The best laptops for UI and UX design in 2023

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As a UX designer, having a powerful laptop is essential to perform your work efficiently and effectively. The laptop you choose should be able to handle multiple applications and software simultaneously without lagging or slowing down. With so many options available, finding the best laptop for UX design can be a daunting task.

When looking for a laptop, prioritize features that are important for UX design, such as a high-resolution display, a powerful processor, plenty of RAM, and a dedicated graphics card. Additionally, consider the portability of the laptop, as UX designers often work remotely or on the go.

In 2023, it is likely that there will be newer models available with even more advanced features. It’s always best to do thorough research and check reviews before investing in a new laptop.

Overall, investing in a high-quality laptop that meets your needs as a UX designer is crucial to ensure that you can perform your work to the best of your ability.

Problem: There are too many different types of computers available for purchase today. Each laptop has slightly different specifications and uses jargon in its description that not everyone can understand. This can make it difficult to choose the right one.

Solution: In this post, I will help you choose the best laptop for UI and UX design work. I will also include budget options for design students and beginners.

This post will help you choose a good laptop for UI/UX design. We’ll go through three steps to make it easier for you:

1. Deciding whether you want a Mac or a PC for UI/UX design.
2. Understanding the specifications you need for your design laptop.
3. My recommendations for laptops based on the first two steps.

This post has been updated with the latest information so that you can choose a design laptop that is relevant in 2023.

Choosing between Mac or Windows for UX design

Mac used to be the go-to for design, but you can also use a Windows PC for design. Most designers still prefer Mac, but that’s not the only option. Sketch, a popular design tool, is only available on macOS. That might be why.

You don’t have to use Mac for UI/UX design. Consider two things: what computers your colleagues or business partners use, and whether you already have other Mac or Windows products.

It’s easier to work together if you follow their lead. If they all use Macs, get a Mac too. This will save you time and frustration.

• Apple MacBook Pro M2 Pro 14"

Very powerful laptop that lasts the entire work day.

• Microsoft Surface Book 3 13.5"

2-in-1 hybrid with touch and Surface Pen support.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 13.5"

Great choice if want a Surface that isn’t hybrid.

• Apple MacBook Pro M2 13"

Includes the power efficient M2 chip.

• Lenovo Legion 5

Has the GPU to function as a gaming laptop also.

• HP i5 Touch

Touch screen and dedicated graphics.

• HP Pavilion

GeForce GPU and large SSD storage.

• MSI GF63

Large screen to do your UX design work.

• Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5

Cheaper 2-in-1 hybrid alternative.

• Asus ZenBook 14"

One of Asus’ best affordable laptops.

• Samsung Galaxy Book Odyssey

Samsung’s answer to the MacBook and Surface Book.

• Acer ConceptD 3

High-end 2-in-1 with touch and pencil support.

Laptop requirements for UI and UX design

There’s not just one model of computer that’s best for UI and UX design. You can pick between brands, models, and lots of requirements. If you’re looking for a new computer, focus on those laptop requirements rather than brands. Most brands sell laptops that have the requirements you need for a good laptop you can use for UX design.

There are a few categories of requirements you have to keep in mind. These are the following. I will recommend you a minimum requirement for all of these categories.

• CPU
• GPU
• RAM
• Storage
• Screen size

CPU

The CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. It is the brain of your computer. If you’re a UX designer, you need a powerful CPU to handle your daily work. Powerful CPUs have a high speed (GHz) and many cores.

When looking at laptops, a lot of them feature Intel CPUs. Intel has i3, i5, i7, and i9 CPUs. However, Apple has moved away from Intel. Check out my post on the best Mac for UX design to read more about the CPU Apple uses for its laptops today.

There’s an ongoing discussion in the design community about getting the i5 or i7 CPU for your laptop. As a UI and UX designer, you will be okay with a laptop featuring an i5 CPU. If you want something more, you can get the i7, but it is unnecessary.

Keep in mind that every processor is from a particular generation. For example, an older generation i7 can be slower than a newer generation i5.

CPU — In short

As a UI and UX designer, you need a laptop with at least the current Intel i5 CPU. Going higher than that is optional.

GPU

GPU stands for Graphics Processing Unit. It is responsible for rendering graphics on your laptop. You can divide GPUs into two categories.

• The first one is where the GPU is a part of the CPU. This kind of setup is known as an internal GPU. You often see this in cheaper laptops since internal GPUs are more affordable, energy-efficient, and smaller.
• The opposite is a GPU on a separate chip, also known as a dedicated GPU. Such a GPU is far more powerful but also more expensive.

UI and UX designers do not require this power as their tools are most often vector-based. However, with designers working on multiple tools simultaneously, I recommend getting a laptop with a dedicated GPU anyway.

GPU — In short

Get a laptop with a dedicated GPU. It is a must-have for any laptop you want to use for UI and UX design. Vector-based design tools aren’t that heavy on the GPU. However, having that extra headroom makes your laptop future-proof.

RAM

Random-access Memory, or RAM, is essentially the short-term memory of your laptop. It is very fast. RAM remembers everything your application needs to access right away. You notice this when you start an application for the second time. It will launch significantly quicker.

If you want to run your design applications smoothly, go for at least 16 GB of RAM. More RAM is better. It is cheap to upgrade compared to the other specs you might see in a laptop for UX design.

There has been a lot of development in regards to RAM. The current standard is something called ‘DDR4’ RAM. Both the Surface Book 3 and the MacBook Pro have DDR4 memory installed.

RAM — In short

Since the price of RAM is relatively low, you can get a good amount of RAM for a relatively low price. Therefore, I advise you to go for at least 16 GB of RAM for your new laptop.

Storage

Bigger is better. More storage means more room for your documents, pictures, and movies.

The storage of today’s laptop is called a solid-state drive (SSD). A solid-state drive is a lot quicker than the traditional HDD. In addition, it also makes less sound, has fewer moving parts, and is less power-consuming.

SSDs are available in different forms. The most recent one is PCIe. It is the smallest one in terms of dimensions and also the quickest one. If you compare PCIe to the older SATA standard, you’ll see that PCIe can be up to six times faster than SATA SSDs and up to twenty times faster than the traditional HDD.

Storage — In short

As for the storage of your laptop, we recommend not going lower than 250 GB of storage. Go for 500 GB if you can. Remember that solid-state drives (SSDs) are still very expensive, so going for more storage will set you back more.

Screen size

Laptops typically come in sizes between 13 and 16 inches. Once again, more is better, but more comes at a price. The screen size is probably the most significant factor in how expensive your laptop will be.

In some cases, going for a larger screen can double the price of your laptop. It is mainly because of how expensive display panels can be and because most larger laptops have better specs overall.

Another thing to keep in mind is the resolution of your laptop screen. I recommend a laptop with at least a Full HD (1920×1080) resolution for UX and UI design work. However, go for a 1440p or 4K screen if you have the budget.

If you work on a second screen, you can pick a 13 or 14-inch screen size for your laptop to save some money. You can get away with this size screen if you don’t mind things getting a bit crowded on screen. However, a smaller screen size laptop also has lower other specs in most cases.

Take a look at the table above. These are some of the best laptops for UX designers available today. They are all based on the following features.

• CPU: Current generation Intel i5 or better.
• GPU: A dedicated GPU, like an NVIDIA GeForce, for example.
• RAM: At least 16 GB.
• Storage: At least 250 GB of SSD storage.
• Screen size: At least a 13-inch display.

Recommended laptops for UX design

Out of the list I mentioned above, I suggest you’d get either a Microsoft Surface Book 3 or a MacBook Pro.

Having both the hardware and software produced by the same company is a big plus. You’ll find that this is the case for both the Mac and the Surface Book. I believe that both are great machines in their own right. They are close in price and performance. As a UX and UI designer, you will be set for years with either one.

Let’s take a look at both laptops.

First up is the latest MacBook Pro. This is the 14-inch M2 Pro configuration. After using this machine for a while, I can safely say it is a fantastic machine for any designer.

Macbook Pro — 14" M2 Pro

As I said earlier, having the same hardware and software manufacturer is an important feature. Apple does just that. The hardware is top-notch, and macOS is a high-performing powerhouse. Here’s a list of the specs.

• CPU and GPU: M2 Pro with a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU.
• Storage: Up to 8 TB.
• RAM: Up to 96 GB of RAM options.
• Screen size: 14″.
• Battery life: Up to 17 hours.

Yes, you only need the 14-inch version of the MacBook Pro. The performance of the 14-inch and 16-inch models is very similar. You can configure the 16-inch model to have an M2 Max. However, you do not need the M2 Max to run your design software.

I also believe that the laptop is big enough to do your UX design work. However, if this isn’t enough, you can always get a second monitor for your UX design work.

Go for the smaller model. Choosing the 14-inch model will also save you hundreds of dollars on an already expensive purchase.

Surface Book 3–13.5"

The Surface Book 3 is an excellent laptop for any type of designer. I can be short about that. Microsoft has finally made a Windows-based alternative for the MacBook Pro.

This laptop is a 2-in-1 hybrid laptop that you can use as a tablet. In addition, the laptop has Microsoft Surface Pen support for all of your creative needs. Just think of what you can do while you’re on the go. Take a look at the Surface Book 3’s specifications below.

• CPU: Intel Core i7 with a speed of 1.3 GHz.
• GPU: Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics.
• RAM: 8 GB and 16 GB options.
• Storage: 256 GB and 512 GB options.
• Screen size: 13″.
• Battery life: Up to 20 hours

Now, I do not have to explain further what Windows 10 can do for you. Like Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite, all the software you need is available for you to use. In addition, the Microsoft Surface Book 3 has got a hardware refresh recently, so it will still be a great purchase in 2023.