The 4 Best Laptops For Programming - Summer 2024 Reviews

The best laptop for programming we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). This premium workstation has a sturdy all-aluminum build, a compact design, and all-day battery life. You can get this model with a base M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max SoC, so you can choose depending on your budget and how demanding your workload is. The Pro and Max chips have a very capable GPU, which is great for game development or anyone requiring high graphical horsepower. The downside is that you'll pay for the GPU performance even if you don't need it.

In addition to its amazing performance, this laptop provides a great user experience with its sharp Mini LED display, spacious keyboard, and gigantic, easy-to-use haptic touchpad. Its port selection is excellent, allowing you to connect peripherals and external displays easily. If you prefer more screen space over portability, get the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3, 2023) instead. It's essentially the same device, just bigger and with better-sounding speakers. The only difference is that the base M3 chip isn't available on the 16-inch. Also, it's more expensive.

Our recommendation for Windows users is the Dell XPS 16 (2024). Also a premium workstation, the 16-inch model is a new addition to Dell's XPS lineup, replacing the older 17-inch model. It's configurable with Intel Meteor Lake and NVIDIA GPUs, up to a Core Ultra 9 and RTX 4070, respectively, giving you plenty of processing power to tackle demanding tasks. Its 16-inch screen provides plenty of space to see your codes, though you'll have to pay more to get the sharper 4+ OLED display, as the base configuration comes with an FHD+ panel. The overall user experience is good but not quite on par with the MacBook Pro; the keyboard and touchpad require some adaptation, and there are only three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports and a MicroSD card reader.

If you don't need the processing power of a workstation like the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) and prefer something more portable, check out the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024). This ultraportable feels very well built and provides a greater user experience with its 120Hz 2.8k OLED display, spacious keyboard, and large haptic touchpad. It also has an excellent 4k webcam, Wi-Fi 7, and a decent port selection that includes two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s. Plus, since this is a 2-in-1 convertible, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. The display supports pen input if you want to take handwritten notes, though you may have to buy the pen separately, depending on the retailer. You can configure it with an Intel Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 CPU; both perform well with minimal throttling under load. Battery life is excellent at around 11 hours of light use. You can get this laptop from HP if you have trouble finding it elsewhere.

The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) is also a great option if you prefer macOS. It's very portable for a 15-inch model, and its battery lasts easily through a full workday. It has a sharp 60Hz Retina display—not as pretty as the Spectre's OLED panel but brighter—and a comfortable, spacious keyboard. You also get a large haptic touchpad, one of the best speaker systems on the market, and an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls. Apple's M3 SoC is fast enough for most programmers, and you won't have to deal with fan noise since this is a fanless device. The main drawback is its limited port selection, as it's still limited to two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. Unlike its M2 predecessor, the M3 model can output to two external displays, but that only works with the laptop closed.

The best laptop for developers we've tested in the mid-range tier is the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2023). It sports a large 16-inch display, so you get plenty of room to see your codes, and since it's a 2-in-1, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. Sporting a full-aluminum chassis, it feels surprisingly well-built for a laptop in its class, and it isn't overly bulky for a 16-inch model, making it easy to carry around. The battery lasts around 10 hours of light use and charges over USB-C.

You can get this laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U or Ryzen 7 7730U CPU; both perform well and are suitable for programming. We recommend getting a model with 16GB of RAM since the memory isn't user-upgradeable. The keyboard feels a little mushy but is still comfortable to type on for extended periods, and the touchpad is large and responsive. The port selection is excellent, though there's no Thunderbolt 4 support since it's an AMD system.

Our best budget pick is the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023). Like the Dell Inspiron 16 2-in-1 (2023) above, this is a 16-inch model, but it isn't a 2-in-1, so you lose the tablet functionality. You still get a nice keyboard, a large touchpad, and decent performance from its AMD Ryzen CPU. Its fingerprint sensor allows you to log in quickly, and its battery lasts around eight hours of light use. Build quality is good, though not quite as sturdy as the Dell, as it's mostly plastic.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of compromises. First, the display only gets to about 250 cd/m² at full brightness, which is fine for most indoor settings but not for sunny environments or outdoors in broad daylight. Next, unlike the Dell, there's only one USB-C port, and it doesn't support video output, meaning you can only use the HDMI port to connect to an external monitor. Last, the webcam is noticeably worse, as the image looks much softer and overexposed.