Published on January 9th, 2021 | by Sunit Nandi

5 Best Workstation Laptops for Developers and Designers in 2021

As a developer or designer, you need the right laptop to complete your jobs. Storage is a must-have feature because you’ll be handling heavy files. You, therefore, need sufficient RAM and a powerful multi-core processor.

You want to be able to code and test in the shortest time possible. It also helps to have a fast and reliable workstation laptop. Other factors come into play, including the type of keyboard and monitor size.

You have many options available when looking for a workstation laptop. It, however, pays to buy the best laptop, and we will show you our top recommendations. We will provide a review of the 5 best workstation laptops for developers and designers in 2021.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Laptop for Developers and Designers

Before we go into our review, it helps to know what to look for when buying a laptop for developers and designers. The features include:-

Performance which incorporates speed, storage, and ram
A high-resolution screen for best color and detail accuracy
A keyboard, which you will need for editing purposes
Portability and long battery life, so that you can work from anywhere
Your preferred operating system

With the factors above in mind, let’s go into our review of the best workstation laptops.

HP Spectre x360

Product specifications

Operating system – Windows 10
CPU – Intel Core i7-1065G7 (10th generation)
Screen – 13.3 inches (1920 x 1080)
Ram – 16 GB
Storage – 256 GB
SSD – 2TB
Graphics – Intel Iris Plus

What we like

Excellent performance
Modern, sleek design
Inbuilt security features

What we do not like

Some of the features will drain your battery quickly
The laptop can get hot

The HP Spectre x360 has some interesting specs, which would benefit designers and developers. It easily makes it to the top of our list when looking for the best laptops.

The 10th generation Intel Core processor delivers absolute power, which will make your design and development jobs so much easier. You also get Intel Iris plus graphics and excellent RAM space. The design is outstanding, but we did not expect less. HP has managed to deliver some of the most stylish laptops. If you like to work on the go, you will enjoy this slim, portable powerhouse.

The 4K touch display is high resolution and allows for quick configurations. You will get a lot of use out of the battery, depending on the features you are using.

MacBook Pro 13-inch

Product specifications

Operating system – Mac OS
CPU – Intel Core i5 (10th generation)
Screen – 13 inches
Ram – 32 GB
Storage – 256 GB
SSD – 4 TB
Graphics – Intel Iris Plus

What we like

SSD has a lot of capacity
Fantastic keyboard and trackpad
Some of the models feature improved specs
Long battery life

What we don’t like

The entry-level model features an 8th generation CPU
It only has two USB ports
It is not a touchscreen

You get high performance and speed with the MacBook Pro. The laptop is small, making it easy to walk around with. The price point is quite fair, making it ideal for entry-level designers and developers.

Another outstanding feature is the keyboard that is very comfortable to use. The storage capacity is high, allowing for great efficiency in processing tasks. Integrate it with Bootcamp and use Windows if that is what you prefer.

Acer Aspire 5

Product specifications

Operating system – Windows 10 Home
CPU – AMD (8th generation)
Screen size – 15.6 inches (1920 x 1080)
Ram – 8 GB
SSD – 512 GB PCIe NVMe
Graphics – Radeon RX Vega

What we like

Excellent performance
Affordable price point
Bluelight shield
Constant updates

What we don’t like

It does not support USB-C
The touchpad can get a little bit noisy

The Acer Aspire Is a mid-range laptop that can give you up to 7.5 hours of battery life. You get a no-fuss laptop that delivers on performance. The quality is fantastic and comes in at an affordable price point.

The dual-core AMD processor delivers on power. You have sufficient storage with an SSD of 512 GB. Simply download files on the Microsoft store with the safe mode operating system. If you require more storage space, you can upgrade the memory from the 8 GB available.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 2

Product specifications

Operating system – Windows 10 Home
CPU – Intel (10th generation)
Screen size – 13.5 inches touchscreen (2256 x 1504)
Ram – 16 GB
SSD – up to 1 TB (PCIe)
Graphics – Intel UHD

What we like

Responsive touchscreen
Options for configurations
Excellent performance
Lightweight and portable
Large storage

What we don’t like

You only get support for one USB port
It is quite pricey

Microsoft Surface laptop can give you up to 14.5 hours of battery life. The touchscreen makes it so much easier to finish tasks. You get two processor configurations; the Intel Core i5 and Intel Core i7.

Whichever one you opt for will deliver on performance and power. You can also configure the SSD for up to 1TB of storage. You also get the option of 256 GB and 512 GB. It operates on the Windows 10 Home operating system, but you can upgrade it to Windows 10 Pro. Enjoy fantastic displays with the Intel UHD graphics and PixelSense Display.

ASUS VivoBook 15

Product features

Operating system – Windows 10 Home
CPU – Intel (10th generation)
Screen – 15.6 inches touchscreen (1920 x 1080)
Ram – 8-12 GB
SSD – 128 GB
Graphics – Intel UHD

What we like

Affordable pricing makes it ideal for entry-level developers and designers
Lightweight and portable
It charges very fast, with a long battery life

What we don’t like

Being an entry-level model, you may need to upgrade, if you need heavy usage

Asus VivoBook 15 Is the perfect solution for those who are budget-conscious. It is, therefore, ideal for entry-level designers and developers. The friendly price does not compromise the performance.

The CPU is powerful, featuring a 10th generation Intel Core. RAM storage allows you the e option to upgrade to 12 GB. You also get additional storage with the 128 GB SSD. The screen size is large, and the battery life can give you up to 8 hours.

The operating system is Windows 10 home, and you can use the S mode or disable it. Video playing is seamless with the Intel UHD graphics. The backlit keyboard is also a nice touch, further contributing to the sleek, attractive design.

Final Thoughts

We have looked at the 5 best workstation laptops for developers and designers in 2021. There are those that come in at affordable price points to some of the more expensive options. It is important to determine what you need out of your workstation laptop. It will make it so much easier for you to choose.

What you need is a powerful CPU and sufficient storage as must-have features. Also, look for those that give you excellent display for Greater accuracy with your design work.

Articles such as this one will give you a guide on some of the best products. However, it is important that you do further research so that you know what you are buying. Customer reviews are fantastic resources when shopping for a workstation laptop.

Tags: 2021, designers, developers, workstation laptops

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.