Creator laptops 2021
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ZDNets recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services were assessing. When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNet nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers. ZDNet's editorial team writes on behalf of YOU, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form CloseBest laptop for graphic design 2022: Get creativeApple has traditionally dominated the creative markets, but there are now dozens of Windows PCs designed for content creation, too. Here's a selection of portable devices. Written by Cliff Joseph, Contributor Cliff Joseph Contributor Cliff has worked on numerous computer and technology titles, including PC Magazine and MacUser, and has over 20 years' experience in tech journalism. Full Bioon April 7, 2021 | Topic: Laptops
Apple's professional users -- especially those working in the creative industries -- have welcomed the company's renewed focus on its professional Mac products, following the long-awaited introduction of the 2019 Mac Pro desktop, and the 16-inch revamp of its flagship MacBook Pro laptop. But there's no doubt that Apple took its eye off the ball in the Mac market while it spent years concentrating on the iPhone, and that has given rival PC manufacturers a real opportunity to capture a slice of Apple's creative pie. Intel got the ball rolling back in 2018 with its Creator PC initiative, which was further boosted by Nvdia's Studio campaign the following year, which aimed to extend the company's graphics technologies beyond its traditional gaming audience and into the creative industries. So creative users are now spoilt for choice, with dozens of laptop and desktop systems now vying for their attention. Here, we're focusing on 'creator' laptops. Check out our companion list of the best desktops for this use case. Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel15.6-inch 4K touch-screen with a versatile hingeImages: AcerThe ConceptD 7 that ZDNet reviewed at the end of 2019 was an attractive desktop-replacement laptop for creative users, and the company has extended the range with an Ezel variation that introduces an unusual display design. The highlight is the 15.6-inch touch screen with 4K resolution that supports 100% of the Adobe RGB colour space, which will be suitable for a wide range of graphics and design tasks (although there's no mention of video colour standards, such as DCI-P3). Like many convertible laptops, the ConceptD 7 Ezel allows you to fold the screen right back so that the device acts like a large tablet. However, the hinged display panel can also tilt upwards -- rather like Microsoft's Surface Studio desktop PC -- allowing you to sketch at a more comfortable angle with the Wacom stylus that's included in the price. That versatile design provides plenty of power too: a mid-range model in the UK with a 10th generation, eight-core Core i7 processor running at 2.3GHz (up to 5.1GHz with TurboBoost), 32GB of RAM, 1TB of solid-state storage, and an 8GB Nvidia Quadro RTX 2080 Super graphics card costs £3,499 (inc. VAT). A similar model in the US with a 2TB SSD costs $3,999.99. View now at AmazonVIEW NOW AT ACER (UK) Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Late 2020)Enter the Apple Silicon M1Images: AppleExternally, the 13-inch MacBook Pro launched in November 2020 didn't differ much from previous generations. But on the inside, it was an entirely new beast. The first 'pro' Mac based on the Apple Silicon M1 system-on-chip delivered impressive performance -- including, crucially for creators, GPU performance -- and battery life, with ZDNet's Jason Cipriani claiming it was "the fastest Mac I've ever used". But while Apple's Rosetta 2 technology provided compatibility with existing software and apps, which were written for Intel processors, developers still needed to update their software in order to gain the full performance benefits of Apple's new processors. Since then, Microsoft has announced native M1 support for Office 365, and Adobe has just released the M1 version of Photoshop, which it claims provides 50% performance increase over the MacBook Pro's Intel-based predecessor. Support from these key developers should boost acceptance of the new Apple Silicon Macs, and the rumours of Apple's next-generation M1X chip have Mac users eagerly awaiting the next updates for the MacBook Pro and iMac ranges. View now at Apple USVIEW NOW AT APPLE UK Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2019)Intel-powered, with DCI-P3 support and excellent speakersImages: AppleAfter years of focusing on the iPhone, Apple turned its attention back to its traditional creative audience towards the end of 2019, with an entirely new Mac Pro, and this well-received revamp of its veteran 15-inch pro laptop. The clue's in the name, of course, and the16-inch MacBook Pro managed to fit a larger 16-inch display into a design that's only 9mm wider than its 15-inch predecessor, while keeping the weight down to just 2kg. The 3,072 by 1,920 (226ppi) display is a delight, and supports the DCI-P3 colour standard used in professional broadcasting; Apple is also making a renewed pitch for the audio and music markets, squeezing an impressive high-quality speaker and microphone system into the 16-inch MacBook Pro's slimline design. It's expensive, of course, but with 6-core Core i7 and 8-core Core i9 processor options, AMD Radeon Pro graphics, all-day battery life, and a new keyboard design, Apple's 16-inch MacBook Pro has restored the faith of many long-time Mac users. $1,149 at Amazon$1,800 at Best Buy$2,459 at eBay Dell Precision 3560Entry-level 15.6-inch system with 11th-gen Intel Core CPUsImages: DellDell's Precision range of mobile workstations provides impressive performance for graphics and video work, and the new 15.6-inch Precision 3560 is an attractive entry-level system that introduces Intel's 11th generation processors to the range. View now at Dell USVIEW NOW AT DELL UK Dell Precision 5750Compact and customisable 17-inch systemImages: DellDell was clearly aiming for a slice of Apple pie when it launched the Precision 5750 at the end of 2020, boasting that it was the world's most compact 17-inch workstation (and, briefly, claiming to be the lightest 17-inch model too). Its weight varies between 1.8kg and 2.5kg, depending on configuration, but that's still a good weight for such a high-end performer. View now at Dell USVIEW NOW AT DELL UK Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED15.6-inch 4K OLED screen with DCI-P3 supportImages: GigabyteGigabyte recently took time out from its traditional gaming pursuits to announce updates for its Aero range of 'creator laptops'. First out of the gate is its new Aero 15 OLED, which as the name suggests, boasts a 15.6-inch AMOLED display with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160, 282.4dpi), plus updated Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics. View now at Amazon USVIEW NOW AT AMAZON UK HP ZBook Fury 17 G7Customisable large-screen laptop with plenty of CPU and GPU optionsImages: HP IncHP's ever-expanding range of ZBook mobile workstations now boasts several different laptop designs, including the lightweight Firefly. But sitting at the top of the range, like King Kong atop a skyscraper, is the ZBook Fury G7. View now at HP USVIEW NOW AT HP UK HP ZBook Firefly 15The most portable HP ZBook mobile workstationImages: HP Inc
View now at HP Inc USVIEW NOW AT HP UK Lenovo ThinkPad P15sLightweight entry-level system with Linux optionImages: LenovoThe 15.6-inch ThinkPad P15s isn't the most powerful of Lenovo's P-Series mobile workstations, but it's an attractive entry-level model that combines a lightweight, 1.75kg design with strong performance and competitive pricing. View now at Lenovo USVIEW NOW AT LENOVO UK Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 310th-gen Intel Core CPUs and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPUImages: LenovoLenovo's ThinkPad X1 range focuses on portability, and even this top-of-the-rangeExtrememodel with its 15.6-inch display weighs in at around 1.7kg, while still offering professional-level features and performance. The 4K display with 3840-by-2160 resolution (282.4ppi) is bright and colourful, and supports 100% of the Adobe RGB colour gamut, so it will be suitable for a wide range of graphics and design tasks. There's no mention of the DCI-P3 standard, which is widely used in video editing. View now at Lenovo USVIEW NOW AT LENOVO UK Microsoft Surface Book 3 for BusinessConvertible design with 10th-gen Intel Core CPU and Nvidia GeForce or Quadro GPUImages: MicrosoftThe detachable design of Microsoft's Surface Book has proven extremely popular, especially with creative users who enjoy the freedom of using it as a tablet with (optional $80/£100) stylus for sketching and visualisation work. Standard Surface Book 3 models run Windows 10 Home, so business users who require Windows 10 Pro will need to choose the Surface Book 3 for Business variant. Like its predecessor, the Surface Book 3 is available with either 13.5-inch or 15-inch displays, although creative users will probably prefer the 15-inch model with not-quite-4K display (3240 x 2160, 260dpi). There's a $1,699.99/£1,679 entry-level model based on a 10th-generation Core i5 processor with integrated Iris Plus graphics, but it's only the more expensive Core i7 configurations that offer a discrete GPU. If you need discrete graphics, prices start at $2,099.99 or £2,079 with a quad-core Core i7-1065G7 running at 1.3GHz (up to 3.9GHz with TurboBoost), 16GB of RAM and a 256GB solid-state drive. That price includes an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU, but you can double the RAM and storage and step up to a Quadro RTX 3000 for a total price of $2,599.99 or £2,529. View now at Microsoft USVIEW NOW AT MICROSOFT UK MSI Creator 17Large 4K Mini LED display with DCI-P3 supportImages: MSIMSI is best known for its gaming laptops and displays, but it does have its Creator Series of laptops, which was recently updated with the new Creator 17. Suitable for a wide range of graphics, design and video work, the Creator 17 boasts an impressive 17.3-inch Mini LED display with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160, 254.7dpi), 1,000 nits brightness and support for the DCI-P3 colour standard widely used in professional-level video editing. View now at MSI USMSI UK Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition4K OLED touch screen, Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphicsImages: RazerRazer has always been known for its gaming gear, including the popular Blade range of laptops, which combine powerful graphics performance with attractive, slimline designs. But that graphics performance can be turned to other tasks as well, and Razer has produced a number of Blade laptops that are specifically aimed at designers and creative users. The company's Blade 15 Studio Editionboasts a 15.6-inch OLED touch screen with 4K resolution (3840 x 2160, 282.4dpi) in a sleek design that measures just 19.9mm thick and weighs 2.1kg. For $3,799.99 or £3,849.99 (inc. VAT), you get a six-core Core i7-10875H processor running at 2.3GHz (up to 5.1GHz with TurboBoost), with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive. Graphics are handled by Nvidia's high-end Quadro RTX 5000. View now at Razer USVIEW NOW AT RAZER UK Related TopicsHardware Reviews Security Mobility PCs |