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Best Laptops for Coding, Programming & Development.

Updated: Dec 9, 2022



This article will review top performing macOS & Windows based laptops balancing cost, power, durability and most importantly cater to those of us in the programming and engineering world.

In order to choose the right laptop, there are some key features that you’ll want to consider in order to make an educated decision. They are:

  • Processing Power (CPU)

  • Memory (RAM)

  • Hard Disk Drive

  • Screen Size

  • Battery Performance

  • Available Communication Ports

  • Operating Systems

It should be noted that most programmers or engineering students will need to run multiple software packages. This can include, PLC Programming software, HMI development software, CAD software, and multiple operating systems to support legacy systems via virtual machines.

In addition to this, portability and battery life is an important factor as well in choosing the best laptop for PLC programming.


#10. Asus ROG Zephyrus 15 2021 Premium Laptop

Key Specifications

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS 8 Core – 16 Thread Processor, 3.0 GHz (Max Turbo Frequency 4.6 GHz)

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 w/ 8 GB GDDR6 (Features Max-Q Techonologies | Max TGP 100W – Boost Clock 1290MHz)

  • RAM: 16 GB (1 x 8 GB On-Board + 1 x 8 GB) of fast DDR4 3200MHz memory

  • Storage: 1 TB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

  • Display: 6″ Matte QHD 165Hz 3ms IPS-Level

  • Output: 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), 1 x MicroSD Card Reader (312MB/s), 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x RJ45 Port, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 3.5mm Audio Jack

  • Weight and Size: 19 lbs, 13.97 x 9.59 x 0.78 inches

  • RGB: 4-zone RGB N-Key rollover and ROG Overstroke technology.

#9. HP OMEN 15-EK0013DX 15.6″ Laptop

Key Specifications

  • CPU: 10th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H (2.6GHz, 12MB 6 Cores, up to 5.00GHz)

  • GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2060 Max-Q

  • RAM: 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM

  • Storage: 512 GB SSD and 32 GB Octane

  • Display: 6″ FHD display 1920 x 1080 300Hz FHD anti-glare

  • Output: 1 x Thunderbolt 3 ( Type-C), 1 x Mini DisplayPort, 3 x SuperSpeed Type-A, 1 RJ-45, 1 x HDMI 2.0a, S•D Multi-Format Card Reader.

  • Weight and Size: 4 lbs, 0.9” thin

  • RGB: 4 zone RGB keyboard

#8. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

Key Specifications

  • CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0GHz)

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q Design with 8 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM

  • RAM: 16GB DDR4 2933MHz Dual-Channel Memory

  • Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD (2 x M.2 Slots | 1 Slot Open for Easy Upgrades) & 1 – Available Hard Drive Bay

  • Display: 3″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) Widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display (144Hz Refresh Rate, 3ms Overdrive Response Time, 300nit Brightness & 72% NTSC)

  • Output: 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x Mini DisplayPort, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-A), 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C).

  • Weight and Size: 39 lbs, 15.89 x 11.02 x 0.97 inches

  • RGB: 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard

#7. GIGABYTE AERO 15 OLED – 15.6 inch Laptop

Key Specifications

  • CPU: 1?0th Gen Intel Core i7-10870H (2.2GHz – 5.0GHz)

  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 6 GB GDDR6

  • RAM: 16 GB DDR4 SDRAM

  • Storage: 512 GB SSD

  • Display:6″ Thin Bezel UHD 3840×2160 Samsung AMOLED Display (VESA Display HDR 400 True Black, 100% DCI-P3)

  • Output: 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A), 1x Thunderbolt™ 3 (Type-C), 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x mini DP 1.4, 1 x 3.5mm Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack, 1x UHS-II SD Card Reader, 1x DC-in Jack, 1x RJ-45

  • Weight and Size: 4 lbs, 9.8 x 14 x 0.78 inches

  • RGB: GIGABYTE Fusion RGB Per-Key Backlit Keyboard

#6. LG Gram Laptop 17Inch IPS WQXGA

Key Specifications

  • CPU: 11th generation Intel core i7-1165G7 ( 4.7 GHz apple_ci7 )

  • GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EU)

  • RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X 4266MHz RAM

  • Storage: 1TB NVMe™ SSD M.2 2280