & Photoshop Work
  • The i5 or i7 Processors.
  • Storage Capacity and RAM.
  • Resolution and Screen Size.
  • Considering Your Budget.
  • Mac Versus PC.
  • Other Considerations.
  • Apple MacBook Pro MJLQ2LL/A 15-inch Laptop.
  • Apple MacBook Air MJVG2LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop.

Is Mac or PC better for Photoshop?

To make it short: a PC can be significantly faster than the Mac Pro at a much lower price. If you spend the majority of your time in Photoshop, one of the newer iMac or Macbook Pros is going to be faster and less expensive than the Mac Pro.

What computer specs do I need to run Photoshop and Lightroom?

Recommended Specs
Laptop
Storage 500 GB SSD or larger Alternatively a 1-2 TB HDD (Budget choice) Additional external HDD to back up your photos and Lightroom catalogue
Memory (RAM) 12 GB or more
Processor (CPU) Intel Core-i5 / i7, 8th-gen or the equivalent AMD Ryzen processor or higher

Is 256gb SSD enough for Photoshop?

I use it mainly for Photoshop (CC 2017), Lightroom, most of the Microsoft Office products, and for remote-connecting to my work-PC. I've read that a 256GB SSD is plenty for OS, programs, and Lightroom catalog, Yes, it will hold them, but LR also runs much better when a significant portion of the drive it is on is free.

Is graphic card necessary for Photoshop?

Graphics Card: Photoshop CS6 does utilize the graphics processing unit for enhanced performance. Some features require a compatible video card to work; if the video card or its driver is defective or unsupported, those features will not work at all.

How much RAM do I need for Adobe Creative Cloud?

8GB

What are the requirements for Photoshop?

Minimum system requirements for Adobe Photoshop
  • Processor: Intel® or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster processor.
  • Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7 with Service Pack 1 (64-bit), Windows 10 (Version 1709 or later)
  • RAM: 2 GB or more of RAM (8 GB recommended)

What should a graphic designer look for in a laptop?

The most important specs to look at for graphic design are the operating system, CPU, the memory or RAM, the storage drive, the display type and size, and color accuracy.

Is 2gb graphic card enough for Photoshop?

We would recommend the use of the Quadro P1000 or AMD Radeon Pro WX 3100 or higher for 10-bit colour work as the lower end cards only have 2GB video memory which isn't enough for working with 10-bit colour images of a half decent resolution.

What processor is best for Photoshop?

These characteristics make the Intel Core i5, i7 and i9 range perfect for Adobe Photoshop use. With their excellent bang for your buck performance levels, high clockspeeds and a maximum of 8 cores, they are the go-to choice for Adobe Photoshop Workstation users.

What computer is best for Photoshop?

Best PC for photo editing 2019: top desktops for Photoshop
  1. Apple Mac mini 2018. A brilliant mini PC for photo editing.
  2. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900. High end components for a good price.
  3. Microsoft Surface Studio. A brilliant all-in-one for photo editing.
  4. Apple iMac Pro.
  5. iMac (27-inch, 2019)
  6. Dell XPS Tower Special Edition.
  7. HP Pavilion Wave.
  8. Intel Hades Canyon NUC.

Is a dedicated graphics card necessary for photo editing?

You need a dedicated graphics card for serious gaming and VR—if it's equipped with CUDA cores, that's even better. You also need one for professional work with graphics software, including animation, CAD, and video editing. Programs like Photoshop and Lightroom have support for modern graphics cards.

How much RAM do I need for Photoshop and Lightroom?

12 GB of RAM (recommended); At least 4 GB of RAM, more if you use Photoshop at the same time. Fast hard disks, especially for the catalog and previews.

What laptop do most photographers use?

Best Laptops for Photography
  • Dell XPS 15 (Purchase this item)
  • Apple MacBook Pro 15” with Touchbar (Mid 2018) (Purchase this item)
  • Apple MacBook Pro 13” (Mid 2018) (Purchase this item)
  • Microsoft Surface Book 2 (Purchase this item)
  • Dell XPS 13 (Purchase this item)
  • Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Purchase this item)
  • ASUS VivoBook Pro (Purchase this item)

Which laptop is best for Adobe Creative Suite?

Best Computers for Creative Cloud 2019, Laptops and Desktops:
  • Microsoft Surface Book 2.
  • Apple MacBook Pro.
  • Acer Aspire V17 Nitro.
  • Lenovo Z70.
  • Asus ROG G752VL.
  • Microsoft Surface Studio 2.
  • Apple iMac.