When it comes to choosing laptops for creative work, art or graphic design, digital painting or 3D modeling, there are a few considerations.
This article is split into two parts. The first part looks at what the specifications mean, and the second part looks at the different laptops available currently in the market.
If you're an art student looking to get a new laptop for school, or an professional looking for a workstation, the list below should help you save some time.
Operating system
The most important thing is to know whether or not the software you want to use is available on a particular system platform, either Windows or Mac.
Not all applications are cross platform. For example, Autodesk 3ds Max runs only available on Windows. Thankfully, most of Adobe's graphic applications are supported on both Windows and Mac.
Specifications
It's important to check with the software's website for their minimal supported system specifications. That should give you a good starting point from which to choose your computer's specification. But generally speaking, laptops nowadays are quite powerful even for the entry level ones.
Storage - This happens to be the bottleneck of any machine. It's best to get SSD (more expensive) so that your system can load fast, save and open files fast. Some laptops offer both solid state drives (SSD) and the slower spinning hard disk drives (HDD) which gives you the best of both worlds - you can install the OS on the fast SSD and store your huge files on the spacious but slower HDD. Most 13-inch laptops have only one slot for storage drives. When it gets to 15-inch, there are some that offer more than one slot for storage drives, which means you get to choose both SSD and HDD.
RAM - This is memory used to store temporary work, e.g. Photoshop layers you have yet to save, the many applications opened in the background but not in use, your many browser windows. 8GB RAM is the very least you should get. It's best to get 16GB. RAM is affordable and this is not the area to save significant money.
Graphics card - If you're just creating 2D work, you can save money by not getting a high-end graphics card. What you get with a high end graphics card is to ability to move around a highly detailed or textured 3D model with no lag. For the purpose of this article and the laptop comparison further below, when I mention that a graphics card is mid-range, it means it's suitable for 3D work for a relative large number of polygons in wireframe mode and may lag when it comes to previewing textured mode and moving around. High-end graphics card can handle detailed textured 3D scenes and move around without lag.
Processor - Either duo or quad core processors. Not many applications use quad core processors effectively yet. If you need to render 3D or videos regularly, definitely go for a quad core.
Weight
Since it's a laptop, portability is going to be a concern. If you bring your laptop around often, it might be better to get a lighter one. But seriously speaking, performance laptops are not going to be light.
Screen size and resolution
Screen size and resolution will affect your productivity. A resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels should provide ample working space and still be able to show menus, control palettes. Next consideration is screen size. A larger screen will enable you to see details clearer (if the resolution is high enough) and make it easier to click on the menus and control palettes. I suggest at least a 15-inch screen with 1920 by 1080 resolution.
Panel type
It's best to get an IPS panel that will provide the widest viewing angle. In another words, you'll be able to see the same colour no matter the angle of the screen. For the laptop comparisons below, if there's no mention of IPS, it means I wasn't able to find any information regarding the type of panel.
Battery life
Graphic applications can be processor intensive and use up a lot of battery power. Of course it's best to have a laptop with longest lasting battery life but in the real world, you're likely to be plugging into a power supply.
The choices
Alright, here are the laptop choices for 2015.
If you don't want to go through the whole list below, my quick recommendation would be as follows. For the budget constrained, get the Lenovo W550s for the 3 year warranty, or the lower end 15-inch MSi or Aorus with 2 year warranty. For high end systems, actually all the brands offer really powerful machines if you have the budget.
Lenovo ThinkPad W550s
The "W" from Lenovo represents their workstation series, their fastest laptops.
Key specifications (full specs):
Processor: i7-5500U or i7-5600U - Dual core up to 2.4Ghz
RAM: Up to 16GB
Graphics card: NVIDIA Quadro K620M 2GB
Storage: Up to 1TB HDD + 512GB SSD
Weight: 4.92lbs (2.23kg)
Screen: 15.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 or 2880 x 1620 touchscreen
Warranty: 3-years/1-yr battery
This is a nice laptop with lots of storage options. It's best to get the 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD to get the best of both worlds. Your OS and applications will respond snappily on the SSD while you can store huge graphic files on the spacious HDD. Definitely get the SSD even if you don't want the HDD (you can get an external drive later on).
The screen resolution is 1920x1080 which gives you ample working space and can still show the application palettes and controls. There's actually a touchscreen version for the W550s which sports a higher 2880 x 1620 resolution and that's an IPS screen.
The NVIDIA Quadro K620M is a mid-range and respectable graphics card.
All in all, a very decent and worth the money laptop. If you have the extra budget, splurge on the extra resolution screen.
Alienware
Alienware have some of the the biggest and baddest (in a good way) laptops in the market. The brand is synonymous with gaming laptops. Their laptops are noted for their graphics prowess, in other words they have high-end graphics card, which means they are also good for 3D work. The hardware is of high specifications, and the price is also on the high end.
Alienware laptops models are differentiated by their screen size, e.g. 13, 15, 17 and 18.
Model
13
15
17
18
Screen
13 inch IPS
15.6 inch IPS
17.3 inch IPS
18.4 inch IPS
Resolution
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080, 3840 x 2160
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
Graphics card
1NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M (2GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M (2GB) or 970M (3GB) or 980M (4GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (3GB) or 980M (4GB)
Dual AMD Radeon R9 M290X (8GB)
RAM
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Storage
Up to 512GB SSD or 1TB HDD
2 slots for 512GB SSD and/or 1TB HDD
2 slots for 512GB SSD and/or 1TB HDD
2 slots for 512GB SSD and/or 1TB HDD
OS
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Weight
4.5 lbs / 2.1kg
7.1 lbs / 3.2kg
8.33 lbs / 3.8kg
12.2 lbs / 5.53kg
Warranty
1 year (up to 5 years on Dell's website)
1 year (up to 5 years on Dell's website)
1 year (up to 5 years on Dell's website)
1 year (up to 5 years on Dell's website)
Price (for SSD models)
The 13-inch model is definitely on the small side. So if you need portability, that's the one to go. This smaller model also uses a weaker graphics card, the upper mid-range NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M.
The bigger brothers 15, 17 and 18 have a variety of graphics card options, such as the high-end NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M, Dual AMD Radeon R9 M290X or Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M.
All the screens run at 1920 by 1080 pixels but the 15-inch model has an option for 3840 x 2160 resolution.
Again, get one with SSD.
The 18-inch is insanely heavy. Avoid that, please.
The warranty for Alienware is only 1 year. If you buy it through Dell's website, you get the option to extend your warranty, and also choose more customization.
Personally, I don't like the flashy design of the laptop body.
Surface Pro 3
This is a tablet laptop, one where you can draw on the screen.
Key specifications:
Screen: 12 inches, 2160 by 1440 pixels
Weight: 1.76lbs (800 grams)
Processor: i3, i5, i7 (Dual core 1.5Ghz - 1.9Ghz)
Storage: 64 - 512GB
RAM: 4 - 8GB
Comes with pressure sensitive stylus
I've invited a guest artist to review the Surface Pro 3 before and it's a review you should check out if you're interested in the ultimate portable laptop.
The downside of the Surface Pro 3 is the use of integrated HD Graphics (HD 4200, 4400, 5000). This means the unit is not as good at 3D performance compared to other laptops in this article.
One important thing to note is, the storage space indicated has not taken into account the OS which takes up 28GB (huge, I know). So getting the 64GB model means you only have 36GB of storage left.
The huge plus for the Surface Pro 3 is the ability to bring it everywhere and use it with comfort because it's so light (lightest amount all other laptops mentioned). At a moment's notice, you can just pack it up and go, fast.
Dell Precision Mobile Workstations
If you don't like Dell's flashy Alienware, then check out the Dell Precision Workstations. The Precision Workstation computers intended as workstations for CAD / Architecture / CG professionals, or as small-scale business servers.
Currently they have the four models M2800, M3800, M4800 and M6800.
Key specifications:
Model
M2800
M3800
M4800
M6800
Screen
15.6
15.6
15.6
15.6
Resolution
1366x768 or 1920x1080
1920x1080 or 3840x2160
1366x768 or 1920x1080 or 3200x1800
1600x900 or 1920x1080
Graphics card
AMD FirePro W4170M (2GB)
NVIDIA Quadro K1100M (2GB)
AMD FirePro M5100 Mobility Pro (2GB), NVIDIA Quadro K1100M (2GB), NVIDIA Quadro K2100M (2GB)
AMD FirePro M6100 Mobility Pro (2GB)
NVIDIA Quadro K3100M (4GB)
NVIDIA Quadro K4100M (4GB)
NVIDIA Quadro K5100M (8GB)
Processor
Dual 2.6Ghz to Quad 2.8Ghz
Dual 2.6Ghz to Quad 2.8Ghz
Dual 2.6Ghz to Quad 2.8Ghz
Dual 2.6Ghz to Quad 2.8Ghz
Storage
Up to 1TB SSD or 1TB HDD
Up to 1TB SSD or 1TB HDD
3 slots for 1TB SSD or 1TB HDD
4 slots for 1TB SSD or 1TB HDD
RAM
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Weight
5.64lbs / 2.56kg
5.64lbs / 2.56kg
6.35lbs; 2.88kg
7.86lbs; 3.57kg
Warranty
3-years/1-yr battery
3-years/1-yr battery
3-years/1-yr battery
3-years/1-yr battery
Warranty
Click to find out
Click to find out
Click to find out
Click to find out
They are available in either 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch screens. The graphics card in all the models are different.
It's best to get the 15.6-inch with upper mid-range AMD FirePro M5100 and above just because they are available as options in the M4800 and M6800. If you're getting lesser graphics card, then it might be better to the Lenovo W550s instead.
All the models sport the 1920x1080 resolution but the M3800 and M4800 has the QHD 3840x2160 and 3200x1800 resolutions available as options.
These laptops are quite heavy and start at 2.5kg and quite thick.
3 year warranty is provided for the Dell Precisions as compared to the 1 year for the Dell Alienware. It's best to get these laptops on Dell's website because there are many ways to customize them, and you also get to buy up to 5 years of warranty support.
Apple Macbook Pro with Retina Display
There are 13-inch and 15-inch Macbook Pro models and the price range mentioned above are for the 15-inch models. The 13-inch screen may be too small for graphics work.
Key specifications
Processor: Quad 2.2Ghz to 2.8Ghz
RAM: Up to 16GB
Graphics card: Intel Iris Pro Graphics ($1999 model), Intel Iris Pro Graphics and AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB GDDR5 memory ( $2499 model)
Storage: Up to 1TB Flash storage
Weight: 4.49lbs / 2kg
Screen: 15.4 inch, 2880 by 1800 pixels
Warranty: 1 year warranty with optional 2 extra years with Applecare purchase
The Intel Iris Pro 5200 in the $1999 model is a good graphics card. However, the $2499 model with both the Intel Iris Pro 5200 and AMD Radeon R9 M370X is a screamer. Both models are good for 3D work. For really complex 3D modeling and texture work, get the $2499 model.
The Macbook Pro screens are stunning. They are IPS panels backlit by LED. IPS screens have better colour accuracy and viewing angles. The screen resolution of 2880 by 1800 is also sweet because details will appear sharp.
As with Apple computers, the most important thing to do before buying is to check if the software you're using is supported on the Mac OS, and for 3D programs whether they are supported by the graphics card.
If this is the first time getting a Mac, note that files created by an application can be opened in the same application running on Windows. E.g. Photoshop for Mac files can be opened by Photoshop for Windows.
Apple computers only come with one year warranty. But you have the option to extend warranty with an additional 2 years. Last time I checked, the Applecare for the 15-inch Macbook Pro cost USD $349.
Aorus
Key specifications:
Model
X3 Plus
X3 Plus v3
X7
X7 v2
X7 Pro
Screen
13.9" QHD+ 3200x1800
13.9" QHD+ 3200x1800
17.3-inch Full HD 1920x1080
17.3-inch Full HD 1920x1080
17.3-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD
Graphics card
Intel® HD Graphics 4600 (i7-4710HQ)
Intel® HD Graphics 5200 (i7-4860HQ)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M GDDR5 6GB
Intel® HD Graphics 4600
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M GDDR5 6GB
NVIDIA GTX 765M SLI 4GB
NVIDIA GTX 860M SLI 8GB
NVIDIA® GTX 970M SLI 6GB
Processor
Intel® Core i7-4710HQ (2.5GHz-3.5GHz), i7-4860HQ (2.4GHz-3.6GHz)
Intel® Core i7-4710HQ (2.5GHz-3.5GHz)
Intel Core i7-4700HQ (2.4GHz-3.4GHz)
Intel Core i7-4860HQ (2.4GHz-3.6GHz)
Intel Core i7-4870HQ (2.5GHz-3.7GHz)
RAM
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 32GB
Up to 32GB
Up to 32GB
Storage
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
4 slots for SSD and/or HDD
4 slots for SSD and/or HDD
4 slots for SSD and/or HDD
Weight
1.8kg
1.8kg
3kg
3kg
3kg
Warranty
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year battery
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year battery
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year battery
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year battery
Warranty: 2 years / 1 year battery
Price
Click to find out
Click to find out
Click to find out
Click to find out
Click to find out
Marketed as gaming laptops, these are also among the more powerful laptops.
The various models offered by Aorus are X3, X3 Plus,X3 Plus v3, X7, X7 v2, X7 Pro.
X3 was left out because it's has a 13-inch screen. Sports a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M GDDR5 6GB by the way.
X3 Plus and X3 Plus v3 have 13.9-inch 3200x1800 screens. The graphics cards are NVIDIA GTX 870M and GTX 970M respectively. The GTX 870M is very good, and the GTX 970 is top of the line.
X7, X7 v2 and X7 Pro main difference would be in the graphics card. They are NVIDIA GTX 765M, GTX 860M and the GTX 970. These laptops all have 17.3-inch screens but their resolution is only 1920x1080, lower than that of the X3s' 13.9-inch models.
Razer Blade
These laptops are from the same makers as their popular Razer gaming computer mice. There are four models currently, the Razer Blade, Razer Blade Pro, New Razer Blade and New Razer Blade Pro.
Key specifications:
Models
Razer Blade
Razer Blade Pro
New Razer Blade
New Razer Blade Pro
Screen
14-inch LED backlit
17.3-inch LED backlit
14-inch LED backlit
17.3-inch LED backlit
Resolution
3200x1800 with capacitive multi-touch
1920x1080
3200x1800 with capacitive multi-touch
1920x1080
Graphics card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M (3GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M (2GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M (3GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M (4GB)
Storage
Up to 512SSD
Up to 512SSD
Up to 512SSD
Up to 512SSD
OS
Windows 8.1 (64-Bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-Bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-Bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-Bit)
Weight
4.47lbs / 2.03kg
6.76lbs / 3.07kg
4.47lbs / 2.03kg
6.76lbs / 3.07kg
Warranty
1 year
1 year
1 year
1 year
These are pretty powerful laptops as well. Even the lower end laptops have high-end graphics card like the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 870M.
The thing to note is the 14-inch models have higher resolutions than the 17.3-inch models.
ASUS
Key specifications:
Model
ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS74
ASUS ROG G751JY-DH71
ASUS ROG G751JY-DH72X
Screen
15.6-Inch IPS
17.3-Inch IPS
17.3-Inch IPS
Resolution
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
Graphics card
NVIDIA GTX 960M 2GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M 4GB
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M 4GB
RAM
16GB
24GB
32GB
Storage
128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
256 SSD + 1TB HDD
512 SSD + 1TB
Weight
6 lbs / 2.72kg
3.4kg
3.4kg
Warranty
1 years
1 years
1 years
Price
ASUS has a few notable laptops at really attractive prices. I've singled out the particular model ASUS ROG GL551JW-DS74 because this model has an 15.6-inch IPS screen and the storage has both 128GB SSD plus 1TB HDD.
The NVIDIA GTX 960M is a very decent mid-range graphics card. For a few hundred dollars more, you can upgrade to a 17.3-inch screen with the high-end GTX 980M.
MSi
MSi, the best gaming notebook provider, or so they say. Actually, they are very good indeed.
I've picked out a few laptops that caught my eye.
Model
MSI GE60 Apache Pro
MSI GS60
MSI GT60 Dominator Pro
MSI GS70
MSI GT72 Dominator Pro
Screen
15.6-inch
15.6-inch
15.6-inch
17.3-inch
17.3-inch
Resolution
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
2880 x 1620
1920 x 1080
1920 x 1080
Graphics card
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 960M (2GB)
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 860M (2GB)
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 880M (8GB)
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M (2GB)
NVIDIA Geforce GTX 980M (8GB)
Processor
Intel Core i7-4720HQ (Quad 2.6Ghz)
Intel Core i7-4700HQ (Quad 2.4Ghz)
Intel Core i7 4800MQ (Quad 2.7Ghz)
Intel Core i7-4700HQ (Quad 2.4Ghz)
Intel Core i7-4710HQ (Quad 2.5 GHz)
RAM
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 16GB
Up to 32GB
Up to 32GB
Storage
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
2 slots for SSD and/or HDD
Weight
2.6kg
1.96kg
3.5kg
2.66kg
3.9kg
Warranty
2 years warranty
2 years warranty
2 years warranty
2 years warranty
2 years warranty
Price
MSi laptops are on par with ASUS in most cases. The main difference is MSi backs their laptop with 2 years warranty (1 year global).
The Geforce GTX 960M, 860M are mid-range graphics card. Geforce GTX 880M and 980M are the high-end ones.
Conclusion
As you can probably see, there are lots of options.
My preference for choosing a laptop would be to have at least SSD for storage, an IPS panel with at least 1080P resolution and at least 2 years of warranty.
Anyway, I did not specifically single out any laptop because the work you do determines the laptop you should get.
As usual, check out more reviews on Amazon. All the links are provided for above.