Question is self-explanatory, what are the best laptops for modelling (& why)?
I work in Infra / Energy PE space and very often I am working with huge / complicated Project Finance models, somtimes I need many open at the same time. Anyone in this sector will be familiar with the time wasted running macros & recovering files after a crash.
My company has given me the green light to get a new laptop to help mitigate this (no real max budget, but I don’t want to take the piss so I guess GBP c3k max).
I don’t care about keyboard since 90% of the time I use an external one. The main thing is I need a powerful device with a strong processor & enough RAM. I am currently looking at gaming laptops (such as Alienware) but not sure if these are optimal for modelling or not.
Dell XPS should be powerful enough to run what you would need.
Lenovo thinkpad carbon has some pretty beefy models in the lineup with 32gb of ram and hefty processors (I believe intel i9s). Dell XPS lineup also features some very beefy models (comparable ram and cpu) and imo is more visually appealing than the Lenovo.
My last firm accidentally issued me one of those beefy souped up Thinkpads originally and damn, are they thick. Immediately asked for an X1 instead. Would've hated traveling with that thing or even lugging it back and forth from the office.
What are you using currently? I work in the same space and my company has given me a Lenovo Thinkpad with 16gb RAM and an i7 processor. I can run debt sizing macros or sensitivities in 4 different excel instances with no problem. And these models are huge.
Would firmly suggest a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Intel Core i7 with 32gb of RAM and 512gb of SSD storage. Not sure if this is standard, but the titanium shell makes things fantastic so would confirm that that's what you're getting. Keyboard on the laptop feels amazing, essentially feels like you're typing on a Mac vs. those old Lenovo x7's or whatever they're called, and makes a difference when traveling without access to a workstation and/or regular keyboard (for those banking analysts adjusting to PE, working on the move is a learning curve in terms of being productive not at your workstation so this feels abundantly important)... speed is amazing, in addition to feel which I've already elaborated on, is second to none. Highly recommend, as I said before.
You're welcome.
OP can disregard as he mentioned he will mostly be using an external keyboard. But for travel, I hate that Lenovo puts the Fn key where the Ctrl button should be. I realize this is in theory a very minor gripe, but gawd it sucks ha
You can go into BIOS and swap them, fortunately. It’s a big pain otherwise - definitely not a minor gripe for me.
I don't think gaming laptops are the way to go, just because it's going to be super heavy and the GPU is basically unnecessary. The suggestions above are good - I feel like RAM is super important with having multiple PF models up. I have a 16 GB Ram Thinkpad with an i7, but things still lag out depending on how many models/PPT I have open and also if I have chrome tabs or something open in the back.
I wouldn't go with a gaming laptop - the Lenovo thinkpad mentioned above is gold standard for a reason. get as much RAM/SSD as you can and an intel i7 or higher chip, and you should be good
I bought my work laptop straight out of college and got a cheaper plastic Samsung one but maxed out on RAM/SSD + intel i7 chip. It's been 5+ years and that thing still runs incredibly well for being <$1000 at the time and being beat up over years of hard work.
Just for any future searches - if budget is a concern, would 100% recommend buying a "lower" brand model with good interior computer (chip, RAM) over buying the base model Lenovo with a shitty chip/RAM
Cum alias repudiandae aliquid beatae. Dolore consequuntur doloribus ut quisquam. Aperiam suscipit architecto laboriosam cum. Repellat sed veniam cumque iusto libero laboriosam ea.
Tenetur adipisci iure consequatur eligendi qui omnis beatae facere. Sunt quis et explicabo fugit quia non. Asperiores ad non quam adipisci quia tenetur a.
Explicabo commodi eum dolor vel. Et qui in est. Corrupti dolores veritatis maxime voluptatem voluptatibus sit. Aliquam quibusdam nemo eum delectus magnam ut. Porro cumque eos distinctio qui et qui ipsa.
Sed hic magnam sunt qui facere quia. Voluptates corrupti amet omnis autem. Cumque architecto unde debitis et a animi.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...