Which laptop is best for programmers

Laptops have proven themselves to be the best mobile productivity machines. During the pandemic, even the naysayers were forced to get themselves a laptop since it became the primary way to get things done. Now, if you are looking to get a laptop for programming, we are here to help you.

A good programming laptop is one that offers a lag-free user experience by combining powerful performance with an excellent screen and a keyboard that is comfortable enough for you to type for extended periods. It should also provide a great selection of ports so you can connect your peripherals and don’t have to spend your valuable time looking for a dock or dongle.

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For programmers, an ideal laptop should be a blend of power, portability, and reliability. It should also be ready whether you are working from home, office, coffee shop, on campus, or while you are commuting. Now that we know what to look out for in a laptop for programmers, here are five laptops that truly stand out.

Best laptop for programmers

1. Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch

2. Dell XPS 16

3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

4. HP Spectre x360 14 2024

5. Acer Swift 3

1. Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023) is undoubtedly the best laptop for programming. Apple has always been known for its laptops aimed at creative professionals, and the MacBook Pro is perfect for creative workflows as well as for programming. It has a sturdy build with its all-aluminium chassis, compact design, and all-day battery life. The 2023 MacBook Pro 14-inch comes with a base M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max SoC. The Pro and Max chips offer a capable GPU, which is also ideal for game development.

The 14-inch XDR display on the MacBook Pro is stunning with a peak brightness of 1600 nits and the laptop offers an SD card slot, an HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports. With MacBook Pro 14-inch, you get an extremely powerful laptop that delivers with a stunning screen, excellent speakers, and a suite of apps tailored for software development. If you are looking for an even bigger screen then get the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch instead.

2. Dell XPS 16

If you are looking for a Windows equivalent of the MacBook Pro then Dell XPS 16 is your answer. The XPS 16 is another workhorse like Apple’s offering and it brings the latest in terms of Windows hardware. When you look at XPS 16, you might see it as a laptop perfected over the years with a brushed CNC aluminium chassis and the platinum colour screaming professionalism.

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That industrial design is paired with best-in-class hardware including a 16.3-inch UHD+ OLED Infinity Edge display, Intel Core Ultra 7-155H processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD storage, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. With among the best keyboards you can find in the Windows laptop segment, there is nothing to stop you from coding when you have the Dell XPS 16.

3. Microsoft Surface Laptop 5

If you are in the Microsoft camp and looking specifically for a Surface product then the Surface Laptop 5 will be a good choice. It is the Apple-esque expression of Windows with a premium build and Windows experience that seems better packaged than some other devices.

It runs slightly outdated hardware but that won’t be a hindrance to your programming. You should go for Surface Laptop 5 with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage, 15-inch PixelSense display, and 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. It comes with one USB Type-A 3.1 port, one Thunderbolt 4, and one 3.5mm audio jack. With a rated battery life of 17 hours and Dolby Atmos audio, this laptop won’t disappoint.

4. HP Spectre x360 14 2024

Not every programmer needs workstation-grade specs and would instead be looking at something portable and convertible. The HP Spectre x360 14 2024 is a convertible laptop with an impressive 120Hz 2.8K OLED display that can be flipped around and used as a tablet. This ability to use this machine in the form of a laptop as well as a tablet makes it a device for writing code as well as for bingeing content.

There is a spacious keyboard, a large haptic touchpad, a 4K webcam, Wi-Fi 7, and a decent selection of ports. The variant with 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, Intel Core Ultra 7-155H and Intel Arc graphics will be great for coding and has plenty of headroom for a few years later.

5. Acer Swift 3

Not every programmer would have the budget to buy a premium device, and if you are looking for something affordable then Acer Swift 3 would make sense. Despite its reasonable pricing, the Swift 3 is no slouch when it comes to hardware. There is a 14-inch OLED display with 400 nits of brightness that delivers a comfortable viewing experience.

It is powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H processor with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage. Acer Swift 3 offers a good keyboard and connectivity options including USB Type-A ports, Thunderbolt ports, HDMI port and an audio jack. There aren’t many well-rounded machines like this in this price segment.

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When choosing a laptop for programming, you should look for at least 16GB of RAM to start with and the latest processor. In the case of MacBooks, you can also settle for a MacBook Pro with M2 Pro or M2 Max chipset. The laptops mentioned above offer an excellent mix of performance, build quality, connectivity, and battery life. While you can consider a 15-inch Apple MacBook Air, Lenovo Yoga 7, or Asus ZenBook 14, your decision will eventually boil down to the price.