These Are The 7 Best Deskptop Devices For Creatives In 2019

After testing and checking the power and features of the latest laptops, desktops, and tablets, there is a list of products that can complete design, editing photos and videos, and other heavy creative tasks.

Mobile devices become stronger and show better performance thanks to the development of Core i7, i9 and Xeon hexacore. Nvidia GeForce RTX 20-series graphics processor helps creators to get things done faster when it can support and speed up 3D tasks. Not only has the processing speed improved, but the internal memory has also been expanded to bring more convenience for creators.

However, if you don't need to buy right now, you can wait until later of the year to bring yourself a laptop with Intel's ninth-generation Core H chip. Later this year, the Ice Lake chipsets integrated with Thunderbolt 3 and the integrated graphics were upgraded. As expected, however, they will be preferred to provide for lightweight devices and long-term battery life first.

There are certain rules for creators to choose the right devices:

First, buyers must know the requirements of their software in order to choose the right configuration. There is some software that requires users to use Nvidia Quadro chips instead of GeForce, to access advanced features and complete tasks more easily. Adobe Photoshop, for example, will not support 10-bit color even though you have enabled it. This will make you spend a little more money, but it will improve your productivity.

But choosing the right configuration for you is even more complicated when you have to know what to spend more on. Since each application requires different strengths, you cannot generally say that all video editors should have more CPU cores than GPU acceleration. However, equipping an SSD is really a remarkable idea because of the power and speed it brings.

For desktop computers, building a customized system is the best advice, although you have to pay a high fee. Maingear, Digital Storm, Origin PC, and Falcon Northwest are companies that produce both gaming machine and workstations. They often offer processors with greater power, while many giant tech companies don't, such as 32-core AMD Threadripper, 18-core Core i9, and Nvidia Titan RTX. Moreover, they overclock those parts for you. Creators can also equip themselves with their unique and personal cases to increase creativity and art for your work environment. Understanding the applications you use and the hardware to optimize your productivity helps creators to get things done more smoothly.

A laptop with a hardware calibration is a noteworthy thing for people who work in color-critical work. The screen, which can be said to be an extremely important part, must support the color profiles stored in the hardware to produce more consistent colors, such as HP's Dreamcolor models. Because they require a stricter color error, they often produce better quality products.

Now, check out the list of best creative-focused devices suggested by Cnet.

1. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701

A portable device that is both light and powerful. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701 has a slim Max-Q design, which weighs less than 2.7 kilograms and features a 17-inch screen. Because Nvidia has not yet released any Quadro RTX chips for mobile devices, this laptop is also equipped with 8GB GeForce RTX 2080. If the user requires a stronger power, then you can plug the GPU in the office to increase the performance of this machine. If users do not need a large GPU and CPU or a big screen, you can save some money when choosing RTX 2060 configuration. This is among the fastest 17-inch Max-Q models available.

However, it is slightly heavier than its rivals. Users have no option for Core i9 configuration. And this means that video editors will have higher working speeds in real time and in return for a bit more lag in the rendering speed. Its price is quite expensive. You can experience the advanced editing features of the graphics application due to GPU limitations. The touchpad is on the right, not the usual position for laptops. Battery life is not very good.

2. Apple MacBook Pro 15

When you are both image and video editors and a Mac believer, the MacBook Pro 15 is the best choice at the moment. The accuracy of colors and color range MacBookook Pro 15 are considered the best among consumer laptops. The performance of this laptop is also comprehensive and equipped with a lot of USB-C and Thunderbolt ports.

Most existing photo and video editing software already have Touch Bar support for tasks like flagging and labeling. This helps users get things done faster.

Although the Retina screen is highly appreciated by its resolution and color, it is now a bit behind 4K screens. With a size of 15 inches, users should not use 4K screens, but in the case of photo editing, it will help you see all the details.

It can be said, for many people, the Touch Bar does not help them save time like shortcuts. In addition, the laptop doesn't come with a built-in SD card reader so users need to carry one themselves.

3. Dell XPS 15 2-in-1/Dell Precision 5530

Artworks and presentations will be perfectly displayed on the Dell XPS 15. The amazing screen allows you to draw and sketch ideas on them and flip the screen to present to customers a convenience. It is like a convertible version of the Dell XPS 15.

Precision 5530 provides excellent screen design and options. You can choose Xeon or Core i9 CPU and RAM of up to 32GB. Although the Radeon Vega M GL does not bring too much power, it is still equipped with a 4K touch screen with wide and accurate color gamut, thanks to the incredible Nvidia graphics that operate amazingly.

A minus point of the Dell Precision 5530 is that it does not support ECC memory. Webcams of them both are of poor quality and give viewing angles from under the chin up.

4. Apple iPad Pro 2018

If talking about convenient tablets for creative people, the iPad Pro 2018 is one of the top choices. It can give you the power to edit photos and videos, as long as you are satisfied with using apps instead of software.

The iPad Pro screen provides good color display, combined with a pen that gives the creator the most comfortable feeling. Apple has also upgraded this pen, users can wirelessly charge the pen by attaching it to a magnetic strip on the tablet. Lightning port is also changed to a more common USB-C head.

The tablet itself is a pretty expensive device, the Pencil 2 and the keyboard will make them much more expensive without being able to run software on laptops or desktops. You can save a little when choosing Apple's new product, the iPad Air, with a starting price of $499, instead of the iPad Pro. It supports the original Apple Pencil and has the same power as the iPad Pro.

There are still many shortcomings to USB-C ports, although they allow the ability to attach small hubs. Moreover, the iOS operating system lacks a true file system, which makes it difficult for users to copy files.

5. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

A handy tablet for artists to be creative at any time, anywhere. The Surface Pro 6 brings a full Windows 10 operating system that allows you to comfortably perform tasks on laptops and desktops right on the compact tablet. Moreover, it also supports pen with 4,096 pressure sensitivity levels and Microsoft Dial - to help you complete the things when the keyboard is not accessible. Users can also access the right to adjust the sRGB color space instead of the default.

If you decide to choose Surface Pro 6 to become a tool to help you complete drawing and sketching tasks, be aware of the right processor choice. Using Intel Core i7 will make your CPU more powerful and choose a large memory version if your budget is sufficient. The complexity of editing photos and videos can make the device slow if you don't give it enough power to handle it.

Microsoft Dial and pen can cost you an extra amount. The screen size of Surface Pro 6 is only 12.3 inches, very handy for moving but bring disadvantage in work. Typically, using Dial will take up most of the tablet's screen area.

The restriction on the connector ports is also one of the minus points of the Surface Pro 6. It is equipped with a Mini Display Port to connect to the screen and there is no USB-C.

6. Microsoft Surface Studio 2

If you invest in Surface Studio, you will get a touch screen of up to 28 inches in size that can lie flat on the table. It supports both Microsoft Dial and stylus, besides the mouse and keyboard. The discrete graphics GeForce GTX 1070 has been updated to this product this year.

CPUs for this device seem to be relatively slow. Although pressure pen touch technology has grown quite a bit in the past few years, it can still only support Nvidia GPUs last generation. When investing in Surface Studio and accessories, you have to spend a sizable amount. Microsoft has announced that it will release a standalone screen similar to the Surface Studio this year but can connect to a more powerful system.

7. HP ZBook x2

It can run essential and heavy applications thanks to a workstation Nvidia Quadro GPU. The connection port for HP ZBook x2 is not a problem that users have to worry about.

The Wacom MobileStudio Pro is the ZBook's rival because it can handle 8,192 levels of sensitivity. Although the performance is a bit slower, the ZBook is well-rounded still better. The keyboard of Zbook will automatically switch to Bluetooth connectivity whenever you remove it.

It can be said that the matte screen of this machine is very admirable when it can display absolutely 100% Adobe RGB color. The screen is chemically etched to create more friction for users. This makes creators feel more authentic than using conventional glossy surfaces.

It is quite heavy compared to its remaining rivals. Although the screen has been completed quite well, the 8-bit FRC screen can only provide 70% accuracy of P3 color gamut. There have been some user complaints about light leaks at the edges of the screen.