Animators have a fun-filled job which involves creating animations for money. Some do it for fun. An animator’s work, while exciting, also has its own challenges. Since the animation is virtual, animators have to create products that look as real as possible. Through their work, they take viewers to a world of make-believe. For this reason, they have to be on top of their game. That cannot happen without the best laptop for animation though.
Selecting such a laptop can be a bit tedious. It is imperative that you know how to choose one by knowing what to look for in an animation laptop. Performance is an important factor. The features – including the laptop’s graphics cards – should also play a role here. Some laptops will serve students better. Others are more geared towards meeting the needs of a professional animator. The market is full of different brands and models; hence, increasing your chances of finding exactly what you need.
Below is a review of the best laptops for this kind of work.
Dell Inspiron i7559-5012GRY
This touchscreen laptop is ideal for all types of animation work for various reasons. It tramps most laptops in performance. It is specifically designed for gaming, which explains why animators love it this much. Its credentials are in place. It boots up fast, thus saving you from wasting too much time waiting and holding your breath in anticipation. What is more, it is one of the easiest laptops to upgrade in case any of its features need a bit of improvement. The screen looks great. All these features make it ideal for animation work.
Pros
- Awesome all-round performance
- 4K UHD Touchscreen
- Amazing design
- I/O port collection
- Intel Quad Core i7-6700HQ
- 4GB GDDR5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M video card
- Beautiful display
- ITB of HDD
- Battery lasts 10 hours
- HDMI Port
- SD Media Card Slot
- 3 x USB3.0
Cons
- The 5.67 lbs weight might be too heavy for someone who’s always on the move.
- The 8GB SSD needs improvement
HP ZBook 15u G4-15inch
This powerful workstation provides all the features, and top-notch performance animators need. It comes with a pre-installed Windows 10. The laptop runs on 7th Generation Intel Core i5/i7 processors. It is also well designed and built. The laptop is a perfect choice for professional animators. The colorful and vibrant display gives the laptop its enhanced likeability among professional animators. It is, however, one of the heaviest laptops in this category thus likely to prove a bit problematic to carry around from one place to the next.
Pros
- Incredible performance befitting its status as a workstation
- Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
- Great port selection
- Adequate support for multiple SSDs
- Stunning HP DreamColor display
- Classy case
- Comfortable input devices
- Low noise levels
- Highly customizable
- Touchscreen (optional)
Cons
- Design looks a bit chunky
- Short battery life
- Online configurator created by HP limits its 2.5-inch drives to 1TB
Acer Aspire E15
Long battery life and a colorful display are two of the qualities of this laptop you will notice right away. Apart from that, it performs exceptionally well hence an ideal machine for all your animation work. If a laptop that packs solid performance every time you switch it on, is what you are looking for, this one should appeal to you. Its screen stands out from the rest of the competition. The colors tend to be slightly more vivid too. The backlight is also brighter. It comes packed with several types of software, which could save you money and time.
Pros
- Colorful and full HD display
- Long battery life
- Numerous ports
- Accurate sound
- Strong build quality
- AC Wi-Fi
- NVIDIA graphics
Cons
- Webcam needs improvements
- Restricted viewing angles
- Slow hard drive
- Uncomfortable touchpad and keyboard
Acer Predator Helios 300
This laptop is proof of the attention that Acer gives the products it makes. The machine can serve you well as an animation or gaming laptop. It guarantees powerful performance every time you turn it on to begin working on any project. It has an upgradable graphics card. The laptop comes with a two-year return-to-base warranty. It has a sturdy appearance. Some models have an all-plastic casing. Others are fitted with metal casing, especially those found or sold in the United States.
Pros
- Affordable
- Strong performance
- Long battery life
- Two-year warranty
- Easily upgradeable
- 512GB SSD
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Display could do with some improvements
- Quality of sound system is too low
- Cooling system is poorly designed
- SATA SSD
- Lacks HDD
Apple MacBook Pro 15.4”
This high-end laptop will satisfy your craving for a superb, error-free animation laptop. It is a continuation of the reputation Apple has of building quality products. The sleek laptop is easy and light to carry in case you need to travel. It is a laptop worth spending money on if you plan to be working while on the move. It takes a shorter time to boot, and programs load faster too. What is more, it has the distinction of being the largest yet most powerful laptop from the Apple stable.
Pros
- Sleek, portable and perfect for travel
- Performs admirably fast
- Beautiful Retina display
- Snappy and comfortable keyboard
- Great battery life
- Slimmed-down design
- Well-built and attractive
- Impressive audio quality
- Touch ID
- Spacious trackpad
Cons
- Selection of ports can be quite frustrating
- Can grow too warm for comfort while running
- No slot for memory card
ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 Laptop
Intro
The ASUS VivoBook Pro 17 is an excellent choice if you are looking for an all-
round laptop that isn’t too expensive or too cheap. It has the perfect mix of
features that makes it a mid-range but a perfect well-rounded laptop model for
animation lovers.
Pros
- 8th Generation Intel Core processor
- A mid-range laptop model that is all-rounded and perfect for creating animations
- Lightweight and very thin making it an excellent travel laptop
- It can easily run most of the animation software that you use
- This laptop has a high resolution with a large display screen of 17-inches
- The ASUS VivoBook Pro laptop has some amazing features and specs that
handle any if not all the animation tasks you need it to - Boasts of a backlit keyboard that is also ergonomic and very responsive
- Fingerprint reader guarantees the security of your documents and work
- It’s reasonably priced given the features it comes with
- It has lots of storage space
- It has an excellent build quality that offers great performance
- Multiple connectivity options form USB and HDMI ports
- Excellent speakers for when you need to listen through your animation videos
Cons
- It has an average battery life
- Some users report that the laptop’s fan is noisy
Conclusion
With this information, you can now pick the best laptop for animation without scratching your head in confusion or wondering where to start. Obviously, your budget will determine the kind of laptop you eventually settle on and buy. The kind of animation projects you intend to handle will also influence the laptop you eventually buy. All shall be well as long as you know what you want, and thoughtfully go through your evaluation process.