What to Look for in a Robotics Development Laptop?
Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
If you simply want a laptop recommendation without reading the details on why I chose it, I have a budget choice, which I chose to purchase:
Budget Choice
Acer Nitro V Gaming Laptop (Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050)
Mid Grade Options
HP Victus i7 (Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060)
Acer Predator Helios Neo-16 (Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060)
And a top of the line choices if you simply want the best and price is less of a consideration:
Top of the Line
Alienware Dell M18 R2 Gaming Laptop (Nvidia RTX 4090)
Acer Predator Helios 18 Gaming Laptop (Nvidia Geforce RTX 4080)
When looking for a laptop which I know I'll use for Robotics projects or development, these are the things I consider.
Compute
Compute is the most important component of a Robotics development laptop. If you don't have enough compute, you're stuck and unable to move forward. Compute can be broken into CPU and GPU.
CPU- First, we look at the processor, which handles typical tasks on your computer. Anything that goes to the GPU starts at the CPU as well. For Robotics projects I would choose Intel i7 or i9, with the tradeoff being cost. If you're looking at AMD you'll want to go AMD Ryzen 7 or 9.
GPU- GPU is really helpful for training machine learning models or any type of graphical display, for instance if you're using Unity for robotic simulations. Most useful libraries are built off Nvidia GPUs using CUDA, so I always look for a Nvidia GPU in my development boards. The later the number the more recent and advanced the GPU. My Nvidia RTX 3050Ti has been doing reasonably well the last several years at training models on linux, but if I were looking today, I'd look to get something 4000+. My most recent purchase had a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050. The more expensive models go to 4080.
Memory
RAM- Random Access Memory (RAM) holds your short term memory and enables efficient multitasking, compilation, and smooth transition between programs. The minimum that should be considered is 16GB. If you can afford it, more is always better!
SSD- Solid State Drive (SSD) holds your long term memory. The code you write, the data you store for training, any videos downloaded, the programs you install will likely be stored in your SSD. This is less of a priority in my opinion because it is easy to buy an external SSD if you need to increase your storage. My favorite external SSD is this one. It was a huge step up from an HDD, as it's faster and has no moving parts. On a laptop I would get 512GB at a minimum. If you don't want to have to worry about external SSDs and know you may have a lot of data go for 2TB-4TB.
Connectors
This is the topic I always forget to check when purchasing a laptop to be honest, and I usually end up disappointed when something is missing. However, this really isn't a big deal as long as you have an HDMI, power port, and either USB or USB-C because you can always add on with something like my favorite 7 in 1 USB C Hub. Or if you need an ethernet connection, you can use the USB to ethernet adaptor.
Screen Size vs Portability
This is always a tradeoff. Screen size is real estate for your development, and the more real estate you have the less context switching you have, which means you can develop faster. But, being able to be portable has always been important to me because I enjoy on a whim going to a coffee shop to get out and do some work, or travelling for work may be necessary. So, I prefer to get a 14"-15" laptop and connect it at home to a larger fixed monitor for extra real estate. Alternatively, you could try to get a 17" monster, but it will likely be difficult to put in a bag.
Battery Life
All I have to say here is if you're getting a computation beast, your battery life will likely be terrible compared to a typical laptop. I've had a lot of luck in the past though getting a "Creator Laptop" like this one, which is less geared towards gaming, but still had the compute I needed. If battery life is important to you, you may want to ask if you need as much compute as you think you do.
Operating System
As a robotics developer, you'll likely need Linux. The most common distro used is Ubuntu. However, most laptops are sold with a Windows Operating System. My preference is to purchase a Windows based laptop, then Dual Boot it, installing my Linux distro on a portion of the drive. This way, I can still keep and use my Windows for software that requires Windows, but I now also can run Linux as needed. You'll have to choose on startup which you want to boot. I would not recommend completely wiping out your Windows with a Linux installation, as that's basically throwing away the cost of the Windows Operating System (maybe $140ish).
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.