Top 8 Best Laptop for Programming in 2021
Are you looking for the best laptop for programming?
A programmer needs one of the best processors in a good laptop, but a fast machine also means fast memory, which one of the best SSDs dictates to us. When coding and testing, the last thing you want is potentially long load times. A fast laptop will speed up loading, compiling and launching projects. Hence, a quality laptop will optimize the programmer’s workflow.
It may also not be the first thing that comes to your mind, but you should be targeting a good screen and the best keyboard available today. You don’t want the screen to tire your eyes after hours of coding. Even less you want to deal with a lousy keyboard, given that you type most of the day.
Don’t worry if this sounds too complicated. We’ve handpicked our favorites to create our ranking of the best laptops for programming to help you choose the right one. Whether you’re looking for a Windows 10 PC, macOS, or even the best laptop for programming in 2021, we’ve got you covered.

Image Title Price Prime Buy Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Business Notebook: Intel 8th Gen i7-8750H (up to 4.1 GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, 15.6″ FHD IPS Display, Windows 10 Pro Professional Prime Buy Now HP Spectre x360 15T 2020 i7-10750H Hexacore, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Nvidia GTX 1650Ti 4GB Graphics, 15.6 4K Touch, Wi-Fi 6, Win 10 Pro, Nightfall Black, HP Pen, 64 GB Tech Warehouse Flash Drive Prime Buy Now HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 14″ Touchscreen LCD 2 in 1 Notebook – Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) i5-8350U Quad-core (4 Core) 1.70 GHz – 8 GB DDR4 SDRAM – 256 GB SSD – Windows 10 Pro 64-bit – 1920 x 1080 – PrimeEligible Buy Now New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) – Gold (Latest Model) PrimeEligible Buy Now New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage, 2.3GHz Intel Core i9) – Space Gray PrimeEligible Buy Now ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 2-in-1 Laptop, 14″ Touchscreen FHD NanoEdge, Intel Core i3-10110U, 128GB PCIe SSD, Fingerprint, Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Chrome OS, Magnesium-Alloy, Silver, C436FA-DS388T PrimeEligible Buy Now Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5″ (Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB) PrimeEligible Buy Now Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touch-Screen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD (Latest Model) – Matte Black with Black Type Cover, Model: QWV-00007 PrimeEligible Buy Now
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Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Business Notebook: Intel 8th Gen i7-8750H (up to 4.1 GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, 15.6″ FHD IPS Display, Windows 10 Pro Professional | Prime | Buy Now | ||
HP Spectre x360 15T 2020 i7-10750H Hexacore, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Nvidia GTX 1650Ti 4GB Graphics, 15.6 4K Touch, Wi-Fi 6, Win 10 Pro, Nightfall Black, HP Pen, 64 GB Tech Warehouse Flash Drive | Prime | Buy Now | ||
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 14″ Touchscreen LCD 2 in 1 Notebook – Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) i5-8350U Quad-core (4 Core) 1.70 GHz – 8 GB DDR4 SDRAM – 256 GB SSD – Windows 10 Pro 64-bit – 1920 x 1080 – | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | ||
New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) – Gold (Latest Model) | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | ||
New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage, 2.3GHz Intel Core i9) – Space Gray | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | ||
ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 2-in-1 Laptop, 14″ Touchscreen FHD NanoEdge, Intel Core i3-10110U, 128GB PCIe SSD, Fingerprint, Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Chrome OS, Magnesium-Alloy, Silver, C436FA-DS388T | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | ||
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5″ (Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB) | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | ||
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touch-Screen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD (Latest Model) – Matte Black with Black Type Cover, Model: QWV-00007 | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
1.LENOVO THINKPAD X1 EXTREME
If you have the money to buy an unstoppable workhorse, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation is your best laptop for programming. In 2021, the laptop continued to be the # 1 best Lenovo laptop for many reasons. Several configurations are available to the user, depending on the needs and budget. However, even in the basic configuration, the Lenovo laptop is powerful enough, equipped with a reliable video card in a carbon fiber and aluminum case be in every office.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Excellent performance
- Amazing construction quality
- Dual M.2 slots
- Surprising memory
Cons:
- Average speakers
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Business Notebook: Intel 8th Gen i7-8750H (up to 4.1 GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, 15.6″ FHD IPS Display, Windows 10 Pro Professional
- Intel 8th Gen i7-8750H 6-Core Processor (9MB Cache, up to 4.1 GHz with Intel Max Turbo)
- 32GB DDR4 2400 MHz RAM
- 1TB Intel PCIe NVMe M.2 fast Solid State Drive
- 15.6 FHD IPS LED Backlight Anti-Glare Screen, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q Dedicated Graphics Card, 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory
- 802.11 AC Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Backlit Keyboard, 3-Year Depot Warranty
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2.HP SPECTRE X360 (2020)
HP’s latest Hybrid, the Specter x360, has received a significant update for 2021, bringing the specs to 10th Gen Intel Core processors with Intel Iris plus Integrated Graphics, all within a stylish hybrid design with a striking cut. The laptop chassis gets smaller, increasing its portability, which quickly propels it to the top of the best programmer laptop.
The HP Specter series has always consisted of great devices. For this reason, it should be understood that when we talk about the next level for the series, HP has really gone far. Not only is this one of the most excellent notebooks on the market – thanks to its neat design with stunning cut edges – it is quite well-grounded on the inside. The manufacturer has taken care of the long-lasting battery to offer one of the programmer’s best notebooks.
Pros:
- Phenomenal display
- Excellent keyboard
- Impressive construction quality
- Several ports
- Impressive design
Cons:
- Gets hot
- Battery life
HP Spectre x360 15T 2020 i7-10750H Hexacore, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Nvidia GTX 1650Ti 4GB Graphics, 15.6 4K Touch, Wi-Fi 6, Win 10 Pro, Nightfall Black, HP Pen, 64 GB Tech Warehouse Flash Drive
- HARDCORE PERFORMANCE: Latest Hexacore 10th gen Intel i7- 10750H (2.6 GHz base frequency(2b), up to 5 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost, 12 MB L3 cache, 6 cores) + NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with Q-Max Design 4GB + 16 GB DDR4 RAM, 1 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, Windows 10 PRO. Includes a Super Sleek & cool 64GB ULTRA SLIM Tech Warehouse LLC USB Flash drive. A speedy little performer with a great look! Please see picture illustrations. This laptop is Brand New with HPS tamper proof factory seal in tact.
- IMMERSIVE DISPLAY AND SOUND: You’ll love the 15.6 diagonal 4K 340 nits (3840 x 2160) IPS IPS micro-edge BrightView WLED-backlit touch screen that brings your videos and photos to life. It also includes Bang & Olufsen Quad Speakers, HP Audio Boost, and custom tuning by the experts at Bang & Olufsen, entertainment comes to life with sound you can feel, Nightfall Black
- BLAZING SPEED WITH SSD AND HIGH PERFORMANCE MEMORY: 1 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD (17x faster than a traditional 5400-rpm laptop hard drive),16 GB DDR4-2933 SDRAM of system memory for intense multitasking and gaming, smoothly run your graphics-heavy PC games and video-editing, 1 x Multi-Format SD Media Card Reader, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5 Combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds), Camera Kill Switch, Mic-Mute Key, HP Pen
- HP TRUEVISION, ThunderBolt 3 and USB-C Support: HP TrueVision FHD IR Camera with Dual array digital microphone – WINDOWS HELLO COMPATIBLE WITH IR CAMERA, USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 3 support – This single interface supports both high-speed data and high-definition video. 1 Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps signaling rate) with SuperSpeed USB Type-C 10Gbps signaling rate (USB Power Delivery, DisplayPort 1.2, HP Sleep and Charge)
- ALL-DAY BATTERY: Stay unplugged for up to 13 hours courtesy of the 6-cell 72.9 Wh Li-ion battery. Built to last you through the day, it gives you the freedom to confidently travel with your convertible HP touchscreen laptop and work on the go without constantly worrying about charge. Click ‘Add to Cart’ and enjoy our 100% satisfaction guarantee!
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3.EliteBook x360 1040 G5
The EliteBook x360 1040 G5 is, without a doubt, one of the predators of the business world. The laptop is not perfect, but it has many useful features to the programmer, which makes up for its shortcomings. Behind the attractive design hides objective functionality that is implemented in a variety of ports, decent performance and great sound. Simply put, this is a laptop for professionals looking for consistent, trouble-free performance, making the EliteBook the best laptop for programming in 2021.
Pros:
- Unique design
- Convenient keyboard
- Impressive battery life
- Lightweight
- Speedy charging
- Thin
- Thunderbolt 3 ports
Cons:
- Noisy sometimes
- Expensive
HP EliteBook x360 1040 G5 14″ Touchscreen LCD 2 in 1 Notebook – Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) i5-8350U Quad-core (4 Core) 1.70 GHz – 8 GB DDR4 SDRAM – 256 GB SSD – Windows 10 Pro 64-bit – 1920 x 1080 –
- HP Elite Book x3601040G5 i5-8350U 14 8GB/256 PC Intel i5-8350U, 14.0 FHD BV LED UWVA TS, UMA, 8GB DDR4, 256GB SSD, AC+BT, 4C Batt, W10 Pro64, 3yr Wrty U.S
- – English localization
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4.Apple MacBook Air
One of the smallest Apple models made a comeback last year with doubled potential. The novelty not only fixes the shortcomings of previous iterations, including the long-awaited keyboard replacement. MacBook Air is a stunning and best laptop for programming with new components that boost performance while lowering the price. Its lightweight and slim design allow you to slip it into any bag and carry it with you, and the dimensions are so small that programming is a joy, no matter the setting.
Pros:
- Graceful design
- Decent display
- Speedy processor
- Impressive battery life
- Touch ID
- Amazing performance
Cons:
- Non-Upgradable RAM
- Slow
New Apple MacBook Air with Apple M1 Chip (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD Storage) – Gold (Latest Model)
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance to tackle projects faster than ever
- Up to eight GPU cores with up to 5x faster graphics for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 16-core Neural Engine for advanced machine learning
- 8GB of unified memory so everything you do is fast and fluid
- Superfast SSD storage launches apps and opens files in an instant
- Fanless design for silent operation
- 13.3-inch Retina display with P3 wide color for vibrant images and incredible detail
- FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor for clearer, sharper video calls
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5.MACBOOK PRO 16
In search of the best laptop for programming, mainly if you write software for macOS, you come to the MacBook Pro sooner or later. And the new MacBook Pro 16, packed with cutting-edge processors and tons of RAM, is the fastest laptop in the series to ever leave the Cupertino labs. Slim, light, large, and stylish, it doesn’t look like a 16-inch elephant despite being diagonal. If you are worried that this diagonal car will be awkwardly large and create problems for your mobility, you are wrong.
Thin display panels give you extra screen real estate without increasing physical dimensions while the best components of last year are at work inside. Rounding out the experience are the best laptop speakers and, of course, the serviceable Magic Keyboard. This is actually the best MacBook for content creators.
Pros:
- Wonderful Retina display
- SSD Storage
- Comfortable keyboard
- Great audio quality
- Powerful performance
- Good battery life
Cons:
- No microSD slot
- Expensive
New Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage, 2.3GHz Intel Core i9) – Space Gray
- Ninth-generation 8-Core Intel Core i9 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
- Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers
- Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports
- Up to 11 hours of battery life
- 802.11AC Wi-Fi
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6.ASUS Chromebook Flip C436
Premium Chromebooks take their place in the market with full grace, filling the gap between classic laptops and low-cost Chromebooks. Perhaps the ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 is emerging as one of the best examples of the combination of performance, wide range of features, premium build and price that is less than the competition. All of this makes the laptop ideal for web developers looking for a new laptop.
Pros:
- Smooth design
- Good battery life
- Speedy performance
- Great build quality
- Great display
Cons:
- Bad speakers
ASUS Chromebook Flip C436 2-in-1 Laptop, 14″ Touchscreen FHD NanoEdge, Intel Core i3-10110U, 128GB PCIe SSD, Fingerprint, Backlit Keyboard, Wi-Fi 6, Chrome OS, Magnesium-Alloy, Silver, C436FA-DS388T
- Premium Chromebooks offer high performance for multitasking and advanced workloads.
- A perfect companion for a content creator, programmer and power seeker powered by the Intel Core i3-10110U Processor (4M Cache, up to 4.1 GHz).
- 128GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 8GB RAM, Gig+ Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.0
- 14 inch touchscreen Full HD 1920×1080 4-sided NanoEdge Display
- A durable 360 degree hinge that can be used to flip the touchscreen display to tent, stand, and tablet mode
- 2x USB Type-C (Gen 1) ports plus an illuminated keyboard (*USB Transfer speed may vary. Learn more at ASUS website)
- The lightweight (2.58 lbs) magnesium-alloy chassis body makes the C436 both durable and beautiful and has built-in quad-speakers powered by Harman Kardon
- Chromebook runs on Chrome OS and has the Google apps. You can edit, download, and convert Microsoft Office files in Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.
- Chromebooks come with built-in storage for offline access to your most important files and a 12-month Google One trial that gives you additional storage across Gmail, Google Drive and Google Photos. This offer from Google will expire by 1/31/2021. Google features’ availability varies according to country. Please check with your local ASUS retailer for details.
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7.Microsoft Surface Book 2
Surface Book 2 is an excellent choice for any programmer, as Microsoft has created one of the most potent hybrid notebooks on the planet. After all, it boasts powerful enough components to handle just about any task, including light games in your spare time. If you want a larger display, a 15-inch model offers an even more powerful configuration, albeit at a significantly higher price.
Pros:
- Alloy construction
- Wonderful design
- Several configuration options
- Impressive battery life
- Amazing graphics
- Great touch display
Cons:
- Bad SSD Storage
- Pricy
Microsoft Surface Book 2 13.5″ (Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM, 256 GB)
- Processor: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8650U (quad-core) with up to 4.20 GHz Max Turbo
- Memory: 8GB RAM 1866Mhz LPDDR3
- Storage: 256GB Solid State Drive. Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 discrete GPU w/2GB GDDR5 graphics memory
- Display: 13.5-inch PixelSense Display, 10-Point Multi-Touch G5 (3000×2000) 267 PPI
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64-Bit
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8.Microsoft Surface Pro 7
This is the 7th recapitulation of Microsoft’s respected Hybrid Tablet. And despite the lack of dramatic changes that tablet fans have been waiting for several years, Surface Pro 7 offers several improvements over the previous generation. The new 2-in-1 tablet is aimed at professionals, driven by increased performance and increased functionality, allowing the Surface Pro series to replace a laptop again.
Excellent additions include USB-C and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. A new set of 4-core processors and increased RAM will help you efficiently compile code from anywhere in the world; you can program even on the road. Just remember that you have to pay for the Type Cover keyboard – you don’t want to write code on the touchscreen keyboard, trust me.
Pros:
- Solid keyboard
- Pen stylus
- Multiple ports
- Elegant design
- Beautiful Kickstand
- Powerful
Cons:
- Minor updates
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touch-Screen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD (Latest Model) – Matte Black with Black Type Cover, Model: QWV-00007
- Next gen, best in class laptop with the versatility of a studio and tablet, so you can type, touch, draw, write, work, and play more naturally
- Faster than surface pro 6, with a 10th gen intel core processor – redefining what’s possible in a thin and light computer. Display Resolution – 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
- More ways to connect, with both USB c and USB a ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging
- Standout design that won’t weigh you down — ultra slim and light surface pro 7 starts at just 1.70 pounds
- All day battery life up to 10.5 hours, plus the ability to go from empty to full faster — about 80 percent in just over an hour
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Conclusion
Choosing the best laptop for programming isn’t just about performance. Memory, speed, and a comfortable keyboard play an essential role when you code on your laptop. When looking for the right model, pay attention to clock speeds, number of cores and threads.
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