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When choosing the best laptop for trading, these are the main things we should be looking out for. For those looking for day trading laptops our list covers the needs of day traders of all financial markets. The biggest factor from my experience in trading using a laptop is screen size. Other features a good trading laptop needs are display resolution, brightness, and speed.
Of course, different types of traders require different machines. Day traders, swing traders, or high-frequency traders may have slightly different needs. If you are using high-intensity technical charts with a multitude of indicators screen resolution will be of particular importance.
While high-frequency traders will consider the computational speed of the device over other factors. In either case, we have you covered in picks for the best laptop for trading. Whether you are trading forex, stocks, or crypto we have picked some of the best devices for the purpose.
Table of Contents
Laptop for Trading Characteristics
Let’s run through the features and characteristics you want to look at when considering the best laptop for trading.
Speed
Whether you’re a day trader, swing trader, or a high-frequency trader the speed of your laptop will be a fundamental feature. Powering up your laptop must take the shortest time possible, so you can have your setup ready within seconds rather than minutes. Day trading laptops and high frequency trading laptops need to rely heavily on speed to get chart response rates and order execution as fast as possible.
If you are using multiple charts with tons of technical indicators, high-frequency, or automated trading you’ll also need a fast machine to handle all the data and the graphics. To get the best performance possible you will want to get a laptop with an SSD, as they are approximately 6 times faster than SATA drives.
You will also want a decent multi-core CPU, lots of RAM, and a high-end graphics card with dedicated memory. These specifications are important when we are handling loads of data on various financial markets, and we cannot afford to have a laptop that has even the smallest lag.
Battery Life
If you are looking for a laptop for trading, it’s most likely you are going to be on the move or want to stay connected while on holiday or at a second home. Durability in any case is important, you don’t want to see your laptop power down in the middle of a trade.
However, you should always have a broker that also offers a mobile trading platform together with the standard desktop platforms. So that if you do lose power on your laptop, you can always switch to your smartphone to complete the trade.
Screen Resolution
As a trader, you spend hours at a time looking at a screen deciphering your technical indicators, charts, and news feeds. Eye Strain can be a big problem, so you need a screen with a high resolution and high refresh rate to offset that. The latest OLED technology uses organic materials that emit light when you apply electricity. The resolutions are high, viewing angles wide, and has a fast response rate.
Size is also important, if you are thinking of a 13” screen for a more portable laptop, think again. It’s worth sacrificing portability for more screen size. The screen is our gateway to all the information we need to access. The larger the better. Especially when considering day trading laptops, think of all the hours you’ll spend in front of the screen. And you are going to appreciate a larger size more than a smaller device.
We have listed the devices in three categories, high-end setups, mid-range, and entry-level.
High-End Trading Laptops
1. ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo Laptop with Screenpad Plus 15.6” (Rating 
$3,099.99)
This laptop has the highest specifications on the market with a very recent Intel Core i9 CPU, 11th generation. The graphic card may seem a bit of an overkill. But if you are a high-frequency trader or want to have multiple charts open side by side this will handle all of it.
The laptop has a well-sized SSD hard drive, 1 TB, that also guarantees you can get the maximum performance from the eight-core Intel i9. The device has 32 GB of RAM, and that will help a lot as the graphic card has 8 GB of RAM dedicated to it.
The screen resolution is one of the best you can find on a laptop with OLED technology. And above all, you have some extra space with the screenpad below the main screen. You can keep all your charts open while you check your positions on the screenpad, or while you run through the headline news. The tilting lower screen also increases airflow by 36% allowing for extra cooling.
You can also use facial recognition to log in to your pc and the top screen is also functional as a touch screen. One odd feature, but it makes sense, is the touchpad is to the right of the keyboard. With LED lighting, it can also act as the Numpad of a typical keyboard.
Pros
- Top-tier speed
- Extra Screen space
- High resolution
- Military tested durability
Cons
- High price
Specification Summary
- CPU: Intel Core i9 – 11900H eight-core
- CPU Speed: 2.1Ghz – 4.9Ghz
- RAM Memory: 32GB
- Screen Size: 15.6” plus screenpad
- Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2160 UHD OLED
- Brightness: 400 Nits
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 8GB
- Hard Drive: 1TB SSD
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro x64
2. Acer Predator Triton 500 SE Intel i9 16” Laptop (Rating $2,968.99)
The Acer Predator Triton 500 SE has a top-of-the-industry i9 12900H, a 12th generation CPU with 14 cores and 20 threads. Coupled with 32 GB of RAM and an RTX 3080 Ti graphics card it can guarantee top performance for many years to come.
The hard drive is a 1 TB SSD which allows taking full advantage of the CPU power. The screen is a nice and wide 16 inches with 2560 x 1600 resolution on IPS technology. The RAM is LPDDR5 which is slightly faster than DDR4 and currently at the top of the industry standard.
The device also has a sophisticated cooling system. With a custom-engineered 5th generation AeroBlade 3D fan technology. The cooling system will allow you to run your laptop at full speed for longer than standard equipment.
Pros
- Top of the industry CPU
- Widescreen
- IPS screen
- Excellent cooling system
Cons
- High price
Specification Summary
- CPU: Intel Core i9 – 12900H fourteen-core
- CPU Speed: 5Ghz
- RAM Memory: 32GB
- Screen Size: 16”
- Screen Resolution: 2560 x 1600 LED
- Brightness: 500 Nits
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 16GB
- Hard Drive: 1TB SSD
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
Mid-Range Trading Laptops
1. Razer Blade 15 Intel Core i7-10750 15.6” Laptop (Rating 
$1,999.99)
This mid-range laptop offers lots of speed with an Intel Core i7 10th generation, 16GB of RAM, and an SSD with 512GB of memory. Screen resolution is sufficient with full high definition (FHD) 1080p. The graphic card is a high-performing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which is a good deal for the price of this machine.
This Razer has plenty of firepower to maintain multiple charts open simultaneously with a variety of technical indicators, excel sheets, and automated trading all running simultaneously. The 6 cores, Solid State Disk, and 16GB of RAM will make sure you get the most out of the Intel i7 CPU.
Pros
- High-end graphic card
- Full definition resolution
- SSD
- Relatively thin & light design
Cons
- Mid-range CPU speed
Specification Summary
- CPU: Intel Core i7 – 10750H six-core
- CPU Speed: 2.9Ghz up to 5Ghz with boost
- RAM Memory: 16GB DDR4 SDRAM
- Screen Size: 15.6”
- Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 FHD LED
- Brightness: 300 Nits
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q 8GB
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
2. Dell Inspiron 17 i3793-7275SLV-PUS 17.3″ Laptop (Rating 
$935.00)
The Dell Inspiron 17 takes the second spot for the mid-range category. It has a slightly lower CPU and graphic card, but it has a full 17.3 inches high-resolution screen. The CPU is a 10th-generation i7 with four cores. Along with 16GB of DDR4 RAM.
The graphics card is an integrated NVIDIA MX320 with 2GB of dedicated memory. The laptop has two hard drives, a 256GB
SSD to run the operating system and for apps of immediate use, which will keep a good speed for this device. The second hard drive is a SATA with 3TB, so you have plenty of room for storage.
Pros
- Widescreen
- High resolution
- Large storage space
Cons
- Relatively low CPU speed
Specification Summary
- CPU: Intel Core i7 – 1065G7 four-core
- CPU Speed: 1.4Ghz
- RAM Memory: 16GB DDR4 SDRAM
- Screen Size: 17.3”
- Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080 FHD LED
- Brightness: 300 Nits
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA MX230 2GB
- Hard Drive: 256GB SSD + 2TB SATA
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Entry Level Trading Laptops
1. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 AMD Ryzen 5 HD+ Laptop 17.3″ (Rating 
$569.99)
This entry-level trading laptop gets top of the class for several reasons. Overall, it is one of the best value-for-money laptops we could find. It has a solid CPU from AMD, plenty of RAM, SSD, and a wide screen.
The CPU is the Ryzen 5 5500U from AMD. I know Intel is better known, but gamers often choose AMD over Intel. And the reason for that is you get more bang for your buck. The laptop also has an AMD Radeon Vega 7 graphics card.
Although the graphic card is somewhat limited compared to the higher categories, you still get a strong performance from the CPU. Which has six cores and 12 threads, and a max boost clock speed up to 4Ghz. From experience, this level of graphics card will still run several charts and as many indicators as you might need with ease.
Pros
- Large screen
- Six core CPU
- High top clock speed
- Competitive price
- Long battery life
Cons
- Relatively weak graphic card
Specification Summary
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U six-core
- CPU Speed: 2.1Ghz up to 4Ghz
- RAM Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
- Screen Size: 17.3”
- Screen Resolution: 1600 x 1900 IPS
- Brightness: 300 Nits
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Vega 7
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
2. HP Intel Core i5-1135G7 15-dy2024nr 15.6” Laptop (Rating $506.00)
This entry-level laptop has all the necessary specifications to run your trading setup without spending a small fortune. The CPU is an 11th-generation Intel Core i5 (similar to the Ryzen 5). This device also comes with a lower-level graphics card, but it will suffice for creating multi-window setups with several charts.
As a plus, the operating system is Windows 11, which will give the laptop a longer useful lifespan. On the downside, the storage space is low at 256GB although the hard disk is an SSD. Which will make sure you get the best performance from the Intel CPU.
Pros
- Thin and lightweight laptop
- Competitive price
- Fast charging time
- Latest operating system
Cons
- Relatively weak graphic card
Specification Summary
- CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7 six-core
- CPU Speed: 2.1Ghz up to 4Ghz
- RAM Memory: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
- Screen Size: 17.3”
- Screen Resolution: 1600 x 1900 IPS
- Brightness: 300 Nits
- Graphics Card: AMD Radeon Vega 7
- Hard Drive: 512GB SSD
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Conclusion
The devices we have chosen cover all trading setups from the basic casual trader to those who trade heavily on multiple assets, high-frequency traders, and automated traders. From experience never compromise on your choice. It is always more convenient in the long run to have more power than you need right now.
Day trading laptops should guarantee high speed, high refresh and response rates, as well as plenty of RAM to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. If you are looking for the best laptop for day trading, you probably won’t be satisfied with an entry level device. We recommend considering a laptop from mid-range and up.
The main reason for the extra specifications is that computer technology is constantly evolving at lightning speed, and therefore the software that goes through it. The higher the specifications of your laptop the longer the device will be of good use to you.
Bottom Line
Our pick for best overall goes to the Razer Blade 15 Intel Core i7-10750 15.6” Laptop. This device has all the firepower the majority of traders would need. A high end graphics card, a decent CPU, and full HD resolution.
While placing trades and investing with a high percentage of success is extremely complicated, it’s important to understand that no successful trader is completely by himself. It’s a well-known fact that around 80% of retail traders lose money.
Whereas institutional traders are way more likely to make money than lose. And the big difference is the number of people on the team. Institutional traders may have a dozen analysts and economists giving them tons of information.
So, why go it all alone? When you can use the services of companies that specialize in stock picking and trading alerts. We have singled out some of the best in the industry, you can read our reviews about them here.
Gino D'Alessio is a Broker/Dealer with over twenty years experience in various OTC markets such as Bonds, FX and Derivatives. Currently a Financial Markets and Investments Writer & Analyst
