If you’re looking for a laptop to edit photos, you’ve come to the right place. I spent over 75 hours researching and putting in 20+ hours of testing (just on editing software alone!) – which led me to my top picks of the best budget laptops for photo editing.
Choosing the best laptop for photo editing on a budget can be hard. So I did all the hard work for you. Although, there are countless factors like screen size, processor speed, storage capacity, and even budget that we need to consider. There are plenty of low-cost and budget friendly laptops are available on the market for photo editing.
However, if you’re looking to spend maximum $1000, there are plenty of decent laptops. But if you are looking for a photo editing laptop for around $400-$800 then there are very few options available which are able to handle demanding software like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, GIMP, etc.
So, to buy one, I have prepared a top picks list that features the highest value laptops. Without further ado let’s take a look.
Also Read:- Best Laptop For Photo Editing Under $1000
Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop For Photo Editing On A Budget
If you are a photographer or if you are into photo editing and graphic designing, you will be requiring a laptop that can run heavy software like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator.
And for that, you need to have some minimum requirements in your system like a good processor, RAM, and Graphics card.
1. Processor/CPU
For processors, even though i5 processors are fine for photo editing. But if you have a good budget then I would recommend you to go with an i7 processor or AMD Ryzen 7/9 as they might come with more cores and higher clock speeds to help you render images faster.
2. RAM
Most of the heavy software needs at least 4GB of RAM but to run it efficiently you should have 8GB+ RAM.
3. Graphics Card
Graphics is also one of the factors to consider as most editing software uses GPU for rendering images so it would be better if you have a dedicated graphics card like NVIDIA GTX 1050, 1050 Ti, or above.
You could also go with the integrated graphics but they might not work as well as discrete graphics cards when it comes to high-end photo editing work.
Best Laptop For Photo Editing On A Budget – Top 8 Picks
Acer Aspire 5
- AMD Ryzen 3 3350U
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Vega 7 Graphics
HP 15-dy2024nr
- Intel Core i5-1135G7
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Acer Swift 3
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Graphics
ASUS VivoBook 15
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Graphics
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
Dell Inspiron 15 5510
- Intel Core i5-11300H
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
MSI GF63 9SC-068
- Intel Core i5-9300H
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
1. Acer Aspire 5 – Best Cheap Laptop For Photo Editing
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 3 3350U Processor
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 10 Hours Battery Life
The Acer Aspire 5 is ideal for anyone looking to buy a cheap laptop for photo editing. The 15.6-inch laptop has a sleek chassis and comes with a 15.6-inch display, which is big enough to edit photos, and it also features Full HD resolution for exceptional visuals.
Moving on, it is powered by the AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor which is powerful enough for basic photo editing tasks, and it’s also backed by 4GB of RAM, which can definitely handle simple photo retouching. Another nice thing about the Acer Aspire 5 is the fact that you can upgrade its storage yourself, so if you find that 128GB of space isn’t enough then simply buy an SSD drive and install it into the empty bay.
This affordable photo editing laptop has a great keyboard, which is something that’s not always found at this price range, along with an accurate trackpad, so it’s very comfortable to use. As far as battery life is concern, this notebook offers more than 7 hours of battery life, which is decent for its class.
Overall, this device is the most affordable option in this list of best laptops for photo editing on a budget and packs in enough power to handle all your photo editing work.
What We Like:- Slot for memory and storage
- Nice display quality for this price
- Fingerprint reader & Backlit keyboard
- Good battery backup
- Latest Windows 11 OS
- No indication light on caps lock key
2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 – Best Budget Laptop For Photo Editing
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Vega 7 Graphics
- 14 Inch Full HD Display
- Up to 6 Hours Battery Life
If you’re looking for a laptop that is both affordable and capable of photo editing, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14 is a great choice for under $500. The IdeaPad 3 features an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage.
Further, its AMD Radeon 7 Graphics can handle photo editing software like Photoshop and Lightroom with ease. You don’t need to worry about heating as the laptop has intelligent thermals that cool the system down quickly. Moreover, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is also ergonomic, so you won’t get fatigued during use.
It sports a 14-inch full HD screen that has 4-side narrow bezels, while the eye care feature reduces harmful low blue light, so your eyes won’t feel strained after long periods of use. Apart from that, it has a built-in privacy shutter on the webcam so you can protect your identity when you’re not using it.
Regarding the connectivity, its WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 option will make it easy to connect to other devices as well, while its USB ports allow for even more ways to connect devices or transfer data.
What We Like:- Good specs at this price point
- 14 inch 4-side narrow bezel screen
- Intelligent thermal system
- Webcam with privacy shutter
- All the essential set of ports
- Lack of backlit keyboard
Related:10 Best Budget Laptops For Photoshop
3. HP 15-dy2024nr – Best Affordable Laptop For Photo Editing
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Anti-glare Display
- Up to 7 Hours Battery Life
If you are in searching for an affordable and powerful laptop that is great for photo editing, look no further than the HP 15-dy2024nr. Put simply, this is one of the best budget laptops for photo editing on the market because of its affordability and impressive specs.
The HP 15-dy2024nr has an 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor that runs at a base speed of 2.4 GHz. It’s not a super-powerful processor, but for photo editing, it will do just fine. It also comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256GB of solid state drive for storage.
The display size is 15.6 inches, and it has a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. You can view images in great detail on this screen no matter where you are sitting or standing.
Regarding the battery, you can get up to 7 hours of battery life on a single charge, so you can take it with you when you leave the house without having to worry about it dying right away. On top of that, you can quickly charge this laptop with HP Fast Charge, which lets you go from 0 to 50% charge in approximately 45 minutes.
What We Like:- Latest 11th gen i5 CPU
- Fast NVMe SSD for storage
- Anti glare screen
- HP fast charging technology
- Value for the money
- Without backlit keys
4. Acer Swift 3 – Best Laptop For Photo Editing On A Budget
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- 14 Inch Full HD IPS Non-glare Display
- Up to 12 Hours Battery Life
The Acer Swift 3 is definitely one of the best laptops on a budget for photo editing. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U octa-core processor and 8GB memory, which is good enough to handle photo editing tasks.
This is not the top-end model with 16 gigs of RAM, but I’ve been very pleased with its performance. I do have a few tabs open in Chrome while I’m working in Lightroom, Photoshop, or Elements, and it handles that fine.
On the storage front, its 512GB SSD is more than enough room for your photo editing needs, especially when you combine it with the 100GB of free OneDrive storage. Regarding the display, it sports a 14-inch full HD IPS display with 100% sRGB color gamut, so you will get to enjoy high-quality photos on this laptop.
Besides the specs, this laptop comes with a fingerprint reader support for your security needs. Moreover, it weighs 2.65 lbs only, so it can be called as an ultraportable laptop for photo editing. As far as battery life is concern, you can use this laptop for up to 12 hours on a single charge.
What We Like:- Powerful Ryzen 7 5700U octa core chipset
- Enough storage space
- Nice display
- All metal body
- Fingerprint reader
- Lack of Ethernet port
5. ASUS VivoBook 15 M515 – Thin & Light Laptop For Photo Editing
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 7 5700U Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Graphics
- 15.6 Inch Full HD Display
- Up to 6 Hours Battery Life
Costing less than $700, the ASUS VivoBook 15 is one of the best options out there if you want an affordable laptop that is also powerful enough to handle photo editing tasks.
The CPU that it contains is an AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor which can run at up to 4.3 GHz and has 8 cores so it will be able to handle all of your photo editing needs very well. Alongside, an integrated GPU comes with this model but still offers great performance when editing photos on the go.
Thanks for providing 8GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD storage space which gives you plenty of room for all your photos. In terms of display, it sports a 15.6 inch IPS display that has an impressive 83% screen-to-body ratio and 1920 x 1080 resolution for clear images and a comfortable viewing experience.
Apart from this, ASUS VivoBook also has a fingerprint sensor built into the touchpad, so you don’t have to enter your password every time you turn it on.
What We Like:- Thin & lightweight design
- Remarkable 7 5700U 8-core CPU
- 15 inch FHD screen with wide viewing angle
- Full-size backlit keyboard
- Fingerprint sensor is provided on the touchpad
6. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – Best Overall
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 8 Hours Battery Life
If you’re on a budget and want to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to photo editing and other light video work, then the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is for you.
This laptop packs an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, which is more than powerful enough to handle photo editing tasks. On the GPU side, there’s an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 with 4GB VRAM. This is not the most powerful graphics card, but it will still run photo editing apps quite well. There’s also 8GB RAM to ensure everything runs smoothly while you’re editing those pictures too.
For storing your photos, there’s a 256GB SSD drive that may seem small at first glance, but it’ll be enough space to store thousands of images. In terms of display, its 15.6 inch screen has Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels), so you get plenty of screen space for your photos and videos. The IPS panel has wide viewing angles, so you can share your work with other people more easily.
What’s more, this laptop also comes with a thermal ceiling that helps to keep the device from overheating when you’re performing intensive tasks like graphics rendering. The keyboard is backlit and the touchpad is smooth, making this laptop comfortable to use.
What We Like:- Powerful Ryzen 5 5600H CPU
- Dedicated GTX 1650 graphics card
- 120Hz refresh rate screen
- Rapid Charge Pro charging technology
- Overall build quality is durable
- Limited storage
7. Dell Inspiron 15 5510 – Best Dell Laptop For Photo Editing On A Budget
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i5-11300H Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 5.5 Hours Battery Life
Dell is a well-known brand that is trusted by many professionals and their Dell Inspiron 15 5510 is one of the best laptops for photo editing on the market. This laptop comes with some of the latest features and specifications that you can expect to find in a modern laptop.
To start with, it is powered by an Intel Core i5-11300H processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. With these specs, you will be able to do photo editing on this laptop without any issues.
The laptop has a 15.6-inch FHD, 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS display that’s great for viewing photos and videos. On top of that, the screen is also anti-glare so you don’t have to worry about reflections while editing your photos or watching videos.
In terms of build quality, it feels well-made with aluminum chassis that gives it a premium feel and look. The laptop is also light at just 3.6 pounds, making it easy to carry around compared to many other laptops in this price range.
Moreover, It also comes with some useful features like a lid-open sensor, fingerprint reader, and thermal system. The best part about this dell laptop is that it offers a lot of features for its price tag. Overall, this dell laptop is an excellent choice for beginners in photography who are new to using a laptop for photo editing.
What We Like:- 11th gen i5 H series processor
- Beautiful 15 inch narrow border display
- Thermal system
- Lid-open sensor
- Built in Alexa
- Doesn’t provide an Ethernet port
8. MSI GF63 9SC-068 – Best Gaming Laptop For Photo Editing On A Budget
Quick Overview Of Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i5-9300H Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 4.5 Hours Battery Life
It’s no secret that MSI is a manufacturer of excellent gaming laptops. But the MSI GF63 9SC-068 model is more than just a great gaming laptop. It has all the tools necessary to be a great photo editing machine.
The most outstanding feature of this machine is its NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card, which can handle intensive photo editing programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom with ease. It also comes equipped with an Intel Core i5-9300H processor and 8GB of RAM.
However, if you want to use some resource-intensive software on this laptop, it could definitely use a memory upgrade. When it comes to storage, this machine ships with 256GB of SSD storage space. This should be enough to store your photos if you’re using an external device for backup storage or a cloud storage solution like Google Drive.
This laptop also comes with a 15.6 inch full HD display, which offers plenty of screen real estate for all your photo editing needs. It also boasts great resolution, color accuracy, and viewing angles, making it perfect for photo editing workflows where you have to zoom in on photos quite a bit in order to make adjustments.
What We Like:- Memory is upgradable up to 64GB
- Powerful combo of CPU & GPU
- Build quality is good
- Innovative cooling system
- Absence of numeric keypad
Final Verdict
After reading this article, you will know what are the best laptop for photo editing on a budget, and how to choose one. I have tried my best to find the best laptops for photo editing on a budget of around $400 to $800 which can able to manage your photo editing work very smoothly and efficiently.
If you will ask me personally which one is my favorite laptop then my first choice would be Lenovo IdeaPad 3. The reason is that it’s a gaming laptop and got a powerful processor along with a dedicated graphics card which can handle photo editing work on this machine very well than any other laptop which doesn’t have dedicated graphics.
My second choice of laptop that I would like to go for is the HP 15-dy2024nr, considering the specs which it offers at a very affordable price range. So now it’s your turn which one is your favorite laptop? Do let me know in the below comment section.
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