7 Best laptop for photo editing under $400: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Sharon Advik

Photo Editing is extensive; it ranges from HDR editing to clean editing, and every type needs to be managed with specific software or editing tool.

The same can be said about the laptops that empower any software to operate.

The devices typically used for professional editing are expensive; not every photographer can afford these extravagant gadgets.

But being said, the latest tech has set photographers an edge by manufacturing some compact and affordable laptops.

These laptops have the knack for fitting day-to-day creation tasks with a bit of spending, so let us discuss some best laptops that can give a budget editing experience.

Which are the Best laptop for photo editing for under $400?

Here are my recommended top 7 Best laptop for photo editing for under $400:-

Acer Aspire 5: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

Vintage photography is wildly trending these days.

Everyone wants to feel the quintessence of retro in their pics.

My friend went on his honeymoon to Edinburgh and captured some fantastic pictures of his memorable moments on Arthur’s seat, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and Calton Hill.

When he returned, he asked me to put retro effects in the images to make his Instagram feed more enthralling.

I did all the editing on my Acer Aspire 5, the best photo laptop, for under $400.

I am using it to edit all my photography projects, and I utilized it to operate many different tools; surprisingly, every one of these tools worked well on this budget but robust device.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

PCle SSD is one of the fastest that are available these days.

It delivers more than 600 MBps transfer rate, which I found to be very modest at this price.

256 GB SSD slickly launches my operating systems and lets me install and use editing tools.

RAM/ROM:

8 GB RAM is another commendable offering at this price.

It gives breezing performance while multitasking on chrome and using streaming apps.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 14-inch display covers 64 % of the sRGB gamut with a 1300:1 contrast ratio, so the color accuracy is a bit low.

The battery life is impressive for me as it gives 5 hours of working capability without a plugin.

The connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6. 2*USB 3.2 Type-A, 1* USB 2.0 Type-A, 1*USB 3.2 Type-C (Gen 1), and 1* HDMI give plenty of room to use Acer as a workstation.

Graphics chip/Processor:

I5 core with iris graphics gives 3902 scores on PCMark 10 and 866 on the CineBench test, yes, it is a low performance for a productivity device, but with this price spent, it gives me the compulsory outcome for my editing.

Conclusion:

A modest device that gives essential constituents of editing from good battery life to workable enactment is available for just 400$, so it would not be fabricated to say that Acer Aspire 5 is the Best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

Click here to buy

Asus VivoBook Flip 14: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

Any skilled sports photographer knows how color contrast makes images more appealing.

The enhanced blues and tamed reds give the desirable shade to the uniforms and backgrounds of the players and the playing field, respectively.

The angle of the picture and the softening of the extra elements captured in the images also need refining.

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 is the best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

That gives me budget editing assistance while editing my work to be uploaded to the news feed after the wins and the losses.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

NVMe is the fastest SSD available these days.

It works like a flash and empowers the laptop to read and write data quickly, so 512 GB SSD gives me adequate system boot-up and app loading.

RAM/ROM:

8 GB RAM is DDR4 which is a bit slower, and I often feel sluggish while doing numerous tasks, but it is sufficient for my daily uptake of editing.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

Asus 14, with a 1080p IPS screen, has sharp and accurate colors, giving me an edge while editing images and adding various color contrasts.

The battery life is also reasonable; it provides 8 hours of productivity without a plugin, but the battery drains at 6 hours when I watch movies.

Networking is with Wi-Fi 802.11 ac.

The ports include one USB 3.2 Type-C, one USB 3.2 Type-A, one USB 2.0 Type-A, and an HDMI, sufficient for connecting peripherals.

Graphics chip/Processor:

AMD Ryzen 7-4700 and AMD Radeon give surprisingly good performance.

When I tested the benchmarks, Asus scored an impressive 4989 on PCMark 10 and 2536 on CineBench.

It takes away the crown of budget productivity devices from other competitors.

Conclusion:

Asus VivoBook Flip 14 Best laptop for photo editing under $400, mainly if working includes traveling.

Its specs are remarkable at such a low price.

With an outstanding CPU performance and gorgeous IPS display, it delivers well.

Another quality that gives it 8/10 in my ratings is that it is a fit-in-bag device for photographers and editors on the go.

Click here to buy

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

I was working on a project for a traveling website; they needed fantastic imagery for their portfolio that mainly included pictures of the world’s most beautiful tourist spots.

They preferred photographs with their logo instead of taking them from the internet, so they sent me on a month’s tour to some incredible places on the earth.

I went to Venice, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, and park Guel as these were the places they were offering the tourists.

In hast, I just took my camera with me as it skipped from my mind that I would also have to edit the pictures, and when I got there, I couldn’t process my images.

After wandering in electronic shops, I finally bought a Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i, the best photo editing laptop, for under $400.

I needed some sturdy budget device in a foreign country, and Lenovo wasn’t disappointed.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

128 Gb PCIe SSD does not show any crashes while I am starting the system, its read and write speed is accurate, and it does not take long to process data from the CPU.

RAM/ROM:

Any RAM speed of more than 1800 MHz is considered fast.

Lenovo has 8 GB RAM with 3733 MHZ memory bandwidth that gives a silk tab opening and also doesn’t give stretch while I am editing my work.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

13-3 IPS display has an alluring color accuracy.

It makes the images look charming, but when I work outdoors, the screen looks dim due to less brightness.

Ten hours of battery life is much needed when I am consistently working.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 802.11ax.

The ports are less than I expected, with only one USB-C, one USB-A, and one HDMI 2.0 port.

Graphics chip/Processor:

Intel Core i3-1115G4 and Intel UHD Graphics did not sputter when I used editing apps.

It handles a load of massive tools gracefully, making it a substantial device for artists.

Conclusion:

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5i is the Best laptop for photo editing for under $400 because it is a complete performance package.

I did not feel any price-cutting quality while working.

Its integrated systems, display, and excellent battery life make it a very modest laptop for editors.

Click here to buy

HP 15z-Ef2000 Laptop: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

Some photographers have a particular photo album that describes various periods in their life; these are not for the client’s eyes.

These are personal photos of family and friends who have incredible moments.

I am one of these photographers as I wanted to capture everything on my camera, from playing cricket in high school to my wedding.

I have saved every memorable moment to recall my best days.

Recently, my wife wanted me to develop some photos and make a wall frame, including my high school photos.

As my camera was not very sharp back then, some pictures had low resolution, and others had dimmer color texture.

I had to edit these photos before making a wall frame.

I did all the basic editing on my HP 15z-Ef2000, and it gave perfectly gorgeous results.

I had never used this laptop for editing before as I bought this budget device for casual home use, and I used to edit all my work on a PC workstation at my office.

Still, the HP 15z-Ef2000 Laptop turned out to be the Best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

128 GB SSD is NVMe based; it is fast when I save my photos and projects.

It gets my system to kick start and gives much room for editing tools.

RAM/ROM:

8 GB RAM has a 3200 memory speed.

I do not feel any slowdowns when using google documents, opening multiple tabs, and doing my editing work.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

15.6-inch display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and 1920 x 1080 resolution is vibrant in colors and modestly bright to make my content look charming.

7-8 battery life is another feature that adds to the productive capacity of this laptop.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6.

Ports comprise 2 USB 3.0/3.1 (Gen 1) and 1 HDMI port.

Graphics chip/Processor:

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U with integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 graphics makes this laptop a reliable performer to tackle daily tasks and gaming on a moderate level.

Conclusion:

Thin, classic, and robust performer HP 15z-Ef2000 Laptop is the best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

It is portable and consistent in giving needed assistance on my busiest days and when I prefer to work at home.

Click here to buy

Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020): (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

The inevitability of change is the universal constant.

Everything goes by fast within a blink of an eye.

The inspiration behind my photographs is to capture the moment that will never be again.

I put the utmost effort into bringing out the best in the images of scenery and the people I capture.

I do most of my editing on Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020), the best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

At first, I wasn’t sure about buying this device, but one of my friends urged me to try it as I was a little out of the budget.

I needed a laptop for editing because I was working on a significant project.

This device saved the day for me as my client liked all the collages, outlooks, and filtration I added to the pictures.

The low price should not confuse anyone; believe me, it is one of the best budget-cutting editing laptops available on the market.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

The available storage is 64 GB, it’s not enough for demanding tasks, but simple editing is possible.

Another advantage is that the storage is expandable with a Micro SD card.

RAM/ROM:

4 GB of RAM is suitable for routine productive tasks, but when I overload it, I see stutters and slowdowns.

Multitasking is tricky, but I don’t have massive work most of the time, so it works for my daily jobs.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

15 Inch display has 1920 x 1080 resolution and 250 nits of brightness.

Its color accuracy is acceptable but does get dimmer in light, as I usually work indoors, so it serves me reasonably.

Battery life is rather powerful, with 10 hours without a plugin.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 802.11 ac.

The ports include 1 USB c and 2 USB A. The omission of HDMI and thunderbolt ports is a little disappointing for me.

Graphics chip/Processor:

Intel Core i3 Intel Pentium Gold 4117U CPU and Intel HD Graphics 610 gives a perfect combination for editing task but on a lighter scale.

These internals does not allow cumbersome editing such as 3D animation, but more subtle editing is efficient.

Conclusion:

Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) is the best laptop for photo editing under $400 due to its reasonable specs, it is not a very massive editing gadget, but it gives an affordable editing experience within range.

It is best if you are looking for casual productivity, but if the workload is enormous, try to buy something more expensive.

Click here to buy

Dell Inspiron 15 3000: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

Taking pictures from multiple angles and then editing them to make a final image is called High Dynamic Range photography.

It is one of my favorite types of editing that allows many instances to be stitched together.

The comprehensive customization enables us to create an incredible piece of art.

People think it is only possible on a compelling device that is invalid.

I have been doing HDR editing on my Dell Inspiron 15 3000, which Is the Best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

Though it is a budget laptop, it is equipped with all the essential components that give a smooth editing experience with HDR and other editing forms.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

128 SSD storage is good as booting storage; it manages the operations of various apps I run on my laptop.

Though I felt a little warm-up while constantly using the device, overall, there were no significant stretches in SSD performance.

RAM/ROM:

4 GB RAM gives room for opening multiple tabs, but there is a stutter, which is expected at a low price, but it is excellent in working compared to other laptops.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 15-inch display has only 261 nits of brightness; it dims my pictures and videos, which can be a deal-breaker for people who expect sharp color contrast.

However, the battery life is durable, with 7 hours of productivity.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, and ports include only USB-A ports and an HDMI.

The elimination of USB-C ports is also due to price margin.

Graphics chip/Processor:

Intel I 3 processor and UHD graphics give a modest performance on most of the benchmarks, with 3818 on PCMark 10 that falls short of the targeted 4000-5000 range, but it is not so far, so the performance of the laptop is undeniable.

It also scored 6860 on the 3D mark test and came at the top by crushing its budget competitors.

The version is the star of the show for me.

Conclusion:

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 is the best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

Mainly because of its battery life and performance.

The display and lack of ports can disappoint, but if you are not into bright colors and work on a solo device, this laptop is worth buying for editing.

Click here to buy

ASUS VivoBook 15: (Best laptop for photo editing under $400)

Unlike many photographers, I never liked editing; most of the pictures I capture are uploaded on my animal blog as it is.

But a few days ago, I came up with the idea of creating black and white dog pictures.

I wanted to describe a thought through images that every animal, whether pet or not, deserves to be treated with care.

I captured many photos of stray and pet dogs and then edited them into black and white at certain angles that reflected my idea.

I edited my ASUS VivoBook 15, the best photo laptop, for under $400.

Everyone who visited my blog loved the massage and the editing.

The pictures were so terrific that I was astonished by the essence editing can put into images.

Now I edit some of the photos I capture because I believe customization can put a person’s perspective into his pictures in a better way.

I do most of the editing on my ASUS VivoBook 15.

Technical Specification:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

128 GB solid-state is a norm in budget laptops; no one can get more than this.

Although some other version has 512 GB, it comes with more spending.

However, 128 GB does all my daily app startups and system boot-up without any hurdles.

RAM/ROM:

8 GB RAM gives me a swift transition through my Adobe-lightroom library and sifts through dozen of tabs on chrome.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 15-inch NanoEdge display covers 65% of the sRGB gamut and gives a little off-view when I am editing, but it is wide enough for big-screen lovers.

The battery life is reasonable for me as I mostly do productivity tasks, it gives 5 hours without a plugin, but it can be a disappointment for streamers as the battery drains fast while watching a movie.

Ports are abundant with a USB 2.0 type-A, one USB 3.1 Type-A, and a USB-c port, along with one HDMI port that makes this device a docking station for me whenever I need it.

Graphics chip/Processor:

When it comes to performance, it is reasonable for daily productivity tasks.

As mentioned above, I am just a casual editor, so it works fine for me, but this device is a no without sugarcoating for more demanding tasks.

Conclusion:

If someone is hurrying to buy a tool for daily work, ASUS VivoBook 15 is the best laptop for photo editing for under $400.

Its specs are sturdy enough to get through daily jobs, but be careful in overloading it as it is not for demanding tasks.

Click here to buy

CONCLUSION:

Alright, guys, that concludes all the laptops we will discuss today in this article.

Do you guys have any experience with these laptops? What are your thoughts on them?

Which is your Best laptop for photo editing for under $400?

Is there a laptop you love to use that I didn’t mention in this article?

Would you please leave your thoughts and comments below?

Related posts:

Best Laptops for Photo Editing under $800: