Professional photographers and podcasters need laptops that can generate crisp fluid images and videos at supersonic speed, being chic and light-weight simultaneously. It's not very ambitious, considering there are amazing laptops available in the market within affordable range.
There is a large range of laptops for photo-editing with an array of functions. Not only are they equipped with powerful processors and graphics, but they have versatile connectivity, compatible editing apps, and large LCD wide-view screens, made especially for professionals. They are also stylish, convertible, have backlit keyboards and offer webcam securities.
And the greatest part is they are affordable too! This guide is a walkthrough for the best budget laptop for Photoshop.
Contents
| Image | Name | Resolution | RAM | Processor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Acer Aspire 5 | 1920x1080 | 8 GB | Intel Core i5 |
 | Acer Aspire 5 | 1920x1080 | 4 GB | Ryzen 3 |
| | Acer Spin 3 | 1920x1080 | 16 GB | Intel Core i7 |
| | Apple MacBook Air | 2560x1600 | 16 GB | Intel Core i7 |
| | 2020 HP 15 | 1366x768 | 16 GB | Intel Core i5 |
 | MSI GF63 | 1920x1080 | 16 GB | Intel Core i7 |
 | Microsoft Surface Go | 1800x1200 | 8 GB | Intel Pentium Gold |
 | Lenovo Flex 14 | 1920x1080 | 16 GB | Intel Core i7 |
 | Dell Inspiron 14 | 1920x1080 | 8 GB | Intel Core i7 |
 | ASUS ZenBook 13 | 1920x1080 | 8 GB | Intel Core i5 |
You could be a travel blogger looking to upload some crystal clear images on your website, to inform your audience about your most recent escapade. Your regular PC does not provide you with the necessary editing tools. So what do you do?
Acer Aspire has come up with their one of a kind laptop with specs to die for. Equipped with 10th Generation Intel Core processor with a lethal combination of NVIDIA MX250 graphics, this Acer laptop can handle some of the most difficult tasks you can imagine.
Powered with 15.6" full HD widescreen (1920x1080) and built-in dual microphones, this gadget will generate crystal-clear, razor sharp images and sound to improvise your gaming experience, your podcasting and your video conferencing by ten folds.
The graphics generated by NVIDIA MX250 are close-to-life. With its 9.5 hours of battery life, you would not need to worry about carrying cables everywhere and worry your battery might run out in the middle of a presentation.
It also comes with a superior WiFi 6 connectivity which will connect you with your friend and family anytime you desire. Its HD widescreen are not only to enjoy the latest 3D videos coming right after you, but its Acer Blue Light Shield also relieves your eyes off strain when you need to work on your laptop for long hours.
Not to mention the Intel Core i5 processor which is so smart and fast that it will personalize with your lifestyle and workload to give you convenience you have always desired.
It has a lightweight and thin structure with the top cover made of aluminum, so as to give you that professional look. With its Acer TrueHarmony feature, you can now listen to your favorite music whenever you feel like.
This Acer version also comes with backlit keyboard so that your work does not stop even in a dimly lit environment.
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Are you in need of a laptop which is ultra-thin and you can carry it with yourself wherever you go? A light-weight chic photo-editing laptop is not only portable but it makes sure your work gets done on time and accurately, with that razor-sharp competitiveness that not everyone can deliver.
MacBook Air by Apple is one such technology which brings the world to your fingertip. Powered by 1.1GHz 10th Gen quad core Intel Core i7 processor with a Turbo Boost of 3.2GHz generates superbly fast CPU performance and graphics to get your gaming and video-editing experience soaring.
Even if you have multiple programs open, you can work with zero disruptions, thanks to 16GB of 3733MHz memory. Its SSD allows 256GB of data storage, which can be configured for up to 2 TB allowing you to store all your favorite videos, music videos, escapade and family photos and games.
MacBook Air generates images at 4 million pixels, one of its killer features. With a jaw-dropping resolution of 2560x1600, realism gets another level of recognition.
Not only this, but the white points of the display is automatically adjusted with the color temperature of the place you are working in, thanks to its True Tone technology. Every photo looks brilliant and vibrant in the 13.3" Retina Display of MacBook.
Its keyboard is Magic! No kidding--its Magic Keyboard with the brand new scissor mechanism with 1mm travel, makes your fingers work in the air, as if you are a bubbling up a concoction! Long hours of typing and editing will seem like a breeze now, long spreadsheets and endless code writings smooth and effortless.
Its keyboard being backlit, makes you work tension-free even in a dimly-lit office cubicle or reception room. Its Force Touch Trackpad is another feature specially made to make you feel comfortable, which understands every pinch and zoom your fingers make, making your complex editing work complete in minutes.
In this day and age of hackers and viruses, you need a machine that is secure. MacBook Air has Touch ID security, so you do not have to remember or type complex passwords anymore, your fingerprint will be your own, unique identity.
A double-layer of security is provided by Apple T2 Security Chip feature which encrypts all your data stored in SSD. MacBook Air is accessible and controllable by Siri, so just lay back and relax while Siri takes the front seat.
The laptop also has Apple Pay feature which facilitates online shopping by eliminating the need to enter shipping or billing information.
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You have clicked some photos on your day out with friends, and you want to post them on Instagram for your online buddies to swoon over. You just need to correct the lightings of a few pics and they would be good to go.
2020 HP15 laptops, powered by 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, Quad Core with speeds of 1.0 GHz and can be boosted up to 3.6GHz with Turbo Boost technology, has 16 GB DDR4 memory and 512 GB of SSD.
It generates superb images and videos, thanks to its Intel UHD Graphics and 1366x768 resolutions on 15.6" full HD touchscreen display, with 10-finger multi-touch support.
Its SSD boot-up feature allows the user to boot within seconds, so no more waiting around for hours-get your work done in a snap. The laptop's stereo speakers create an HD audio experience, and together with its wide-vision HD webcam, gaming and video-conferencing would be of an unparalleled quality.
It has multiple USB connections, and connects to mobile devices and Cloud services via Bluetooth 4.2 and WLAN 802_11_AC. It has backlit island-style keyboard so now you can continue with your work even at the most dimly-lit environments and supports Windows 10 OS.
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As a professional photographer, you often find yourself in need for your own gadget which could help you with some latest photo-editing tools. But you keep backing out thinking designated photo-editing laptops are too expensive.
The ultra-light and chicly-thin model by MSI is a PC made for photographers, podcasters and gamers. Powered by 9th Gen Intel Core-i7 Processor with a CPU speed of 2.6GHz and can be Turbo Boosted to 4.5GHz, this laptop is smart, can multitask and moulds to your needs, personality and lifestyle.
Equipped with NVIDIA GeForce graphics, now gaming experience will be incomparable, and so will video-watching, podcasting and video-conferencing. Its GF63s screen-to-body ratio feature and thin-sleek exterior ensure you immerse in the videos it generates.
With its 7 hours battery life, now you can keep gaming and working without having to stop midway for recharging. MSI also offers its own MSI app player which enables the gamer to play mobile games on the PC with superior graphics and speed.
The laptop also flaunts a red backlit keyboard so that your work never stops and your eyes do not strain, and has 2 fans and 4 exhausts which ensure your laptop stays cool while you keep working hard. This MIS laptop also comes fully equipped with 512 GB SSD and 16GB (expandable to 64GB) memory.
This amazing laptop comes with 15.6" LED widescreen, and offers 1920x1080 resolutions with 720p HD webcam, enhancing your videoconferencing experience. It has dual speakers, LAN, WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity, and USB 3.2 Type C ports.
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Are you a podcaster, always on the go and never have a minute to rest? Wish you had a laptop that is super thin, ultra-light weight which you could carry in your travel bag wherever you go and never miss your deadline again?
Lenovo offers Flex which takes convenience to a whole new level. This laptop is ultra-thin and convertible, meaning it can be turned both sides. It is gifted with 10-hour battery life, so you can flex it, carry it anywhere you want and work with it for hours, with unparalleled ease.
Its batteries can be recharged quite fast, up to 90% in just one hour! Alternatively, if you need say for an urgent presentation, only 15 minutes of charging will allow you to use the lapt
op for 2 hours straight!
In today's world, where the internet is infested with hackers and spybots, security matters a great deal. This Lenovo version has TrueBlock Privacy Shutter which covers your webcam to protect you and your information from these dangerous stalkers.
Perhaps the most interesting feature of this laptop is its Lenovo Active digital pen in combination with AMD Ryzen processing, with the help of which you can draw, sketch and write with fluidity-now you can bring out the artist in you and inspire others.
Its flexible design allows you to use it in any way you want-you can place it like a tent on your table when you want to share your information, you can keep it on a stand-mode while watching videos, or carry it around like a tablet for private communications.
Its full HD 1920x1080 resolutions and 14" touchscreen display give you an immersive gaming and video-conferencing experience. Its Radeon Vega-8 feature makes video and photo editing a breeze, and has versatile connectivity via USB 3.1, USB-C ports and HDMI.
Even if you are away from the router, you can still connect at super fast speed and share on the Cloud with up to 2x2 AC WiFi.
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Touchscreen displays are everyone's favorite because they boost productivity at work. But it might not be suitable for everyone.
Certain touchscreens, however, are quite reflective or glossy, which could be distracting while you are gaming, reading contents or video-conferencing. So you might want to consider that before you purchase a laptop with a touchscreen display.
The latest manufactures come with wide-view LED screens with 1920x1080 resolutions. High end laptops offer 4K resolutions, but it might be a bit on the costlier especially when you are on a budget.
Photographers, podcasters and videographers look for laptops that can generate crystal clear photographs and non-disruptive video streams, so they should definitely opt for laptops which offer a better color accuracy, wider color gamut, and sharper images.
Viewing angle is another feature you should pay attention to. Laptops with In-Plane Switching (IPS) offers widest viewing angles, and are the best for professional photo-editors, photographers and even gamers. They might be a bit expensive, but you won't regret the purchase.
Even if you're looking for the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, you shouldn't compromise on RAM. If you depend on your laptop to get most of your work done, you should opt for a RAM of 8GB or higher.
Choosing the right Keyboard will make your work-life so much easier, considering the number of hours you need to spend on your laptop for photo-editing, live-streaming or typing research papers.
A keyboard with letter and number keys all squished together on the same pad may not be something you should be excited about, because though they look efficient, but could be quite inconvenient in the long run. The keys should be soft, spacious and easy to locate.
Backlit key is a feature quite popular these days. You might not have the luxury to work in a bright office-room all day. When you are in dimly lit conditions, the luminescent keyboard will keep you awake.
Intel's Core Processors dominate the market, with their Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7. When it comes to multitasking, you need to look no further than Intel's Core. Core i3 is basically found in entry-level gadgets, whereas Core i5 is everywhere.
Core i7 processors are found in high-end laptops used by professionals, like photographers, podcasters or gamers. One thing that might concern you is the heat that emits from the base of Core i7 laptops at times, so you might want to reconsider carrying the laptop on your lap for long hours.
I am asked so frequently how to get the most out of a budget laptop for Adobe Photoshop that I felt it should be shared with everyone. It's not about raw power or specs, it's about managing what you have and understanding what Photoshop requires in terms of hardware. Today I will show you how to use your existing laptop (if it's not new) for Photoshop with the best performance, without spending too much money.
If you want to do intensive things like Photoshop, Illustrator, or 3D rendering then you should make sure that your laptop will be able to handle it before you spend money on those things.
Make sure that your computer is clean and free from viruses or spyware. Cleaning your machine with specialized software is a good idea if an antivirus can't remove the problem. Make sure that you don't have any programs running in the background when you're doing intensive work. Some would say to close all your browsers, email clients etc but there are too many problems associated with this for me to recommend it. If you're running Windows then use "msconfig" ( Google it ) to stop unneeded programs from starting up. Just make sure you know what your computer is doing when you do this as it can cause problems if done wrong (e.g. if the reason your computer is slow is because of something that starts up with Windows, stopping it will stop Windows from working normally).
Make sure you have enough free space on your hard drive. If you don't have enough then your computer cannot write data to the hard drive fast enough and it will become a bottleneck, causing issues with intensive tasks.
Make sure that you have enough RAM. Having 4GB of RAM in a laptop isn't always okay for Photoshop because Windows has to use some of that memory for things other than Photoshop. If you're not doing any other intensive tasks then it would be okay, but if you are then 4GB may not be enough. This varies depending on how much RAM your computer can actually use (your BIOS will tell you) but in general 16GB of RAM is good for Photoshop and most other intensive programs.
Make sure that your hard drive is in good condition. This means that it should not be making strange clicking noises when reading/writing, and should not be failing to read or writing data at all. If you're running Windows then run the built-in " chkdsk " command from a Command Prompt window (type cmd into the start menu search bar and then type " chkdsk " into the command line - you don't need to type in the quotes).
Don't run programs simultaneously if you can help it. If your computer seems slow then try not using any other applications while working with Photoshop, or close them all down before doing intensive tasks (including browsers if you're running Windows).
If your computer is still running slow then it's time to look at buying a new one. Don't worry, you don't need to buy something expensive - your old laptop can be just as useful for Photoshop if you upgrade its hardware.
Buying extra RAM is the most important thing you should do (after cleaning your computer) if you want to do intensive tasks like Photoshop.
There are two types of RAM: DDR3-1600 and DDR4-2133. DDR3 is older technology but it works fine for most things including Photoshop. I would recommend getting DDR3 unless you know for sure that your laptop will accept DDR4 (which most will).
The next thing to know is that there are two major manufacturers of RAM sticks: Samsung and Hynix. If you have two symmetrical RAM slots then you can put in one stick made by each manufacturer for dual-channel (if your laptop has four memory slots then, if possible, get two sticks from the same manufacturer for quad-channel).
I would recommend buying RAM from Amazon because it is cheap and they have a good returns policy. I bought this stick of 8GB DDR3 RAM for my laptop and two sticks of 16GB DDR4 RAM for my PC from Amazon and have had no problems with them so far.
There are other brands that make good laptop RAM but I can't recommend them because I don't know enough about memory technology.
The hard drive in your laptop is probably the bottleneck for everything, so you should get a Solid State Drive (SSD) to speed things up. They are more expensive than regular hard drives but the difference in speed is amazing and it will make your computer so much more pleasant to use.
You should get a drive with at least 256GB of storage because you'll need room for Windows, all of your programs (e.g. Photoshop), and lots of file temporary/cache space; you can always get another SSD later if needed.
There are two main brands for laptop SSDs: Samsung and Intel (there are others like Lite-On but I don't know much about them). For my laptop I bought a four-terabyte hard drive from Seagate and an SSD from Intel; they work well together but this combination does not come cheap (my laptop is only about three years old though).
If you want to play PC games on their highest settings then you will need a better graphics card than the one that came with your laptop. If you're doing CAD or similar then I would also recommend getting a better graphics card for this reason, however if all you do is Photoshop then it is not worth spending extra money here unless you have some other reason (e.g. playing PC games).
Of course, how good your graphics card needs to be depends on what resolution(s) and detail level(s) your monitor supports. The recommended specs for running Windows in Retina-like resolutions can be found online; if your monitor doesn't support at this resolution then it's time to look at getting a new monitor as well.
If you want to save some money then I would recommend buying your graphics card from Amazon again because they have a good returns policy and their prices are competitive. Of course, if there is something specific you need from the graphics card (e.g. number/type of ports) then make sure you buy it from somewhere that has those things as well as a low price.
I have just looked at what you overclockers have over-overclocked already :P My laptop is barely able to do Photoshop without stuttering so my only option was upgrading the RAM and storage devices that hold Windows and Photoshop.
As I mentioned above, my laptop came with 4GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. I upgraded to 16GB of RAM and a 250GB SSD, both from Amazon (I had to special order the smaller SSD because it wasn't big enough for Windows and Photoshop).
This was probably the best upgrade I could make; everything is faster now without spending too much money or risking to fry any electrical components (the only bit that concerns me is the fan as it might be running at full speed all day). Of course this can vary depending on how powerful your current graphics card is; if you have a good one then you might want to spend extra on that first.
There are numerous brands such as Asus, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo that manufacture cost-effective laptops which have the ability to withstand the heavy workload of photoshopping. These laptops will provide you an excellent editing performance without you having to spend much to buy them.
A good cheap laptop for photoshop should come with at least a core i5 processor, 8GH RAM, a 14-inch display size, and a graphics card with 2GB VRAM. In addition to that, the laptop should have a minimum of 1TB of storage so that you don't face any issues while storing the photoshopped pictures.
The laptop which will be perfect for Photoshop mostly depends on personal preference and budget. If you are a professional photo editor, you should go for a high-end laptop that has the ability to withstand heavy CPU usage.
You should get a laptop with a screen that has high color space coverage to have a satisfactory editing experience and understand the color grading properly. A laptop with a full HD display that provides 99 to 100% sRGB coverage will definitely meet your photoshopping needs.
To have a lag-free photoshopping experience, you should also consider the RAM and the storage space of the laptop. A laptop with 8GB RAM and 1TB of space is good enough to offer a consistent photo editing performance.
Gaming laptops are made of high-end and the latest pieces of hardware. Most gaming laptops have a core i7 processor, an FHD display with a 60fps frame rate, and at least 8GB of RAM, making the complex photo editing process much smoother.
The importance of a GPU is high for a quality photoshop and every gaming laptop comes equipped with a top-notch graphics card since games won't run without a GPU. So, yes, gaming laptops are quite good for photoshop.
When it comes to laptops, HP is a name that needs no introduction. These laptops feature a high percentage of sRGB color gamut that will provide you pictures with more details, sharpness, and vibrance.
Among the numerous top-tier HP laptops available in the market, the HP Spectre x360 works the best for photo editing. It recreates 256% of the sRGB color range, making the color grading more vibrant and clearer. This laptop comes with an Intel Core i7 processor, 512GB M.2 SSD, and 16GB DDR4 RAM, so the unit is fully equipped to provide you a satisfactory photoshopping experience.
Professional photographers use a laptop that is highly functional yet lightweight due to the fact that they often travel from one place to another and edit pictures even on the go.
ASUS ZenBook 13 Ultra-Slim Laptop 13.3” FHD WideView, 8th-Gen Intel Core i7-8565U - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” Full HD, AMD Dual-Core R3-3200U CPU, 4GB - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
2020 HP 15 15.6" HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop - 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1, 16GB - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Lenovo Flex 14 2-in-1 Convertible Laptop, 14 Inch FHD Touchscreen Display, AMD Ryzen 5 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
MSI GF63 Thin 9SC-066 15.6" Gaming Laptop, Thin Bezel, Intel Core i7-9750H, NVIDIA - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" Laptop, 14.0" FHD 1920 x 1080 Display, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor, - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
1. Acer Aspire 5 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
2. Acer Aspire 5 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
3. Acer Spin 3 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
4. Apple MacBook Air - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
5. 2020 HP 15 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
7. Microsoft Surface Go - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
8. Lenovo Flex 14 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
9. Dell Inspiron 14 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
10. ASUS ZenBook 13 - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
When it comes to photo-editing, you need a PC or a laptop with a power-packed processor, graphics and RAM, which can help you to multi-task and bless your work-life with the ease and convenience you have been longing for.
Laptops available today have been manufactured keeping the needs of consumers in mind. They have your much-needed specifications, including some fringe add-ons which are to die for. Consider a laptop which can be bent and twisted 360° (the convertible laptops) and have 10 hour battery life-what more do you need?
Brands like HP, ACER, Apple and Microsoft have come forward with the best budget laptops for Photoshop ! If you are a photographer or a videographer, this should be your last stop for shopping for a suitable laptop.
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