Best Laptops for Photo Editing on a Budget: Top 17 Models Review

In one of my previous articles, I shared my search for the best photo editing laptop. While Mac and Alienware are great options, they can be expensive and not everyone can afford them. After extensive research in the technology market, I’ve discovered cheaper models that can still be excellent tools for professional photographers. Today, I want to introduce you to these budget-friendly laptops that offer remarkable performance while being easy on the wallet.

How Was I Looking For the Best Laptops at This Price Point?

Nowadays, you can buy affordable laptops that provide enough power for photo and video editing, as well as homework or simple games. However, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Don’t expect the latest high-end processors or high-storage space SSDs in budget laptops. But don’t worry, you’ll be surprised by what these laptops in the budget category can offer.

In this top 17 list of the best budget laptops for Photoshop and other photo editors, I will primarily focus on the characteristics of the laptop screens, as they significantly impact the photo editing experience. Let’s dive in and explore the key factors to consider when choosing a laptop for photo editing.

Screen Size and Quality

When it comes to screen size, it’s crucial to find a balance between portability and comfort. While tiny screen-portable laptops exist, they can be inconvenient for extended use. For most photographers, a laptop with a screen size over 14 inches would be suitable since it offers a good balance between portability and viewing area.

In terms of screen quality, there are two main LCD technologies used in laptops: TN and IPS. TN screens are cheaper but have limited contrast and narrow viewing angles. On the other hand, IPS screens offer better color reproduction, wider viewing angles, and overall better visual experience. Hence, choosing a laptop with an IPS screen is ideal for photo editing. Additionally, screen resolution plays a crucial role. For a 15.6-inch screen, a Full HD resolution (1920×1080) is recommended to ensure proper photo editing capabilities.

Processor and Performance

The central processor, or “engine” of the laptop, is an essential factor to consider. For photo editing purposes, laptops with quad-core processors are recommended. These laptops offer sufficient power for editing photos and other work tasks. Additionally, a higher clock frequency in the processor will enhance the overall performance of the laptop.

Now that we have a clear understanding of the key factors to consider, let’s dive into the top 17 best budget laptops for photo editing!

Top 17 Best Budget Laptops For Photo Editing

1. Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen2

Verdict: The best ultra-budget laptop for photography in terms of price/quality ratio.

The ThinkBook 15 Gen2 is a thin and light laptop with an attractive design. It offers extensive connectivity options, including Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB-A ports, and more. The laptop comes with a Full HD IPS display, providing excellent color reproduction and viewing angles. With its powerful processor and great screen, this laptop is a reliable choice for photo editing.

Pros:

• Powerful processor
• Great screen
• Affordable price

Cons:

• Limited RAM

2. Acer Nitro 5

Verdict: One of the best affordable laptops for photo editing software (under $1,000).

The Acer Nitro 5 is primarily a gaming laptop, but it offers excellent performance for photo editing tasks at an affordable price. With its Full HD IPS screen and powerful AMD Ryzen processor, this laptop delivers great visuals and smooth performance for editing software. It’s a budget-friendly option that provides excellent value for money.

Pros:

• Fast processor
• Potent graphics card

Cons:

• Specific design that not everyone will like

3. MSI GF63 Thin 10UD-416RU

Verdict: Best affordable laptop for photo editing and design.

The MSI GF63 Thin 10UD-416RU is an excellent choice for professional designers and photographers. It features a powerful 6-core processor, 8GB of RAM, a discrete graphics card, and a Full HD IPS display. The long battery life allows for extended work sessions, making it a reliable tool for photo editing and design tasks.

Pros:

• Good feature set
• Powerful processor
• Full HD IPS screen
• Long battery life

4. MSI Stealth 15M A11UEK-275RU

Verdict: The best laptop for advanced photo editing.

The MSI Stealth 15M A11UEK-275RU is a popular choice among photographers dealing with complex shots. It features a modern design, powerful processor, and high performance. With its durable metal case and compact size, it’s a portable laptop that doesn’t compromise on functionality. The laptop also offers ample storage space and supports microSD cards.

Pros:

• Powerful processor
• High performance
• Long battery life
• Durable metal case
• Many useful extras

Cons:

• High price for this segment

5. Dell Inspiron 14 5000

Verdict: Best budget photo editing laptop and tablet in one.

The Dell Inspiron 14 5000 offers outstanding versatility and functionality at a very reasonable price. With its 14-inch Full HD touchscreen display, you can rotate it and use it as a tablet or as a basic pen-enabled graphics tablet. This laptop combines portability with high-quality display and performance, making it a great choice for editing photos on the go.

Pros:

• All-around tasks screen

Cons:

• The 14-inch screen size makes it not the best budget laptop for Photoshop

6. HP Pavilion 15

Verdict: One of the best cheap laptops for photo editing.

The HP Pavilion lineup offers budget-friendly yet well-designed laptops suitable for various tasks, including professional photo editing. With options for different CPU and RAM configurations, the AMD Ryzen 5-based midrange versions strike a good balance between power and price. The laptops feature a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen, providing excellent visual quality for editing photos.

Pros:

• Excellent battery life

Cons:

• Ryzen 7-based models are expensive

7. ASUS VivoBook S15

Verdict: The best cheap laptop for photo editing (portable).

The ASUS VivoBook S15 is a 15.6-inch laptop that offers a high-quality Full HD IPS screen with wide viewing angles and excellent contrast. It is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, providing a good balance between performance and price. With its lightweight and portable design, this laptop is a great choice for photographers on the go.

Pros:

• Decent screen specs

Cons:

• Not all S15 models have an IPS screen

8. DELL G5 15 5500

Verdict: The best cheapest laptop for photo editing for professionals.

The DELL G5 15 5500 offers excellent value for money. It’s popular among professional photographers for its performance and reliability. This model features excellent performance characteristics, a backlit keyboard, and support for various wireless standards. With its powerful processor and many useful extras, it’s a great assistant for photo editing tasks.

Pros:

• Quality assembly
• Affordable cost
• Capacious battery
• Many useful extras

Cons:

• Strong heat during operation

9. Huawei MateBook X Pro

Verdict: Perhaps the best inexpensive laptop.

Huawei is well-known for its smartphones, but it also offers relatively affordable laptops that compete with similar models from Apple and Dell. The Huawei MateBook X Pro stands out with its impressive design and performance. It features an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card. With its unique screen ratio of 3:2 and long battery life, this laptop is a strong contender for the best inexpensive laptop.

Pros:

• Long working time
• Touchscreen laptop
• Unique screen ratio 3:2

Cons:

• Lacks an SD card reader

10. ASUS Laptop 15 X515JP-BQ029T

Verdict: The great assistant to make your photos impress.

The ASUS Laptop 15 X515JP-BQ029T is one of the best laptops in the budget segment. It’s perfect for home photo editing with its impressive display and ease of use. The laptop offers a standard Full HD IPS display, ensuring excellent color rendition and the ability to process high-quality images. With its affordable price, good feature set, and long battery life, this laptop is a reliable choice for photographers.

Pros:

• Low cost
• Ease of use
• Good feature set
• Long battery life

11. Dell Vostro 15 3500

Verdict: One of the best cheap laptops for editing and for travel photographers.

The Dell Vostro 15 3500 is a perfect choice for photographers and designers leading an active lifestyle. Its small size and weight make it easy to carry in a backpack or bag without causing discomfort. With its good technical specifications, including ample battery life and a 15.6-inch screen, this laptop allows for comfortable work in photo editors and usage in places without access to electricity.

Pros:

• Acceptable price
• Compactness
• Lightweight
• Optimal characteristics for working in photo editors

Cons:

• Noisy fan

12. Lenovo IdeaPad 110-15ACL

Verdict: Good laptop for Photoshop.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 110-15ACL is equipped with an AMD Quad-Core A8-7410 processor and 8GB of RAM, making it a suitable option for comfortable work with Photoshop. This laptop offers a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366×768 pixels and a discrete graphics adapter, providing an improved visual experience for photo processing.

Pros:

• Good Quad-Core A8-7410 processor (2.2 GHz)

Cons:

• Not Full HD

13. HP 255 G5/15-ay091ur

Verdict: The cheapest Hewlett-Packard laptops for photographers.

The HP 255 G5/15-ay091ur offers budget-friendly options for photographers. It features a quad-core AMD A6-7310 processor, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) screen, providing a good foundation for photo processing. Additionally, the HP 15-ay091ur model offers a 1TB HDD for storage and an Intel i3-5005U processor.

Pros:

• Full HD screen resolution (1920×1080 pixels)
• Price

Cons:

• Weaker processor than Lenovo IdeaPad 110-15ACL

14. Acer Aspire E5-575-32DV

Verdict: A no-frills laptop for professional photo editing.

The Acer Aspire E5-575-32DV offers a no-frills approach to professional photo editing. With its dual-core Intel Core i3-6100U processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM, it provides a fast and reliable performance for photo processing. The laptop also features a 128GB solid-state hard drive, enhancing overall speed and responsiveness.

Pros:

• 128GB solid-state hard drive

Cons:

• Not the best choice for video editing software

15. Lenovo Legion 5 Pro16ITH6H

Verdict: Best cheap 16-inch laptop on the market.

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro16ITH6H is a Chinese laptop that offers great performance and a large amount of RAM. With its 16GB of RAM, 8-core CPU, and long battery life, this laptop allows for multitasking and handling multiple large programs simultaneously. The laptop’s 16-inch IPS screen with anti-reflective coating provides an excellent visual experience for photo editing.

Pros:

• A large amount of RAM
• Powerful processor
• The ability to work in several programs at the same time
• Long battery life

Cons:

• High price for this segment

16. MSI Pulse GL6611UCK-424XRU

Verdict: The rarest of the best cheap laptops for photo editing.

The MSI Pulse GL6611UCK-424XRU is an easy-to-use laptop that caters to professional designers and photographers. With its powerful CPU, good graphics card, capacious battery, and high-quality display, it offers excellent performance characteristics for working in Photoshop and other photo editing software. The laptop’s attractive appearance and many useful extras make it a standout choice for photo editing tasks.

Pros:

• Ease of use
• Many useful extras
• Attractive appearance
• Good feature set

Cons:

• Hard to find for sale

17. ASUS X540LA

Verdict: Traditional laptop for productive work.

The ASUS X540LA offers a no-nonsense approach to productive work. With its dual-core Intel Core i3-5005U CPU and 8GB of DDR3 RAM, it provides reliable performance for photo editing tasks. The laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, making it suitable for photo processing at an affordable price.

Pros:

• Price

Cons:

• Not detected

As you can see from this extensive list, budget-friendly laptops offer a wide range of options for professional photo editing. While high-end desktop PCs and monitors are often recommended for photo editing, these laptops provide a reliable and affordable alternative. It’s important to choose a laptop that suits your specific needs and budget.

The Extra Requirement: Luminar Neo Must Go On!

Throughout this article, I’ve mentioned Photoshop as the go-to photo editing software. However, I’d like to introduce you to an alternative software that provides a more convenient and faster experience for everyday use: Luminar Neo. This artificial intelligence-powered program offers faster and more creative photo processing than Photoshop. For me, Luminar Neo is superior in every way. It’s easier to use, offers all the same features as Photoshop and more, allows adjustments in a couple of clicks, and provides a fantastic set of tools for creativity.

I highly recommend Luminar Neo, even if you’re already using Photoshop. It can be installed as both a standalone photo editing application and a plug-in for Photoshop, saving you time and introducing you to a whole new photo editing experience.

Some Final Words

While professionals often recommend desktop PCs and high-end monitors for photo editing, budget-friendly laptops offer a more affordable option without compromising performance. The laptops mentioned in this list provide reliable performance and excellent value for their price range. From gaming laptops to versatile models and traditional workhorses, there’s a laptop for every photographer’s needs and budget.

I hope this list helps you find the perfect laptop for your photo editing endeavors. If you’re considering a budget laptop, these models provide a great starting point. And who knows, with the right laptop, you might even have the power to play the latest games like God of War. Happy editing!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Best Laptop for Photo Editing?

High-end models like the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch and Dell XPS 15 are top choices due to their powerful processors, high-resolution displays, and color accuracy.

What’s the Best Laptop for Photo Editing Under $700?

In this budget, consider the Acer Aspire 5 or Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5. Both offer good performance and display quality for their price range.

What is the Best Laptop for Photo Editing And Graphic Design?

Laptops like the Apple MacBook Pro (especially with the M1 or M1 Pro/Max chips) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio stand out for their performance and displays suitable for both photo editing and graphic design.

What Laptop is Best for Photo and Video Editing?

The Dell XPS 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch are internals, large high-resolution displays, and dedicated graphics capabilities that handle both photo and video editing tasks efficiently.

What is the Best Laptop for Photo Editing Under $1000?

Within this budget, the Asus VivoBook Pro 15 and HP Envy x360 15 are solid choices. They offer good performance, decent displays, and dedicated graphics options suitable for photo editing tasks.