You are going to come across various specifications and requirements when you decide to buy a laptop for graphic designing. Buying a laptop for graphic designing is not that easy since designers need to use heavy software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, and deal with heavy files and imagery that take up a lot of space on their system. Moreover, these same files can also require better resolutions and a powerful system that won’t hinder their quality and the last thing any designer needs is a lagging laptop that does not offer a smooth and seamless experience.

Investing in a good quality setup and equipment such as your laptop and a GPU can be good in the long term. If you are also looking for a new laptop for either kickstarting your graphic designing career or want to replace an older one, there are many important factors to take into consideration.

GPU

GPU stands for graphics processing unit. This part of your laptop is responsible for buffering, loading and presenting any type of graphical image or video on your screen. The better the graphics card or the GPU is, the better visuals you can expect. These cards also have capacity limitations. Generally, most laptops come with a pre-installed GPU that has around 2 gigabytes already. However, these are more suitable for light usage and not for pro-level graphic designing tasks. If you can spend a little more, then upgrade to a 4 gigabit GPU instead.

For graphic design, people recommend using graphics cards by Nivida over AMD. The best GPU you will find in the market for this purpose is the Quadro RTX 5000 with a memory of 16GB and a future-proof USB-C port. For a budgeted but a well-performing choice, you can opt for the GeForce RTX 3070 that will provide you with a memory of 8GB and a solid design at a good price.

Resolution and display

The display size and type can play an imperative role in your journey as a graphic designer. There are now Ultra HD and 4k resolution screens and displays available that allow you to work with high resolution imagery and visuals. However, the resolution and display size you choose will depend highly on your usage and purpose.

Generally speaking, a laptop display of 13 inch might not be appropriate since the visuals will not be large enough to focus on the details. A 15-inch display sounds like the best option for all levels of graphic design work. However, if you want to go higher, a 17 inch would also do. Remember that as the size of the display increases, so does the overall size and weight of the laptop. Consequently, you might not be very comfortable in carrying the laptop around. If you plan on using it in one place or on your work desk, then a 17-inch display size would do well for you.

In terms of resolution, advanced technology has actually made 4k resolutions very common and readily available. It is highly recommended to go for a high resolution one because that is all you will see in the near future. Starting from YouTube videos to Netflix streaming, 4K resolutions are becoming common day by day.

Heat dissipation

As a graphic designer, you will be spending extensive time on your laptop. This might over heat the laptop. However, technology has a solution for that too. Cheaper quality laptops often lack a good heat dissipation function, or have less number of fans and ventilation points, which overheats them quickly. Since you already know your work will require loading large files and software, for long durations, look for a laptop that has a good fan system. Chances are that you will be using the laptop as it sits on your lap, this can be dangerous and uncomfortable if the system heats up quickly. You can also attach laptop or computer externally to solve this problem.

While you spend your time and money to buy accessories, make sure to complement your laptop with a good internet connection. You can subscribe to Mediacom internet packages from Buytvinternetphone for a seamless experience.

Last Note

The aforementioned factors can help you make an informed and wise decision. There are plenty of brands like Dell and HP that offer a wide range of laptops, starting from budgeted to high end products. You can also check out many reviews and tutorials that share the experience of graphic design with 2-in-1 laptops that turn into laptops. Check out if such hybrid laptops are a good choice for you, since they can be used as tablets for drawings and illustrations as well. There are many such tutorials on the internet you can use to polish your skills too.