Tag: laptops

Best laptops for programming | PCWorld

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If you’re programming the next big app or video game, listen up. You’re going to need a proper laptop to get it done right. A powerful processor is absolutely necessary for doing things like running test environments, compiling complicated code, and so on. But to keep things running smooth, you’ll need at least 16GB of RAM. Oh and did I mention the importance of a fast SSD? You’ve got to make sure those apps and files can fire up quickly.

If you’re not sure where to begin your search, don’t sweat it. To make the whole process a heck of a lot easier, the team at PCWorld rounded up a bunch of top picks. Not only do these laptops pack a punch in the processor department, but they’ve also got great screens, which help reduce eye strain. Whether you’re a seasoned software developer or an amateur programmer, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

The best laptops for programming

Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED – Best overall

Pros

  • Good productivity performance
  • Superb display
  • Rugged design
  • Great battery life

Cons

  • Boring aesthetics
  • Unimpressive 720p webcam
  • Unreliable fingerprint scanner
  • Poor port selection

If you spend hours upon hours in front of a display, you should consider picking up the Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED. The tester described the 4K OLED display as “more exceptional than stunning.” Colors are vibrant and darks have quite the depth. This display produces clear images and is a good choice for those who suffer from eye strain. The VivoBook doesn’t skimp on processing power, either.

The CPU is the Ryzen 9 5900HX, which should be plenty fast for most coding needs and general use tasks. It’s also packing 32GB of RAM and a whopping 1TB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage. That’s sufficient enough for multitasking or running a few applications simultaneously, and a near-ideal configuration for intense programming. There are a few knocks against this machine like the boring design, lackluster webcam, and finicky fingerprint reader. Those drawbacks are relatively minuscule, though. Overall, this is a well-rounded machine that any programmer would love.

Read our full
Asus VivoBook Pro 16X OLED review

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 – Best under $1,000

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 - Best under $1,000

Pros

  • Solid chassis and build quality
  • Large, attractive 16-inch 1080p screen
  • Enjoyable keyboard and touchpad
  • USB-C with charging and DisplayPort

Cons

  • Webcam, microphone, and speakers don’t impress
  • Intel processor falls behind AMD alternatives 
  • Disappointing battery life
  • Lots of bloatware

If you’re on a tight budget, the Acer Swift 3 is an excellent value. It features an Intel Core i7-11370H with four cores, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. That’s powerful enough for most programming tasks. As for the build quality, our tester described it as “tightly constructed.” The keyboard is also comfortable to use for extended periods and the display offers “rich, lifelike color.” Battery life is disappointing, however, as it managed to die in about five hours after light use. If you don’t mind keeping this thing tethered to an outlet,

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Best laptops for coding & programming 2022

Floo

Programming is a demanding and often relentless job that requires the right equipment – so we’ve picked out the best laptops for coding so you can concentrate on the task at hand.

Choosing the best laptops for programming isn’t as simple as buying the priciest machine you can find. It’s got to have the right kind of components, for starters: it’s vital to have a powerful processor that can handle coding, compiling, test environments and virtual machines, and you’ll also need at least 16GB of memory, with 32GB preferable.

Elsewhere, the best laptops for coding should have a fast SSD to ensure that files and apps load quickly. And, if you regularly work on the road, you’ll need good battery life too.

There are more crucial considerations. If you’re a programmer, then you’ll probably spend hours looking at this laptop, so it’s important to have a high-quality display – it’ll render your code crisply and help avoid eye strain. And you’re going to be doing loads of typing on your new laptop, so a crisp, comfortable keyboard is essential.

Those are certainly the critical areas if you’re on the hunt for the best laptop for programming, but they’re not the only things you should consider. You’ll need a thin, light and sturdy device if you work out of the office, and check that it’s got enough ports for all of your peripherals. Happily, there are plenty of laptops that tick these boxes at all kinds of budgets, and we’ve rounded the best of them below.

And before we get started, you may have noticed we’re using the terms pretty interchangeably here as both coders and programmers need the same things out of a laptop, but there are some key differences when it comes to coding vs programming, so check out our explainer article too.

MacBook Pro M1 16-inch laptop

(Image credit: Future)

The best laptop for coding and programming.

Specifications

CPU: Apple M1 Pro chip 10-core

GPU: Integrated 16-core GPU

RAM: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

Storage: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB

Screen size: 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR 3456 x 2234 display

Weight: 4.7 lbs (2.1kg)

Dimensions: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66in (358 x 284 x 17mm)

Reasons to buy

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Huge programming power

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Fantastic high-resolution display

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Brilliant keyboard

Professionals have long favored Apple’s machines, and that remains true with the MacBook Pro 16 – it ticks every box required for high-end programming.

Apple’s 10-core M1 Pro processor is a powerhouse. Combine that with the 32GB of memory and the 16-core graphics chip and you’ve got a machine that will handle any programming situation, from complex coding and compiling to running virtual machines. The battery easily lasts a full day, too.

The Liquid Retina XDR is sensational. Its 3456 x 2234 native resolution and 1000-nit brightness level means everything looks gorgeous, and you’ve got the width and on-screen space to spread work around.

The keyboard is crisp and comfortable, so it’s well-suited for all-day typing, and this machine has an SD card slot, three

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