Laptop is best used if choosen wisely according to the area of your work. Programming is one of the field that requires a computer with lot of processing power and speed which may not be available in a normal average working laptops. Finding the right laptop which meets your needs will definitely speed up your task making you more productive.

For the best result it is better to choose the laptop with mixture of performance, power and execution.

While there are a wide array of laptops of different brands available in the market it can be quite difficult to choose the right one. It gets even more difficult when you are low on budget.

The base line for a programmer while buying a laptop should at least contain a core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM ,a decent integrated graphics card and an SSD.

So, What to look for in a laptop for Programming??

SSD:

SSD is a must for a programming laptop as it provides better performance in comparison to standard hard drive. 256 GB SSD will be good. As speed is very crucial while developing an application and SSD is faster at accessing stored information and you don’t have to wait for files to load.

RAM:

Memory stores the regular and operating instructions for your program. It is like a bucket that stores the instructions for your software programs. So having a good memory allows the program to run smoothly. So, a programmer needs to have at least a 8 GB RAM but, ideally 16 GB is considered better. Furthermore, DDR4 RAM is better than the DDR1 RAM as it operates in higher frequency.

Processing Power:

Processing is one of the basic operation performed and almost every task is performed by CPU. So, if your laptop doesn’t possess good CPU then, nothing matters. A laptop with a i5 or i7 processor is good to go. You can also get AMD processor. The number of cores also matters in a CPU. The higher the number of cores better the performance.

Graphics:

For Programming graphics is not really important. You can even work with low end graphics as the integrated graphics. It will be a good idea to use the spared money from the graphics can be used for getting better processor.

Battery Life:

Battery Life depends on where you are planning to work. If you work away from the power supply and have to travel considerably then choosing a laptop with good laptop is better idea.

Comfort:

Comfort is really important for a programmer as he/she have to work in front of a laptop for a considerably long amount of time. So, a laptop with big screen will be good as it doesn’t provide eyes restrain. The keys need to be easy to press. The good programming laptop should have built in features for comfort.

So, with the following list of laptops which can be handy for any programmer. It will greatly narrow down your selection area and provide you with info about the features that a decent programming laptop requires.

So, keeping the performance and budget in mind, some of the best picks have been listed below:

1. Dell XPS 13:

Programmers love Dell XPS ultrabook. They look thin and light but have enough power to run heavy applications. It consists of latest intel processor, speedy storage and thinnest screen you can find on a laptop. It falls back on the graphics which can be upgraded if required.

Some of the other features include:

• New 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Processor Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz)
• Display 13.3” QHD+ (3200 x 1800) InfinityEdge touch display
• 16GB LPDDR3 1866MHz, 512GB Solid State Drive; No Optical Drive included
• Price: 80$(old-version), 1000$(new-version)

2. Apple MACBook Pro 15-inch:

For programmers who love AMD GPUs, this is a one of the best pick.

It is built with 15inch screen and a 2.9 GHz Core i7 processor providing a lot of power. It comes with 11 hour of battery life which is quite amazing. One of the thing to not down is that the keyboards may be get little hot in temperature with extensive use.

Some of the key specs include:

• CPU: 2.9-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
• RAM: 16GB
• Storage: 512GB
• GPU: AMD Radeon Pro 560
• Display: 15.4 inches (2800 x 1800)
• Weight: 4 pounds
• Price: $2249

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3. Razer Blade:

Razer Blade is  a laptop built for gamers, manufactured by a company that focuses on gaming. But one thing common about gamers and programmers is that both of them need high processing power. So most of the gaming laptops are also great for programming with latest technology being used in them.

One thing about this laptop is that it doesn’t boast a lot of visual bling as seen with other laptops. Furhermore its sleek, powerful and looks professional which is why the programmers love this device.

Some of the specs are given below:

• CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-8750H (hexa-core, up to 4.1GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 (8GB GDDR5 VRAM; Max-Q); Intel UHD 630
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 (dual-channel, 2,667MHz)
• Screen: 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) matte display (144Hz; IPS; 100% sRGB)
• Storage: 512GB M.2 SSD (NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4)
• Ports: 1 x Thunderbolt 3; 3 x USB 3.1; 1 x mini DisplayPort 1.4; 1 x HDMI 2.0
• Connectivity: Intel Wireless AC 9260 (802.11ac; Bluetooth 5.0)
• Camera: 1MP built-in webcam (720p)
• Weight: 4.63 pounds (2.10kg)
• Size: 13.98 x 9.25 x 0.68 inches (35.5 x 23.5 x 1.73cm; W x D x H)
• Price: $2199.99 (Amazon)

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4. HP EliteBook 840 G5:

The HP EliteBook 840 G5 is an all rounder, carrying a Core i7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, good audio quality and good looking keyboard. The 16 GB of RAM is a valuable feature as it provides a better to work upon multiple applications and process without stiffing the performance. Furthermore the device has an DHMI port in addition.  

• CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U 23.
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 620 148.
• Display: 14.0”, Full HD (1920 x 1080), IPS.
• HDD/SSD: 256GB SSD.
• M.2 Slot: 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe M.2 slot..
• RAM: 16GB/ DDR4, 2400 MHz.
• Battery: 50Wh, 3-cell.
• Price: $1400

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5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon:

 

This laptop has everything  that a laptop should possess. It is a rocking all rounder in the list.

A quality HDR display, light weighted, long lasting battery life, powerful processor and stylish design. If you are looking for a stylish laptop at the same time powerful for the things to gets done then, this laptop is one to go with. The only one thing to worry about is its speakers which could be sometimes hard to hear.

Some of its key specs include:

• CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400
• RAM:  4GB DDR3
• Screen:  14-inch, 2560 x 1440 IPS, IPS display with 10 point multi-touch control
• Storage:  180GB SSD
• Ports:  2 USB 3.0, mini DisplayPort, HDMI, Ethernet (via included dongle), headphone/mic combo jack, Lenovo OneLink connector
• Connectivity:  Intel Centrino Advanced-N7260, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Camera:  720p HD webcam
• Weight:  3.15 pounds
• Size: 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.73 inches (W x D x H)
• Price: $1499

For more detail:Click Here

These are some of the best picks choosen after  research and  findings from the internet. So, do not be upset if your favourite device could not make it to the list. But, you can buy any of these device from the list without any doublt in mind.  

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