The Adobe Creative Suite is all an artist or a designer needs to kick-start their career and keep it going. In this suite are some of the most popular applications such as Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash Builder, Flash Professional, Premiere Pro, Acrobat X Pro, and many more. These are the software a designer or a student of design needs.
The Adobe Creative Suite, CS, comes with certain system requirements. While a normal home computer can accommodate the suite, the performance will not be as great as when a good quality laptop is used. Usually, these design applications need the best graphics there is and good screen resolution.
They also need a computer with enough RAM and enough SSD storage. You can use this App on a computer with at least 1.2 GB RAM, but Adobe recommends at least 4GB for optimal performance. Look at the laptops below and make an informed choice.
1. Lenovo IdeaPad L340
What better way to begin this article than talking about the budget option? None! Which is why we’ll be discussing the Lenovo IdeaPad L340 first. It accommodates all Adobe applications and any other design application ensuring that they run smoothly.
The L340 runs on an Intel Core i7-9750H processor. The processor also supports hyperthreading and has a 12MB cache. These features are perfect for adobe creative suites. The CPU is accompanied by a 4GB Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.
The RAM section is doing pretty alright too. It comes with 8GB RAM. And though this might seem a bit restraining for multi-tasking, it does its job perfectly. This laptop also has 512 GB ultra-fast SSD storage. You’ll also get windows 10 with this laptop out of the box.
As for the screen, you’ll be delighted with the performance of the 17.3-inch panel. The huge screen along with a display resolution of 1920 x 1080 ensures that designers and editors have a much easier time while doing their job. The Display also features an eye care feature that filters out glare to guard your eyes.
Though the display is great and all, it might seem a bit less bright for some people. And the 6.5-hour battery life is a bit average too. If you can excuse these small bits then it’s a perfect budget laptop to go for.
Pros
- Powered by a powerful Intel Core i7-9750H processor.
- The processor supports hyperthreading and has a 12MB cache.
- Comes with a high performing 4GB Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.
- 8GB RAM fast RAM.
- The 512GB SSD storage has great read/write speed.
- The 17.3-inch Full HD panel provides immersive visuals.
- The Display features an eye care feature that filters out glare to guard your eyes.
Cons
- The display is a bit less bright.
- The average battery life of 6.5 hours.
2. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5
Looking for a laptop that can also be turned into a tablet for convenience but without breaking the bank? The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex5 would be an ideal choice in that case. And this laptop also comes with all the necessary features to accommodate Adobe CS.
Let’s talk about what this boy features on the inside now. The Ideapad Flex 5 comes with a 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor. As this is one of the latest processors from Intel you’re bound to get more performance from your processors. The laptop also has Intel UHD graphics which although isn’t the most powerful GPU but it gets the job done.
Though the IdeaPad Flex 5 somewhat compromised on the GPU portion, the rest of it is great. It has a fast 8GB DDR4 memory. This combined with the 128GB SSD storage provides a fast user experience. It also has a 360⁰ hinge through which you can easily convert your laptop into a tablet.
As for the display. It’s a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen. It has nearly zero bezels and delivers clear and crisp images. One other noteworthy feature is that it features a webcam physical privacy shutter and fingerprint reader making it a perfect laptop for official use. The battery life of 8 hours is quite decent too.
However, it’s a bit heavy for a 14-inch laptop. And at 250 nits, the display isn’t the brightest. But at such a low price, there aren’t any better 2-in-1 laptops than this in 2024.
Pros
- The Ideapad Flex 5 comes with a 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor.
- A fast and upgradeable 8GB DDR4 memory.
- The 128GB SSD storage provides fast boot and reads/write speed.
- The 360⁰ hinge easily converts your laptop into a tablet.
- The 14-inch FHD display has nearly zero bezels and delivers clear and crisp images.
- It features a webcam physical privacy shutter and fingerprint reader.
- The decent battery life of 8 hours.
Cons
- A bit heavy.
- At 250 nits, the display isn’t the brightest.
3. Acer Predator Helios 300
Now we’ll start venturing into the more expensive section of this article. But before going into the expensive ones let’s take a look at our Value for money pick. And we choose to go for the Acer Predator Helios 300. Though it’s primarily a gaming laptop, Its specs make it one of the best laptops for Adobe CS.
So what has it on the inside you ask? The short answer would be Good things! But aside from that, it features the strongest processor from last gen in the form of Intel Core i7-9750H. The processor has 6 cores and can be overclocked up to 4.5GHz. It also features Windows 10 Home out of the box.
Let’s talk a bit about the memory section now. You’d be happy to know that it sports one of the higher tier GPUs in the form of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB version). It also features a higher amount of RAM than the other laptops on this list as it has 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory. It also features 512GB Ultrafast PCIe NVMe SSD. The NVMe RAM is faster and more durable than the traditional SATAIII SSD.
We can’t get enough of this display! The 15.6″ Full HD has a killer 144Hz Refresh Rate. It also has a minimal response time of 3ms. And unlike other displays, it’s quite bright at 300Nits. It also scores 72% NTSC which is good for performing creative tasks on Adobe CS.
But like the previous entry on this list, we didn’t like how heavy it was. The battery life of 4.5 hours on a full charge is a bit disappointing too. But if you’re getting such power at such a lower price then these things shouldn’t bother you.
Pros
- Features a strong Intel Core i7-9750H.
- The processor has 6 cores and can be overclocked up to 4.5GHz.
- It features Windows 10 Home out of the box.
- Insanely powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6 GB GPU.
- Thanks to 16 GB DDR4 2666MHz Memory the UI is insanely fast.
- The 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD is faster and more durable than the traditional SATAIII SSD.
- The 15.6″ Full HD has a killer 144Hz Refresh Rate.
- A score of 72% NTSC which is good for performing creative tasks on Adobe CS.
Cons
- A tad bit heavy.
- The sub-par battery life of 4.5 hours on a full charge.
4. Apple MacBook Pro
Let’s be honest here, there can’t be a list of best laptops without including the name of the MacBook Pro! If you’re familiar with the MacBook pro then stop reading and go for it and if you don’t then follow my lead!
The MacBook Pro features an Intel Core i7 9th gen processor. The processor also has 12MB of L3 cache that makes the processing speeds even faster. The MacBook Pro also comes with an AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU that makes rendering and designing faster and easier than ever.
Hopping onto the memory section, you’ll find super-fast 16GB of RAM. The MacBook Pro also comes with a 512GB SSD that makes loading times non-existential! You can upgrade the SSD and RAM further up to 1TB RAM and 8TB SSD respectively. And The 11-hour battery life on a full charge is going to carry you through the day with ease.
The display of the MacBook Pro is nothing new to talk of. It comes with a 16-inch display that has a display resolution of 3072×1920 pixels. The Retina display enhances each pixel to provide much better picture output while the true tone technology takes care of outputting accurate colors while editing and rendering.
However, for such a high price of this laptop, Apple could’ve given us a better GPU. It’s not like the GPU underperforms or anything. It’s just that the performance could’ve been much better. But frankly speaking, the MacBook Pro is the best non-windows laptop out there at the moment!
Pros
- The Intel Core i7 9th gen processor has 12MB of L3 cache that makes the processing speeds even faster.
- The AMD Radeon Pro 5300M GPU that makes rendering and designing faster and easier than ever.
- Super-fast 16GB of RAM.
- The 512GB SSD that makes loading times non-existential.
- The SSD and RAM can be upgraded to 1TB RAM and 8TB SSD.
- The 11-hour battery life on a full charge is going to carry you through the day with ease.
- The Retina display enhances each pixel to provide much better picture output
- Truetone technology takes care of outputting accurate colors while editing and rendering.
Cons
- GPU could’ve been much better.
5. Microsoft Surface Book 3
Surface Book 3 is one of the higher league laptops for Adobe CS. Most suitable for professional CS users, this laptop is packed with tons of features that are going to benefit its users in a lot of different ways.
The Surface Book 3 runs on the latest Intel Core i7-10657 processor. The processor also has 8MB of cache memory. The increased cache memory makes loading apps and data much faster than before. This processor also supports overclocking up to 3.9GHz. As for GPU, it comes with an insanely powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU with 6GB VRAM. The GPU syncs perfectly with the CPU to give out perfect designs and edits.
The Storage and Memory won’t disappoint you too. The SurfaceBook 3 comes with 16GB RAM and 256 GB SSD storage. One thing to point out here is that the SSD storage amount is a bit less compared to other laptops. However, the SSD storage is much faster than any HDD storage.
The most important part about the 15-inch display is that it supports multi-touch. And as a creative professional who uses Adobe CS, this can be a vital feature in a lot of situations. Couple this up with the pixel sense feature that enhances each pixel to make visuals look more vivid and you’ve got a solid laptop screen on your hand!
And you can’t find a better battery backup anywhere than the surface book 3 as it has a mammoth 17.5-hour backup on a full charge. The only thing that’s holding this laptop back is its price. Other than that there aren’t many laptops that are better than this one.
Pros
- The Surface Book 3 runs on the latest Intel Core i7-10657 processor.
- The 8MB cache memory makes loading apps and data much faster than before.
- It comes with an insanely powerful NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU.
- 16GB RAM and 256GB fast SSD storage.
- Supports multi-touch.
- The pixel sense feature enhances each pixel to make visuals look more vivid.
- It has a mammoth 17.5-hour backup on a full charge
Cons
- Expensive.
6. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
Do you want the best of everything? Are you not worried about the price? If the answer to both of those questions is yes then take a look at the Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition. There hasn’t been a better laptop made than this one!
Before we get started let me tell you that the specs are insane! The Razer Blade 15 consists of an 8-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor. And the clock speed of this processor can be boosted up to 5.1 GHz! As for the GPU, you’ll be getting the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design. The specialty of this version is that it contains more cores while also being 25% faster!
Onto the storage and memory now. You’ll be happy to know that it contains 1TB of Ultrafast SSD storage and 32GB RAM with the option to upgrade in the future! The body features an aluminum frame and is just 0.7″ thin while also being durable.
The 15.6” Display supports 4K visuals. The display section could end with that one line! Jokes aside. It also has a blazing-fast 1ms response time. The wide color range covers 100% of DCI-P13 space. This laptop also features a unique liquid filled chamber cooling system so rest assured your laptop won’t get heated, Ever!
And as you might have guessed already the biggest issue we have with this laptop is its ridiculously high price. So if you’re fine with that then go for this laptop. You won’t find a better laptop for Adobe CS anywhere else!
Pros
- It runs on an 8-Core 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H processor.
- The clock speed can be boosted up to 5.1 GHz.
- The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design contains more cores while also being 25% faster.
- 1TB of Ultrafast SSD storage .
- 32GB Superfast RAM.
- The 15.6” Display supports 4K visuals.
- It has a blazing-fast 1ms response time.
- Features a unique liquid-filled chamber cooling system
- The wide color range covers 100% of DCI-P13 space.
Cons
- Very Expensive.
What makes a laptop suitable for Adobe CS?
Adobe Creative Cloud is a subscription-based model targeted to professionals and consumers of Adobe’s myriad of desktop and mobile applications. A subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud includes a collection of over 20 desktop and mobile apps that are geared to creativity including design, photography, video, web, and more.
This subscription service includes popular software and apps including but not limited to Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Adobe XD, and Acrobat DC. Along with this, it includes the ability to create your portfolio website, utilizes various Adobe fonts, and even take advantage of the included 100GB of cloud storage for file sharing and collaboration.
By now, you might be thinking you might need a high powered PC to handle all of this. Below, we will be going over what laptop specs you need to take full advantage of this massive cloud suite.
1. CPU
When you are purchasing a laptop for Adobe Creative Cloud applications, you want to begin with the CPU. The CPU of your laptop is one of the most important specs that will determine how well it will run the software.
Nowadays, to run Adobe’s full suite of applications and software on your laptop, you want a multi-core processor at the bare minimum. Having a CPU with multi-cores can ensure that you don’t get hit with constant frame drops while running these applications. While some of the software can be run with CPU’s as weak as an Intel Pentium 4, it would be better to get one that offers multi-cores and multi-threading for the best performance.
This is especially true if you are planning on processing a lot of high-resolution images in Lightroom. Otherwise, a lot of your Lightroom work sessions will result in sluggish performance.
2. RAM
The RAM on your laptop is another distinction that will dramatically impact your performance. Just about every software in Adobe’s suite has a minimum of 4GB (or more) of RAM requirement.
Adobe claims that Photoshop requires only a minimum of 2GB of RAM, but that will be pushing things if you are doing anything while you are running Photoshop on your PC. Ideally, you will be able to find a laptop that has a minimum of 8GB of RAM.
This is a good middle-ground for those that don’t want to dramatically overspend. However, that amount of RAM is still not providing yourself with enough of a buffer to run the full suite of apps. Rather, you ought to look for a laptop that has 16GB of RAM. This is especially true if you plan on using RAM intensive applications like Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. Adobe has a 16GB of RAM recommendation on both of these[1].
3. Graphics Card (GPU)
Another aspect that you want to consider would have to be the graphics card. Some of the applications will run with integrated graphics, you generally want a capable graphics card if you are going to be doing any heavy design work.
For instance, a compatible graphics processor or GPU will allow you to experience much better performance when you are using Photoshop. You will be able to utilize a lot more of its built-in features with a dedicated GPU including 3D rendering, oil paint, smooth brush resizing, artboards, select focus, select and mask, and more.
What Else Should You Consider?
4. Screen
The screen is another specification that is going to play a critical role in determining how effective your laptop is for graphic design and other kinds of Adobe suite’s work. If you will be directly viewing what is on your screen solely on your laptop’s built-in screen, you want it to be accurate, have good viewing angles, and have high resolution when doing graphics work.
Therefore, you will want to look for a laptop that features an IPS screen rather than a TN screen which suffers from poor contrast and bad viewing angles. Also, in regards to resolution, you want to get a screen that is capable of showcasing your photos in whatever maximum resolutions you are shooting in. Therefore, if you will be doing a lot of work with 4K photos, you want a screen capable of 4K resolution.
5. Storage
When you are looking for a laptop that is going to be effective at running Adobe’s suite of apps, you don’t necessarily need one that contains a lot of built-in storage. However, if you are not going to be docking your laptop regularly and you want to have access to all of your files on the road, you will certainly need to look at the built-in storage options.
For those that are doing a lot of photo or design work with high-resolution files such as photos in RAW format, you will need to get a laptop that contains a lot of storage. Therefore, it would be better to opt for a laptop that offers a minimum of 1TB SSD.
A Solid State Drive (SSD) is preferable because it offers a much quicker read/write and better all-around performance. It is also much more dependable for laptops because it doesn’t contain moving parts.
6. Stylus/Pen
Another key specification that you might want to consider when you are shopping for the optimal laptop for the Adobe suite would be whether or not it offers any kind of stylus or pen support.
Having a stylus is a game-changer for those in creative fields because it can help make photo editing much easier and it can allow you to accomplish creative things that are much more difficult without this type of technology. Thus, a lot of laptop manufacturers that are targeting creative students and professionals are including this in their laptops and 2-in-1’s like Microsoft’s Surface Book.
Wrapping Up
The Laptops discussed here are some of the best for Adobe CS. And these laptops will serve you well for the next 4-5 years with ease (Depending on how you take care of them. We’ve also discussed what you need to look for in a laptop for Adobe CS.So pick the one that’s best for you!
References:
https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/system-requirements.html