The 10 Best Laptops For Programming
Special Honors
Origin PC They're somewhat better known for their custom gaming rigs than their professional PCs, but Origin does it all - and if you need something that can power through the heaviest workloads without flinching, their NT-17 and NS-17 mobile workstations are packed with just about the nicest components available. originpc.com
HP ZBook Firefly The entire ZBook lineup from tech giant HP is intended for the most demanding professionals and creators. The various models each have their own specific focus, and the Firefly is notable for combining workstation-class hardware in a form factor that rivals many Ultrabooks. hp.com
Editor's Notes
October 09, 2020:
Programming can refer to a wide range of tasks, from simple and relatively non-taxing coding to testing advanced graphical algorithms that require the most advanced hardware. A majority of programmers, though, look for pretty similar things in their mobile workstations. These include a screen that's easy to look at, enough storage to maintain various projects at once, and a keyboard that's pleasant and reliable to type on.
With those common requirements in mind, it's very difficult to top the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 8th Gen, which routinely comes up in conversations about the best laptop keyboard available today. It's a little pricey, but if you're willing to sacrifice a little horsepower, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen from last year is actually a fantastic deal. The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is another from the popular business-oriented line, and has many similar design elements to the flagship model. And while the Lenovo Flex 5 is considerably farther down the line, its Ryzen APU, 2-in-1 rotating hinge, and precise touchscreen make an especially versatile choice.
From a line that's about as famous as the ThinkPad comes the Dell XPS 15 9500, which is the latest evolution of what may be the single most popular laptop ever. This advanced machine has plenty of capable hardware inside, including the GTX 1650 Ti graphics card that can help with resource-intensive engineering tasks as well as providing a little gaming fun when work's over with. Although the HP Spectre x360 hasn't been around as long as the Dell or Lenovo flagships, it's a great device in its own right, and its premium appearance certainly doesn't hurt its case as one of the top options. Finally, the LG Gram is a relative newcomer that's taken many circles by storm, due not only to its impressive battery life, but also its slim package and remarkably light weight.
January 02, 2019:
While coding isn't necessarily a performance-demanding task in and of itself, software development as a whole can be pretty taxing on a computer's system. For that reason, programmers must be more discerning than the average user when looking for a laptop. Battery life, processor speed, keyboard layout and graphics quality are among the most important features one should consider, and the laptops on this list have all been carefully selected based largely on them. Naturally, we've included the flagship models for all major operating systems, including the Microsoft Surface Pro 6, Apple MacBook Pro and the Google Pixelbook. We've also included a number of gaming laptops, including the Dell G5 15 and Razer Blade 15, both of which offer advanced graphics cards at relatively affordable prices.