Best Laptops For Drawing & Animation in 2023

14 Jun 2022, by Danielle Slauter, min. read

Unleash your creativity with these laptops.

Choosing a laptop to create with is very different than choosing a laptop to do your standard work on. Considering drawing and animation are highly-visual and creative tasks, having a laptop that can handle the workload you’re giving it is crucial. You’re going to want a high-res and color-accurate screen, powerful processor, and solid graphics. But does that laptop even exist?

Thankfully, there are plenty of great laptops out there when it comes to drawing and animation. We’ve picked our top seven favorites to help you embark on your creative pursuits. Each piece of tech listed here is even eligible for a Student Beans discount, saving you even more money!

1. Apple MacBook Pro — $1,999.00

It’s no secret that the Apple MacBook Pro has been the go-to choice for artists and animators for quite some time now. The recent design overhaul and much-needed boost in power makes it arguably the best option on the market right now. This laptop essentially does everything (except for gaming).

Apple’s M1 Pro processor is based on the latest technology, meaning it’s fast and a total powerhouse. It’s perfect for heavy amounts of drawing and 2D animation, along with plenty of 3D animation as well. The Liquid Retina screen provides a beautiful display for high-contrast and vibrant colors.

What’s in the box

MacBook Pro
USB-C charging cable
61W USB-C Power Adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: iOS
RAM: 8GB
Processor: 8-core GPU
Storage: 256GB
Screen resolution: 1680 x 1050
Screen size: 13.3-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 20 hours
Battery type: 58.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery
Audio connections: Stereo speakers with high dynamic range
Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD camera
Colors: Space gray or silver

Pros

Insanely fast
Beautiful display
Brilliant speakers

Cons

Touch bar is annoying

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2. Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio — $1,399.99

The smallest laptop on the list, there’s still plenty of power in this piece of tech. Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio was made for creatives. It comes with a stylus and was designed specifically to be used with the stylus, making it one of the best options for artists and animators of all sorts.

If you travel a lot around campus, this super portable laptop is the perfect choice. It’s able to run all your creative software, including 3D animation tech like Blender, Maya, and Zbrush. Grab the keyboard sold separately to turn this device into a full-fledged laptop in no time.

What’s in the box

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Intel® Core™ i5:65W Surface Power Supply
Intel® Core™ i7:102W Surface Power Supply

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: 16GB or 32GB
Processor: Quad-core 11th Gen Intel^® Core™ H35 i5-11300H
Storage: Removable solid-state drive (SSD) options: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1TB, 2TB
Screen resolution: 2400 x 1600
Screen size: 14.4-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 19 hours
Audio connections: Quad Omnisonic™ speakers with Dolby Atmos^®
Webcam: 1080p resolution front facing camera
Colors: Silver

Pros

Doubles as a drawing tablet
Excellent color accuracy
Incredible stylus

Cons

Only USB-C ports

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3. Asus TUF Dash 15 — $939.00

If you’re looking for a great drawing and animation laptop for under $1,000, be sure to check out the Asus TUF Dash 15. This model is the perfect blend of price, power, and features that makes it a worthy competitor to its more expensive counterparts.

You’re cutting some corners on extra bells and whistles, but not in areas where it counts. The display, processing power, and graphics are all top-notch. This laptop handles graphic design and color work well, best-suited for artists and 2D animators.

What’s in the box

Asus TUF Dash 15 laptop
Power adapter and cord

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: 8GB DDR4 on board, 8GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM, Max Capacity: 24GB
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-11370H Processor 3.3 GHz, 4 cores (12M Cache, up to 4.8GHz)
Storage: 512GB PCIe® 3.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 16.6 hours
Battery type: 76WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
Audio connections: 2-speaker system
Webcam: N/A
Colors: Eclipse Gray

Pros

Great value
Strong build
Great color display

Cons

No webcam
Single color on keyboard

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4. Dell XPS 15 — $1,861.99

The XPS is one of Dell’s most premium laptops, with a sleek design that emulates the luxe vibe it gives off. It’s even arguably more stylish than the Microsoft Surface Pro or the Dell XPS. As far as the screen goes, you can get 4K or 1080p, depending on what you need out of your laptop.

Another huge feature the XPS boasts is that the RAM and is user-upgradable, which is perfect when you need that extra bit of memory to get you along. This laptop is best suited for drawing and 2D animation, able to handle bigger workloads without even hesitating.

What’s in the box

Dell XPS 15 laptop
Charging cable

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR4, 3200 MHz
Processor: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H
Storage: 512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
Screen resolution: 3.5K, 3456 x 2160
Screen size: 15.6-inch
Screen type: OLED
Touch screen: Yes
Battery life: 13 hours
Battery type: 6 Cell, 86 Wh, integrated
Audio connections: Stereo woofer 2.5 W x 2 and stereo tweeter
Webcam: 720p at 30 fps HD camera
Colors: Platinum Silver, Arctic White

Pros

Incredible OLED screen
Powerful CPU
Solid battery life

Cons

Price
USB-C only

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5. Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 — $1,439.99

If you need a laptop that can handle a huge creative workload and plenty of gaming, the Lenovo Legion 7 Gen 6 laptop needs to be your choice. With a top of the line graphics processor, well-designed cooling system, and sturdy design, you’ll love using this laptop for work and play.

Both the CPU and GPU are the best you can get on the market right now, and the 165 Hz rate is worth noting as well. While it’s not quite as flashy as a MacBook Pro, this is a great laptop if you’re looking for a drawing and animation laptop on a budget.

What’s in the box

Lenovo Legion 7 Gen 6 (16”) AMD
300W AC Adapter
4 Cell 80Wh Internal Battery

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: Up to 32 GB DDR4 3200MHz
Processor: AMD Ryzen™ 7 5800H (3.20 GHz, up to 4.40 GHz Max Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache)
Storage: Up to 2 TB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD
Screen resolution: 2560 x 1600
Screen size: 16-inch
Screen type: LED
Battery life: 5 hours
Battery type: Lithium Ion batteries
Audio connections: 2 x 2W Harman^® Speakers with Nahimic Audio
Webcam: 720p with E-Shutter
Colors: Storm Gray

Pros

Anti-glare coating
Excellent cooling
165 Hz refresh rate

Cons

Average camera
Heavier

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6. Asus Zenbook Flip 13 OLED — $1,149.99

While not as well known as their Apple, HP, or Dell counterparts, Asus is quietly working in the background, producing impressive laptops with an even more impressive list of features. The Asus Zenbook Flip 13 is no exception. Oh, did we mention it’s also a 2-in-1?

The touchscreen works with your finger or a stylus, making it a true 2-in-1 in every sense of the phrase. The OLED screen also means the display is top-notch, displaying colors with huge accuracy and vibrancy. It easily handles all your drawing and animation tasks.

What’s in the box

Asus Zenbook Flip 13 OLED laptop
Laptop sleeve
USB-C to audio jack adapter
Stylus
USB-A to ethernet adapter

Technical specs

Operating system: Windows 11
RAM: 16 GB LPDDR4
Processor: ‎2.8 GHz Intel Core i7
Storage: ‎1 TB flash memory, solid state
Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080
Screen size: 13.3-inches
Screen type: OLED
Battery life: 11 hours
Battery type: Lithium ion
Audio connections: SonicMaster
Webcam: HD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello
Colors: Pine Gray

Pros

Compact and lightweight
Fast-charging
Exceptional screen display

Cons

Cooling is an issue
No fingerprint reader

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7. Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo — $3,499.99

Dual screens? DUAL SCREENS! Yes, Asus has changed the game for artists and animators by adding in a second screen to increase your productivity. The second touchscreen lives on your keyboard deck, allowing you to have multiple windows open at a time without sacrificing computing speed.

You’ll seriously never be able to live without it once you try it. Have your main drawing screen open on the bigger display, and have all your refs on the smaller screen below. File management is also easier thanks to this feature. We could sing its praises all day, but it’s worth noting the laptop is also great for gaming!