Best laptop for Blender in 2024 – Our top picks

The MacBook Pro 16-inch is a great choice for Blender thanks to its powerful M2 Pro CPU, excellent battery life, and large 1TB SSD. The Retina XDR display with a 120Hz refresh rate is perfect for detailed animation work. Upgrading to the M2 Max model with 96GB of memory is very expensive and may not be necessary unless you need significant extra processing power.

While compatibility was an issue for Macs in the past due to Apple dropping OpenGL support, Blender now fully utilizes Apple’s Metal API on both new M-series and older Intel-based Macs with macOS 13.0 or later. There are a few missing features when using AMD graphics cards with Metal, but this doesn’t affect the M2 series.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is a powerful contender for Blender users. According to Microsoft, it renders images twice as fast as a 2023 M2 MacBook Pro. It features Nvidia RTX graphics cards, with the latest model boasting 8GB of non-ECC VRAM for better handling of demanding tasks. The 14.4-inch, 120Hz display is great for animation work, and the 1TB SSD provides ample storage. With a weight of just under 2 kilos and a battery life of around 19 hours (based on online research), it’s also highly portable.

However, there are downsides. The price is one of the highest for laptops in its class, and it lacks legacy ports which might be an issue for users with older drawing tablets. Additionally, while the display is good, it might be on the smaller side for some animators. You can find other versions with less powerful RTX 4050 or 4060 graphics cards that might be more affordable depending on your needs.

The power of the Razor Blade 16 comes from its highly customizable features. You can choose a screen size up to 18 inches for intricate detail and configure the machine with powerful components like a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card and 32GB of DDR5 RAM. The Blade 16 boasts a stunning mini-LED display that supports both 4K 120Hz and 1080p 240Hz natively, offering excellent clarity and a smooth refresh rate ideal for animation work. Additionally, the 2TB (2x 1TB) NVMe SSDs provide superior speed for loading and saving large animation files. The aluminum chassis is a plus for durability, withstanding everyday wear and tear.

However, the Razer Blade 16 also has some downsides. Battery life is short, lasting around 5 hours on a single charge. At 5.40 lbs (2.45 kg), it’s heavier than some laptops designed for portability. The standard 32GB of RAM can only be upgraded to 64GB, which might not be enough for the most demanding animation projects. Finally, the biggest drawback is the price. Maxing out the specs can be more expensive than a comparable Apple device. If you’re on a tighter budget, consider a lower-spec Razer Blade model like the 15-inch version.

If you want a budget laptop for your 3D creations, then the Acer Nitro 5 will check a lot of boxes. Plus, we think it deserves to be one of the best budget laptops for video games as well.

The laptop runs on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, which should be sufficient for executing graphically-intensive tasks like 3D modeling and rendering. Further, the Intel Core i5-12500H processor should handle your 3D tasks well, considering that it has Tensor Cores and streaming multiprocessors.

The model that we have selected comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM, which should be enough to cut down on loading times and speed up overall performance. You also get 256GB SSD to store your multimedia files, which can be upgraded at an extra cost if you need more storage.

On the outside, the laptop has a 15.6-inch display with FHD resolution, which should deliver clear, detailed visuals. Plus, you get a 144Hz refresh rate, which should give you smooth visuals without any stutter.

If you want a powerful laptop, then you should check out the MSI Stealth 17 Studio, which we think can also be one of the best laptops for video editing.

This laptop packs in the latest 13th generation i9 processor along with RTX 4090 graphics, so you can expect intensive tasks like 3D modeling and rendering to be a breeze. And to ensure you get optimal performance under extreme load, the laptop features Cooler Booster 5 that promises to cool your device with seven heat pipes and two fans.

If you go for the highest configuration, you get 64GB RAM and 2TB SSD, which should cut down on loading times, deliver faster performance, and sufficient storage space for your files.

Coming to the display, the laptop sports a QHD display with 1440p resolution, which should deliver clear and detailed visuals on the 17.3-inch screen. You also get a 240Hz refresh rate, so you can expect faster responses without any stuttering.

As far as connectivity is concerned, you get multiple ports, including USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4, and a few more options – so you should be able to connect your peripherals easily.