Best laptop for animation? HP Spectre x360 or something else?

Hello there!

I am looking to purchase a laptop for:

- video editing

- creating animated videos (not using heavy desktop software, but rather cloud-based tools—for instance, https://www.animaker.com/

- recording audio tracks

- managing cryptocurrency—specifically, having my various wallets installed and ready to go

- general day-to-day tasks (movies, music, YouTube, writing, etc.)

In short, everything required to produce content for YouTube 😁

My main priority is having sufficient memory and a solid processor; though, since most of my workflow will be cloud-based, I wonder if I might be overspecifying? (?) Aside from Audacity, which is a standalone application that definitely requires some local muscle.

And, naturally, I need reliable WiFi connectivity wherever I happen to be—though I assume every modern laptop comes standard with that nowadays?

Budget: nothing exceeding $10 $0.00, ideally sitting in the $5,000–$7,000 range.

Brand preference: Dell or Acer.

This particular model from this retailer caught my eye:

https://www.mediaworld.com/art/lap...me-sivi/102614

The touchscreen and stylus functionality are the biggest draws for me. The animation software I use relies heavily on drag-and-drop elements, and being able to use a pen would make the whole process much smoother and faster. I tried navigating my old machine using just my finger instead of a mouse, and frankly, it was a sluggish experience. 🤦

If anyone here has hands-on experience with this Acer model, I would truly appreciate your insights. If not, here are two other options I have been weighing up:

https://www.mediaworld.com/art/lap...vega-10/102342

https://www.mediaworld.com/art/lap...x-vega8/102343

Please excuse the long-winded post; this is actually the first laptop I've ever purchased myself. Thanks to everyone for the help. 🎉

Look for something comparable with a 4th gen Ryzen, maybe a Ryzen 5 4500 u i Ryzen 7 4700. Just make sure if it only comes with 8GB of RAM, there’s an open slot so you can toss in another 8GB later.

wiredotter14 said:Try looking for something similar with a 4th generation Ryzen—maybe a Ryzen 5 4500 u or Ryzen 7 4700—and check if it only comes with 8GB of RAM but has an extra slot so you can pop in another 8 later.

That site lists the Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 series, but they don't seem to carry the 4th gen 😁. Ideally, I’d love to order from Media World since they accept PayPal, which is how I'm planning to handle the payment. I pulled some examples from their specific link for multimedia laptops—which is exactly the category I'm targeting:

https://www.mediaworld.com/gg/3/la...%20multimedia

I'm torn; that HP Spectre x360 really does look perfect for what I need, so now I'm just... 🤷

Angela Foster23 said:That page lists Ryzen 3, 5, and 7, but nothing with a 4. 😁 I was thinking about ordering from Media World since they take PayPal, which is how I want to pay. I pulled some examples from their link where they highlight laptops for multimedia (exactly what I'm looking for):

https://www.media-world.com/gg/3/la...%20multimedia

I don't know. That HP Spectre x360 looks perfect, so now... 🤷

Ryzen 3 5 7 refers to the series, while 3000 and 4000 are the generations.
The ones you posted have 3500U and 3700U processors.
Ryzen 5 4500U and Ryzen 7 4700U are the newer generation—faster and more efficient.

Media World actually has one with a 4500U.
https://www.media-world.com/art/lap...me-black/103017

I'm not sure about stock or specific payment methods or exactly where to buy them, but try searching "4500U" and "4700U" on Best Buy.

wiredotter14 said:The Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 designations refer to the series, whereas the 3000 and 4000 numbers denote the actual generation.
The models you mentioned are running on 3500U and 3700U processors.
If you want something more modern—faster and significantly more efficient—you should look at the Ryzen 5 4500U or the Ryzen 7 4700U.

For instance, there’s one available at Best Buy featuring the 4500U.
https://www.bestbuy.com/art/lap...me-crni/103017

I can't speak to current stock levels or specific financing options, but I'd suggest browsing sites like Amazon or Newegg by searching for "4500U" or "4700U" in their search bars.

Thanks for pointing that out—I completely missed it because I was so hyper-focused on Acer and Dell, having heard they were the top tier. I'm a bit less certain about Asus. If I do end up going that route and the stylus isn't bundled in the box, is it possible to buy it separately? And does it need to be the official brand, or is any stylus good enough—is a pen just a pen?

Angela Foster23 said:Thanks, I actually missed that because I was too busy looking at Acer and Dell—heard they were the top tier. Not so sure about Asus. If I end up going with one and the stylus isn't included, can I just buy it separately? Does it have to be the same brand, or is a pen just a pen?

I’ve had an Asus Zenbook Flip for a few years now (higher end, around $2333, but similar vibe to this newer Vivobook) and various pens work fine on it. Mine didn't come with one, so I grabbed an Asus Pen separately, but a buddy’s Microsoft surface pen worked without any issues. Obviously, you can always just buy a stylus from the manufacturer that's guaranteed to work, provided the laptop supports styluses in general. Not every touchscreen plays nice with every pen.

There's no magic rule for which brand is "the best." Just read the actual reviews for the specific models.

wiredotter14 said:I've been using an Asus Zenbook Flip for a few years now—it's a bit higher end, closer to the $2333 tier, but similar enough to this newer Vivobook—and all my styluses work fine. Mine didn't come with one, so I ended up picking up a separate Asus Pen, but a friend's Microsoft Surface pen worked without any issues at all. Of course, you can always just buy the official brand-name stylus meant for the laptop, provided the screen supports styluses in general. Not every touchscreen plays nice with every pen.

There isn't really a universal rule about which brand is "the best"—you’re better off digging through reviews for specific models.

Thanks so much. I think I'm leaning toward the Asus. It’s more budget-friendly than the Acer I was looking at earlier, and honestly, I'd rather listen to people who actually know their way around 😉 Plus, I'm in a bit of a bind where I can't use a credit card right now, and Media World is the only shop that accepts PayPal. So, yeah, 🎉

Angela Foster23 said:Thanks so much. I think I'll just go with the Asus. It’s cheaper than the Acer I mentioned earlier, and honestly, I'd rather listen to people who actually know what they're talking about 😉 Plus, I can't use my credit card right now, and Media World is the only place that takes PayPal. So yeah, that's the plan. 🎉

👍👍
You'll probably need this along with it
https://www.bestbuy.com/products/detail...m_medium=click

By the way, you can always toss another 8GB of RAM in there later if things get slow.

wiredotter14 said:👍👍
I suspect you might actually need this paired with it
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/detail...m_medium=click

Otherwise, you could always throw in an extra 8GB of RAM if things get sluggish

You're the best 🙂 👍