5 Best Laptops for Artists in 2021

Pen, paper, brush, and paint are the traditional tools of an artist. But these days, it’s essential that an artist has a great laptop.

Here’s my guide to the best laptop for artists, as well as the best desktop replacement laptop. First, I’ll go over the vital factors that the best laptop for digital art should offer.

Then, we’ll get onto my recommendations of the best laptops out there right now! 

What to Look for When Choosing the Best Laptop for Artist?

If you’re an artist, not just any laptop will do. You need a powerful laptop that can handle graphics programs.

But it also needs to provide you with advanced editing capability. It’s essential to create high-quality, detailed art. 

Narrowing down all the options on the market can be overwhelming. That’s why I’ve created this guide to help you find the best laptop for your needs.

Here are the factors to look out for when choosing an excellent laptop!

Large, High-Resolution Screen

For drawing, you need as big a screen as possible to see your full designs. The resolution and contrast are also important. That’s so that the colors and details are as vibrant and crisp as possible.

Powerful Graphics Card

A powerful graphics card is essential for artists. Don’t skimp on the graphics, or you’ll regret it.

Performance

You want a system that can run several programs without lagging or crashing. That’s why it’s important to focus on a powerful processor that can keep up with you.

It’s no fun to keep waiting when you’re trying to channel your creativity.

Portable

If you like to travel often or work from anywhere, go for a lightweight, portable laptop. Think about whether you want a laptop that has a rotatable screen so that it can double up as a drawing tablet.

Long Battery Life

When you’re on the go, you don’t want to keep looking for outlets to charge your laptop. Double-check the battery life of the model you choose, so you know it can last at least 10 hours on a full charge.

The Top 3 Laptops for Artists

Before we dive in the reviews, here’s a quick summary of the top three laptops for artists in 2021!

Product name	Asus ZenBook Pro Duo Best High-Range Laptop for Artists	Lenovo Flex 6 Best Cheap 2 in 1 Laptop for Artists	Apple MacBook Pro Best High-Resolution Laptop for Artists
Operating System	Windows 10 Pro	Windows 10	Mac OS
Processor	Latest 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H Quad Core	8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz (up to 3.4GHz)	Tenth-generation Intel Core i5 processor
RAM	16 GB	8 GB SDRAM	8 GB to 16 GB
Internal Storage	1 TB	128 GB	256GB or 512GB
Screen Size	14-inch / 15.6 inch 4K	14 Inches	13.3-inch
Display Resolution	3840 x 2160	‎1920 x 1080	2560 x 1600

Best Laptops for Artists: My Recommendations

Here’s my roundup of the top laptops for beginner and professional artists, as well as the best laptops for art students!

1. Asus ZenBook Pro Duo
2. Microsoft Surface Pro 4
3. Lenovo Flex 6 2-in-1 Laptop
4. Apple MacBook Pro
5. Newest HP Spectre

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo

Best High-Range Laptop for Artists

(Image credit: Asus)

The Asus ZenBook Pro is a top-of-the-range laptop for artists. It doesn’t come cheap, which may put you off if you don’t have the biggest budget.

But for professional artists, this laptop will be a dream, and it can be considered as the best touch screen laptop for artists. You get a 15.6 inch 4K screen as well as a 14-inch matte touchscreen pad.

This additional screen allows you to open up more windows, or spread your work out further. The only limit is your creativity!

Also included with the ZenBook Pro is the Asus Stylus so that you can draw directly on the screen. The graphics are incredible.

This laptop can cope with the most demanding programs around. With the ZenBook, you won’t be able to resist getting creative at every chance you get! 

• Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
• Processor: Latest 9th generation Intel Core i7-9750H Quad Core
• RAM: 16 GB
• Internal Storage: 1 TB
• Screen Size: 14-inch / 15.6 inch 4K
• Display Resolution: 3840 x 2160

• Screenpad Plus gives you even more space to work
• The multi-touch screen and stylus make the perfect combination for drawing
• High premium price for this advanced laptop

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Microsoft Surface Pro

Best Laptop with Pen (Stylus) for Artists

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Microsoft Surface Pro packs all the specs you need. This laptop is lightning-fast, thanks to 16 GB RAM. It also offers an incredible amount of storage space. It comes with a Surface Pen included for all your creative purposes.

You’ll love drawing on the touchscreen, which can be angled for the perfect setup. The screen was designed to have the highest contrast and low glare, allowing you to work anywhere.

The Surface Pro is where tablet meets laptop. It offers all the power and capability of a computer, thanks to the multiple fast processors.

But you also get the ease of use and portability of a tablet!

• Operating System: Windows 10 Professional
• Processor: Intel Core i7, i5 and m3
• RAM: 16 GB
• Internal Storage: 1TB or 512 GB or 256 GB or 128 GB
• Screen Size: 12.3 inches
• Display Resolution: ‎2736 x 1824

• Responsive laptop with touchscreen
• You can fix the angle to suit you or use it on the go
• Expensive

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Amazon

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Lenovo Flex 6

Best Cheap 2 in 1 Laptop for Artists

(Image credit: Lenovo)

So, you’re on a tighter budget, but you still want a great laptop. Then, snap the Lenovo Flex up! In my opinion, it’s the best cheap laptop for artists.

But you won’t lose out on any functionality with a jaw-dropping RAM capacity.

The main selling point of the Flex is the screen, which can rotate 360 degrees. You can use it in laptop or tablet-style.

Ths screen is also anti-glare and backlit so you can use it any time, in the brightest sunlight or at night. The 10-point multi-touch feature is essential for artists. 

What else do you need to know? It boots up quickly and has excellent graphics thanks to the AMD Radeon Vega 8. It’s also lightweight and comes with a pen for drawing.

• Operating System: Windows 10
• Processor: 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6GHz (up to 3.4GHz)
• RAM: 8 GB SDRAM
• Internal Storage: 128 GB
• Screen Size: 14 Inches
• Display Resolution: ‎1920 x 1080

• Best 2 in 1 laptop for artists
• Fantastic touchscreen and pen combo
• The battery life isn’t the longest

Check price on

Amazon

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Apple MacBook Pro

Best High-Resolution Laptop for Artists

(Image credit: Apple)

If you’re willing to splash out, a MacBook Pro is about as good as you can get. This powerful laptop is perfect for professional artists who run heavy software. It has 8GB to 16GB RAM, so it will be able to keep up with you. 

Plus, your artworks will look stunning on the Retina screen with True Tone technology. Colors are displayed in all their vibrancy!

With 128 MB of embedded DRAM, you won’t be left waiting for this laptop to catch up. It’s capable of the most demanding tasks!

The 13-inch MacBook Pro is compact and easy to carry. Yet, it’s still a big enough screen to work on. You can choose from 128, 256, or 512 GB of storage space.

If you’re prolific in your designs, go for the highest capacity, so you don’t run out of space.

• Operating System: Mac OS
• Processor: Tenth-generation Intel Core i5 processor
• RAM: 8 GB to 16 GB
• Internal Storage: 256GB or 512GB SSD
• Screen Size: 13.3-inch
• Display Resolution: 2560 x 1600

• Excellent graphics capacity
• New Touch Bar is very user-friendly
• You might need more space than this laptop provides

Check price on

Amazon

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Newest HP Spectre

Best Lightweight Laptop for Artists

(Image credit: HP)

The HP Spectre is a reasonably priced laptop that ticks the right boxes for artists. As far as the specs, it has 16GB RAM and 512 GB of storage space.

The 8th Gen i7 Intel core makes it super speedy, so it can handle everything you task it with. You can use it tablet-style or laptop-style. 

The Spectre is very lightweight, making it easy to take anywhere with you. But it’s also durable and should last you for years.

When you’re working, it’s virtually silent, allowing you to focus on your art. These factors make the HP Spectre a fantastic choice for artists.

• Operating System: Windows 10
• Processor: 4.6 GHz core_i7
• RAM: 16 GB
• Internal Storage: 512 GB
• Screen Size: 15.6 inches
• Display Resolution: 3840 x 2160

• Sleek and portable laptop
• Very powerful and responsive with a touchscreen
• A shorter battery life of around 5 hours

Check price on

Amazon

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The Wrap Up

There you have the best laptops around right now for artists. You can pick out the model that best fits your needs and budget.

Any of these laptops would be perfect for an artist who likes to draw and create digital art! If you have any questions or comments, drop them below, and I’ll reply ASAP!

So, invest in a laptop for yourself today. It will open up lots of new creative opportunities for you!

Don’t forget to sign up for the Proactive Creative Newsletter. I’ll keep you updated with the best articles for creative professionals!

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