Which is why we believe the Dell XPS 13 (9310) is the best laptop for design students running Windows on the market in 2021. There's no doubting that a high-spec XPS 15 outpunches an XPS 13 for graphic design work, but the extra spend required to bag the bigger laptop is considerable, and from our experience the powerful XPS 13 is more than enough for design students. The major caveat to an instant purchase is that the Dell XPS 15 also exists, which not only delivers a larger screen but also adds in the ability to upgrade the GPU to an even more powerful model from Nvidia. The whole screen is also coated with Corning Gorilla Glass, meaning that it's really tough to scratch or break. Colors are deep and vibrant, while detailing is super sharp. While a choice of both touch and non-touch 500 nits screens ranging in resolution from FHD+ (1920 x 1200 pixels) to UHD+ (3840 x 2400 pixels) means that any content displayed looks fantastic. With the latest 11th-gen Intel processors tucked in laptop's chassis, along with and up to 32GB of RAM and Intel's very capable Iris Xe graphics chip, this is a portable computer that's going to be able to handle every graphic design program going.

The best laptops for design studentsĪs we noted in our Dell XPS 13 (9310) review we found it to be powerful, rocking a great screen, supremely well built, and compact, too – which are all the qualities that make it a great laptop choice for design students. We feel that with one of these systems in your backpack, everything from taking notes in lectures to honing skills by creating are unlocked. There's a laptop for every design student's needs, including a fantastic budget option.

In this guide, we've found the best graphic design student laptops on the market today, including devices with macOS and Windows, as well as systems that offer touchscreens, dual-screens and 2-in-1 screens, too. That is why the list of laptops below costs a little bit more than most student laptops on the market today, but they'll typically last you throughout your university degree and beyond. These laptops need enough power and speed to run demanding graphic design applications such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as Autodesk 3ds Max. Similar to the best laptops for engineering students (opens in new tab), the best laptops for students studying design can't cut corners as strong core performance is absolutely crucial to their raison d'être.

Best laptop for graphic designers 2021