The best laptop for animation in 2023

You're just starting in animation or looking forward to updating your current laptop so it can bear the load of your projects? Check our advises to know which one will have enough RAM, CPU, GPU and will suit perfectly for your goals. We've decided to come through the very best options market can provide for both MacOS and Windows users in 2023.

So, what's the best laptop for animation in 2023?

Requirements

First of all, it should meet all minimum requirements to create animation in most software.

Laptop for 2D animation:

RAM: Minimum 8 GB RAM
CPU: Minimum Intel I5, or AMD Ryzen 5
GPU: The latest generation GPUs will suit
SSD: 500+ GB
Long and stable battery life

Laptop for 3D animation:

RAM: Minimum 16 GB RAM
CPU: Minimum Intel I7 to Intel I9, or AMD Ryzen 7 or 9, with preferably at least 6 cores
GPU: Latest generation of graphics cards such as Nvidia GTX, RTX or related, minimum 6 GB VRAM
SSD: 1+ TB
Long and stable battery life

These are the minimum requirements - ideally we advise to pick laptops with 16 GB RAM, 8 cores processor. Not a must and will be expensive but also you can get a strong dedicated graphic card with 8+ GB VRAM. Let's take a look on some examples we've found for you.

Laptops for animation

MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1)

The absolute winner on our list - the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M1 chip serves greatly in work with animation, modeling, color grading, and many other operations you may do on your laptop. In this version, Apple did a revolutionary job considering display, cooling, ports, and so on. Will easily handle both 2D and 3D animation.

CPU: M1 Pro 10-core – M1 Max 10-core
Graphics: 16-core or 32-core GPU
RAM: 16GB to 64GB (configurable in M1 Max chip)
SSD: 1ТБ to 8TB
Screen: 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR(3456x2234) display
OS: MacOS Monterey

Pros:

The laptop has very good performance and pulls out intensive work - the fan starts working at the temperature of 90 degrees, quietly and with the minimum speed. Considering to it's 2019 version, in the most cases, the laptop doesn't get heated at all. The rendering process is the fastest among all other options. Display simultaneously supports full native resolution of 1 billion colors, supports 4K.6 speakers will allow the sound to be remarkable.

Cons:

The only disadvantage of this laptop can be it's price.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M1)

We found MacBook Pro 14-inch version almost as strong as it's 16-inch version. The only difference you will notice - the sound of the processor on more complicated tasks and the loading speed - it's 200MB slower than in MacBook Pro 16-inch.Compact, absolutely perfect for 2D animation, but will also cope with 3D projects.

CPU: Apple M1 Pro chip with 8‑core CPU
Graphics: 14-core GPU
RAM: 16GB – 64GB (configurable in M1 Max chip)
SSD: 512GB to 8TB
Screen: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR(3024 x 1964) display
OS: MacOS Monterey

Pros:

Despite it's modest dimensions, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is not much inferior to the MacBook Pro 16-inch. Excellent performance, pure sound, good battery endurance. The fan is slightly noisier than the M16's.When upgraded with additional parameters, it is almost similar to the MacBook Pro 16-inch. The software starts up in 2-3 seconds, projects render fast and the load on the processor is minimum. Because of the 512GB SSD, it runs 200MB per second slower than it's 16-inch version.Display here also supports full native resolution of 1 billion colors, supports 4K.

Cons:

More compact and modest than the M16, for more advanced functionality, you may need to upgrade the specifications - but still the best alternative.

Gigabyte Aero 17

We've picked this laptop because of it's amazing display - it shows the greatest possible result for animators to work with graphics. Gigabyte Aero might be one of the best decisions for those who prefer the Windows operating system.Will be perfect for both 2D and 3D projects.

CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q
RAM: 64GBSSD: 2 x 1TB SSD
Screen: 17.3-inch UHD 4K OLEDOS: Windows 10

Pros:

The display is 17.3' Thin Bezel FHD Anti-glare, certified by Pantone. It means that every unit's displayed for the best-replicated color possible. It also supports 4K.The processor can withstand heavy loads and mostly very quiet. A sufficient number of ports, including the ability to transfer material directly from the camera to a laptop. A reliable case and the fact that there are no fingerprints left on the lid is another nice bonus.

Cons:

Even though the laptop is designed to work with graphic editors, still needs to say that HDR does not work in all applications and games. Because of it's thin complectation, Intel Core i9 may be too heavy to always keep it cool (and maybe integrated solely on marketing purposes, but we won't blame them for that, it's still amazing). The price is quite high, but we believe it worth it.

Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition

This laptop can make your projects the best they can be - first of all, because of it's videocard.Absolutely perfect for 3D, just like 2D.

CPU: Intel Core i7-10875H
Graphics: Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000
RAM: 32GB DDR4-2933MHz
SSD: 1TB
Screen: 15.6' OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, 100% DCI-P3
OS: Windows 10

Pros:

Created exactly for 3D animators, Razor Blade 15 Studio Edition has it's well-deserved place in our list. Crazily powerful and fast, it will serve you even better than you expect from it.Even though the laptop is thin, it handles animation and editing not only perfectly, but also almost like desktop versions. The laptop is quiet, even on its maxim load. Glass touchpad - is considered one of the most comfortable touchpads in the world of laptops. And it's here.

Cons:

The expensive video card inside makes this laptop expensive too. Automatic brightness reduction is also not always useful thing, but this can be easily fixed in the settings. Also, you can expect flashes on the matrix.

Msi g76 raider

Powerful processor, huge storage, videocard of the best quality - MSI presented the laptop of the highest praise. They also specified that this one is the best of the serie. Great for both 2D and 3D animation.

CPU: Intel Core i9-11980HK
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
RAM: 64GB
SSD: 1TB
Screen: 17.3', 3840x2160, 120Hz, IPS, semi-matte
OS: Windows 10

Pros:

Excellent characteristics of the matrix, the screen has high brightness.Bevelled corners, like the new Acer Nitro, look fresh and stylish; the lid closes tightly so that dust does not get inside.The main surprise is that the camera shoots in 1080p, which is especially noticeable compared to other laptop models.The sound of regular speakers is very loud and clear even at the maximum level. The sound is output through two speakers located on the sides in the front of the case (the sound comes out through the holes on the sides of the case and on the sides of the keyboard). The laptop is quite even on the maximum loads.A huge number of ports, including three video outputs and a card reader for memory cards.

Cons:

Heavy and expensive, but you are provided with high-quality renderings. It also takes a long time to charge, but this is a minor minus.

Asus Rog Strix Scar

Landed on the market in 2021, the Asus Rog Strix Scar laptop is considered primarily a gaming one, but it will be an excellent choice for animators and designers.Great for 2D and 3Danimation.

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX (3.3 — 4.6GHz)
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
RAM: 32GB
SSD: 1TB
Screen: 15.6' (1920x1080) Full HD
OS: Windows 10

Pros:

Asus Rog Strix Scar is small but very powerful. At the highest loads, the processor heats up to 80 degrees, not more. Can this laptop overheat at all? It has sufficient number of tubes and liquid metal are used for cooling.The sound in this laptop is great, it uses a system of 4 built-in speakers. Another thing is the keyboard - it's convenient and can boast with the most pleasant sound of all laptop options on our list. The laptop also has an excellent bundle - the webcam and mouse that come with it. Also you'll find the Keystone - little memory card wich is able to control light and sound modes on device.

Cons:

It is far from being the cheapest laptop, but still has very good specs. Also, it does not have a built-in webcam, but it is included to complectation. Another disadvantage is that only the laptop cover is made of metal, the rest is plastic. The plastic part is slightly translucent, which can be irritating to some.

Acer ConceptD 7

This laptop was the best option in 2020 and was created particularly for working with graphics - especially when you got to work with 2D. 100% suitable for 2D, also can go for 3D animation.

CPU: Intel i7-9750H 2.6GHz(up to 4.5GHz)
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 8GB
RAM: 32GB
SSD: 2TB
Screen: 15.6-inch, 4K IPS LED
OS: Windows 10

Pros:

Just like Gigabyte Aero 17, Acer Concept's display is certified by Pantone. It means that every unit's displayed for the best-replicated color possible. It also supports 4K. Some players, such as Home Cinema, even support 8K.As we said, this laptop was created for designers, we believe it will suit best for 2D animators. This 8 GB video card helps a lot with graphics - renderings are fast and precise. Comfortable matte screen, no glare. Light and convenient to handle, easily portable. Also a pleasant little thing, this laptop is conveniently opened with one hand and on 180 degrees.

Cons:

The cost of this laptop. There are no additional slots for memory cards. It also won't be very quiet.

Acer Nitro 7

We loved this laptop for many reasons, starting with it's powerful processor and following with great display and battery life. 100% suitable for 2D, also can go for 3D animation.

CPU: 9th Gen Intel i7-9750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
RAM: 64GB
SSD: from512GB
Screen: 5.6' Full HD IPS DisplayOS: Windows 10

Pros:

The perfect combination of style, productivity and convenience. The laptop is ideal for gamers, but also will do greatly for animators and anyone who needs great graphics. Thin bezels of the monitor make the screen even wider and more comfortable. Works great with Full HD and with most 4k projects.The laptop guarantees excellent sound with the possibility of flexible regulation of the volume with low frequencies.Another advantage - compact and easily portable power supply. The laptop lasts 8 hours without power, which is considered as strong battery life. It has a CoolBoost function built into the NitroSense control system that provides improved cooling and keeps the laptop at a comfortable temperature. Super fast.

Cons:

Expensive and isn't created purposely for animators. Has great display, still handles not all 4k videos. For more advanced functionality, you may need to upgrade the specifications - still one of the best alternatives for Windows.

Desktop

Ideally, animators have both - desktop for main work and laptop for cases they need to work remotely. As it happens, the further you get and more you work, the more you'll realize that desktop can help you much better.

As laptops follow the path of better portability, desktop will have better indicators: faster render, better memory etc. The processing power of desktop is much higher. Quick access to the internal hardware will allow you to upgrade any detail easily depending on your needs. You have more chances to modify a desktop PC's RAM, storage, graphics chip, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and more.

If you're picking the software for animation in 2022, check our guide for choosing the best one!Good luck with your projects and future choice! By the way, all these laptops will do greately with After Effects and other editing software, wich will allow you to work comfortably with our templates.