10 Best Laptop for Digital Art & Design Worth Buying in 2023

Top 3 Picks of Best Laptop for Digital Art

Gone are the days when you required a brush, and canvas for crafting art masterpieces. Now, with the NFTs selling for millions, people are obsessed with digital art, made on the laptop.

Just as in the case of traditional art, where you require the best equipment, you need to have the best laptop for showcasing your digital art to the whole world in case of digital art.  

The problem here is that a lot of aspiring digital artists get confused while choosing the right laptop, as the market is flooded with hundreds of laptop models, and they don’t know which one is the best suited for their needs.

What about a specified list of top options to help you spend your dollars on the right product and showcase your skills in an even better way? That sounds about right, let’s begin. 

Comparison Table of the 6 Best Laptops for Digital Art

IMAGE	PRODUCT	RATING	PRICE
Best Overall	2021 Apple MacBook Pro CPU:Apple M1 Pro chip Graphics: Apple 16-core GPU RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB Battery: Up to 21 hours	9.8	View on Amazon
Best for Digital Art	ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED CPU: Intel Core i7-10870H Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 RAM: 16 GB Storage: 1 TB Battery: Up to 8 hours	9.6	View on Amazon
Best on Budget	Microsoft Surface Go 3 CPU: Intel Core i3-10100Y Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 RAM: 8 GB Storage: 128 GB Battery: Up to 11 hours	9.4	View on Amazon
	HP Spectre x360 CPU: Intel i7-1065G7 Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB Battery: Up to 11.5 hours	9.1	View on Amazon
	Microsoft Surface Book 3 CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 RAM: 16 GB Storage: 256 GB Battery: Up to 17.5 hours	8.9	View on Amazon
	Microsoft Surface Pro 7 CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics RAM: 8 GB Storage: 256 GB Battery: Up to 10.5 hours	8.6	View on Amazon
	Lenovo Flex 5 2-in-1 Laptop CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon  RAM: 16 GB Storage: 256 GB Battery: Up to 12 hours	9.1	View on Amazon
	Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel Convertible Creator Laptop CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 RAM: 16 GB Storage: 512 GB Battery: Up to 15 hours	8.9	View on Amazon
	Dell XPS 13 2 in 1 Convertible Laptop CPU: Intel Core i7-1165G7 Graphics: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics RAM: 32 GB Storage: 512 GB Battery: Up to 11 hours	9.3	View on Amazon
	ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED Ultra-Slim Convertible Laptop CPU: Intel Core i5-1135G7 Graphics: ‎Intel Iris Xe Graphics RAM: 8 GB Storage: 512 GB Battery: Up to 10 hours	8.1	View on Amazon

How Did We Test?

During the process, we began by selecting the highest-rated items on the market and evaluated their viability. While our team was reviewing each product, we took into account the following necessary requirements:

Display

Since the display is the first priority for artists, our test was based on the options with the latest display technology, optimum resolution, and wide screen size. Preferring a wide screen size, we’ve ensured that none of our picks fall below HD display quality.

Performance

Digital art requires a robust processor and graphics capability to easily deal with the intense workload and heavy art software programs. Therefore, we’ve considered the options with the latest generation processors and good graphics performance.

Memory

Keeping in mind the necessity of memory with the fastest access speed to execute complex artwork applications, we’ve ensured that our recommendations have the least of an 8 GB memory.

After we reviewed each product for hours and hours. Our editorial team gathered the products matching our high standards into a list to help you make the best choice possible.

We are concerned about what the consumers think of the product. So, we went through their experiences with the product to ensure its reliability and quality. Our editor’s opinions are neutral, and the picks are not motivated by any manufacturer or brand.

We know the level of annoyance you feel when you let your creativity flow out and experience stuttering in the midst. A killing stare at your device doesn’t even help in this case. But Stuttering and MacBook Pro? It’s no way possible with Apple’s M1 Pro chip.

Apple’s MacBook Pro is such a well-built device that covers all the needs of an artist. With the amazing build quality, you get the stunning Liquid Retina XDR display. That’s enough of a reason to love drawing even more. And the 16-Core GPU adds more fun to it.

Capable of operating those hefty art software applications with Apple’s strong M1 chips, the MacBook Pro will not get in the way of your job. Its 21 hours of long battery life allows you to work for hours without a problem. In fact, you’ll enjoy every minute of your working experience.

It seemed like a lightning-fast ride as we tested this powerful laptop. We experienced smooth computing because of the MacBook Pro 2022’s strong CPU and 16 GB of memory. We tried to test its limits by handing it a large number of difficult tasks.

However, everything went perfectly, with fast bootup, file transfers, and program executions. It also handled the heat produced efficiently thanks to its excellent cooling system.

The 2021 Apple MacBook Pro tops the list of our recommendations for a reason. The only thing that may hold you back is the price tag. But you wouldn’t want to miss out on such a powerful one, would you?

Okay, we get it, a 2-in-1 convertible laptop is fun to draw on but, what if a laptop gets a secondary display to add joy to your creating experience? We’re sure your inner artist will get a boost every time you open the laptop lid.

Specifically aimed at providing an exceptional creating experience, ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is resting on most artists’ wishlists. And that’s because of its attractive primary display (Screenpad Plus) and the beautiful Aluminum body.

While the ones who have successfully invested in this premium device are surely loving its Intel Core-i7 powered performance with a stellar OLED HDR display to bless the eyes.

And how can we forget about the NVIDIA RTX 3070? This premium device has the next-level graphics that every artist thirsts for. With all the essentials included, the ASUS ZenBook Pro will make you stick with it. But sadly, this engagement will last only for up to 8 hours, because of its not ‘so long-lasting battery.’

When it comes to performance, the ZenBook Pro Duo 15’s outstanding performance has been a key factor in its success. Its attractive look and powerful components not only turn heads but also keep them down for as long as they use this smooth computing machine.

During testing, it actively responded to each of our clicks while we edited high-resolution photos in Adobe Photoshop, made 3D animations, and switched between different resource-demanding apps.

The ASUS incredible futuristic machine is a great but pricey choice if you have enough money to splash out. But, what matters here is the performance and display. And we know that the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 is an outclassing option in that regard.

We know some of you will definitely prefer a cheap option to handle your premium drawing skills. We haven’t ignored you, buddy! At present, when you’ll search the market for an affordable option, you’ll see devices lacking a thing or two.

But, what if we tell you that Microsoft has made affordability proportional to portability? That didn’t fit your brain, did it? Never mind. So, here we have the most budget-friendly option available on the list, Microsoft Surface Go 3. And it sure will steal your attention with its lightweight, and portable build and that too, at an affordable price.

With an Intel Core-i3 advancement in the Surface Go series, Surface Go 3 comes with pre-installed Windows 11. And you can keep your creativity going for up to 8 hours on its 10.5 inches beautiful display.

As you should expect from an Intel Core-i3 chip, the Surface Go 3 can’t be burdened with those complex art and designs. But that doesn’t make it not worth a shot. We gave it some mid-end tasks like light editing and quick designs in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and CorelDRAW.

It managed to put a checkmark on all these tasks, along with non-stuttering multitasking with memory-hogging apps like Google Chrome, Spotify, and MS Teams.

Guess the features are enough to expect from a low-budget device. And as I mentioned such devices lack a thing or two, so it does. You’ll have to pay some extra cash for the add-ons. Still, if an affordable and up-to-date device is what you’re looking for. Then, wait no more and grab it.

So long and still no product of HP? You might’ve noticed that. But, How can a list of the best computers go void without the biggest name in the tech world, “HP”? And here it comes with an incredible option for the artists, the HP Spectre x360, a 2-in-1 convertible laptop. 

This one is truly a gorgeous gadget with a solid black body and shiny details. And it wouldn’t be wrong if we call it the most beautiful competitor among the convertible laptops in terms of design.

For the artists, they’ll appreciate the Spectre x360’s 13.3-inch, beautiful 4K OLED display with Stylus support. But what about the performance, though? Well, you may rest confident that the performance of the 10th generation Core-i7 processor will never be called into doubt.

At this high price, the HP Spectre x360 provides more than just a premium feel and design. During our testing, we were able to see its superior performance. The Spectre x360 was put to the test and handed over demanding content creation tasks to high-resource programs. It accomplished this on its smooth and fast Windows 10 OS, with no evidence of slowing down in the middle despite having multiple programs open at once to test its limits.

Finally, we won’t tell you anything disappointing about the battery or its price. So don’t worry, you’ll be able to hold the Stylus and continue your artwork for up to 11 hours. And while the price isn’t exactly cheap, the features it provides are well worth it.

Say hello to another Microsoft device, the Surface Book 3. A powerful convertible that has the market speaking for it. And that’s because of its detachable 2-in-1 feature.

Microsoft’s refreshed product in the Surface Book lineup is very much a powerful laptop that transforms into a tablet the moment you detach it. This amazing choice for creatives offers promising performance with a 10th generation Intel i7 chip supported with 16 GB of memory and Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics.

The Surface Book 3’s brilliant display, portability, and keyboard are what put it on par. And you’ll see everything about this device screaming quality, the first time you use it. And the battery? That’s what we kept as suspense. Because with Surface Book 3, you can get up to 17 hours of plenty of time to do extraordinary artwork.

When it comes to performance, we suggest not expecting something false considering its lightweight and portable design. Because its overall good performance, with a strong CPU and a large chunk of RAM, will have you feeling lucky to own it.

The Surface Book 3 is clearly a laptop designed for creatives, as its dedicated GPU actively performs heavy content-creation tasks. Even after executing multiple applications at once to bottleneck its memory, it was still left to confront all the challenges and stand on its own.

So, with pretty much everything included, it’s a solid choice for the artists looking for a premium option.

You might be wondering that Microsoft products are dominating this list. We were surprised, too. With a trio of moderate price, stellar performance, and portability, Microsoft Surface Pro 7 seeks your attention. And we know, this superb device will gain it in no time.

Don’t know about others, but for us, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 stood out to be the star among the other Surface Pro devices. Its fine slim body packs up a powerful 10th generation Core-i5 chip with the Intel Iris Plus Graphics to allow you a smooth and phenomenal drawing experience.

And while we were testing, this 1.7-pound easy-to-carry device kept us engaged for up to 10 hours. That means more time to practice your artistry on its 12.3” pixel sense display. In terms of performance, it may appear that a tablet running high-end applications and games is unattainable. But Microsoft has done just that and has captured the attention of every power user.

The Surface Pro 7 stole the show in our tests with its boundless performance on all of our demanding tasks, including complicated content creation. It performed difficult multitasking flawlessly and also ran some AAA games at fair FPS.

All in all, the Surface Pro 7 would make a good buy if you’re looking for a compact device with a powerful performance at a reasonable price. Go ahead and check it out!

If our best budget recommendation doesn’t help you out to get what you need, then here comes Lenovo, with an outstanding 2-in-1 convertible, good value laptop for you to spend less and get more. The Lenovo Flex 5 has found a middle ground for the ones stuck with less budget and suffering with slow computing speeds.

The Lenovo Flex 5 is powered with the latest AMD Ryzen 5 4500U robust processor, delivering the most effective performance in the mid-range. This Sole Graphite Grey-colored metallic laptop has 16 GB of memory for a lag-free creating and multitasking experience. 

The 14 inches dim display might kill the fun, but the brighter pixels consume more power. The light yet fast chipset and dim display support the battery to keep breathing for up to 9 hours. Overall, the Lenovo Flex 5’s performance is fairly satisfactory.

You can ask it to complete some urgent word processing tasks or to search the web for research for a hard assignment; it can handle it all. However, only a slight increase in workload, as we did in our tests, causes it to run out of memory and start to fluctuate in performance. So, for the price, it’s handling of lightweight tasks with a sleek 360-degree design is quite decent.

For a 2-in-1 convertible under the $1000 range, the features that Lenovo Flex 5 offers make it the best priced, high-rated, and excellent mainstream laptop for at-home professionals and creators. 

With ASUS and Lenovo trying their best to make a laptop for creative professionals with Yoga Book, IdeaPad, and ZenBook, Acer has also stepped in the game with its ConceptD and Spin laptop series. And it’s giving a hard time to the competitors too.

The Acer’s ConceptD 3 Ezel is best for artists looking for a well-equipped, good quality, and versatile laptop. Built specifically for the creators and designers, this uniquely designed convertible has an Intel Core-i7 combined with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics to make it their perfect fit.

With the display, you’ll have to forget about 4K in this one. Despite that, the 14 inches Pantone validated display won’t disappoint you. And you’ll love working with no worries for up to 15 hours without having to seek a charger.

In our tests, the Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel proved to be a content-creation beast, eating intensive content-creation work with its strong CPU and GPU. We didn’t expect much from this because of its slim design, but it surprised us in a unique way. The designed-for-creatives laptop easily handles heavy program executions of content-creation apps, even with Google Chrome, the biggest memory hog, operating in the background.

Which should make it run out of memory, but it performs admirably. However, you may notice some heat escaping from the bottom, but a proper usage position can prevent that. Acer’s ConceptD 3 Ezel is a great kit for you to grab and get your creative juices flowing.

If you’ve dropped an eye on the market before, you must have seen Dell’s renowned premium XPS series laptops among the highest-rated ones. And that’s because of their high-quality and superfast devices for overall needs. And our pick Dell XPS 13 is just that but with a 2-in-1 convertible, making it suitable for the artists.

The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 convertible is pretty much great in every way. With the new Tiger Lake Intel Core-i7 system, the XPS 13 delivers a smooth and fast experience to handle any intense program.

Even with such a strong CPU chip, your workflow can last up to 11 hours. The laptop’s 13.4 inches FHD+ display, combined with Intel Iris Xe graphics, is the ideal combination for adding depth to your creations.

The Dell XPS 13 smacks with its workplace performance, as it can handle whatever you throw at it thanks to its power-efficient 11th generation Intel CPU and integrated graphics. During our tests, it drew the most attention due to its speedy boot-ups and program executions under stressful conditions, when other laptops were not as stable as it was.

In intensive use, the Dell XPS 13 displayed no lag or heat, due to quiet fans that eliminated the heat for us. If you’re prepared to spend any money to meet your needs, this device is an excellent choice. Dell’s products speak for themselves, and you will be pleased as well.

At last, ASUS has made a comeback with another best choice for digital artists with the ZenBook Flip 13. A 13-inch super-compact convertible with a great OLED display. 

And this time, the term “compact” doesn’t mean you’ll have to compromise for the performance. Because this spectacular device has an impressive 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 chip fitted in its slim and stylish body.

The ZenBook Flip 13 has curved edges and gold accents, making it feel and look like a premium laptop that can compete and outperform its rivals. And it actually can. The ZenBook Flip 13 employs a larger battery that you’ll notice on removing its back panel. However, that doesn’t mean it will suffer at the performance.

The advanced Intel Core-i7 chip and integrated graphics, onboard, made it perform like a workhorse. With its OLED display combined with potent specifications, this beast ended up upgrading the editing and designing experience. It effortlessly handles multiple tasks at once without any signs of lag. But it does get heat up in a short time.

Up to 10 hours of creating, surfing, binge-watching, and editing is another great thing about this lively laptop. So, of course, so much of these premium features means a high price tag. But isn’t a beautiful OLED display, amazing graphics, speedy performance, and a long battery life a solid choice?

What makes a Laptop Best for Digital Arts?

Before we go through the list, there’s a question that needs to be answered. So, what exactly is it about a laptop that makes it ideal for digital drawing and art? Well, there are many things you should keep in mind when you make a choice.

Display

Since digital artists have a direct concern with the display, it’s the first thing to be noticed. We know the artworks look different over the devices. Art made on a laptop with a low-quality display will definitely look worse on the one with high quality. Because of the color scheme and resolution change.

So now that the market has laptops with OLED, 4K, FHD, and HD displays, it’s crucial to opt for a laptop with a better display quality. And with the stylus (Pen input) support too. That’s what will facilitate you while you draw.

Graphics

And what’s digital art without graphics? Even if you’re not a professional, you’re still going to need a laptop with enough GPU power to make good quality designs. For a laptop, you’ll have to choose between an integrated and dedicated GPU.

We recommend a dedicated GPU such as ones by NVIDIA and AMD for all but the most basic art designs. But the latest integrated ones like Intel Iris can work well too.

Processor

Software programs such as Adobe Photoshop and CorelDRAW require a power-packed device to run smoothly. Or else, you’ll experience constant program crashes and slow executions. 

So it’s better to pick one powered by the latest generation processor. We recommend a minimum of a higher generation of Core-i5 chipsets for a better creating and computing experience.

Battery

If you’re looking for a laptop to use while traveling, it’s obvious that you’ll need a lot of battery power to work on the go. Because you may not always have access to a power source.

Keeping a check on the battery life of the laptops is thus another crucial thing to consider. A laptop that stays alive for up to 8-10 hours is a good option. However, with the premium ones, you may have even more and forget about power issues.

Conclusion

That’s all, these were our top ten choices for the best laptops for digital art and artists. Now it’s all up to you to decide which top runner you will grab. If you’re looking for an overall best with a stellar performance in every field, the Apple MacBook Pro, Microsoft Surface Pro 7, HP Spectre x360, and Dell XPS 13 are the way to go.

If you want that creator-specific experience, then ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo 14, Acer ConceptD 3 Ezel, and ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 will make the best buy. But if you’re keeping your low-budget into consideration, then of course the Microsoft Surface Go 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 are ideal for you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)