What is The Best Budget Photo Editing Laptop? 7 Options
Photo editors expect the best performance from their laptops to ensure smooth workflow. While overall quality is considered when it comes to editing, there are specifications that are more important than others.
Before we move on to the list of best budget photo editing laptop devices, let’s understand what you should look for in your laptop.
1. Display
The photo editing laptop that you pick must have a larger display. The screen should display colors in the right manner with the right balance of vibrance and brightness. The bigger your screen resolution, the better. If your work involves editing videos, the refresh rate will matter. A higher refresh rate will give you a smoother video which means a smooth editing process.
2. Processor
The CPU of your computer is a component that keeps the processes running. Being a photo editor, you will need to run resource-demanding apps like Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop to enhance an image and do other editing and post-processing work. To ensure the smooth working of these apps, you need an excellent processor such as an Intel Core i5 minimum or Intel Core i7 if your budget allows.
3. Storage
Your images consume a lot of space on storage media. One thing worth considering is that photo editors need to keep two versions of each image – the original and the edited ones. So, you would need a large storage volume that can accommodate bulk files. While a 500 GB SSD is a minimum requirement, you can consider buying 1 TB.
4. RAM
With more RAM, you will be able to edit your images and videos even faster. Laptops with a higher memory size allow you to edit your videos seamlessly. Having a minimum of 8 GB RAM is recommended; however, the higher you go, the better. Again, the selection of RAM volume in your photo editing laptop depends on your budget and personal preferences.
5. Battery
The battery plays a vital role in deciding productivity levels when you are working away from home. An excellent laptop can give you long hours of uninterrupted performance; you can expect a standby time of 8 to 10 hours on a single charge. However, you must carry your laptop’s charger along even if you have good battery life.
Budget Laptops for Image Editors
Let’s now move on to the list of budget photo editing laptop models you can buy for enhancing images and videos smoothly.
1. Lenovo Ideapad 3i
One of the best value laptops available for photo editors is the Lenovo Ideapad 3i, and the credit goes to the lightweight build, ease of use, and overall specifications. Since the display is an important attribute, you get 1920X1080 FHD resolution. Other than that, it features an Intel Core i5 processor that can give you a max frequency of 4.2 GHz.
2. Acer Aspire
Acer is known to offer the best affordable laptops with top-notch specifications, designs, and features. For photo editing professionals with budget constraints, Acer Aspire 5 can be the best pick. The 15.6” display and approximately 3.97 pounds weight make it a good option for freelancers. As for the battery, you get 8 to 10 hours of backup, which is sufficient.
3. Lenovo Legion 5
For creative professionals who are also fond of gaming, Lenovo Legion 5 makes a difference. With a rigid design, this laptop looks durable. The specifications include an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU with 8 cores along with a base clock speed of 3.3 GHz. Plus, you get 512GB NVMe SSD, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti GPU.
4. Acer Predator Helios 300
If you are looking for an all-rounder designed with robust material, go with Acer Predator Helios 300. The 15” screen size, the resolution is 1920X1080 pixels while the refresh rate sits at 144Hz. It integrates an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060. Plus, you get 512 GB SSD and 16 GB RAM, so faster storage is promised.
5. Microsoft Surface (1st Gen)
Photo editors who want a touch-optimized interface can buy Microsoft Surface. Touch screen means you can use Photoshop more creatively and intuitively on your laptop using Surface Pen. Microsoft Surface 1st Gen may be available at an affordable price; you can also consider Surface 3 if you have a premium budget.
6. Apple MacBook Air
Probably the thinnest laptop you can ever buy, with the best performance benefits. Being a photographer or a photo editing expert, you need dynamism to run resource-consuming apps for most hours of the day. You get a 13” retina display, 2500 X 1600 resolution, greater pixel density, an Apple M1 chip, and a sophisticated laptop with an aluminum body.
7. LG Gram 17
When you need a good display with a high-end processor and longer battery life, LG Gram 17” tops the chart. The larger screen displays pictures in the full sRGB color spectrum, which makes the professional editing apps even more interactive to use. A high-end processor with quiet fans, ample RAM, and plenty of storage makes it the best pick for photo editors.