Best
laptops for photo editing Windows Central 2022
The best Windows laptops for photo editing all have strong, modern processors, plenty of RAM, and solid-state storage, and a high-res screen that can accurately display the photos you’re working on. That cuts out a lot of even the most popular PCs on the market, making it harder to choose properly. We’ve rounded up a bunch of the best photo editing laptops right here to help you get the right device.
Best convertible PC: HP Spectre x360 14
Editor’s choice
HP’s Spectre x360 14 is arguably the best convertible on the market today, and it can handle photo editing thanks to the 3000×2000 (3K2K) touch OLED display with anti-reflective finish, 400 nits brightness, and the ability to swap between color profiles as needed. The 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 2TB of M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD storage space gives you plenty of overhead.
Does it all: Surface Laptop Studio
Staff pick
The Surface Laptop Studio combines the best of notebook and tablet PCs, resulting in a workstation-style PC with a touch display that can fold forward and down for a unique experience. Its H-series Intel CPUs and discrete NVIDIA GPUs deliver a lot of performance, while the 14.4-inch 2400×1600 screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB and 88% DCI-P3 color, 500+ nits brightness, and Dolby Vision.
Huge display: Dell XPS 17 (9710)
Can’t live with anything less than 17 inches? The XPS 17 (9710) can deliver, with its 16:10 display with UHD+ resolution, 94% DCI-P3 color, 500 nits brightness, HDR400, and Dolby Vision support. It’s a premium laptop built to a high standard, with tons of great features like Thunderbolt 4 and a massive battery. It’s powered by 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs, up to 4TB of M.2 PCIe SSD storage space, and 32GB of RAM.
As light as they come: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
The lightest business Ultrabook (2.12 pounds or 962g) brings a 13-inch display with 2160×1350 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio, 100% sRGB color, Dolby Vision, and up to 450 nits brightness. With plenty of security options, 11th Gen Intel Core performance, and one of the best keyboards around, this is a great option for professionals. Note that the X1 Nano (Gen 1) is set to be succeeded by the Gen 2 model in April 2022.
For gamers: Razer Blade 15
The Razer Blade 15 is our top pick when it comes to the best gaming laptops, but its high-end hardware and display options also excel at photo editing. The 15.6-inch displays go up to a UHD resolution, with 100% DCI-P3 and sRGB color, HDR support, and plenty of brightness. If you want to game and edit photos, the Blade 15 has the right hardware to accommodate your needs.
Thin, light, 15 inches: Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 sort of sits alone in that it’s a thin and light 15-inch convertible. It has good battery life, strong performance, comfy keyboard and large touchpad, and top-end inking. The 15.6-inch AMOLED display is gorgeous, with 100% sRGB, 85% AdobeRGB, and 96% DCI-P3 color with HDR 500 and about 300 nits brightness.
Try to go with a 10th, 11th, or 12th Gen Intel Core mobile CPU or AMD Ryzen 4000 or 5000 mobile CPU, as well as 16GB of RAM and M.2 PCIe NVMe storage. You also want a screen with a high resolution (1080p will do but higher is always better), accurate color reproduction, and enough brightness to work in well-lit spaces. A discrete GPU isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can help in some applications. These are similar requirements as for our best laptops for video editing.
The HP Spectre x360 14 is our top pick thanks to a gorgeous 3K2K OLED display with accurate color, flawless design, high-end performance, plenty of ports, and a competitive price. If it’s not quite what you’re looking for, the Surface Laptop Studio with fold-down touch display brings a unique design, lots of performance, and a gorgeous screen with accurate color reproduction.
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