You can only be so good as a data scientist if you have a durable laptop. If your PC proves incompetent to work with numbers, you’ll be less productive and other data analysts will outpace you.
And at such a pace, your clients can lose interest when they notice your lack of productivity. Hence, knowing the best laptop for data science can influence your career choice in the future.
While you’re on this quest, it’s important you understand that data science tools are quite expensive and can occupy lots of space. You must know the specs of a laptop before you choose the best to further your data science career path.
Because a subpar laptop for data science means slow processing time, long wait time for most algorithms to run, and the stress of porting files from one device to another.
So, are you working on R or Power Bi to do your numbers? Or you’re using AWS cloud machines for storage? We’ve done excellent research on the best laptops for data science for students who are on a budget.
We bring to you a review of the following specs of a perfect laptop, such as RAM, Graphics Processor Memory, Battery Life, CPU cores, Display Resolution, and Screen Size.
This list of the 15 best laptops for data science covers entry-level students, seasoned data scientists, and the pros. We hope this article will be a good read for you.
Table of contents
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Laptop as a Data Scientist
When in search of the best laptops for data science, you should consider certain factors. Especially for those branching to machine learning, data analytics, data science, and statistics.
These sets of individuals often run local models from time to time, so choose wisely about the specs you spring for.
In selecting the best, we advise you to look through;
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RAM
When going for a laptop for data science, go for laptops with high RAM, because data isn’t getting smaller every day.
To avoid lag and slow work pace, we recommend a data scientist or data analyst get a laptop that has at least 16GB of RAM for their projects.
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SSD Storage
For laptop storage, data scientists require lots of space on their laptops as they work with data. Because data is as fast as where it’s stored.
Hence, we recommend a laptop with 512GB SSD. But, when money is a snag, get a 256GB SSD, then depend on external SATA drives for backup. These external drives are mostly inexpensive.
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Graphics Cards
Another factor to consider as a data scientist hunting for the best laptops is a good graphics card. Any laptop that has good GPU will enable anyone manage enormous data sets fast and easily.
For data science, we recommend a laptop that has at least a GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX 580 for standard 4 to 8 processing cores.
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CPU
The CPU is one important spec any data scientist needs for their projects. Since the CPU carries out all deliverables sent to the laptop, it ought to be powerful.
We advise a data science laptop not to be below an Intel Core i5 7th Generation. As you’ll be running a lot of applications consecutively, you need a laptop that can process that effectively.
Better still, if you can afford a 9th generation Intel Core i9, Intel Core i7, or an AMD Ryzen, go for it. These sets of laptops are better for multitasking and computing.
Your productivity will take a leap with any of them.
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Operating System
The operating system (OS) for a laptop should be a major criterion. However, for data science students, the OS they choose is subject to the user’s discretion.
Most data science professionals and students often use Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu.
Ubuntu is user-friendly and data scientists can customize it to fit their needs. While macOS has a simplified user interface and one can multitask with it.
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Upgradability
As a newbie in data analysis, you won’t battle with storage and processor. But as you advance, the need to upgrade your laptop will step in.
go for a laptop that is easy to upgrade with pocket-friendly options when you add extra RAM, storage, and graphics cards.
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Display
If you want to choose a laptop for data science, go for laptops with large screens for easy optimization of display features.
The disadvantage of large screens is the inability to be moved around.
So, if portability is your goal, you can choose those with slim screens and get an additional monitor for your work.
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How Much Will It Cost To Purchase a Durable Laptop for Data Science?
The price of laptops for data science mostly differs. It totally depends on where and when you choose to purchase yours.
We’ll set our laptop budget for an entry-level data scientist to US$800 to $1000. If you decide to go lower than this price, then you should go for laptops that have 8GB in memory.
Remember, this will not be enough for anything data science you’ll encounter and it won’t satisfy the factors we have above.
What are the Best Laptops for Data Science Students? | 2024 Review
Here is a review of the best laptops for data science students in 2024;
- Apple MacBook Pro
- ASUS VivoBook 15
- Dell Gaming G3 15 3500
- Flagship Dell Inspiron
- LG Gram 17Z90P
- Apple MacBook Pro MPTT2LL/A
- HP 15
- Lenovo Yoga 6
- GS66 Stealth by MSI
- ASUS ROG Strix G17
- MacBook Pro 13″ or 14″
- Dell XPS 13 or Dell XPS 15
- Dell Inspiron 15.6″
- Lenovo Thinkpad X or T series
#1. Apple MacBook Pro
Apple MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for data science because of its outstanding features. It has 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and an eight-core CPU.
Let’s see how these features contribute to our choice of number #1.
The Apple MacBook has 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage, which sets it perfect for data science needs, as most scientists work with loads of data simultaneously.
The CPU and GPU are the most essential features that make it stand out from other laptops. Its 8-core Apple M1 CPU is great to run analysis without hitches.
While the 8-core Apple GPU makes the view of data clear and in great detail. This is like an individual working on game development.
Additionally, it has perfect Retina Display features that ensure great viewing data sets. Aside from making data sets look presentable, it also enhances the view of high-resolution videos and pictures.
Generally, we regard Apple MacBook Pro as an intelligent laptop that stands out for data science students with its perfect RAM, CPU, GPU, and portability.
Specifications
- Colours: It comes in mostly Silver and Space Grey
- Display: 13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
- Battery and Power: Its battery is a 58.2-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery with 67W USB-C Power Adapter.
- Memory: 8GB and 16GB. Upgradable to 24GB.
- Storage: in it comes two types. 256GB SSD (upgradable to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB) and 512GB SSD (upgradable to 1TB, or 2TB).
- Keyboard: has Touch Bar, Touch ID, Ambient light sensor, and Force Touch trackpad.
- Wireless: 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 wireless networking and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology
- Camera: 720p FaceTime HD camera
- Size and Weight: Weight: 3.0 pounds (1.4 kg)3
- Operating System: macOS
Check Price from Apple or Check Price from Amazon
#2. Dell Gaming G3 15 3500
Specifications:
- Colours: Black
- Display: 1920 x 1080 pixels
- CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10200H; 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10870H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: 8GB and 16GB. Upgradable to 24GB.
- Storage:
- Keyboard:
- Wireless:
- Camera:
- Size and Weight:
- Operating System:
Dell Gaming G3 is another laptop that is perfect and the best for data science as it has a high processor and good RAM available. Its large space creates enough storage capacity for any kind of data scientist.
The CPU is an Intel Core i7-10750H processor and the Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 Ti graphics card is the best for data science.
It comes with a strong aluminium case that makes it very durable and a less chance of scratches.
Buy from Amazon
#3. ASUS VivoBook 15
Specifications:
- Colours: Transparent Silver, Slate Grey, Peacock Blue, Coral Crush
- Display: 88% screen-to-body ratio; 5.7mm ultraslim bezel; 15.6” FHD display; 178° wide viewing angle
- CPU: Up to Core i7 Intel processor
- GPU: NVIDIA® discrete graphics
- Battery and Power: Fast charging: 60% in 49 mins; Up to 3X longer battery lifespan
- Memory: Up to 16GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: Up to 512GB + 1TB SSD + HDD; Up to Intel Optane memory
- Keyboard: full-size backlit keyboard
- Wireless: dual-band Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
- Size and Weight: 1.6kg
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
ASUS VivoBook 15 is one of the best compact laptops that can immerse you in data science.
It has a new frameless four-sided NanoEdge display that enhances an ultraslim 5.7mm bezel. This helps to give an extraordinary 88% screen-to-body ratio for supremely immersive visuals.
Also, the recent Intel® Core™ i7 processor, NVIDIA® graphics, and dual storage drives help power it up for any work to be done with less amount of fuss.
#4. Apple MacBook Pro MPTT2LL/A
Specifications:
- Colours: Silver Colored Aluminum, Space Gray
- Display: 15.4″ widescreen 2880×1800 (220 ppi, 500 nits) “Retina” display
- CPU: 7th Generation 2.9 GHz Intel “Core i7” processor (7820HQ)
- GPU: Intel HD Graphics 630 graphics processor
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: 16 GB RAM;
- Storage: 512 GB
- Keyboard: Butterfly mechanism keyboard
- Wireless: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.2, four “Thunderbolt 3” ports
- Camera: FaceTime HD webcam
- Size and Weight: 4 pounds (1.83 kg)
- Operating System: macOS
For anyone venturing into data science, Apple MacBook Pro MPTT2LL/A is another great choice of laptop for you.
This notebook contains an integrated 720p FaceTime HD webcam and a backlit keyboard with a “Touch Bar” touch-sensitive control that enables it to give access to Touch ID.
Equally, it has 16GB RAM and 512GB flash storage. This means you cannot upgrade your storage, but the flash storage could be upgraded.
#5. Flagship Dell Inspiron
Specifications:
- Colours: Black
- Display: 1366 x 768 pixels (WXGA HD); 15.6 inches (39 centimeters)
- CPU: 7th Gen Intel Quad-Core i7-1165G7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: 8GB; 16GB; 32GB RAM
- Storage: 256GB SSD; 1TB SSD
- Keyboard: Backlit Keyboard
- Wireless: Wifi and BluetoothCamera:
- Size and Weight: 3.84 lbs
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
Among the different Dell laptops that exist, Flagship Dell Inspiron is one of the best and outstanding latop for data science.
It has a quad-core Intel i7-1165G7 processor and the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This makes it better for graphics performance and data visualization.
Also, the 16GB of RAM in this Dell Inspiron creates enough space for the storage of all data sets and files.
To stand out in your data analysis, you can opt for this brand.
#6. HP 15
Specifications:
- Colours:
- Display:
- CPU: Intel Core i7 processors
- GPU: Intel UHD Graphics (not CUDA-capable, but can run OpenCL with a little tweaking)
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: Up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Keyboard:
- Wireless:
- Camera:
- Size and Weight:
- Operating System: Windows 10 64
If you’re on a tight budget but still want one of the best laptops for big data, here is the place to go.
The HP Notebook 15 features an Intel Core i7 processor with up to 16GB of RAM as an option.
A 128GB SSD keeps data moving rapidly while providing adequate storage, though you may want to use its three USB 3.1 connections to connect to external drives.
This laptop is extremely useful if you are a college student or an entry-level data analytics professional.
Buy from Amazon or Buy from HP
#7. LG Gram 17Z90P
Specifications:
- Colours: Black
- Display: 17″ FHD (2560X1600)
- CPU: 10th Gen Intel® Core™ processor
- GPU: Iris® Plus graphics
- Battery and Power: up to 17 hours of battery life; 80Wh battery
- Memory: Up to 16GB
- Storage: Up to 2TB SSD
- Keyboard:
- Wireless:
- Camera:
- Size and Weight: Ultra-Lightweight Design; 2.98 pounds
- Operating System:
As a beginner in data science, you need a powerful laptop and this new LG Intel Evo is what you need. This laptop ranks among the 7th best laptops for data science student.
This is a very smart one among others. All you need to do is turn on the gram and log in. The in-built reader scans your finger and you’re in at once.
Also, you can mirror your smartphone directly on your laptop and have access to your text messages, calls, and other activities.
Hence, if you’re looking for a laptop with a long life, impressive display, and has lightweight, this LG Gram 17-inch laptop is a good start.
#8. Dell Inspiron 15.6″
Specifications:
- Colours: Carbon Black
- Display: 15.6″, FHD 1920×1080, 60Hz, Non-Touch, AG, WVA, LED-Backlit, Narrow Border
- CPU: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 (8 MB cache, 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 4.20 GHz Turbo)
- GPU: Intel® UHD Graphics
- Battery and Power: 3 Cell, 41 Wh, integrated; 65 Watt AC Adapter
- Memory: 8 GB, 1 x 8 GB, DDR4, 2666 MHz; Up to 16GB
- Storage: 256 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD; Up to 2TB SSD
- Keyboard: Non-Backlit Keyboard, English
- Wireless: 802.11ac 1×1 WiFi and Bluetooth
- Camera: 720p at 30 fps HD camera, single-integrated microphone
- Size and Weight: 3.82 lb (1.73 kg)
- Operating System: (Dell Technologies recommends Windows 11 Pro for business)Windows 11 Home, English
As a data scientist, you need a laptop that is very responsive yet with quiet performance. We bring to you this Dell Inspiron 15.6.
This laptop features the latest 11th generation Intel® Core™ processor and has options for SSD. Its keyboard is easy to type with as the keycaps is 6.4% large with a spacious touchpad. This makes very easy to navigate your data sets.
Thanks to its lift hinge that raises your device to an ergonomic angle, creating a typing angle with great work comfort.
We consider this laptop best for entry-level data science students.
#9. HP ENVY 17t
Specifications:
- Colours: Silver
- Display: 17.3″ diagonal FHD touch display
- CPU: 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics
- Battery and Power: 4-Cell 55Wh Li-ion
- Memory: Up to 16GB of SDRAM
- Storage: Up to 512GB PCIe® NVMe™ SSD
- Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5 combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds)
- Size and Weight: 5.6 Pounds
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
No laptop can compete with this HP ENVY 17t with its flair of price and energy. It is one of the best laptops for data science students who is on a budget, yet looking for a durable laptop.
With its Intel® Core™ i5 and Core i7 processors, the speed delivers up to 4.6 GHz. Also, the 512GB Intel SSD helps you save up more things on your PC.
10. ASUS ROG Strix G17
Specifications:
- Colours: Original Black and cool Eclipse Gray
- Display: 17.3” FHD (1920×1080)
- CPU: Ryzen™ 9 5900HX processor
- GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3070 graphics card
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Storage: Up to 1TB of NVMe SSD storage
- Keyboard: backlit keyboard
- Size and Weight: 5.95 Pounds
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
If you’re changing your career to data science, you need this laptop to improve your productivity. It gives a feeling of gaming when you’re using it.
Most importantly, it powers the worlds fatest laptops for gamers and developers, just like you. With its NVIDIA’s 2nd gen RTX, you can comfortably use it for any AI features.
There’s no better for data scientist than this. You will stand out in all your project if you purchase this.
11. Lenovo Yoga 6
Specifications:
- Colours: Dark Teal with aluminum top cover and fabric top cover
- Display: 13.3″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200), IPS, Glare, Touch, 100%sRGB, 300 nits, 60Hz
- CPU: AMD Ryzen™ 5 5500U Processor (2.10 GHz up to 4.00 GHz)
- GPU: Integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics
- Battery and Power: 59Whr 4 cell; Up to 13.5 hours (MM18); Up to 17 hours (1080p Video playback
- Memory: 8 GB LPDDR4X-4266MHz (Soldered); up to 16GB of memory
- Storage: 512 GB SSD M.2 2242 PCIe Gen3 TLC
- Wireless: Wi-Fi 6 2×2 AX & Bluetooth® 5.2
- Camera: FHD IR Hybrid with Dual Microphone & Privacy Shutter
- Size and Weight: Starting at 1.37kg / 3.02lbs
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
This laptop’s specs make it tempting for any data science student. Its thin and light design with touchscreen makes your project come alive just as entertainment is the vibe students always need.
Its eco-friendly silverware also makes the laptop very portable to travel around with. Indeed, it’s very portable for its inch size.
With the picture above, I feel positive to get it for a change of laptop. So, if you’re looking for a sleek and adventurous laptop as a data scientist, this should suffice.
12. Dell XPS Laptops; 13 or Dell XPS 15
Specifications:
- Colours: Frost exterior, arctic white interior
- Display: 13.4″, 3.5K 3456×2160, 60Hz, OLED, Touch, Anti-Reflect, 400 nit, InfinityEdge
- CPU: 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 (8 MB cache, 4 cores, 8 threads, up to 4.20 GHz Turbo)
- GPU: Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics
- Battery and Power: 4 Cell, 52 Wh, integrated
- Memory: 8GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x Memory Onboard
- Storage: 512 GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD
- Keyboard: White Backlit English Keyboard with Fingerprint Reader
- Wireless: Killer™ Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2 x 2) and Bluetooth 5.1
- Camera: Widescreen HD (720p) 2.25mm webcam
- Size and Weight: 1.2 kg
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home, English
The new Dell XPS 13 and Dell XPS 15 is one great pick for data science students. both of these laptops have slim and special designs which are completely free for data analysis.
Although they both have their differences, their display, touchpad and keyboard still stand to be the best of the Dell XPS brand.
However, if you’re looking for a bigger display and discrete graphics, we recommend the Dell XPS 15.
Buy from Amazon or Buy from Dell
13. GS66 Stealth by MSI
Specifications:
- Colour: Core Black
- Display: 1920×1080 (16:9)
- CPU: Core i9-10980HK
- GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPER™ Max-Q
- Battery and Power: 4 cell (99.9Whr)
- Memory: 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2666MHz
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
- Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key (84 Key)
- Wireless: Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(2*2 ax); BT 5.1
- Camera: 720p HD Webcam
- Size and Weight: 4.63lbs
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro (MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business.)
GS66 Stealth is a very sleek laptop that has better specs with its latest 10th Gen. Intel® CoreTM i9 processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX 2080 SUPERTM graphics.
for data science students, this laptop puts you ahead of your competitors with its longest 99.9Whr battery level. This makes it even much better for gaming.
You also get to enjoy a different audio level with the Duo Wave Speaker in world-class Dynaudio sound system.
We will always recommend this laptop for data scientists, game developers, and cloud specialists.
Buy from Amazon or Buy from MSI
14. Lenovo Thinkpad X or T series
Specifications:
- Colours: Black and Grey
- Display: 14″ LED Ultrabook 1366 x 768 16:9 Display
- CPU: Intel Core i5 (5th Gen) i5-5300U Dual-core (2 Core) 2.30 GHz
- GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5500 DDR3L SDRAM
- Battery and Power:
- Memory: 4 GB DDR3L SDRAM RAM
- Storage: 500 GB
- Wireless: IEEE 802.11ac Wireless LAN
- Size and Weight: 3 lbs and 2.5 lbs
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
The Lenovo ThinkPad X and T series is another powerful laptop for data science students in 2024.
These series are strong enough that they can replace any desktop PC with its fast Intel and AMD processors. And like other ThinkPad series, the T series offers a discrete dTPM good for secure storage of encryption keys.
While the ThinkPad X Series offer full PC power, easy to carry systems, and extra long battery life.
Make your choice today with either the T or X series here.
15. Razer Blade Pro 17 Gaming Laptop i7-9750H 6 Core
Specifications:
- Colours:
- Display:
- CPU:
- GPU:
- Battery and Power:
- Memory:
- Storage:
- Keyboard:
- Wireless:
- Camera:
- Size and Weight:
- Operating System:
The new Razer Blade 17 is more powerful than ever, with a more compact design and enhanced thermals.
For data science students, the Blade 17 equips professionals with the latest NVIDIA and Intel CPUs.
Also, the Blade 17 is a mobile desktop that can handle performance-demanding AAA games on the go, live-stream video while playing, and create masterpieces.
Although it’s on our list as the last, it still rings the best for data scientists.
Buy from Amazon or Buy from Razer
FAQs
If you’re a Data Scientist who wants to analyze data quickly, you should have a high-end laptop with decent high-end hardware, which means a minimum of 256GB SSD and at least 16GB of RAM, coupled with an i7 quad-core processor.
From our review above, the best laptop for a beginner, intermediate, or data science expert, the Apple MacBook Pro came in first, then the Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 as second, and in the 3rd position is ASUS VivoBook 15. You can read the rest above.
Data Science and Analysis demand the use of several heavy and RAM-intensive tools. It will require a minimum of 8 GB of RAM, although we usually recommend more RAM like 16GB if your budget allows it.
You must select the required hardware configurations from the items; then, depending on your budget and needs, you can opt for a laptop with dedicated graphics or integrated graphics. You don’t need to hunt for a laptop with specialized graphics; an integrated graphics would serve.
Frankly, there is no single device we can consider the greatest laptop model for data science students because it will be the best fit for all students. However, depending on your needs, you can select any of the options from our list.
Final Verdict
If you’re a data science student, the key factor you need to consider when choosing a laptop is the processing power, RAM, hard drive, and battery level. Sometimes, we advice students to also look into the display features when making their choice.
A full HD display can make so seamless and you can run complex algorithms with ease.
Hence, the best from our 2024 review is the Apple MacBook Pro coming in first, then the Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 as the second, and in the 3rd position is ASUS VivoBook 15.
We hope this is a good read for you.
References
- everymac.com/ – apple MacBook Pro specs
- saltmoney.org – 10 Best Laptops For Data Science In September 2024 [Tested By Data Scientists]
- hp.com – 10 Best Laptops for Data Science and Data Analysis
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