Looking for the best computer for graphic design? Then you'll be looking at a model with a fast processor, so you can run software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop quickly and smoothly. You'll probably also want plenty of ports for peripherals, and if you're shopping for an all-in-one, you'll want a bright display with excellent colour reproduction.
To help you get the most for your money, our expert team of reviewers have personally tested and reviewed all the latest computers and laptops. And they've drawn on this experience to curate our list below, of the best computers for graphic design available today.
It may be tiny, but our testing showed the latest Mac Mini to be incredibly capable thanks to Apple's M2 Pro chip. It handles complex creative tasks with ease, and it's nearly impossible to overload, even when running multiple programs. Read more below
If you'd rather run Windows than macOS, the Surface Studio 2+ is a great all-in-one alternative, and it has the benefit of a high-resolution touch-sensitive display and seamless colour profile switching. Read more below
Limited on budget? The HP Victus 15L may be an entry-level gaming PC, but it's also got the specs to run graphic design software smoothly and efficiently, and offers a good balance of performance and affordability. Read more below
With its M2 Max or Ultra chip, the Mac Studio is more than most people need for graphic design alone, but those with complex workflows will appreciate the speed and the ability to run up to eight displays. Read more below
With the new M3 iMac now out, the previous M1 all-in-one is seeing solid discounts, making it excellent value. It still provides enough power for programs like Illustrator and a great webcam. Read more below
Gaming computers also tend to be excellent graphic design computers. And here's a great example. The HP Omen 45L is a high-end gaming PC that doubles as a powerful workstation. Read more below
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We rate the Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) as the best computer for graphic design today. Along with a beautifully compact and minimalist design, it boasts Apple's powerful M2 Pro chip for fast performance. In fact, our testing actually found it to be 10% faster than the M2 Max-powered MacBook Pro.
In practice, our reviewer found it handled complex, labour-intensive tasks with ease, for example working on design in Illustrator and Photoshop at once while running Freeform and multiple browser tabs. We tested the 16GB RAM version, and found that to be plenty of memory for this kind of design workflow, but if you do need more because you work with many layers of effects or you also do 3D and video work, you can opt to take memory up to 32GB.
Ports are well catered for too. The base M2 version has Ethernet LAN, two Thunderbolt ports, HDMI, two USB and an audio jack, but the M2 Pro model adds two extra Thunderbolt ports and support for up to three displays, easily supporting a design workflow using multiple monitors.
Overall, the Mac mini is good value, considering its performance and specs. Note though, that you only get the computer alone, and you'll need to buy a keyboard, monitor and mouse separately.
Also, be aware that a new M4 Mac mini is coming soon, probably by the end of 2024. We don't currently know when that will be, though, so for now this is still the best computer for graphic design you can actually buy.
Many designers prefer Apple, but there are plenty of suitable Windows computers for graphic design too. Our top pick is Microsoft's Surface Studio 2+, which boasts some strong selling points of its own. Chief among them is the high-resolution, touch-sensitive display. This includes support for Microsoft's Surface Pen stylus (included), which can be a game changer for those who want to be able to hand draw vectors or selections without using a graphics tablet.
Drawing onto a vertical display might not sound comfortable, but the Surface Studio 2 has a nifty solution to that. The thin display retains its predecessor's magical ‘gravity hinge’, which allows the screen to be lowered to a 20-degree angle, making it much more comfortable to draw on.
Though pretty large, our reviewer found the screen moves easily around a table, just like moving paper on a desk, yet doesn’t feel like it could slip or be pushed away accidentally when in use, providing enough resistance at whatever angle we chose to work at. He also appreciated the ability to switch instantly between colour profiles from sRGB to vivid and DCI-P3 modes.
A little confusingly, the 2+ is the successor to the Surface Studio 2, which we loved when it was released in 2019. We're not sure why they didn't call it Surface Studio 3 to make things clearer (It's also not to be confused with the Surface Laptop Studio2). The main difference from its predecessor is the upgrade to an 11th-generation Core i7 processor and NvidiaGeForce RTX graphics, which speeds everything up considerably.
Limited on budget? The HP Victus 15L may be an entry-level gaming PC, but it's also got the specs to run graphic design software smoothly and efficiently, and offers a good balance of performance and affordability overall.
Its compact form factor makes it suitable for users with limited desk space, and connectivity options are plentiful, with multiple USB ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, and support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. While it makes some compromises in build quality and customisation options, that's reflected in the affordable price, and won't really be an issue for anyone looking for an entry-level machine.
If you're into casual gaming, that will add to its value. Note, though, that our reviewer found that the Victus 15L is not suited for high-end gaming at 4K with ray tracing, although it did perform suprisingly well on other many other resource-taxing games such as Bethesda Software’s Starfield and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.
CPU: M2 Ultra (24-core CPU with 16 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores)
Graphics: 60-core GPU
RAM: 32GB – 192GB unified memory
Storage: Up to 8TB
Display: None
Reasons to buy
+
Exceptionally quick
+
Quiet even when under pressure
+
Compact design
Reasons to avoid
-
More than most people will need
The Apple Mac Studio M2 Ultra is one of the most powerful computers you can buy right now, and certainly Apple's most powerful. As you may expect, with great power comes a high price tag, and is not a price that's necessary to pay for most graphic design work.
However, if you're also working in demanding high-resolution video editing or 3D work, you're likely to appreciate the additional grunt, and everyone will appreciate the increased speed of performance.
Our reviewer found the M2 Ultra 128GB RAM configuration made light work of the most intense tasks and was exceptionally good when multitasking. She was able to work across multiple programs simultaneously without waiting for anything to load.
On top of that, the M2 Ultra can support up to eight 4K displays, six 6K displays or three 8K displays all running at 60Hz, making it the ultimate setup for complex workflows over multiple screens.
The 2021 24-inch iMac doesn't have the discrete graphics card of the previous 2020 iMac, and sports a slightly lower-res display. But our reviewer found that the M1 processing chip delivered great performance, with the neural engine enhancing machine-learning-based tasks like object detection and AI-based upscaling. This also benefits the webcam, which can make real-time colour adjustments.
The overall design is sleeker and more sophisticated than its predecessors. As we noted in our review, it offers a generous amount of built-in storage, which is a must if you're working with high-res image files. Best of all, this 2021 device can now offer great value as it's coming in for discounts given its age.
Yes, its M3 successor does provide more power and could be worth the higher cost if you're also doing video editing. But for graphic design needs, we found this 2021 iteration to perform perfectly well. Ports are, though, a little lacking on the base version, which has two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 4 as its only data ports. A higher configuration adds two extra USB Type-C ports and an Ethernet port on the power brick.
Gaming computers are far more abundant than family desktop towers these days, but because of the powerful components they pack, they also tend to be excellent graphic design computers. And here's a great example. The HP Omen 45L is a high-end gaming PC that doubles as a powerful workstation, making it ideal for both gamers and creatives.
With top-tier specs like an Intel Core i9-13900K processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and 3TB of storage (1TB SSD + 2TB HDD), this PC excels in demanding tasks like video editing, 3D rendering, and gaming at 4K resolution. Our reviewer found the system performed exceptionally well in benchmarks, outpacing many competitors, including the Mac Studio in multi-core processing.
The machine's design is equally impressive, featuring a black monolithic case with customizable RGB lighting. A standout feature is the 'cryo-chamber' cooling system, which keeps the CPU running efficiently, even under heavy workloads. However, its large size (weighing 22.6kg) and significant power consumption do make it less portable and energy-efficient than your average computer.
When it comes to choosing which computer is best for graphic design, there are several key things you'll want to look for, and these are the pillars that also inform which devices we have included in the list above.
For starters, you'll need enough power to run the best graphic design software without stuttering. Ideally, you'll want a CPU with four, six or more cores to run creative software as well as 16GB memory if not more. A dedicated graphics card isn't a must-have unless you're also doing more demanding tasks like motion design or 3D rendering. For static design, the GPU sees little use and you can probably get away without a dedicated card. You'll also want enough storage space to be able to cope with your workflow. How much will depend on the type of files you work with and whether you also use external or cloud-based storage.
Finally, you'll the ultimate decision for you will depend on what kind of setup you prefer. Some PCs for graphic design included in our list above are integrated, all-in-one devices that have their own monitor, keyboard and mouse. That can work out cheaper, it makes buying easier and it reduces desk clutter. However, if you want to be able to choose your monitor and peripherals or work across a multiple-monitor setup, you may prefer to buy a computer alone. Budget is obviously another concern, and we have aimed to include options at different price points.
Creative Bloq's team of hardware experts bring with them many years of experience using, testing and benchmarking computers with a focus on running creative applications. All the computers in this guide have been tested either by using graphic design software or benchmarked to ensure the CPU and GPU is capable of the most intensive graphic design tasks. We run different benchmark tests on each device depending on its intended use by its maker, but the benchmarks we've run all the computers in this guide through include the following:
• Cinebench R23/2024 - this assesses the performance of a computer's CPU and GPU using real-world 3D rendering tasks
• Geekbench 5/6 - this tests the CPU's processing power, both by using a single core for a single task at a time as well as all the CPU's core to see its ability to multitask
• 3DMark - this assesses a computer's ability to run 3D graphic rendering tasks
But perhaps more importantly than benchmarking, we evaluate machines in real-world scenarios, pushing them to the limit with multiple applications running to see how they perform in project-like conditions. Power, speed, flexibility, and what a computer looks and feels like to use are all criteria in our reviewing process. We do much more than simply unpack a test unit, run some benchmarks and then pack it up again; we have lived and worked with all of the above computers, running them in real-life scenarios and completed projects relevant to the subject of this guide, otherwise, we wouldn't recommend these models to you. For more details, see our article on How we test.
Should I buy a desktop computer or laptop for graphic design?
Desktop computers may have fallen out of favour with general home and office users over recent years, but they still play an important role in industries and markets that require a lot of power. While there are great laptops for graphic design out there that can help with your graphic design work, desktop computers can still provide more bang for buck.
Desktop PCs can usually be configured according to your needs, and tend to be more affordable than a laptop with comparable specifications. Windows desktop PCs for graphic design also have the advantage of being customisable, so you can replace and upgrade components as needed.
What specs does a desktop computer need to run graphic design software?
Ideally, you'll want a CPU with four, six or more cores to run creative software as well. A dedicated graphics card isn't needed for static design but is worth considering if you also do motion design.
One thing a PC for graphic design definitely does need is memory, or RAM. If you're working on designs that feature a lot of layers or effects, you may find your RAM allocation getting eaten up quickly. We recommend at least 16GB, but 32GB RAM is ideal.
As for storage, you'll want a speedy SSD with enough space to handle the types of files that you'll be working with. Vector design files can be quite large, and we would generally recommend around 1TB of storage unless you're routinely storing your files in cloud storage or external SSDs.
Is Mac or PC better for graphic design?
The battle between Apple and PC fans has been raging for decades, but as far as which brand is 'best' at graphic design, each has its respective strengths. There are very capable Mac and PC solutions for a range of demanding requirements across the market, but what brand you align yourself with will ultimately boil down to a few personal preferences.
Windows PCs are typically much cheaper than Apple alternatives, and desktop towers are usually easy to upgrade, which can greatly prolong the lifespan of a machine. For an especially beefy build, you can opt for a gaming PC as they usually pack a powerful graphics card, more memory (RAM) and a capable processor from either Intel or AMD. You also have the option of touchscreen all-in-ones.
Apple devices on the other hand, while more expensive in some regions, are known for being high-quality and are well-optimised for creative work. They have a simple, easy-to-use operating system. Historically, many graphic designers have used iMac and Mac products because of the Apple ecosystem and simply because it was considered the industry standard for several years.
These days, there's no clear winner. Both operating systems are well-optimised to support the hardware and software needs of graphic designers. Ultimately, the preference is largely subjective, and many people tend to prefer to stick with the operating system that they are most familiar with.
Adam is the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversees many of the articles the publisher produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Leading and developing a great team, Adam can still be seen dusting his keyboard off to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide, having started his career at consumer champions Which?.
