Coding only on laptop
Best laptop for programming in 2022VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Included in this guide:1 MacBookPro 14-inch (2021)2 Pixelbook Go3 HPSpectre x360 (2021)4 AppleMacBook Air (M1, 2020)5 MicrosoftSurface Book 2 (13.5-inch)6 MacBookPro 13-inch (M1, 2020)7 LGGram 178 LenovoThinkPad X1 Extreme laptop9 AsusChromebook Flip C436F/C436FA10 MicrosoftSurface Pro 8When choosing the best laptop for programming, there are several things you need to consider. Of course, you need plenty of power so having one of the best processors and fast RAM is very important, especially when youre testing and running your codes. However, while cores, threads, and clock speeds are important, they arent the only things to consider. A speedy SSD is also necessary to help you save you time when accessing files and projects. As is a comfortable keyboard that is responsive and satisfying to use, and a display that is easy on the eyes youre likely to spend hours upon hours staring at it. If you work remotely and sometimes travel, you might want to spend a bit more to get something thats thin and light (maybe one of the best Ultrabooks). Weve gathered our top choices so you can find the best one for you without too much hassle. No matter if youre looking for a Windows 11 laptop, a MacBook Pro, or even a premium Chromebook, weve got you covered. Some of them are quite reasonably priced, costing just a little more than the best laptops under $500. Here then are what we think are the best laptops for programming. Best Laptop for programming 2022Mightily impressiveSpecificationsCPU: Apple M1 Pro 8-core M1 Max 10-core Graphics: Integrated 14-core 32-core GPU RAM: Up to 64GB Screen: 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display Storage: Up to 8TB View at Amazon View at Best Buy View at Walmart Reasons to buy+ Brilliant performance +Best screen on a laptop Reasons to avoid- Screen may be a bit small for some The MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) is brilliant for creative workflows, but its terrific for programming as well. Taking the MacBook Pro to the ultimate level, this M1 Pro- or M1 Max-powered laptop absolutely blows the rest away with breathtaking power, an equally breathtaking battery life, and an XDR display with 1600 nits of peak brightness. The SD card slot, an HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports help ensure that you have all the peripherals you need. Read the full review: MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) The best Chromebook and laptop for programmingSpecificationsCPU: Intel Core m3 - Intel Core i7 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 RAM: 8GB - 16GB Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K LCD touchscreen Storage: 128GB - 256GB eMMC View at Best Buy View at Walmart View at Amazon Reasons to buy+ 11-hour battery life +Amazing Hush keyboard +The best Chromebook Reasons to avoid- No biometric login -Chrome OS only The Google's Pixelbook Go is the best Chromebook money can buy right now, and it's also a fantastic laptop for programming. Coming with a more affordable price tag than its predecessor, the Pixelbook, Google's latest Chromebook still packs plenty of the premium features the original came with, including an amazing battery life, and one of the best keyboards we've used on a laptop - an important consideration when looking for a laptop for programming in. Sure, it doesn't use Windows 10 - instead it runs Chrome OS - but for most programmers, especially web developers, this won't be an issue. You can also install Linux on this thing as well, which makes it an even more versatile laptop for programming. It features some impressive specs for a Chromebook, which ensures that Chrome OS positively flies on this device, and puts its performance on par with many of the more expensive Windows laptops and MacBooks. Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go Best overall laptop for programmingSpecificationsCPU: 11th-generation Intel Core i5 i7 Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics RAM: 8GB 16GB Screen: 13.3" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch 13.3" diagonal 4K (3840 x 2160) UWVA BrightView micro-edge AMOLED multitouch Storage: 256GB 2TB SSD View at Walmart View at Amazon View at Best Buy Reasons to buy+ Powerful Intel Whiskey Lake processors +12-hour battery life +Thin, light, and portable Reasons to avoid- More powerful than some users will need The HP Spectre x360 (2021) 2-in-1 laptop had a big refresh, and the boost in specs, with 11th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics, along with the impeccable 2-in-1 design and pristine gem-cut chassis, means that this version is at the top of our best laptops for programmers list. The HP Spectre line has always consisted of stunning devices. So, when we say that the Spectre x360 takes things to another level, that should mean something. Not only is this one of the most beautiful laptops on the market right now with its gem cut design and sleek profile, but its tough on the inside. HP fitted this with impressively long battery life, which means that youre getting one of the best laptops on the market, hands down. As such, its also the best laptop for programming right now. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 (2021) A stunning laptop for programmingSpecificationsCPU: Apple M1 Graphics: Integrated 7-core /8-core GPU RAM: 8GB 16GB Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology Storage: 256GB 2TB SSD View at Amazon View at Musician's Friend View at Apple Reasons to buy+ 11-hour battery life +Lightweight for carrying +Silent to use Reasons to avoid- Hardware refresh rather than new design The new Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) isn't just the best laptop Apple has ever made, it's one of the best laptops for programmers. Thanks to the revolutionary ARM-based Apple M1 chip that powers the new MacBook Air (Apple has ditched Intel for these new laptops), this is a stunning achievement: a thin and light laptop that offers great performance, while also offering incredible battery life. Easily managing over 11 hours on a single charge, this is a laptop you can easily carry around with you at work or school. Its screen is gorgeous and the new and improved keyboard means you can happily code away for hours on this thing. Read the full review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020) A powerful 2-in-1SpecificationsCPU: Intel Core i5 i7 Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 RAM: 8GB 16GB Screen: 13.5-inch 3,000 x 2,000 PixelSense Display with touchscreen Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB PCIe SSD View at Microsoft US View at Walmart View at Amazon Reasons to buy+ One of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops +Quiet, fanless design Reasons to avoid- No Surface Pen included The Microsoft Surface Book 2 is an excellent choice for any coders out there, as Microsoft has crafted one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops on the planet. After all, it boasts components powerful enough to handle pretty much everything you could throw at it including some light gaming in your down time. If youre looking for a larger display, theres a 15-inch model, which also features beefier components albeit at a higher price tag. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) Microsoft Surface Book 2 $1,599.99 View Apples little MacBook Pro gets a big refreshSpecificationsCPU: Apple M1 chip with 8core CPU Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU RAM: 8GB 16GB unified memory Screen: 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display Storage: 256GB 2TB SSD View at Walmart View at Amazon View at Apple Reasons to buy+ 13-hour battery life +Powerful M1 chip +Can run iOS apps Reasons to avoid- More expensive than other featured MacBooks The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) may not have gotten a massive design overhaul, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for big time in performance and battery life thanks to Apples groundbreaking M1 chip. This MacBook Pro has the longest battery life in a MacBook, in fact, allowing you to use it for programming for hours on end without having to worry about stopping to find a charger. The M1 chip is no slouch when it comes to performance, either, so compiling and testing code is extremely quick as well. If you have the budget for it, this is a programming laptop that will last you for years. Read the full review: MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) A super-light 17-inch laptop for programmingSpecificationsCPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 Graphics: Intel Iris Plus RAM: 16GB Screen: 17-inch 1600p (2,560 x 1,600) Storage: 2 x 512GB SSD View at Amazon Reasons to buy+ Very lightweight design +14-hour battery life +Beautiful 17" screen Reasons to avoid- Not the fastest processor The LG Gram 17 abandons the full-fat H-series processors for Intel Ice Lake Ultrabook-class chips, and makes up for that by being a 17-inch laptop that's as light as a 13-inch one. This all means you can get a gorgeous 17-inch 1600p display in a laptop that weighs just 2.98 lbs (1.35kg). So, for programmers who need nice, big screens to work on, this is a fantastic choice, and you can comfortably carry it around with you wherever you go. When you couple that lightweight design with the fact that the battery lasted more than 14 hours in our testing, you have the recipe for the perfect laptop for programming on. Read the full review: LG Gram 17 r Great power, massive price tagSpecificationsCPU: up to 8th-generation Intel Core i7 Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design RAM: up to 64GB Screen: 15.6 FHD (1920 x 1080) 15.6 4K UHD HDR (3840 x 2160) multi-touch Storage: up to 1TB SSD View at Walmart View at Amazon View at Amazon Reasons to buy+ Extreme mobile workstation +Multiple configuration options +Robust carbon-fiber and aluminum package Reasons to avoid- More power than some users will need If you have the funds for an unstoppable workhorse, then Lenovos ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation is the best laptop for programming for you. This laptop gets our vote as one of the best Lenovo laptops for many reasons. It has several configurations on hand, depending on your needs and budget, but at its most basic, its already pretty powerful, packed with a solid graphics card in a robust carbon-fiber and aluminum package that will survive any office or field. The only negative? You get what you pay for, and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme comes with a price tag to match its power. Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme A whole lotta hitsSpecificationsCPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i3 i5 Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics RAM: 8GB 16GB 2133MHz LPDDR3 Screen: 14 LED-backlit Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 display Storage: 512GB / 256GB / 128GB PCIe® NVMe 3.0x 2 M.2 SSD View at Best Buy View at Walmart Check Amazon Reasons to buy+ Superb performance +Premium build and features +Cheaper than the Google Pixelbook +Thin and lightweight Reasons to avoid- Touchpad and the touch display not as accurate as rivals Premium Chromebooks occupy their own space in the laptop market, bridging that gap between powerful traditional laptops and super lightweight Chromebooks. And, the Asus Chromebook Flip C436F/C436FA is perhaps one of the very few examples of these out there, with its combination of superb power, terrific feature set, premium build, but a price tag thats cheaper than its rivals. This makes the Asus Chromebook Flip C436F/C436FA perfect for web developers who need a powerful machine. Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip C436F Rebirth of the Surface ProSpecificationsCPU: Up to 11th-gen Intel Core i7 Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics RAM: Up to 32GB LPDDR4x Screen: 13-inch PixelSense Flow display Storage: Up to 1TB View at Walmart View at Best Buy View at Amazon Reasons to buy+ Faster processors +Gorgeous new design Reasons to avoid- More expensive The Surface Pro 8 comes with an all-new design, but it boasts internals that are faster than ever just the ticket for all your demanding coding needs. Its not just, therefore, ideal for illustrators, graphic artists and other creative professionals. There are other things to love here as well, like the two Thunderbolt 4 ports and 2-in-1 design. Its bigger screen with a 120Hz refresh rate is also a nice upgrade, giving you more space to spread out for a more seamless workflow. The higher price is going to get in the way for some, but it might just be worth it for pros. Read the full review: Surface Pro 8 Round up of today's best deals Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021) $1,949.99 See all prices Google Pixelbook Go $649 See all prices HP Spectre x360 (2021) $1,699.99 See all prices Reduced Price Apple Macbook Air (M1 2020) $999 $949 See all prices Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5 inch) $59.99 See all prices Reduced Price Apple Macbook Pro 13" (M1 2020) $1,299 $1,249 See all prices LG Gram 17 (2019) $1,698 See all prices Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme $1,980.77 See all prices Asus Chromebook Flip C436 $799.99 See all prices Reduced Price Microsoft Surface Pro 8 $1,199.99 $1,039.99 See all prices powered by 
Senior Computing editorMatt (Twitter) is TechRadar's Senior Computing editor. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. If you're encountering a problem or need some advice with your PC or Mac, drop him a line on Twitter.
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