Data science is an interdisciplinary practice that uses scientific methods, algorithms, and equations to extract usable information from unstructured data. Data science has begun using artificial intelligence and cloud facilities to ease mathematical efforts. To meet the ever-growing needs of data science, big laptop manufacturers have brought the best quality laptops into the market.
This article will discuss the best laptops for data science and the general requirements for a computer to suit your data science needs. And here are some of the best laptops for gaming and other work for reference.
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Requirements to be the best laptops for data science
Here are some of the necessary features that a laptop should have for working with data science and having hands-on coding experience.
Multicore Processor
The CPU or the central processing unit has evolved drastically over the years and with every generation, its power efficiency, thermal management, processing power, and new hardware compatibility have increased. The best processor for laptops to work with data science is probably Intel 11th gen or AMD 5th gen(5000 series). The latest processors will ensure efficiency and speed and support upgraded hardware. You can also opt for Intel 10th, 8th, or AMD 3rd generation processors.
Executing parallel tasks require higher numbers of cores in your processor. You also have to keep in mind the base clock frequency which will ensure the basic speed of the processor. The next thing you need to consider is memory. For data science requirements the best memory type for a laptop is DDR-4( 8 GB size, speed 3200 MHz). Here are some of the processors that will suit these requirements
- AMD Ryzen 7 4700U (Cores: 8, Threads: 8, Base clock: 2.0 GHz, Cache: 8 MB)
- AMD Ryzen 5 4500U (Cores: 6, Threads: 6, Base clock: 2.3 GHz, Cache: 8 MB)
- Intel Core i5–1135G7 (Cores: 4, Threads: 8, Base clock: 2.4 GHz, Cache: 8 MB)
You can choose any processor you like that will meet the size and speed requirement.
Graphics Processing Unit
The recommended GPU type is GTX 1650 or higher. You would be wise to choose a GPU from a reputed brand like AMD or NVIDIA. Only NVIDIA graphic cards are compatible with the latest CUDA processor. For size, a 4 GB GPU is a minimum requirement.
Secondary Memory(Storage)
Storage space or secondary memory is probably the most crucial requirement for the best laptops for data science. Even laptops with Intel i7 core and latest generation processors can be really slow if they come with HDDs( Hard disk drives). If you want more speed, SSD (Solid State Drive) is the way to go because SSDs have no moving parts, unlike HDDs, so they are significantly faster. As for the size of an SSD, a 1 TB is the ideal choice but if that is too expensive a 512 GB SSD will also work. But we recommend not going below 512 GB.
RAM
To execute parallel computations and multi-task you will need a higher RAM size but keep in mind that increasing the RAM size won’t increase your speed. The recommended minimum for RAM size is 8 GB because the operating system itself will take up 3 GB of RAM. If you opt for 4 GB RAM you are left with just 1 GB for other computations. If you want to install a virtual operating system that takes up 4 GB of RAM, even 8 GB of RAM won’t be enough and you will have to go for 12 GB or 16 GB. So, it’s important that your laptop supports at least 12 GB of RAM.
As for the RAM Bus Speed, the minimum requirement is 2666 MHz.
Display
When choosing the display, make sure it has the blue light filtering feature because working with data science means working long hours with the screen and eye care is hugely important. The size of the display should be 15. 6 inches minimum but having a 22-inch or 24-inch is the perfect option. For the resolution, please don’t go below an HD(720p).
Best HP laptops for data science
HP has evaluated their laptops and made the laptops listed below, some of the most suitable laptops for data science.
HP ENVY laptops for data science
The ENVY 17t is arguably the best laptop not just for HP, but also for working in the fields of data analytics. It is a brilliant mixture of price and power that is truly rare. It has Intel i5 Core and Core i7 processors that support 4.6 GHz of speed. The GPU is NVIDIA GeForce which is compatible with CUDA and can speed up processor-heavy applications. The display is 17.3 inches and it has a 16 GB SDRAM.
HP Pavilion laptops for data science
The next best HP laptop for data science, HP Pavilion laptops support Windows 10 64-bit and have a base of 8 GB memory. They have 4 GB of SDRAM and an 11-inch high-resolution display with the blue-light filtering feature. The HP Pavilion x360 will provide you with intel quad-core and i7 processors which are more than enough to run apps like Apache Spark or MATLAB.
HP EliteBook laptop
The HP EliteBook laptop gives HP Pavilion a run for its money with its Intel Core 8th generation processor for optimal SAS or ggplot2 use. The ultra-bright and blue-light-filtered display are one of the most attractive features of this slim laptop. It has a lucrative 32 GB of DDR-4 RAM and two whole mind-blowing 2TB SSDs. Who needs external drives?
HP ZBook 15 G8 laptop
This laptop lets you enjoy Windows 10 pro-64-bit unlike the other laptops on this list. It has a 9th generation Intel Core i7 and Core i9 (6 core) processors. It has 128 GB of DDR4 RAM. This laptop comes with a standard 512 GB SSD which is more than enough storage for data analytics.
HP Spectre x360 laptop
The HP Spectre x360 laptop supports Windows 10 64-bit and has 16 GB of SD RAM along with a CUDA-compatible graphics card. The processor is Core i7 which is pretty good for student data analysts and data scientists. This laptop supports up to 1 TB SSD.
Is the Macbook Air laptop good for data science?
There are certain drawbacks of the Macbook Air as a data analytics/science laptop but overall it is a good choice. The advanced Apple M1 chip helps in fast processing. The Retina display is the best in the market with a touch ID security which you’ll definitely want in your data analytics laptop. It also has a powerful GPU that helps in parallel computations.
But there are some drawbacks to the MacBook Air. The first thing is the price of this model even though it is probably the cheapest model Apple has to offer. The standard storage space is 8 GB and while you can configure it up to 16 GB, it doesn’t really improve the performance. Also, the configuration will cost quite a bit.
Best laptops for data science students
Except for HP and Apple, there are other low-price laptops for data science students that are just as good.
ASUS Vivobook 15
ASUS vivobook 15 is the best everyday laptop within a budget that data science students can use efficiently. This laptop supports the Windows 11 operating system and a 12th-generation Intel Core processor. It also has 16 GB of DDR-4 RAM, 512 GB SSD, and touchscreen security.
ASUS ROG Strix G17
This laptop is originally made for gaming, equipped with AMD Ryzen 7 4800H 8-Core. It will give you better speed than Intel Core i7 processors. It supports Windows 11 and also has a CUDA-compatible GPU by NVIDIA. This laptop carries a RAM of 16 GB which is upgradable to 64 GB and has 6 hours of battery life. It also supports high SSD storage, up to 1 TB.
Lenovo Legion 5 Gen 5 laptops
Again a gaming laptop, because data science laptops are basically well-made gaming laptops. It supports Windows 11 pro operating system and has an AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Processor. This also has a CUDA-compatible GPU by the NVIDIA GeForce series. Although the RAM is 8 GB, you can upgrade it to 16 GB.
Lenovo Yoga 6
We like this laptop for students mainly because of its portability but its AMD RYZEN 4th-generation processor and abundant SSD storage options make it a suitable choice for entry-level data analytics
While traditional gaming laptops are not good for data science requirements the newer models of gaming laptops have a lot in common with data science laptops like–linear algebra, parallel computations, and the use of AI. So some of the gaming models like ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 can be good for data science.
Yes, it is imperative that a data scientist uses a Laptop with a minimum of 512 GB SSD, 8 GB RAM, the latest generation CPU, and CUDA-compatible GPUs.
HP ENVY 17t is a favorite when it comes to overall qualifications but ASUS Vivobook 15 is also a great choice.
If you don’t want to install a virtual operating system 8 GB RAM would be sufficient but if you want that virtual operating system you have to get at least 12 GB RAM.