The best laptops for Photoshop will have the kind of processing power and sophisticated displays you need to handle demanding photo editing tasks with ease. So we asked our experts to compile this comprehensive list, considering factors beyond raw processing power including colour accuracy, portability, and battery life to name but three.
While many of the best laptops for photo editing offer similar specs, subtle differences in display quality and system optimisation can make all the difference. With Adobe continuously updating their photo editing software, investing in a future-proof system with upgrade potential ensures your creative work remains uncompromised.
To help you make the right choice, our team of reviewers has tested all the laptops on this and more, putting them all through benchmark tests and hands-on real-world use with Photoshop itself. Meanwhile if you work in design, also read our guide to the best laptops for graphic designers.
I think the M3 MacBook Air is perfect for Photoshop. It's beautifully built, the M3 chip provides excellent performance, and battery life blows most other laptops away. Read more below
Our reviewer found this laptop could handle almost anything. This laptop has a fantastic OLED screen, clever 2-in-1 functionality, and manages to squeeze a respectable running time out of its battery. Read more below
This latest MacBook builds on Apple’s tradition of excellence, offering refinements in performance, battery life, and macOS usability. Plus the Liquid Retina XDR is one of the best screens for Photoshop today. Read more below
For a cheaper option, it's hard to go wrong with this. The dedicated GPU provides solid performance and the screen size and colour accuracy make it a good choice for working in Photoshop. Read more below
This thin laptop weighs just 1kg and has the most colour-accurate screen we've tested on such a small laptop, making it a great option if often you need to use Photoshop on the go. Read more below
Thanks to a versatile screen that can be placed in three positions, I think this is a great option for those who want to use Photoshop with a touchscreen and direct stylus input. Read more below
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✅ You want a balance between size and portability: A large screen is more comfortable to work on, but a large laptop is a pain to carry. We think the Air 15 strikes a good balance.
✅ You like Apple products: The latest MacBook Air has the sleek aesthetics we expect from Apple.
✅ You want to balance price and power: There are more powerful MacBooks, they're likely to be overkill if you're workflow doesn't also involve more demanding software.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want a touchscreen: Apple has yet to make a tablet with a touchscreen, so if you want to use Photoshop with a stylus directly on your laptop, you'll need to opt for Windows.
❌ You need more powerful performance for other tasks: The MacBook Air 15 makes light work of Photoshop, but if you also do video editing to a pro or semi-pro level, you'll probably benefit from the performance of a MacBook Pro.
❌ You want a more portable laptop for travel: The Air 15 is slim and light, but there are smaller laptops, which may suit you better if you work a lot on the road.
The bottom line
🔎 Apple MacBook Air 15 (M3) further refines the MacBook Air formula. It's thin and light for its size and provides more than enough power for photo editing in Photoshop at a price point below that of a MacBook Pro. ★★★★½
What you need to know
The MacBook Air isn't the most powerful laptop in Apple's lineup, but it's more than capable of running even the most demanding Photoshop workflows. The more powerful MacBook Pros are really overkill for most people for using Photoshop alone, and they're much more expensive. This laptop provides the specs you need at a more accessible price.
Design and build: The 2024 MacBook Airs don't change things from recent years' models, but then they didn't need too. They're slim and light, look sleek and have a premium feel. Those who use a lot of peripherals should bear in mind that there are only two ports (Thunderbolt 4), so you may need a dock if your need demand more than this.
The Air now comes in two sizes, 13in and 15in, and we're recommending the latter at the top of our list for Photoshop since we think the larger screen is more comfortable for photo editing and design work, while the device is still a little lighter and more compact than a 16-inch MacBook Pro. That said, if portability is a priority, the smaller laptop provides almost identical performance.
Performance: Speaking of performance, MacBooks don't have dedicated graphics cards, but we found the integrated GPUs in Apple's own silicon to be powerful and efficient, and the M3 chip was easily capable of handling GPU-accelerated tools in Photoshop. It can get warm under pressure since it doesn't have a fan (partly what allows Apple to make it so slim), but you should only need more power if you're also doing more demanding tasks, such as video editing, in other software. As for battery life, we measured over 16 hours in our tests, which makes this a great option if you like to work in places where where you might not have a power source.
Display: We found the LED-backlit display to be a delight for working in Photoshop. It's bright enough for most situations at 500 nits (those working in HDR might want to jump down the MacBook Pro further down our list) and it's a good size for working across multiple panels.
Pricing: The MacBook Air is a 'midrange' laptop as far as Apple goes: not it's cheapest or nor its most expensive. In terms of specs, there are Windows laptops that can offer a bit more power for the price, but I think the MacBook Air 15 strikes a great balance of price, performance, screen size and portability to make it the optimum choice for Photoshop. See below for prices in your region.
Ports: 2x USB 4.0, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, microSD card reader
Weight: 1.38kg
Reasons to buy
+
GPU and NPU
+
Compact 2-in-1 convenience
+
OLED screen
Reasons to avoid
-
Display only 60 Hz
-
Finicky touchpad
-
Battery life could be better
Buy it if
✅ You want a versatile laptop for Photoshop and more: The 2-in-1 design and powerful specs make it great for various creative tasks.
✅ You're interested in AI-enhanced workflows: The AMD Ryzen AI processor with NPU is ready for the latest AI features in creative apps.
✅ You value portability: At just 1.38kg with a 13.3-inch screen, it's more travel-friendly than many creative powerhouses.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're on a tight budget: This high-end machine comes with a premium price tag.
❌ You need all-day battery life: Our reviewer found the battery life to be shorter than expected in testing.
❌ You prefer a larger screen for detailed work: The 13.3-inch display, while excellent, might feel cramped for some users.
The bottom line
🔎 The ASUS ProArt PX13 packs serious power into a compact, versatile package. It's an excellent choice for Photoshop users who need portability and the flexibility of a 2-in-1 design, but be prepared for the premium price. ★★★★½
What you need to know: The ASUS ProArt PX13 is a compact powerhouse that brings together high performance and versatility in a 13.3-inch package. Our reviewer found it to be an impressive machine for creative work, including Photoshop, thanks to its powerful specs and thoughtful design features.
Design and build: Despite its small size, the ProArt PX13 feels solidly built. The 2-in-1 design allows it to transform from a laptop to a tablet, making it versatile for different types of creative work. The included stylus enhances its usefulness for digital artists. Our reviewer noted that the ASUS Dial on the trackpad, while not as refined as physical dials on other models, is a welcome addition for adjusting brush sizes and other parameters in creative apps.
Performance: Equipped with AMD's latest Ryzen AI 9 processor and an NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU, the ProArt PX13 handles Photoshop tasks with ease. The dedicated NPU (Neural Processing Unit) makes it ready for AI-enhanced features in creative applications. Our reviewer found its performance comparable to, and sometimes exceeding, laptops with high-end Intel processors.
Display: The 13.3-inch OLED touchscreen offers excellent color accuracy and coverage, with our reviewer measuring 100% sRGB, 96% Adobe RGB, and 97% P3 color gamuts. The 2880 x 1800 resolution ensures sharp image quality. However, the 60Hz refresh rate might disappoint those used to smoother displays.
Pricing: At around $1,999 / £1,999, this is a premium device. However, its combination of power, portability, and versatility may justify the cost for professionals who need a capable machine on the go.
✅ You need an incredible display: The Liquid Retina XDR is one of the best screens for photo editing.
✅ You want all-day battery life: The M4 chip delivers phenomenal power efficiency.
✅ You prefer Apple’s ecosystem: You'll get seamless integration with macOS and other Apple devices, including new AI-driven features.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You need strong GPU performance for 3D work: The base M4 chip lacks the graphical muscle needed for demanding animation or rendering workflows.
❌ You’re on a budget: It’s an expensive option compared to alternatives with similar specs.
The bottom line
🔎 MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4, 2024) is an exceptional laptop for Photoshop, offering excellent display quality, battery life, and a smooth experience within the Apple ecosystem.★★★★
What you need to know: The MacBook Pro (M4, 2024) builds on Apple’s tradition of excellence in creative tools, offering refinements in display technology, battery life, and macOS usability. It’s ideal for static image work, though its graphical capabilities may disappoint creatives requiring heavy 3D rendering; if that applies to you, it may be worth spending extra on the MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 2024) instead.
Design and build: Apple’s hallmark design and build quality are both evident in the latest MacBook Pro. The matte Space Black finish is stunning and resistant to smudges, while the robust aluminum chassis exudes durability. It weighs 2.2kg—slightly heavier than its predecessor—but remains portable for its size.
Performance: Our reviewer found that the M4 chip delivers exceptional CPU performance, with single-core scores leading its class. That means multitasking in Photoshop, running multiple plugins and handling large files is smooth, fast and effortless. As for battery, MacBook Pro impressed with nearly 22 hours of use on a single charge, making it one of the longest-lasting laptops in its class. That said, GPU tasks like 3D modelling revealed the limitations of the base M4 chip.
Display: We absolutely love this MacBook's Liquid Retina XDR display, which shines with HDR capabilities, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and peak brightness of 1,600 nits. Its 120Hz ProMotion technology ensures a smooth editing experience, while colour accuracy (110% sRGB) makes it a top choice for Photoshop.
Pricing: Starting at $2,499, the MacBook Pro 16 (M4) is a significant investment. While Photoshop users will appreciate its screen and build, those focusing on GPU-intensive workflows might find better value in upgraded configurations or alternative laptops.
Graphics: Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU
RAM: 8GB or 16GB
Screen: 16in 2560 x 1600 or 3200 x 2000 16:10 display
Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
Ports: 1x USB C power delivery, 2x USB 3 A, 1x Thunderbolt 4 with display support and power delivery, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, 1x Ethernet, SD card reader, Micro SD card reader
Weight: 1.95kg
Reasons to buy
+
Dedicated NVIDIA graphics card
+
Gorgeous OLED display
+
Plenty of ports
Reasons to avoid
-
Poor battery life
-
More capable workhorses available
Buy it if
✅ You want a great value Windows laptop that can easily handle Photoshop: We think this is one of the best Windows laptops for the balance of price and performance.
✅ You want a large screen: The 16-inch screen provides plenty of space to work with, and the laptop doesn't feel too big and heavy to carry.
✅ You don't need super amounts of power: This has more than enough power for Photoshop, but if you're also doing more demanding tasks, you might want to consider the Studiobook higher up in our list.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want a compact laptop: We found this laptop to be slim and light for a 16-incher, but it might not be ideal if you travel a lot and space is limited.
❌ You want the best battery life: We only got up to three hours of life when photo editing. That's not abnormal, but MacBooks do better.
❌ You need power for more demanding tasks: This can handle light videoediting with no problem, but those with demanding effects workflows might find it stutters.
The bottom line
🔎 Asus Vivobook 16 Pro offers a lot of laptop for not too much money. We were impressed to find a 16-inch laptop with integrated graphics, good colour coverage and a premium feel for this price. ★★★★½
What you need to know
The Asus ProArt Studiobook at number 2 in our list is our favourite Windows laptop for Photoshop, and it's an all-round workstation that can handle a lot more. But if you're not looking to edit video or 3D work as well as images, you might not need all that power. We highly rate the Asus Vivobook Pro 16 as a more affordable but still highly capable laptop aimed at creatives.
Design and build: Our reviewer found the metallic casing felt robust and premium. The laptop weighs 1.9 kg, which is fairly light for a 16in device. And at just 19mm thick, we found it easy to carry in a bag.
Performance: The VivoBook wasn't as capable as the Studiobook in our testing but it was still perfectly capable of handling even the most demanding tools in Photoshop easily thanks to the dedicated Nvidia GPU. Battery life can't compare to that of a MacBook, however. We only got up to three hours of life when photo editing, although it lasts longer for general browsing and entertainment.
Display: The screen has a more narrow colour coverage than the Asus ProArt Studiobook but it's still good enough for most people's Photoshop needs, especially for non professionals. It has an OLED display, which we found provided excellent contrast. We found the 600 nits of peak brightness were enough to make the screen comfortable to use in bright light, and the 3.2K version provided great definition.
Unlike the Studiobook at number two in our list, this isn't a touchscreen, which might put off some digital artists who want to be able to draw directly on the display. However, the display provides solid colour accuracy, validated by Pantone. This makes it a candidate for both digital work and proofing photos and artwork for printing.
Pricing: We think the Vivobook Pro 16 is extremely well priced for a laptop with these specs, particularly considering it has a dedicated graphics card and an OLED display.
✅ You want a super portable laptop: The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED is light and compact, and battery life is excellent, making it great for editing on the go.
✅ You want a great screen: The bright OLED screen is the best we've experienced on a laptop of this size, providing excellent colour coverage in our testing.
✅ You don't need a dedicated GPU: A dedicated graphics card isn't necessary for Photoshop, but it can help for some GPU-accelerated tasks and it's desirable if you're also doing heavy video editing or animation in other software.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You find Photoshop cramped: If you find the interface on Photoshop can feel too squished on a laptop, you might want a larger screen unless you plan to also use an external monitor.
❌ You're on a tight budget: This is by no means the most expensive laptop on our list, but it's more expensive than the Vivobook Pro 16 above, and even the MacBook Air.
❌ You need a dedicated GPU: While it's not necessary for Photoshop, you might want a dedicated graphics card if you also edit video.
The bottom line
🔎 Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED is a smart and wonderfully compact laptop with enough power for Photoshop. However, it's not touchscreen and integrated graphics mean it may struggle with more demanding GPU-heavy workloads. ★★★★½
What you need to know
Most of our picks as the best laptop for Photoshop are 15-inchers and above since we generally find a larger screen more comfortable to use for Photoshop, allowing easier visualisation of different panels and comparison of images side by side without it all felling too cramped. The downside is that they aren't the lightest or more compact laptops for taking on the road. For that, my top pick is the Zenbook S 13 OLED, which is perfect for carrying in hand luggage or working at a cafe table, while still providing excellent performance and colour.
Design and build: This laptop feels almost impossibly light, weighing just 1kg. The design is beautiful to look at, and despite the small size, the neat chiclet keyboard and trackpad are comfortable and responsive. Such a thin body doesn't leave much space for ports, but there is still a USB-A 3.2, two Thunderbolt 4 (which can support a display and power delivery), HDMI 2.1 port and an audio jack.
Performance: We tested the 32GB RAM configuration of this laptop, and unsurprisingly photo-editing in Photoshop presented no problems. The fan started working with the more intensive tasks and documents, but performance was smooth. Our PCMark 10 testing backed this up suggesting excellent performance for photo editing and office work tasks while our video tests were less impressive due to the lack of a dedicated graphics card. For Photoshop alone, most users would probably be fine with the 16GB RAM configuration.
We found battery to be excellent, further backing up the Zenbook S 13 OLED's credentials as an ideal laptop for travel and for working on the go. Our streaming video test have us 13 hours and 10 minutes on a single charge, beating many Windows laptops.
Display: Our reviewer found described the screen as the best he had ever tested on a small-form laptop. With 550 nits of brightness, it's comfortable to work on even in bright sunlight, while and Pantone-certified colour coverage of up to 100% DCI-P3 (we also tested sRGB coverage of 113%) ensures we can rely on what we're seeing. With a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, the OLED display also boasts excellent resolution of dark and light areas. It was also a pleasure to watch films and TV on the device.
Pricing: We think the ZenBooks S 13 is a little on the expensive side for a laptop that doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, starting at a little over the price of the MacBook Air at the top of our list. It's get pricey if you take the specs higher, but it's one of the best compact Windows laptops we've used and is well worth snapping up when offers appear.
✅ You want the flexibility of tablet mode: The 2-in-1 format means the laptop can be used flat like a tablet or propped up like an easel.
✅ You want a great laptop for using a stylus: There are several touchscreen laptops on our list, but the Surface Laptop Studio's innovative 2-in-1 design is particularly good for stylus use.
✅ You want a powerful Windows laptop: The Surface Pro can be configured with Nvidia graphics and up to 64GB RAM.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're not bothered about a touchscreen: The easel mode could still be useful for simply watching films but the real advantage of the versatile design is for using the touchscreen and stylus use.
❌ Price is a priority: The innovative design inevitably adds to the price, and you could get comparable specs cheaper elsewhere.
The bottom line
🔎 Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 looks great, feels great to use, and we think the innovative flexible form factor is a potential game changer for those who want to use a touchscreen with a stylus. ★★★★
What you need to know
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a sleek touchscreen laptop with an innovative versatile form factor that allows it to be used as a tablet or in easel model. We think it's a great option for using a stylus for editing images or creating digital art in Photoshop.
Design and build: The laptop feels very premium, with a well-engineered flexible design that allows it to smoothly be switched between three different positions: standard laptop, easel mode and tablet (see our reviewer's photos above). The size is a nice compromise as well. At 14.4in, the laptop is fairly compact without making the Photoshop interface feel too cramped on screen.
Performance: There are RAM options from 16GB to 64GB, and along with 13th Gen CPUs from Intel, you get a choice of Intel Xe graphics or an Nvidia RTX 4060 and RTX 2000 Ada professional GPUs, so there's plenty of power here. Of course, if it's just the performance you want, you can get it for less from other laptops, but you'd have to give up the drawing and input abilities that make this such a great pick for image editors and other creative pros in the first place.
Display: We loved the super-crisp 3:2 screen. With a 120Hz refresh rate, we found it to be highly responsive when drawing in Photoshop with a stylus (note that no stylus is included as standard. Microsoft sells its own Surface Slim Pen 2 separately). The ability to switch to tablet or easel mode is also great for drawing in different situations, for example flat on a desk with the laptop flat on our laps.
Pricing: Starting at well over $2,000 / £2,000, the Surface Pro Laptop 2 is an expensive laptop. We feel the price is justified if you'll take advantage of the innovative form factor, but if you don't think you'll use a stylus, you can find comparable power in cheaper packages.
✅ You need fast performance: The powerful internals will make Photoshop run nice and fast. ✅ You want a big display: The 17.3-inch screen lets you see all your Photoshop work in detail.
✅ You mainly work at your desk: This powerful but heavy laptop is designed to stay put.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want something portable: At 3.05 kg, this isn't great for popping in a bag.
❌ You work away from power sockets: The battery life isn't the most impressive. ❌ You want a standard trackpad: This one is off-centre and can be offputting for some.
The bottom line
🔎 Dell Precision 7780 is a high-powered workstation laptop that will cope with even the most demanding of Photoshop projects with ease, although note that it's a little on the heavy side. ★★★★½
What you need to know: Many people like a larger laptop screen for using Photoshop since it makes it easier to work across multiple panels and to see layers tabs. We've included 16-inch laptops above, but there are larger devices still. A 17-inch laptop is generally the largest size available among devices aimed at Photoshop users. There aren't many to choose from, and this one easily tops the list.
Design: This laptop's chassis is classic Dell; with a metallic finish to the outer and a dark grey plastic finish to the interior. In other words, it's well-designed but isn't going to be turning any heads. At 3.05 kg, it is also rather heavy and therefore not suitable for mobile working and better suited for desktop use. Also note that the trackpad is positioned off-centre, which may be annoying to some.
Performance: In our tests, the Dell Precision 7780 performed incredibly well on almost all fronts, thanks to its Intel Core i7-13850HX CPU, which has a 30 MB cache, 28 threads, and 20 cores (8P+12E) up to 5.3 GHz. All this means that it's certain to cope with the most demanding of Photoshop tasks, and should run everything quickly and smoothly too.
Battery: The battery life isn't very good at all. The 93 Wh battery only managed around three hours of creative work. For this reason, we wouldn't recommend this laptop if you need to be on the move a lot; it's best to think of it mainly as a desktop powerhouse.
Pricing: The Dell Precision 7780 isn't cheap. The base model costs £3,118.82 while storage upgrades are possible all the way from an extra 512GB for £155.22 up to 4TB for £989.82. Read more:Dell Precision 7780 review
Ports: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm combo jack
Weight: 1.65kg
Reasons to buy
+
Futuristic form factor
+
Powerful components
+
Fun to use
Reasons to avoid
-
Kind of expensive
-
Two screens can drain the battery
-
Picky about chargers
Buy it if
✅ You want two screens: The Zenbook Duo is a novel a laptop that comes with a second screen, which can be ideal for looking at reference while working in Photoshop.
✅ You also do video editing or script writing: The dual screen is most useful for workflows that could benefit from viewing something on one screen while writing or making adjustments on the other, for example playing back a video while making changes in a timeline.
✅ You want a stylus for direct screen input: The Asus Pen 2.0 comes included and provides 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You're not sure you'll use the second screen: The second screen is potentially useful for Photoshop but there are practical considerations, and you'll look conspicuous.
❌ You want a dedicated GPU: As we've mentioned with other laptops, a dedicated graphics isn't necessary for Photoshop but it can help, and you may want one if you also use more graphically demanding software.
The bottom line
🔎 Zenbook Duo OLED is an exciting laptop with a novel design. It's reasonably powerful and well priced. The second screen can be very useful for Photoshop but may not be practical to use in all scenarios, and some may prefer an external monitor. ★★★★★
What you need to know
Most laptops have one screen. Why would you need more? Well, Asus makes a very strong case for having two with its Zenbook Duo OLED, a laptop we gave a rare five-star review. Not only does it have a bright, beautiful 14-inch OLED display up top, but lift away the keyboard and another full-size 14-inch OLED display reveals itself.
Design and build: We'll get straight to the most striking aspect of this innovative laptop: the second screen. It's novel and it works well. A kickstand allows it to be placed above the main screen or beside it in portrait orientation. The keyboard and trackpad then connect via Bluetooth (the laptop’s internals are actually inside the bottom screen). You basically get double the screen in a compact 14-inch laptop.
So why have we put this at the bottom of our list? Well, despite its usefulness for Photoshop, I suspect that most users still won't go for this two-screen format, which does have its limitations. You need a certain amount of space and a flat surface to spread out. And if you have that space, you may well prefer to get one of the best monitors for graphic artists to use as an external screen instead. You'll also stand out a mile if you try using the extra screen in a cafe. Also, while the setup feels reasonably secure, there is a bit of wobble when using the extra screen on top of the other, and I might worry about someone knocking it in some locations.
Performance: We expected performance might suffer as a result of that second screen since the laptop comes with integrated graphics, but we were very impressed. We found when we used both OLED screens and also connected an external monitor via the HDMI port, the mouse pointer did start to stutter a bit, but that's adding another screen into the equation.
We found that the performance of the integrated GPU to be fine for Photoshop too, but it may start to stutter if you push it with more demanding tasks like video editing. We were also impressed with battery life, getting more than 12 hours in laptop mode (using the second screen does lower this).
Display: We found the second screen makes this compelling as a Photoshop laptop since you can put a reference picture on the second screen while you work on image adjustments on the 'main' display. The downside is that they are treated as two separate screens in Windows, and there is a space between them, plus an angle that can cause some reflections.
Fullscreen apps are never bigger than they would be on a single 14-inch screen, so the extra space is only useful for keeping a document or browser open on one screen while you work on the other. The included Asus Pen 2.0 has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and a 266Hz sampling rate. Our reviewer found it felt natural to use, although it's a shame it doesn't attach magnetically to keep it safe.
Pricing: The price of this laptop is surprisingly reasonable for an innovative device with two displays, starting at around the same price as the 14-inch Zenbook higher up our list. And you get the ASUS Pen 2.0 included.
Some of the laptops we have reviewed come very close to beating out the laptops above when it comes to performance and fit for Photoshop. As you'll see from the linked reviews, they often score high in our tests. So here are some other great options, should you not find what you're looking for above...
Asus ProArt Studiobook OLED (H7604) This laptop features some very powerful components making it ideal for everything from basic image editing to 3D work in Photoshop. Our reviewer loved the colour accuracy of its 16-inch 3.2K OLED display and overall performance, but also noted that it's expensive, heavy, and has limited battery life. Read our 4.5-star review
Dell XPS 17 (9710)Launched in 2022, the Dell XPS 17 9710 remains a a capable and compelling choice for creative professionals looking for a powerful machine for Photoshop work. In our tests, it tackled graphically demanding and processor-intensive tasks well, all the time staying cool. Plus it's pretty good for gaming too. Read our 4.5-star review
Dell Precision 5470 This model handles not just Photoshop with ease, but also more resource-intensive tasks like image editing and 3D rendering with no lag or performance issues to speak of. It can give the MacBook Pro 14-inch M2 Pro a run for its money, even though that costs $1,000 more. Read our 4.5-star review
Acer Swift Edge 16 The Acer Swift Edge 16 is an excellent all-around mid-range laptop. It may lack the graphics power for 4K gaming or heavy 3D rendering tasks, but it can handle basic editing in Photoshop. Read our 4.5-star review
Framework Framework is great for Photoshop work, because you can upgrade it if you find yourself needing more power as file sizes get larger. The hot-swappable ports are super useful, especially if you have more than one place of work. For example, you can swap the HDMI port for a MicroSD port if you need to. Read our 4.5-star review
Photoshop is a creative application beloved by photographers and digital artists alike thanks to its varied toolset and wide range of features. It's far from the most demanding piece of software available, but it’s certainly one of the beefiest for photo editing. This means that, although the minimum system requirements are not hugely demanding, not every laptop can do a decent job of running it.
There are a few things to look out for when choosing the best laptop for Photoshop for you. Firstly, you’ll want a modern processor. Both Intel and AMD list CPUs in numerical order regarding power, and the rule is generally ‘the bigger, the better’, so a 9th-generation Intel i5 won’t perform tasks as efficiently as an 11th-generation Intel i9. We recommend at least a 9th generation Intel i5 or a Ryzen 5 3600 as a minimum.
Memory (also known as RAM) is also important, and most laptops provide several choices here, usually 8GB, 16GB and sometimes 32GB or even 64GB. Adobe states 8GB as a minimum, but 16GB is recommended, and our experience backs up that recommendation, particularly for more complex workflows. A dedicated graphics card can also be beneficial for certain tasks if your budget can stretch to it (see more on this below).
You'll also want a laptop with a display that provides good resolution and good colour coverage and accuracy. All of the laptops we recommend above meet this criteria, but if you're shopping around aim for 100% sRGB and as much covered of Adobe RGB as possible. An OLED screen will usually provide better contrast and richer, deep blacks.
You'll also want to consider storage size. Most laptops offer a choice of configurations, and your needs here will depend on the size of files that you produce and whether you rely heavily on cloud storage and external SSDs. Adobe recommends having at least 100GB available to use Photoshop. For most people, we would recommend going for a laptop with A laptop with a 512GB SSD (make sure it's an SSD rather than a slower hard drive).
Aside from this, the best laptop for Photoshop for you will depend on your own priorities. Due the number of panels that it's possible have open on Photoshop, I generally prefer working on a larger screen: 15in or more. However, this means sacrificing portability, and if you're going to be working on the move a lot, you may prefer a 13-inch or 14-inch laptop, which will be easier to fit into a bag and lug about. Display size may also be less of a priority if you plan to use an external monitor.
When we test laptops for Photoshop, we first carry out a series of benchmark tests to measure the laptop's overall performance.
• Cinebench R23/2024 - this assesses the performance of a computer's CPU and GPU using real-world 3D rendering tasks
• Geekbench 5/6 - this tests the CPU's processing power, both by using a single core for a single task at a time as well as all the CPU's core to see its ability to multitask
• PCMark 10 - this test assesses a computer’s ability to run all everyday tasks from web browsing to digital content creation, testing app launch speeds, 3D rendering and even battery life
We also use a calibrator to test the display of the laptop, checking colour gamut, colour accuracy, brightness, contrast and uniformity. We also tests storage performance and assess each laptop's general ergonomics, build and usability, including keyboard quality, chassis rigidity, trackpad response and battery life.
Finally, we test each laptop in real-world use cases by performing various tasks in Photoshop itself in order to check how it performs in a real workflow. We carry out basic photo editing using adjustment layers and masks and create digital art using various brush tools. We also test new AI tools and the GPU-accelerated tools, which can cause some laptops to struggle.
FAQs
What are the minimum requirements for Photoshop?
Photoshop doesn't necessarily need a huge amount of power, and most Windows laptops and MacBooks can run Photoshop to an extent. Adobe itself states the minimum system requirements for Photoshop as 8GB RAM, 1.5 GB of GPU memory and 20 GB of available hard disk space, although it recommends 16GB of RAM, 4 GB of GPU memory for 4k displays and greater and 100 GB of free storage space.
Most laptops on the market today, with the exception of Chromebooks, meet the minimum requirements. Moreover, some new Photoshop AI tools like Generative Fill are processed online in the cloud, so system specs are not a huge issue here. However, certain tools in Photoshop require more graphical processing power than others. Its Neural Filters and GPU-accelerated tools like Smart Sharpen usually work more smoothly with a good dedicated GPU. Meanwhile, more RAM can help avoid your device slowing down if you work with lots and lots of layers.
Note that Photoshop is not available for Chrome OS. You could use Photoshop on the Web on a Chromebook, but this does not provide all of the features of the desktop version of Photoshop.
Does Photoshop require a graphics card?
No, it is not strictly necessary to choose a laptop with a dedicated graphics card for Photoshop. I've used Photoshop on plenty of laptops with integrated graphics, and performance has been adequate for use of all of the main tools, provided the devices had sufficient CPU power and RAM. In my experience, these are more important for most tasks in Photoshop.
A good graphics card will make more of a difference for motion and video editing. That said, Photoshop has been moving more functionality to the GPU, and certain tools, such as Neural Filters and smart sharpen are GPU-accelerated. For basic photo editing, integrated graphics will still work, but using these newer tools may be slow. Adobe now recommends a GPU with Direct X 12 support and 4GB GPU RAM.
What laptop do professional photographers use?
This is entirely down to the personal preferences of each photographer. Many photographers choose MacBook Pros, as these are some of the best-optimised laptops on the market for creative professionals. MacBooks have no particular advantage over Windows for Photoshop per se, but they do have long battery life, quality screens and sleek design.
All MacBooks have enough power for Photoshop, but plenty of Windows PCs also provide well over the minimum requirements (see above). There are also plenty of Windows laptops with touchscreens, while Apple has yet to make a touchscreen laptop. Some people find this handy for making selections and navigating panels using a stylus. There are also Windows 2-in-1 devices like the Surface Laptop Studio, which allow you to use them in tablet mode. The decision between Mac or Windows will also come down to which operating system you prefer.
Can you run Photoshop with 8GB of RAM
Yes, you can run Photoshop with 8GB, and other photo editing software like Lightroom, with 8GB of RAM, but it may struggled. Adobe lists 8GB as the minimum to run the desktop software but recommends 16GB. I have used Photoshop on laptops with 8GB of RAM, and it's certainly possible, but they often start to struggle if you build up a lot of layers or apply filters.
Erlingur is the Tech Reviews Editor on Creative Bloq. Having worked on magazines devoted to Photoshop, films, history, and science for over 15 years, as well as working on Digital Camera World and Top Ten Reviews in more recent times, Erlingur has developed a passion for finding tech that helps people do their job, whatever it may be. He loves putting things to the test and seeing if they're all hyped up to be, to make sure people are getting what they're promised. Still can't get his wifi-only printer to connect to his computer.
