Dell is a renowned brand, and so are its laptops. Most offices and businesses prefer them because of how reliable they are. Gamers love them too.
But if you’re a graphic designer looking to change your current laptop for a Dell, would that be the right choice?
Let’s answer this question then take you through some laptop options you can look at right away.
Last update on 2024-04-05 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Is A Dell Laptop Good For Graphic Design?
Yes. A Dell laptop is an excellent choice for all your graphic design needs.
Just like with other branded PCs, Dell pays attention to the quality of their devices. For this reason, your Dell laptop won’t just have a beautiful design and sturdy construction.
It also houses powerful hardware that can perform other demanding tasks. That includes gaming and programming.
Also check Curved Monitor For Graphic Design.
Do You Need A Powerful Laptop For Graphic Design?
You need a powerful laptop to run graphic design tasks.
Ideally, you need a laptop with a powerful processor and sufficient memory to run graphic design software. In many cases, laptops for graphic design run on Intel Core i5 to i7 or AMD CPUs and require anywhere between 8GB and 64GB RAM.
Also, consider getting yourself a laptop with a dedicated graphics card. Your computer will rip through rendering tasks and produce high-quality designs with a dedicated GPU. Most Dell laptops designed for this purpose come with discrete GPUs.
Also read Razer Laptops For Graphic Design.
What To Look For When Buying?
Are you looking for a new laptop for your graphic design tasks? Here’s what to look for.
Processor (CPU)
The CPU is the main component you should look at.
For your graphic design tasks to take off, you need a laptop with a CPU with an excellent clock speed and multiple cores.
Your CPU runs all your graphic design software, and you need a chip that keeps your programs fast and efficient. So, your ideal laptop will either run on a 10th/ 11th Generation Intel Core i5/i7/i9 CPU or an AMD Ryzen CPU.
GPU
If you perform hefty design work, you’ll need a laptop with a discrete graphics card.
Most modern GPUs have video RAM, a short-term memory bank for all your open design files. It also lends a hand to your RAM, making access to your files blazing fast.
Your ideal GPU will be anything discrete (NVIDIA or AMD) with at least 2 GB of dedicated VRAM.
Storage Type
To store your designs, you’ll need a laptop with a fast and reliable storage drive. Opt for Solid State Drives (SSDs) over standard hard drives.
You will get more speed and power out of an SSD. Besides that, SSDs improve the general performance of your laptop.
Read more at Samsung SSD For Video Editing.
Although relatively more expensive, they’re longer-lasting and more energy-efficient too. That also means longer battery life for your device.
Display
There are some limits to the size of your laptop screen, although now you can have more screen real estate.
Higher-resolution screens offer a better design experience. Higher-resolution screens also have better color visibility, better refresh rates, and clarity.
4K UHD screens are the gold standard, but you’ll do fine with a Full HD 1920 x 1080 screen.
Best Dell Laptops For Graphic Design
Here are some of our recommended Dell laptops for graphic design.
Dell XPS 15
Last update on 2024-04-05 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
The gorgeous Dell XPS 15 comes power-packed, especially for creative tasks. Like most recent XPS models, this laptop comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7-11800H processor with an option for the higher, more powerful i9-11900H CPU.
With turbo, these processors can push up to clock speeds of over 4.90GHz, which is no mean feat.
That’s not all. A dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU with 4GB GDDR6 VRAM lets you handle all heavy tasks, including some gaming on the side.
Features
- Supports Windows 10 and 11
- Offer a 256GB, 512GB and 1TB NVMe SSD
- Infinity Edge display
- 13.3” FHD screen
- Backlit Keyboard
- Fingerprint slot
Benefits
- Stylish design
- Great display
- Long battery life
- Stellar performance
- It comes with a pre-installed 12 month McAfee LiveSafe subscription
- It’s lighter than 3lbs
Drawbacks
- Quite expensive
- Uninspiring audio
Alienware x17 R2 Gaming
Last update on 2024-04-05 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
The Alienware x17 gaming laptop delivers just as astutely for graphics design. Its updated version runs on the 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H with 14 cores and 20 threads.
You can push its clock speeds to over 5.0GHz. No graphics design software can run down such power.
The laptop also has a superb NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB GDDR6 VRAM. IT comes with 512 GB SSD storage, but you can upgrade that to 2TB. Screen clarity is unparalleled with its 1080p LCD screen that has NVIDIA G-SYNC.
Other features the Alienware x17 has include:
Features
- Color: lunar light
- Up to 64GB DDR5 RAM
- Windows 11 Pro
- Alienware X series keyboard
- 144Hz refresh rate
- 6 Cell 87Wh lithium-ion
- Alienware battery Defender
- AlienFX lighting Zones
Benefits
- Great storage
- Speedier processing
- Long battery life
- Great connectivity
- Big screen size
Drawbacks
- Expensive
- You can’t upgrade the Display resolution
Dell XPS 13
Last update on 2024-04-05 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
The Dell XPS 13 is a small laptop with mammoth features. You can choose your CPU configuration, with the highest being a Core i7 chip with speeds that max out at an impressive 5.0GHz.
Although this laptop comes with an integrated graphics card, you can still run your designing tasks smoothly.
It gets better with an upgraded 512GB NVMe SSD drive and 16GB RAM to give you a seamless design experience.
Although small, its 13-inch 1080p screen resolution uses Dell’s InfinityEgde technology to provide you with more screen real estate than you expect.
Features
- 1-year Premium Support
- Backlit Keyboard
- 16GB RAM
- 52Wh, 4 integrated cell battery
- Killer WiFi 6 AX1650
- Bluetooth 5.1
- 30-day trial MS Office
- Weighs under 3lbs
Benefits
- It comes with a touch-screen option
- A headset and mic combination
- Lightweight
- Portable
- It comes with a pre-installed McAfee LiveSafe 12months subscription
Drawbacks
- Small display screen
- Not so excellent audio quality
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 Laptop
Last update on 2024-04-05 / As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more about us.
Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 is a budget Dell laptop that stacks expensive features. For just under $1000, the Inspiron 14 comes with 3 CPUs options (Intel i3-1125G4, i5-11320H, and i7-11390H) all 11th generation.
The Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics card boosts performance, especially for your graphic design tasks.
You can opt for either 256GB or 512GB SSD to store your files and applications. A glossy 1920 x 1080 resolution LCD screen gives you an ideal display for all your graphics work.
Features
- 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port
- Universal Audio jack
- DisplayPort
- microSD – card slot
- McAfee LiveSafe 30 day trial
- Backlit keyboard
- 4 Cell, 54Wh lithium battery
- Windows 11 Home
Benefits
- A great keyboard
- Awe-inspiring performance for the budget
- Audible speakers
Consider Ergonomic Keyboard For Dell Laptop.
Drawbacks
- Poor display for a laptop with high-end features
- Shaky microphone quality
Which Dell Laptop Is Best For Graphic Design?
Undoubtedly, the Dell XPS 15 is our best in this review. Besides being excellent for graphic design, this laptop carries features that make it ideal for the office, home, and a bit of gaming on the side.
Final Thoughts
Dell offers some excellent laptops for graphic design work. But, you can always do more with them away from your work.
