10 Top Previews Pick The Perfect Laptop That You Need
We’ve ranked and reviewed the best laptops for investment banking in 2023. If you’re looking to buy an investment banking laptop, this article will show you what are the best laptops on the market right now and give you some great tips on how to find the best one for your needs, budget and lifestyle.
For example, if you’re looking to buy a laptop specifically as an investment banker, you’ll want to think about things like durability, battery life and display size.
Table of Contents
What are the System Requirements for Investment Banking?
While investment banking professionals may have access to unlimited resources, most of us still need to buy our laptops and computers to get the job done. In this post, we’ll be taking a look at the best laptop systems that investment bankers prefer when they’re on the go.
Not only do you need to make sure that your laptop has the right hardware specifications (which we’ll talk about below), but you also need to make sure that it has all of the software installed so that you can effectively do your job and interact with other bankers.
i5 Processor (min)
Every investment bank requires different processors, but it’s important to have a PC with at least a 2.0 GHz processor if you’re considering investment banking. If you’re planning to apply to high-end positions, like those at top-tier firms such as Goldman Sachs or J.P. Morgan, your processor should have at least a good amount of RAM and be based on an Intel i5 or i7 series chipset.
8GB RAM
It is absolutely critical that your laptop has at least 8GB of RAM. Most investment banking positions require a fair amount of coding and other intensive computing, so you will want as much memory as possible.
256GB SSD drive
You’ll need a very fast hard drive (HDD) to install and run multiple programs. The bigger, faster, and more reliable your storage space is—the better. A 256GB SSD will do just fine, but you can also look into larger HDDs if you have a lot of files to store. SSDs are preferred over regular HDDs because they generally operate more efficiently than magnetic counterparts.
13 inch display (min)
13 display laptops are very common in investment banking as they allow you to work on excel files and create financial models that don’t need a lot of real estates. You will want to look at if you are starting your career.
Windows 10 (min)
Window defender full pack a new feature in Windows 10 that allows you to use your computer in minimal display mode. This feature is ideal for users with small screens, for example, Convertible devices, laptops and small monitors. So window 10 or 11 are best for investment banking laptops.
A dedicated graphics card
These have gotten increasingly more powerful over time and can now provide close to a desktop experience. A gaming laptop should feature a dedicated graphics card, though some also come with hybrid options.
There are trade-offs between performance and size, but if you’re looking to get into gaming on a budget, you’ll want to skip out on a CPU as they tend to be one of the most expensive components in any laptop. Instead, go with an AMD or Nvidia dedicated graphics card.
Best Laptops for Investment Banking
When it comes to investing in a new laptop, what you’re looking for is value. You don’t need the most expensive model, and you don’t even need the best. The best laptop for investment banking is reliable and gives an outstanding performance. That may sound like a lot to ask for, but it doesn’t have to be with these suggestions. So, here’s is the list of the top 12.
- HP Envy 13
- Acer Aspire 5 A514-54
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
- Apple MacBook Pro
- Dell XPS 15
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- Gigabyte AERO 15
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- ASUS VivoBook 15
- Microsoft Surface Book 2
- Newest HP Spectre x360
- Dell Inspiron 15
Read More: 9 Best Laptop For Second Life In 2023
Breakdown
1-HP Envy 13 (best laptop for investors)
- Intel Core i7-1165G7
- 8 GB DDR4 RAM
- 256 GB SSD Storage
- 13.3-inch FHD Touchscreen Display
- Windows 10 Home
- Fingerprint Reader
- Nvidia GeForce MX 250
- Windows 10 Home
The HP Envy 13 is powered by an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor and features a 13.3-inch Full HD display, making it ideal for Investment Banking professionals. The laptop also comes equipped with a 256GB solid-state drive to give you plenty of storage space on the go. The HP Envy 13 starts at $1600 online.
Reviewers say that this computer has enough power for everyday use despite its small size. Additionally, many buyers praise its longer battery life over previous HP’s Envy line versions.
Those who have purchased it say they would recommend others looking for a similar device to buy it, too – especially those looking for something portable yet powerful enough to handle high-intensity applications like investment banking software.
2-Acer Aspire 5 A514-54 (best budget laptop for investing)
- 14″ Full HD IPS Display
- 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor
- 8GB DDR4
- 1TB HDD
- WiFi 6
- 11 Home
- Nvidia GeForce MX150
The Acer Aspire 5 A514-54 is a well-rounded, lightweight laptop that can easily handle all of your investment banking needs. With 8GB of RAM and an i5 processor, you won’t find any lag with everyday use. The 14′′ touchscreen helps make browsing easier, and it comes in both silver and gold colors. It’s also at a great price point — under $600!
I wouldn’t recommend watching movies on it, though; I didn’t find its speakers very good. Overall, I think this would be one of my top picks for its price range. This product came out recently and isn’t quite as common yet, but based on feedback from current owners, and I anticipate them being more popular by 2023.
UPDATE: Acer has released some new models since our last update in 2019. Be sure to look at these new products before making your final decision on what model to buy!
3-Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
- Core i7-8565U
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- 14″ FHD Display
- Backlit Keyboard
- Intel Integrated 620 Graphics, HDMI, 802. 11 Wireless-AC
Part of Lenovo’s ThinkPad line, which has long been popular with investment bankers and corporate professionals, offers a 14-inch screen, 8th Gen Intel processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB solid-state drive. It also weighs just 2.57 pounds.
A touchscreen model is available if you want that feature—and you need to show clients interactive presentations. This laptop will cost you between $1,230 to $2,000, depending on your configuration.
4-Apple MacBook Pro
- 16-inch Display screen
- 9th Gen Intel Core i9
- 1TB Storage SSD
- AMD Radeon Pro 5500M Graphics card
- 16 GB Ram
16-inch Retina display, weighing in at a hefty 1.83 pounds, is powered by a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i9 processor and 256 GB of flash storage or 512 GB of flash storage if you spend more money on it. This laptop has all but three ports: two USB-C ports and one headphone jack, also known as an audio port, which has recently become a rarity even among laptops in 2018 and 2019.
Luckily, many great adapters will help you plug your devices into your MacBook Pro’s lone port; one such adapter includes a VGA port. However, only 2017 models of Apple’s high-end computer come with standard Thunderbolt 3 ports instead of USB-C ports, so it may be worthwhile to purchase such a device anyway.
5-Dell XPS 15
- 15 Inch FHD
- Intel Core i7 10th Gen
- 16GB Memory
- 512GB Solid State Drive
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6
- Windows 10 Home
Dell’s XPS 15 has taken a backseat to its behemoth counterpart. However, it’s still one of our favourite laptops—and it’s about to get better. A new model was unveiled at CES 2019 with a slimmer design and upgraded components. The XPS 15 packs an Intel Core i7 10th Gen, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of solid-state storage—enough power to run just about any number-crunching software you might use in your day job.
But if that isn’t enough oomph for you, don’t worry: You can always upgrade. The system has two additional memory slots and an empty M.2 slot ready to accept your choice of speedy SSD or extra GPU power.
Priced from $1,499 on Dell’s website, availability is expected by midyear. If you’re going to lug around a big laptop all day, you may as well make sure it does everything you need.
6-Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- 12.3″ Touch-Screen
- Windows 10 Home
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7
- 16GB Memory
- 512GB SSD
- battery life up to 10.5 hours
Microsoft makes two models of its Surface Pro, and both are solid options. The basic model starts at $1700 and has 128GB of storage with an Intel Core i5 processor. This entry-level device has a stylus, which is important for note-taking and drawing spreadsheets during meetings or conferences. It also comes with a keyboard cover to make typing easy on your fingers. You can pay more to get 256GB of storage, but there’s no reason to splurge unless you’re going over 128GB. Suppose you opt for 512GB of storage.
In that case, you’ll pay a significant premium over 256GB but have plenty of space for presentations and other files. We recommend that most business users stick with 128GB or 256GB of storage. The base-level comes in four colors: platinum, burgundy, cobalt blue and graphite gold; you can pay more for additional colors if desired.
All versions come in 13-inch and 15-inch screen sizes—we recommend 15 inches because it will be easier to read documents and view Excel data on a larger screen size than 13 inches.
7-Gigabyte AERO 15
- i7-9750H CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU
- Samsung 16GB RAM
- 512GB Intel 760P SSD
- W10 Pro
- Screen Resolution 3840 x 2160 Pixels
- Product Weight 12.3 ounces
The Gigabyte AERO 15 is a high-performance gaming laptop that won’t get in your way during your busy days at work. Sporting an Intel Core i7-9750H processor, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU with 8GB of GDDR5 memory and Max Q Design, it’s able to handle most tasks without taxing your computer smoothly.
Additionally, its lightweight chassis means you can easily carry it around campus or into client meetings without feeling weighed down. And weighing this best investment banking laptops just over 5 pounds, you can travel knowing your electronics won’t burden you for long. They say beauty is pain—and if that’s true, then the Razer Blade Stealth 12.5′′ is beautiful indeed.
While there are larger versions available, such as their 14′′ variant ($1,899), we recommend sticking with something smaller because you don’t want to strain yourself when trying to multitask on a laptop all day—especially if you value portability as much as we do here at 100 Best Student Loan Options.
8-Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- 14.0″ FHD 1920 x 1080 Display
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor
- 8GB DDR4 RAM
- 256GB SSD
- AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
- Windows 10
- Battery: Up to 5 hours
The IdeaPad 3 offers an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor and 14.0″ FHD 1920 x 1080 Display, which is great considering its $554 price tag. You’ll also get a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, and Windows 10 Pro – everything you need to power through long hours of work.
If you want a laptop that can go head-to-head with those high-priced competitors but won’t break your budget, check out Lenovo’s IdeaPad 3. \r \r HP Pavilion X360: From fast performance to four different operating systems, HP’s Pavilion X360 has it all.
It includes a 7th generation Intel i7 processor and 16GB of DDR4 RAM, allowing it to handle pretty much anything you throw at it, from Excel spreadsheets to CPU-intensive projects. O
n top of that, its 360-degree hinge allows you to tilt and rotate it into four modes: notebook, tent, stand, or tablet. And let’s not forget about security; thanks to HP Touchpoint Manager technology and Fingerprint Reader capabilities, you’re always in control of who has access to your data—and when they have access.
9-ASUS VivoBook 15
- 15.6″ FHD Touchscreen
- Intel Core i3-1115G4
- 4GB DDR4 RAM
- 128GB PCIe SSD
- Windows 10 S
- 64GB Flash Drive
- Battery: Up to 16 hours
- Integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8
Powerful, stylish and long-lasting, ASUS’ Vivobook 15 is one of our favorite laptops focusing on investment banking. It features an Intel Core i3 processor with 4GB of RAM and 128GB PCIe SSDstorage – all at a price that won’t break your bank account.
This lightweight laptop also has a gorgeous 15.6-inch display with a crisp resolution, great for catching up on Netflix during downtime. With premium components and a sleek design, it’s no wonder why we ranked it number one out of 12.
10-Microsoft Surface Book 2
- Battery Up to 17 hours
- 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-8350U
- 13.5-inch Display
- Integrated Intel HD 620
- 8GB Ram
- Operating System Windows 10 Pro
- 256 GB SSD
The Microsoft Surface Book 2 features some of tech’s top specs, offering a resolution of 3000 x 2000, an 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-8350U processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD. One downside is its price tag: with all those bells and whistles comes an admittedly hefty $999 price tag.
The pros outweigh that con, though, as you get two batteries (one in reserve), a touchscreen display that functions as a tablet, and a surprisingly sleek design.
On paper at least, there isn’t anything wrong with Dell’s Latitude 7300 series—it offers one of the best display screens around at 3240 x 1440 on a 13.1-inch screen; it boasts 256 GB of storage and 8 GB memory; it weighs just over four pounds but packs a full charge battery lasting upwards to 17 hours.
11-Newest HP Spectre x360
- 10th Gen Intel i7-1065G7
- 4K OLED
- 16GB Ram
- 1TB SSD
- WiFi 6
- Windows 10 Pro
- 3 Years McAfee Security
HP’s new Specter X360 is a light, portable laptop with great battery life. The 13.3-inch touch screen comes in Full HD or 4K Ultra HD and sports a 360-degree hinge, so you can flip it around to use it as a tablet. It also has an excellent backlit keyboard that allows you to work outside on sunny days.
This is an best laptop for investors who need to carry their laptops from meeting to meeting all day long. If you don’t need one of Intel’s newest Core i7 processors, its Core i5 processor will keep your costs down.
12-DELL INSPIRON 15
- 15.6 Inch FHD Anti-Glare NonTouch Display
- 10th Gen i5
- 16GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- Intel UHD Graphics
- Win10
- Backlit-KB
- Weight 4.03 lbs
Dell’s Inspiron 15 is a best laptop for investment banking. At $699.99, it provides decent specs at a cost-effective price—which is just what you need when preparing to take on hefty consulting and M&A projects. It has 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB of SSD storage and Intel UHD Graphics card.
This all works with an Intel Core i5 processor to ensure smooth performance as you work toward your MBA and future career in investment banking or tech startups. And with a full HD display and a traditional clamshell design, the Dell Inspiron 15 allows you to keep working even when you’re not sitting in front of your computer screen. These are why Morgan Stanley analysts gave it four out of five stars.
Q1. What is investment banking?
When you think of an investment banker, you probably envision a slick suit-wearing Wall Street titan driving around in a Ferrari. Yes, there are bankers out there that look like that, but investment banking isn’t limited to investment management firms on Wall Street.
Some of it is done by boutique banks and some by tech startups. What they all have in common is using financing as a tool to make their clients money. A hedge fund manager might use money from investors to buy stocks he thinks will rise and then sell them later at a higher price.
An industrial company might raise funds to build new factories or expand existing ones; they sell bonds to investors that pay interest until they pay back their loan with profits from sales or other income sources.
Q2. What is the role of laptop in investment banking?
A laptop is one of many essential items every investment banker needs to work efficiently and stay connected. But with so many laptop options on sale, it can be hard to choose a good model. If you’re searching for laptops, check out our list of the 12 best laptops for investment banking (in 2023).
We picked them according to different criteria, including brand, portability, processor speed and RAM size. This way you can make an informed decision when shopping!
Q3. What laptops do investment banks use?
If you’re looking to buy a laptop for use in investment banking, it can be not easy to know which models are right and best suited to your needs. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite laptops. That will be perfect if you want to make it an analyst or associate at one of those bulge bracket banks.
We’ve considered all-around performance, value for money and battery life too, so there are plenty of choices when you look at these laptops for investment banking.
Q4. Is coding required for investment banking?
If you’re an investment banker, does your job require coding? While it varies from firm to firm, in general, no. The nature of work changes as investment banks adopt new technologies and as more tasks are handled by software.
However, there are many tech-focused jobs at investment banks and on Wall Street in general. Entry-level positions usually don’t need programming skills – that may be a skill you develop over time as your career progresses.
Q5. Do investment banks use Python?
Most people believe that Python is one of investment banks’ favorite programming languages to use. However, according to a review on StackOverflow, it seems that Swift is taking over as one of their top choices.
The reason might be that Swift has less syntactic sugar than Python, and hence easier to maintain and write readable code at scale. Not all investment banks are comfortable with Python, but it’s by far a fan favorite. Stay tuned in 2024 if you’re interested in more programming language trends used by various industries!
Q6. What is the best laptop for stock trading?
Laptops are a key part of any banker’s day-to-day life, as they can be used to access Bloomberg and Reuters financial news feeds, as well as check their investment portfolios. Many stockbrokers have laptops that they use both in and out of work. As such, we compiled a list of 12 laptops that we believe will best suit an investment banking laptop needs throughout 2023.
Q7. Is MacBook good for investment banking?
MacBook Air is a really good laptop for investment banking, but that’s only if you have money to spend. If you don’t, get a cheap laptop from Amazon which can be used as an investment banking student. Apple laptops are built to last and are insanely powerful and durable; it is also extremely lightweight, making them great to carry around with you all day while working at an office or on-campus.
Q8. What is the best laptop for the money 2023?
The best laptop for investment banking in 2023 is… well, actually it depends on what your needs are. We have highlighted what we think will be your most important considerations, but there are many other factors that can affect your choice; a great laptop for investment banking in 2023 may not be so good if you travel a lot, or if you tend to prefer powerful machines instead of portable ones.
So before diving into our list, first ask yourself: what do I need from my new computer? Do I need portability? How much RAM and hard drive space should I get? How much money am I willing to spend? These are just some of things you should keep in mind while reading along – they will help you pick out which laptops are a good fit and which one isn’t.
Q9. What is the best lapgop for business use?
MacBook Pro or Surface Book? This question is probably on most MBA’s minds when they start their career in investment banking. Both are excellent machines and have been used by countless professionals to great success. But, of course, there can only be one winner…or can there? Ultimately it comes down to your personal preference and how you intend to use it.
Q10. Why do investment banking laptops need to be operational all time?
As investment bankers, we use our laptops all day, every day. That means they need to be ultra-portable, with reliable battery life. You can’t have a weak laptop if you’re going to be on a train for four hours straight. And as an investment banker, you can bet your bottom dollar that your laptop is getting knocked around all day.
The best laptops must be durable enough to withstand bumps in transit and meetings with clients over coffee or lunch – but also look good doing it.
Q11. Should I base my laptop purchase for investment banking on price?
When it comes to technology, price isn’t always everything. While price should always be a consideration when buying your new laptop, there are other factors you should consider before clicking buy. You might want to invest in features such as extra memory or SSDs that will save you from having to purchase upgrades down the road—and these features might cost you extra now but save you money in long run.
Q12. Can laptops for investment banking match the requirements of various organizations?
These days, laptops have become very important tools in day-to-day activities of business organizations. All big and small business enterprises have started to make use of these portable devices since they bring in multiple benefits when compared to other machines or gadgets. In fact, it is imperative that you have your own laptop with you at all times. It will be easy for you to carry it around anywhere you go.
Summing it UP!
So, what are the best laptops for investment banking? Well, it all comes down to your personal preference and the type of work you do. It would be best if you had the speed, screen size, and resolution that fit your needs and the comfort of using it all day long. All in all, these are the laptops for professionals that value quality and performance over the price tag. Good luck!
