When it comes to enhancing creativity, having the right tools at your fingertips can make all the difference. And for artists and graphic designers, laptops are no exception.
But with so many different options on the market, finding the right one that fits your budget, needs, and aesthetic preferences can be a daunting task.
Nowadays, picture editing is considered a legitimate art form thanks to the prevalence of digital media. From snapping the shot to editing the final product, creating a visually spectacular work of art takes a powerful and versatile laptop.
Nevertheless, with so many alternatives out there, it might be difficult to locate a cheap laptop with the appropriate specs to meet Adobe Photoshop’s demanding requirements. Yet, finding a good laptop for Photoshop that doesn’t break the bank is easier than you would think.
So have no worry; we have you covered if you need a cheap laptop that will satisfy all your Photoshop requirements. There is a laptop out there that is ideal for you, whether you are a student, a freelancer, or an amateur photographer.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the best six laptops you can buy for less than $500 that will let you unleash your imagination thanks to their powerful processing, memory, and graphics. We have sifted through the reviews and data to bring you the definitive list of laptops that will change the way you perceive picture editing programs forever.
We have every kind of machine you could want, from the ultraportable iPad PRO to the sturdy and flexible Lenovo IdeaPad 3. But don’t take our word for it; keep reading to find out which laptop is best for you, and let your imagination go wild. Choose the ideal picture editing partner and see your imagination fly instead of settling for an old, slow computer.
Selection Criteria for the Best Laptops for Photoshop, under $500, in 2023—Buying Guide
Processing Power
Be sure the laptop you choose can handle the processing needs of the picture editing software first and foremost. Try to find devices that have at least eight GB of memory and a quad-core CPU.
To be honest, standard design and graphics work do not require more than eight gigabytes of processing memory. However, as with everything technology related, usually the more, the better.
The type of solid-state drive (SSD) for your laptop will depend on how many and how rapidly you need to access your Photoshop files. The storage needs of the average design and creative project may easily be met with a 256GB or 512GB SSD.
Graphics Card
Your laptop’s graphics processing unit has to be able to handle the detail of the work you expect to do as a Photoshop user.
Most design and creative work can be completed with an intermediate graphics processing unit, such as an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 or an AMD Radeon RX 560X. Anything over that is simply a bonus, but with a budget laptop, you might need to decide which spec you will boost the most.
Display Quality
There is a wide variety in the size of laptop displays, but screens with high resolutions and good color reproduction are essential for picture editing. The quality of a laptop screen for picture editing is also determined by other aspects, such as color gamut and contrast ratio.
Selecting a laptop with a high-quality display that faithfully reproduces colors and details is crucial if you intend to use it for picture editing. However, for true color reproduction and crisp detail, nothing less than a full HD screen (1920×1080) is advised.
Battery Life
Depending on your specific needs, the recommended battery life for your laptop will change. If the places you want to work have power outlets, you may have less of a problem with battery life.
If you want to use your laptop in places far from an electrical outlet, however, as while you’re traveling or editing photos outdoors, longer battery life is better. Between six and eight hours of use is the sweet spot for laptop battery life.
Also, consider getting a laptop with fast charging capabilities. If you need to quickly fill up your laptop’s battery before heading out, some models can charge to 50% in as little as 30 minutes.
Top Product Recommendations for the Best Laptop for Photoshop under $500 in 2023
- Best Photo Editing Laptop under $500: Dell Inspiron 14
- Best Video Editing Laptop under $500: ACER Aspire 3
- Best Hybrid Function Photo Editing Laptop: ASUS VivoBook 15
- Best Affordable for Photo Editing: Lenovo Ideapad 3
- Best Apple OS Budget Laptops for Photoshop: Apple iPad Pro
- Best Budget Photoshop Laptop for Windows OS: HP Pavillion x360
1. Best Photo Editing Laptop under $500—Dell Inspiron 14
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-1125G4
- RAM – 8GB
- SSD – 256GB
- GPU – Intel® UHD Graphics
- Screen size – 14 inches
- Touchscreen – Yes
- Battery life – 12 hours
About Dell Inspiron 14
The Dell Inspiron 14 follows a long line of impressive laptops, especially appreciated by artists for their fast and responsive photo editing capabilities. However, we’d never thought we’d find one for under $500, and yet here it is.
With up to 11th Gen Intel® CoreTM CPUs and graphic card options up to Intel® Iris® Xe graphics, this affordable laptop is equally good for everyday tasks and covering all your photo editing needs.
When on the go, with Modern Standby, you can quickly resume where you left off. ExpressChargeTMi reduces the amount of time you are stuck charging your device and recharges your battery up to 80% in a little less than an hour.
When it comes to your display, you can experience a nearly borderless view with narrow bezels and a large screen-to-body ratio to reduce distractions so you can edit photos for long hours without straining your eyes. Having mentioned the long hours graphic designers work, Adaptive Thermal Technology modifies your performance profile so it creates less heat while mobile and ramps up when stationary.
Further, with wide-viewing angle panels (WVA), you can shift postures without compromising your viewing experience on the FHD IPS touch screen.
Finally, this budget-friendly laptop comes with a variety of premium features, such as the mechanical privacy camera shutter and the single sign-on (SSO) fingerprint scanner on the power button for a more personalized, secure immediate access login experience.
Pros:
- Best laptop for photo editing software
- Thin and light design
- Touch screen
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Need to pay to install a lot of apps that come for free in other manufacturers
2. Best Video Editing Laptop under $500—ACER Aspire 3
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – Intel Core i5-1035G1
- RAM – 8GB
- SSD – 256GB
- GPU – Intel UHD Graphics 802.11ac
- Screen size – 15.6 inch
- Touchscreen – No
- Battery life – 17 hours
About ACER Aspire 3
Even though Photoshop is mostly used for photo editing, professionals tend to use it for editing videos as well. And so our list would not be complete without an option for those who need an even more powerful machine, that can handle video editing tasks.
The ACER Aspire 3 is a budget laptop that works impressively well for simple video editing jobs, but it is true that it would struggle to keep up with more advanced projects, such as 3D rendering.
The laptop’s AMD Ryzen 3 CPU is a midrange model that is also best suited for Photoshop computing needs. The laptop’s graphics are handled by a dedicated graphics card, which can edit and output videos with simple effects and transitions without an issue.
However, even with video editing tasks, you don’t have to worry about a poor battery life, as this machine lasts for almost 17 hours while running Photoshop.
Pros:
- Low price point
- Powerful processor
- Wide number of USB ports
Cons:
- No touch screen
3. Best Hybrid Function Photo Editing Laptop—ASUS VivoBook 15
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – Intel core i3-8145U
- RAM – 8GB
- SSD – 128GB
- GPU – Intel UHD Graphics 620
- Screen size – 15.6 inch
- Touchscreen – Yes
- Battery life – 8 hours
About ASUS VivoBook 15
When it comes to Photoshop, sometimes you need a laptop for hybrid use: a machine that can hook up to an external screen but be able to stand on its own when you are on the go.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 has enough power and ports to be able to handle both functions equally well. Its full HD display allows you to work on photo editing tasks without straining your eyes. However, the screen might look a little washed out at maximum brightness. Dimming the screen’s brightness seems to take care of this issue, so there isn’t anything much to worry about.
On the other hand, the wide range of ports allows you to connect the Asus Vivobook to an external screen, and make this photo editing under $500 laptop one of the best budget laptops at the moment.
Pros:
- Full HD resolution
- Good screen quality
- Processor can easily run photoshop
Cons:
- No touch screen
4. Best Affordable Laptop for Photo Editing—Lenovo Ideapad 3
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – 2.1 GHz ryzen_5_3500u
- RAM – 8GB
- SSD – 156GB
- GPU – AMD Radeon Vega 8
- Screen size – 14 inch
- Touchscreen – No
- Battery life – 6 hours
About Lenovo Ideapad 3
If you are looking for a laptop that is affordable across the years, irrelevant of promotions, then the Lenovo Ideapad is a great option for both basic computing and editing photos. Sure, there are a lot of laptops for photo editing under $500, but this is a budget-friendly laptop that comes at this price point based on its specifications and not seasonal sales.
The Lenovo Ideapad 3 is running Photoshop smoothly due to its decent graphics card, adequate SSD storage, and Intel processors. At this point in our review, you might be thinking that the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a fairly unimpressive laptop, beyond its price point. But, based on specifications CPU, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a steal.
The only drawback is that, even though this laptop comes at an affordable price and is powerful enough to handle what you throw at it, it lacks in portability. Sure, you can put it in your backpack, but it is not comfortable to hold in your arms all day long.
Pros:
- Affordable photo editing, irrelevant of seasonal sales
- One of the best laptops for photo editing
- Better than most laptop screens
Cons:
- Heavy, compared to competition budget laptops
5. Best Apple OS Budget Laptops for Photoshop—Apple iPad Pro
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – Apple’s A10X processor
- RAM – 4GB
- SSD – 512GB
- GPU – 12-core
- Screen size – 12.9 Retina Display
- Touchscreen – Yes
- Battery life – 10 hours
About Apple iPad Pro
Strictly speaking, this is not a laptop. But an Apple product with a powerful processor, that can handle Photoshop graphics editing, is a steal that we couldn’t keep to ourselves.
It does not get more portable than an Apple iPad Pro, as it only weighs only 1.49 pounds (excluding a keyboard), so you can always have it with you and continue working no matter where you are.
Its powerful processor makes it great to work with when creating or editing digital art, as it features display specs that include 2732 x 2048 pixels, 600 cd/m2 brightness, ProMotion-enabled 120 Hz refresh rate, anti-reflective coating, and compatibility with the P3 color gamut.
The Apple pencil allows you to run photoshop and write with a natural feel, thanks to its refresh rate. Using the iPad Pro’s force and tilt sensors, you can effortlessly draw lines of varied thicknesses and opacities with only the touch of a finger.
Despite such a surprisingly low price, Apple’s A10X processor, which is used in the iPad, has a six-core central processing unit and a 12-core graphics processing unit. Its 64-bit CPU can rival that of gaming consoles and provide CPU performance on par with desktop computers.
Further, it has 512GB of flash storage so that you can store a lot of media, programs, and files. The iPad Pro’s Retina Display supports multi-touch gestures, but there are other methods to navigate and use the tablet as well.
Pros:
- Integrated graphics
- Great feel digital stylus
- High SSD storage
Cons:
- Need to purchase an external keyboard
6. Best Budget Photoshop Laptop for Windows OS—HP Pavillion x360
Best Laptops for Photoshop Selection Criteria
- Operating system – Intel Core i5-1135G7
- RAM – 8GB
- SSD – 256GB
- GPU – Intel Iris Xe graphics
- Screen size – 14 inches
- Touchscreen – No
- Battery life – 11 hours
About HP Pavillion x360
Ideal for students and artists on the go, the HP Pavilion x360 is a powerful and flexible 2-in-1 convertible laptop. An Intel Core i5 CPU from the latest generation, together with eight GB of RAM and a 256 GB solid-state drive are included in these best budget laptops for Photoshop.
The HD touchscreen display at 14 inches is ideal for not only watching films, but also for working on graphic design projects.
Applications like Adobe Photoshop and CorelDraw run well on its large memory specs, while the touchscreen display makes it simple to use touch-enabled software and navigate Windows 10S.
The HP Pavilion x360 is a great option for college students, professionals on the go, and anybody else in the market for a convertible laptop for photo editing.
Pros:
- Great for video and photo editing
- Great storage space
- Best budget laptop for Windows programs
Cons:
- Keyboard feels fragile
Conclusion—The Best Laptops for Photo Editing, under $500 2023
Photoshop is revolutionary because it allows anybody to edit their photos to make them appear as a professional took them. Investing in a high-quality laptop might be the cherry on top of the cake for unleashing your full creative potential.
But, not everyone can afford a top-of-the-line laptop, so it may be huge to discover a great inexpensive alternative. A reliable laptop will allow you to work on design projects, surf the web, and watch your favorite shows without interruption.
For people who are already part of the Apple ecosystem, the Apple iPad PRO along with a keyboard, can keep you in this comfortable environment without breaking the bank. On the other hand, for heavy Photoshop use, the Dell Inspiron 14 is an option worth exploring.
We hope you found our analysis of the best laptop for photo editing, under $500, of 2023 to be helpful. Consult our associated guides for further sources of comparable items for the artistic lifestyle.