The laptops for animation come in many sizes and shapes. Today, many laptops can handle animation tasks smoothly with large screens while being compact.
There are various models available in the market, and you may be wondering, “What are the best laptops for animation?” and “Which one is best for me?”
We have tested hundreds of models available in the market to come up with a list that includes the top ten laptops for animation. So let’s take a look at them!
Our Top Picks
- Razer Blade 15 – Best For Overall
- MacBook Pro 14-Inch – Best for Battery Life
- Acer Predator Helios – Best For Value
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 – Best for Portability
- Acer Nitro 5 – Best For Gaming
- Acer Spin 5 – Best For Budget
- GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED KD – Best Performance
- Razer Blade 17 – Best For Powerful Laptop
- Acer Aspire 5 – Best For 2D Animation
- ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II – Best For Graphic Designers
1. Razer Blade 15 – Best For Overall
Product’s highlights
From our testing, the Razer Blade 15 is the fastest laptop for animation because of its excellent GPB. Thanks to Intel Turbo Boost Technology, this model can let you handle the demanding AAA games and various creative works like animation.
Lastly, condensation drains heat and internal fluid evaporation, allowing it to run smoothly and cool even under heavy load.
So, if you are looking for a high-end model for your animation works, the Razer Blade 15 should be your best bet.
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What We Like
- Lightweight
- Classic Razer Styling
- Cutting-edge hardware
- Fantastic gaming performance
Things To Consider
- Expensive
- Dreadful battery life
2. MacBook Pro 14-Inch – Best for Battery Life
Product’s highlights
When it comes to great laptops for animation, it would be remiss to ignore the 14-Inch MacBook Pro.
This model features an M1 Pro unique chip from Apple, allowing it to deliver impressive performance while keeping its lightweight and thin design.
You will be amazed at what this small laptop can bring to you. Generally, it will make your animation processing easier than ever.
Also, one of the things that we appreciate so much about it is its superb battery life. We think it has the longest battery life we’ve ever seen for a MacBook. It can let you work all day and still have the battery left.
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What We Like
- Plenty of ports
- Long battery life
- Brilliant performance
- Best screen on a laptop
Things To Consider
- Overkill for a regular user
- The screen may be a bit small for some
3. Acer Predator Helios – Best For Value
Product’s highlights
This model features the newest 11th Generation Intel Core i7 processor. So, you can expect to get the speed, intelligence, and power you need to do your job.
Furthermore, new Tensor cores, Ray Tracing cores, and streaming multiprocessing are included in the new NVIDIA GeForce 30 Series graphics cards, driven by the award-winning Ampere architecture. Thanks to that, your multitasking will be amazingly smooth.
Last but not least, it features high-speed gameplay, made possible by the display’s 144Hz refresh rate, keeping up with your flawless Full HD visuals.
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What We Like
- Competent thermal design
- Easy to open up and upgrade
- Good FHD or QHD screen options
- Solid performance across the board
Things To Consider
- Poor audio
4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 – Best for Portability
Product’s highlights
If you want a stylish model with Apple-like build quality but don’t want to use macOS, the Surface Laptop 4 is the way to go.
Although Microsoft is known primarily as a software company, it has put out a few great laptops, including this model. It’s light, thin, and portable.
We appreciate its PixelSense touch screen, which comes with advanced integrated graphics from AMD or Intel, depending on your configuration.
It also has amazing battery life. In our testing, it lasted about 13 hours, making it perfect for long work sessions.
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What We Like
- Lightweight
- Affordable rare
- Beautiful screen
- Comfortable keyboard
Things To Consider
- Not enough ports
5. Acer Nitro 5 – Best For Gaming
Product’s highlights
This has an Intel Quad-Core i5-11400H processor and an excellent CPU. Combined with a GTX 1650 graphics card, this model is perfect for anyone looking to do some animation on the go.
Its processor is powerful enough to let you multitask and has enough power to run most software programs without any problems.
Its storage space is 512GB, which is more than enough for most people, and with the addition of 8GB of RAM, the model lets you multitask without any problems.
This laptop has a 15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS display and an excellent backlit keyboard. With a great graphics card, it is perfect for both animation and gaming.
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What We Like
- Low price
- Good port selection
- Generous RAM/SSD
- Steady gaming performance
Things To Consider
- Thick and heavy
- Short battery life
6. Acer Spin 5 – Best For Budget
Product’s highlights
The Acer Spin 5 is more affordable than most other models on this list. It’s a 2-in-1, allowing you to use it like a traditional laptop or turn it into a tablet-like device.
Using it as a tablet is beneficial in terms of productivity. You can use a stylus to draw on a touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio. Unlike most other laptops, the Acer Spin 5 has a stylus, which makes it even better value.
This stylus also gives you full features, which can help you with your animation work and artwork.
With a battery life of 12 hours, it is one of the models that allow you to immerse yourself in long working sessions.
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What We Like
- Highly portable
- Fantastic battery life
- Powerful 10th-Gen Intel CPU
- 3:2 display perfect for note-taking
Things To Consider
- 3:2 display not ideal for 16:9 video
7. GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED KD – Best for Performance
Product’s highlights
The Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED is one of the most potent models for creative tasks. It has an Intel Core i7 processor and is one of Nvidia’s best GPUs.
This processor is also a more robust and newer 11th generation, allowing you to multitask without any annoying issues.
Featuring an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, this model is also perfect for animation software like After Effects or Adobe Photoshop. It also has an ideal graphics card to display images quickly.
Overall, it’s a great model, and we recommend it to anyone who wants a powerful computer for animation.
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What We Like
- Lots of ports and features
- Rock-solid Nvidia graphics core
- An incredible 4K AMOLED display
- Versatile and powerful Intel processor
Things To Consider
- Frequently noisy
8. Razer Blade 17 – Best for Powerful Laptop
Product’s highlights
The Razer Blade 17 combines excellent build quality and some of the most powerful components you can get. For example, it will give you the most powerful GPU you can get from a laptop without breaking the bank.
We found that even the most complex 3D animations run smoothly and brilliantly during testing. However, for those doing 2D animation for the web, it can be overkill.
The Razer Blade 17 is available for a premium price, but you’ll get some of the best techs out there, making it great value for money.
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What We Like
- Incredibly powerful
- Modern design
- Plenty of ports
- Great keyboard
Things To Consider
- Very expensive
9. Acer Aspire 5 – Best for 2D Animation
Product’s highlights
This 14-inch laptop is an affordable laptop that offers respectable performance and battery life for the price. This very budget-friendly laptop is more than good enough to run most 2D animation software.
It comes with 20 GB of RAM and the latest generation of Intel Core processors.
So there is no denying that the Acer Aspire 5 is a simple yet powerful model, making it well worth its price tag.
Its storage is also quite good for the price, and the battery life is even better than some of the more expensive models. So if you are someone on a tight budget, this device is perfect for you!
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What We Like
- Solid build
- Budget-friendly
- Competitive price
- Decent battery life for the price
Things To Consider
- Modest performance
10. ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II – Best for Graphic Designers
Product’s highlights
The ASUS ROG Strix SCAR II provides the power you need to work with most graphic design programs comfortably. It is made of plastic and metal with a bold gaming design.
Its screen has a diagonal of 15.6 inches and a resolution of 1920 × 1080 pixels with a density of 141 PPI. In addition, this model also uses NVIDIA G-SYNC dynamic update technology.
This powerful laptop comes with a fantastic Core i7 8750H processor with six cores and twelve threads, allowing you to work with your animation projects seamlessly and smoothly.
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What We Like
- Lightweight
- Beautiful design
- Colorful 144Hz panel
- High level of performance
Things To Consider
- Missing hard drive
- Below-average battery life
Buying Guide
Before buying a laptop for animation work, you should prioritize the model with the best CPU. The reason is that a good processor will effectively support your creative needs by allowing you to run multiple programs at the same time without any problems.
GPU
The graphics card is one of the essential parts for animators since it helps them to see their work in real-time.
You should choose something that comes with a decent GPU that features VRAM. As a result, you can work on many large projects with no slowdown or lag.
RAM
If you need to work with many large projects and files, you will need a laptop with plenty of RAM. Ensure the model you choose has at least 16GB of RAM to keep many programs running smoothly, without freeze or lag.
A model with 16 GB of RAM will work fine in many cases. But if you want to do some severe rendering or editing, you may need more.
Storage
Your selected laptop should have enough storage to store all the files you are working on. Make sure your model has at least 256GB, which allows you to work on multiple projects without crashing or shutting down unexpectedly.
Display
You should also look for a model with a high resolution and color accuracy display. In that way, your laptop allows you to see every detail in your work and ensures that the colors are as accurate as possible.
The model with a screen resolution of 1920×1080 would be a good starting point, and sometimes you’ll need even higher resolutions than that.
Ports
One of the things that you shouldn’t miss is making sure your chosen model features available ports to connect all your peripherals.
As an animator, you should favor laptops with multiple USB ports, allowing you to connect to devices at once without having to switch them out constantly.
Battery Life
Last but not least, the model that you have chosen should have good battery life. As a result, you can work continuously for long periods.
We recommend aiming for a model that can last at least 6 hours per full charge so your work won’t be interrupted.
Conclusion
You’ve got the best laptops for animation. Each product in the above list is great in its own way. They all come with great features, including high-quality graphics cards, powerful processors, and amazingly smooth keyboards.
Besides, their battery life is okay as well, perfect for those who want to work on long projects without wanting to be interrupted.
After reading our detailed reviews and helpful buyer’s guide, you should be able to make a decision. Let us know which one you will choose!