Confused about whether your PC or laptop is strong enough to handle Krita?
Drawing digital art can take most of your computer resources.
If you are planning to use Krita, then you need to know what kind of hardware specs you need to have on your PC
In this article, I will explain the recommended PC and Macbook specs for Krita.
My opinion is based on my experience using Krita for over three months.
Table of Contents
Krita Minimum Spec Requirement
Based on the Krita Website, this is the minimum system requirement for Krita
Operating System: Windows 8.1 or Higher, OSX 10.12, Linux
RAM: Recommended 4GB or higher
Optional GPU: OpenGL 3.0 or higher
Graphics Tablet Supported: Wacom, Huion, Yiyinova, Surface Pro
With the new release of Krita 5, the official minimum spec requirement is clearly outdated.
No one uses Windows 8.1 anymore. 4GB of RAM is unusable on the latest version of Windows and Mac
Recommended Specs You Must Have for Krita
In case you wonder, this is my exact setup for Krita:
- HP Spectre i7 7500u, Windows 10, 16GB RAM, 512 SSD
- Apple MacBook Air 2022, M2 CPU, 8GB, 256 SSD, 8 Core GPU
With the Windows laptop and MacBook setup I have, I never ran into any trouble drawing on Krita
I rarely experience lags on Krita, even when I draw with big-sized canvas and use multiple complex brushes
According to my experience, these are the PC and MacBook specs you must have for Krita.
| Windows PC/Laptop | Mac | |
| Processor | At least 6 cores of CPU | At least M1, Intel MacBook is outdated for the Krita 5 App version |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR4 RAM | 8 GB RAM or more |
| Storage | At least 256 GB of NVME SSD | 256 GB SSD |
| Graphics | Intel Integrated GPU or Any Dedicated Nvidia Graphic | All MacBook Graphics Card is Suitable for Krita |
Krita works by rendering the brush stroke on the CPU every time you draw. After the brush stroke is rendered, the data is saved in RAM.
Using features like Layer will also strain your RAM. When you click Save, it will keep your art on your storage drive
The memory is the one that makes the difference. RAM will store all your data from Krita, including the drawn art from the brush strokes.
If you don’t have enough RAM, Krita will use your storage drive as a temporary memory.
Even the fastest SSD is slower than average memory. You may notice some lags on Krita after your memory is completely depleted
If you are building your own PC or planning to buy a new laptop, you must prioritize the amount of RAM before getting a better CPU.
Technically, you can use Krita on a low-end PC as long your RAM capacity is enough
How Much RAM is needed for Krita?
The best practice for Krita is getting as much RAM size as possible. 8GB RAM is the bare minimum for Krita. 16 GB RAM is the recommended memory size if you are planning to draw with 4K canvas and using more than ten layers
32 GB RAM is a bit overkill but a must if you plan to create animation on Krita.
Just ask yourself what kind of artist you are. Comicbook artists may need less RAM than concept artists, who always draw their art in high resolution.
Is 8GB of RAM enough for Krita?
8 GB of RAM is sufficient if you are planning to only simple digital art with a few amount of layers on Krita.
Most Krita users won’t face problems with 8GB RAM. However, for advanced users who use hundreds of layers, texture packs and vector tools, animation, and a big canvas on Krita, 8GB RAM won’t be enough.
The other problem with having 8GB of RAM is you will face limitations if you run other software. Many artists use software like Google Chrome, Safari, and Discord to get reference images.
Those softwares will consume your RAM capacity quickly. It will be hard to use Krita, Google Chrome and Discord simultaneously with only 8GB of RAM. It’s still usable but doable and slow
Recommended Guide: How to Reduce Lags in Krita
CPU Recommendation for Krita
Krita doesn’t need a fast and expensive CPU like an Intel i9 or Ryzen 9. A Modern Intel i5 processor with at least 6 cores CPU is the recommended processor for Krita. 6 Cores CPU is essential for Krita users that need large canvases and complex brush settings.
Most features on Krita use CPU, so always aim to get a good CPU on your PC setup. Even though 6 cores is the sweet spot, having more cores can help you run the app effectively
Note that newer releases of CPUs perform better than older CPUs.
The new generation of Intel CPUs includes Intel E-cores, Which can improve multitasking while drawing on Krita.
Laptop Processor Recommendation for Krita
There is a big difference between the CPU that came on a laptop and that used on a PC
Laptop users planning to use Krita need to know this. The most crucial part of a CPU is the power limit.
The mobile CPU that comes on your laptop has a lower power limit than the CPU used on a PC. This means the Laptop CPU will be slower and have a lower burst duration.
Luckily, Krita doesn’t demand a powerful CPU with a high power limit. As long as your laptop has at least an Intel i5 mobile CPU, you can use Krita on your laptop.
Even though the Intel i3 processor is fast enough for most drawing apps, the Intel i5 processor is better for Krita because it has more cores and a higher base clock
Suppose you’re a macOS user; there is no need to worry. MacBooks perform well even if they have mobile CPUs. Apple’s Silicon Processor is far better at low power limits compared to laptops with Intel and Ryzen CPUs.
MacBook will perform better on Krita than most Windows laptops.
You will have longer battery usage on your MacBook, too, which is important if you are drawing while traveling with your MacBook
Check out: Is Krita worth it for a beginner artist?
What is better For Krita: Intel or AMD CPU?
Intel CPU is better for Krita than AMD Ryzen CPU. Intel CPU has better AVX2 support, making the brush engine feel smother. Intel supports OpenGL better than AMD, which makes Krita more optimized on Intel CPU than Ryzen CPU.
Helpful Tips: You can enable stabilization in Krita to make your line feel smoother
But keep in mind the difference in measured performance on Krita is only 1-5%, which doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
So if you’re an AMD fan, then the AMD Ryzen CPU is good enough for Krita.
Does Krita Require a Dedicated Graphics Card?
Krita doesn’t require a dedicated graphics card, and there is no difference between using dedicated and integrated graphics cards on Krita.
Integrated graphic cards can do the same hardware acceleration job as dedicated GPU when rendering canvas and GUI on Krita. So having a better GPU doesn’t matter on Krita
What GPU is good for Krita?
Any modern Intel-integrated GPU that comes with a laptop can work well on Krita.
A dedicated Nvidia Graphics card is recommended if you’re on a PC or gaming laptop. I don’t recommend an AMD graphics card because the drivers are buggier and less supported
Does Krita Require SSD?
Krita doesn’t require SSD, but SSD can quicken loading time and prevent slowness when Krita fully consumes your system RAM.
There is no noticeable difference between a SATA SSD and an NVME SSD in Krita. Just choose based on your budget.
If you only use Krita for drawing and painting, 256 GB SSD will be enough to store all your digital art on a .kra file.
But if you’re into animation, make sure to have at least 512 GB SSD, or else you need to use an external SSD to store all your animations.
Krita always autosaves your file. You can modify the autosave setting in Krita in case you don’t want your PC or laptop to be bloated with autosave files
This guide has been updated to reflect the various changes introduced in the latest version of Krita.
