Becoming proficient with Blender is crucial for people in creative and design careers across the video game, graphics design, and 3D modeling industries. If you have a job that uses Blender, you need a laptop with a powerful processor and strong graphic design features to work on the go. This guide will cover a list of the best laptops for Blender, including their features and prices.
We’ve also included the best laptops for Blender under $1,000 and other cheap laptops that will work well in your design career. Use our list below to choose your ideal laptop with powerful cores, 3D software compatibility, HD resolution, and a large hard disk drive or solid-state drive where you can store all of your Blender projects.
How to Choose the Best Blender Laptop
Choosing the best Blender laptop is dependent on what your day-to-day tasks are. If you are or want to become an animator or a 3D character designer, choosing a laptop with a 10th generation Intel Core i7 or more, high video memory, a high-definition display for vivid colors, and a good dedicated graphics card, such as an NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX card, will suit your Blender-based career best.
However, if you are or want to become a mobile app developer or 3D software programmer and use Blender for any of these programming careers, then laptops offering maximum performance, powerful processors, and top-of-the-line graphics cards, such as an NVIDIA Quadro, are more apt.
Color Accuracy
Whether it’s for video editing or graphic design professions, getting a laptop with a gorgeous display, high image quality, and a color-accurate panel is essential for visually accurate output. A bright screen with high color accuracy plays a crucial role in every visual design element. Using Blender on a laptop that offers this high color fidelity will help you present a precise, high-quality design to your clients.
Powerful Graphics Card and NVIDIA GeForce Processing Unit
The minimum requirement for using Blender is 2GB of RAM, however, the website recommends that laptops have 8GB of RAM to work efficiently. You will need to look into laptops that possess a lot of RAM for efficient processing. The more RAM you have, the more complex tasks your computer can run while maintaining its speed.
RAM is particularly useful when performing any kind of rendering. Blender recommends having an NVIDIA GeForce GTX or RTX graphics processing unit that can process real-time renderings for graphics. The Blender software requires a GPU with a strong performance to perform efficiently.
Price Range
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a laptop to use Blender on is its price point. The recommended amount you should budget for a laptop will depend on your financial preferences, professional requirements, and career goals. Keep in mind that the more advanced the combination of specs a laptop has, the more expensive it’ll be.
If you are new to Blender you can go with an affordable laptop with an 8th generation or 10th generation CPU, 2GB of RAM, and an older NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card. An HD display port can also come in handy. You can find a budget laptop that provides excellent performance and storage capacity while adhering to your choice of programming or design career. Keep in mind that you may want to upgrade as your career advances.
Average Battery Life
A laptop with long-lasting battery life is essential to programming, 3D software animation, and game design-based Blender jobs. The demand for high screen resolution, excellent core processors, strong performance, and IPS panels in these jobs requires a high battery life. You should aim for a laptop with over 10 hours of battery life.
HD Display and Screen Resolution
A Blender laptop with an impressive display screen size and quality is another essential factor to consider when choosing your ideal laptop. Blender recommends a screen size of 2560 by 1440. A laptop with an HD IPS display is an excellent option for 3D graphics and animation software development Blender jobs. You should also aim for a laptop with a 3ms refresh rate or faster.
Intel Core I9 Processor or Other Strong Performance Processors
A fast processor is a must for programming, 3D animation software or other heavy software-based Blender tasks. Blender recommends an Intel core processor that has Haswell architecture and can offer high-end performance for graphics and video editing tasks. You can opt for laptops with an octa-core processor. Look into laptops that have an Intel Core i5 processor or Intel Core i7 processor.
Powerful 3D Rendering Graphics Software
A powerful laptop that supports 3D rendering graphics software and 3D modeling software provides exceptional performance for Blender-based tasks. You can look into laptops and notebooks that are specifically built for game development and animation character design for powerful 3D rendering.
How to Find Cheap Laptops for Blender
- Make a List of Essential Specs and Features. Simply buying the cheapest option is not realistic for Blender’s software needs. You will need to first make a list of software specs that are essential to your Blender job. Choose a laptop that offers those features and is budget-friendly.
- Buy Directly From Official Sites. Buy your laptop from the official manufacturers or vendors. Most laptops are often sold at a higher price by secondary sellers on online shopping websites such as Amazon or BestBuy. You can find a cheaper option by directly purchasing from the official vendor. They will also often offer special discounts for students.
- Wait for Discounts. The last tip to purchasing a cheap laptop for Blender is to wait for sales or discount offers. You can find great deals during Black Friday, Boxing Day, or the back-to-school days. You could also simply add the laptops to your wishlist and wait to get discount notifications. If you are a veteran, student, or teacher, you can also apply your discounts for many laptop purchases.
The Best Laptops for Blender in 2023
| Laptop | Manufacturer | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Razer Blade 15 | Razer | $2,499.99 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX, 1.8GHz 14 Core Intel Core i7, 1TB SSD Storage, 2.5ms refresh rate |
| MacBook M1 Pro – 16 Inch | Apple | $2,499 | 16 Inch Liquid Retina Display, 64 GB Unified Memory For Graphics Tasks, 512GB SSD Storage |
| Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 AMD- 15 Inch | Lenovo | $1,579.99 | AMD Radeon RX 6660M 8GB Graphics, 1TB SSD Storage, IPS Anti Glare Display |
| Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop | Dell | $1,549.99 | 512GB SSD Storage, NVIDIA GeForce RTX, 12th Generation Intel Core i7-12700H |
| HP Envy Laptop 15 | HP | $1,549.99 | 11th Generation Intel Core i7, NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, 15.6 Diagonal FHD Touch Display |
| Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop | Acer | $1,299.99 | Intel Core i7-1800 H Processor, 512GB SSD Storage, IPS Display Screen Technology |
| G15 Gaming Laptop | Dell | $899.99 | 12th Generation Intel, 256 SSD Storage, FHD Display and LED Backlit Keyboard |
| HP Pavilion Laptop 13 | HP | $849.99 | Intel Iris X Graphics, 512GB SSD Storage, Diagonal FHD Display, Intel Core i7-1195G7 |
| Acer Nitro 5 – 2022 | Acer | $799.99 | 256 SSD Storage, 10300 H Processor, 15.6 Full HD Display |
| IdeaPad Flex 5 AMD – 14 Inch | Lenovo | $679.99 | Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, 256GB SSD Storage, Fingerprint Reader |
Top Rated Laptops for Blender: In Detail
Razer Blade 15
- Best for: SSD Storage, NVIDIA Graphics Processing Unit, 14th Generation Intel Core i7 processor
- Price: $2,499.99
Razer Blade 15 is a powerful laptop with a 14th generation Intel Core i7 processor and a 1TB SSD for great storage capacity. This device is best known for being a dedicated gaming laptop perfect for those who want to become game developers or game designers. It has a 15.6-inch display and a backlit keyboard. It also offers battery boost and graphics processing unit boost features.
You will also get three months of free subscription for Adobe Creative Cloud upon purchasing this laptop, perfect for developing your video or graphic design skills. This is an excellent laptop with high-end performance for the use of heavy applications like Blender for 3D modeling, real-time rendering, and editing videos.
MacBook M1 Pro – 16 Inch
- Best for: 16 Inch XDR Retina Display, High-Performance Battery, Core Graphic Processing Units
- Price: $2,499.00
If you are a Blender user who prefers using the powerful Apple macOS and interface, then this MacBook M1 Pro 16 inch laptop is for you. This laptop offers a unified memory of up to 64GB dedicated to intense graphics tasks. It also includes a neural engine great for playing 8K quality videos. This MacBook is best suited for creative professionals looking for a large screen display with a long battery life.
Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 6 AMD- 15 Inch
- Best for: Color Accuracy, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, HD Display, Rapid Charge Pro
- Price:$1,579.99
If you don’t want to pay more than $2,000 for your laptop, this Lenovo Legion 5 is an excellent option equipped with a high-powered CPU and GPU for excellent performance. With a 15-inch screen, this powerful gaming laptop has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics processor unit and comes with the Windows 10 OS, which can be upgraded to Windows 11 for free.
It also has a high color accuracy panel, HD display, and an optional SSD hard drive. The laptop also offers a rapid charge pro battery adapter that offers fast charging solutions. Its battery can go from zero to fifty percent full in half an hour.
Alienware M15 R7 Gaming Laptop
- Best for: Video Game Development, 3D Design, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, 12th Generation Intel Core processor
- Price: $1,549.99
If you’ve ever searched for powerful gaming laptops, you’ve definitely come across the Alienware brand, manufactured by Dell. This Alienware M15 R7 laptop is best suited for app developers, game designers, or UX/UI designers looking to use Blender for video game purposes. It has a 12th generation Intel core processor, an NVIDIA graphics card, and runs on the Windows 11 OS.
With a 512GB SSD and ample display and power delivery ports, this Alienware makes for an excellent choice for Blender tasks. You can increase the specs of this laptop to purchase a more powerful model.
HP Envy Laptop 15
- Best for: i7 Intel Processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, 15.6 FHD Multitouch Display, Integrated UHD Graphics Intel
- Price: $1,5499.99
If you want a laptop with a fingerprint reader, Intel integrated graphics, and a multitouch display, then the HP Envy might be for you. This laptop has a battery life of eight hours, a 512GB SSD, and a 100 percent display color gamut. You will also get a one-month free trial for Adobe CC, Alexa, McAfee LiveSafe, and Microsoft 365.
Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop
- Best for: Intel Core I7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, IPS Display Technology
- Price: $1,299.99
For Blender users who want a high-performing laptop with a dedicated graphics processing unit for a cheaper price, this Predator Helios is worth looking into. It has a 7th generation Intel Core processor and incorporates LED-backlit technology in its full HD screen display. The only drawback of this laptop lies in its battery life which only lasts up to six hours.
Best Laptops for Blender Under $1,000
G15 Gaming Laptop
- Best for: 12th Generation Intel CPU, LED Backlit, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU
- Price: $899.99
Getting a gaming laptop for $899.99 with a powerful NVIDIA graphics processor and a 12th generation Intel CPU isn’t easy. The G15 Gaming Laptop is an affordable and valuable option for your Blender journey that does just that. With a Windows 11 OS and a strong NVIDIA RTX card, the G15 gaming laptop is a great choice for game designers, animators, and game developers on a budget.
HP Pavilion Laptop 13
- Best for: Intel Integrated Graphics, Fingerprint Reader, High Battery Life
- Price: $849.99
HP Pavilion is a budget-friendly option for game design and graphic design students and professionals. The laptop has an Intel Core i7 processor, an integrated graphics processor, and an FHD display, all of which are ideal for Blender tasks.
Acer Nitro 5- 2022
- Best for: 256GB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, Backlit Keyboard
- Price: $799.99
If you want to buy an affordable computer with mid-range RAM, SSD storage, and high battery performance, then Acer Nitro 5 is for you. This laptop also has a dedicated graphics card and a 15.6-inch Full HD display. This is a good option for graphics design or animation newbies looking to build their creative and technical Blender skills.
IdeaPad Flex 5 AMD- 14 Inch
- Best for: 256 GB SSD, Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics, IPS Display
- Price: $679.99
If you want a hybrid laptop that turns into a portable and flexible tablet, then this IdeaPad Flex by Lenovo is for you. This lightweight laptop has an integrated graphics processor, fingerprint reader, and high SSD storage making it a great affordable option. This is a great option for designers looking to practice their Blender skills on a lightweight and HD tablet.
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Should I Use a Laptop for Blender?
Yes, you should use a laptop for Blender if you want to produce high-quality graphic designs with impressive visual and technical outlets while on the go. Blender’s 23 million monthly users use this software to further their careers in 3D rendering, character animation, game design, app development, and video editing.
You can enter these lucrative tech and creative industries by investing in a Blender-friendly laptop with a powerful graphics processing unit, HD display, and high-performing Intel core units. If being able to work on the go isn’t so much a concern for you, you can always consider building your own PC, which might be cheaper in the long run.
Best Laptops for Blender FAQ
Some of the best features in laptops for Blender are NVIDIA’s Geforce RTX line, an 11th generation i7 or higher Intel Core CPU, a 256GB or more SSD, an FHD display, and a color-accurate screen.
The best laptops for Blender are Razer Blade 15, MacBook Pro, Lenovo Legion 5, and HP Envy.
Some affordable laptops for Blender that are $1,000 or less are Acer Nitro-5, Lenovo IdeaPad Flex5, Dell G15 Gaming Laptop, and HP Pavilion.
Blender requires a minimum of 8GB of RAM but recommends 32GB of RAM for ideal performance and speed.
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