
Best Laptops for Crafting: Expert Suggested for Pros and Newbies
If you have bought more than one machine for crafting that did not perform up to the mark, you have learned your lesson. But these rookie mistakes can cost a newbie hundreds of dollars. When you are on a tight budget, you need expert advice on different aspects of the best laptops for crafting and the most compatible ones for you. You can also read Best Laptops for Teletherapy
Without these pro tips, you can fall into the trap of false advertising and end up with a laptop that you must avoid buying at all costs. The following list of best laptops for crafting is an ultimate guide for newbies and pros. The reason is our product selection criteria. We have chosen products with a sturdy body, robust features, above-bar performance, and maximum value for every single dollar you pay. Our expert team and pro crafters all across the US have given these products by pouring limelight on both sides.
Comparison Table
What Does Crafting Mean?
Crafting is the art of creating something new from decoration and aesthetics. People adopted it as a hobby to get peace of mind. But now, things have changed, and crafting has reached a whole new level. This art is modernized, and people with an interest in art and design are taking it as a profession.
Artists with the inclination toward creating distinctive items are getting popular among art enthusiasts. These artists get money for the projects and often take this hobby as a profession. But the use of technology has made crafting more complex. So today, if you want to create an awesome piece of art through crafting, you need the spice of technology. For this purpose, a laptop is a must whether you are using Cricut or not. We have come up with the list of best laptops for crafting that will help you create a masterpiece every time you start a project.
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What are the Best Laptops for Crafting? Latest Models
1. Dell G5 15
This model of Dell is a gaming laptop with a 9th Gen Intel CPU. To offer graphic support in high-end gaming, there is a GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. 16GB RAM and 256 GB SSD are a powerhouse of performance. You get an additional 1 TB SSD that gives you ample space for storing crafting projects.
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Dell G5 15 gives a 15.6-inch display that allows you a resolution of 1080p. The vibrancy and natural feel of the display offer remarkable results. The previous version of this laptop was not that promising. But in this version, you get a 60-Hz display to see your crafts in great detail. But when you want to see fast-moving objects, you can switch to 144-Hz as well.
Specifications:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-9750H
- RAM: 16GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
- Display: 15.6″ inch FHD IPS Display
- Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB SATA Hard Drive
- Stylish product
- Premium design
- Gaming level higher performance
- Extended battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
- Bright display
- Higher graphics performance
- Chassis can be heavy for some users
If you are looking to buy a top performer to handle your complex designing software Dell G5 15 is the top-notch option. The vibrancy of screen resolution, 9th generation CPU, and 16 GB RAM make it the right laptop for professionals.
2. Apple MacBook Air
Even though it is still an Apple, this laptop is undoubtedly the best budget laptop for crafters. If you want to use it for multitasking, our experts have good news for you. We have opened more than 20 chrome tabs and started picture editing. Everything went well, and there was no lag and delay in switching between the tasks. But when we added more tasks, fans started to work harder and showed things getting heated up.
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M1 chip is the most responsive processor in this category. The retinal display and high resolution is the hallmark of this laptop. When you want high-definition and high-quality pictures of your projects, nothing can beat MacBook Air. You get more than 8-hour battery timing after a single charge. 256 GB storage is a happy change for users who do not want to keep their projects on iCloud.
Specifications
- Display: 13.3-inch Retina Display
- Processor: Apple M1 Chip
- Storage: 256GB
- Graphics: 8-core
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- Compact and easy to carry
- Lightweight laptop
- Comfortable keyboard
- Sturdy build quality
- Robust performance
- Responsive touchpad
- You get two USB-C ports
If you have to work out more often, you can count on the battery time of this laptop. With one single charge, you get an 8-hour video or 9 hours of internet surfing. 2,560 x 1,600 resolution with 227 pixels per inch offers high-definition pictures.
3. Razer Blade 15
The Razer Blade 15 laptops are made of aluminum, giving a sturdy look and slightly hefty design. This laptop provides a wide display of 15.6 inches for a better full-screen experience and 100% support for the sRGB color spectrum. The most amazing thing for you will be the vibrant and accurate colors that you can always custom calibrate.
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With a refresh rate of up to 3000Hz and 3ms response time, this laptop is super-fast and smooth. This could be the most suitable laptop as it provides ample brightness of 357 cd/m2, with 336 cd/m2 in the center. It provides an excellent contrast ratio of 60%, with 73% in AdobeRGB.
Specifications:
- RAM: 16GB RAM
- Display: 15.6″ inch FHD
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super with Max-Q Design
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10875H
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Weight: 8.89 lbs
- Dimensions: 13.98 x 0.7 x 9.25 inches
- Long-lasting battery life
- Great performance
- Great selection of ports
- Upgradeable RAM and SSD
- Premium and sleek design
- Batter touchpad
- Pricey for the specs
- Gets noticeably hot
The performance levels of the Razer Blade 15 can also be understood by the PCMark 10 score of 5227. You can see a lot more with this laptop besides crafting, photo, and video editing. It comes with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics chip. Along with it, ample storage of 512GB of SSD and 16GB of RAM removes all the hurdles in your smooth work.
4. Dell XPS 15
You will be amazed to know that Dell XPS 15 has come with UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD display. With this fine laptop, you can enjoy more than 8 million pixels providing you with a resolution of 3840 x 2160. It can provide you with a wonderful display even at near-zero zoom level. You would be bedazzled after knowing that it possesses over 6 million pixels than Full HD and over 3 million pixels than the Macbook Pro 13-inch model.
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Dell XPS 15 can make you able to see the finest details while crafting, image, or video editing, and you wouldn’t need to worry about accuracy, jagged lines, or fuzziness. This laptop can offer you a wider range of colors than most other laptops because its display covers 100% of the Adobe RGB and 100% of the sRGB color spaces.
Specifications
- RAM: 16GB
- Processor: Intel Core i7
- Display: 15.6 inches
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Dimensions: 20.5 x 19.8 x 14.8 inches
- Weight: 4 lbs
- Decent 4k screen
- Great performance
- Thunderbolt 3
- High-quality chassis
- Great keyboard and touchpad
- Runs hot
- Loud fans under load
With over 16 million colors, an anti-reflective screen, an InfiniteEdge display, and a huge touchpad, this laptop can help you do your favorite projects with utmost accuracy.
5. Microsoft Surface Book 2
You can enjoy the perks of a versatile laptop with Microsoft Surface Book 2. It can fulfill your purposes of crafting and editing as it features excellent color accuracy, wide viewing angles, and high contrast. Its 15-inch HD touchscreen is almost the same as we have seen in previous Microsoft Surface hardware. You can perform crafting, reading, and writing on a 4K display with 3250 x 2160 resolution along with an aspect ratio of 3:2.
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Microsoft Surface Book 2 supports a Surface Pen which can easily be attached to the laptop magnetically. It is very easy to use; it provides you with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity along with a fine point. When you turn on the device, you can find it to be detected and paired automatically.
Specifications
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB
- Processor: Intel Quad Core i7 Processor
- Display: 15-inch Touchscreen
- Weight: 4.2 lbs
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 discrete
- Dimensions: 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.9 inches
- Premium build quality
- Elegant convertible design
- Discrete NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics
- Long battery life
- Lightweight laptop
- Excellent cooling
- Powerful
- Small trackpad
- No surface pen included
Typing on Microsoft Surface 2 is fun as it offers a good amount of key travel and enough space between keys. It possesses a large touchpad that works smoothly and supports gestures.
6. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon can be your best companion if you want a Full HD+ display plus long hours of working. The unique design with a matte black finish can easily blend with the surroundings and appeals to customers looking for both attractive and self-effacing designs.
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The working space for crafting, image, or video editing is 14 inches with an aspect ratio of 16:10. This aspect ratio gives you a bit different taste of working on a longer and narrower canvas. The matte display can make it easier for you to view both indoors and outdoors.
Specifications
- Display: 14 inch
- Processor: Intel Core i7
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Weight: 4.25 lbs
- Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.72 x 0.59 inches
- Comfortable keyboard
- Lightweight and sleek design
- Thunderbolt 4
- Long battery life
- No card slot
Lenovo X1 Carbon comes with Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics providing you comfortable working with photo and video editing applications.
7. Acer Aspire 5
Acer Aspire 5 comes with Intel Iris Xe Graphics and 4 core, 8 thread CPU, 2.40 GHz to 4.20 GHz, which can support the daily computer chores. 11th Gen Intel i5 processor with two slots of memory can help you perform browsing, video streaming, and word processing.
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If you want a laptop that offers all the essential features and is inexpensive at the same time, Acer Aspire 5 is a great choice. Its keyboard gives everything you need: good spacing, number pad, and spacing. The 11th generation Intel i5 quad-core processor is energy efficient and the most popular CPU among Ultrabooks.
Specifications
- Storage: 512GB
- Processor: Intel Core i5 Processor
- Display: 15.6-inch FHD
- RAM: 8GB
- Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Weight: 3.64 lbs
- Dimensions: 14.31 x 9.39 x 0.7 inches
- Backlit keyboard
- Fingerprint reader
- IPS panel
- Upgradable RAM
- Decent performance
- Well priced
- Good build quality
- No Thunderbolt
- The display would be brighter
The new generation comes with a 17-22% improvement in CPU performance. This laptop can fulfill your demands for an aluminum cover, durable, nice-looking professional laptop.
Buying Guide for the Best Laptops for Crafting
There isn’t a single factor that can let you deceit the best product for you. Our list of top products will help you reduce the number of products to a mere 10. There are many things other than Price and CPU to consider before purchasing a laptop.
We have made a buying guide for you that will help explain the essential features you need to consider before making a purchase.
Windows or Mac OS
Mac operating system was once a top-notch graphical user interface with unmatched performance. Apple is undoubtedly still holding that place, but the gap in performance and features is becoming shorter. Now Windows operating system is also providing solutions to heavy uses if their system offers the capability to outperform.
If you want to have a high-end crafting solution provider, you need a laptop from Apple with Mac OS. But if performance is not your top priority, you can go for windows and still get things done for professional and amateur use. With a windows interface and a top-performing laptop, you can compete Apple products in some fields.
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Manufacturer Discounts
If you don’t want to purchase the laptop right away and can wait, you can avail some serious discounts for the manufacturers. There are some student discount schemes manufacturers offer from time to time. If you are a student, you can get yourself registered and avail this discount. You can get free shipping, extra benefits, and some perks from the manufacturer.
You can also avail the coupon. They allow you to buy the coupon and pay a low price later when you purchase the product. The coupon also helps lower the price of your laptop. You can get coupons online from the company website or some affiliates who are working with the company. Search for coupons or discounts on the internet for the company you have chosen and then go for purchase.
Warranty Terms
Not every product of the same company comes under the same type of warranty. You need to read the fine print to know whether the model you are buying avails a three-year warranty or not. Some famous models get a full three-year warranty, but the other ones have only one or two years. With the warranty on your laptop, you can spend time with ease because it won’t cost you much if there is a problem with your laptop.
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Price
You must keep in mind that being expensive is not always better. There are some expensive laptops with features which you don’t need at all. Do not fall for the trap of advertising, and always look for the features you need in the laptop. The best laptop for Cricut should have the latest features and support capabilities. You don’t need to go for an expensive option every time. Read about the processor, ram, and storage to get the perfect mix of memory and processing you need.
Screen Size and Resolution
The screen is the most viewed part of the laptop. Your visual communication with the laptop will be based on this part. When you are making your project or product on a small screen, things can become confusing. According to experts, the minimum screen size you need in your laptop is 13 inches. You will find this size comfortable for viewing things in good detail.
The resolution lets you see the product closer to nature. If you want true colors and detailing, the minimum resolution of 1920 * 1080 is the right number. The laptop you are going to buy must support higher than this resolution to give you an ultimate look of your product before it becomes physical.
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Processor
The best budget laptop for the Cricut design space is not suitable for businessmen and professionals. If you are looking for a laptop that works with Cricut, you need to look for a good processor in it. If you are an amateur or doing Cricut or crafting as a hobby, you can go with the processor i5 or i7. The Intel Xeon will add more power to this laptop.
But if you are looking for the best laptop for Cricut design space 2023, you need a minimum i8 or i9 processor. The old generation processor will slow the speed of your projects, and you will have a hard time working with synergy.
Storage Driver
A laptop compatible with Cricut design space must have ample storage space. The best laptop for Cricut maker 2023 should work faster with an SSD. If you go for an HDD with a good latest processor and more than 4 GB RAM, you can get good performance from it. A laptop cannot be the best laptop for crafting if it doesn’t have substantial space to store your projects.
A single image can take more than 20 to 30 MBs. And a high-quality video of your project needs more space than the average video. If you don’t want to save all of your projects on the laptop, you can go for a low-space SSD that will increase the speed of your laptop. But going for an HDD can give you big space for your projects and can compromise the speed a bit.
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RAM
Cheap laptops compatible with Cricut are good only for beginners. A cheap option cannot be the best laptop for digital scrapbooking. Along with the processor, strong RAM is also an integral part that you must look for while buying your best laptop for Cricut maker. You can easily find laptops with 4 GB RAM to 16 GB RAM. The bigger is not always better for beginners.
You shouldn’t go for 4GB RAM alone if you want to have the best laptop to use for Cricut maker. The 4 GB RAM can make your laptop slow if you work on some heavy project. One must not go for 18 GB RAM if the required needs are not professional. According to experts, 8 GB RAM is the most compatible thing that you need in your best laptop compatible with Cricut.
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Graphics Card
The best laptop for scrapbooking, crafting, and Cricut cannot run if there is not a supporting graphic card. The graphic card allows the laptop to work and shows you the product close to real-time nature. The colors, resolution, and details become unable to process and show if the graphic card is of lower capacity.
Usually, there are two different options for graphic cards one is discrete, and the other is integrated. An integrated graphics card can be a costly version, and you won’t have the ability to replace it in the near future. This can be a costly option but is good for high performance.
But a discrete graphic card has its own memory and processing unit. It gives more power and control to the user. Gamers use it to get streamline-processing of their laptop in complex scenarios. If you want to buy a laptop for professional work, a discrete graphics card is a sensible option that you can replace if you need more performance.
Battery life span
If you are a student or professional who needs to go out more often for projects, a slow battery life laptop can be the worst nightmare. For office workers and people working from home, the battery cannot be an issue. You can always plug in your laptop if it is showing a low battery.
But when you have to go out more often and work on a project in a remote location, a laptop with low battery capacity can never be a good option. You must look for the battery with added run time. There is also an option if you want to increase the battery life, and that is power banks. But this could add more numbers to your budget. Going for a built-in option will always prove beneficial.
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Keyboard and Touchpad
The best laptop for crafting business should have a sensitive mouse pad and robust keyboard. You can go for a touchscreen but remember it is not always good if you are a heavy user with minute detailing projects. You need a stylus to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the touchscreen. A company-provided stylus is always the best thing you should look for in a touchscreen laptop.
If you go for an option that doesn’t have a keyboard still, you can enjoy the precision with the help of an external mouse. The gaming mouse is a good solution for crafters who want to have precision and control. The high-end gaming mouse will help you take care of minute details with a clean touch on nooks and corners.
Ports
I would like to have more ports on the best laptop to use for my Cricut design space. One or two USB ports are the minimum standard for a laptop. But if you want to use more than one device while working on your project, more than 3 USBs is the minimum. You must read about the ports before making any purchase.
Yes, you can go for an external USB extender, but the cables and external platform reduce the speed of the devices. It would be better if your laptop had built-in USB ports to accommodate all of your devices during the project.
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FAQS
What is the minimum amount that I need to buy a laptop for crafting?
You can add as much money as you want to your budget and go for as little as there is. But the minimum amount of money you need to buy the laptop depends on your needs. If you are a beginner and don’t want to work on robust software, you don’t need to go for 16 GB RAM and a 9th-generation processor.
Which laptop is best for scrapbooking?
The best laptop for scrapbooking will be the one that has a large touch screen. If you don’t want to go for heavy software, a 4 GB Ram, an SSD, and an i5 or i7 processor can give you what you need. But you must always consider the future in mind because the double investment in the laptop by selling the older one and buying the new one is not a good move.
Which laptop will be best for quilting?
8 GB RAM, HDD, and i5 processor can give you the best performance for your basic quilting. But if you need to work on heavy software and complex designs, you must go for the laptop that is capable of managing all your needs.
What is the minimum laptop specification for card making?
Any laptop that is in running condition can grant you the ability to perform basic card making. But when you want to use software, platforms, and different interfaces, you need the latest version. Read the requirements of the software you are going to use and buy the one that suits you best.
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Final Verdict
The best laptops for crafting is the one that offers you a little bit more power than you need. If you go for an expensive option and that runs slow during your project, making it is of no use. The wise strategy to buy the best budget laptop for crafting and Cricut is to read the software requirement which you are going to use. This method will help you buy the right laptop for your crafting and Cricut making. Don’t forget the battery life, screen, and other variables we mentioned in the buying guide.
Best for budget:
If I had to suggest the best cheap laptop for crafting in the budget range, I would go for Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon. This laptop is suitable for crafting, image, and video editing. The plus point is its low price; you can easily afford a laptop as it will not cost you a fortune.
Best for overall performance:
There is only one laptop with the best overall performance, and that is Apple MacBook Air. This laptop offers you high definition and high-quality picture quality, enhanced battery timing, and smooth working. You can have one laptop that can fulfill all your needs.
Best for advanced features:
When it comes to the advanced performance of a laptop, the best laptop for crafting will be Dell XPS 15 because of its outstanding 4K display, amazing graphics, and great performance. You will love working on this laptop.
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