Blender is a free open-source 3D creation software that will allow you to create 3D animations or do 3D modeling. It comes with all the necessary tools you will need for animation, rendering, compositing, graphic designing, video editing, and more. A software this powerful and demanding will also require a similarly powerful device. But finding the best laptop for Blender wont be an easy task.
Not only will the laptop need a powerful CPU and high RAM, but it will also require a good GPU that can deliver high performance and ample storage space with fast write speeds. Fortunately, there are good laptops that are up to the task and were here to help you find the best device available.
Recommendations for December 2021
- MSI GL65 Leopard Great laptop with powerful 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and RTX graphics card.
- ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo A powerful dual-screened laptop that uses the 10th Generation Intel i9 processor.
- Alienware m15 A well-built laptop with sci-fi aesthetics and a powerful CPU and GPU
- Razer Blade 15 A stylish and durable all-aluminum laptop with powerful specs.
- Acer Predator Triton 500 Sleek and powerful laptop with Nvidia G-Sync display.
- ASUS TUF Gaming High performing laptop with its AMD 7 CPU and RTX GPU.
- Gigabyte Aero 15 A laptop with great specs and a 4K AMOLED display.
- Acer Predator Helios 300 A great laptop with Turbo Button to overclock GPU for more power.
- Lenovo Legion 5 Equipped with the powerful AMD 7 processor that also runs silent and cool.
- HP Omen 15 Great performing laptop that also features the Bang & Olufsen sound system.
- Acer Aspire 5 An affordable laptop with great specs.
- Microsoft Surface Book 3 A 2-in-1 laptop with a unique detachable design and powerful specs.
Best Laptop for Blender December 2021
MSI GL65 Leopard Great Value Laptop
Using the Blender software would require a laptop with powerful specs and you might think you will also need to spend a lot of money on it. Well, the MIS GL65 Leopard will surprise you.
Its one of the best laptop models with its powerful specs but at prices that arent burdensome on the wallet. The laptop features a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD storage space. It also comes with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card with 8 GB RAM.
Those are powerful specs that will easily allow you to use the Blender software and create 3D animation, as well as other things, without any issues or hiccups. It also comes with a good 15.6-inch full HD display and several USB 3.0 ports for flexibility when it comes to connectivity.
The best part out of all of this is that the device doesnt cost a lot, providing you with great value for your money. Its one of the best laptops for animation that you can get.
Recommended Configuration for MSI GL65 Leopard
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 | RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD IPS Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 5.5 hours | Weight: 5.07 lbs
ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo Dual Screen, Powerful Specs
Using two displays will usually increase your productivity and this is what the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo hopes to provide with its 14-inch ScreenPad on top of the 15.6-inch display that it features.
The extra touch screen is located at the top of the deck and offers a multitude of features. This includes using the display as an extension of the main display to allow you to see better what youre working on.
The ScreenPad also features preset case scenarios like video editing, programming, 2D graphic designing, and gaming. The display also has 4K resolution, allowing for sharp images. But aside from another display this laptop also features powerful specs.
It comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 processor with 32 GB RAM and SSD 1TB storage. It also uses the powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060, and its dual 4K display, its one of the best options if you need a good computer for animation.
Recommended Configuration for ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo
CPU: Intel Core i9-10980HK | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 32 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 4K Touch Display [3840 x 2160] pixels | Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Pro | Battery Life: 4 hours | Weight: 5.51 lbs
Alienware m15 Well-Built With Sci-fi Aesthetics
If youre looking for a unique-looking laptop, then you might want to take a look at the Alienware m15. Its a device that makes it look more like it came from a spaceship than an actual laptop, making it one of the unique looking models on this list.
But dont let the unique design distract you from how well-built this laptop is, despite not using metal for its chassis. It feels solid and durable and wont easily break from bumps and bruises. Aside from design and durability, the m15 is also a powerful laptop.
The laptop features a 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and the GeForce RTX 2070 Super graphics card. This model also comes with 16GB of RAM and SSD 1TB storage. These are amazing specs and it will easily allow you to use any program or software with this device, including Blender.
You can easily use this device for various taxing activities like video editing, creating 3D animation, and doing 3D modeling. Add in a fast and bright 15.6-inch display and you have one of the best laptops for Blender available.
Recommended Configuration for Alienware m15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 1TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 3 hours | Weight: 5.51 lbs
Razer Blade 15 Sleek And Durable
One of the sleekest looking laptops on this list is the Razer Blade 15. It features an all-black design, including the inside, with only the green Razer logo at the back, the USB 3.0 Type-A ports, and the RGB backlit keyboard providing the color contrast.
This laptop is also durable with its all-aluminum unibody, making it sturdy and not easily break from minor bumps and bruises. But aside from a sleek and durable design, the laptop also features amazing specs.
It comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 with 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD storage space. It also features the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card, providing you with a powerful laptop that can run any program and perform any tasks.
Combine all of this with a 15.6-inch 4K OLED display that delivers vivid colors, and you have an amazing laptop that will easily run Blender and allow you to create wonderful 3D animations without any problems or issues.
Recommended Configuration for Razer Blade 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 4K OLED Display [3849 x 2160] pixels | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 5.5 hours | Weight: 4.7 lbs
Acer Predator Triton 500 Nvidia G-Sync Display
A faster refresh rate is what the Acer Predator Triton 500 offers with its Nvidia G-Sync technology. The technology synchronizes the refresh rate of the display with the GPU to provide a faster refresh rate and eliminate lag or display stutter.
This is not only good for playing games but also for editing videos and even creating high-quality 3D animations. But the great thing about this laptop is that the great display is paired with great specs as well.
The Triton 500 features a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage. It also comes with a GeForce RTX 2070 Super, which will allow you to perform all tasks and run many demanding programs or software without any issue.
With these amazing specs and display, this is one of the best laptops for Blender that will allow you to create high-quality 3D animations, as well as run the softwares other tools without problems.
Recommended Configuration for Acer Predator Triton 500
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Nvidia G-Sync Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 6 hours | Weight: 4.63 lbs
ASUS TUF Gaming High-Performing CPU And GPU
For a high performing laptop, you might want to consider the ASUS TUF Gaming. Despite its name, its a laptop that can also be used for other things like because of its powerful specs, good display, and overall great features.
This model features the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, which is a powerful CPU capable of delivering great performance. Its paired with 16GB of RAM and SSD 1TB storage. The device also comes with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 graphics.
These are amazing specs that many video editors and 3D animators will love. This laptop can easily run demanding programs and software, as well as perform a variety of tasks without any hiccups.
To provide more functionality, the TUF Gaming also features an adequate number of USB 3.0 ports, as well as a 15.6-inch Full HD display that boasts impressive color, sharpness, and brightness. Its one of the best computers for animation that can easily run the Blender software and allow you to work on creating various high-quality content.
Recommended Configuration for ASUS TUF Gaming
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7-4800H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD IPS Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 3 hours | Weight: 5.07 lbs
Gigabyte Aero 15 Great Specs With AMOLED Display
Animators laptop requires a great display to properly create high-quality content using Blender. Well, this is what the Gigabyte Aero 15 offers.
It features a 15-inch 4K AMOLED display that can deliver vivid colors and sharp images, as well as outstanding refresh rates. This will provide you with great images, making it easier for you to create and edit images, videos, or even 3D modeling.
But a great screen is nothing without the right specs, which is why the Aero 15 comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD hard drive. The laptop also features the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, providing you with a power that matches the great screen.
With these amazing combinations of specs and features, you wont have any trouble creating high-quality 3D animations on Blender or even editing videos and photos. Its one of the best laptops for Blender that you can get.
Recommended Configuration for Gigabyte Aero 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10875H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 4K AMOLED Display [3840 x 2160] pixels | Storage: 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 5 hours | Weight: 4.40 lbs
Acer Predator Helios 300 Fast With Turbo Button
Sometimes the power that your laptop offers is not enough for a certain task or activity that youre trying to do, which is why the Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with a Turbo Button.
Its located at the top left of the keyboard and it will allow you to overclock the GPU thats installed in the device, providing more power in the process. This doesnt mean, though that the laptop is underpowered.
Its equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and a GeForce 2060 graphics card. It also comes with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD hard drive [with the option to add another drive]. This shows that this laptop already has enough power to allow you to do a multitude of tasks including video editing, creating 3D animations, and doing 3D modeling.
But having the Turbo Button is handy, especially if the device is lagging a bit because of too many programs and tasks running at once. Add in a 15-inch Full HD display, and you have one of the best laptops that you can easily use for running the Blender software.
Recommended Configuration for Acer Predator Helios 300
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD IPS Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 4.5 hours | Weight: 5.07 lbs
Lenovo Legion 5 Powerful Yet Silent
Laptops with powerful processors are not usually quiet, because fans would tend to kick in quite often to try and keep the device from overheating because of its strong specs.
But thats not what you will experience with the Lenovo Legion 5. Its a powerful laptop that features an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and a GeForceGTX 1660 Ti. It also comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage.
Its a powerful laptop that will deliver great performance, making it ideal for demanding work like video editing, 3D animation, 3D modeling, and more. But whats great about this device is that it is quiet most of the time.
It features 3 performance profiles to choose from with Quiet, Balance, and Performance. The different profiles will represent how the CPU will perform, with performance being its full capacity. But despite operating at full capacity, the fan noise still stayed soft, making this the best option on this list if you want a silent device but a powerful device.
Recommended Configuration for Lenovo Legion 5
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7-4800H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD IPS Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 6 hours | Weight: 5.41 lbs
HP Omen 15 Great Performance And Speakers
When youre creating video or animations, good speakers are also needed since you would like the audio or music of the content youre creating to sound good, so you will also need to hear it properly while creating.
This is where the HP Omen 15 can help you, as it features a good sound system with the Bang & Olufsen system. Not only does it deliver clear and concise audio, but it also comes with software that will provide you with different options when it comes to sound quality, providing you with flexibility.
The good sound system is paired with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD hard drive, and the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti to provide great performance. It also features a 15.6-inch Full HD display, making it an ideal laptop if you also want good speakers as youre creating content on Blender so you can properly hear how your animation would sound.
Recommended Configuration for HP Omen 15
CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 6.5 hours | Weight: 5.43 lbs
Acer Aspire 5 Affordable But Strong Performance
The price of performance doesnt always have to be expensive and this is what the Acer Aspire 5 offers.
Its a budget laptop that features a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with the Nvidia GeForce MX350. It also comes with 8 GB RAM and a 512GB SSD hard drive. This is the least powered laptop on this list, but it doesnt mean it cant deliver.
The device can easily power through most tasks, as well as do a bit of multitasking. It even has enough juice for video editing or even 3D animation. This means that you can easily use this laptop for Blender without experiencing any issues.
This strong performance, together with its 15.6-inch Full HD display, is available at an affordable price. This makes the Acer Aspire 5 the best option available if youre looking for a laptop that can run Blender properly but dont have the budget for a high end or premium device.
Recommended Configuration for Acer Aspire 5
CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce MX350 | RAM: 8 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15.6 Full HD Display [1920 x 1080] pixels | Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 9 hours | Weight: 3.97 lbs
Microsoft Surface Book 3 Powerful 2-in-1 Laptop
If youre looking for a good 2-in-1 laptop that is powerful enough to use the Blender software, then you should consider the Microsoft Surface Book 3.
Its a hybrid laptop that uses a unique detachable design that allows it to detach from the keyboard base and be used as a tablet. You can also reattach it backward, with the display facing you and the keyboard resting on its back, allowing you to use it as a V tent.
This makes Surface Book 3 the most portable laptop on this list because of its capacity to turn into a tablet. But despite being a hybrid laptop, it also features powerful specs. It comes with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 32 GB RAM and SSD 1TB storage space.
Its also equipped with the GeForce 1650 graphics, allowing this device to perform almost any tasks, including running the Blender software. Keep in mind, though that all of the available USB 3.0 ports, as well as the GeForce graphics, are located on the keyboard base.
Nevertheless, its a great hybrid laptop that provides good portability, and its powerful enough to run any program or software.
Recommended Configuration for Microsoft Surface Book 3
CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 | RAM: 32 GB DDR4 RAM | Screen: 15 PixelSense Touch Display [3240 x 2160] pixels | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 15 hours [4 hours tablet only] | Weight: 4.2 lbs with base [1.8 lbs without]
Picking The Best Laptop For Blender 2021
CPU
The CPU or processor will be the most important component of any laptop that you will need to look at when youre looking for a device thats capable of running Blender. This is because the CPU will determine how fast and how well the laptop will be able to run programs. Having a powerful processor will allow your laptop to easily run the Blender software without any hiccups.
The minimum processor we recommend should be an Intel Core i5 or an AMD Ryzen 5, preferably the latest generations of these CPUs. These are already powerful CPUs and are more than capable of running Blender, as well as other intensive programs that you might need. In case you find these CPUs still inadequate, the best option is the more powerful Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7.
You can even go for the Intel Core i9 or AMD Ryzen 9 if you really need a powerful machine thats not only capable of running Blender but also other demanding software or programs without any issues or problems at all.
RAM
A powerful CPU is nothing without good RAM, which is why it should be the next thing you need to consider. RAM is the term for the laptops memory and its the component that will determine whether your device can easily run multiple programs or software all at the same time.
When youre creating content like 3D animation, you likely wont just be using the Blender software. You will also have other programs running in the background, which means you will need to have more RAM on your laptop. The minimum size we recommend is 8 GB RAM, especially if youre on a tight budget. This is already a good start as it will easily allow you to multitask on your laptop.
A better option would be 16GB as this memory size will allow more intensive multitasking activities without experiencing any slowdown or lag. If you really want the best performance that you can get when using Blender, then a laptop with 32 GB RAM should be your choice.
GPU
The laptops graphics card will be another important component to look at when looking for the best laptop for Blender. Creating 3D animations, editing videos, or even doing 3D modeling will be a taxing activity for your laptop and an integrated graphics card wont be able to handle that demand. Having a low-performing graphics card would put too much pressure on your CPU and RAM to do all the work, resulting in lag.
For creating 3D animations, the lowest graphics card we recommend is the Nvidia GeForce MX350. Its a graphics card thats good enough to allow you to run the Blender software without putting too much pressure on your CPU. The best graphics card we recommend is the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti or higher to really breeze through the demanding graphical work your laptop will undergo.
A powerful GPU also means that your CPU and RAM wont have to take most of the load of the intense and demanding tasks.
Storage Space
The storage space of your laptop will also be important, especially if your device will also be used for other tasks other than Blender. This means you will accumulate many files, including large ones that will easily eat up your devices storage space.
For the best laptops for Blender, we recommend a storage space of at least 512GB. Thats already an ample size to handle all of the files that you will likely save on the device without worrying that you will quickly run out. You can also go for laptops with an SSD 1TB storage space if creating 3D animations is your work since you will likely have more large files to deal with.
As for the type of hard drive, we recommend laptops that use Solid State Drive [SSD] because of their faster write speed. You want a hard drive that can quickly copy or transfer large files and you will need an SSD for that.
Display
Last, and certainly not the least, is the laptops display. You will need a good display on your laptop since you will be creating 3D animations, doing video editing, 3D modeling, and more. You want to be able to see properly the graphical capabilities of your creation and have an idea of how good it would look when other people are viewing it.
For this requirement, you will need at least a 15-inch display to have ample size to properly work on your creation or to do some editing. Your display also needs to be at least a full HD display so images and videos would appear clear. A 4K resolution screen would be the best option if you really want to see how good your animation would look on a display with the best possible settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much RAM Is Needed For Blender?
The minimum RAM requirement to run the Blender software on your laptop is 4 GB RAM. But dont expect that you will be able to properly use it, as this is just a minimum requirement. This means you still might expect some lag or slowdown.
The recommended memory size is 16GB if you really want to properly run the software without any issues. This is a good memory size to have for programs or software that tends to eat up a lot of memory like Blender. But to run the software in the best possible setting, 32 GB RAM would be the optimal size.
Its also important to note that specs that are more than 10 years old will also have a hard time running this software, even if it meets the required size. So make sure youre not using a laptop with RAM components that are already 10 years old or more.
How do I make Blender run faster?
To run the Blender software faster, you need to make sure that your laptop meets at least the recommended requirements of the software and not just the minimum. This means having at least 16GB of RAM, at least a 64-bit quad-core processor, and a graphics card that has at least 4GB of memory with a full HD display.
These are the specs your laptop will need if you want to at least run the software properly. You can always go for devices with more powerful specs if you want to run Blender faster. For optimal performance, the required specs are a 64-bit CPU with eight-core, 32GB of RAM, and a graphics card with 12GB memory or more.
Make sure as well that your laptop is not using older specs, as the newer ones tend to work faster and are more efficient, especially when it comes to the GPU. Check also if you have the latest OS on your device and it doesnt have programs installed that can have conflicts with the Blender software [like the uTorrent software]. You also have to make sure that Blender is running with your graphics processor and not your CPU.
What Graphics Card Do I Need For Blender?
For the graphics card, Blender supports Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and macOS. For Nvidia, it supports GeForce 400 and newer versions, the Quadro Tesla GPU and newer, as well as the RTX-based graphics cards. For AMD it supports the GCN 1st generation and anything newer than that.
Blender also supports Intel Haswell and newer graphics cards, as well as the macOS version 10.13 or newer with supported hardware. As for graphics card memory, the minimum needed is 1GB but the recommended is at least 4GB for better performance. But if you want the best performance, a graphics card with 12 GB RAM or more is recommended.
Similarly, dont use a graphics card that is already 10 years old or more, as it wont be able to run the open-source Blender software.
Conclusion
Blender is a great free open-source software for creating 3D animations, but it would require a powerful laptop to run properly. You will need a device with better specs than your average and usual work devices, as you will be handling demanding and intensive graphical work, as well as rendering large files constantly.
We hope that we were able to help you choose the best laptop for Blender by reading the list we provided and our buying guide for choosing the right laptops. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions or you would like to share some insights. We would love to hear what your thoughts are on this article.
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