Hey there, tech-savvy creatives and digital wizards! Ever wished you could carry the power of a supercomputer in your backpack? Imagine your laptop effortlessly handling mind-blowing 3D graphics, jaw-dropping video edits, and dazzling designs – with no overheating, tearing or crashes. Whether you’re a pro artist or an amateur, you need the perfect companion for your creative journey. But which is the best laptop for rendering? Which is the best laptop for 3D modelling?
Well, whether you’re crafting visual magic, dreaming up architectural wonders, or just juggling a ton of tasks, we’ve got the best laptop for you. Each of our top five best laptops for rendering has been evaluated against the criteria that matter most to you: graphics quality, processing power, value for money, construction, and more. So, get ready to discover the laptop that will transform your rendering projects, and bring your vision to life!
Product Comparison Table: Best Laptop for Rendering
Title | Price | Rating (Amazon) | Best in class | Buy | |
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i | $$$$$ | 5 stars | Best Build Quality | Amazon | |
ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo OLED | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Graphics | Amazon | |
HP 2022 Victus | $ | 4.7 stars | Best Value | Amazon | |
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 | $$$ | 4.6 stars | Most Portable | Amazon | |
Apple 2023 MacBook Pro | $$$$ | 4.5 stars | Best Overall | Amazon |
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i uses a powerful 13th Generation Intel Core i9-13900HX Processor, with E-cores up to 3.90 GHz and P-cores up to 5.40 GHz. That means it’s capable of handling even large scale or complex rendering tasks, and won’t crash when you boot up multiple programs. Although it’s on the upper end of the budget scale, the high-quality aluminum build feels sturdy and luxurious. Plus, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 16GB GDDR6 graphics card means the screen looks just as good as the body. As for storage, there’s a 2TB SSD, and the Windows 11 home operating system is compatible with most major 3D modelling and rendering programs.
Pros
- Durable all-aluminum build
- Powerful i9 processor
- High performance graphics card
Cons
- Only 4800 Mhz RAM
- Very expensive
Verdict
The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is our best laptop for rendering in terms of build quality; the sturdy aluminum chassis is an absolute dream to use, and really feels good enough to justify the high price. When you pay this much for a laptop, it needs to feel expensive – there’s nothing like brushed metal to convince you the cost was worthwhile! The memory means it may not be the fastest, but it’s still a pleasure to use.
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ASUS Zenbook Pro Duo OLED
3D modelling and rendering is all about good graphics, and you won’t get much better than the ASUS Zenbook DUo Pro OLED – all because of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU graphics card. The Zenbook Pro Duo OLED presents us with the most beautiful graphics experience calmly, efficiently, and with zero fuss. The blacks are true and the colours are vivid on the elegant supersized 4K OLED HDR touchscreen, which is ideal for creative projects where detail is paramount. Plus, the ‘Duo’ part of the name refers to the ASUS ScreenPad Plus secondary 4K display – a brand-new tilting design that turns the pen-compatible touchscreen into a Wacom-style digital sketchbook! The pen’s even included.
Pros
- Incredible display and visuals
- Secondary touchscreen display
- Comes with Wacom-style pen
Cons
- Expensive
Verdict
ASUS promises Zenbook Pro Duo OLED will be the ‘laptop of tomorrow’. It’s packed with brilliant components, including Intel’s Core i9-11900H processor, making it run like a knife through butter even while multitasking. Is this future-tech overkill for 3D modelling? We don’t think so: this is our best laptop for rendering in terms of graphics.
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HP 2022 Victus
The HP 2022 Victus has a 1920 x 1080 resolution screen that boasts impressive color and clarity, all illuminated by an energy-efficient LED backlight. Meanwhile, the Intel Core i5-12450H Processor’s 8-core, 12-way processing provides maximum high-efficiency power to go, plus Intel Turbo Boost Technology for dynamic extra power when you need it. There’s 16GB DDR4 RAM, which should run most programs without crashes or lag, too. The storage, however, is small: only 512GB. But with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, you’ll get some good-looking renders at a great-looking price.
Pros
- Mid-range processor for good performance
- 16GB RAM
- Great value low price
Cons
- Only 512GB storage
Verdict
Sometimes, you need to get hold of a powerful machine on a small budget. If you’re one of those 3D modellers with less money to burn, look no further than the HP 2022 Victus. This great value machine delivers all the power you need for everyday rendering and 3D modelling, plus an impressively high quality display. The storage may not be the biggest, but there are a wide range of connection ports for external drives.
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ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14’s AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS CPU, with 8 cores and 16 threads, effortlessly handles even the most demanding renders. On top of this, the 14″ WQXGA 120Hz Display provides a spacious workspace with vibrant visuals. With dual-channel DDR5 4800MHz system memory, multitasking is a breeze, too. The PCIe Solid State Drive ensures speedy file access and ample storage. Moreover, AMD SmartShift Max optimizes power, while AMD Smart Access Memory maximizes performance so you can get the most performance for the least battery drain. Yet despite its powerful features, the G14 weighs only 3.64 lbs and measures 0.73″ thin, making it the lightest on our list.
Pros
- Light and portable
- Super long battery life
- Great processing power
Cons
- No CD/DVD drive
- Heats up when plugged in
Verdict
Sometimes, it’s nice to get out of the house. If you’re one of those creatives who loves working in your local coffee shop, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is your best laptop for rendering. With excellent battery life, you’re good to render all day in any location you please. Some users have reported that the laptop gets hot when plugged in – but considering the battery life, you probably won’t be using it plugged in that often.
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Apple 2023 MacBook Pro
Words can’t describe the difference between a regular LED (or even OLED) and Apple’s incredible 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display. The 2023 Macbook Pro outdoes any PC on graphics: the brightest PC we found offered 500 less than this Macbook’s 1000+ nits. New innovations like Extreme Dynamic Range and pro-reference mode mean that this laptop can both present your designs on-screen exactly as they’d look in real life, and allow you to carry around your lightweight MacBook as a hyper-realistic digital portfolio. The 2023 Pro even provides a .2 inch increase in display size, Touch ID, and the long-awaited Holy Grail of MacBook users… longer, now all-day, battery life – all for the same price as the ’21 model.
Pros
- Trademark Apple high-performance
- Stunning Liquid Retina display
- Super connectivity
Cons
- No touchscreen
Verdict
It’s annoying to have to admit it, but the legendary MacBook Pro is truly the greatest overall laptop for creatives – and it’s no different when it comes to the best laptop for rendering. The 2023 MacBook Pro is purpose-built to make pro apps run lightning-fast, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Xcode, Affinity Designer, Microsoft 365 and any other design app for iOS. The impeccable wireless and Bluetooth connectivity is also ideal for sharing your visuals.