5 Best Laptops Without Graphics Cards in 2024
From this article, you will know what are, in our opinion, the best laptops without graphics cards you can buy and use in 2024.
Laptops in the market these days can be divided into two large categories based on the availability of a graphics card in them: the ones with dedicated graphics cards and the ones without. Laptops with dedicated graphics cards have advantages in terms of graphics processing as they can do it much faster by utilizing the resources available in their dedicated graphics card. These kinds of laptops are usually used in activities that need powerful graphics processing such as playing demanding games and 3D modeling.
However, laptops with dedicated graphics cards are often bulky (to accommodate the space of a graphics card inside them and to cool its processors down better) and have less battery life as utilizing a dedicated graphics card can take up a lot of power. This is where laptops without dedicated graphics cards come in. They are usually much more portable and have excellent battery life so you can work with much more flexibility. These kinds of laptops are suitable for office work and standard daily activities such as using Office programs or browsing the Internet.
For those reasons mentioned, you may want to buy a new laptop that doesn’t have a discrete graphics card and can deliver the performance level you need to do your daily activities smoothly. However, it can be confusing to pick the right laptop that doesn’t have a graphics card from many laptop models and specification choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has compiled a list of the best laptops without graphics cards that you can use as your laptop-buying reference.
Want to know the laptops that make it to our list of the best laptops without graphics cards and why they are recommended? Let’s get to the list right away.
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Image | View on Amazon | Product |
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Apple MacBook Pro M3 16 | ||
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon | ||
Dell XPS 13 | ||
HP EliteBook 840 | ||
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 |
Table of Contents:
What are the Best Laptops Without Graphics Cards?
Now, let’s take a deeper look at our recommended laptops if you don’t want a graphics card in the laptop you buy and use. Using one of these laptops should give you the laptop model and specifications you need to do standard daily work and other kinds of activities optimally.1. Apple MacBook Pro M3 16
Apple MacBook Pro M3 16 is the first laptop without a graphics card we want to recommend on this list. Powered by the Apple silicon chip, this MacBook is very fast and should help you do your daily activities without much problem.The Apple silicon chip in this MacBook model we recommend is one of the best available, the Apple M3 Max. With this chip support, you should be able to run any Apple-compatible software flawlessly thanks to the performance level that it has. The RAM capacity is 48GB, which is plenty for multitasking and running memory-hungry software.
The battery life of this MacBook is incredible as it can last up to 22 hours of usage capacity. Doing your activities with this MacBook for 1-2 days without charging it should be able to be comfortably done. When you need to do video calls, its quality webcam, microphones, and speakers should give you a much clearer communication experience.
The display quality is also great thanks to the Liquid Retina XDR display that it uses. All in all, this Apple MacBook Pro M3 16 can be the ideal laptop for you if you want a powerful laptop without a graphics card.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16.2 inches, 3456 x 2234 pixels
- Processor: Apple M3 Max with 16 cores and a speed of 4.05 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 48GB
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 22 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in supporting daily work and other activities
- Sleek design
- Three Thunderbolt 4 ports and one HDMI port
- Long-lasting battery
- Excellent display and sound outputs
- Excellent webcam and microphones
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No USB-A ports
- Notched display
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is the next laptop without a graphics card that can be great for you to use. Coming from the popular Lenovo ThinkPad series, this business laptop is highly portable and can deliver the performance level you need to make your best work results.To back up its performance, this laptop has a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 32GB RAM capacity. These are excellent specifications to have for a laptop and should be able to run the software you need smoothly. The RAM capacity is large and should provide you with the memory space you need for your software and files.
The ThinkPad keyboard is one of the best keyboards for a laptop so you should feel comfortable when you type on it. To help you view its display in the most comfortable position, you can stretch this laptop up to 180 degrees thanks to the flexible hinge it has.
The display is friendly to the eye so you can work for long hours with this laptop and get much less eye strain compared to if you use many other laptops. Overall, this Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon can be just the laptop you need to do your daily activities optimally.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7 with 10 cores and speed in the range of 1.8-5.2 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 32GB
- Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 13 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in supporting daily work and other activities
- Solid build
- Sleek and lightweight
- USB-A, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and HDMI ports
- Stretchable hinge (up to 180 degrees)
- Friendly-to-the-eye display
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No SD card reader slots
3. Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13 is another laptop you might want to take a deeper look at. It is an excellent laptop from Dell with the model and specifications needed from a laptop to support your daily activities optimally.This laptop is highly portable as it weighs only 2.59 pounds and has a thickness of only 0.55 inches. Bringing this laptop around in your bag or your hand should be easy thanks to that. To help you do your activities with this laptop anywhere you want, it has a full-day battery life for normal usage so you don’t have to depend on a power outlet too much.
As for its performance, this laptop should be able to handle tasks from the software you use well. This is because it has a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM capacity. When you need to store your files internally on this laptop, there is 512GB SSD storage space ready to use.
The design of this laptop looks professional and it has a premium build to make you fit in any professional setting easily. All in all, this Dell XPS 13 can also be a solid laptop choice for you if you want an excellent laptop that doesn’t have a graphics card.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 13.4 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7 with 10 cores and speed in the range of 1.1-4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 10 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in supporting daily work and other activities
- Sleek and lightweight
- Premium build
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No USB-A, HDMI ports, and SD card reader slots
- Average webcam quality
4. HP EliteBook 840
HP EliteBook 840 is a splendid business laptop without a graphics card that you might want to consider as well. Considering its model and overall specifications, this laptop should suit your needs if you want the advantages that a laptop without a graphics card has to offer.This laptop is portable thanks to its design and it has a good battery life too to support your mobility. You should be able to work anywhere easily with this laptop. The camera is also excellent as it is a 5MP webcam that can project visuals from your side clearly during video calls.
Regarding performance, you shouldn’t worry about this laptop when it comes to standard office and daily activities. It has a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB RAM capacity to run its operations. You can upgrade the RAM capacity up to 64GB later should you feel you need more memory space in this laptop.
Similar to our previously discussed ThinkPad X1 Carbon, this laptop also has a friendly-to-the-eye display so it should suit you if you often experience fatigue in your eyes when you work by using a laptop. Overall, this HP EliteBook 840 is a nice laptop without a graphics card that can be great for you to use as well.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 14 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Processor: 13th Gen Intel Core i7 with 12 cores and speed in the range of 2.2-5 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 13 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in supporting daily work and other activities
- Sleek and lightweight
- USB-A, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, and HDMI ports
- Upgradeable RAM and storage capacity
- Friendly-to-the-eye display
- 5MP webcam with a privacy shutter
Cons
- No SD card reader slots
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is the last laptop without a graphics card we have on this list. It is a stylish laptop from Microsoft that has excellent specifications to handle tasks related to your daily activities.This laptop uses an Intel processor with 12th Gen Intel Core i7 in place. It is a quality processor with a fast performance level when it runs your software. The RAM capacity is 16GB, which offers plenty of room for multitasking.
There is Wi-Fi 6E technology in this laptop so you can get an optimum internet connection speed from your Wi-Fi network when you need to do activities online. When you need to type something, this laptop has excellent keyboard quality to make you get a comfortable typing experience.
This laptop can last a full day and more on its battery on a single charge so you can use it more flexibly. All in all, this Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a splendid laptop you might want to consider buying and using too during your laptop-buying process.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 15 inches, 2496 x 1664 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7 with 10 cores and speed in the range of 1.7-4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 18 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance in supporting daily work and other activities
- Sleek and lightweight
- USB-A and Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Good battery life
- Good display and sound quality
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
Cons
- No HDMI ports and SD card reader slots
- Average webcam quality
- Quite thick bezels
What are the Things We Should Consider When We Want to Buy a Laptop Without Graphics Card?
Here are the things we think you should consider when you want to buy a laptop without a graphics card.- Processor. The laptop you buy should have a good processor so you can run the software you need to use smoothly. We recommend a laptop with at least a late-generation i5 or Ryzen 5 processor or an Apple silicon chip for this
- RAM capacity. You may need to use plenty of memory space in your laptop as you want it to multitask when you work or do other activities. Thus, the laptop you buy needs to have adequate RAM capacity to anticipate that. We recommend a laptop with at least 8GB RAM for this
- Storage. You may need to store some files related to your daily activities internally on your laptop so you can access them much easier later. Thus, the laptop you buy should have adequate storage space to accommodate those files. We recommend a laptop with at least 256GB SSD storage space for this
Wrap Up
When you want to buy a laptop, you may want an excellent one that doesn’t have a graphics card in it. However, it can be confusing to pick a laptop like that from many laptop choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has created a list of the best laptops without graphics cards to help you.To summarize, here are five laptops without graphics cards we recommend on our list.
- Apple MacBook Pro M3 16
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
- Dell XPS 13
- HP EliteBook 840
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 5
We hope our list can help you buy the best laptop without a graphics card for you to use!
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