5 Specs To Look For When Buying The Best Graphic Design Laptop For Yourself

Has this happened to you? You set yourself a reasonable budget and explore laptops online only to find that all you will get is either a refurbished laptop or one that is fit for normal stuff not designing. You then come across really cool laptops with amazing specs and the price just burns your heart.

You know the struggle of buying a laptop, specifically for designing purpose, when you experience the process of research. Oh yes, it is not just time consuming but a hit on the head every time you’re close to buying a laptop but that one review kills your purchase program. Trust me, I can relate to this because I went through the same scuffle. There were times I felt like wishing for a magical beanstalk without the monster but with the gold coins. This said, it’s not just about money, it’s about performance and whether or not a laptop meets your needs.

Before I tell you about the right specs for a laptop for graphic designers, let us take a look at the top brands that have set high standard in the industry.

Apple, Dell or HP – Take Your Pick

The first struggle is to figure out which brand works for you. If you’re among the Crazy Rich Asians list then Apple is a great buy but if that isn’t your lifestyle then go with either Dell or HP. Most of the people I have talked to recommend Dell laptops for graphic design but then some want beauty with brains and that is when HP comes into picture.

Once you have decided the brand you will go with, it is time to drill your mind with the specs. When you go online you see a ton of things listed for a single laptop and I know it feels like banging your head on a wall.

But no worries. Here are the top specs you need to pay attention to.

1) What’s to Remember?

Last thing you want is that your laptop just isn’t able to store your graphic design work because the files are too heavy for its memory. You can save your designs in an external hard drive but there are always some things you need within a clicks reach. However, you don’t want the laptop to break with the load.

The one thing that got the best of our gaga were giga bytes and when we understood the higher up you go the better, a new technology punched us in the face. Do you know the difference between HDD and SSD?

No, they’re not spies but types of storage devices. They stand for Hard-Disk Drive and Solid State Drive, respectively. According to Avast, HDD is an “old-school storage device that uses mechanical platters and a moving read/write head to access data.” It sort of looks like the vintage vinyl record player.

For one thing, an SSD is smarter in looks than HDD and it works faster too. There are no moving parts in this storage device instead, data is stored in non-volatile microchips. It sort of looks like a big USB.

So, when you are buying a good laptop for your graphic work you should opt for one with SSD because it is more powerful, dependable and speedy. Get a 256 to 512 SSD because anything under isn’t going to be fun.

Takeaway: If you want both great storage and speed then go with SSD.

2) Trust The Core

Nope… i3, i5 and i7 are not another line of products by Apple. These are actually versions of processors within a central processing unit, introduced by Intel, whereby i3 is the least impressive and i7 is the latest with an option for multiple cores.

If you are not a techie then this piece of information probably shot your brain cells.

Yeah, that happens. There are so many jargons you have to search for and then understand to make the right choice. After much research, I figured i3 is not for graphic design. Then I came to the conclusion that i5 and i7 are somewhat the same except i7 offers you a number of options to upgrade. Then I was left with i7 but I had to decide a lot in that too.

To make things better for you, stick to i7 if you are looking for the best. Know that it will cost more so don’t be stingy. If that is bothering you then get i5 but look out for the generation.

I’ll discuss that in the next point.

Takeaway: Aim for the i7 and if not then don’t go under i5

Just in case you need a break from this, take a vacation to a dream destination for designers. It will freshen up your entire-self.

3) What’s My Processing Unit?

Yeah, before I start from the “generation” point, let us first figure out the difference between a CPU and a GPU. Don’t worry, you won’t end up in the ICU after this.

In case you don’t know what they mean literally: CPU stands for central processing unit, and a GPU is graphical processing unit. GPU helps in rendering high resolution videos and images much faster, while a CPU is good at handling multiple tasks but not the ones that are graphically heavy.

When buying a laptop for graphic designing, make sure you have a graphics card installed in it. Most laptops have two gigabytes but if you can manage to spend more then go with the four gigabytes one. I won’t go into which brand is better because this depends on your preference.

Takeaway: Don’t buy a laptop that doesn’t have a graphics card, and make sure you pick the right brand.

4) Keeping it Cool

The last thing you want is to buy a laptop to get hot. There is no room for heating up when you are working on a client’s project. Be careful not to burn your lap. In case you end up with such a device then buy a laptop fan to solve this problem.

Also make sure you pick a laptop that doesn’t make noise. Buy a motorbike for the vroom sound. It annoys you and distracts your attention. Heat and fan are two factors related to this but there are other reasons too.

Takeaway: if you want both great storage and speed then go with SSD.

5) Get Your RAM Right

The worst experience in designing is when your device lags and updates constantly. In fact, your software crashes after every few minutes because your laptop was not brave enough to carry the weight of two programs running at the same time or it was not able to stick around when you started using plugins and effects. That’s a pain worth pulling your hair out for.

To avoid that from happening make sure the internal memory of your laptop is at least 16 GB or if you can afford then get a 32 GB one.

Takeaway: Don’t compromise on the speed. If 16 GB costs you a lot then don’t go under 8 GB.

Last Advice

Don’t stick to online research. Get up from your couch and head out to explore the physical markets. If you like a laptop then stick to that one, because if you will restart your research then you will be stuck in a whirlpool.

And once you are done with the research, bought your laptop, you have other graphic designer woes to deal with.

Well, good luck! Hope you find your laptop that suits your needs.

All Gifs Source: giphy.com

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