Photo editing requires a lot of resources that one may not have on the go. The best budget laptop for Photoshop won’t just be the perfect tool for photo editing. With a fast processor and plenty of RAM, these laptops would be able to handle intensive tasks.
A majority of photo editing laptops come equipped with consistent color and contrast, which bring images to life. With a quality screen, there is also a great reduction in eye strain and fatigue. As you would be spending lots of time working on your laptop, you would want to ensure that it is comfortable to use.
Moreover, if you want to use Photoshop while you are traveling, you need a laptop that is thin and lightweight. As a professional graphic designer, you would want a laptop that can work efficiently under any circumstance.
The best laptops for Photoshop also come equipped with the latest GPUs. Also known as the Graphics Processing Unit, a GPU handles graphics-intensive tasks. So when you are working with a sophisticated graphics file, it is the GOU that processes the image.
Top 7 Best Laptop For Photoshop Under $500 In 2023
Along with GPU, the laptop should also have good display qualities, so the images depicted are crisp and bright. So let’s take a glance at the best laptop for Photoshop for under $500.
1. ASUS F512JA-AS34 VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop
The Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34 is the best budget laptop for Photoshop. It is one of those laptops that strike a fine balance between its ergonomic design and stunning display with no bezels. What’s more, it delivers strong all-around performance and good connectivity at a low price.
In case you don’t know, the ZenBook series by Asus is quite popular with slim bezels, solid construction, and sleek form factor. However, one main downside is that they usually cost a fortune. Quite impressively, the Asus VivoBook 15 offers the opportunity to enjoy ZenBook like features at an affordable price.
Key Features
- NanoEdge Bezel-less display with the stunning graphic rendition
- Compatible with a variety of photo editing software platforms
- Latest 10th generation Intel-i3 Processor
- Integrated GPU works smoothly
At an affordable price, you get a laptop that boasts of the latest design with ultra-slim bezels, a backlit keyboard, and respectable specs. Take a glance at the Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34, and you would have to admit that it looks premium despite being a budget laptop.
One of the most striking features of the Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34 is the ErgoLift mechanism. The ErgoLift mechanism immensely improves the typing experience as the keyboard is tilted in your direction.
Also, as the lower side of the laptop doesn’t touch the surface, there is an improvement in the overall airflow. The Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34 is one of the lightest laptops out there for Photoshop. There would be no issues carrying it around for work-related purposes.
When it comes to performance, the Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34 offers you premium performance. This laptop is powered by a 10th Gen Intel Core i3 processor. The 128GB SSD and 4GB RAM render this laptop speed and agility to execute any task.
On the other hand, there has been a great improvement in the battery of the Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34. Even with the extensive running of software platforms like Photoshop and Illustrator, the Asus VivoBook 15 F512JA-AS34 would provide you with 5 hours of battery life.
2. Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L Slim Laptop
To be frank, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L doesn’t have a powerful core i5 processor but still manages to deliver great performance to budget buyers. As the best budget laptop for Photoshop, it comes with a 1080p display, efficient processor, and affordable price.
The Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L is one of the popular budget line-ups for those who want to use Photoshop extensively. Quite impressively, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L also gets a backlit keyboard, which you can rarely witness in laptops of this price range.
Key Features
- Sleek silver exterior
- The 15-inch display provides great viewing angles
- Efficient Processor
- Excellent battery life
Weighing only 3.9 pounds, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L is quite light in terms of a laptop for running Photoshop. In usual contexts, when you buy a budget laptop, you have to deal with absurd design and subpar features. However, that is not the case with the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L.
In addition to being lightweight, the laptop is a quite slim good screen-to-body ratio. The 15.6-inch full HD display is quite crisp and provides users with good viewing angles. The matte quality of the screen helps avoid glares, and hence working with it isn’t much of an issue.
For tasks related to vector graphics software, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L performs well. It comprises the AMD Ryzen dual-core processor paired with 4GB RAM. The Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L boots up pretty fast, thanks to the 128GB flash storage.
What’s more, you also get the AMD Vega graphics along with the AMD processor, which provides you with great graphics processing speeds. Though the 4GB RAM can give you initial hiccups, you have the option to upgrade it later.
But if you want to carry this laptop around, you would face difficulties. When compared to the Asus VivoBook, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L is quite heavier. But apart from this minor glitch, the Acer Aspire A515-43-R19L is undoubtedly one of the promising laptops for photo editing.
3. HP 14in High Performance Laptop
Well, not every best budget laptop for Photoshop has to be a complete nightmare! You just have to research a little deeper to find the quality ones. No doubt, the HP 14in High-Performance Laptop offers you a solid and efficient processor coupled with a decent FHD screen.
You can use this laptop to run a variety of photo editing software platforms. This laptop comprises the revolutionary AMD Ryzen 3 3200 CPU clocked at 2.6 GHz. With 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, the HP 14in High-Performance Laptop offers you a power-packed performance.
Key Features
- Comes preloaded with Windows 10
- Sturdy build quality
- Plenty of connectivity ports
- Average battery life
The HP 14in High-Performance Laptop comes with 128 GB of SSD storage that makes this device incredibly fast and responsive. The only letdown from HP is the inclusion of the 128 GB SSD. If you are a serious laptop user, then you might find 128 GB of space to be inadequate.
But there is always the option to expand the storage by installing an HDD of 1 TB. However, you pay for the HDD separately, which might be an issue for budget-conscious buyers. The Ryzen 3 3200U is sufficiently powerful to facilitate a smooth user experience.
The HP 14in High-Performance Laptop also excels in video editing as the processor is powerful enough to multitask. Another highlighting aspect of this laptop is that it weighs less than 3.5 pounds. Thus, you can easily carry it around for work-related purposes.
Key Features
- Comes preloaded with Windows 10
- Sturdy build quality
- Plenty of connectivity ports
- Average battery life
The HP 14in High-Performance Laptop comes with 128 GB of SSD storage that makes this device incredibly fast and responsive. The only letdown from HP is the inclusion of the 128 GB SSD. If you are a serious laptop user, then you might find 128 GB of space to be inadequate.
But there is always the option to expand the storage by installing an HDD of 1 TB. However, you pay for the HDD separately, which might be an issue for budget-conscious buyers. The Ryzen 3 3200U is sufficiently powerful to facilitate a smooth user experience.
The HP 14in High-Performance Laptop also excels in video editing as the processor is powerful enough to multitask. Another highlighting aspect of this laptop is that it weighs less than 3.5 pounds. Thus, you can easily carry it around for work-related purposes.
4. HP 14“Laptop AMD A9-9425
If you are looking for the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, then the HP 14“Laptop AMD A9-9425 is ideal. Under the hood, this laptop is powered by an AMD A9-9425 processor. To be frank, the AMD A9-9425 processor is a decent CPU that would provide you with decent performance.
Whether you are running Photoshop or Illustrator, this laptop can multitask easily without visible lags. On the other hand, the 14-inch display comes with antiglare features that reduce eye strains. It has an FHD panel and ensures that every image is viewed in stunning detail.
Key Features
- Responsive Webcam with great resolution
- Superfast CPU with great multitasking capabilities
- Plenty of ports
- Genuine Windows 10 software
Again you get 128 GB SSD with this laptop that makes the device pretty fast and responsive. However, users looking for more disk space might have to opt for a separate HDD. This HP laptop comes with 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, which provides you enough room to execute process-intensive apps like Photoshop.
This laptop comes with a 41 WHr battery that facilitates average power backup. Well, this is mediocre capacity, but considering the price, it’s quite satisfactory. What’s more, it comes preloaded with Windows 10 Home edition and carries lifetime validity.
The AMD Radeon R5 integrated GPU churns out fair performances when you are running a lot of photo editing apps. As it is the best budget laptop for Photoshop, you wouldn’t find any backlit keyboard or fingerprint reader. No doubt, if you want a laptop that would provide you with good performance, this is the one to opt for.
5. HP Laptop 14″ Ryzen 3 3200U
Being the best budget laptop for Photoshop, this device comes packed with an efficient processor and HD screen. The AMD Radeon Vega 3 Graphics, in many ways, is a worthy addition to this laptop. Designers and editors who deal with graphics would find the display to be quite comfortable to the eyes.
Though it has a screen size of only 14-inches, this HP laptop ensures that the user has an intuitive experience. The Ryzen 3 3200U is a decent processor that would allow you to run various image editing apps all at once.
Key Features
- Responsive and fast processor
- Ideal for image editing tasks
- Ergonomic Keyboard
- Integrated GPU provides the best performance
With 4 GB of DDR4 RAM, you can use this laptop to rush through your end-minute deadlines. Another highlighting aspect of using this laptop is that it comes preloaded with Windows 10 Home edition. You also get lifetime validity along with Office 365.
The 128 GB SSD ensures that the laptop boots up fast and is responsive. But for some users, 128 GB of SSD space is not sufficient. In that case, you always have the opportunity to install an HDD. It also comes with an Optical Drive, which is quite uncommon in the laptops you find today.
One of the best parts of this laptop is its sturdy build quality. With an aluminum chassis and solid construction, this HP laptop can endure accidental drops easily.
6. Lenovo Flex 5
Being the best budget laptop for Photoshop, the Lenovo Flex 5 offers incredible value and solid performance with few compromises. If you want a laptop that would last you for years and is ideal for image editing, this is the best laptop.
Also, laptops with AMD’s Ryzen 4000 are quite powerful and affordable than their Intel counterparts. The six-core Ryzen 5 4500U is an efficient process that makes it easy to work with Photoshop and Illustrator software platforms.
Key Features
- Extraordinary performance being a budget laptop
- Comes equipped with the active pen
- Stereo speakers
- Comfortable keyboard
Though it is quite heavy and thick, there is no denying the fact that it is a performance powerhouse. In terms of aesthetics, the Lenovo Flex 5 is quite attractive. The Lenovo Flex 5 is thick as it has got numerous connectivity ports.
From the SD card reader to the USB-C port, you would have lots of connectivity options. The fantastic performance of the Flex 5 is well complemented by the presence of 16 GB DDR4 RAM onboard. What’s more, this laptop is also a worthy choice for video editing.
The Flex 5 also comes equipped with the integrated AMD Radeon GPU, which ensures stable graphics output. But in terms of battery, the Lenovo Flex 5 fails to impress. With a battery life of only 5.5 hours, you may well have to look for a power outlet during normal days.
Another highlighting aspect of the Flex 5 is its display. The IPS touchscreen display with an FHD panel makes image editing fun and intuitive. So if you want a laptop for content creation, the Flex 5 is your best choice.
7. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
Microsoft’s flagship laptop is now in its third generation and provides designers with lots of functionalities. With new ports and processors, this new Microsoft Surface 3 notebook is one of the best laptops for crafting.
To be frank, the craftsmanship for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is top-notch. The lid made of aluminum is smooth and stylish. What’s more, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 comes with an FHD screen of 13.5 inches. Hence, those long hours of photo editing would be fun and intuitive with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3.
Key Features
- Lightweight laptop
- 16 GB of RAM
- Plenty of connectivity ports
- Bright and FHD display with touch input
It has an outstanding keyboard and trackpad, as you would expect from Microsoft. The display supports touch input, which ensures that you can get the most out of your image editing tasks. The processor of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is another highlighting aspect of this device.
You get an Intel Core i5 processor belonging to the 10th generation to fulfill your image editing needs. With 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 provides you with smooth performance. The display has fairly good viewing angles, which makes it the best budget laptop for Photoshop.
Only one smaller letdown is the average battery life that can be a bit problematic. But apart from this minor glitch, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is a great device.
Common Points to Keep in Mind While Buying a Laptop for Photoshop
If you have been using Photoshop or other vector-graphics software platforms, you know the significance of a powerful laptop. Compromising on the hardware font implies you might experience an array of lags while editing images and videos. So here are some points to keep in mind while buying the best laptop for photography editing.
High-End CPU and Plenty of RAM
If you are buying a laptop for image editing and content creation, ensure that it has enough RAM. Also, the processor should be powerful enough so that it provides you with the desired output. 8 GB of RAM is the minimum necessary to edit images in a lag-free manner.
Screen Size and Display
To be frank, it is quite tough to run photo editing software on small screens. This is because these software platforms have tons of menus. As a designer, you should opt for a laptop that comes with at least 14.5-inches of screen. Ensure that you always opt for FHD screen resolution while buying laptops.
Form Factor
For designers who have to travel frequently, a laptop with a good form factor is quite necessary. The laptop you are buying should be lightweight and easily fit into your backpack. It should also come with an ergonomic design.
Final Verdict
So as you can see, there are plenty of options out there in the best budget laptop for Photoshop category. If you are a serious user, then you can either opt for the Lenovo Flex 5 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3.
Both these laptops come with decent specs and enable you to fully utilize your designing skills. On the other hand, if you want a more affordable option, the HP 14“Laptop AMD A9-9425 is your best bet. So first, assess your requirements accordingly and then buy the best laptop for Photoshop.