Best laptops for photographers

Trying to figure out which are the best laptops for photographers? Photo editing software can be pretty demanding, especially if you're working on high resolution raw files and utilizing advanced effects, so you'll want to make sure that you’re investing in a laptop that has all the makings of a powerful photo editing tool.

At the end of the day, the best laptops for photographers can rival traditional desktop hardware when it comes to raw horsepower. Additionally, unlike laptops of old, many boast pixel-perfect displays with stunning color, as well as wide contrast to keep highlight and shadow detail consistently visible.

We put together a list of the best laptops for photographers and photo editing for you. In this guide, we’ll go through all the best laptops and Ultrabooks that can help photographers, no matter which photo editors you’re using – whether it’s Adobe Photoshop or GIMP.

This 2019’s MacBook now boasts 8th-generation processors.

If you already love the MacBook Pro 13-inch’s design, and you’re just looking to swap your aging model to a more powerful one, then you’re in luck. This 2019’s MacBook now boasts 8th-generation processors, which makes also makes it a great upgrade if you’re tired of lugging around your 15-inch model. Unfortunately, you can no longer find a non-Touch Bar model, but with Apple adding more functionality to it, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. And, of course, Apple rounds it all out with that premium, surprisingly robust build and excellent battery life.

Apple's MacBook Pro 15-inch laptops are better and more powerful than ever.

With Apple having recently fitted its MacBook Pro 15-inch with Intel’s latest 9th-generation processors, these laptops are better and more powerful than ever, which means it’s just the ticket for demanding post-processing tasks. Of course, the fact that it boasts Touch ID and an improved Touch Bar, and is upgradeable to 4TB of SSD storage means that you can have a more seamless experience doing so. Although you will have to adjust to not having an SD card port and only two Thunderbolt 3, this is still one of the best laptops for photographers.

Razer took its famous gaming laptop and turned it into one of the best mobile creative workstations.

Razer’s idea of taking its famous gaming laptop and turning it into one of the best mobile creative workstations 2019 has to offer has paid off. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition takes the mantle from one of HP’s most powerful laptops as among the best laptops for photographers. Without a doubt, this model was designed with photographers – as well as video editors and game designers – in mind, rocking powerful graphics cards and an absolute stunner of a 4K display. You’ll be spending a lot of money to take this laptop home. But, make no mistake, it will be one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make.

Huawei MateBook X Pro comes packed with cutting edge components that allow it to perform brilliantly.

The Huawei MateBook X Pro has proved to be a truly brilliant contender to more established brands like Apple and Dell. This is a gorgeously-designed laptop with a stunning screen (albeit with a rather odd aspect ratio). Better yet, it comes packed with cutting edge components that allow it to perform brilliantly, and a battery life that runs rings around many of its rivals. It’s also competitively priced, giving you excellent features, design and performance for less. The combination of brilliant screen, powerful components and (relatively) affordable price makes this one of the best laptops for photographers.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) is definitely one of the best laptops for photographers.

The Surface Book 2 is Microsoft's followup to its popular 2-in-1 device, and it’s definitely one of the best laptops for photographers. With a full version of Windows 10 installed, it can run Photoshop with any issues. It comes with boosted components, and its screen remains gorgeous. Only Apple's marginally better colour calibration gives the MacBook's image quality the edge, but Microsoft fights back with a superior 3,000 x 2,000 resolution and an ideal aspect ratio for viewing APS-C and full-frame images. The screen's touch-sensitive, but its real party trick is its ability to detach from the rest of the laptop to become a tablet. It's a shame that the Surface Pen stylus doesn't come included, as we'd definitely recommend buying for your photo editing sessions.

Dell XPS 15's impressive specifications mean it will keep up with all your edits.

One of our top favorite laptops here at TechRadar must be Dell’s XPS line, thanks to their gorgeous displays and powerful components inside. So, it isn’t surprising that the Dell XPS 15 for 2019 has made it to yet another list. There’s not much redesign here beyond Dell finally fixing that awful webcam placement, thank goodness, but as they say, if it isn’t broken… What matters here are the innards, and this laptop’s definitely got power with those 9th-generation Intel Core processors leading the charge. If you’re looking to invest in one of the best laptops for photographers, this is definitely an affordable one to consider.

Dell XPS 13 boasts a similar resolution and pixel density to the MacBook and Surface Book.

This laptop's claim to fame is being the smallest 13.3-inch laptop on the market. It's slim screen bezel helps contribute to a svelte 304mm x 200mm x 15mm form that needs to be held to be truly appreciated. But it’s also among the best laptops for photographers. The XPS 13's screen is touch-sensitive, and it boasts a similar resolution and pixel density to the MacBook and Surface Book. Image quality is more in line with the ZenBook though, falling slightly short on colour and contrast intensity compared to Apple and Microsoft's displays. A highly portable package with little compromise other than battery life.

HP Spectre x360 (2019) takes things to another level, power-wise.

Sartorially-conscious photographers will love the look of this 13-inch stunner, sure. But the 2019 Spectre x360 also takes things to another level, power-wise. With its gem cut design and sleek profile, it’s this one of the most beautiful laptops on the market right now. However, HP also fitted this with powerful Intel Whiskey Lake processors and long battery life, which means that you’re getting one of the best laptops for photographers.

Lenovo Yoga C930 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptops to date.

Sleek, slim and with solid specs to boot, the new Lenovo Yoga C930 not only deserves to be voted one of the best 2-in-1 laptops to date, but it’s also a worthy addition in our best laptops for photographers list. That’s without mentioning the fact that it now touts a 4K display model, which is just excellent for editing those high resolution full-frame shots. This 2-in-1 is a strong contender for photographers on the budget, but if you do decide to go for gold, you might have to break the bank.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 boasts updated hardware that brings solid performance upgrades.

While it doesn't represent a huge improvement of the original Surface Laptop, the Surface Laptop 2 offers enhancements in all the areas we were hoping for, including updated hardware that brings solid performance upgrades. This is a laptop that finally delivers on what Microsoft set out to do with the original: a pure, powerful Windows 10 laptop experience. If you're not sold on the 2-in-1 nature of the Surface Book 2, but love Microsoft's premium build quality and design, then the Surface Laptop 2 is the laptop for you, especially if you’re looking for the best laptops for photographers.