7 Best Budget Laptops for Photoshop
Geekyslug is supported by its readers. We independently analyze, test, review, and recommend the latest tech products—learn more about our process. When you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Photoshop is the most famous software for giving a professional touch to photos. It is a designer’s first choice, and the primary reason behind it is its timely updates, tons of features, and ease of use.
Today, many people are turning towards designing and choosing it as a full-time career, if you too are one of them and looking for the best budget laptop for photoshop, then you are on the right page.
Many of my friends are full-time graphic designers, and while creating a list of the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, I took their help to make it perfect for my readers. Therefore, in this article, we will be reviewing our handpicked list of best laptops for photoshop.
But before that, let’s have a look at the system requirements of Adobe Photoshop.
7 Best Budget Laptops for Photoshop
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best under Budget  | Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop
| 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon |
 | MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop
| 9.5 | Check Price on Amazon |
Ultra Thin Laptop  | Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 Creator Laptop
| 9.1 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best for Multitasking  | ASUS TUF Dash 15 (2021) Ultra Slim Gaming Laptop
| 8.8 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best Overall  | 2020 Apple MacBook Air Laptop
| 8.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
Best under Budget  | Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop
| 8.2 | Check Price on Amazon |
Budget friendly  | HP Pavilion Gaming 15-Inch Laptop
| 8 | Check Price on Amazon |
1. Acer Nitro 5 AN515-55-53E5 Gaming Laptop
- 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM)
- Full HD detail on the 15.6" LED-backlit IPS display
- 144Hz refresh rate and 80% screen-to-body
- 8GB DDR4 2933MHz Memory ; 256GB NVMe SSD
- Up to 11 hours of Battery Life
The first laptop that strikes my mind when thinking of a budget laptop for photoshop is Acer Nitro 5 AN515. The key reason why this laptop wins the topmost place in our list is its affordability and specifications.
There are only a few laptops under $800 that offer an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, which is a solid component for designers. It really astonishes me that Acer managed to provide a powerful GPU at such a price.
Moreover, this laptop comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H processor, so there’s not going to be an issue with the CPU as well. The 8GB DDR4 is good enough for multitasking, but I strongly recommend you to upgrade your RAM and storage once your laptop’s warranty period is over.
256GB NVMe SSD makes it more efficient, solving slow boots problems and increasing read write speed. If you think the storage is low, which actually is, then there’s no problem in getting it upgraded.
I own this laptop, and honestly speaking, the build quality could have been better, but looking at its affordability and specifications, build quality is not a big problem.
Pros
- Powerful GPU & CPU
- Affordable and Feature packed
- Easy to upgrade
- Acer cool boost technology (no need to buy cooling stands anymore)
Cons
- Less storage
- Mediocre build quality
2. MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop
- 15.6” 144hz display
- 11th Gen. Intel Core i7 processor
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- MSI’s exclusive Cooler Boost Technology
- Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.0.
The next best budget laptop for photoshop is MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop. This laptop has won the hearts of several game developers and designers who desire a stylish laptop with powerful specifications.
MSI stealth 15M’s strongest feature is its display quality. Sporting a 15.6″ 144Hz FHD 1080p display, it makes true-to-life images that are ideal for photoshop users and illustrators as well.
The 11th gen Intel Core i7-11375H guarantees a strong performance under the hood, backed by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 and 16GB DDR4 RAM along with 512GB SSD storage.
This set of specifications is extremely good for photoshop, video editing, music production, and gaming. Look-wise, this laptop is in carbon gray color, which surely makes it appealing, and one cannot avoid the beautifully designed backlit keyboard as well.
Furthermore, this best laptop for photoshop also has Thunderbolt 4 and USB 4.0, both of these are modern ports and offer high data transfer speed. If you are looking for a laptop that lasts longer, MSI Stealth 15 should be your number 1 choice.
Pros
- Solid specifications
- Beautiful display
- Backlit keyboard
Cons
- No ethernet port
3. Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 Creator Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor with Zen 3 Core Architecture
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU
- 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Widescreen LED-backlit 100% sRGB display
- 300 nits brightness and 16:9 aspect ratio
- 16GB LPDDR4X memory (maximum 16GB); 512GB NVMe SSD
Moving ahead to another best budget laptop for photoshop, Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6 made it to the list for multiple reasons. The first reason is its notebook kind of look, which makes it easy to carry and even pack it inside a normal-sized backpack.
Secondly, the 14″ Full HD 100% sRGB display is really good for photoshop and illustrator users. Under the hood, there’s an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U CPU and NVIDIA RTX 3050Ti GPU, which again, is a solid combination for high-speed rendering, and intense work.
A big round of applause to Acer for providing 16GB LPDDR4X and 512GB SSD storage, which contributes a lot to fast boot time, multitasking, and copy-pasting speed. Furthermore, this laptop has Amazon Alexa support as well and is considered the best laptop for photoshop.
It has a Wi-Fi 6 card, that adds a lot to the internet speed and connection stability, you can quickly download photoshop or any other software in a few minutes. Please note, there is no laptop with photoshop included, you will have to buy Adobe Photoshop from its official site.
Pros
- Slim and sleek design
- Top-notch specifications
- Portable
Cons
- The keyboard could’ve been better
4. ASUS TUF Dash 15
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
- Intel Core i7-11370H processor
- 15.6” 144Hz IPS-Type Full HD display with adaptive sync
- 8GB DDR4 RAM | 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- Backlit Precision Gaming Keyboard
- 0.8” thin, 4.4 lbs ultraportable form-factor
Asus TUF Dash 15 is one of the finest gaming laptops on this list. It is also a contender on our list of best budget laptop for photoshop. If you are a gamer and an active live streamer looking for the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, you can consider this as a choice.
This laptop offers Intel Core i7-11370H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti along with an 8GB DDR4 memory and 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. Similar to Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S6, this laptop also offers WiFi 6, ensuring connection stability and better ping.
Coming to the design, this best budget laptop for photoshop comes in a bright Eclipse Grey Color, and sports a backlit keyboard with distinctive WASD keys, making it a stylish gaming laptop ever.
Furthermore, it has a 15.6” 144Hz FHD display, ideal for designers, animators, and gamers of course. If you ever feel bored while creating designs for your client, you can play games like Valorant, GTAV, world of warcraft, SIMS 4, and Minecraft on this laptop.
Overall, this is one of the best laptop for photoshop on this list, and if you have ever owned an Asus laptop, you’ll surely love to purchase it.
Pros
- Stylish and durable
- Solid configuration
- 144hz display refresh rate
Cons
- A bit heavy
5. Apple MacBook Air Laptop
- 18 hours of battery life.
- Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU
- 8GB of unified memory
- 13.3” Retina display
- 100% recycled aluminum enclosure
Next on the list is none other than one of the most selling laptops on Amazon. Apple Macbook Air is the best budget laptop for photoshop for several good reasons. It sports a 13” Retina Display offering color accuracy, ideal for photoshop users.
Another top feature of this best budget laptop for photoshop is its M1 chipset, an 8-core CPU that delivers up to 3.5x faster rendering and processing. Apple offers better processing speed and has a solid memory optimization system as compared to other operating systems.
Furthermore, it offers 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage space, which is sufficient for tasks like video and photo editing. This laptop is also good for Ableton and FL studio users, so don’t assume that only designers can buy this laptop.
Other than this, you also get access to other Apple features like facetime, touch id, and cloud backup. If you already own an Apple iPhone or iPad, Macbook will be a good fit for your setup.
The build quality is superb and so is the design, after all, it is an Apple product. This is surely one of the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, but if you wish to go for high storage and more RAM, you will have to spend a few more dollars.
Pros
- Apple’s support
- M1 Chipset offering better CPU performance
- Retina display
Cons
- The display size is only 13 inches
- Less storage
6. Lenovo Legion 5 Gaming Laptop
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor
- 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB NVMe SSD storage
- Includes free 3-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
- 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display
- Legion TrueStrike keyboard with 4-zone RGB backlight
Lenovo Legion 5 is a famous laptop segment of the company. The true reason behind its success is good thermals and strong build quality. While curating this list of best budget laptop for photoshop, we couldn’t afford to neglect it.
Under the hood, it is powered by AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti, a solid hardware combination for the best laptop for photo editing on a budget.
Additionally, it comes with a 3-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate giving you access to over 100 high-quality PC games. You’ll definitely enjoy editing images and playing games on this laptop’s display.
The laptop has a 4-zone RGB backlight keyboard, and it looks really beautiful from every angle. There are all types of modern ports soldered to this laptop, enhancing connectivity.
Lastly, if you trust Lenovo, and have previously purchased a Lenovo laptop, you should definitely consider buying this best laptop for photoshop.
Pros
- The latest version of windows
- Good display
- Better thermals and ventilation
- Value for money
Cons
- Quite heavy
7. HP Pavilion Gaming 15-Inch Laptop
- 9th Generation intel i5-9300h Processor
- GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR5 dedicated)
- 15.6-Inch diagonal FHD IPS Anti-Glare backlit Display
- 12 GB DDR4-2400 SDRAM
- 512 GB intel solid-state drive Plus 32 GB intel optane Memory
- Bios recovery and protection
HP is known for its high-end gaming laptops, and peripherals. It is a renowned brand in the market, and HP Pavilion Gaming 15-Inch Laptop is one of the best budget laptop for photoshop.
It features an Intel Core i5-9300H CPU, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, which is considered good for photoshop and gaming on medium settings. However, 12GB RAM, 512GB SSD pretty much balances the performance of the laptop.
This best laptop for photo editing on a budget is also good for 1080P video editing and running unreal engine. You can also upgrade the RAM and storage later. The build quality is solid, and you won’t face any difficulties while doing your daily tasks on this laptop.
Pros
- More RAM
- Good for beginners
- Attractive design
Cons
- CPU could’ve been better
Things to consider while buying a budget laptop for photoshop.
Display
When looking for the best cheap laptop for photoshop, the display is one of the most important factors to consider. You want a laptop with a high-resolution display that will give you plenty of detail when editing your photos.
On top of that, you’ll also want a display that has good color reproduction and viewing angles, so you can see your photos accurately from any angle.
Processor
The processor is another important factor to consider when choosing a laptop for photoshop. You’ll want a processor that is powerful enough to handle the demanding tasks of photo editing, such as rendering and processing images.
You don’t need the latest and greatest processor, but you should aim for something that is at least a couple of generations old.
This will help keep the cost of the laptop down while still providing enough power to handle most photo editing tasks.
Storage
When it comes to storage, you’ll want plenty of space to store your photos, both in the computer’s internal storage and on an external drive.
If you’re working with high-resolution photos, you’ll need a lot of space to store them all. It’s also a good idea to get a laptop with a fast solid-state drive (SSD), as this will help speed up the loading times of your photos.
Graphics card
The graphics card is another important factor to consider when choosing a laptop for photo editing. You’ll want a graphics card that is capable of handling the intense graphics processing required for photo editing. If you’re not sure what type of graphics card you need, just consider choosing any of the laptops listed above.
Battery life
When looking for a laptop to use for photo editing, you’ll also want to consider the battery life.
Laptops with a good battery life will allow you to work on your photos for longer without having to worry about the battery running out.
You should aim for a laptop with at least a six-hour battery life, but preferably more.
These are just a few of the things to consider when choosing a laptop for photo editing.
By taking these factors into account, you’ll be able to find a laptop that is perfect for your needs and within your budget.
Verdict
There are hundreds of laptops available in the market, but finding the best laptop for photoshop under a strict budget can be a bit confusing because of so many choices. In this article, we helped you out by picking the best budget laptop for photoshop, video editing, and even gaming.
If I were in your place and have to choose the best cheap laptop for photoshop, I’ll definitely pick MSI Stealth 15M Gaming Laptop, the reason being its design and specifications.
Its GPU and CPU are powerful for modern-day software, and tasks. But after all, the laptop you buy should be the one that fulfills your requirements. And that being said, I bid adieu.
By Sam Rhodes
Hi, I’m Sam Rhodes, a passionate tech reviewer, and gamer. I started Geekyslug with the motive of sharing my knowledge about tech gadgets like gaming laptops, tablets, graphic cards, keyboards, and whatnot.
I also share troubleshooting guides, helping people resolve issues with their gadgets. When I’m not writing, I prefer playing Valorant, Call of duty, GTA5 or outdoor activities like skateboarding and off-roading on my bike.
