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Best Laptops for Coding – Overview
If you’re in the market for the best coding laptop, you’ve come to the right place.
Picking a coding laptop means identifying a device that has a lot of processing power, allowing you to build, compile and test your code fast and easily.
Therefore the best coding laptop has an AMD, Intel, or M1 processor if you’re buying one of the new MacBooks.
Since 2020 Apple has been using its chips to power its desktops and laptops, which have proven to be top-notch hardware for coders.
Coding laptops should have big and high-resolution displays that are comfy to use for long periods. The higher the resolution, the more the visibility, which cuts down scrolling.
What’s more, a great coding laptop should have a comfy and responsive keyboard because you’ll be using it to type a lot of code.
So now is the perfect time to shop for a coding laptop, and our specs comparison tool will help you find the ideal coding laptop for yourself.
5 Best Laptops for Coding | Processor | GPU | RAM | Display | Storage | Battery Life | Weight |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dell XPS 15 | 10th Gen Intel Core i7 | NVidia GTX 1650 Ti | 16GB DDR4 | 15.6" FHD+ Touchscreen | 512GB SSD | At least 12 hours | 4.0 pounds |
Lenovo ThinkPad P14s | 11th Gen Intel Core i7 | NVidia Quadro T500 | 16GB DDR4 | 14" Anti-glare Touchscreen | 1TB SSD | At least 15 hours | 3.24 pounds |
LG Gram | 11th Gen Intel Core i7 | Intel Iris Xe Graphics | 16GB DDR4 | 17" FHD+ Display | 2TB SSD | At least 19 hours | 2.98 pounds |
MacBook Pro (2021) | Apple M1 Pro 10-core | Integrated 16-core | 16GB | 16" Liquid Retina XDR display | 1TB SSD | At least 18 hours | 4.7 pounds |
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 | AMD Ryzen 7 | AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 | 16GB DDR4 | 13.5" PixelSense Touchscreen | 512GB SSD | At least 17 hours | 2.76 pounds |
1. Dell XPS 15
The XPS 15 from Dell is perhaps the best Windows OS coding laptop right now.
As with previous XPS models, this 15-inch beauty combines excellent build quality, stunning design, and some of the most capable components you can find in a laptop.
The XPS 15 is thin and light which means it looks and feels like a premium coding device. Best of all, it has notable battery life, meaning you can code outdoors without running out of charge.
Key Specifications
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i7
- GPU: NVidia GTX 1650 Ti
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Display: 15.6″ FHD+ Touchscreen
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery Life: At least 12 hours
- Weight: 4.0 pounds
2. Lenovo ThinkPad P14s
If you’re looking for a laptop to take your coding to another level, consider the ThinkPad P14s from Lenovo.
This is an incredibly powerful workstation with its pro-grade Intel chips as well as an NVidia Quadro 500 GPU and up to 64GB of memory.
You can add the storage capacity on this device up to 4TB and opt for a 4K (2160p) 15.6-inch display that’s not only color-accurate but touch-sensitive as well.
Key Specifications
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i7
- GPU: NVidia Quadro T500
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Display: 14″ Anti-glare Touchscreen
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery Life: At least 15 hours
- Weight: 3.24 pounds
3. LG Gram
If you’re looking for a large-display laptop to code on, the LG Gram 17 might be the perfect option. This PC has an impressive 17-inch FHD+ display giving you plenty of workspaces.
This is a machine that proves you don’t have to compromise comfort and portability because it’s remarkably lightweight.
This means you can carry it around without tiring, especially if you travel a lot or love to work on the go.
Key Specifications
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Display: 17″ FHD+ Display
- Storage: 2TB SSD
- Battery Life: At least 19 hours
- Weight: 2.98 pounds
4. MacBook Pro (2021)
The 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro is perhaps the best coding laptop you can get right now.
This laptop comes with the option of Apple’s powerful M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, and these make short work of assembling and running the most complex lines of code.
Not only does this PC compile code quickly, but it also has enough power to run your code in test settings, including devices that let you see how your program works on various products.
Key Specifications
- Processor: Apple M1 Pro 10-core
- GPU: Integrated 16-core
- RAM: 16GB
- Display: 16″ Liquid Retina XDR display
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery Life: At least 18 hours
- Weight: 4.7 pounds
5. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
If you’re a coder working on Windows applications, in particular, the Surface Laptop 4 might be the ideal laptop for you because Microsoft makes it.
Therefore you can be sure your Windows applications will run smoothly on this device.
And with Windows 11 now available, you can upgrade for free because this is a Microsoft device, and the device is powerful enough to accommodate such a demanding OS.
Key Specifications
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7
- GPU: AMD Radeon RX Vega 8
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Display: 13.5″ PixelSense Touchscreen
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery Life: At least 17 hours
- Weight: 2.76 pounds
Final Thought
Coding can be done on various kinds of laptops, but most coders want something more than just a basic PC.
While you don’t necessarily need a powerhouse to code, if you need to compile the code and test the app you’re building, then you’ll want a powerful daily driver.
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