Trading from anywhere is every traders dream. In order to do that, you need the Best Trading Laptop you can find.
Following the markets on the go, trading while travelling, making money while you’re away from home or office or simply following your portfolio at all times. This requires a reliable laptop with quite a number of features.
So, what should you look for in a trading laptop?
First of all, speed
Trading means quick decision making, reactivity and speed. You need a laptop that boots in a few seconds, so that you don’t miss that crucial trade. Seconds could mean a lot of money.
That often means you need a flash or SSD drive. You cannot wait 2 to 3 minutes for your machine to boot, that might mean missing an entry or failure to activate a stop loss.
Screen quality
You need a good screen on your laptop, with a high resolution because precision is key if you’re using technical analysis. Some indicators require quite a lot of precision, especially if you’re using several at the same time.
Refresh rate and responsiveness can also be important if you’re looking for precise price action execution within real time quotes.
It’s also likely you’ll be spending quite a number of hours watching the markets so a clean crisp display will limit eye strain.
Screen size is equally important, we consider 15 inch screens to be the appropriate size, but you could go slightly lower if you’re looking for ultra-portability. However we do not recommend going below 12-13 inches.
Lightweight
Trading on the move requires a laptop you can take everywhere with you. Needless to say a lightweight laptop will be a must.
Compatibility with trading platforms
Your laptop needs to run an OS that is compatible with your brokers’ trading platform. Most of the time that isn’t a problem, but keep in mind that some trading platforms or software do not run on a mac (Metatrader, …).
Anyhow, that doesn’t have to be too much of a problem since all macs can easily run Windows software using Apple Boot Camp or virtual machines within Mac OS such as Parallel Desktops or VMWare Fusion.
Keyboard/trackpad
Executing trades often means quick response, so keyboard shortcuts can be pretty useful. That’s especially true if you’re a scalper.
A laptop with a numerical pad will also be quite handy to enter volumes, prices or do quick calculations.
Connectivity
While at home you might need to connect to a second screen, hence connectivity (usually HDMI) is important.
If you need advice on finding a good second screen, we will be reviewing the best trading screens shortly.
Autonomy / Battery life
Running out of power in the middle of a trade is not an option, so you better rely on a laptop with good autonomy.
By the way, as a measure of prudence you should always choose a broker that proposes a mobile trading platform on top of its normal trading package. That way, even if your laptop runs out of battery you can switch over to your mobile device and complete your trade.
Our selection
So here is our selection of the best laptops for trading in 2020.
We have reviewed tens of the latest laptops and matched them to the above features and this is our shortlist:
- Acer Aspire E15 – the most affordable option
- Apple 13” MacBook Air– a fabulous trading machine
- Asus VivoBook – the best value for money
- Dell XPS 13 – the most portable option
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – the best tablet option
1. Acer Aspire E15: the most affordable option for traders in 2020
This is not a laptop for gaming but an excellent option for traders with a sub $600 option. Not recommended if you have a graphic hungry trading platform but good for web-based trading and everyday apps.
This laptop has among the very best ratings on Amazon, it has thousands of 4 and 5 star ratings.
Main specifications
- Processor: 8th gen Intel Core i3 2.2Ghz
- Hard drive: 256 GB SSD
- Screen: 15.6” full HD (1920×1080)
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Battery life: more than 13.5 hours
- Connectivity: USB 3.0 & 3.1 ports
- Weight: 5.3 lbs
- OS: Windows 10 Home
Pros (+)
- Excellent value for money (below 600$)
- Great battery life (up to 15 hours)
- Lots of ports
- Good CPU performance for that price
- Decent screen
- Backlit keyboard
- Fast startup thanks to SSD drive
Cons (-)
- Viewing angle limited on screen
2. Apple 13″ MacBook Air – a fabulous trading machine
The Apple 13″ MacBook Air is a real powerhouse, with its powerful processor, SSD storage and amazing Retina display with True Tone technology.
This laptop will not only be a perfect trading machine, but will also be the perfect daily companion for all your home or business needs. Lightning fast startup, a backlit magic keyboard and Touch ID, thunderbolt and USB 3 connectivity, 8GB of RAM, a fantastic trackpad, it has it all.
Main specifications
- Processor: 1.1Ghz quad-core Intel Core i3 with Turbo boost
- Hard drive: 128 to 512 GB SSD
- Screen: 13.3 inch high-resolution Retina display with True Tone
- RAM: 8GB
- Average battery life: 9 hours
- Connectivity: two thunderbolt 2 (USB-C) ports and two USB 3
- Force Touch trackpad
- Touch ID
- Weight: starting at 2.8 lbs (1.29 kg)
- OS: Mac OSX
Pros (+)
- Super fast
- Fantastic design and build quality
- Vivid screen
- Lightning fast SSD drive
Cons (-)
- Butterfly keyboard issues
- Battery life in some cases
3. Asus VivoBook F510UA – the best value for money
The Asus VivoBook probably offers the best value for money. Powerful and lightweight, it packs a great drive, lots of connectors and a 15.6 Full HD screen. An excellent option for the Budget conscious traders not ready to compromise on features and speed.
Main specifications
- Processor:Core i5-8250U 1.66GHz
- Hard drive: 128 GB SSD + 1TB HDD
- Screen: 15.6″ Full HD WideView
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Fingerprint reader
- Average battery life: 5 hours
- Connectivity: USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, HDMI,
- Weight: 3.7lbs
- OS: Windows 10
Pros (+)
- Excellent value for money
- Thin and small
- Premium look
Cons (-)
- HDD drive can be slow
- Keyboard not backlit
4. Dell XPS 13 – the most portable option
The Dell XPS 13″ is one of the best laptops there is. It is ultra-portable, and hands down your best option if you’re looking for portability without compromise on performance.
Customers love this laptop, frequently highlighting its quality and reliability, while being small and very portable.
Main specifications
- Processor: Intel 7th Kaby Lake i5 7200 Dual-Core
- Hard drive: 128 GB Sata SSD
- Screen: 13.3″ FHD Anti-Glare Infinity Touch Display (1920 x 1080)
- RAM: 8GB of 2133 Mhz LPDDR3 SDRAM
- Average battery life: hours
- Connectivity: USB 3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C
- Weight: 3.7lbs
- OS: Windows 10
Pros (+)
- Excellent build
- Small and portable
- Touchscreen
- Fast SSD Drive
Cons (-)
- Some heating
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – the Best Tablet option
Can you trade with a tablet? Sure you can.
Microsoft’s fantastic new Surface Pro 7 can be a great trading companion, with the added versatility of tablet + laptop formats. It is ultra light, at 1.74 lbs and comes with Windows 10.
Its 12.3″ Touch-Screen is big enough, and the Intel Core i7 will give you all the necessary power for your graphics and indicators. The Surface Pro 7 has 16GB RAM and its hard drive is a 512GB SSD, ensuring lightning fast startup times.
Main specifications
- Processor: Intel Core i7
- Hard drive: 512 GB SSD (flash)
- Screen: 13.3″ FHD Anti-Glare Infinity Touch Display (1920 x 1080)
- RAM: 10th Gen 16GB Memory
- Average battery life: up to 10.5 hours
- Connectivity: USB-C and USB-A
- Weight: 1.74 lbs
- OS: Windows 10
Pros (+)
- Ultra slim and light
- Versatile (tablet / laptop), great for Home, Office and Trading on the go
- Ultra-fast
- USB-C
Cons (-)
- Quite expensive
- Keyboard and pen sold separately
A video of the Best Laptops for Trading in 2020
Further Reading
I hope this review will be helpful. If you want to thank me, buy me a coffee 😉
Hi, Nice Post, useful information you shared which will surely work. I’m in the process of looking for a new Laptop for Trading and I don’t know what basic specs are needed for running these programs. Thanks!