The 5 Best Laptops For Stock Trading & Finance In 2024
The best trading laptops are powerful enough to run resource-intensive day trading and stock trading apps – and portable enough to let you engage with the markets wherever you are in the world.
We’ve tested the best stock trading laptops for making trades on the stock market. As part of our rigorous review process, we’ve analyzed the internal specs, design and durability, and benchmarked performance. Whether you need in-depth color-coded technical analysis charts in real time or just want to crunch the numbers, there’s a laptop for every scenario and budget.
In this article, we feature 5 of the best laptops for stock trading, focusing on different categories of users. We’ll highlight the best trading laptop overall but also present options for traders on a budget, as well as those who like to play the latest games when taking a break from their intense trading sessions.
What’s important in a stock trading laptop?
Stock traders often have multiple charts open and monitor news across various websites. This translates into a large number of browser tabs, which are notoriously heavy on RAM. So, we recommend you opt for 16 GB of RAM or more to ensure that you can have dozens of tabs open simultaneously without too much of a hit to performance.
If you’re not sure if the laptop has enough RAM, make sure that you’re buying a laptop with a free RAM slot (or multiple RAM slots) so you can add more RAM later if necessary.
You’ll want a reasonably powerful CPU to ensure that your laptop runs smoothly — you want to be focused on your trading and not be distracted by long loading times and sluggish performance. However, you don’t need a top-of-the-line CPU in a stock trading laptop.
What’s less important in a laptop for stock trading?
Most modern laptops are equipped with SSD anyway, which is why storage will rarely be a deciding factor when choosing between the best laptops for trading stocks.
features that you should focus on when buying a laptop for stock trading:
- Prioritize RAM (16 GB or more).
- If you often trade on the go, prioritize a good battery life and a high-quality screen.
- Most stock traders will not need a high-performance CPU unless they are frequently using complex spreadsheets with large amounts of data. A mid-range CPU will suffice for most traders.
- Your GPU or integrated graphics solution only needs to be powerful enough to drive the number of external displays you intend to use. Don’t pay a premium to get a powerful GPU, as it’s not very relevant for most stock trading applications.
BEST TRADING LAPTOP OVERALL
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best:
1. Acer Aspire Lite 12th Gen
The Acer Aspire Lite 12th Gen is a laptop with an excellent design and a very solid battery life. It also comes with an integrated fingerprint sensor, which makes logging into stock trading websites and other software easier and more secure. However, it is a relatively premium device and might not be the best choice if your priority is to get the most bang for your buck.
| Model | Acer Aspire Lite 12th Gen Intel Core |
|---|---|
| Processor | Core i5-1235U |
| Graphics Chip | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 512GB SSD |
| Display | 39.62cm (15.6″) Full HD Display |
| Weight | 1.6 KG |
| Price 👉 | CHECK HERE |
About this item
- Processor : Great performance meets long battery life with the Intel Core i5-1235U Processor – up to 4.40 GHz, 10 cores, 12 threads, 12 MB Intel Smart Cache
- Visibly Stunning: Experience sharp details and crisp colors on the 15.6″ Full HD display, 16:9 aspect ratio, ultra-slim design and narrow bezels.
- RAM : 16 GB DDR4 RAM, Storage : 512 GB SSD || Operating System : Windows 11 Home, Graphic : Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Ports: one Type-C, two Type-A USB 2.0 port, and one Type-A USB 3.2 port.
- Keyboard: 100-/101-/104-key keyboard with independent numeric keypad, international language support
2. Apple Mac Book Air Laptop
If you want a Apple Mac Book Air Laptop M1 chip laptop for stock trading, the best choice is the 13.3-inch MacBook Air. The basic model with the M1 Air chip , alongside 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, should suffice for most traders and won’t break the bank at a listed price.
| Model | Apple MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip |
|---|---|
| Processor | M1 Chip |
| Graphics Chip | Integrated Graphics |
| RAM | 8GB RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Display | 13.3-inch/33.74 cm Retina Display |
| Operating System | macOS 10.14 Mojave |
| Price 👉 | CHECK HERE |
About this item
- All-Day Battery Life – Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life.
- Superfast Memory – 8GB of unified memory makes your entire system speedy and responsive. That way it can support tasks like memory-hogging multitab browsing and opening a huge graphic file quickly and easily.
- Stunning Display – With a 13.3-inch/33.74 cm Retina display, images come alive with new levels of realism. Text is sharp and clear, and colors are more vibrant.
- Why Mac – Easy to learn. Easy to set up. Astoundingly powerful. Intuitive. Packed with apps to use right out of the box. Mac is designed to let you work, play, and create like never before.
- Powerful Performance – Take on everything from professional-quality editing to action-packed gaming with ease. The Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation while using way less power.
3. Lenovo LOQ
Let’s face it — many of us want our laptops to be powerful enough for gaming, even if we’re primarily buying it for more serious endeavors such as trading stocks. If you want a laptop for stock trading that’s powerful enough to deliver impressive performance in games, we recommend a laptop from the Lenovo LOQ series.
| Model | LOQ 15IRH8 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-12450H |
| Graphics Chip | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 4GB GDDR6 Dedicated with max TGP 70W |
| RAM | 16GB RAM DDR5-4800 |
| Storage | 512GB SSD (Expandable upto 1TB) |
| Display | 15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS Technology |
| Operating System | macOS 10.14 Mojave |
| Price 👉 | CHECK HERE |
About this item
-
- Speed: 2.0GHz (Base) – 4.4GHz (Max) | 8 Cores | 12 Threads | 12MB Cache | 144 Hz Refresh Rate |Brightness: 350Nits Anti-glare | NVDIA G-Sync |
- Connectivity : Wifi 6E 11ax (2×2) | Bluetooth 5.1 | Cooling: Dual 85mm 12V high-speed fans and larger vents ensure quiet and powerful cooling.
- The Lenovo AI Engine+ and Lenovo LA1 AI Chip work together with the MUX Switch with NVIDIA Advanced Optimus for a truly epic boost in performance, at levels you’ve never seen before.
- OS and Pre-Installed Softare: Pre-Loaded Windows 11 Home with Lifetime Validity | MS Office Home and Student 2021 ||
- Battery Life: 60Wh (upto 6 Hrs) | Rapid Charge Pro (100% Battery Life in 80min )
- Audio: 2x 2W HD Stereo Speakers | Nahimic Audio with Surround Sound, Sound Tracker, Night Mode, Sound Sharing & Content Profiles || Camera: FHD 1080p | E-cam Shutter | Integrated Dual Array Microphone
4. ASUS Vivobook 16
The Asus Vivobook 16 is a very interesting laptop that features a second display above the keyboard. In a stock trading scenario, you can use the main screen for charting while using the second screen for a newsfeed or other stock market information.
| Model | ASUS Vivobook 16 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9-13900H 13th Gen |
| Graphics Chip | Integrated Graphics |
| RAM | 16 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB |
| Display | 40.64 Centimetres Display |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Price 👉 | CHECK HERE |
About this item
- FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 16:10 aspect ratio
- Anti Glare Coating
- Backlit Keyboard
- Fingerprint Reader
- Numeric Keypad
5. Dell G15 5520
The Dell XPS 15 is a laptop with an excellent design and a very solid battery life. It also comes with an integrated fingerprint sensor, which makes logging into stock trading websites and other software easier and more secure. However, it is a relatively premium device and might not be the best choice if your priority is to get the most bang for your buck.
| Model | Dell G15 5520 Gaming Laptop |
|---|---|
| Processor | 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H |
| Graphics Chip | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4 GB GDDR6 with max 90 W TGP |
| RAM | 16 GB, 2 x 8 GB, DDR5, 4800 MHz |
| Storage | 1TB SSD |
| Display | 15.6″ FHD 1920 x 1080 WVA |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Price 👉 | CHECK HERE |
About this item
- Up to 4.50 Ghz | 12 cores | 16 Threads | 18 MB Cache | 45 W TDP | Power Adaptor: 180W AC Adapter
- Non-Touch, Anti-Glare| 120 Hz ( 9ms ) | 250 nits | 45% NTSC
- Keyboard and Battery: US English Orange Qwerty Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and G-Key |3 Cell, 56 Wh, integrated
- Software: Pre-Loaded Windows 11 Home with Lifetime Validity | MS Office Home and Student 2021 with lifetime validity| McAfee Multi Device Security 15-month subscription
- Ports: SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1, USB Type-C port with DisplayPort with alt mode, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, Power in, RJ45, Headphones/mic
- Audio & Camera |Connectivity: Dolby Audio + HD RGB camera | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, 2×2, 802.11ax, Bluetooth wireless card
How We Chose These Laptops for Stock Trading
CPU & RAM
Both the CPU and RAM are important when it comes to stock trading for related reasons. When it comes to CPU, you need something that can handle your stock trading apps without having things lag or slow down, especially when each second counts. You really just want something that works, but at the same time, there’s no point spending for a high-end CPU that’s not going to give you very small and diminishing returns, which is why like the mid-to-high-end Intel i7 and Ryzen R7 CPUs for this. Most of the options above have an Intel i7 under the hood except for the Apple option, which runs an equivalent M2 Chip.
If you have so many tabs and apps open, you might as well see them, and since needing to keep track of several bits of information is important, the more screen space you have, the better. That means anything under 15 inches will probably be a bit too small to deal with. To that end, none of our picks dip below that, and we’ve included at least one pick with 17 inches so that if you feel you need more screen space, you can get it that way.