If you want to make more content and spend less time complaining about your equipment, having a laptop that meets the needs of your creative workflow is critical. Fortunately, there is an incredible variety of laptop systems powered by Intel® 12th-Generation Intel® Core™ processors that fit almost any professional style, ranging from in-studio photo shoots to editing videos on location to capturing your masterful moves during a livestream. These CPUs stand out with a hybrid core design, which lets low-voltage Efficient cores handle background tasks for smooth multitasking, while the Performance cores do the heavy lifting for demanding applications. The Intel® Thread Director dynamically ensures that each processing thread is always assigned to the right core.
In addition to their versatility, these laptops are the perfect companion because they’re certified to meet the Intel® Evo™ design standard, which includes a long-lasting battery, super-slim screen bezels, and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility so you can quickly upload and share your work. Perhaps most importantly, Intel® Evo™ systems support Thunderbolt™ 4 technology. With it, you can transfer power and up to 40 Gb/s with compatible devices such as external storage drives through a single port. That comes out to 300GB of data in about a minute. You can also boost your workflow efficiency by connecting up to two 4K monitors and daisy chaining up to six devices.
Now, let’s check out the systems that might best suit your creative needs.
Taking on the Outdoors
Whether you’re hiking up mountainous trails to catch the perfect light of the sunrise, roaming the streets under towering city skyscrapers, or capturing every crowd-cheering moment at an event, you need a laptop that won’t weigh you down. At the same time, a fast processor and SSD are must-haves as you sift through dozens of high-resolution RAW photo files. Power outlets might be hard to come by while you’re on location, so a long-lasting battery is also a requirement.
That might sound like a tall order, but the ZenBook Pro 14 Duo OLED checks off all these boxes. Available with either a 12th generation 2.3 GHz Intel® Core™ i7 14-core processor with 16GB of RAM or with a 2.3 GHz Core i9 CPU and 32GB of memory, this compact yet powerful laptop features a stunning 14.5" PANTONE-validated 2880 x 1800 resolution, 120 Hz OLED touchscreen that supports VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified high-dynamic range and 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut.
What makes the ZenBook Pro Duo 14 OLED further stand out is the 12.7" ScreenPad Plus touchscreen, located right below the main screen. Not only can you use the second screen to expand your viewable space, but it can also significantly boost your creative workflow with a variety of built-in apps powered by the ScreenXpert 2 software. You can also customize it to quickly launch applications or use it as a controller. As an added benefit, the raised ScreenPad mechanism provides efficient airflow to the laptop.
Models that are equipped with 1TB of lightning fast M.2 PCIe 4.0 storage and dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics provide you with the power to render images and videos quickly. However, a model with integrated Intel® Iris™ Xe Graphics is also available, which would theoretically offer longer battery life, depending on use. All models include a stylus for detailed editing, and let’s not forget about the convenient SD card reader, which saves you from having to connect your digital camera or separate card reader to your laptop while freeing the USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and Thunderbolt™ 4 ports for other peripherals. Wi-Fi 6E support lets you connect to compatible high-speed networks.
Another excellent choice is the 13" Microsoft Surface Pro 9, a tablet with the power of a laptop, saving a ton of room in your travel bag. Available in a variety of colors, the Surface Pro 9 may be equipped with up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. You can also choose between Intel® Core™ i7 or Intel® Core™ i5 10-core processors, depending on your needs. Topping it off is a detailed 2880 x 1920 resolution, 120 Hz PixelSense Flow touchscreen that’s backed by Intel® Iris™ Xe graphics and enhanced by a sensor that automatically adjusts to ambient lighting. Other features include dual Thunderbolt™ 4 ports and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. Picking up a Microsoft Surface Slim Pen 2 stylus helps to complete the experience when sketching and editing photos while picking up a Surface Pro Signature Keyboard Cover lets you switch from a tablet to a traditional laptop configuration.
Crushing Render Times
A discrete graphics card can make all the difference when it comes to working with digital video. Whether you’re making a handful of 10-minute shorts or cutting together an hours-long feature at 4K resolution, accelerating rendering speeds with a dedicated GPU, a powerful CPU, plenty of memory, and a large storage drive help you produce more content in less time. The same principle goes for 3D modeling and game design, which is when you need a high-performance mobile workstation.
When configured with a 2.3 GHz Intel® Core™ i9 16-core CPU, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and NVIDIA RTX A5500 graphics, the 16" ZBook Fury 16 G9 Mobile Workstation delivers uncompromising performance for practically any workload. Additionally, the 1920 x 1200 resolution display provides color accurate visuals with 100% coverage of the sRGB gamut. Other features include vapor chamber cooling, a color production mode, and a per-key backlit keyboard that allows you to highlight specific hotkeys.
If you work primarily with 4K footage, then the 16" ThinkPad P16 Mobile Workstation may be what you need. Powered by a 12th generation 2.1 GHz Intel® Core™ i7-12850HX 16-core processor with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, 1TB of storage, and NVIDIA RTX A2000 graphics, this laptop provides performance that can rival desktop systems. Its X-Rite PANTONE factory-calibrated 3840 x 2400 resolution Dolby Vision screen covers 100% of the Adobe RGB color space and features a 16:10 aspect ratio that gives you more vertical viewing space than a 16:9 display. Dual Thunderbolt™ 4 ports are accompanied by a 10 Gb/s USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and an SD card reader that helps you to quickly ingest massive video clips and other media.
Both the ZBook Fury 16 G9 and ThinkPad P16 include Wi-Fi 6E support and feature fingerprint readers and facial recognition for added security.
Power and Flexibility
Content creators who usually work from a studio or home may want to go for bigger screen sizes, but if you also cover on-location events, then you may prefer to have the 16" HP Studio G9 Mobile Workstation with you. Packing plenty of performance into a thin and light design, this system may be configured with an Intel® Core™ i9 14-core processor, 32GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. It also supports NVIDIA RTX A2000 graphics while weighing less than 4 lb. The 3840 x 2400, 120 Hz display delivers sharp visuals with 100% DCI-P3 coverage.
To help streamline your workflow, check out the ASUS ProArt StudioBook OLED 16. It weighs about 5 lb and sports a gorgeous PANTONE-validated 16" 3840 x 2400 OLED HDR display that is factory calibrated with Delta E <2 color accuracy and 100% DCI-P3 coverage. Equipping the system with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics along with 32GB of DDR5 memory and dual 1TB M.2 PCIe 4 SSDs help to make short work of 4K video projects. Additionally, the ProArt StudioBook OLED features a built-in control dial that allows you to adjust brush sizes and zoom quickly while working. As if that weren’t enough, the oversized 3-button touchpad also lets you make detailed edits and illustrations with support for a stylus input with 1,024 pressure levels.
With the wide diversity of sizes and features, these Intel® 12th generation laptops can match almost any creative workflow. Which system best suits your needs? Let us know in the Comments section, below.
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