Photographers who labor over a photo's every pixel require a machine with speedy performance, a decent graphics card and a fast hard drive. Of course, a beautiful display capable of accurately reproducing a wide range of colors is another must. Using these criteria, we put together a list of the best photo-editing laptops. Here are the best of the best.
There is no better laptop for video-editing than HP's Spectre x360 15. The highlight of this machine is a 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display that is exceptionally vivid and blindingly bright. That panel is the only thing that will take your eyes off the Spectre x360 15's elegant chassis, which looks like something only the rich and famous could afford.
Photographers will also appreciate that the laptop's discrete MX150 GPU offers enough graphics oomph to run demanding photo-editing programs with some help from a Core i7-8565U CPU. And the keyboard on the Spectre x360 15 is one of the best around.
Lenovo took a chance with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the first metal ThinkPad, and it paid off. While we still love the signature matte-black carbon-fiber found on most ThinkPads, the aluminum and magnesium ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a gorgeous change of pace.
Not only does it have a slim design, but this convertible 2-in-1 flaunts a bright display. Oh, and you get a best-in-class keyboard and long battery life. You also get loads of extra goodies, like a built-in stylus slot and webcam cover.
The HP ZBook Studio x360 G5's 15.6-inch 4K display is extremely detailed and vibrant. Coupled with blistering workstation-class performance, this beastly machine is an excellent option for photo editors who need the most powerful setup to run demanding programs. Better yet, the x360 G5 has a rugged chassis for those times you're out in the field, and its lengthy battery life means you don't need to stay near an outlet.
The x360 G5 can be configured with premium components, including an Intel Xeon E-2186M CPU (with Quadro P1000 graphics), 32GB of RAM, and two 2TB SSDs. (We suggest photo editors opt for the 4K touch screen over the FHD model.)
The slim Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had to be practically perfect to dethrone HP's excellent Spectre x360 13 -- and it is. Dell's newest flagship 2-in-1 packs strong performance thanks to its 10th Gen Intel Ice Lake processors. Battery life is also fantastic. On top of that, you get a unique 13.4-inch (16:10 aspect ratio) display that is bright and vivid.
Editor's Note: Not sure you need a convertible 2-in-1? The clamshell XPS 13 is also an outstanding laptop with a gorgeous 4K display.
Our favorite detachable just got even better with the Surface Pro 6, which significantly improves battery life and performance when compared to its predecessors. Now equipped with a quad-core CPU, the 2-in-1 can run Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom without breaking a sweat. The 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1823 resolution display is everything a photo editor could ask for — it's bright, vivid and accurate. You'll have to buy the Surface Pen and the Type Cover separately, but they add a ton of functionality to this lightweight (1.7 pounds) tablet.
Photographers who want the benefits of a business laptop should look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme. The 15.6-inch laptop takes everything we love about the ThinkPad series to the next level. It has an excellent keyboard, tons of security features and a wide range of ports, all included in a sleek, durable chassis. And while its battery life could be better, the X1 Extreme is one of the fastest laptops ever. But the crown jewel of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme is its jaw-dropping 4K HDR display.
Gaming laptops are inherently great for photo editing. Why? Because they come with discrete graphics, which is a major perk when you're running GPU-intensive programs like Photoshop. An excellent balance of price and performance, the Lenovo Legion Y7000 is the best gaming laptop for photo editing— at least, for most people. The Y7000 sports a vivid 15.6-inch, 1080p display and its keyboard is up to the quality that we expect from Lenovo.
The latest HP Envy 13 is an excellent all-around laptop that has a sleek, stylish aluminum chassis, fast performance and plenty of battery life (on the 1080p model). The Envy 13 is a cheaper alternative to the Dell XPS 13, but offers some features Dell doesn't, including a webcam kill switch and a unique elevated hinge.
You haven't seen a good laptop display until you've feasted your eyes on the OLED panel gracing the Dell XPS 15. With exceptional brightness and color reproduction, this pricey upgrade is a photographer's dream. The 15.6-inch laptop gives you tons of power to run even the most demanding photo-editing software, all packaged in a chassis that can be easily transported from shoot to shoot.
When photographers touch-up their pictures, they need to see every last detail, which is why the editing is often done on a massive monitor. But how can you get the same precision when you're on the go? Meet the LG Gram 17, a remarkably portable laptop with excellent battery life and a large, high-resolution 17-inch display.
How portable is it really? Get this: the Gram 17 fits a 17-inch display into a featherweight 3-pound chassis that's about the size of a 15-inch laptop. Another reason photographers will love the Gram 17 is for its display. The laptop's bright and vivid panel has a resolution of 2560 x 1600, and its unique 16:10 aspect ratio lets you see more content at once without scrolling.
Asus' ZenBook Pro Duo is unlike any laptop we've ever tested. Instead of having just one display, the Duo flaunts a primary 15.6-inch, 4K OLED display along with a secondary 14-inch, 4K panel on the deck. The dual displays are great for multi-tasking, and allow photographers to move their tools onto another screen while keeping their main canvas clear of any clutter. Combine those gorgeous displays with fast performance and adequate cooling, and it's easy to see why the ZenBook Pro Duo is one of the best laptops for photographers.
