Andrew,

That is a good question and like most things it depends. What software are you using? What tasks are you performing? How big are your datasets?

In general terms where you are using the laptop as a secondary computer to perform only basic tasks such as viewing maps, doing simple edits, and basic queries using apps like ArcMap or QGIS, I would recommend using a laptop with these specs:

• Intel i5, Ryzen 5 or better CPU
• 16 GB RAM
• 512 GB SSD
• 15 Inch Display

If you are going to use the laptop as you primary GIS computer to perform data analysis, classify raster data, import and export data, work in 3D and so on and run apps like ArcGIS Pro then I would suggest the following specs:

• Intel i7, Ryzen 7 or better CPU
• Minimum of 32 GB of RAM (more is better)
• 1 TB NVMe SSD
• NVIDA 3060 or better Graphics Card
• 17 Inch Display

At this level, you should be looking at Workstation or Gaming level laptops. I personally tend to go with gaming. They tend to be a bit cheaper than Workstation laptop with similar performance. I have had a lot of luck with laptops from MSI and ASUS. So I would suggest those if you are looking at Gaming laptops.

If you are stuck with a specific manufacturer because of company policies, the you will most likely need to look at the workstation models. You might get some sticker shock on the pricing of these.  Looking at Dell’s website, their workstation laptops that meet the suggested specs are running over $3,000.

Hope this helps. If you have any specific questions feel free to reach out.

*Message sent from a system outside of UConn.*

------------------------------------------------------------------------- This list (NEARC-L) is an unmoderated discussion list for all NEARC Users.

If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from this list, you can remove yourself by going to http://s.uconn.edu/nearcsubscribe.