Best Laptops for Programming, Coding & Development in 2022

by Raven Harman | Last Updated: June 1, 2022

Are you a programmer? Are you looking for a Best Laptop for Programmers? Well, stay with us and keep on reading the article until the end. You will find the right choice of programming laptop for you in your budget.

As a programmer, you need to have a laptop with all the hardware and software with optimum performance levels so you can code, debug, compile, or interpretation, and so on.

Technology gets better and better day by day. A machine with the same specification ten years ago can’t compete for the advanced features and specifications of today’s personal computer.

Due to this increase in advancement, the programmer is moving toward a better and optimal solution for programming. Now, most programmers, especially the new generation of programmers prefer a sleek, portable, and fast laptop.

In this article, we are going to give honest reviews about the top 13 best laptops for programmers in 2021. We are sure; you will find a laptop for you after reading these unbiased reviews.

Well, before going to start the reviews, please note, we did extreme research and analysis on 30+ laptops that are already used by some of the best professional programmers out there. Based on the set criteria, our team can shortlist these 13 programming laptops for you. So whether you are a seasoned programmer or just a newbie, these laptops will suit you.

Without any ado, let’s kick-start the reviews.

Best Laptops for Programming in 2022 Reviews

1). Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD IPS Display, 10th Gen Intel Core i5

Aspire 5 is a powerful and portable machine that provides excellent functions to users.  The 10th Gel Intel Core Process can tackle any complicated situation and give intelligence performance, entertainment, and connectivity without having any issues. It offers sharp and crisp visuals true-to-life showcased on the 15.6″ Full HD IPS display.

It has a premium look and tops covered with aluminum, which provides an ease to the users.  If you want the best laptop for programming, then this one is for you as it has the convenience of wireless Wi-Fi 6 based on the 802.11ax standard.

You can bring the deeper bass by turn-up the music with Acer True Harmony. It has a built-in fingerprint that offers secure success with one touch, while its backlit keyboard provides natural comfort to users. It’s the best product from a money perspective and performs flawlessly well in every situation. The memory and drive of the laptop can be inexpensively upgraded, plus you can avail of precise action while having a 256 GB hard drive.

It has excellent memory storage of 8 GB RAM and 258 GB hard drives, which offer you to store large files.  You can avail of it in a budget of $500 and provide long-term performance.

2). (Renewed) Apple MacBook Pro 15in Core i7 2.5GHz Retina

These pre-owned laptop products work excellent and look new. Renewed products are not certified by Apple but have been tested by Amazon-qualified suppliers and offer the minimum 90-day Amazon Renewed warranty to the users. It featured with 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 processor. One of the best laptops for programming and graphic design as it has PCle-based flash storage plus a dual graphic processor. It has the HD unified 720p face-time webcam, and also a high-resolution LED-backlit.

It has a 15.4 inch IPS widescreen and a 2880-by-1800 Retina display. This device doesn’t support the optical drive. It has wireless connections of 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, 4.0 Bluetooth plus two USB ports, one HDMI port, an audio in/out port, and one SDXC card slot.

You can use it a whole day as it has 9 hours of battery life, supported by inertial multi-touch track-pas, Mag-safe2 power adapter, and an internal sealed battery. It has a compatible operating system, and you can easily update and transfer data from the cloud to the unit.

3). Google Pixelbook (i5, 8 GB RAM, 128GB) (GA00122-US)

This one is the most fantastic product and the most premium chrome-book you can avail yourself on a low budget. It is the first laptop that has the built-in Google Assistant and the Pixel Pen feature. The Google Assistant is always ready to help you in any situation; you can start this function by clicking on the Google Assistant key on your keyboard or by saying “Ok Google.”

It stunningly features the processor of 7th Gen Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, and 128 GB for storage. The long-lasting device battery offers 10 hours of precise use, and it is quick charging so you can get 4 hours of use in 30 minutes.

If you are looking forward to avail best laptop for robotic programming, then this one is the best match for you. You can access your favorite apps and icons, including Google Drive, Gmail, YouTube, Infinite Painter, Slack, and many more as it has the 4 in 1 design adapts.

Pixel book’s design is lightweight and super thin and contains a 12.3-inch touchscreen display, aluminum body, Corning Gorilla Glass, plus a backlit keyboard. It works flawlessly well and remains fast throughout the day. This machine is amazingly powered by Chrome OS with automatic software updates through which you always get the latest virus protection.

4). Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touchscreen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5

Surface Pro 7 adopts any place where you work its office, room, or en route. It has the best-in-class versatility of a studio and tablet; you can transform it from laptop to tablet to portable studio. If you are a freak of programming and looking for the best laptop for programming and video editing, then no doubt this one is best suited for you.

It gives a smooth and powerful performance as it has the 10th Gen Intel Core Processor. It has multiple pots, and you can connect with both USB-C and USB-A for connecting to unveils. You can easily carry this device; it is ultra-slim and lightweight as well.

It has a phenomenal battery life of up to 10 hours based on typical device usage. You can avail of this machine in platinum and matte black color. With the Windows 10 Home, it brings unique Windows features you can use at extraordinary value.

It has an excellent display; the screen is bright, has marvelous saturation, and also produces ambient light sensing when it gets dark. The speaker’s quality is also outstanding; you can use this for song recording; you can also check the lyrics at Google docs on the same device.

The keyboard provides excellent comfort to write from just about any angle. The machine has a built-in kickstand that is very sturdy and can handle a wide range of aspects. Overall it’s a great product to purchase.

5). HP Spectre x360 2019 GEM Cut 13.3″ FHD Touch Laptop, Intel i7-8565U

It is beautifully designed and offers super smooth performance to the users. It has superior speed and networking because of the 612 GB SSD Hard Drive and provides fast data access by having a combo of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.

It looks elegant as it has exceptional colors and clarity with a 13.3″ full HD touch screen, which gives wide viewing angles. This machine stunningly features the 13.3″ diagonal WLED-backlit touch screen with NBR, HP Active Stylus Pen, USB-C Port, and SD card reader.

These features made it the best laptop for plc programming 2019. It has the pre-installed Window 10 Pro that contains 64 BIT, 16 GB SDRAM, Bang Speakers, Audio Boost, and Finger reader. This device has a sleek, portable design present that gives three years subscription on a single device to MCAFEE internet security.

This product can do many things; you can do office work, school work, or online work through this masterpiece. This machine has a physical camera shutoff feature. It holds the windows hello with facial recognition and fingerprint. For a portable gaming setup, pair it with an external graphics card offered by the thunderbolt three connections. It charges via type-C cable.

6). HP 15.6″ HD 2019 New Touch-Screen Laptop Notebook Computer

It comes with the Intel Pentium Silver N5000 Quad-Core up to 2.7 GHz processor that gives smooth action and reliable performance. It contains a WLED-backlit touch screen display, which has an HD resolution of 1366 x 768. The touch screen of the device has picture sharpness (basic HD-Class) and TN-Class narrow viewing angles.

It has the high-bandwidth substantial RAM and multitasking advanced 8 GB system memory that make it the best Linux laptop for developers. Developers can smoothly run games, photos, and video editing applications in this machine as well as multitasks and browsers tabs at all once. Mechanical Hard drive of 1 TB offers ample space to store large files (HD videos, digital photos, DVD-quality movies).

This laptop expands the viewing option as it contains the front-facing HP webcam integrated with digital microscopes, 3.0 USB, Bluetooth, and integrated Intel UHD 605 graphics. The operating system of Windows 10 introduces new features such as a Web browser that allows you to markup web pages on your screen.

7). Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 1st Gen 20MF000LUS 15.6″ Notebook – 1920 x 1080 – Core i7 i7-8750H – 16 GB RAM – 512 GB SSD

It comes with a three-year Lenovo Depot warranty. This machine features the 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and built-in Windows 10 Pro (64-bit). The battery timing is exceptional and can charge from 20% to 100% within an hour.

It is compelling, extremely portable, and can perform multiple functions. If you are looking forward to purchasing the best laptop for programming and gaming fun, then this one is best for you. The ThinkPad X1 Extreme can handle many tough tasks like multi-monitor support, hardcore gaming without having any hitch.

It includes a significant amount of memory space and amazing graphics. It has the Full HD 15.6 LED-backlit with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has 2 USB 3.1, 2 USB-C Thunderbolt ports, 4-in-1 SD card reader, 2.0 HDMI, Network extension, and Combo audio.

8). Acer Aspire E 15, 15.6″ Full HD, 8th Gen

The Acre Aspire laptops provide a vast range of daily users’ choices, with attractive features and engaging design. It offers incredible performance in any situation as it has new MU-MIMO technology with a significant battery period. This machine features the 8th Gen Intel Core i3 processor.

It has a widescreen display of 15.6 inches that offers the full HD breathtakingly beautiful images. This laptop has an impressive battery span; with a single go, you can run it for about 13-14 hours. The Acre true harmony ensures movies come to life, more engaging games, and more depth of songs. The Type-C port of USB 3.1 supports the ultra-fast data transfer plus the USB 3.0 port can charge your Aspire laptop when it is powered off.

It is the best budget laptop for programming, as it is available at an affordable price, and it performs multitasks without any trouble.

9). Apple MacBook Pro (13-Inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB Storage) – Space Gray

Best Apple MacBook Pro for those who want to experience programming on Apple devices.

Apple updated its series of MacBook Pro with a touch bar. It has easy to use touch bar. The eighth-generation quad-core CPUs replacing the dual-core. It has a 128 GB SSD Hard with up to 3.2 GB read speed, which makes it an ideal machine for coding.

The most important is the design change with the third-generation butterfly keyboard, which is designed to be quieter and more reliable. Some other minor tweaks include Bluetooth 5.0 and a redesigned option key symbol. It has symmetrical fundable three ports on both (left & right) sides with the same speed.

It has 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM. It is the first Mac to use the Siri wake-up command. You can command Siri even when your laptop is locked or sleeping. It has a true tone display in which adaptive sensors also measure the color temperature. The touch bar also uses a true tone to match the display on the MacBook.

Moreover, this MacBook has 13.3 inches IPS display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600. It has a 720p HD camera. Overall, this machine will take you to a whole new level of class and portability. You will love the performance and functionalities as a whole.

10). Microsoft Surface Book (256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce Graphics) (Renewed)

Microsoft Surface Book is the ultimate laptop as it can completely convert from a powerhouse laptop to a tablet within seconds. It is a 6th Generation dual-core laptop with intel core i5 and i7 processors, which runs at 2.6 gigahertz. It has two batteries, one in the tablet portion and one in the keyboard portion.

It comes with a 512 GB SSD, 16 GB of RAM, and Custom Discrete NVIDIA GPU (GPU). This model is a sort of mid-range to high-end service book. Its super famous hinge is mesmerizing to watch. You can log in to its webcam by merely looking at it, which is perfect, no long passwords, no fussing with fingerprints—additionally, detachable PixelSense Display with Pen and touch. You will get pre-installed Windows 10 with it.

Its design is beautiful and straightforward, the magnesium casing both looks and feels great. The keyboard feels fantastic, especially for those who are switching from MacBook pro; they will love it. Its glass trackpad is phenomenal. It has 2 USB 3 ports, an SD card reader, a charging port, display ports, and a headphone jack.

Once you start using this machine for programming, you will be thoroughly impressed with its overall performance.

In short, it’s a beautiful machine with an aluminum case, very fast, has a flawless display with the best keyboard for typing. This laptop should be your ultimate companion if you are a tech guy.

11). ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 2-In-1 Laptop

ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 2-In-1 Laptop- 12.5” has everything one can imagine in a Chromebook. It has a touchscreen with dimensions of 12.5 inches IPS display. It has a Core m3 processor on board with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 64GB of EMMC storage.

This machine is lightweight as compared to other laptops for converting into tablet mode. It weighs only 2.65 pounds. It has a USB type-c port on both sides and has a volume rocker, a power button, a headphone, and a microphone jack on the left side. The speakers are attached to both sides. It has a micro SD card slot on the right side. Don’t forget that it has 802.11ac Wireless Communication standard installed.

The battery lasts about 10 hours once charge entirely. The keyboard design matching with Google’s mandated keyboard design, which is excellent. It has a bright-lit illuminated keyboard, and the interior is made of a sleek aluminum metal body. The Built-in Google Play Store gives you access to unlimited apps, games, music, books, and much more.

Moreover, the flexible 360-degree hinge lets you use it as a tablet or laptop mode that making it an ideal machine for a programmer. This Chromebook has built-in storage for offline to essential files.

12). Lenovo Premium Flagship ThinkPad E590 15.6 Inch HD Laptop

Lenovo Premium Flagship ThinkPad E590 15.6 Inch HD Laptop is mostly suggested and a strong contender. It is an i7 8th generation laptop. Aluminum and plastic are used to build it. It loads in 5 seconds, perfect for when you are in a hurry.

It has a keyboard with long key travel, and it is super comfortable to type on. There are air intake grills on the bottom as well as the speaker cutouts. It has a Type-C connector that doubles up with a charging port on the left side; there are an HDMI, two USB Type-A port, and a micro SD card.

It has 8GB DDR4 RAM. It has a full HD IPS display and has a diagonal display of 369 x 253 x 19.9 mm with two 1.5W speakers. It has a dedicated GPU and doesn’t use PMW to manage screen brightness. This machine supports M.2 PCIe SATA SSD. The keyboard has a backlit.

You know very well as a software engineer or programmer, you need to install lots of software and IDE’s and need a high-speed laptop, and this laptop can make your life easy.

Overall, this laptop is a beast and has a sleek modern style that is aesthetically appealing. It will hold up for a long time with proper care.

13). Huawei Matebook 13 Laptop (Wright W19GL)

Huawei Matebook 13 Laptop is a jack of all trades. It has a very convenient fingerprint built-in scanner with a power button after opening.

On the laptop’s left side, there is a USB C slot for the charger and a headphone jack with built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 for connectivity. On the right side, it has another slot, and on the bottom, it has speakers and a fan. While on top of it, there is a Huawei textured logo.

Its keys are quite spacious and don’t feel tight. The laptop is lightweight, even with integrated graphics. It has 1.2 mm of travel along with a backlight and has an MX 1 graphic card, which is quite useful for gaming. The eye comfort feature is incredible. The machine comes with the intel core i7 10th generation processor with 1.8 gigahertz clocks and the turbo boost support up to 2.3 gigahertz, which is paired up with 16 GB of RAM and then 512 GB of SSD storage.

These things increase the performance and speed of this laptop. It has everything that a professional programmer looks at in a laptop of programming, coding, debugging, etc.

Buyer Guide on Best Laptop for Programming

Although the fundamentals of digging out a Best Laptop for Programming are the same and that fundamentals we are going to discuss below.

Before that, please note:

Whether you are a newbie or professional programmer, you need to recognize the exact need for programming laptops as programming itself is a vast field.

As a programmer, you need to ask yourself a simple question yourself i.e…

How do I choose a laptop?

Once you know your need, you can make a better decision. As we explained earlier, every programmer has a unique need, but the fundamental of finding the best machine for programming or coding is the same.

We so are going to share those primary key points that you need to remember as a buyer.

These Key Points are:

PRICE

The first thing that should come it your mind is the budget. As programming is a broad field, you and laptops are available in different price ranges from best programming laptops under $500 to $5000.You can keep both the factor price and time of programming you are in mind and make the decision.

Your goal should be to find the best budget laptop for programming 2020, and our reviews will assist you in this regard. Be smart, and don’t spend an excessive amount of money.

BRAND

Another factor that assures you that your laptop is going to stay with you for several years is brand reputation. Always try to find out laptops for the best brands.

Here is the list of Best Brands for Programming Laptops

• Acer
• HP
• Apple
• ASUS
• Microsoft
• Huawei
• Lenovo

Although these brands have different models, they are our go-to brands to select the best budget laptop for programming.

SPEED

Programming needs processing speed, so look at the processor and RAM of the machine. The better processor of the machine is, the faster coding will be. We suggest you buy a laptop for programming with a minimum Dual-Core Processor, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD Storage Disc, and a reliable graphic card.

The best processors go a long way when you are compiling the code. Modern laptops feature plenty of core, threads, and clock speed.

Then it comes to memory, so as we said, you should go with at least a minimum of 8 GB or faster RAM, especially when you are in search of the best laptop for programming and graphic design. The best SSD is essential for saving the project files in a quick time with no issue.

You may go with an average graphics chip, but it’s better to get faster graphics chips so you will always have a better programming or gaming experience.

KEYBOARD

One of the critical factors that a programmer forgets to consider in a laptop is its keyboard. Whether you are going to the best laptop for robotics programming or buying a simple laptop for web programming, the best keyboards will always help you in your coding.

As a programmer, you always involve lots of typing, so a comfortable keyboard will make your life easy.

SCREEN SIZE

Along with the keyboard, you need to consider screen display size and resolution. The laptops with high resolution with a reasonably large screen are going to ease your eyes as you will spend a lot of hours coding, testing, running the apps, creating apps, using emulators, etc.

ERGONOMICS

If you have already experienced programming on any machine, you know the fact that ergonomics is very crucial. You can sit for hours in front of the esthetically unpleasant machine: an ideal laptop interior complements the environment and other accessories, including keyboard, touchpad, screen, etc.

BATTERY LIFE

Last but not least is the battery life. The core benefit of a laptop is that it can stay on for several hours once it charge. So, as a programmer, it’s a big plus for you. You can save your files anytime in case of any emergency. On average, it’s better to have a laptop with at least 8 to 10 hours of battery life.

What kind of computer do I need to learn to code?

It is better to have a laptop that has fast processing speed, is robust, reliable, and ergonomic. Good battery life is essential as well. Along with all these features, affordability is another factor to consider.

What laptops do programmers use?

The programmer used laptops that have longer battery life, durable graphics, and processing speed in major. They may also look at the screen size, resolution, and overall built quality of the laptop.

Which laptop is best for Python programming?

For Python programming, we recommend you buy

• Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
• HP Spectre x360 Gem Cut
• Microsoft Surface Book
• ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 2-In-1 Laptop
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 1st Gen 20MF000LUS 15.6″ Notebook

How much RAM do I need for programming?

Standard 8 GB RAM will be enough for programming, but you can go with 4, 16, or 32 GB, depending on other specifications and the nature of programming.

What laptop specs do I need for programming?

You need to consider Screen Size, Screen Resolution, Processor, RAM, Memory Speed, Hard Drive, Graphics Coprocessor, etc.

Winding Up

Computer programming is not only to write algorithms, design flowcharts, and write codes, it’s even more, harder, and required so many tasks to perform. If you are a programmer, you can imagine the pain of coding of slow speed, old version machines, which are even incompatible with new technologies and IDEs.

To write and run code fast, you need to stay at the top of the rest as coding is a crucial task, so you need to spend on the right laptop to become your trusted partner in the long run. Our reviews and buyer guide hopefully help you a lot in this regard.

These 13 Best Laptops for programming and coding are dug out and finalized after six months of research, and the first few things we consider are speed, processors, RAM, Hard Disk, Graphics, etc. to test productivity. Our selected laptops are going to make a positive impact on your work life.

If you are programming, you are going to take benefit from these powerful laptops. We are sure you like these reviews, and now we are ready to make a purchase. We will love to hear the feedback from your side.