7 Best Laptops for Blender in 2023

Are you thinking about starting a career as a 3D artist and don’t know much about Blender? Or perhaps you have some experience with Blender but your laptop cannot keep up the pace? 

This article will help you understand better what Blender is used for, what hardware it requires, and what the best laptops for Blender are. 

Keep in mind that different modes in Blender require a different hardware setup for maximum performance. By the end of this article, it will be easier to make an informed decision about the best laptop for your needs. 

So, let’s begin.

Minimum & Recommended System Requirements

Here is an overview of the Blender recommended specs for your ideal laptop. If you’re interested in simply testing out and running Blender for the basic tasks and simpler projects, you can go for the minimum specs below.

Top 7 Laptops for Blender

Now here comes the exciting part. Let’s check out the best options for Blender.

1. Best Value for Blender: Sager 2023 NP8875D

Sager 2023 NP8875D

• CPU: 2.2 GHz Intel Core i9-13900HX
• RAM: 32GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 17.3-inch QHD (2560 x 1440)
• GPU: 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

$1,679.00

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Sager, although not as popular as some other brands, is an excellent laptop for Blender. With super-powerful specs, gorgeous display and sturdy build — this laptop brings immense value for money.

Packing the latest 13th Gen. i9 and a top-notch dedicated GPU, Sager performs admirably across the range of 3D modeling tasks, including heavy renders.

With hefty 32GB of super-fast DDR5 RAM, the laptop also does great with RAM-intensive tasks like sculpting, high-poly meshes and complex textures.

Most gaming laptops suffer from low color accuracy, but Sager’s gorgeous 17.3” display is one of the few to support DCI-P3, i.e. cinema-grade color calibration. In other words, the panel is awesome for color-sensitive projects.

Plus, 1TB of SSD will last you a while for the projects you have to store. Granted, you’ll probably need more at some point, but luckily you can upgrade.

I also like the design; don’t get me wrong, Sager’s yellow-lit keyboard is unmistakably gamer, but the chassis looks and feels very sturdy and professional.

All this fierce power does come at a cost, and in Sager’s case it’s portability. Clocking in around 5 hours of battery life and weighing over 6 lbs, this beast isn’t that easy to carry around.

But, for the price you pay, you get a Blender laptop that outranks some of the much more expensive machines. If you’re a professional working with complex 3D modeling tasks, Sager is definitely worth considering.

2. Great Mid-Range Option: MSI Thin

MSI Thin

• CPU: 2GHz Intel Core i7-12650H
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050
• Battery: Up to 7 hours

$845.00

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I always feel a little uneasy when talking about MSI as a budget or mid-range option; after all, the company is known for its pricey gaming beasts. Still, MSI Thin is a powerful, super-portable AND affordable laptop for Blender.

For the price, Thin packs a strong CPU and a powerful, dedicated GPU. The CPU isn’t as fast as the Sager’s above, but rest assured — it’s more than capable of zapping through 2D and 3D modeling tasks.

Moreover, Thin’s display is among the rare gaming laptops’ panels with stark contrast. This helps with details and precision, though I would have liked a better color accuracy. So, for color-sensitive projects, an external monitor is a must.

The reason I cherish MSI Thin is because of its portability. The 15.6” laptop weighs only 4 lbs and pulls around 7 hours of juice, which is no small feat. It’s easily one of my faves to carry around and work.

16GB of RAM will be enough for sculpting and rendering, but if you plan on working with super-complex assemblies, I’d upgrade to 32GB.

MSI Thin may look a little outdated to some — fair enough. However, the plastic chassis is surprisingly sturdy and will last through many a tumble.

Overall, for this price, MSI Thin is a great laptop for Blender if you’re often on the go and deal with mid-tier projects.

3. Best for Students: Acer Nitro 5

Acer Nitro 5

• CPU: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-12500H
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
• Battery: Up to 6 Hours

$693.00

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Acer Nitro 5 is one of the best budget all-rounders. It’s a gaming machine that prioritizes performance, so it also makes a great laptop for Blender.

For quite the lower price than MSI, Nitro 5 still manages to house pretty impressive specs. The CPU and a dedicated GPU are more than enough for Blender and 3D modeling curriculum, although they did stutter in my tests with professional tasks.

I love how Acer decided on a little more elevated panel, joining the likes of HP Victus and ASUS TUF. It feels pretty comfy to look at and work on a large display with a high refresh rate.

Seeing that this is a laptop for students, I’m sure many will appreciate the comfy keyboard and a good trackpad.

On top of that, I was able to get around 6 hours of work on Nitro, which is pretty good for a gaming laptop — and convenient for classes.

The laptop is kinda heavy, at 5.5 lbs, but it’s far from the worst.

The bigger issue is RAM. 8GB RAM will get you through simple tasks in Blender, though you will notice lags here and there. To resolve this, I’d add around 50 bucks and upgrade to at least 16GB.

Still, Acer Nitro 5 is a smart investment for college years. It’s a great, valuable laptop for Blender that will last until your first job.

Watch our Acer Nitro 5 Review

This YouTube review was created by the Not Just Laptops team. The specs may slightly differ from the laptop in the article.

4. Portable Powerhouse: Asus ROG Zephyrus 14

Asus ROG Zephyrus 14

• CPU: 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS
• RAM: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 14-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
• GPU: 8GB ‎AMD Radeon RX 6800
• Battery: Up to 10 hours

$1,409.90

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ASUS ROG Zephyrus is one of those jack-of-all-trades laptop. It’s powerful, ridiculously portable, and fits anywhere — including the best Blender laptops.

Zephyrus sports the latest Ryzen 9 processor and Radeon RX graphics card. True to its name, working on Zephyrus feels like a breeze — and I’m not talking about your basic 3D modeling stuff. No, this laptop flies through the heavier renders as well.

Part of it is due to the fast DDR5 RAM. 16GB is quite enough for most projects, but if you really want to unlock the genius behind the Zephyrus’ internals, I’d upgrade to 32 or even 64GB.

What about the visuals? The 14” WQXGA panel looks crisp, vivid and sharp — and it’s very color-accurate. I actually enjoyed working on it, although I’m sure not everyone wants a 14” display.

But the somewhat smaller screen works wonders for portability. Zephyrus weighs mere 3.6 lbs and I got around 9-10 hours of battery life, so if you want a laptop to carry around all day — this is it.

Plus, the ASUS’ flagship is one of the rare white laptops that I like. The design feels very clean, sturdy, and just elegant, which makes it perfect for any office.

If you’re a 3D modeling professional, and don’t mind the smaller screen, ASUS ROG Zephyrus is one of the top picks for Blender, that’ll serve you a long time.

5. Best 16-inch: Alienware X16 R1

Alienware X16 R1

• CPU: 2.6GHz Intel Core i9-13900HK
• RAM: 32GB DDR5
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 16-inch QHD (‎2560 x 1600)
• GPU: 12GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
• Battery: Uo to 5 hours

$2,949.98

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So, up until now, we’ve talked about the regular Blender laptops — but Alienware is a category unto its own, and not just because of extraterrestrial design.

Dell’s X16 R1 packs some of the best specs on the market today. A 13th Gen. i9 and an RTX 4080 zap through 3D modeling tasks with laser focus, and faster than a teleport on Star Trek Enterprise.

The gorgeous visuals on a 16” QHD display look amazing as you play with various elements in Blender workspace.

Add to that 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and you’ve got a serious machine for sculpting, rendering, and animation.

I love the Alienware design — the laptop definitely gets noticed and it’s unique, but oddly enough, it doesn’t feel flashy nor over-the-top. Moreover, the machine is sturdy and comes with a great cooling system.

X16 R1 also comes with a high-quality, backlit trackpad and super-comfy keyboard.

Of course, all these amazing specs come at a cost, and in Alienware’s case, it’s portability. The 6 lbs of weight and 5 hours of battery life aren’t the worst you’d get, but they can limit you. Either way, if you’re going out, I’d bring a charger.

Alienware is one of the pricier laptops for Blender, but the high-quality build, unique design, and powerful specs make it a great investment for professionals who want something extra out of their laptop.

6. Best Workstation: Lenovo ThinkPad P16

Lenovo ThinkPad P16

• CPU: 2.3GHz Intel Core i9-12900HX
• RAM: 64GB DDR5
• Storage: 2TB SSD
• Display: 16-inch WUXGA (1920×1200)
• GPU: 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX A2000
• Battery: Up to 7 hours

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While we’re on the subject of pricier laptops for Blender, a powerful workstation is one of the best choices you can make. And if we’re discussing workstations, few can match Lenovo’s ThinkPad.

Specs-wise, ThinkPad P16 is interesting: the machine houses a powerful CPU and an RTX A2000 graphics card. A2000 is NVIDIA’s designated GPU for 3D modeling, ray-tracing and AI-augmented environments, so the P16 performs better than most laptops on this list.

But, if we’re talking about 3D power, look no further than RAM. With gigantic 64GB, ThinkPad P16 is a champ of high speeds and lag-free workflows.

Plus, Lenovo also added 2TB of SSD storage, so the booting is super fast, and there’s enough space for even the most complex projects.

All of the internal power translates onto a beautiful, crisp, 16” WUXGA display that’s color-accurate and fast. The only real “drawback” is 300 nits of brightness, which means you can’t really work outdoors. It will work great in office, though.

Lenovo’s workstations are known for polished, sturdy and elegant bodies. ThinkPad P16’s chassis is military-grade and will withstand bumps and accidents. Yet, it also makes the machine a little heavier — it weighs 6.5 lbs.

If you want a capable office laptop for Blender with super-powerful specs and an amazing build quality, Lenovo ThinkPad P16 definitely fits the bill.

7. Top Selection from HP: HP Victus 15

HP Victus 15

• CPU: 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7-12650H
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• GPU: 4GB ‎NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
• Battery: Up to 5 hours

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HP Victus is a strong mid-range laptop for Blender that combines elegance, good specs, and a practical display.

Compared to MSI Thin and Acer Nitro 5, HP Victus comes on top, spec-wise. A powerful CPU and a tried-and-tested dedicated GPU work wonderfully with Blender, and handle the complex tasks quite well.

I also like that this machine comes with 16GB RAM which you can upgrade if you need to. If you’re working on large assemblies, I’d sincerely recommend that.

With 1TB of SSD, this laptop offers some of the bigger storage on this list — which comes in handy for larger projects.

More importantly, HP did a really good design. First off, the panel is elevated and looks awesome when you work. Secondly, the keyboard is super compact, yet there is enough space to fit all the keys, including numpad. And the whole machine looks very elegant and polished.

For all the kudos on design, there is a bit of screen wobble. While the display is pretty good, an occasional bump triggers the wobble, so just be aware of that.

I found the overall portability solid. Don’t forget — this is a gaming laptop, so 5 lbs of weight and 5 hours of juice are considered relatively good compared to other gaming behemoths.

If you don’t want to overspend, but want a capable, elegant laptop, HP Victus might just be the one Blender laptop that gives the best ROI.

Buying Guide for the Best Laptops for Blender in 2023

Spoiler alert: there is no such thing as the best laptop for Blender. The software can perform a variety of tasks, and each of them has different hardware requirements. So to understand which laptop is best for your needs, first you’ll want to go through a few important considerations. 

1. Understand How Blender Uses the Hardware 

Blender is pretty versatile, so a single set of hardware specs will not be applicable to every mode. The hardware requirements pretty much depend on what you primarily use the software for. 

Let’s take a look at some of the main tasks you can do in Blender: 

• 3D modeling 
• 3D sculpting
• Animation & rigging 
• Story art (2D and 3D)
• Rendering 
• Simulation 
• Video editing and more

Important note: Most Blender users are looking for a 3D modeling laptop. For this function, Blender splits the workload between the central and the graphics processing unit. Modifiers, drivers, and shapes employ the CPU. On the other hand, tasks like overlays, viewpoint rendering, and geometry selection utilize the GPU.  

Sculpting is CPU-based, but it relies heavily on RAM too. And the GPU requirement is insignificant in this case. 

For animations, simulations, and video editing, you’ll need a high-end GPU above all else. 

2. Pick a Powerful CPU

A more powerful CPU will run Blender better, but there’s no need to overdo it since the higher-end CPUs cost more and can be an overkill.

At the very least, go for an i5 series Quad-Core processor from Intel or the Ryzen 5 series from AMD. If you’re looking for outstanding performance, six- to eight-core i7 Intel Core or Ryzen 7 series will work like charm with anything you throw at them.

3. Get a Well-Performing Dedicated GPU

The graphics processing unit is super important for Blender users. According to blender.org, any graphics card with 2GB VRAM can run it. But for the best possible performance, GPUs with 6GB VRAM or higher are recommended.

Besides the amount of VRAM, it’s important to consider the newer generations of dedicated GPUs for optimized performance. On that note, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40-series currently offers the best possible performance for graphically intensive workloads and gaming. 

4. Don’t Forget About the RAM and Storage

Blender is RAM-hungry software. Having at least 16GB of RAM is excellent for multitasking and running any mode. But for more complex projects, especially in sculpting mode, consider upgrading. Stepping up to 32GB RAM is ideal for professionals.

Going for at least 512GB SSD is probably the safest option for most users. Having more storage means you can save more projects on your computer. If you use Blender a lot, you’ll need as much storage as you can get. But 512GB is a good starting point, and if you require more along the way, you can always upgrade or get an external storage drive.

5. Choose a High-Quality Display 

For a high-quality viewing experience, any laptop with at least FHD (1920×1080) resolution is worth considering. Moreover, working with small screens can sometimes be tiresome, especially for designers. So I’d recommend getting at least a 15.6” laptop. 

If you feel like 15.6” is not big enough — I know I do — you can always go for a 17” model. A larger screen means more space to work with, but it compromises portability. 

Lastly, picking a 4K laptop for Blender is not a requirement, but it can be beneficial to those looking for the best possible visual experience without budget constraints. 

6. Consider Battery Life and Portability

Obviously, the more battery life, the better. However, it’s not easy finding a laptop with powerful hardware combinations and a decent battery life. 

Portability is another issue with powerful laptops due to the large hardware components and the size of cooling systems required for optimal performance. 

Luckily, there are some exceptional machines offering a good balance between power and portability — Zephyrus G14 from the ASUS ROG family comes to mind.

FAQs about Laptops for Blender

Let’s go over the answers to the most frequently asked questions below. If you don’t see your question, feel free to leave it in the comment below and we will respond.

Verdict

There is no such thing as a single best laptop for Blender, but we put our efforts into selecting laptops from different brands and price points to help you make the right decision for your needs, budget, and preferences. 

If you’re still struggling to make your pick, here is a short overview:

• If we had to select only one as the overall best laptop for Blender, it would be the Sager 2023 NP8875D. It brings extreme firepower, gorgeous visuals, and sports a premium build quality. 
• If Sager is above your budget, the MSI Thin is a great mid-range option that excels in performance with Blender and other resource-intensive apps. 
• Finally, if you are looking for something that combines power and portability, nothing beats the Asus ROG Zephyrus 14. 

If you didn’t find answers in this article, taking a tour through our ultimate laptop buying guide might help. For anything else, feel free to reach out in the comment section below. 

Finally, If besides Blender, you plan to use professional CAD tools, you might be interested in checking out our favorite CAD laptops.