3D animation is becoming an increasingly popular profession, thanks to the growth in digital media requirements. It is an intensive and heavy task that requires performance that can deliver. While good hardware specifications are necessary, so is screen size and quality as animators need to make sure that the colors they work with are accurate. Storage and upgradability options are also important as programs are becoming heavier and more intense with each passing day and a laptop that can handle all of this without compromising on performance is important for beginners as well as professionals.
The configuration must be powerful as the applications required for the job are very demanding like Blender, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3DS Max, Adobe Illustrator, etc. Here are a few laptop options to choose from for beginners to experts.

Laptops for Beginners

Beginner means you just started or are planning to start learning 3D animations and do not want to spend a lot initially on a laptop. In that case, you might be looking for an option that can handle the software for at least 2-3 years while you are learning.

HP 250 G7
Key Specifications: Intel Core i5 10th Gen
8 GB RAM
1 TB SATA
15.6-inch LED HD display
Price: Rs 46,090

This can be a good choice for people who are just starting out and are in the learning process. The laptop comes with 2 GB Nvidia MX110 dedicated graphics and will be able to run programs like Blender and K-3D smoothly. The 15.6-inch LED HD antiglare panel makes the working experience less tiresome for the eyes and battery life of 12 hours makes it possible to work extensively or on the go. It comes with DOS, and therefore you might have to install Windows before you start working. It can be a good option if you are starting out. Plus, it has the option of upgrading the RAM to 16 GB, which makes it a future-proof product that will handle programs even as they upgrade to newer versions and become more demanding.

HP 450 G7
Key Specifications: Intel Core i5 10th Gen
8 GB RAM
1 TB SATA
15.6-inch LED HD display
Price: 70,190

On the specifications front, this laptop is very similar to the previous laptop. However, there are some distinguishing factors like the Nvidia MX 250 2 GB dedicated graphics, which perform better and provides a comparatively smoother experience. It comes with Windows 10 Pro pre-installed, which brings in important pro-grade features that will allow you to use the device in an enterprise or managed office environment. The laptop has a 180-degree hinge design with 18.95 mm thickness, which give it a sleek and stylish look and makes it easy to carry around. The 15.6-inch LED HD screen has 6.9 mm narrow bezels providing a better screen viewing experience. The chassis of the laptop is military-grade tested for durability. For added security, a physical touch fingerprint sensor is present on the laptop along with proprietary HP features like HP SureSense and HP Privacy Camera.

These laptops can be a good choice if you are learning the process of 3D animation and do not want to go overboard with the budget in the initial stages.

Intermediate

If you already have some idea about 3D animation and want to work and enhance your skills before doing it professionally then you are an intermediate. Your workload might be slightly higher than that of a beginner and programs like Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max might be your regular working programs. This software needs a good memory channel along with processing power to handle the work efficiently. It is always a good option to go with a laptop that comes with the latest hardware and is meant for tasks like 3D animation.

HP Pavilion x360
Key Specifications: Intel Core i7 10th Gen
8 GB RAM
512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD
14-inch FHD touch-enabled display
Price: Rs 74,990

The laptop is very powerful and it’s 14-Inch FHD (1920 x 1080), touch-enabled, 2-in-1 IPS, edge-to-edge glass display gives you the freedom to convert it into a tablet and pen down your ideas anywhere without a mouse. Graphically it is powered by Intel HD graphics which will be able to handle animation software easily because of the powerful CPU and memory. The laptop weighs only 1.58 kgs, which makes it portable and easy to carry around. On the connectivity front, it houses a SuperSpeed USB 3.1 Type-C (5Gbps), 2 SuperSpeed USB Type-A (5Gbps), 1 HDMI 1.4b, 1 RJ-45, 1 SD card reader.

HP Envy 13-ba0011TX
Key Specifications: Intel Core i5 10th Gen
8 GB RAM
512 GB SSD
13.3-inch FHD Touchscreen display
Price: 87,999

This laptop is capable of handling a decent workload of 3D animation because of the Nvidia MX 350 2 GB dedicated graphics. The processor complements the GPU and is able to deliver a good performance in software like Autodesk Maya. The 13.3-inch FHD display comes with narrow bezels providing more screen real estate and the touchscreen functionality enables you to pen down your ideas on the go. It weighs around 1.3 kgs, enabling you to carry it along and work anywhere at any time.

These laptops are capable of handling an intermediate level of workload and are a good option for people who need touch-enabled displays for working.

Professional

Professional 3D animators need a laptop that is powerful, comes with latest specs and hardware and is built for productivity. Getting a pro-grade would be an ideal and future-proof choice. If you are looking for a pro-grade laptop, then you can check out the Zbook line-up by HP. These laptops are designed keeping in mind 3D animators, Video editors, and Graphics Designers. That’s why, they’re certified by most ISVs like Adobe, Sony Vega, SolidWorks, etc. The laptops come with powerful CPUs for handling all the load and pressure.

HP ZBook Studio G7
Key Specifications: Intel i7-10750H
16 GB RAM
1 TB PCIe SSD
15.6-inch FHD display
T1000 Max-Q 4GB
Price: 2,26,661

The spec-loaded mobile workstation comes with powerful specs and is able to handle most workload due to the Nvidia Quadro T1000 with Max-Q Design 4 GB dedicated graphics. You might need to upgrade the storage and add an external hard drive, but the performance that it delivers is without compromises. The 15.6-inch display FHD IPS panel comes with antiglare properties and 400-nits brightness, making the screen immersive and sharp. The Windows 10 Pro onboard is ideal for professionals who need certain features to make the work easier.

HP ZBook Create G7
Key Specifications: Intel Core i7-10750H
16 GB RAM
1 TB NVMe SSD
15.6-inch FHD display
RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB
Price: 2,64,404

This is a high-end laptop that is perfect for serious creators who deal with heavy workloads. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q 8 GB dedicated graphics is capable of handling most software today and even in the near future. The RAM is clocked at 3200 MHz, making it faster and the combination of CPU and GPU makes it ideal for creators. It also has multiple connectivity options like WiFi6 and Bluetooth 5 for faster connectivity and the physical fingerprint scanner adds to the security of the system and the data.

Professional creators need a powerful laptop with top-of-the-line specs that are capable of handling any level of workload. The design of these laptops is also very professional without any loud aesthetics and shining RGB lighting.

In conclusion, it can be said that before choosing a laptop one should know the volume of work and invest in a laptop accordingly. Tasks like 3D animations can be heavy and it becomes crucial to choose a suitable machine.

Please check out https://store.hp.com/in-en/default/hp-business-offers to find some compelling options for 3D animation.