Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Good lightweight computer for Graphic Design.

by Aug 13, 2015 2:04AM PDT

Hello,

I'm buying a laptop, but have trouble choosing one.
I'm willing to spend up to $1000 on a 15.6" lightweight laptop with enough power for programs like Illustrator, Photoshop and After Effects and a very good battery life. A good display with at least 1080p resolution and true colors is a must. The laptop should look good, and feel good quality. Some occasionnal light gaming should be possible at least on low settings. I'll also do a lot of programming so a good keyboard would be important. The drive should preferably be solid-state.

So far I've considered the older version of the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 (7537).
Any other ideas?

Discussion is locked

5 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Answer
that's like asking for...
by Aug 13, 2015 2:25AM PDT

a volkswagen beetle that can also serve as a heavy duty tractor during planting season.

The best you can do is low power dual core processor with plenty of RAM and maybe a double size battery.

- Collapse -
Dell Inspiron 15 7537
by PrimeSudoer Aug 13, 2015 2:42AM PDT

Well, you exagerate a bit..
The Dell Inspiron 15 7537 accomplishes these requirements pretty well. The disk is at least a hybrid 1TB HDD with 8 GB SSD cache which I guess may work pretty well. The specs are good, just wondered if there is not a better/newer computer which may better fit my requirements as this one is already 2 years old, which I don't know if is a problem or not. Just asked for newer alternatives from which I would be able to choose, or a reassurance that a 2 year old computer may go perfectly fine and can last 3-4 years before I'll have to buy a new one.

- Collapse -
That was disappointing.
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 13, 2015 7:46AM PDT

While the hybrid did help it wasn't enough that I will ever recommend it as a speed solution. You'll learn this first hand.

Battery life varies from light to full load by 6 to 10 times. That means if you expected to do heavy work on battery power you need to double the stock battery in almost every case. Another area folk don't get until they get their laptop. This effect is in the reviews. There's also the fact that using the battery wears it out. Make battery time the exception, not the rule.

- Collapse -
Answer
Re: laptop
by Forum moderator Aug 13, 2015 2:37AM PDT

Most graphic designers use Apple. How about an MacBook Air ($900) or a MacBook Pro with Retina Display ($1200)?

With Windows, for performance any laptop with an i5 processor and 4 GB of RAM would be fine (8 GB would be even better, but not necessary), but the quality of the screen might be a problem, and for a long battery live and a SSD you'd consider what they called an 'ultrabook'.

Kees

- Collapse -
Solved
by PrimeSudoer Aug 13, 2015 3:02AM PDT

Thank you, I was aiming more powerful, but realized it may not be so important, this will widen my choice range a bit. I won't go for Apple though, I like having a dual-boot Windows-Linux + I don't like the price of Macbooks in our country (nearly $3000 for a better Macbook Pro 15). I'll try to look more at ultrabooks. Thanks.

Back to Laptops forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info