This article may include references and links to products and services from one or more of our advertisers. We may be paid compensation when you click on links to those products and/or services. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
This article contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. Please note that this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice. We do not endorse any specific product or service mentioned in this article.
Complete List: 8 Best Developer Laptops
Are you a game developer or a software professional? Or informatics students who want to become website developers? Of course, a developer or programmer will always be dealing with hundreds of coding lines every day. Friends of the arena certainly understand very well that this activity really requires a computer or best developer laptop device.
The best developer laptop should support software, website, or game development with classy specifications to make work smooth. Indeed, there are many laptops for sophisticated developers on the market. However, it is often a headache to choose which best developer laptop to support coding or programming activities, especially for beginners such as students.
Image | Title | Buy |
---|---|---|
Top | Dell New XPS 13 9300 13.4-inch FHD InfinityEdge Touchscreen Laptop (Silver), Intel Core i7-1065G7 10th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 10 Pro (XPS9300-7909SLV-PUS) | See Price |
Top | LG Gram Laptop 17Inch IPS WQXGA 2560 x 1600 Intel 10th Gen Core i7 1065G7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD 512GB x2, 17 Hour Battery, Thunderbolt 3 17Z90N 2020 | See Price |
Top | Newest Lenovo IdeaPad S145 15.6" HD Business Laptop, AMD A6-9225 Dual-core Upto 3.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, AMD Radeon R4 Graphics, HDMI, WiFi, Card Reader, Windows 10, Black | See Price |
Top | ASUS VivoBook 15 S513 Thin and Light Laptop, 15.6” FHD Display, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, Fingerprint Reader, Windows 10 Home, Indie Black, S513IA-DB74 | See Price |
Top | HP Pavilion 15 Laptop, 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD Storage, Full HD IPS Micro-Edge Display, Windows 10 Pro, Compact Design, Long Battery Life (15-eg0021nr, 2020) | See Price |
Top | New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage, 2.3GHz Intel Core i9) - Space Gray | See Price |
Top | 2019 Lenovo ThinkPad T470 14" IPS Full HD FHD (1920x1080) Business Laptop (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD) Thunderbolt, Type-C, HDMI RJ-45, Windows 10 Professional 64 Bit | See Price |
Top | Dell Latitude 5480 Laptop - 6R2TF (14” HD, Intel Core i5-7200U 2.50GHz, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, Windows 10 Pro 64) | See Price |
1. Dell XPS 13
Developers love the Dell XPS series, and this best developer laptop remains among the finest in its price range. Dell XPS 13 is available in several configurations, with a 10th Generation Intel i7 processor as standard.
This processor should be able to handle almost any programming task. The 13.3 “InfinityEdge touchscreen is among the best in its class and is perfect for long coding sessions. Those willing to pay more can upgrade to the FHD version, although the benefit may be marginal.
The 16GB of DDR3 RAM will offer users a smooth experience. The best developer laptop comes with a choice of Windows 10 Home or Pro or Ubuntu pre-loaded on the upgradeable 512GB SSD hard drive. Those who can extend their budget should prioritize SSDs with a larger capacity or more RAM as both would be a worthwhile investment.
Pros:
- Infinity display
- Great quality
- Strong built-in
- Fantastic keyboard and touchpad
- Great battery life
Cons:
- Price configurations
- Dull display
- Precision cut from a block of aluminum in two pieces so there is no variability in construction.
- Corning Gorilla Glass 6 is tough, damage resistant, durable, elegant and allows for no flex in its display.
- Dual fans separated to spread heat over a larger area, to dual heat pipes to hidden exhaust venting through the hinge,
- The power button lets you log on with just a touch
- A 2.25mm high quality HD webcam gives you the best camera experien
2. LG Gram 17
While other 17-inch laptops look big, bulky, and heavy to carry around, this one is thin and light. It’s easy to underestimate at first, as it will feel more like a budget Chromebook than a productivity machine. The fact that this developer laptop has an effortless and minimalist look doesn’t help.
Either way, you shouldn’t criticize it! In addition to being the lightest 17-inch notebook on the market when it came out, which is by no means an easy feat, the LG Gram 17 has some credit – including being a CES Innovation Awards Honoree.
In fact, this best developer laptop has all the credentials to be one of the best Ultrabooks. It boasts optional USB-C charging, decent battery life (up to 19.5 hours, according to LG), a good selection of ports, an incredibly bright display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and of course, all the power necessary for productivity. It also has a fingerprint sensor for easy access, a Kensington lock for added security, and a sturdy metal alloy frame that is resistant to shocks, dust, and extreme temperatures.
Pros:
- Incredibly thin and light, especially for a 17-inch
- Loads of power for productivity
- Very affordable price for what it offers
- Great performance
Cons:
- At maximum volume, the sound from the speakers is a bit distorted
- Aspect Ratio:16:10
- 17” WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD Screen
- Windows 10 Home (64 bit)
- Intel 10th Generation i7-1065G7 CPU To Iris Plus graphics
- 16 GB DDR4 RAM and 1 TB M 2 NMVe SSD (512 GB x2)
- 80WH Lithium Battery (up to 17 hours)
- 6 Surge-protected outlets supply complete, 2-line AC protect
3. Lenovo IdeaPad S145
Choosing the best developer laptop that does it all while managing to keep costs relatively low could be a difficult thing. Lenovo’s 15-inch Ideapad S145 aims to do exactly that, balancing style, functionality, and portability in a budget laptop. But some things are missing that might bother you.
That said, the Ideapad S145 is perhaps one of the best developer laptops for every day, for both students and working professionals. It may not be full of features or have top hardware, but the 330S will be able to satisfy most of your requests, leaving a cue for all other similarly priced notebooks to consider.
Pros:
- Convenient Price
- Quiet and cool
- Thin and light
- Great performance
Cons:
- Not excellent build quality
- Battery life not optimal
- AMD A6-9225 Dual-core Accelerated Processor (2. 6GHz up to 3. 0GHz), 8GB DDR4 Memory, 1TB HDD
- 15. 6-inch Diagonal HD SVA WLED-backlit 1366 x 768 Display, AMD Radeon R4 Graphics
- 802_11_AC, Bluetooth 4. 0, Card Reader, HD Audio with Stereo Speakers, Webcam
- 2 x USB 3. 1 Type-A, 1 x USB 2. 0, 1 x HDMI, 1 x Headphone/microphone Combo Jack
- Full-size Island-style Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 2-cell lithium_ion, 4. 08lb, Bl
4. Asus Vivobook Pro 15
Computers in this series are neither compact nor light like those in the VivoBook Slim or Zenbook Pro line, but they’re not that far off either. In fact, these are great multimedia options built on modern platforms with dedicated graphics capable of handling multitasking, demanding loads, and even gaming to some extent. This best developer laptop has very amazing features.
The screen is matte, the keyboard is backlit, and there is a full set of ports and an overall price that won’t bankrupt you.
Pros:
- Well built
- Aluminum laptop
- Excellent keyboard and touchpad
- Solid performance
- Great for developers
- Loudspeakers
Cons:
- Noisy fans
- Aluminum is perceived as “cheap.”
- 15.6 inch Full HD NanoEdge bezel display with stunning 85% screen-to-body ratio
- Powerful AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Processor (8M Cache, up to 4.1 GHz)
- 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and Windows 10 Home
- Ergonomic backlit keyboard along with a fingerprint sensor activated via Windows Hello
- Comprehensive connections including USB 3.2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Type-A, USB 2.0, HDMI, and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (*USB Transfer speed may vary. Learn more at ASUS websi
5. HP Pavilion 15
The HP Pavilion 15 is an affordable and best developer laptop, which devalues most of the competition, making it an ideal option for students and office workers to consider.
On paper, you should have enough power to do the most common programming tasks and enough GPU performance to play some Fortnite, Overwatch, and the like – just don’t expect to run them at high speed with texture packs and settings at most.
Pros:
- Great speakers
- Good performance
- Affordable price
- Good keyboard
Cons:
- Below average display
- INSTANT GRATIFICATION – Experience a laptop with premium performance, so you can spend less time getting more done; it’s like a small PC that’s compact enough to go where you go with a long-lasting battery to power you through your day
- EPIC ENTERTAINMENT – With audio by B&O, a larger screen-to-body ratio, and a 15.6-inch Full HD micro-edged screen to maximize your view, entertainment on your laptop feels like bringing the theater home (1)
- IMPRESSIVE GRAPHICS – The Intel Iris Xe Graphics gives you a new level of graphics performance with crisp, stunning visuals, plus the convenience of a thin and light laptop (2)
- UNSTOPPABLE PERFORMANCE – Get things done fast with the 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, which delivers instant responsiveness and best-in-class connectivity (3)
- MEMORY AND STORAGE – Enjoy up to 15x faster performance than a traditional hard drive with 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage (4) and experience improved multitasking with higher bandwidth thanks to 16 GB of RAM
- WORK ON THE GO – Get work done on the go with a long battery life of up to 8 hours (5) while HP Fast Charge lets you go from 0 to 50% charge in approximately 45 minutes (6)
- OS AND WARRANTY – Do more with better peace of mind thanks to the HP 1-year limited hardware warranty and the seamlessly integrated Windows 10 Pro operating system (7)
- EFFORTLESSLY CONNECTED – Enjoy a smoother wireless experience with Wi-Fi 6 (2x2) (8) and Bluetooth 5.0 combo (9), all your connections are solid and up to 3x faster file transfer speeds than Wi-Fi 5 (10)
- FULL-SIZE KEYBOARD – Work comfortably with a full-sized keyboard, integrated numeric pad, and a Precision Touchpad
- ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY – Stay energy-efficient and sustainable with a laptop that is Energy Star certified (11), EPEAT Silver registered (12), and built with a low halogen display (
6. Apple Macbook Pro
If you are a developer who has always used Windows and wants to try a Mac, this is the right machine for you. But it depends on what you are looking for:
- Do you do web or app development? A Mac is a great choice
- Do you want to start developing for iPhone and iPad? You need a Mac
- Do you use Visual Studio, and are you comfortable with it? Forget the Mac
- Do you develop industrial programs? Forget the Mac
- Do you want to use a Linux distro? Forget the Mac
Suppose you have never programmed before, and you want to buy the best developer laptop to start. In that case, a MacBook is not for you, better to start with a Windows laptop: you save money, and you can take a nice online course with confidence without understanding how to do what you need with MacOS.
Pros:
- Great keyboard
- Great performance
- Great battery life
- It recharges pretty quickly
Cons:
- Expensive
- Heavy
- SUPERCHARGED BY M2 PRO OR M2 MAX — Take on demanding projects with the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. M2 Pro has 12 CPU cores, 19 GPU cores, and up to 32GB unified memory. M2 Max has 12 CPU cores, up to 38 GPU cores, and up to 96GB unified memory.
- UP TO 22 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE — Go all day thanks to the power-efficient design of the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. And the MacBook Pro laptop delivers exceptional performance whether it’s running on battery or plugged in.
- FULLY COMPATIBLE — All your pro apps run lightning fast — including Adobe Creative Cloud, Xcode, Affinity Designer, Microsoft 365, and many of your favorite iPhone and iPad apps.
- BEAUTIFUL PRO DISPLAY — The 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display features Extreme Dynamic Range, over 1000 nits of brightness for stunning HDR content, and pro reference modes for doing your best work on the go.
- ADVANCED CAMERA AND AUDIO — Look sharp and sound great with a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, a studio-quality three-mic array, and a six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.
- CONNECT WHAT YOU WANT — MacBook Pro features a MagSafe charging port, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. And enjoy seamless wireless connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
- MAGIC KEYBOARD WITH TOUCH ID — Magic Keyboard comes with a full-height function key row and Touch ID, which gives you a fast, easy, secure way to unlock your Mac and sign in to apps and sites.
- WORKS WITH ALL YOUR APPLE DEVICES — You can do amazing things when you use your Apple devices together. Copy something on iPhone and paste it on MacBook Pro. Use your MacBook Pro to answer FaceTime calls or send texts with Messages. And that’s just the beginning.
- BUILT TO LAST — The all-aluminum unibody enclosure is exceptionally durable. Free software updates keep things running smoothly and securely for years to come.
- LEGAL DISCLAIMERS — This is a summary of the main product features. See legal disclaimers bel
7. Lenovo ThinkPad T470
Comfortable typing is essential for coding, and laptops haven’t always met this requirement. The ThinkPad laptop range, however, is known for breaking this trend. This best developer laptop combines good battery life with an 8th generation Intel Core i5 1.6 GHz processor. These laptops are highly customizable, with options ranging from 8GB to 32GB of RAM and 256GB to 1TB SSDs for storage.
These are all-around high-performance machines that programmers consistently recommend for their responsive and comfortable keyboards. Another great feature is the Power Bridge, which allows users to replace batteries without shutting down the machine.
Pros:
- Convenient keyboard
- Quiet working
- Great battery life
- Good touchpad
Cons:
- Poor sound quality
- RAM 8GB DDR4 RAM Storage 256GB PCIe NVMe M 2 SSD (Everything Lenovo Original)
- Intel Dual Core i5-6300U 2 40 GHz Processor (Max Turbo 3 0 GHz 2 cores 4 threads 3MB SmartCache)
- 14 0 FHD IPS (1920x1080) Non-Touch LED backlight 220 nits 16 9 aspect ratio 400 1 contrast ratio
- Intel Wireless 8260ac (2x2) + Bluetooth v4 1 HD 720p Webcam Long battery life (3-cell 24 WHr + 3-cell 24 WHr Li-Ion)
- Windows 10 Professional 64-bit - Ideal for Home Professionals Small business School Educat
8. Dell Latitude 5480
This laptop can be the best option for game and application developers to support coding activities. Its power carries the 7th generation Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake processor, which is driven by 8GB of RAM to produce a strong performance.
Pros:
- Great battery life
- Impeccable security
- Great performance
Cons:
- Dim display
- Intel Core i5-7200U (3MB Cache, 2.5GHz u p to 3.1GHz Turbo Boost)
- Intel HD Graphics 620, 8GB-2400MHz DDR4, 500GB 7200RPM HDD
- 14-inch Non-Touch (1366x768) LCD, 720P HD Webcam with Microphone
- Intel 8265 Dual-Band AC Wireless, Bluetooth 4.1, HDMI, VGA, USB Type-C Display Port
- 68WHR 4-Cell Battery up to 13 Hours, Windows 10 Pro 64-
Conclusion
These are the best developer laptop options to choose from to support coding activities. This activity is certainly delightful for a website or game developer if a capable and best developer laptop supports it. Although some of them are priced high, the results are very comparable