10 Best Laptop For Writers on a Budget in 2023

What is the best laptop for writers on a budget? If you are looking for a good laptop that will both work for you as a writer and not cost you too much, then this is the article for you.

Being a writer is diverse especially with the rise of online content creators. You may be a website blog writer, Advertisement copy writer or long form writer such as a research paper and book writer.

This wide scope and nature of the work results to a challenge when deciding on a good laptop for your work. It is however still possible to choose one that is both efficient and budget friendly if you know what to check in a good one.

This article considers different genres, styles and budgets to come up with a list of the Best Laptops For Writers on a Budget.

Laptops For Writers on a Budget

1. Acer Chromebook 314 – Best Overall
2. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop – Best Budget
3. Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop Best Budget MacBook for Writers
4. Dell Newest Inspiron 3511 Premium Laptop – Best Dell Laptop for Writers
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 – Affordable Windows laptop for writers
6. SAMSUNG Galaxy Book 2 – Premium Pick
7. ASUS TUF Gaming F15 Best Gaming Laptop Under 800$
8. HP Pavilion x360 Convertible 2 in 1 Laptop for writers
9. Lenovo 2023 Newest IdeaPad 5 Laptop Touch Screen Laptop for Writing
10. HP 2022 Newest Pavilion

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Acer Chromebook 314 – Best Budget

• Screen: 14-inch LED;
• Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
• RAM: 4GB
• Processor: Intel Celeron N4000 1.1Ghz (dual-core)
• Gpu: Intel UHD Graphics 600
• Storage: 32GB

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop Affordable Windows laptop for writers

1. Screen: 16 inches
2. Processor: Intel Core i5
3. RAM: 8 GB
4. Storage: 512 GB SSD
5. GPU: Intel Iris XE Graphics
6. Backlit Keyboard
7. Windows 11 Home

Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop is powered by a powerful Intel Core i5 processor that will run Illustrator, Photoshop, and many other graphic design software without problems.

Additionally, you will be able to multitask without unnecessary and annoying lags thanks to a dedicated Intel Iris XE Graphics processor. 

The RAM is unfortunately low at 8 GB and the laptop may not be ideal for video editing and animation. However, for its very fair price, this laptop is a good deal and you will not regret buying it for writing.

A good ergonomically designed Keyboard and tracking pad will make writing and typing fast and easy.

Another thing that stands out is the large 17-inch size screen with Full HD 1920×1080 Full HD resolution. A 17-inch screen size is comfortable to use whether for drawing or photo editing. 

Dell Newest Inspiron 3511 Premium Laptop – Best overall

1. Screen: 16 inches
2. 1920 x 1080 pixels
3.  Full HD Touchscreen
4. Processor: Intel Core i5
5. RAM: 16 GB
6. Storage: 1 TB SSD
7. Windows 11 Home

Dell’s Newest Inspiron 3511 is our best overall pick. This premium laptop packs enough power to run graphic design, basic animation, and video editing software.

It is a premium-level laptop at an astonishingly fair price. The screen size is large enough for comfortable use. The Resolution is not 4K but you do not need all that. It has a clear touch-sensitive screen with Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.

This resolution and touch sensitivity makes it usable both as a drawing tablet and still remain clear enough for rich and vivid color display.

Processing power is not a problem thanks to the Intel Core i5 processor and large 16 GB RAM that makes it possible for multitasking. It runs on Windows 11 Home operating system which is both stable and easy to use. 

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 Best Gaming Laptop Under 800$

1. Screen: 16 inches
2. Processor: Intel Core i5
3. GPU: GeForce RTX 2050
4. RAM: 8 GB
5. Storage: 512 GB SSD
6. Windows 11 Home
7. Battery Life 6 Hours

If you are wondering whether you can use a gaming laptop for writing or Graphic design, then the answer is yes. Many games require a powerful system to run smoothly. Similar powerful features can be used to operate Graphic Design Laptops.

The Asus TUff is a good example of a gaming laptop that can be used for Graphic Design. All its features such as a 16-inch screen and Intel Core i5 Processor make it a powerful laptop for any complex software such as Photoshop. You will also have an integrated GeForce RTX 2050 Graphics card to aid in powering the Laptop.

Unfortunately, 8 GB of RAM is low. For the best experience, we recommend 16 GB and above. Additionally, the laptop’s Webcam is low resolution though this will not be a problem for graphic designers.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 – Best Overall

1. Screen Size: 13.5” 
2. Touch-Screen 
3. GPU: AMD Ryzen 5 Surface Edition
4. RAM: 8 GB
5. Storage: 256 GB SSD

Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop Best Budget MacBook for Writers

1. Screen: 13 inches
2. Resolution” Liquid Retina Display
3. Processor: M1 Chip
4. Graphics Card: M1 8-Core GPU
5. RAM: 8 GB
6. Storage: 256 GB SSD

If you prefer a MAC operating system but are on a budget, there is still an option for you. The Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop is our pick for the Best Budget Macbook for Graphic Design.

Just like other Apple products, the laptop comes with powerful features that will rarely lag when working with normal graphic design software.

First, the overall look and feel are classy and professional with a nice comfortable keyboard.

The ergonomic designed keyboard and mouse positioning allows more space to place your hands as you type. This makes it comfortable to use even for long hours.

It features a powerful M1 Chip processor that is fast and reliable. Additionally, you have a dedicated M1 8-Core GPU that helps speed up processing.

Unfortunately, the RAM is low at 8 GB and may not be ideal for video editing and animation. Basic graphic design will however not be a problem.

The screen is crisp, clear, and unique thanks to the unique Liquid Retina Display technology found on MacBook’s and iPads. One downside however is the size of the screen which is small at 13 inches in size.

Lenovo 2023 Newest IdeaPad 5 Laptop Touch Screen Laptop for Writing

1. Screen: 16 inches
2. Touch Screen
3. Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5625U Processor (Better than Core i7)
4. GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
5. RAM: 16 GB
6. Storage: 512 GB SSD
7. Fingerprint Reader
8. Windows 11 Home

Lenovo IdeaPad is another budget alternative that you can go for. The laptop features a large 16-inch screen and high Full HD resolution. Although the screen is great, the main standout feature of this laptop is the AMD Ryzen 5 5625U Processor. Forget the Core i5, this processor is more powerful than even the Intel Core i7 processor.

Combined with a large 16 GB RAM, this laptop will not lag at all when working on basic design software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, or Indesign. Additionally, this powerful laptop can also be used for complex tasks such as animation and graphic design.

HP 2022 Newest Pavilion

1. Screen: 16 inches
2. Processor: Intel Quad-core Pentium Processor
3. RAM: 32 GB
4. Storage: 1 TB GB SSD
5. 11 Hr Battery Life
6. GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
7. HD Webcam
8. Windows 11 Home

How to choose the Best laptop writers on a budget

A graphic design or gaming laptop offers more power than you need for writing so it is a no brainer that it will work perfectly for all kinds of writers.

The purpose or field of graphic design you intend to venture into will greatly influence your choice of devices. For example, animation and video editing will require more powerful specs compared to printing and digital art.

Here are the factors to consider to get the best one for you.

• RAM – 8 GB and 16 GB
• Processor- Optimum Core i5 to i7, minimum 1.2GHz
• Storage 256 GB and above
• Screen: 14 inches and above, 16 recommended

Processor and RAM

The RAM and Processor are the first key consideration. They will determine how fast your laptop performs functions. Additionally, they are also important when multitasking.

As a graphic designer, you will have to sometimes multi-task and run different programs at the same time. For example, I run Photoshop and Illustrator at the same time and almost always

You will need a minimum of 8 GB RAM and 1.2GHz processor speed. Although the minimum is good for many functions, you want to thrive and not just survive. For optimal performance, we recommend an Intel Core i5 or i7 and 16 GB RAM and above.

Display

The screen is another important factor that will influence your overall user experience. A minimum of 14 inches screen size is good enough for graphic design. 

For the screen resolution, we recommend a Full HD view from 1920×1080 pixels Full HD.

Storage Space

When working as a graphic designer, you will have to save large source files and different file formats. You will therefore need a large storage space to both save your files and install the software.

We recommend 512 GB and above. However, if you are on a budget, you can start with 256 GB but you might later on have to buy an additional external hard drive.

Battery Life

Laptops are most effective because of their portability. If you like working away from the office, then you need a laptop that at least has a 5 to 8-hour battery life.

What Type Of Display Is Best For writers?

In the past, LED Display was the normal kind of display for Laptops and tablets. This kind of screen will still work. Over the years IPS screen technology came up as a new advancement in the display field.

For the best user experience, we recommend the improved IPS technology. These screens are brighter, clearer and provide a rich and vivid color display.

Additionally, you will have a wider viewing angle compared to LEDs. Apple’s Liquid Retina display is even better than IPS screens. However, their products are a little more expensive and you will have to forgo the size.

Do you need a touchscreen laptop for Graphic Design?

A touchscreen laptop is not a must-have for graphic designers. However, it is an added advantage if you intend to go into digital art too. It eliminates the need to have a graphic design tablet and laptop because it can be used as both.