Today, laptops are one of the most essential and valuable devices we can own. Whether you’re looking to do some online shopping or you want to use your laptop as a workstation, laptops are now becoming increasingly versatile devices that allow us to do even more than ever before.
But what if you’re an amateur photographer who wants to take your hobby to the next level? You’ll need more than just your smartphone’s camera to capture some gorgeous shots of the night sky and the stars, which is why astrophotography laptops have become increasingly popular over the years.
With so many laptops on the market, it can be hard to know which ones will give you the best bang for your buck when it comes to photography. If you’re looking to upgrade your laptop and you’re an avid photographer, these are the best laptops for you in 2023.
We compared dozens of laptops across several categories, including price, processor, RAM, weight, display size, battery life, and more, to create this list of best laptops for photographers in 2023.
Table of Contents
What is Astrophotography?
Astrophotography is a specialized type of photography for recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky.
The first photograph of an astronomical object (the Moon) was taken in 1840, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for detailed stellar photography.
Besides recording the details of extended objects such as the Moon, Sun, and planets, astrophotography can image objects invisible to the human eye, such as dim stars, nebulae, and galaxies. Long-time exposures do this since the film and digital cameras can accumulate and sum light photons over these long periods.
Astrophotography is a sub-discipline in amateur astronomy, usually seeking aesthetically pleasing images rather than scientific data. Amateurs use a wide range of special equipment and techniques.
What is Astrophotography Laptop?
Astrophotography Laptop is the word for taking photos of stars, planets, galaxies, and other cosmic objects. This includes shooting the Moon and other celestial bodies in our solar system and deep space objects like galaxies and nebulae.
You can also use astrophotography techniques to shoot the night sky or sunset and sunrise.
Astrophotography is also referred to as “”deep space photography”” or “”astro-imaging””.
The main difference between astrophotography and traditional photography is that you need to take longer exposures of your subject to capture enough light to create an image.
Best Laptops For Astrophotography
If you’re searching for the best laptops for photographers, there are plenty of options on the market, each with its pros and cons depending on your specific needs.
Whether you want to learn astrophotography, capture better footage in low light or want to get better shots of wildlife or nature, we’ve found the 10 best laptops for astrophotography that fit your needs.
- HP 14″ Touchscreen – Best Budget Laptop for Astrophotography
- MSI GS65 Stealth – Best Laptops for Astronomers
- Acer Predator Helios 300 – Best Laptop To Use For Astrophotography
- Acer Aspire 5 – Best Laptops For Astrophotography Processing
- Apple MacBook Air – Best MacBook Laptop Device for Astrophotography
- Dell Inspiron 3593 – Cheapest Laptops For Astrophotography 2023
- HP 15-dy1036nr
- ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop
- Acer Aspire E15 – Best Laptop For Astronomy
- Asus Zenbook 15 –Best Stylish Laptop For Astronomers
1-HP 14″ Touchscreen
- Ryzen 3-3200U
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB M.2 SSD
- Dual-Core up to 3.50 GHz
- Vega 3 Graphics
- RJ-45, USB-C
- 4K Output HDMI
- Bluetooth
- Webcam
- 1366×768 Display
- Win 10
The best laptops for astrophotography will be lightweight, powerful enough to run image processing programs, have a large display, and have excellent connectivity features.
If you’re astrophotography or want to learn more about the subject, this compact laptop is a great place to start.
This portable powerhouse combines cutting-edge style and speed with legendary HP reliability. With a Ryzen 3-3200U, 8GB of memory, and128GB M.2 SSD, it’s built for multitasking and delivering stunning visuals without lag.
The Vega 3 Graphics card makes the screen bright and colorful.
The touchscreen display makes it easy to interact with Windows 10 Home – the best combination of the Windows you already know, plus lots of significant improvements you’ll love having. You also get HP support for getting your laptop set up and ready to use.
The battery life of this laptop is also good enough to last at least 7 hours. If you are looking for something that can take care of your business and personal needs, this might be the best option.
2-MSI GS65 Stealth
- 15.6″ 144Hz 7ms Ultra Thin Display
- i7-8750H (6 cores) CPU
- GTX 1060 6G GPU
- 16GB RAM
- 512G NVMe SSD
- Win 10 Pro
- RGB Keys
- Black w/ Gold Diamond Cut
As astrophotography, you’re going to be engaging in several tasks and processes that require your computer to perform at its best. You’ll need to process your images, display images quickly, and have software that can be customized for your specific needs.
The MSI GS65 Stealth THIN-051 is a beast of a laptop designed to handle high-end gaming. This gaming laptop has an i7-8750H (6 cores) CPU,GTX 1060 6G GPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and 512GB SSD. The sleek design and metal build quality make for a beautiful machine that you’ll want to take with you everywhere.
Suppose you’re looking for the best laptop for astrophotography. In that case, this is the ideal choice because the hardware inside provides plenty of speed and power to handle photography processing programs like Photoshop and Lightroom. When doing astrophotography, the last thing you want is an underpowered computer that takes hours to load images or process them.
The 15.6-inch screen has a 1080p display with skinny bezels that look much more extensive. This also means there’s no room for a webcam at the top of the screen, which can be a problem if you want to video chat with friends or family while on vacation. The built-in keyboard backlighting looks excellent in the dark but doesn’t have customizable RGB lighting like some other models do.
3-Acer Predator Helios 300
- Intel i7-11800H
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU
- 15.6″ Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display
- 16GB DDR4
- 512GB SSD
- Killer WiFi 6
- RGB Keyboard
- Windows 11 Home
- Acer Predator Helios 300
Acer Predator Helios 300 is the best laptop for astrophotography that comes with Windows 11 Home. It has a 15.6-inch full HD IPS Widescreen LED-backlit display with 1920 x 1080 pixels. The screen is coated with a matte finish and has a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time for a smooth gameplay experience. The display also comes with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology that reduces screen tearing and stuttering to give you a lag-free gaming experience.
The laptops are powered by an 8th Gen Intel Core Intel i7-11800H 6 Core processor that can boost up to 4.1 GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM at 2666 MHz, 512GB SSD, and 6GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 3060 graphics card. It runs on Windows 11 Home with 64-bit architecture and uses the Acer CoolBoost technology to keep it cool during intense gaming sessions.
What we like about this laptop is its cooling system. The dual fans will keep your laptop cool for long hours of imaging, even in warmer environments.
This laptop has excellent battery life and weighs only 5 pounds, making it easy to carry around if you’re doing remote imaging.
4-Acer Aspire 5
- 15.6″ Full HD Display
- 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor
- 4GB DDR4
- 128GB NVMe SSD
- WiFi 6
- Windows 10 Home (S Mode)
- Intel UHD Graphics
You are on the right page if you are looking for the best laptops for astrophotography processing.
Acer has developed several excellent laptops for astrophotography. The Acer Aspire 5 is among the best. It features a 15.6-inch full HD widescreen LED-backlit display with 1920 x 1080 resolution.
This is a fast laptop with Windows 10 Home and an 11th Gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 Processor. It has 128GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage and 4GB DDR4 RAM.
The Aspire 5 comes with the NVIDIA GeForce MX250 with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM graphics card. It also features two built-in stereo speakers. This laptop for astrophotography has one USB 3.1 Type C port, two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, one HDMI port, and an SD card reader slot.
It weighs 4.19 pounds and measures 14.31 x 9.74 x 0.71 inches, making it small enough to travel with you while you’re out shooting photos of stars or other objects in space but powerful enough to process them afterward.
5-Apple MacBook Air
- Apple M1 Chip
- 13” Retina Display
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD Storage
- Backlit Keyboard
- FaceTime HD Camera
- Touch ID. Works with iPhone/iPad
Astrophotography is the art of taking pictures of the stars and heavenly bodies. It is a challenging endeavor, especially for people who are just getting started.
Because of the low light conditions, you will need a susceptible camera to take good shots of the stars. Astrophotography also needs a laptop that can handle the large files created by the camera.
If you have been looking for one of the best laptops for astrophotography, then no more search as we have come up with some great options that are highly suitable for this art form.
The MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops in the world. Apple has been known for its high-end products, and this laptop is an excellent example of that reputation. The laptop is lightweight and easy to carry around, so it won’t be a problem if you go out on long night shoots.
The 13-inch screen has a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels, making it ideal for viewing your images. The Retina display provides high clarity to ensure you get accurate colors when editing your photos. The laptop is powered by an Apple M1 Chip with 8 gigabytes of RAM, making your life easier.
It’s relatively lightweight at 2.96 pounds and is a solid option for astrophotography who want to do some editing on the go.
6-Dell Inspiron 3593
- 15.6 inch HD Anti-Glare Display
- Intel Core 11th Gen i5-1035G1
- 8GB Ram
- 256GB PCIe M.2 NVMe SSD
- Camera
- Windows 10 Home
- Intel UHD Graphics
Astrophotography is quite an exciting genre of photography. It takes a lot of skill and patience to take photos of stars, the moon, and even other planets in space.
Dell Inspiron 3593 is our pick as the best cheap laptop for astrophotography in 2023. This DELL laptop has a great Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor. Also, it includes 8 GB RAM and 256 GB SSD storage.
With a 15.6-inch display, the INSPIRON 3593 is a mid-size laptop that weighs around 4 pounds. The built-in memory card reader and USB ports make this laptop even more convenient for photographers.
It has Intel UHD graphics which help with the processing of images.
This laptop is an excellent choice because it is affordable and comes with all the necessities needed when you’re starting.
The laptop comes with Windows 10 Home Edition preinstalled. Other features include 1x USB 2.0 port, 2x USB 3.1 ports, HDMI output, Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac connectivity, and SD card slot.
7-HP 15-dy1036nr
- 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1
- 15.6-Inch FHD Laptop
- Natural Silver
- Windows 10 Home
- Battery life Up to 10 hours and 15 minute
- Item Weight 3.75 pounds
The HP 15-dy1036nr is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a laptop to capture those tremendous starry skies, and it is one of the best laptops for astrophotography. It comes with pretty good specifications, including an 10th gen Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM.
If you’re someone who clicks pictures regularly and needs a lot of storage, then this laptop should be your go-to choice as it comes with 256GB SSD storage. The 15.6-inch full HD display will help you edit pictures, and the laptop comes with Windows 10 Home pre-installed.
The battery life on this laptop is pretty good and delivers up to 8 hours of usage on a single charge. The backlit keyboard makes it easy for you to work at night too, which is always a plus point when you’re clicking photos at night.
The keyboard is backlit and includes a fingerprint scanner and a touchpad with multi-touch support. You will find two USB 3.1 ports, one HDMI port, and one USB Type C port that supports data transfer and charging.
Powerful processor, faster than others.
8-ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop
- 15.6″, 120Hz Full HD
- AMD Ryzen 5 R5-3550H Processor
- GeForce GTX 1650 Graphics
- 8GB DDR4
- 256GB PCIe SSD
- RGB Keyboard
- Windows 10 64-bit
If you are looking to buy a new best laptop for astrophotography, this is the article for you.
The ASUS TUF FX505DT Gaming Laptop is a solid gaming laptop that won’t break the bank. It’s got a 15.6-inch screen and a solid operating system (it runs on Windows 10), so it’ll be great for those looking to do astrophotography with a little more power than your average computer.
It’s got an AMD processor, which can be an issue if you’re running programs that require a lot of power, but it’ll work great for astrophotography, as the camera will do your heavy lifting through USB or wireless connection.
It’s also relatively inexpensive compared to other gaming laptops on the market, so it’s perfect for those new to astrophotography or who aren’t ready to commit to spending hundreds of dollars on equipment.
It also comes with an essential feature for astrophotography which is a high refresh rate display that refreshes images on-screen quicker than standard displays and makes them easier to see when you are looking at them through your telescope’s eyepiece.”
The ASUS TUF FX505DT also features a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD), which is great because it has faster read/write speeds than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). It also comes with Windows 10 Home preinstalled, so you can get to work right away without having to install anything yourself.
This laptop’s other outstanding features include Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.
9-Acer Aspire E15
- 15.6-Inches Full HD Notebook
- 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200U
- GeForce 940MX
- 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
- 256GB SSD
- Windows 10 Home
- Obsidian Black
The Acer Aspire E15 is one of the best laptops for astrophotography that comes with a wide range of features. This laptop is trendy in the market and comes at a very affordable price.
This laptop has an i5 processor, and you can store a lot of things on it as it has 8GB RAM. If you are starting, this would be the ideal device for you.
The 15.6-inch full HD display makes it easy to view images and videos on its screen. The battery life is also impressive; it can last up to 13 hours, more than enough for astrophotography.
It also comes with fast-loading apps, so if you are looking to start, this could be an excellent choice.
This laptop comes with a 256GB SSD storage space, which should be enough space to store all your images.
The multitasking abilities of this laptop are enhanced by the memory, which makes it run fast and lag-free. You also get a high-resolution display that delivers non-pixelated images.
The laptop also includes USB 3.0 ports, DVD drive, Ethernet port, and HDMI output. Acer Aspire E15 can be a good choice for astronomers looking for an affordable option for astrophotography purposes and similar activities.
10-Asus Zenbook 15
- 15.6” FHD NanoEdge Bezel
- Intel Core i7-10510U
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB PCIe SSD
- GeForce GTX 1650
- Innovative ScreenPad 2.0
- Windows 10 Pro
If you want a stylish laptop for astrophotography, then Asus Zenbook 15 is for you. It has a slim and sleek design with a 15.6-inch 4k display. This laptop is the best laptop for astrophotography because of its latest 10th gen intel core i7 processor.
Its 4k display can make you feel the beauty of space. It comes with 16GB RAM and 512GB PCIe SSD storage. This RAM and Storage can run your astrophotography software smoothly without lag or crashes.
But there is something that makes it different from other laptops, and it comes with a four-sided nano edge screen with an ultra-narrow bezel that helps you see everything clearly without any distraction.
It has an integrated GeForce GTX 1650 card which is not good enough for astronomy photography. Still, this laptop has an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q discrete graphics card which will help you do all your astrophotography tasks easily.
The battery backup of this laptop is decent, it can work up to 13 hours on a single charge while using regular apps, but while using heavy apps like astrophotography software, it can work up to 6 hours on a single charge which is good enough for photographers.
What to consider while buying Best Laptops For Astrophotography?
There are some other things to consider while buying a laptop. For instance, you should always buy a laptop with a good processor and graphics card. A good processor will make your laptop perform better, which will help it produce better-quality photos.
Here are some things to consider while buying the best laptops for astrophotography.
Processor:
The processor is required to run the programs on your computer. So, if you’re looking for a laptop for astrophotography with the least hassle, then you should get a processor that can handle such a task.
The Intel i5 processor is suitable for any work. It’s enough for astrophotography, as well. However, if you can afford it, we suggest going for an i7 processor as it’s faster and more potent than i5.
If you can afford it, go with the latest generation because they are faster and more efficient than previous generations.
This is important because if you are using multiple programs and apps on your computer simultaneously, you will need enough cores so that they all work together smoothly without lagging or slowing each other down too much.
Graphics Card:
Graphics cards are responsible for making images on your screen. A low-end graphics card will do the trick if you’re looking at images. But if you need to edit or play 3D games, you’ll need a more powerful graphics card.
Intel integrated Graphics or AMD Radeon Vega series and NVIDIA GeForce with at least 2GB Dedicated Memory best for this.
Ram:
How much RAM do you need for astrophotography? The RAM is the part of the laptop that helps it execute multiple tasks at a time. The higher the RAM, the more tasks can be executed at a time. It is best recommended to have a laptop with 8GB RAM or more.
The Best Laptops For Astrophotography ought to have at least 16GB of RAM, and it would be better if you could find a laptop with 32GB of RAM.
Storage:
As for storage, HDD and SSD are the two types of storage used in laptops. HDD is cheaper than SSD and offers more storage capacity, but they are slower than SSDs. However, SSDs are faster and more reliable than HDDs, but they cost more.
The storage requirement depends on the number of photographs you plan to shoot and store on your laptop. If you shoot and store only an image or two, then 256GB SSD should be good enough. If you are into professional photography, 256GB SSD will be good. A higher storage device enables you to store more images, videos, and other files on your laptop.
Display:
The display is the first thing you will look for when buying laptops for astrophotography. For example, a 13-inch screen is not enough for your astrophotography activities. You will need more space to do more tasks on your laptop. A 15-inch or 17-inch screen is ideal.
The exemplary display must have high resolutions so that you can easily see the details of the stars and constellations in the sky. You can find this feature in a 4K or UHD display.
It is also essential to check whether the laptop has an anti-glare feature. This will help you work outdoors with ease and even at night without having to squint your eyes.
Battery Life:
The battery life is an important feature to consider before buying a laptop.
The more powerful the processor and the larger the screen, the faster the battery will drain.
On average, if you use your laptop for basic tasks like web surfing, office software, and watching movies on Netflix or YouTube, for example, you should expect between 5 to 6 hours.
However, if you will be doing tasks like photo editing or video editing that require more processing power, it’s best to expect between 6 and 8 hours.
If you buy a gaming laptop, expect even less than 6 hours of battery life.
Portability:
Because the best laptops for astrophotography are reasonably high-end, they tend to be relatively expensive, especially when compared with other laptops that do the same thing. Because of this, you will want to consider if you need a portable laptop or just one powerful one.
If you aren’t going to be moving around with your laptop very much, you can opt for something heavier and larger than average. However, if you plan on taking your laptop with you on long car trips or camping trips, you may want to go with a lighter and smaller laptop than average, so it doesn’t take up too much space.
USB Ports:
The more ports, the merrier. Most laptops will come with at least three USB ports, but it’s essential to check how many are USB-C and which ones are just a standard USB 3.0 port.
If you’re looking for something that can handle a lot of external hard drives for backup or storage, look for a laptop with at least four or five USB-A ports (the standard rectangular port) and at least one USB-C port (the one that looks like a tiny version of the old Apple 30-pin connector) to make sure you don’t run out of space when you need it most.
You may also want to consider your laptop’s video outputs as well. If you’re connecting an external monitor or projector, make sure your laptop has HDMI output so you can connect it with ease.
Weight:
If you are looking for the Best Laptops For Astrophotography, it is imperative to consider the machine’s weight. The best laptop for astrophotography should be light and compact so that you can carry it easily.
The weight of a laptop depends on the screen size and other specifications. A 14-inch machine should not weigh more than 4.5 pounds. If you want a larger screen size, it is better to go with a 15-inch machine that weighs less than 5 pounds.
Wi-Fi:
A laptop without Wi-Fi is like a car without wheels. So, it’s pretty apparent that you must check for the best Wi-Fi connectivity in your laptops for astrophotography. There are various Wi-Fi connections, and you can go for the one that suits your needs. For example, there is the 802.11ac which is pretty fast and is backward compatible with previous versions of Wi-Fi connections. However, if you want to enjoy 4K UHD streaming, you need to have ac connectivity on your laptops. But if you will use your laptop only at home, then 802.11n will also do fine.
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Common Questions On Best Laptops For Astrophotography
What is the best laptop for speed?
This question is particularly confusing since there is no single best laptop for speed, but the best laptop for speed depends on your definition of “speed.” Different laptops have different performances in terms of speed, battery life, thickness, weight, storage capacity, resolution, etc. You can get many fast laptops, but they are not great for gaming. You can also get gaming laptops that are fast, but are very poor for battery life, resolution, weight, etc.
So it depends on your needs. For example, if you want a laptop to watch movies on the go, then you should go for a high resolution, but not a speedy laptop. Or, if you want a laptop for gaming, you should go for a low-resolution but fast laptop. Take a look at the following chart for some more tips!
How do I connect my DSLR to my laptop for astrophotography?
You will have to connect the DSLR to one of the computer’s USB ports. If your laptop has a FireWire port, you can also connect the DSLR to it using a FireWire cable. Once you have the DSLR connected to the laptop via a USB cable or a FireWire cable, you need to install the software that comes with your DSLR on the laptop.
Once you have installed the software, download and install the software that comes on a CD with the astrophotography equipment. Follow the instructions on the screen, and you will be able to control the astrophotography equipment from your laptop.
How much does it cost to start astrophotography?
That depends on how you define cost. If we go by just the cost of the equipment, then astrophotography is not a very expensive hobby. Most amateur astronomers who do astrophotography would agree that the most considerable cost is taking dark frames and calibration frames. The cost of the equipment itself is relatively minor.
However, let’s look at the total cost of getting started. The cost of the equipment is small compared to the cost of getting into astronomy, the cost of a reasonable amount, and the cost of getting the experience needed to capture good images. When you factor those into the cost, you may change your mind about this hobby’s expensive.
Do you need a telescope to do astrophotography?
Yes, it can be done if you have an advanced camera with a unique feature called “tracking,” which allows it to compensate for the earth’s rotation. Without such a device, you can use a tracking mount, which is a modified equatorial mount.
Is d810 good for astrophotography?
Yes, it is. You can find many samples of astrophotography taken by d810 users on the internet. If you have a d810 or have any other Nikon DSLR camera and have imaging experience, you can certainly experiment with astrophotography. But you need to know that extended exposure astrophotography is very different from day photography.
You can’t use your day photography skills to shoot astrophotography. Astrophotography is very challenging and creative work. If you like super deep-sky photography, d810 is worth a shot.
The Verdict On Best Laptops For Astrophotography
Astrophotography is the art of taking pictures through special telescopes or using specific cameras attached to telescopes to capture images and data of celestial objects.
One such telescope is an imaging camera, which is different from most other telescopes because it allows you to use a CCD chip instead of film plates to capture the image.
A DSLR doesn’t technically qualify as a specialized astrophotography tool because it is limited to smaller aperture sizes that are primarily used during daytime hours and in lower spare capacity. An imaging camera is usually preferred for astrophotography because it has longer exposure times, even when there isn’t much light in the sky.
Ultimately, the best laptop for astrophotography will be the one that best meets your needs as a photographer. Do you want to be able to process images on the go? Then consider a laptop from our top tier with its added processing power. Or perhaps you prefer something more powerful for when you get home? Either way, we hope that this list of products and our criteria has helped point you in the right direction.