Hello coders, I hope you are doing very well in programming. A laptop is an essential tool for programming, so today, I will share what laptop specs you need for programming. Knowing coding laptop requirements is very important before buying a programming laptop so that your money is not wasted on any wrong laptop.
In a coding laptop, we need a powerful processor, a good display, enough RAM and storage, long battery life, etc. Plenty of laptops are available in the market, but choosing the best coding laptop is challenging because everyone needs a laptop as per their work requirement.
Programmers engage in diverse domains, encompassing web applications, mobile applications, and desktop applications. Consequently, they require specialized laptops tailored to their specific work. However, finding the ideal laptop can be a challenging task.
Drawing upon my extensive 8 years of coding experience, I possess an in-depth understanding of the critical specifications that programming laptops should encompass. Within this comprehensive guide, I have meticulously outlined all the essential specifications necessary for selecting laptops that facilitate an optimal coding experience.
No matter which programming language you are working on, I will give you a general idea about the basic configuration of any coding laptop. So let’s get started without any delay.
Coding Laptop Requirements – Necessary Things To Be Considered While Choosing a Coding Laptop
Before selecting any programming laptop, you must keep in mind the following things. I am explaining them one by one in detail.
1. Latest and Powerful Processor
The processor is known as the brain of the computer, so in a coding laptop, the processor should be the latest and powerful.
We programmers run various applications, codes, and compilers that demand a high-processing powered laptop. Some IDEs are very heavy and can run only on powerful processors.
Whether you are a professional programmer or a novice programmer, you need to know your coding needs before purchasing any processor. For example, If your work requires running several apps, you must prioritize core counts on the processor chip. On the other hand, if you focus on one app at a time, get a processor with a high clock speed.
If we talk about which processor brands are good, then Intel and AMD are the two most well-known and major brands for producing processors. Intel and AMD, both processors, are excellent.
It is tough to choose which processor is best for programming. Both are very good for programming. So should you go with Intel or AMD? Well, it depends on the type of programming workload you are dealing with.
For basic coding tasks, any Intel or AMD processor would do the job. However, high-end programming tasks like game development, software development, data analysis, machine learning, or writing complex AI code would require you to have a higher clock speed processor with multiple threads.
f you work where you have to use CPU-intensive IDEs like PyCharm, Visual Studio, etc., even an i3 10th or 9th gen is enough. But for Deep Learning or Virtualization and game development, don’t go for i3. You better pick i5 or i7 or greater.
Many laptops having AMD Ryzen5 processors are easily available under 50000. You can go for them.
2. Plenty Of RAM
RAM plays an important role in coding laptops. 8 GB RAM is the minimum requirement for coding. If you go for more, it will be better for programming. More RAM means your computer can run more programs simultaneously without slowing down.
8GB RAM is enough for programming, but if you work on large files or run multiple programs simultaneously, you can go for 16GB or 32 GB. Some laptops also have 40GB RAM.
RAM should be upgraded time to time because it improves your PC’s overall performance.
If you are just a novice programmer and are learning just how to code, you can also go for 4GB RAM. But it is not recommended.
3. Comfortable Keyboard
As coders spend long hours writing codes, their laptops must have a comfortable and ergonomic keyboard. It will be great if the keyboard is backlit so that you can work at night without any worries.
For programming keyboard, you should look for features such as a comfortable typing experience, programmable keys or macros, backlighting options, and a durable build quality.
Full-sized keyboards with a numeric keypad are good for programming. You can also choose a compact keyboard if you want a minimalist look.
The keyboard should have ergonomic designs which can help reduce strain on your wrists and hands during long programming sessions.
4. Battery life
The most important thing in coding laptop is battery life. You must check the battery life before purchasing any laptop for programming.
The minimum battery life of a coding laptop should be at least 6 hours. It is often difficult to rely solely on the manufacturer’s advertised battery life, as their claims can occasionally be inaccurate. To ascertain the actual battery life of a laptop, it is advisable to check forums and reviews where individuals share their genuine experiences and insights.
If you travel a lot or your work demands you to travel frequently, laptops with long battery life are applicable in this case. You can code anywhere and anytime if you don’t have battery backup issues.
5. Mobility
Mobility is also an important factor that you should look for in coding laptops. Lightweight, Thin, and portable laptops are suitable for programmers. Nowadays, laptops come in every shape and size. You need to select according to your work requirement.
13 or 14-inch laptops are suitable for those programmers who travel a lot. They are lighter and provide longer battery life. But if your work doesn’t demand travel, then 15-inch laptops are best for you.
So portability also makes a laptop best for programming.
6. Good Display
Coding laptops must have a good display, so choose it wisely. As programmers spend most of their time on screen, the screen should be comfortable and not cause eye strain. A 15-inch display is perfect for coding, but if your work involves traveling, then 13 or 14-inch is ideal.
The display of coding laptops should be of higher resolution. The higher resolution makes our coding or debugging work easy and comfy for our eyes. Software developers must opt for an FHD screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It is ideal for coding.
Blue light is very harmful to the eyes, especially for those programmers who work at night. In this case, your laptop screen should be low blue light certified. It protects your eyes and reduces eye fatigue. So make sure about low blue light certification before purchasing coding laptops.
Good viewing angles in the display is also very important. Display panel types are also a factors that should be kept in mind while selecting coding laptops. IPS (In-Plane Switching) panels are often considered the best type of panels for accuracy. Their viewing angles are fantastic without any loss of image quality. They also have the highest color accuracy of the bunch. As a software developer who does design, you’ll likely want an IPS panel.
7. Fast SSD Storage
SSD is better than HDD for programming. A programmer does lots of work, including booting up the OS, compiling code, launching apps, and loading projects, and an SSD helps to do these tasks very fast. So a good and fast SSD should be opted for programming laptops. A good SSD helps you avoid any performance roadblocks as you progress through your programming journey.
256GB SSD is enough for basic programming, but if you have more budget, then invest on 512GB or 1TB SSD. Many laptops are also equipped with SSD as well as an extra HDD. You can go for them.
SSD helps to transfer and receive files faster, and that’ll influence everything from load times to install and compile times as you code your favorite software.
If you are coding in any popular programming languages like JavaScript, Java, Python, C, C++, etc. 512GB SSD is enough to host the install and runtime files of practically all IDEs and programming environment.
Read Also: Best Laptop for Java Programming
8. High-end GPUs
A GPU in a laptop or PC is an essential component for displaying images on the screen. Additionally, it also frees your processor from the unwanted loads to perform tasks.
GPU is not very important for basic programming. An integrated graphics card is enough for basic coding purposes. But if you work on game development, then you need a high-end dedicated graphic card.
The latest and heavy programming software requires a lot of graphical data and processing power. That’s why a high-end graphics card is needed for programming.
As we all know, programming software consumes more memory space than normal software, so if a Graphic card is not installed in coding laptop, then the software will not work properly.
A graphic card makes the coding process easier and faster, which improves the productivity of a programmer.
9. Operating System
Choosing Operating System for programming laptops totally depends upon your work requirements. If you develop IOS apps, then definitely you have to choose MAC OS, but if you make Windows applications, then Windows OS is good.
Linux is very popular among programmers as it compiles many programming languages significantly faster than Windows. C++ and C codes will actually compile faster on a virtual machine running Linux on top of a computer running Windows rather than directly on Windows.
Many programmers even maintain two systems or have dual-booting. So choose OS as per your programming needs.
So guys, I have explained all the points about coding laptop requirements very well. Now you have enough information about the best specifications of coding laptops, and you will no longer be confused about purchasing the best laptops for coding. But still, if you have any doubts regarding this article, then feel free to drop your comments. I will be happy to hear you.
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your developer friends. THANKS.
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FAQs On Minimum Requirements For Coding Laptops or PCs
So guys, till now, you have seen coding laptop requirements. Now I will cover the most frequently asked questions by people on different forums regarding coding requirements for PC or Laptop. So let’s explore them one by one.
8 GB RAM is good for a laptop for basic coding, but for heavy coding purposes, 16GB or 32GB are ideal. You can also do programming on 4GB RAM, but it is suitable for only very basic programs like students do in schools.
Application or software developers who need to run virtual machines, emulators, and IDEs to compile massive projects will need more RAM. So at least 16GB RAM should be installed in your laptop for better performance; otherwise, 8GB could also be chosen, but it is not ideal for professionals.
Core i3 is an entry-level processor and good enough for programming. If you are a college-going student pursuing programming and software engineering and have a tight budget, then i3 processor is just fine for you. But if You are a professional programmer then i3 processor is not meant for you as it will take longer to process lengthy blocks of code.
Compressing, compiling, and sorting tasks take too much time to complete with an i3 processor.
If your work involves multiple applications running simultaneously or you do a lot of multitasking, then don’t opt i3 processor. You should choose i5, i7 or i9.
A laptop having specs of i5 or Ryzen 5 processor, 512 SSD storage, 8 GB RAM, FHD display with resolution 1920 x 1080, A good integrated graphics card, minimum of 5 hours battery life is ideal for programming.
Yes, 8GB RAM is enough for basic programming. However, you will need more RAM for developing heavy software. If your budget is tight and you can’t spend more money on laptops, then here is a list of the best laptops with 8GB RAM under your budget. You can check them out.
If you are a newbie, then you don’t need to spend your money on high specs laptop for programming. But if you are a professional and develop heavy software, then you should have high performing laptop with a powerful processor, plenty of RAM, high-speed SSD, good GPU, and a stunning display.
Creating a website or general programming can be done on normal laptops, but something like Android development, game development, etc., requires a high-end laptop. To run up environments, simulators, emulators, and docker images to dev and test, you’ll need something fairly powerful in terms of RAM and CPU as well as SSD.
You can easily get any powerful laptop with high configuration under 60000 and make a more powerful and productive programming career.
The latest Intel i5 or higher / equivalent Ryzen processor, At least 16GB of ram but preferably 32GB or more, 512 GB SSD, at least Full HD screen, 14+ inch display, at least 6 hours of battery life, and an integrated graphic are the minimum requirements for a programming laptop.