8 Best laptops for animation: (2023 Guide & Reviews)

Last Updated on January 17, 2023 by Sharon Advik

Animation gives more depth of imagery to a simple sketch.

It allows more prominence of both concept and resemblance to the referent image.

It is crucial for an animator to thoroughly understand the reality of the idea for a more accurate description.

Anyone can do animation with an appropriate device and basic knowledge.

The Laptops that are usually good for animation must have a minimum of 16 GB RAM, the latest version of the processor, and an influential GPU; research of the specs would be needed before buying the device.

Which are the Best laptops for animation?

Here are my recommended top 8 Best laptops for animation:-

Asus ROG Strix G15: (best laptop for animation)

Animation is a very famous mode of entertainment these days; from cartoons to animated films, it has become one of the most engaging and earning industries.

My work in this field started when a company hired me to stimulate the scenes in an animated series.

I took all my inspiration from my photographs of natural scenery to better describe the backgrounds in the film.

As a starter, I stimulated my first animated clip on my Asus ROG Strix G15, which is one of the best laptops for animation I have worked on.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

1 TB SSD is an essential feature.

It allows me to operate the system without any bottlenecks.

Its transfer speed is impressive for reads and writes from the CPU.

RAM/ROM:

16 GB RAM DDR5 has outclassed 4800 memory speed which is crucial for an animation to be done smoothly.

This RAM makes multitasking very convenient.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 15.6-inch display has a striking 1155:1 contrast ratio, and the IPS display gives me a realistic experience while doing my animations.

Its battery life is also impressive, with 7 hours of productivity time when I am working.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 802.11.

There are plenty of ports for making this Laptop a workstation, including 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 (Gen1,) 1 USB 3.1 (Gen2), 1 Thunderbolt, USB-C, and 1, 1 HDMI.

Graphic chip/Processor:

AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti are perfectly capable of doing all the animation, including 3D modeling; the capability of handling demanding creation load makes it a beast device.

Conclusion:

An Impressive display, maximum workability for animation tasks, and plenty of ports give this Laptop an edge over other competitors.

I can confidently say that Asus ROG Strix G15 is among the best laptops for animation.

It is a bit thicker, but if you don’t have any issues in bulk building, this device is a great deal.

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Pros
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 9-6900HX
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX -3070 Ti
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • Display: 15.60 inch
  • Storage :1TB SSD
  • Ports: 4 USB
  • Networking: 802.11
  • Dimensions: 1.07 x 13.94 x 10.2 in
  • Battery: 90 Wh Lithium
  • Weight: 5.07 pounds
Cons
  • USB speeds limited to 5Gbits/sec
  • Lacks an integrated webcam

Razer Blade 15 Advanced: (best laptops for animation)

The animation was not ever a subject of interest for me, but two months ago, I made my first animation as an urge to try something new.

It was a 2D animation of my favorite characters from the harry potter series.

Growing up, I loved watching Harry Potter and wanted to blend my palate into animation.

Watch. I collaborated on some of my pictures of Oxford University and Glamis castle to make my version of the scenery, and it turned out well.

I did all of the processing on my Razer Blade 15 Advanced, among the best laptops for animation.

I originally bought it for editing purposes, so I didn’t know how this device would work for animation, but it did turn out so well in every aspect.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

1 TB NVMe storage is a beast disk that gives an exponential 979 Mbps transfer rate, beats its predecessor, and offers a sleek experience while booting the system and applications.

RAM/ROM:

16 GB DDR5 with 3200 MHz launch speed gives an edge tasking while I am using multiple tabs on chrome and using Spotify simultaneously.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 15-inch display covers 115.2% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which makes its colors look vibrant and any animation gorgeous.

Brightness is a little less, with only 297 nits, but it works fine when I am doing my work indoors.

The battery life is a little low for me as it only gives me 4 -5 hours of working, so I have to be around charging.

Ports are abundant with 3x USB 3.2 Type-A, 2x Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C, and HDMI 2.1.

Graphic chip/Processor:

The internals includes Intel Core i7-11800HG and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070.

These are compatible integration of productivity and performance.

The CPU is powerful enough to be an outstanding content creation feature as it can easily handle all the animation jobs.

Conclusion:

Do not confuse base and advanced models; there is much improvement in design, display, and overall specs, making the Razer Blade 15 Advanced one of the best laptops for animation.

Its on-par performance comes at a reasonable price, which makes it the editor’s choice.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-11800HG
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX -3070
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe Solid state
  • Display: 15.6 inches
  • Battery: 80 Wh
  • Connectivity: Intel Wi-Fi 6
  • Ports: 4 USB
  • Dimensions 13.98 * 9.25 *0.67 inches
  • Weight4.4 pounds
Cons
  • Keyboard still needs some work

ASUS VivoBook 15: (best laptop for animation)

Last week, my son got a project about making an animated picture; the aim was to polish the student’s editing skills as a digital art student.

The rubrics of the photographs included a backdrop, two characters, and a dog.

Luckily, I had one of our family pictures from our tour to Luxembourg with the dog, so I helped create a simple animation of our own family for my son’s project.

He did all the work on my ASUS VivoBook 15, one of the best laptops for animation.

My son worked like a pro but was a little short-handed in adequately portraying the backdrop, so as a skilled snapper and editor, I had to tell him about the intricate details for better depiction.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

128 GB SSD is enough for simpler animations and immense editing.

Its system boot speed is not slow, but the 512 GB SSD version with inter i5 is a better option.

As I was using the i3 model, I would say it did work well for my animation processing.

RAM/ROM:

8 GB storage is not a problem for multiple loads.

I can easily open and browse multiple tabs on chrome while emailing and using google docs.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 15.6-inch display is not so bright that it works for me, as more vibrancy irritates me, but I will tell you that it only covers 65% of the sRGB gamut, which may seem a little off to some users.

Five hours of battery life is respectable for my day-to-day work.

Its connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6.

There are plenty of ports for docking devices with VivoBook 15 as it offers 2 USB A (2.0) ports on the left and USB C, USB A (3.1), and an HDMI (2.0) on the right side.

Graphic chip/Processor:

The i3 core and UHD graphics scored 2399 on GeekBench 5, making it a suitable device for all the creation and editing tasks, rending reality effects, and simple animations.

Conclusion:

Asus VivoBook 15 is one of the best laptops for animation in the hour of need.

Suppose you want an emergency device to do animation work for a lesser deadline, then this one will work.

However, the more complex 3d modeling and animations may need more sturdy laptops.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel Core i3 1005G1
  • GPU: Intel UHD graphics
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 128GB Solid state
  • Display: 15.6-inch
  • Ports: 4 USB
  • Battery: 5 hours
  • Dimensions: 14.1*9.2* 0.8 inches
  • Weight: 3.7 lbs
Cons
  • No backlit keyboard. No indicator for Caps Lock.
  • The audio output could have been better.

Apple MacBook Pro 2021: (best laptop for animation)

Animated short films are a trend on YouTube kids, and adults like to watch fascinating stories with mesmerizing visuals.

I also turned to this trend a few years back.

I started as a novice animator and used to create 2d animated horror stories for adults based on some of the notoriously hunted places I have visited over the years on my photography tours.

Soon my channel became famous, and my viewers were intrigued by the true stories, but they wanted more eye-catching visuals in the videos.

I have worked on many devices for 3D modeling, but when I bought Apple MacBook Pro 2021, it turned out to be one of the best laptops for animation.

It allowed me to toggle around various tools and software with great storage and speed.

It is a bit expensive, but no device can work better than MacBook for professional use.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

I have configured my device’s storage from 512 GB to 2 TB of MacBook storage for professional editing.

It never breaks a sweat, even when working on my projects for a long time.

It allows me to do all kinds of editing and 3D modeling within a flash.

RAM/ROM:

The RAM is 16 GB unified but configurable to 32 GB suitable memory in a 16-inch model.

I have configured 32 GB RAM, which breezes through multiple tabs on chrome.

I usually multitask even while creating my animation, and the RAM does not even come to slow down.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The display is alluring; I love making my animations on a bright, vibrant color screen with Retina XDR technology.

Although Apple claimed the battery to be 14 hours, I work approximately five continuous hours without a plugin, which is commendable.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 802.11 ax. MacBook has a USB/thunderbolt 4 port, a USB-A port, an HDMI port on the right edge, and two USB 4/ thunderbolt 4 ports on the device’s left edge.

Graphic chip/Processor:

On the Multi-core CineBench test 16-inch, the MacBook pro scored 39% higher than the 14-inch M1.

It also left behind 14-ich M1 by encoding 4k video 38% faster when I tested it.

Its performance gives assurance of snappy outcomes for content creators.

Conclusion:

Any professional digital creator will spend some money to buy Apple MacBook Pro 2021 because it is one of the best animation devices.

It works very well in all kinds of editing and modeling.

Yes, it is a bit expensive, but any device with this level of specifications would charge the same.

If someone is looking for a typical day-to-day gadget for editing, there are cheaper options available, but for more skilled and professional use, it is the one divine laptop, no matter the cost.

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Pros
  • CPU: M1 pro 10 core CPU
  • GPU: M1 pro 16 core GPU
  • RAM: 16 GB configurable to 32 GB
  • Storage: 512 GB configurable to 8 TB
  • Display: 16.2-inch
  • Battery: 100Wh
  • Ports: Thunderbolt 4 (x3), HDMI
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11ax
  • Dimensions: 14 *9.8* 0.7 inches
  • Weight: 4.7 pounds
Cons
  • Obtrusive camera notch
  • Heavy

Asus Tuf Dash 15 (2021): (best laptop for animation)

I have an e-learning website for photography and digital arts.

Students often ask me about the best laptops and software for digital skills.

I have answered many questions over the years, and this week I came across another FAQ when I was teaching about using authentic images as a reference for animation.

My students asked me about the best laptops for animation.

When it comes to animation, the answer varies.

Some laptops are expensive but do not have a powerful CPU to handle the task, and some are mid-range with a sturdy CPU but dull display and battery life.

So I suggested some comprehensive devices for animation.

Asus Tuf Dash 15 (2021) is among the best laptops for animation; I indicated that its affordability and specs would make the work easy for my students.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

1 Tb SSD is what a creator like me looks for in a laptop because of the vast data storage daily.

Fortunately, allow enough room for loading and transferring data without needing an external drive.

RAM/ROM:

16 GB RAM with 3200 MHz memory speed gives exponential smoothness while I am using google docs, with multiple tabs on chrome, and enjoying music on Spotify simultaneously.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The Full HD display has an average of 265 nits of brightness and covers 110% of the sRGB gamut.

I like the display’s color accuracy and brightness.

It has a good battery life of 8 hours for my daily jobs.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6.

The ports are abundant, with one HDMI, three USB-A, and one USB-C (thunderbolt) port enough for my workstation.

Graphic chip/Processor:

The Tiger Lake processor gave 6715 scores when I tested it on CineBench Multi-core and 6136 on PCMark 10, making this machine quite efficient in animating, editing, and other content creation.

As I mostly do HDR editing and animation, I never felt any stretch in its performance.

Conclusion:

The basic features needed for any laptop to work as a productivity device are installed in Asus Tuf Dash 15 (2021), making it one of the best laptops for animation.

From reasonable portability to practical performances, this Laptop is a compact machine for content creation.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-11375H
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX-3070
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 1TB Solid state
  • Display: 15-inch
  • Battery: 8 hours
  • Ports: 4 USB and an HDMI
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6
  • Weight: 4.41lbs
  • Dimensions: 14.17 *9.92*0.78 inches
Cons
  • No webcam or biometric features
  • McAfee antivirus bloatware comes preinstalled

MSI Leopard GL75: (best laptops for animation)

Using gaming laptops for productivity work is a common practice as it is a common notion that gaming devices come with robust components and work well on knobbing animation software such as Autodesk Maya, Adobe Illustrator, and Blender.

It is true as I have also chosen to use MSI Leopard GL75, one of the best laptops for animation.

I use this device for HDR editing when I click multiple pictures for my “wonders of nature” blog, and I also use it to process animated backdrops for my clients.

It is a very durable laptop for all creative tasks.

Its versatility makes it the creator’s choice, and this device is worth buying for demanding tasks.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

Before performing the CrystalDisk test, I check the storage drive.

The MSI comes with two 1 TB storage drives, One NVMe SSD, and one 2.5” HDD drive.

Both have a 1 TB capacity with a total of 2 TB.

This storage is sufficient for booting and storing applications.

RAM/ROM:

With 16 GB of RAM, I can always open 20+ tabs on chrome while emailing and using streaming apps.

I also use online editing and animation tools quite freely and never felt any lag.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 17.3 inches display seems elegant when working on my creation tasks.

The picture quality is vibrant and crisp with FDH display; I enjoy broad, bright images.

The battery life is only 4 hours delivered by a 51 WH battery.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6.

The generous amount of ports makes it easy for me to attach my drawing board and other peripherals.

It has two USB-A ports on the left, one HDMI, one USB-C, and another USB-A port on the right side.

Graphic chip/Processor:

The Intel core i7-10750H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics make this device a robust performer.

It scored 480 on single core and 2961 on Multi-core when I tested it on CineBench R20.

On PCMark 10, it achieved an Impressive 8139 points.

Conclusion:

These specs are usually for sturdy gaming laptops, and MSI was originally the gaming beast, but its vital components make it even more efficient for content creation.

It can handle all animation software without any hindrance.

The only feature that can be discontent is low battery life.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel core i7-10750H
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • Storage: 1 TB SSD and 1 TB HDD drive
  • Display: 17.3 inches
  • Battery: 51 WH
  • Ports: 4 USB, 1 HDMI
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6
  • Dimensions: 398.5* 272 *28 mm
  • Weight: 5.7 pounds
Cons
  • Average battery life

Acer Aspire 5 15.6: (best laptop for animation)

Acer Aspire 5 15.6 is one of the best laptops for animations, especially 2D animation.

I have used it many times.

People often misunderstand that animations are possible on costly laptops, which is not accurate many times.

Yes, animation does need some powerful specs, but 2D animations are done on modest devices.

I used Acer to make animations for my friend, which turned out very well.

Some of the software are tricky and need more RAM and CPU, but others, such as some online animating tools and less demanding software such as Pencil2D and Adobe Animate, can work well on mid-range laptops such as Acer.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

512 GB storage is better than average for laptops for animation.

The transfer speed is reasonable to accommodate any animation software and operating system.

RAM/ROM:

16 GB RAM gives me a smooth transition between multiple tabs on chrome; I also don’t see any stutter while using online tools to add to my animation and editing.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

15.6 Inch IPS display is a little dull with a 1080p screen.

The color accuracy is not that dynamic, but it suits me well indoors.

Also, The IPS display lacks a touchscreen that is usually more practical for digital creations.

The battery life allows 11 hours of productive time for my creative work to complete.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 8-2.11 ax, and ports include two USB-A and one USB-C, an HDMI output port on the left, and one USB-A on the right side.

Graphic chip/Processor:

The i5 core and iris graphics score enough on my benchmarks to be called perfect for productivity tasks.

On PCmark10, Acer scored 5010, leaving behind Dell Inspiron and Lenovo Ideapad.

It also scored well on the PugetBench test that checks the suitability for digital content creation.

Conclusion:

Overall a durable and practical device for content creation makes Acer Aspire 5 15.6 one of the best laptops for animation.

The only deal-breaker can be the display, especially for those more used to working on vivid displays.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-1235U
  • GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • Storage: 512 GB
  • Display: 15.6 inches
  • Battery: 11:32
  • Ports: 4 USB
  • Connectivity: 802.11ax
  • Dimensions: 0.7*14.3*9.4 inches
  • Weight: 3.9 pounds
Cons
  • The body is almost entirely made of plastic
  • The screen isn’t the most vibrant
  • Mushy keyboard

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4: (best laptop for animation)

When a creator approached me, I worked on one of my projects in London.

He owned a YouTube channel about children’s stories and wanted a 2D animator with skills to portray actual building structures in an episode of his animated cartoons.

He saw some of my pictures from my cosmopolitan cities collection and asked me to draw downtown Los Angeles.

I took my pictures as a reference and made an outstanding 2D animation of the major parts of the cities for the episode of his cartoon series.

I worked on Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4 as I usually do, and it turned out that Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4 is one of the best laptops for animation.

Technical specifications:

Hard disk/SSD/SSHD:

1 TB storage makes the surface Laptop a perfect device for massive editing load.

It is very reliable when I operate the system and load apps.

I never felt any warmth when I am working on my projects.

RAM/ROM:

The 32 GB storage makes this Laptop a multitasking beast.

I never felt any stretch and slow down while using Adobe Photoshop, working on Blender, or web surfing.

Display/Battery/Wi-Fi/Ports:

The 14.4 Inch gorgeous display covers 100% sRGB gamut and 87% of the DCI_P3 gamut, making the colors look vibrant and vivid while I am working on animations or another editing task.

58h battery life gives exponential 18 hours without a plugin.

Connectivity is with Wi-Fi 6.

The only disappointment I have with the Surface laptop is the limited quantity of ports; the ports include 2 USB-C (thunderbolt 4) ports with the elimination of USB-A and HDMI ports.

Graphic chips/processor:

The i7-11370H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU are one of the sturdiest specs of Microsoft as they give ease to perform productivity tasks.

An impressive 5219 on GeekBench 5 (Multi-core) allows multiple image processing on Adobe.

This Laptop has all to give a striking outcome.

Conclusion:

A brighter display, powerful battery, and internals make the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4 one of the best laptops for animation.

Compelling built with the hinge option to bend the screen forward in dual-design gives it its quirky look.

The pen is very responsive on screen while creating, which makes this device perfect for editors and creators.

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Pros
  • CPU: Intel core i7-11370H
  • GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX -3050 Ti
  • RAM: 32GB
  • Storage: 1TB SSD
  • Display: 14.4-inches LCD
  • Ports: 2 USB
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6
  • Battery: 58Wh
  • Weight: 1.82kg
Cons
  • No AMD CPU option
  • Slim Pen 2 doesn’t come included
  • Upgrading SSD on your own voids warranty

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 are your Best laptops for animation?

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 Artists:

Best laptops for digital art:

Best Laptop for 3D Modeling:

1 thought on “8 Best laptops for animation: (2023 Guide & Reviews)”

  1. I’m a graphic designer and animator, and I’ve been looking for the perfect laptop to upgrade my workflow. This post has been incredibly helpful in narrowing down my options. I appreciate the detailed reviews and comparison table – it’s great to see how each laptop stacks up against the others. I think I’m leaning towards the Dell XPS 15, but I’m still undecided. Thank you for putting this guide together!

    Reply

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