Best Laptops for Programming

When you spend everyday programming, you need a laptop designed for speed and comfort. The greatest options for programming laptops feature powerful processors and fast storage and memory for compiling code. You’ll also want a comfortable keyboard and a display that reduces strain on your vision. And because your laptop essentially becomes your workspace, it’s nice to have a beautiful device that fits your style.

As a leading innovator in computers for work, Dell offers great laptops for programming. With customizable devices in a range of screen sizes, it’s easy to find the programming laptop that’s geared to your workload, workflow, and style.

Elements of programming laptops

Laptops for programming must incorporate several features that help developers accelerate workflow while staying comfortable.

The latest processors
Compiling code places heavy demands on a laptop’s processor, especially on massive software projects or applications working with machine learning and neural networks. CPUs with faster clock speeds and the latest multi-core processors will help compile code faster.

High-end GPUs
Laptops with the latest dedicated graphics cards are critical for programming visual applications or games, as you’ll want to make sure that the graphics are rendering properly.

Fast SSD storage
While traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) provide more storage at a lower cost, solid-state drives (SSDs) are mandatory components in the best programming laptops today. SSDs load data much faster, delivering superior performance and avoiding any bottlenecks when executing applications. SSDs boot up and resume from sleep in seconds, while HDDs may take minutes to accomplish the same tasks.

Plenty of RAM
Programming often requires running heavy IDEs and virtual machines that can eat up a lot of memory. The best programming laptops will have 16GB of RAM, while developers working on graphic-intensive gaming software should consider 32GB or more.

Comfortable keyboards
Programmers spend lots of time on their laptops, so a high-quality and comfortable keyboard is important. A back-lit keyboard is helpful if you frequently work in low-light conditions, which is typical when working with color-critical applications.

Easy viewing
A high-resolution display with low blue light and/or ambient sensing capabilities will reduce eyestrain and make it easier to stare at a screen for hours at a time. While a 13-inch laptop offers greater portability, a 15-inch or 17-inch screen gives you more real estate for viewing code at a comfortable size while also having multiple windows on the screen side-by-side.

Latitude laptops are a stand-out option among programming laptops available today. From thin and light devices designed for portable productivity to laptops offering high-performance computing, Dell technology lets programmers align their laptops for the demands of their workload.

Innovative design
Latitude devices are smaller and lighter than ever and feature advanced cooling solutions that let users work comfortably anywhere. A wide array of ports makes connectivity easy. Narrow-border screens with ComfortView Plus built-in low blue light and 4K resolution displays further maximize comfort and productivity. Aluminum, carbon fiber, and postconsumer recycled materials pass rigorous MIL-STD 810G tests, ensuring these devices are built to last.

Always ready
Latitude laptops offer easy connections, untethered power, and smarter systems that increase the speed of productivity. With the latest processors, Latitude laptops are built for ultimate performance and manageability. At the same time, built-in security features make Latitude one of the world’s most secure commercial PCs. Long battery life ensures your laptop is available for programming tasks no matter where you’re working.

A unified workspace
Dell Technologies Unified Workspace enables IT to simplify the environment with automation and intelligence.

Laptops for every workload
Latitude 3000 laptops and 2-in-1 laptop tablets offer a modern design for any business application. The 5000 Series is built for scalability and flexibility, while the premium 7000 Series offers a small design with premium performance. And the powerful 9000 Series combines ultra-premium design with innovative user experiences.

What are the best laptops for programming?
The best laptops for programming typically feature fast processors, storage, and memory that help to compile code more quickly. Programming laptops also require comfortable keyboards and displays that reduce eyestrain since developers often spend 8+ hours a day intensely focused on the screen.

How much RAM does a programming laptop require?
While a laptop for programming needs a powerful processor to compile code, it also requires a great deal of RAM to enable smooth performance. Programmers often have multiple applications running simultaneously, and a lack of RAM can significantly slow performance. 16 GB of RAM is ideal, especially for game developers and coders running virtual machines, emulators, and multiple IDEs.

What are the best laptops for engineering programming?
When choosing a laptop for programming in engineering, you’ll need a device with enough processing power, memory, and storage to handle the processor-intensive demands of 3D modeling applications. A professional graphics card is required for more graphic-intensive applications.