The right device will allow you to run all the programs you need, with good image quality, and portability for when you’re hopping between dorms, cafeterias and lecture halls.

Whether you opt for a more affordable model or invest in a high-performance machine depends on how much processing power you’ll actually need during your studies, how much gaming you’ll be doing, and of course the budget you’re working with.

Let’s compare the current laptops best suited to Computer Science majors. I’d love to be able to help you make an informed decision, and find one that you’ll be happy with – not only during your degree, but possibly for years to come in your career as a Computer Scientist.

*This post has affiliate links. Should you decide to purchase something through a link, I’ll be paid a small commission – at no extra cost to you.

The 14 best Computer Science student laptops

• Samsung GalaxyBook 3 Ultra (High performance)
• Dell XPS 15 (High performance)
• Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max 16″ (High performance)
• ASUS Zenbook S13 (Ultra-portable)
• MacBook Air M2 13 (Ultra-portable)
• Microsoft Surface 4 (Ultra-portable)
• Lenovo Slim 7i Pro X (Mid–range)
• ASUS VivoBook 16x (Mid–range)
• Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4” (Mid–range)
• Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 14” (Budget)
• MacBook Air M1 (Budget)
• HP Envy x360 (Budget)
• Razer Blade 15 (Study + Gaming)
• Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (Study + Gaming)

What are your needs?

The laptops you can buy to support your Computer Science studies lie on a spectrum when it comes to performance, portability, and price.

1. Ultimate quality and performance. Because the highest-performance computer science laptops have larger components and screens, they tend to be slightly beefier. They also can’t provide the same battery life as some lower models, simply because faster hardware is more power-hungry.
2. Best portability. If you’re moving around campus a lot, you might want your laptop to be as thin and light as possible — and you might be fine with slightly lower performance in exchange. These ultra-portable machines also offer amazing battery life, which comes in handy if you don’t want to have to worry about being plugged in all the time.
3. Budget-oriented. A computer science degree is an investment in your future. And it makes sense to get the highest quality tools you can, to make the most of this investment. That’s not to say you couldn’t make it work with a more affordable option. You’ll still get a decent level of quality, performance and portability out of a recent mid-range office laptop.
4. Gaming and studying. To do both gaming and programming, you’ll want to get a fast laptop with a dedicated graphics card. In that case a gaming model could be a good choice.

Which category you end up picking depends on your exact requirements, and how much you’re willing to spend. The most performant models will cost $2000+, while a budget option might be less than $1000 (with plenty of choices in between).

Which specs are important for a CS major?

• Display
• Processing power
• Amount of memory
• Hard disk space
• Graphics card (for 3D applications / design)
• Size, weight, and battery life
• Price

Best performance

If you’re going for the utmost power for your daily tasks as a CS student, these three laptops will deliver:

#1 Best-performing

Samsung GalaxyBook 3 Ultra

• 16″ 3K OLED • Intel i9 • 32GB RAM • 1TB SSD • GeForce RTX 4070 • 3.9lbs

The GalaxyBook 3 Ultra is Samsung’s top end laptop.

If one isn’t put off by the very high price point: This is a machine that would serve any Computer Science student well for anything you’d encounter in your studies –

and for years after, during a career in a tech field that requires high-performance equipment.

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Quick Review of the Samsung GalaxyBook 3 Ultra

Performance: Intel’s Core i9-13900H powers the GalaxyBook Ultra for the most demanding programming tasks. And with the dedicated Geforce RTX 4070 graphics card, playing newer games, editing 4K video, or extensive use of 3D modeling software are also possible.

Display: A 16-inch OLED display with 3K (2880×1800) resolution and tall 16:10 aspect ratio delivers a beautiful image. It reaches a peak brightness of almost 400 nits, which is great if you want the screen to ‘pop’ when in a dark room studying Computer Science.

If you’re outside fighting glare from the sun, it doesn’t perform as well, because the GalaxyBook comes with a glossy (vs matte) screen. The option for competitive gaming (as well as smooth scrolling) is provided by the display’s fast 120Hz refresh rate.

Build quality: The GalaxyBook 3 features a solid build with a high-quality aluminum chassis, which is stiff enough to flex very little. The design is functional – not as eye-catchingly attractive as that of a MacBook, for example.

Although some might love the minimalistic optics of this laptop, which comes with graphite (gray) and beige color options.

Battery & portability: For a 16” model, the Samsung is lightweight at 3.4lbs (1.6kg). It offers decent battery life at around 10 hours in lower-load scenarios.

Keep in mind that heavy code compilation or 3D rendering tasks will deplete the battery much more quickly.

But in most college scenarios, you’ll get enough life out of the battery to get you through a few lectures or study sessions during the day.

Pros

• High performance
• Lightweight
• Beautiful, bright and colorful display
• Decent battery life
• Not too loud even under load

Cons

• Very pricy (a slightly lower-spec model can be chosen to save some money)
• It gets quite hot under sustained stress – the Samsung’s thermal management is not the best

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#2 Best-performing

Dell XPS 15 9530

• 15.6″ OLED • Intel i9 • 64GB RAM • 2TB SSD • GeForce RTX 4070 • 4.3lbs

For Computer Science majors looking for maximum performance, the Dell XPS 15 features the latest heavy-duty hardware components.

What’s more, it comes with a beautiful OLED display, which is great for working in dark mode (a coder’s favorite) and situations with either low light or glare.

If price isn’t a concern, this machine is one of the best and most powerful programming laptops a student can own.

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Quick Review of the Dell XPS 15

Performance: With Intel’s Core i9 chip and a Geforce RTX 4070 graphics card, the Dell sports close to the fastest laptop specs possible today.

Depending on the exact configuration you choose, it has between 16 and 64GB RAM – which means it’s prepared to run even the most memory-intensive Computer Science-related applications without slowing down.

Display: The 15.6” touchscreen display has a 16:10 aspect ratio (at 3456×2160, or “3.5K” resolution), meaning there’s more vertical space for you to view many lines of code at the same time. Its OLED panel also beautifully produces a wide range of colors, with high levels of brightness (over 400 nits).

Build quality: Dell’s premium model does not disappoint when it comes to a professional appearance and quality build.

Battery & portability: The XPS 15 weighs in at 4.3 lbs – quite heavy for a Computer Science student laptop. You do get over 14 hours of battery life doing lower load tasks. Despite its processing power, it can hang with weaker, ultra-portable models when it comes to longevity.

Pros

• Excellent performance even in demanding 3D applications
• Great battery life for such a fast laptop – good for working on campus without a power source
• Beautiful OLED display with coder-friendly aspect ratio
• Strong and sleek build

Cons

• The webcam is only 720p
• Especially in its highest configurations, the Dell comes at an elite price point

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#3 Best-performing

Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max 16”

• 16.2″ Retina • 12-core CPU • 32GB RAM • 1TB SSD • 38-core GPU • 4.8lbs

Apple’s flagship MacBook is one of the top choices if you’re want high performance and attractive optics combined with good portability for your Computer Science studies. 

Aside from its signature, sleek design, professional build quality, and solid processing power, the biggest MacBook wins when it comes to battery life.

This means it’s near-perfect for on-campus learning.

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Quick Review of the Apple MacBook Pro

Performance: The M2 Max chip built into the MacBook Pro is fast, although still lagging a bit behind Intel-powered machines.

It sports a quite powerful integrated GPU, which blows other integrated graphics cards out of the water – and can even compete with mid-range dedicated GPUs.

Although not aimed at elite gaming, it does handle games, 3D rendering and 4K video editing, all at decent speeds.

Display: No OLED screen for Apple, yet – but its IPS panel with mini-LED backlighting technology is coming close to the former’s image quality, and has even better brightness.

The 16.2” screen with 3456 x 2234 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio) is super sharp and gives you a lot of space for viewing computer science documents, code editors, and more, even side-by-side.

Build quality: Product quality and style are what Apple prides itself on. And the MacBook Pro M2 Max does deliver on that front.

Battery & portability: The Apple laptop is the ultimate in efficiency. You’re able to get 15 hours or more of battery life in low- to medium-load scenarios. And there’s no device out there able to match its performance/endurance ratio.

Pros

• The MacBook Pro M2 Max is a professional machine in all regards and provides optimal ergonomics for Computer Science tasks such as coding
• Apple’s chip architecture allows for the most efficient power usage – it lasts incredibly long on a single charge
• Good performance even in games

Cons

• It does get hot and loud under full load
• Some users have reported an amount of backlight blooming (bright spots around bright white objects when the background is full-black)
• Very high price

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Best ultra-portable models for Computer Science students

As a student, your laptop’s portability is of prime importance. When you’re switching locations often, as well as working in cramped environments, you want your device to be as long-lasting and lightweight as possible.

The following three models win when it comes to battery life and light, compact build. But, just because they’re not heavy as bulky doesn’t mean they’re slow at all:

#1 Best Portable

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 – Best Tablet laptop for CS

• 13.3″ • Intel i7 • 16GB RAM • 1TB SSD • Intel GPU • 1.9lbs

This is the lightest, most portable machine you can get for your computer science studies. At the same time, it packs a good enough punch for programming tasks.

You can use it as a tablet, with its responsive touchscreen, or with the optional Surface Pen.

If you add the keyboard cover, it turns into a legit productivity workhorse for building code, wrangling spreadsheets, or writing assignments and papers.

The MS Surface Pro 9 has enough processing power for all computer science-related tasks, while providing the ideal mobile experience and a long-lasting battery.

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Quick Review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9

Performance: With an Intel Core i7 CPU and 16GB of RAM, the Surface Pro is strong enough for any programming task.

Because it doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card, it’s not great for gaming (or 3D rendering, for that matter), though, so if you’re into playing high definition games at good framerates (and want to fully benefit from the Surface’s excellent 120Hz display) —

you’d have to look into using a cloud gaming service.

Display: The Surface comes with a bright (up to 450 nits), colorful 13” IPS panel with a high resolution of 2880:1920. 

The 3:2 aspect ratio is great for programming, because you get more vertical space compared to a 16:9 or even 16:10 ratio. This means you can see more lines of code at the same time without having to scroll.

The display has a refresh rate of 120Hz, meaning that scrolling through code, documents or web browsers will be extra smooth.

Build quality: Microsoft’s tablet-laptop is built excellently, with a professional look and feel. It’s a joy to handle and work with.

Battery & portability: Under normal conditions, you can get 8-10 hours of use out of the Surface Pro’s battery – which is much more than what most other laptops in this review could manage.

Of course, if you crank up the brightness and perform very intensive tasks, you’ll deplete the battery much faster.

Pros

• Easily portable
• Great performance considering its ultra-light nature. It has no problem doubling as a legit work laptop
• You can upgrade the hard drive
• The Full HD webcam is excellent, and there’s a 4K camera facing the other way

Cons

• Not good for gaming or 3D rendering
• Essential accessories (like the external keyboard) have to be purchased separately
• 2x USB-C are the only ports you get
• High price for the higher-spec versions

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#2 best Portable

ASUS Zenbook S13 OLED

• 13.3″ OLED • Intel i7 • 32GB RAM • 1TB SSD • Intel GPU • 2.4lbs

The Zenbook is decently fast, certainly perfect for all programming tasks. It’s not great at gaming or 3D rendering because of its integrated graphics chip.

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Quick Review of the Zenbook S13

Performance: The Zenbook is decently fast, certainly perfect for all programming tasks. It’s not great at gaming or 3D rendering because of its integrated graphics chip.

Display: The ASUS’ OLED display offers excellent colors, contrast, and brightness levels (up to 550 nits).

Build quality: While it doesn’t quite have the luxury feel of a MacBook, build quality on the Zenbook S13 is decent, and especially the styled lid is an attractive feature. 

Battery & portability: You can get a lot out of the battery – around 8 hours in normal use, and up to 18(!) in light use. 

Pros

• Beautiful display
• Excellent battery life
• Lightweight & portable
• Reasonably priced for an OLED-display laptop

Cons

• The fans get loud, especially in Performance mode

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#3 best Portable

MacBook Air 13 – Computer Science on the Go

• 15.3″ Retina • 8-core CPU • 8-24GB RAM • 512GB SSD • 10-core GPU • 2.7lbs

Apple’s MacBook Air 13 with the new M2 chip is one of the best ultra-portable laptops available today.

Its superb battery life, and the unique fanless cooling system make it an ideal choice for students.

Yes, there’s even faster laptops out there.

But if you want a stylish device that isn’t as beefy – and save more than half over one of those larger, high-end models – take a good look at the new MacBook Air 13.

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Quick Review of the MacBook Air M2 13

Performance: Equipped with the new M2 chip, and up to 24GB of memory, the MacBook Air 13 offers good performance for Computer Science tasks like compiling complex code, working with databases, or opening dozens of browser tabs for your research.

Display: Although it doesn’t have an OLED panel, the MacBook’s display is beautiful and impressively bright at up to 500 nits. The tall, 16:10 aspect ratio is ideal for programming and reading.

With a resolution of 2560 x 1664 it produces a super-sharp image. This display is not ideal for gaming, though, because it only has a 60Hz refresh rate and a slower response time.

Build quality: Apple stands for superb build quality – which holds true for the MacBook Air 13 as well. It should last you for many years of working in Computer Science, and looking stylish and professional while doing so.

Battery & portability: One of the MacBook Air’s top selling points is how much life you can get out of its battery. I’ve mentioned the fanless cooling system – coupled with Apple’s ultra-efficient M2 chip, it makes for best-in-class longevity.

If you’ll be working and studying at different locations throughout the day—some of them without power outlets—you might appreciate this feature of the MacBook Air.

Pros

• Super light, but quality build
• The battery can last for a whole day of light tasks
• Beautiful display – one of the prettiest IPS displays you can get
• Good keyboard

Cons

• Not great for gaming
• Limited ports

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Mid-range Options

If the top-of-line models seem overkill for studying Computer Science, or you’re okay with spending a good, but not an excessive amount, take a look at these mid-range options.

They’ll still run you over $1000 – but that expense might still be fine as an investment into your education and future career. And it’s ways away from the $2500-$4000 some of the high-end laptops are commanding.

#1 Mid-Range

Lenovo Slim 7i Pro X

• 14.5″ IPS • AMD Ryzen 6900HS • 32GB RAM • 1TB SSD • GeForce RTX 3050 • 3.2lbs

This device lives at the intersection of light weight, good screen real estate, fast performance, and well-below-$2000 pricing. 

If you’re apprehensive about carrying around a heavier 16” laptop to your lectures – but still want to have a bit more screen size to work with than a 13” model provides – the 14.5″ Lenovo Slim 7i Pro X is a good in-between model.

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Quick Review of the Lenovo Slim 7i Pro X

Performance: Lenovo offers a dedicated GPU option for the Slim 7i Pro X, which enables you to play modern games at decent speed – as well as do 3D rendering or 4K video editing, if you’re doing that as part, or outside of your studies.

Display: Equipped with a 14.5” IPS panel with 3072×1920 (16:10 aspect ratio), display-wise the Lenovo is a good option for coding.

400 nits of brightness means it’s good in low-light situations, like working on a programming project at night. Scrolling happens smoothly because of a 120Hz refresh rate.

Build quality: Lenovos are known for their strong build, and despite its light weight, the Slim 7i Pro X is no exception. Its aluminum chassis looks and feels high-quality.

Battery & portability: While the Lenovo is highly portable when it comes to its size and weight, its battery life is lower than that of a MacBook Air and other 13” models mentioned in this article.

As such, I have to rate it as decent, but not amazing for working while moving around campus. Don’t expect it to last all day without a power source, especially if you’re having it perform heavy computing tasks on the regular.

Pros

• Fan noise isn’t too loud during normal tasks, making it a good choice for use during a computer science lecture or in the library
• Keyboard is fast and comfortable and should please most coders
• Good connectivity with lots of ports

Cons

• The display, while excellent for an IPS panel, isn’t on the same level as the more expensive OLED or miniLED models
• Mediocre battery life

#2 Mid-Range

ASUS VivoBook 16x (2022)

• 16″ OLED • i7/Ryzen 9 • 16-32GB RAM • 1TB SSD • GeForce RTX 3050 • 4.3lbs

For its mid-range pricing, the ASUS VivoBook 16x features an exceptional display:

It’s a 16-inch, 4K OLED model, with 16:10 aspect ratio giving you even more vertical space to work with. 

If image quality and brightness are of utmost importance for you, but you won’t be needing a dedicated graphics card for your Computer Science studies –

and you want to save some money vs a top-of-line model – the VivoBook 16x might fit you well.

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*AMD version

Quick Review of the ASUS VivoBook 16x

Performance: With an Intel i7 chip and 16GB of RAM, the ASUS isn’t the fastest laptop you’ll find.

It also isn’t slow, either. For almost anything you’ll do during your time at university (except demanding games and 3D applications), it should perform more than well enough.

Like with the Lenovo Slim 7i, there’s a Pro version which does have a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, should you need more graphics processing power.

Display: The beautiful OLED screen offers amazing image quality, great contrast and high brightness (up to 400 nits).

With a 120Hz refresh rate, scrolling through code or reading material from one of your Computer Science classes goes more smoothly than with other displays – not to mention its superiority when playing games.

Build quality: Being made out of almost all aluminum, you’d expect the laptop to feel fairly solid. And apart from some lid flex, it does.

Tolerances on the body also aren’t perfect. All in all, the VivoBook has decent, but not amazing build quality.

Battery & portability: Sporting a 96Wh battery, the ASUS gives you excellent longevity for when you want to work on your courses but don’t have the option to be plugged in.

In light-use scenarios, you’ll get over 11 hours out of a single charge.

Pros

• Amazing display
• Good connectivity with lots of ports

Cons

• Poor webcam at only 720p
• Weak-sounding speakers

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*AMD version

#3 Mid-Range

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 14.4”

• 14.4″ rotating touch display • Intel i7 • 16-32GB RAM • 512GB SSD • GeForce RTX 3050Ti • 4lbs

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is an upper mid-range laptop with innovative ergonomics.

Unlike with the MS Surface Pro, you don’t remove the keyboard to transform it into a full-on tablet.

But you can use it in three different modes, which does make it versatile for studying, presentations, and after-class entertainment.

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Quick Review of the MS Surface Laptop Studio

Performance: This machine is just as powerful as a regular laptop. It comes in different configurations, all of which should suit a Computer Science major well.

The top end being an Intel i7 model with 32GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 3050Ti. This can be considered an upper- mid-range laptop, offering great performance at a price well below the $2000-mark. 

Display: The Surface Laptop Studio’s 14.4” touchscreen display has an IPS, not OLED panel – but it’s colorful, very bright (over 500 nits), and fast (120Hz refresh rate).

At a 2400×1600 resolution, which translates to a 3:2 aspect ratio, you get a lot of extra vertical space compared to a traditional 16:9 screen. This is useful for students reading long documents, or looking at a lot of code from one of your Computer Science assignments.

Build quality: Like on all their business laptops, Microsoft went for a minimalistic design with the Surface Laptop Studio.

The aluminum chassis is well-built and looks professional. Mind you there is a gap in the top where it hinges to switch to tablet-like mode.

Battery & portability: The 3-mode feature has this laptop compete with other ultra-portable models. Unfortunately it’s relatively heavy at a full 4 pounds.

Battery life on the Surface Laptop studio is excellent – you can get over 12 hours of low-level use out of it.

Unless you have to do a lot of high-intensity tasks, the battery should last you for a full day on campus without having to plug in to recharge.

Pros

• Innovative modes giving you versatile options for using the device
• Good performance, even in games, thanks to dedicated graphics card and powerful Intel processor
• Excellent 1080p webcam
• Long battery life

Cons

• Heavy
• Upper-mid pricing for the best configuration

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The best budget laptops for Computer Science majors

Do you need a $1200+ laptop to be effective in your Computer Science major? You do not.

There are budget models out there that perform perfectly well for most of what you’ll be doing during your degree: Reading, browsing the web, and developing small- to mid-sized applications.

Take a look at the 3 best portables that’ll serve your studies without breaking the bank:

#1 Budget Option

Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro

• 14″ • AMD Ryzen 5 • 16GB RAM • 512GB SSD • AMD Radeon GPU • 4.4lbs

With the IdeaPad 5 Pro 14” laptop, Lenovo has created an excellent lower-end option that should tick many boxes for someone studying Computer Science on a budget.  

If you’re super price-conscious, you could even go for the non-Pro version, which has a slightly weaker processor and only a 1080p screen.

This would still be a decent setup for a student – one of the most affordable options out there that make sense.

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Quick Review of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro

Performance: The AMD Ryzen processor coupled with AMD Radeon graphics and 16GB of RAM makes for plenty of performance for office and coding work, with some entry-level 3D rendering capabilities.

Display: At the IdeaPad’s affordable price point, the 14” IPS touch display’s quality is impressive. It has high 2K resolution (2240×1400) and reasonable brightness (300 nits) thanks to LED backlighting.

Build quality: Lenovo is known for solid build quality – and this extends to the IdeaPad 5. The chassis is mostly made out of aluminum, with only slight flex. The keyboard is nice with plenty of travel.

The only quips about the IdeaPad’s build are that the display hinge isn’t the strongest, causing some screen wobble if you’re hitting the keys with more intensity.

Battery & portability: The IdeaPad 5 is quite light at 3 lbs, and has a compact size as well. The 56Wh battery can supply around 8 hours of power at light use.

If you take these features into account, Lenovo’s budget model can rightly be called a great ultra-portable option for students (whether that be Computer Science or other).

Pros

• Rapid charging capability
• A good number of ports, including 3x USB-3
• Decent battery life even with smaller battery

Cons

• Screen has low-ish contrast
• Poor, 720p webcam (whose privacy shutter is a plus, though)
• Models with integrated graphics not great for gaming

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#2 Budget Option

MacBook Air M1 13” (2020)

• 13.3″ • 8-core CPU • 8GB RAM • 256GB SSD • 7/8-core GPU • 2.8lbs

There’s no question that Apple products are popular among Computer Science majors.

MacBooks are a complete package of style, portability and performance – which makes them ideal candidates for a student laptop.

But what if you’re on a budget? Rest assured that you don’t need a MacBook Pro with the latest M2 Max chip to do everything effectively to get your degree: A mid-range 13” MacBook Air will do just fine.

And you get the same attractive design, user experience and battery life – at a fraction of the cost.

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Quick Review of the MacBook Air M1 13

Performance: For all but high-end games, graphics design, or huge databases and apps, the older MacBook Air 13” (2020) with the M1 chip will be more than powerful enough.

Display: The MacBook Air has a 2560 x 1600 resolution display (16:10 aspect ratio for more vertical space). It produces a beautiful and sharp image, and also has good brightness levels at over 350 nits.

Like most other IPS panels, its contrast and ability to display true blacks aren’t amazing.

Build quality: If you’re looking for the professional and stylish build quality Apple is known for, you’ll find them with the MacBook Air as well.

Battery & portability: You’ll be able to move around different university buildings without having to plug in all the time: The laptop provides between 8-10 hours of battery life in a mixed use scenario.

On top of that, it’s super thin and light (just over 3lbs including charger), so it’ll fit into even a small bag (as well as on top of cramped lecture hall tables), and you won’t notice its weight at all while carrying it around.

Pros

• Superb portability
• Excellent build quality and design
• Beautiful Retina display
• Quiet thanks to fanless cooling system

Cons

• Middling performance, especially in graphics-intensive applications, because of the weaker, integrated GPU
• Some students might prefer a larger display for serious work

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#3 Budget Option

HP Envy x360 15

• 15.6″ • AMD Ryzen 7 • 16GB RAM • 1TB SSD • AMD GPU • 4.2lbs

Another option for a more budget-oriented student is HP’s 2021 model of the Envy x360.

The 15.6” device has a touch screen that hinges back fully, so it can double as a – to be fair, somewhat bulky – tablet.

The components built into the HP make it into a full-fledged developer laptop, though.

With a quality display and long battery life, you won’t miss out on much if you go with this machine vs one of the pricy options.

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Quick Review of the HP Envy x360 15

Performance: For its lower price point, the HP Envy x360 offers impressive performance. AMD’s Ryzen 7 5825U is fast, and the integrated Radeon graphics are better than its Intel competitors at 3D applications.

16GB is a good amount of RAM for almost all applications. For most use cases during a Computer Science degree, this laptop will perform very well.

Display: The HP’s display produces a nice image, and is quite bright at around 400 nits of brightness.

One drawback is the resolution – the Envy x360 features only 1080p FHD (1920×1080). The 16:9 aspect ratio might feel slightly cramped if you’ve ever worked with a 16:10 screen.

Build quality: There’s nothing to complain about when it comes to the Envy x360’s build – it’s solid. Design-wise, it looks functional, not especially exciting.

Battery & portability: In spite of the smaller 51Wh battery, you can get a lot of use out of the HP without being plugged in: Over 10 hours under low load – thanks to the efficient AMD chip.

Unfortunately the HP is slightly heavy at over 4lbs, which hurts its portability score.

Pros

• Strong performance at good price point
• Bright display
• Touch screen & tablet functionality
• Long battery life

Cons

• Relatively heavy, especially if you’re looking to use it in ‘tablet mode’

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Computer Science plus gaming devices

If you’re into computers, that often means you’re an avid gamer as well. And when it comes to 3D performance, some of the machines I’ve mentioned unfortunately don’t do super well for their lack of a stand-alone GPU.

Which is why I’d like to also list two beastly, dedicated gaming laptops at the end. Their raw power will be fun in modern games, but also useful for any other demanding application you’re using as a CS major:

#1 Computer Science + Gaming

Razer Blade 15

• 15.6″ OLED • Intel Core i9 • 16GB RAM • 1TB SSD • Force RTX 3070Ti • 4.4lbs

For a Computer Science student who’s also longing for high-end gaming performance, the Razer Blade 15 is a great choice. I’ve named it one of the top game development laptops available today.

Not only is it lightning fast, ready for any sophisticated programming task and the most recent 3D games – the Razer is also a pure joy to work with thanks to its brilliant OLED display.

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Quick Review of the Razer Blade 15

Performance: As a gaming-specific model, with its state-of-the-art Intel processor, ample fast and upgradeable RAM, and powerful GeForce RTX graphics, the Blade 15 blows most regular Computer Science laptops out of the water when it comes to processing speed.

Display: The optional OLED display creates a beautiful range of colors, at high contrast and brightness.

Being a gaming laptop, the Razer Blade’s screen options range from 144Hz to a lightning-fast 360Hz. This means games and other content will display in super-smooth fashion.

Build quality: The laptop features a strong, all-metal build that looks attractive and exudes quality.

Battery & portability: Unfortunately, the Razer’s high-performance components cut into its battery life – it’ll last a bit over 5 hours in a medium use scenario.

The weight is fine at 4.4lbs. Do know that when you’re going for such a powerful machine, you’ll inevitably be sacrificing some portability for the excellent gaming ability.

Pros

• Superb gaming and programming performance
• Beautiful display that’s pleasing to the eye in both gaming and work environments

Cons

• Gets hot under load
• High to very high price, depending on the exact configuration

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#2 Computer Science + Gaming

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

• 16″ • AMD Ryzen 7 • 16GB RAM • 1TB SSD • GeForce RTX 3070 • 5.7lbs

Another option for a hybrid gaming and Computer Science laptop is the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro.

It’s much more affordable than the aforementioned Razer Blade, making it ideal for when you want good gaming performance during your time as a student, without having to spend top dollar to get it.

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Quick Review of the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro

Performance: An AMD Ryzen 7 chip and GeForce RTX GPU make for fast performance in games, graphics design, video editing, and all kinds of demanding programming applications.

Display: The Legion’s 16” 2K (2560×1600) display with 16:10 aspect ratio gives you a lot of screen space to work with. As a laptop for gamers, the Legion 5 Pro comes with at least 165Hz refresh rate.

Image quality is good, with outstanding brightness (over 500 nits), and high contrast. Even the black levels aren’t bad, considering this is an IPS panel.

Build quality: The Lenovo is built very solidly (which also results in it being quite heavy). It doesn’t flex much, has good build tolerances, and is overall constructed to a high standard.

Battery & portability: Relative to the Legion Pro’s high performance, its battery life is surprisingly long at over 7 hours of office-style use.

It is quite bulky and does weigh 5.6lbs, making it one of the less portable laptops for aspiring Computer Scientists in this review.

Pros

• The Legion 5 Pro is a very fast laptop ideal for both heavy programming and gaming
• Quality IPS display that’s spacious, fast, bright, and produces a wide color spectrum

Cons

• Heavy and with a not amazingly long-lasting battery, cutting into its portability

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The post The BEST Laptops for Computer Science Students in 2023 appeared first on Simple Programmer.

Once you’ve experienced the efficiency boost you can get from using portrait mode, you’ll never want to go back.

There’s a number of different models of vertical monitors out there. And of course they’re not all created equal. 

Let’s review the options you have, rank them based on size, ergonomics, image quality, and price, and allow you to pick the one that perfectly fits your desk setup for coding as well as your requirements and goals.

Why trust this review?

I’m reviewing the monitors from my point of view as a veteran Software Developer. My 10+ years spent coding on all kinds of different screens taught me what to look out for in a programming monitor.

I learned the pros and cons of different brands and setups. It’s why I’m able to discern a model that’s of high quality from one that isn’t.

Quick guide on what to look for in a vertical monitor for coding

What are the vertical monitors you can best use for programming?

1. Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240
2. Alienware AW2723DF
3. ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ-W
4. LG Dual Up
5. Dell UltraSharp U2722DE
6. LG UltraGear 27GP850-B
7. ASUS ProART PA278QV
8. BenQ PD2700Q

Best in class for coding – vertical monitors with OLED panel

Why OLED panels are great for programming

OLED screens offer excellent low-light performance. The big advantage over IPS-paneled vertical monitors is that they’re much better in dark rooms—which many coders prefer working in.

An investment for professionals

They’re also much more expensive than regular monitors. But if you’re a high-salaried Software Engineer, you might not mind investing this kind of money into increased efficiency and performance in your career.

Few OLED options

You’ll find more screens using this technology in the 34”+, 4K resolution category—but for sub-32”, QHD (2K, 1440p) displays, there’s not much choice when it comes to OLED monitors.

Here’s my top pick for a vertical coding monitor with OLED technology:

Best oled

Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240

The Xeneon 27QHD240 is the 27″ model OLED monitor just released by Corsair. Like many performance hardware components, it’s built with gaming in mind.

But its bright display, ergonomics and option for vertical orientation make it an attractive choice for coders as well.

That’s if you’re open to spending considerable money on your work equipment—because this monitor is anything but cheap!

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Corsair Xeneon 27″ – Quick Review

Image: A major selling point of this state-of-the-art display is the OLED screen, offering stellar brightness (1000 nits at peak) for any lighting condition, as well as looking equally good from almost any angle.

Colors look beautiful on the Corsair XENEON thanks to its excellent color gamut range and the super-high contrast you get with OLED panels. The high refresh rate of 240Hz is perfect if you’re a coder who’s also into gaming.

Build quality: Corsair’s high-end vertical monitor is well-built and gives off a professional feel. Note though that apart from the stand, most of the display is made of plastic.

Ergonomics: With a stable frame and a multitude of options for adjustments (swivel, tilt, and of course pivot to vertical), this monitor belongs to the highest category when it comes to ergonomics.

Pros

• Light (13.8lbs) & thin
• A hand proximity sensor will light up the control buttons so you can easily find them
• 3-year warranty including for screen burn-in (a risk with OLED)
• Comprehensive & intuitive OSD

Cons

• The Corsair Xeneon’s price is prohibitive for most, unless it’s a career investment
• No integrated sound system

Best IPS panel monitors with portrait mode for both programming and gaming

Another category of interest when it comes to vertical monitors for programming is that of the hybrid coding and gaming monitor.

Many programmers are also avid gamers, and would enjoy one of these: If you’re ready to fire up a game, you can turn the screen back into horizontal orientation and play your favorite titles at a sky-high refresh rate—thanks to fast IPS panels.

As a bonus, the high refresh rate also makes for a smoother experience when you’re scrolling through source code or websites.

best coding/gaming hybrid

Alienware AW2723DF

Released in late 2022, the Alienware AW2723DF is Dell’s high performance gaming monitor—easily set up in vertical orientation—in the 27″, 1440p category.

With its off-white color scheme the screen stands out from its competitors.

It also sports one of LG’s Nano IPS panels, which (apart from OLED panels) are the highest quality you’ll find .

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Alienware AW2723DF – Quick Review

Image:

Dell’s Alienware AW2723DF has reasonably wide color gamut and viewing angles. It’s impressively bright for an IPS panel as well—up to 600 nits. The 240Hz refresh rate, overclockable to even 280Hz, makes playing games and scrolling text ultra-fluid.

Main downside of the display is the lower contrast and poorer black levels the IPS panel provides compared to OLED.

Build quality: While the Alienware monitor is made out of mostly plastic, it does look and feel nice and valuable—which you could say is to be expected at this price point!

Ergonomics: The monitor stand is solid, and the screen is easy to adjust to vertical, as well as tilt and swivel. It also has two RGB lights in the back if you like adding some cool optics to your programing workspace.

Pros

• Cool optics. Good build quality and ergonomics
• Display alignment grid, helpful for multi-monitor setup
• Good image quality & very fast refresh rate (good Nano IPS panel)
• Useful for both gaming and coding in horizontal or vertical mode

Cons

• Black screen areas look sub-par in a dark environment
• The Alienware isn’t amazing at preventing reflections from bright lights
• It’s pricy for an IPS-panel vertical monitor if you’re only looking to use it for coding and general tasks, not high-level gaming

coding/gaming runner-up

ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ-W

ASUS’ 27″ monitor with vertical option, called ROG Strix XG27AQ(-W), offers fast refresh rates for gaming. It launched to the market in early 2021.

But it could also be of interest to programmers looking for high performance, excellent brightness and image quality for a work station screen.

The ASUS display is a good choice for someone who just wants to code, or who wants to do both coding and gaming, with very few negatives.

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ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQ-W – Quick Review

Image: With the ASUS Rog Strix you’ll be getting quality visuals, with accurate colors, and decent color gamut range. Smooth scrolling and gameplay are possible due to high refresh rates from 144Hz up to 170Hz (overclocked).

Contrast and black levels are okay (as is usually the case with IPS panels) – which means it’s fine, but not amazing for working in a dark room. Peak brightness is good for IPS, but lower vs some competitors like the Dell Alienware (max 400 nits).

Build quality: Build quality on this monitor is solid, providing a professional feel.

Ergonomics: These are impeccable on the ASUS: It pivots, swivels, tilts, and adjusts height effortlessly. This makes it perfect to use as a vertical monitor for coding as well as other tasks in any desired orientation. Viewing angles are wide—no matter which position you put it in, you’ll be able to see the image clearly.

Pros

• Eye care mode for late-night work. The ROG Strix allows you to decrease blue light levels in 5 increments. Together with the flicker-free backlight, this serves to reduce eye strain.
• Aesthetic and powerful looks. Available in white, in addition to the standard dark color
• It’s cheaper compared to other high-performance gaming and business / coding vertical monitors

Cons

• The Rog Strix is quite bulky for a 27” screen, as well as heavier than most (weighing almost 20lbs)
• The built-in speakers (2W) are nothing to write home about

16:18 vertical monitor for massive space – LG Dual Up

most screen estate

LG DualUp

In the world of coding monitors—even vertical ones—this monitor truly stands out.

Its 16:18 aspect ratio (2,560 x 2,880 pixels) qualifies it as a portrait mode monitor—but it offers more than your standard model. With the LG DualUp, you get more space vertically and horizontally!

Which means you can see 80+ lines of code at the same time, and still comfortably show other windows on the same screen, if you so choose.

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LG DualUp – Quick Review

Image: The DualUp’s image quality is good, the colors are lively and accurate. At a maximum of 300 nits, its brightness is not amazing. It also isn’t made for competitive gaming with its 60Hz refresh rate.

Build quality: Build quality is decent, but could be better. It feels more plasticky and not as solid as some of the other models.

Ergonomics: The included mount is fully adjustable. The stand features cable management clamps, making it easy to keep your space tidy.

Pros

• Reasonably powerful built-in speakers (7W)
• There’s an 80W USB-C output you can use to charge your laptop from.
• Ambient light sensor that can automatically adjust the brightness according to outside light levels

Cons

• It’s not for watching videos in full screen: The unusual aspect ratio means you’ll have to deal with black bars in your playback window.

Best Options for Dedicated coding and office Work

What if you don’t need your new monitor to double as a high-end gaming display with its amazing refresh rate—you just need it to be great for programming and general tasks? Then there’s still a number of vertical screens for you to choose from.

Best of all, they’ll be considerably cheaper than the decked-out gamer monitors! Check out four of your best options I’ve reviewed:

Best overall

Dell UltraSharp U2722DE

The Ultrasharp U2722DE is Dell’s 27” QHD (1440p) productivity monitor, which was released in early 2021.

As a 60Hz refresh rate model, it’s of course not a perfect screen for gaming, but the beautiful IPS panel does very well if you’re using the UltraSharp as a (vertical) programming monitor.

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Dell Ultrasharp U2722DE – Quick Review

Image: The screen produces a beautiful image, with nice and wide color gamut. Viewing angles are wide so you’ll be able to see screen contents well from any direction.

The Dell is rated to 350 nits of brightness, but only reaches 300 at maximum in practice.

Build quality: Build quality on the Dell is excellent and everything about it looks and feels professional.

Ergonomics: A fully adjustable stand that’s also really sturdy makes it super easy to pivot to vertical, tilt, swivel, and change the height of the display.

Pros

• The monitor doubles as a docking station, with a USB-C charging hub (up to 90W), a KVM switch to change between PC, laptop, or even console, as well as integrated cable management
• Dell is offering a generous 3 year warranty for the UltraSharp U2722DE.

Cons

• There’s some glow (typical of IPS panels) and backlight bleed, which is noticeable when the screen output is very dark.

Budget option #1

ASUS ProART PA278CV

This vertical screen from ASUS was released in early 2021 and is made for creative professionals.

With a quality 27″ QHD IPS panel, it produces an excellent image, and has the perfect pixel density for an efficient programming setup.

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ASUS ProArt PA278CV – Quick Review

Image: The ProArt PA278CV has good image quality and color accuracy along with wide viewing angles. Its brightness goes up to over 400 nits, and coupled with the matte screen that makes it great at fighting glare from outside light sources.

Build quality: Although it’s plastic, the ASUS’ build quality is good. The stand is solid (albeit a bit vulnerable to scratches).

Ergonomics: Ergonomics are excellent on the PA278QV. You can easily pivot it to vertical and back, and it can swivel very far, as well as tilt a decent amount. It also has a cable management feature at the back of its stand.

Pros

• Built-in speakers (2W)
• Affordable price, but great quality

Cons

• The panel has low contrast and struggles to accurately produce blacks. Blacks will look gray-ish (more so when there’s little light in the room)
• Refresh rate of 75Hz – not amazing for gaming

Budget option #2

LG UltraGear 27GP850-B

Just like the aforementioned Dell UltraSharp, the LG Ultragear 27GP850-B is a 27” QHD vertical option monitor released in March 2021.

It’s aimed at gamers, but you can put it into vertical orientation to use as a programming monitor.

With its fast, overclocked 180Hz refresh rate, both games and code or text scrolling will look super smooth.

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LG UltraGear27GP850-B – Quick Review

Image: The LG’s Nano IPS panel scores with great color gamut and wide viewing angles. Brightness is rated at 400 nits—brighter than many similarly-priced competitors.

Build quality: The monitor is made out of almost all plastic. Considering this, the build quality is okay.

Ergonomics: The Ultragear 27GP850-P is slightly limited in its ergonomics: While you can pivot it to vertical as well as adjust height, tilt range is limited, and you can’t swivel it at all.

As such it’s best if you’re looking for a stationary setup, and not looking to change the monitor’s orientation around a lot on the fly.

Pros

• The LG is reasonably priced if you compare it with the Dell Ultrasharp, and even more so with an OLED vertical monitor like the Corsair Xeneon.
• There’s plenty of output options, from dual-USB 3.0, to DisplayPort and dual HDMI, to a headphone jack.

Cons

• Like most IPS monitors, it does glow when the screen is showing black.
• Its contrast and black levels also don’t look perfect when you’re in a dark room.

Budget option #3

BenQ PD2700Q

The BenQ PD2700Q is an older model that was released in mid-2016.

It still offers competitive performance as a coding monitor, though.

Its price is the most affordable of any vertical screen reviewed in this article.

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BenQ PD2700Q – Quick Review

Image: Being a designer monitor, the BenQ PD2700Q has great color coverage. The brightness levels are good (up to 350 nits), with a flicker-free backlight, reducing eye strain during long programming sessions.

For an IPS panel, it’s doing well with showing accurate black and gray colors. Overall, the image looks great on the BenQ PD2700Q.

Build quality: The BenQ’s chassis appears strong and durable.

Ergonomics: The stand is solid, and you can adjust the screen by ways of pivot to vertical, tilt and swivel. Although the adjustments don’t go as far as some other coding monitors’, they’re useful enough for most situations.

Pros

• Viewing angles are excellent
• Useful DualView feature to display and switch between different applications during development
• 3-year warranty

Cons

• Weak-sounding speakers (1W)
• No USB-C port, and no USB-3 outputs–only 3x USB 2.0. (There is a more expensive “Apple-ready” version available)
• Not great for gaming, its pixel response and input-to-output time are slow
• Due to its slightly beefy construction, it ends up being heavier than most 27” screens at 15+ lbs net weight.

Buyer’s Guide for a Vertical Coding Monitor

Here are the specifics of what you should look out for when buying a vertical monitor for programming.

Size & Resolution

Not too big, not too small

When you’re using a 19″ screen as your vertical monitor, you’re leaving screen real estate on the table that could make you even more productive.

On the other hand, I consider a 32″ display the maximum for a vertical monitor. Beyond that, you’ll have to move your eyes and head too much to see some of the contents. It’ll also be heavier and harder to adjust.

A resolution that’s crisp, but not excessive

FHD resolution is fine. But upgrading from 1080p means you get more space to work with while everything still looks good.

Most programmers feel that native 4K resolution is too high, and you need to scale your screen output to work with it from a normal distance.

Because scaling doesn’t always work perfectly, and you’re now paying for resolution you’re effectively not even using, I recommend QHD/1440p as the sweet spot for any reasonably-sized vertical coding monitor.

Adjustability & Ergonomics

The perfect vertical programming monitor will have a solid stand that allows pivoting to vertical with ease, as well as swivel/tilt into different angles you’re working at. This is also useful for showing your work to others at your desk.

Everything should be intuitive, easy to reach, and durable.

Image Quality

Although as programmers we don’t need the same color quality as designers, a display that:

• has reasonably wide color gamut
• is bright enough for low-light situations
• offers good contrast so that blacks look natural

is still preferable.

The IPS panels I’ve reviewed produce a beautiful picture, beyond what cheaper TN models can do.

There’s differences between IPS models as well, so pick one that has the specifications you need:

• Does it need to have a high refresh rate because you’re into gaming?
• Is peak brightness very important to you?
• Do you need the most accurate colors and highest native contrast?

When it comes to image quality and brightness, OLED panels are in their own league – but they’re also very pricey. Consider whether investing that much makes sense for your goals.

Price

For around $300, you can get a good 27″ vertical coding monitor at QHD resolution that will serve you well. Only if you really need a high-end device should you be looking to spend between $600-$1000 on the most expensive devices we’ve reviewed.

FAQ

Can any monitor be used vertically?

Not all monitors can pivot into vertical orientation using their original stand. But, if you get a separate wall mount, you’ll be able to use them vertically as well.

With MacOS or Windows 10+, you can easily put your screen into portrait mode.

How exactly do I put my monitor into portrait mode?

The standard hotkey in Windows for putting your screen into portrait mode is Ctrl+Alt+Left or Right Arrow Key. To reverse it, use Ctrl+Alt+Up Arrow.

If this doesn’t work, just go into your Windows display settings, and under orientation, select Portrait Mode.

Likewise, in MacOS, go into your display preferences, and set the rotation to 90°.

Which resolution is best for a vertical coding monitor?

QHD resolution on a 27” vertical monitor makes for a pixel density of 100+ pixels per inch. You’re getting a nice and sharp image, but the screen contents don’t become so small that you have to use scaling.

Scaling doesn’t work well across all applications.

This makes working with a lower, but still sharp resolution a better bet than going for the absolute highest resolution available.

The goal is to find the sweet spot between image sharpness and readability at native scale. A 27” vertical panel with QHD/1440p/2K resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) fits into that sweet spot.

As a bonus, 2K monitors are also generally more affordable than 4K models.

The post Best Vertical Monitors for Programming in 2023 – Reviewed appeared first on Simple Programmer.

Which factors are important to achieve this?

• Ergonomics
• Screen real estate and configuration
• Quality components
• Necessary & useful accessories
• Optics and ambience

Let’s explore the best programmer desk setup ideas and essentials, so you can get inspiration & improve your existing space, or even design from scratch the perfect coding cave for yourself:

The first rule of programmer desk setups – choose the right screen(s)

Your monitor setup for coding is the centerpiece of your programming desk, and you should choose it wisely. The goal is to have a lot of screen real estate, but not so much that you need to crank your neck to work with most of it.

Whether you’re going for dual or triple monitors, portrait or landscape, flat or curved, 16:9 or ultrawide display—make sure it can show every app you’ll need for coding, without being excessively huge. 

Try to find the sweet spot: A monitor setup that delivers both impressive optics and maximum efficiency at the same time. If you’d like to dive deeper into what makes the ideal monitor arrangement for coding, do check out the comprehensive post answering that question. 

SP’s Recommendation for the best coding monitor: Dell Ultrasharp 27” QHD⤻ͣ

The coding desk itself

Sit-Stand Desk⤻

Sitting too much is obviously bad for you. And as programmers, we do it for hours and hours every day. Standing is a bit better–but too much of it isn’t ideal, either.

The best option is a mix of both. A sit-stand desk you can control electrically (or even by crank) lets you switch positions relatively quickly, and puts your body into the varied posture it craves. 

Anti-Fatigue Foot mat⤻

The same goes for your feet. Your feet are made to experience differing surfaces and movement challenges throughout the day–or else they stiffen up, and slowly lose function. When you’re in standing mode, it’s the perfect time to let your feet explore the mini-landscape in the form of a foot mat made for this exact purpose.

Which Hardware to put on your coding desk

Desktop or Laptop computer for your coding desk?

If possible, go for a desktop for higher performance at lower pricing, and better upgradeability. 

On the other hand, if you frequently need to work while you travel, get a laptop instead.

Better optics for your machinery

• A laptop dock⤻ looks sleek for when you’re using it with the lid closed (or simply storing it). 
• Adding RGB lighting⤻ to your chassis gives your PC a much cooler look

Desk Shape and Layout

Straight vs corner desks

A corner desk does give you additional space to put things like a printer, for example. But it’s not something that’s strictly necessary for a great programming desk setup–and it can look less slick than a straight desk.

Cutout desks offer better ergonomics

A desk with a cutout makes for a more immersive coding experience. It also gives you more space to rest your forearms and wrists on, which puts you into a healthier position while you’re working. This point is relevant only if you’re not using a keyboard tray under the desk (which is recommended and we’ll get to later).

Laptop Stand (if using a Laptop)⤻

Keep your coding environment at eye level. This is important to avoid head-forward posture, neck pain and injury. If you’re using a laptop as your main, or as a supplementary screen, make sure to put it up on a dedicated stand. That way you’ll never have to hunch over to work on it.

Monitor Arm to Adjust & Rotate Your Screen(s)⤻

Especially if you’re using twin monitors, it could make sense to mount both of them to one of these versatile monitor arms. They’ll let you freely & quickly change the position of your monitor setup without having to fiddle with each screen’s individual stand.

Because they’re so robust and versatile, they’re a better option than the integrated stands in almost all cases anyway.

Backlighting⤻

The right lighting helps you get into the right mood for a coding session. It can give your desk setup a really cool look—you can even pick custom-colored lights to design it to your taste even more. 

More added benefits of good lighting are that it eases the strain on your eyes, and makes you and your space look better if you’re doing video calls or recording videos to share on YouTube or other platforms.

Keyboard Tray⤻

Something most programmers suffer from are tight upper trapezius muscles. They’re the ones pulling up your shoulders towards your ears. The culprit is having to elevate your arms to reach your coding PC’s periphery—because keyboard and mouse are sitting on a desk that’s simply too high.

Do you want to be able to sustain a long programming session (and career) without pain? Then your shoulders need to carry as little tension as possible!

You accomplish this by using a keyboard shelf underneath the desk. Now you’re reaching straight ahead—or slightly down—to type, causing your traps to stay relaxed.

Mechanical, Ergonomic, Split Keyboard⤻

When you’re using a regular keyboard for coding, your shoulders are constantly rotated inwards. This makes the shoulder and chest tightness caused by working at a desk even worse.

What a split keyboard does is allow you to type in a more neutral shoulder position. Over time, this can make a big difference in your shoulder health and overall posture.

Wrist Rest⤻ͣ

If you rest your wrists on the desk surface – writing code on a keyboard placed on top of it – they will be placed into extension the whole time. Obviously that’s not optimal, and it can even lead to things like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. 

By placing a soft pad under each wrist, you’ll create a neutral position for your wrist. They’ll thank you for taking off the stress.

Programmable Multi-Button Mouse⤻

With the many repetitive tasks and commands we’re doing as programmers, any way to automate or add efficiency to their execution is more than welcome. This is where a good programmable mouse can come in handy.

For example, if you’re using a tiling software to manage your monitor setup, you could assign buttons for jumping between your different work areas.

Desk Pad⤻

A big desk pad will turn your hard worktop into the most comfortable and secure surface for your coding periphery. You’ll likely want to have a mouse pad anyway, so why not make it bigger?

That way you’ll get more area for mouse movement, comfort for resting your arms, and anti-slip padding for your keyboard at the same time. Improved optics for your desk space are an added bonus.

Desk Setup Essential for Software Engineers – FHD Webcam⤻

Because professionally programming work for clients or employers is not simply a solitary affair anymore–like it or not, you’ll need to frequently check in with clients, employers or team members, often by video call–a proper webcam with good lens and resolution is a sensible investment.

Some models offer such high video quality that they’re perfectly suited to record videos for YouTube or other platforms as well.

KVM Switch⤻

As programmers we often have multiple machines for different purposes. By adding a KVM switch to your desk, you’ll be able to jump between and use the same monitor, mouse and keyboard for all of them. 

Noise-Canceling Headphones⤻

When you need to give full focus to your programming work, you want to block out all outside sounds. Thankfully we have amazing technology today that does it perfectly.

Not only will these headphones improve your efficiency when writing code—you can take them with you whenever you travel, greatly reducing your stress and making any plane ride that much more peaceful.

Professional Chair⤻

Yes, a great programmer chair represents a mid-sized monetary investment. But it’s one that can save you a lot of back and hip pain down the line.

Unfortunately, humans aren’t built for sitting on our butts for hours on end developing software. The least we can do to limit the damage we’re doing to our bodies is put ourselves into a more ergonomic sitting position. A high-quality chair with back & neck support helps you do that.

Consider spending the money—I promise you’ll be paid back with more productivity and longevity in your programming career.

Footrest⤻

While we’re sitting there using only our brain and hands, our legs are craving movement—or at least a change in position once in a while. If not, our muscles tighten up, and the legs can even swell up because blood flow is being limited.

Place a simple footrest in front of you under your desk, and you’ll be able to stretch out your legs, move your ankles, and generally sit in a more neutral position. Believe it or not, it even takes some stress off your back. 

Speakers⤻

Sometimes you don’t want to wear your headphones, or you have company. This is why it’s cool to have some good quality speakers at your programming desk as well. It’s nice to have the option to create some ambience audio, or shake the walls with your favorite tunes. 

Cable Management⤻

The perfect programmer desk setup obviously can’t have a mess of cables. You’ll want to have everything clean, organized, with all cables neatly tucked away.

Your work station will look much better and this will unclutter your mind as well, so you can focus even better on your code creation. This is one of the cheaper upgrades to your setup, but which makes a big difference.

Greenery⤻

Want to turn your work area into a more lively environment? Then consider adding some plants. They’re also good for improving air quality. 

Art⤻

Depending on which style you’re going for with your desk setup, there’s different styles of art you can choose to put on your walls. It’s a perfect way to round out your programmer habitat.

Gadgets⤻

If you’re into Star Wars, Anime, or any other fantasy characters: Putting little statues or toys will definitely add character to your work desk.

The post The Best Programmer Desk Setup (Ultimate Guide) appeared first on Simple Programmer.

The promise of maximal screen real estate is this:

If you can have all relevant parts of your programming project displayed at once, you’ll save the time and mental bandwidth needed for switching between work areas – and become a much more productive coder because of it.

But,

• If your screen space is so huge that you’re cranking your neck whenever you need to focus on its outer areas – that’s a negative.

• If you’re using a curved ultrawide monitor to gain more real estate – that can come with drawbacks, too.

• If you put too many individual monitors together – it becomes a pain to move your cursor between them

Where’s the sweet spot, then?

When creating the ideal work environment for a coder, one monitor setup checks all the boxes

• One main 27” monitor placed in the middle of your eyes’ center of focus, with a resolution of 2560×1440 (a.k.a. 1440p, QHD, or 2k). 
• Two supplementary 27” vertical/square-ish LG DualUp (16:18) monitors, one at each side, angled slightly inwards. 

The benefits of this screen configuration

With 1440p vs 4k resolution, if you’re at arm’s length, you can see everything easily without scaling. You get a decent-sized – but not too tall – work area right in front of you.

A 4k screen with scaling obviously does look better. But not every software supports it, so relying on it can get messy. 1440p offers the right amount of space, still looks good on a 27” monitor, and you don’t need to worry about inconsistencies with scaling.

Vertical monitors are fine if you want more space, but don’t think you need the maximum

A setup with vertical monitors beside your bigger main screen is very similar to this one. 

But you get less horizontal space. This means it’s good for putting a single code editor or document on it, but not so much for application windows that are more wide than tall, or two windows side by side.

Why not just one BIG screen?

Some programmers opt to use a single, 30”-plus-sized screen instead of multiple mid-sized monitors. This could be a regular 16:9 aspect ration monitor, or a flat or curved (ultra) wide screen one – the most popular resolutions for these being WQHD (3440×1440) at a 43:18 aspect ratio, or even wider and taller.

With these monitors you’ll get the optimal height in terms of pixels per inch (PPI), and a lot of horizontal space as well.

Still, there’s some drawbacks to this setup – which is why it’s not my top-recommended coding monitor configuration.

Window management on massive single screens is problematic

You’ll still want to divide your one big monitor into different areas. There are a bunch of tiling management softwares out there. Unfortunately they don’t all work well on every operation system. Considering you’re using them to become a more efficient coder – not to add yet another thing to worry about – this might not be the optimal solution. 

If an app decides to open in full screen, it will stretch across your whole viewing area – which is annoying and will cost you time and effort for re-organizing the screen.

What’s worse, if you’re using a laptop to connect to your screens, and need to disconnect it from your screens for some reason, the locations won’t be saved.

Curved monitors can be good for some coders, but they’re not for everyone

One advantage of using a curved monitor in your programming monitor setup is that you’ll have a more immersive experience compared to a flat wide screen area.

You’ll also be able to see more of the content at the sides without having to move your head as much.

But windows in the curved area also won’t look as natural. And you’re more vulnerable to reflections created by outside light sources.

Some people can’t stand looking at a curved monitor for a prolonged time at all – it can cause a dizzy feeling.

If you ever need to move your programming setup, ultrawide curved monitors are quite unhandy to transport, too, and the risk of damaging them is higher.

Last but not least, they’re more expensive than flat screens. In light of the disadvantages mentioned, you’ll need to think carefully whether you want to spend the extra money on a curved screen.

A dual-screen setup is great for increasing your efficiency as a coder. 

You could opt for one bigger and one smaller screen, recreating the optimal setup above, just with one less screen. 

Or go for two identical, bigger monitors. You’ll have more overall screen real estate, but you’ll also have to turn your head a bit if focusing on the outer areas.

How to best set up dual monitors

If you decide to go with this option, I recommend you don’t place them dead center in front of you. There’s no reason to be looking straight at the bezels.

Instead you want to have your main windows (most likely your IDE) centered in your natural point of focus. The second screen is supplementary and can be used for documentation, a debugger, or program output.

Any external screen is better than coding on a lone laptop

If you’re more budget-minded, it’s fine to do your programming work on a normal-sized display (say, a 24” model) in addition to the smaller laptop screen. While you might still have to switch things around and Alt+Tab for some tasks, this setup will give a massive boost in productivity over coding on just your laptop.

Do raise your laptop screen towards eye level

I recommend you use an external keyboard and place the laptop on a stand so its screen is more in line with the monitor’s.

Having it as an extension at the bottom corner is suboptimal, because you’ll have to look down to focus on it. 

The same goes for having the laptop below the monitor. Yes, this way you could spare yourself the external keyboard. But the integrated keyboard in many cases isn’t the most ergonomic anyway. And having to look down at the laptop screen isn’t the best in terms of having to re-find your focus, as well as neck and shoulder health. 

The best programmer monitor models

As your main screen, I recommend the Dell Ultrasharp 27”⤻. It sports:

• a big, beautiful QHD (2560x1440p) LED panel 
• strong build for longevity
• variable (pivot, swivel, tilt) monitor stand for different setups 
• affordable price as the 1440p version

For the supplementary monitors, the LG Dual Up⤻ is the ultimate option. It has an unusual aspect ratio of 16:18 at 2560×2880 resolution. You can use it in either portrait or landscape mode. And either way you’ll get not just the same area as your main monitor in the middle – but indeed even more vertical and horizontal space. 

The idea is to have your debugger, software output, and documentation in the nearest, most easy-to-view area. The one you’d get if you used three identical 1440p monitors side by side.

But with the LG Dual Up⤻, you have even more space. Yes, it’ll be harder to view than the middle of the screen. It’s ideal to use for email or messenger windows, which you don’t need to check as often. Think of it as bonus space. It’s not essential, but nice to have.

Alternatively, the portrait mode allows you to view more lines of code or documentation vertically. 

The post The Ideal Monitor Setup for Programming (Solved!) appeared first on Simple Programmer.

Let’s look at the 12 best models available today, so you can make an informed choice – and get the mobile workstation that’ll best help you create the games (even AAA-type games, if desired) of your dreams.

Quick verdict

#1 best laptop for game development

ASUS ROG Scar 17

Check price⤻

Read review

Best price-Performance ratio

ASUS Zephyrus G16

Check price⤻

Read review

Best budget-sparing game dev laptop

ASUS TUF Dash A15

Check price⤻

Read review

What makes a great Game Dev laptop

Here are the most important attributes I’ve looked at in the review. These are what make a laptop great for game development.

Skip to reviews

Large screen, high resolution, high color gamut

Ideally, you want 1440p+ resolution for maximum “screen real estate”, coupled with a 15.6”+ screen size so you’re looking at a decent-sized screen while making your games.

For designing games, you also want a high color gamut screen to produce the most vivid colors. The most beautiful and brightest screen type is Mini-LED, which is currently only found in some higher-end laptop models.

GPU

Picking a powerful GPU for your Game Development laptop will make a big difference in how quickly you can work with assets and render complex 3D scenes in Unreal Engine, for example.

CPU

The faster your laptop’s CPU, the faster your game will compile. Especially if you’re also doing 3D modeling, it could make sense to go for the most capable CPU within your budget.

RAM

To avoid lag during developing games, it’s important that your laptop has a large amount of RAM with high bandwidth and low latency.

PCIe SSD Hard Drive

Make sure your new laptop has the newest-generation PCIe SSD hard drives – they’re 2 to 3 times faster than the old standard SATA SSDs.

Good heat control

Any high-performance system encased in a small laptop chassis will produce a lot of heat. The best game dev laptop will be built such that this heat is managed well – because if it’s not, the machine’s speed will be throttled. Even worse, the scorching temperatures could damage the hardware over time. 

Keyboard

A solid keyboard without much flex, and preferably good backlighting, will make your game programming experience more efficient and enjoyable.

Portability: Battery & Weight

While many programmers use a laptop as a stationary desktop replacement, you still might want to travel with it, or work somewhere without access to electrical outlets once in a while. In that case you should look at how big and heavy your game dev laptop will be, and how long its battery will last you.

The 10 best Game Development laptops reviewed

The 5 highest-performance models compared:

Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023)⤻

AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX – Geforce RTX 4090 (16GB) @175W – 32GB RAM (64GB max)

This is hands-down the highest performing laptop for game development you can buy today. 

The ROG Strix Scar 17 combines the new, currently fastest CPU in the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX with the biggest GeForce 4090 – run at a full 175W – and 32GB of DDR5-4800MHz RAM out of the box (easily upgradeable to a max of 64GB).

• Display: The ASUS comes with a 1440p/WQHD (16:9) 240Hz IPS screen , which gives you a lot of real estate for game programming tools even if you’re using the laptop as a stand-alone. The brightness goes up to 1100 nits! And the 240Hz refresh rate is more than plenty for any application.
• Special Features: Strong RGB Light bar, UV reactive coating, MUX switch for higher performance (with Advanced Optimus, so you can switch on the fly), liquid metal & vapor chamber for cooling, 
• Battery: It doesn’t last too long – around 4 hours in normal use and a bit over an hour during intensive tasks like compiling games or 3D modeling.
• Cooling: Although Asus have implemented some powerful cooling mechanism into the laptop, it still runs quite hot (up to 95C at the CPU and 80C+ at the GPU) under the most serious stress conditions.
• Price: Unfortunately, the Scar 17’s best-of-market performance comes with a serious price tag.

Verdict

I crown this as the best laptop for game development, because it delivers the ultimate in performance for game programming. With this machine, you could create AAA games without it missing a beat.

The overall quality and durability for the high-end ASUS laptops is also a bit higher than its competitors. If you’re going to spend mid four figures on a portable game dev machine, you’re obviously looking to invest in something that’ll help you produce high quality games reliably, for many years to come.

Alienware m16 R1 2023⤻

Intel Core i9 13900HX – GeForce RTX 4090 16GB @175W – 16-64GB RAM (2 Slots)

The newest Dell Alienware 16” laptop packs a lot of punch for people looking to create games with spectacular graphics at great speed.

Display: It’s advertised at only 300 nits, but users say it still looks good. It’s not as bright as other displays, but the colors are beautiful.

Special Features: 16:10 QHD @240Hz IPS screen, keyboard RGB backlighting, webcam with IR, card reader, vapor chamber cooling 

Battery: The m16’s 86 Wh battery is below average.

Cooling: There’s a vapor cooling chamber and four fans, as well as several large vents in the chassis. Under full load, the average temperatures are between 80-90C. The keyboard does get warmer than most competitors’.

Price: In the ‘outstanding performance’ category of laptops, the Alienware m16 can be slightly more affordable than some of the other models, depending on the specs you choose. If fully decked out, it does go up to almost $4000.

Verdict

The Alienware m16 can compete in the highest category of game development laptops, despite some small drawbacks – namely the not-super-bright display, slightly weaker battery, tiny trackpad, and high heat development with medium intensity tasks (when the fans aren’t running at high speed).

If you’re looking for ultimate game programming performance for a price a bit lower than $4000, do check out this year’s Dell Alienware m16 R1.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7i (Gen 8)⤻

Intel Core i9 13900HX (Ryzen 9 option available from April ‘23) – 32GB RAM (fastest DDR5 @5600Mhz), 2 slots – GeForce RTX 4090 16GB VRAM – 2x 1TB PCIe SSD

The Legion Pro7i is Lenovo’s current highest-performing laptop, that has the latest hardware to allow for the smoothest experience for game coding and 3D modeling.

Display:

16” 16:10 UHD 240Hz IPS panel

500 nits of brightness

Special Features: AI chip for better performance, FHD webcam with privacy shutter (no IR), good RGB backlighting

Battery: 99,9Wh – but the machine is very power hungry and will only last around 60 minutes at full CPU & GPU load.

Cooling: 2 fans, 2 vapor chamber coolers for CPU & GPU. Liquid metal on the CPU, but not on the GPU, plenty of vents to expel heat.

Price: In the ultra-high performance sector, the Lenovo is more affordable than other options.

Verdict

If you’re after great performance for game development – below the $4k mark (way below if you forego the maximum specs) – the Lenovo could be an option for you.

Razer Blade 16⤻

The Razer Blade 16 packs the highest rated hardware in a 16” model chassis. Thus it is competing for the title of best laptop for gaming, and, in the same vein, game development and game design as well.

Display. Beautiful 2160p QHD+ (4K) Mini LED panel

Special Features: Small-ish 330w GaN charger, battery optimization mode, good FHD webcam with IR & shutter, 

Battery: 95Wh

Cooling: One vapor chamber atop CPU & GPU, and two fans. Temperatures are at 85+ at max load, with spikes up to 94C. The surface also heats up under full load.Price: The price is steep if you go for the RTX 4090 model.

Verdict

The laptop performs amazingly well in all aspects of game development – while being much lighter than its competitors of the same category. The (Mini LED-) display is amazing. It’s only the thermals – and slight durability risk associated with that – which stop the Razer Blade 16 from taking the crown. 

Gigabyte AORUS 17X 2023⤻

Gigabyte has completely redesigned their AORUS model for 2023, updating the cooling system especially to be able to keep up with the ultra-high performance components. Whether it be working with high quality 3D assets or designing complex game worlds, the Aorus 17x is built to perform resource-heavy tasks fast and without throttling.

Display: 17” 16:9 1440p (QHD) @240Hz. It’s not the brightest, but should be anywhere between 300 & 500 nits brightness. Its 100% DCI-P3 and thus pretty & colorful.

Special Features: Advanced Optimus, FHD webcam w/ IR, 2x USB ports on each side,

Battery: 99Wh

Cooling: Vapor chamber cooling system with 4 fans, big heat exhausts at multiple sides of the chassis.

Price: The price is slightly lower than that of the ASUS Scar or Razer Blade.

Verdict

This year’s model of the Aorus 17X is a vast improvement, and it can legitimately compete in the highest performance segment. For its middle-of-the-pack pricing, I’d say it’s a good choice for ambitious developers who want a solid, super high performing laptop capable of any game coding and design task.

2 Game Programming machines with good price-to-performance ratio

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 2023⤻

Display: 16” 16:10 1920×1200 @165Hz. Around 300 nits brightness

Special Features: Silent Mode for low load activities, 

Battery: 90Wh with over 10 hours of battery life (under low load)

Cooling: Liquid metal paste, 4 radiators, 6 heat pipes, 2 fans

Price: At only half the price of some of the ultra high performing game development laptops, the ROG Zephyrus G16 brings good performance at a decent price point.

Verdict

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a good option if you want a game dev laptop that’s a bit more portable, and you want good performance without spending top dollar.

Acer Predator Helios 16⤻

The Core i7 & GeForce RTX 4070-powered Acer Predator Helios 16 in this configuration targets the medium-price, high performance segment. The 2023 model is a complete redesign from prior versions (the Helios 300). Acer addressed past criticisms, aiming to create a flawless all-around machine for gamers and game developers/designers.

Display: 16” 16:10 QHD IPS @240Hz, 500 nits brightness

Special Features: FHD webcam, MUX switch, Advanced Optimus, miniSD card slot, 

Battery: 90 Wh, 5 hours in mixed usage, 7-8 hours low load usage

Cooling: Liquid metal thermal grease, 2 fans

Price: Under $2k

Verdict

The Acer Predator Helios 16 offers great value for money. If you’re looking to get a model from this year, but aren’t willing to spend $3.5-4k, make sure to look into this machine.

Although this particular version doesn’t boast the very fastest hardware currently available, it still offers impressive performance – and should deal with all game development tasks just fine, as long as you upgrade the RAM from the standard 16GB.

3 budget options for a Game Dev laptop

ASUS TUF A15 (2022)⤻

Last year’s ASUS TUF A15 uses AMD’s Ryzen CPU for great energy efficiency paired with decent processing power. It’s also sold at a very reasonable price point.

Display: 15.6” 1080P @144Hz

Special Features: MUX switch, automatic 60Hz display mode to save battery when not plugged in, many adjustment options in the Armory Crate software

Battery: 90Wh

Cooling: Heat pipes, 2 fans, exhaust holes in the chassis at all sides

Price: The ASUS TUF is a budget option of a game development laptop, coming in at only slightly above $1000.

Verdict

The ASUS TUF A15 competes with Lenovo’s Legion 5 and Acer’s Nitro 5 for the title of best game dev laptop for budget. It’s almost head to head with Lenovo performance-wise, but costs a bit less. Which makes it the best choice if you’re concerned about price as well as power.

Lenovo Legion 5 (2022)⤻

Lenovo’s Legion 5 strikes a balance between good performance and somewhat more affordable pricing. It’s the fastest out of the “budget” category, but also the relatively most expensive.

Display: 15.6” 1440p/WQHD @165Hz

Special Features: FHD webcam (no IR), easy-to-use Lenovo Vantage control center with many options, MUX switch, Advanced Optimus

Battery: 80Wh

Cooling: exhaust vents on all sides, 2 fans

Price: With a lower configuration, the Legion 5 can be had for not much over $1000. With the higher configuration, it costs more than the other affordable game development laptops in this review.

Verdict

Last year’s Lenovo Legion 5 is still a great choice for a more budget-conscious game developer. Do make sure to upgrade the RAM, and if you’re going for the 1080p display option, and using it as a standalone, you won’t have a whole lot of screen real estate for different development apps.

Acer Nitro 5 (2022)⤻

Acer revamped the Nitro 5 after criticisms of the prior version. Their goal is to make a more affordable mid-range laptop that’s powerful enough for gaming and game development

Display: 15.6” 1080p @144Hz

Special Features: Webcam (720p, no IR), bay for optional 2.5” drives, MUX switch,

Battery: 57Wh

Cooling: 2 fans, shared heat pipes between CPU & GPU, exhaust vents left, right, top & bottom

Price: The Nitro 5 in this configuration can be had for not much more than $1000

Verdict

While the Acer Nitro 5 performs fine, the only average display quality makes it not the best for designing games. If you’re more concerned with rendering performance over brilliant color optics, it’s still a fine choice for game coding.

The post Top 10 Laptops for Game Development (LATEST of 2023!) appeared first on Simple Programmer.

This means you can’t try out assets or see the results of any changes you’re making without extra time cost. Especially when you’re working with powerful engines like Unreal Engine, a state-of-the-art GPU will make your life as a game developer that much easier.

I’ve compared the currently most popular & relevant graphics cards for you — so you can improve your game development experience by picking the best one for yourself.

Quick verdict

Best GPU for professional Game Programming:

The ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC is the most powerful and best GPU you can buy. It sports superior processing speed, RAM and ray-tracing capabilities in comparison to all other cards available today. The high price is prohibitive, though — unless you’re a professional Game Developer who wants to make this investment into his career.

Best intermediate option: Although the MSI Geforce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB offers only half the amount of RAM and bandwidth of the RTX 4090, its clock speed is excellent, and it’s overall still a good option for Game Development. 

Best for budget: The Gigabyte Geforce RTX 3060 OC 12GB is a good entry-level model for Game Developers. If you want decent performance while spending only half compared to the RTX 4070 Ti or only a fifth compared to the most powerful RTX 4090 OC, I recommend going for Gigabyte’s overclocked version of the GeForce RTX 3060.

The 3 best GPUs for Game Development reviewed

Let’s get into the review.

Best of the best – ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX® 4090 OC Edition

Pros:

• Overclocked to 2640 MHz from the factory (and is reportedly able to run at 3GHz+)
• Unmatched processing power
• Industry-leading amount of high-bandwidth RAM
• Excellent ray-tracing capability
• DLSS 3.0 technology

Cons: 

• Lofty price point
• High power consumption (requiring a good quality, 1k+ KW PSU)
• Needs a lot of case space & strong cooling setup

Verdict:

If you’re explicitly looking for the most powerful graphics card on the market, the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC is it. Out of all GPUs available today, it will improve your efficiency as a Game Developer the most.

Best intermediate – MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti

Pros:

• Fast GDDR6x RAM type
• Good ray-tracing & DLSS capability
• High clock speed
• 40% less power consumption than the 4090 OC

Cons:

• Only half the amount of RAM than the RTX 4090 (12 vs 24GB)
• Half the CUDA cores of the RTX 4090 (7680 vs 16384)
• 500GB/s memory bandwidth compared to the RTX 4090’s 1000GB/s (192 bit memory interface width vs 384 bit)

Verdict:

The MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is a powerful graphics card that can do almost all tasks within Game Development at a fast speed. Unless you’re going for the pinnacle of performance, and are looking to create the most complex AAA 3D worlds, you won’t need more than the GeForce 4070 Ti to develop impressive games – without being held back by your GPU’s speed or capacity.

Best for budget – Gigabyte Geforce RTX 3060 OC

Pros:

• Affordable price for beginner Game Developers
• Decently sized memory at 12GB
• Low relative power consumption at ~200W
• Offers ray-tracing and DLSS(2) to a decent level

Cons:

• Lower relative core clock at 1,800MHz
• Only 3584 CUDA cores
• GDDR6 memory type vs GDDR6x, with 360GB/s bandwidth vs 500/1000GB/s

Verdict:

While it can’t compete with the latest generation of GPUs, the RTX 3060 still does well with Game Development. If you’re not willing to spend $800-$2000 on a graphics card, this is a good compromise between performance and affordability.

What to look for in a graphics card to do Game Programming

Lots of RAM

If you want to work with complicated 3D scenes while still having everything go fast, at least 12GB of VRAM are recommended for any new GPU you’re looking to buy. If the details of your game are too big to fit into your GPU’s RAM, system memory will have to be used – which is much slower.

Good memory bandwidth

But it’s not only the amount of VRAM that matters – your GPU’s memory bandwidth determines its rendering speed. You want your memory interface to be as wide as possible (256-384bit is great), and your memory clock to be high. This will result in a high memory bandwidth.

High amount of processors

The more CUDA cores you graphics card has, the more data it can process in parallel – meaning it makes your game development go faster.

Fast core clock speed

Besides the memory clock speed, you also want the GPU core clock to be high. Just like with CPUs, higher core clock means more processes completed per second.

Ray-tracing capabilities

If your GPU supports ray tracing, you’ll be able to render life-like light effects. The newest GPUs have dedicated ray tracing cores, and perform ray tracing to a much higher level in general than older models.

How to pick the best GPU for yourself in 3 steps

1. Start with a budget

Do your professional ambitions warrant a four-figure GPU purchase? Are you realistically going to make back that money with what you create? Or is lightning-fast Game Development your highest priority regardless? Then you should set your budget high.

If not, settle on an amount that’ll be reasonable for you to spend on something that’s a side hustle or simply your favorite pastime.

Now you’ll have your starting point. You know what you can spend without regret, and without talking yourself into buying something you won’t really need.

2. Formulate your needs & nice-to-haves

You might need certain features for the projects you want to create: For example 12+GB of VRAM for working with large details, or advanced ray-tracing capability because you want to use cutting-edge lighting effects in your game.

Other features might be just a nice to have. Still others you might not care about at all, like size of the card or power requirements.

Get clear on these so you can make a better choice.

3. Find the best fit

Considering both the budget and needs you’ve established, you can now judge each GPU you’re researching much more effectively. You end up choosing one that does what you need it to, without breaking the bank. You make sure you’ll be happy about your purchase – eliminating the need to worry about any regrets popping up later.

The post The BEST GPUs for Game Development in 2023 appeared first on Simple Programmer.

So… you want to code the next big app or make the next gaming phenomenon — but your hardware isn’t exactly cutting edge?

That’s less of a problem than you may think!

Because upgrading your components is often a simple, painless process.

As long as you know what needs to be swapped out.

That leads to the obvious question:

[pullquote align=”normal”]What hardware specs do programmers really need? [/pullquote]

More speed and bigger hard drives for storing code assets are pretty obvious answers.

But there’s more to this story than you might expect.

Let’s see what it’s all about:

Take a Hint From Coding Program Requirements

Students entering a coding program can typically find minimum laptop spec requirements in their course material.

While your specific needs may change depending on what OS and coding language you’re using, these spec guidelines offer an excellent baseline idea of the sort of hardware resources you need to work effectively as a computer programmer.

Most programming courses recommend these basic specs:

• Intel i5 CPU, with an i7 recommended.
• 8GB RAM, with 16GB recommended.
• 1920 x 1080 resolution display.

Those are a great starting point for seeing what to upgrade, and we’ll examine each of those specs in detail below. But first, don’t forget about something that might not be immediately obvious:

Periphery!

Some components can be an absolute necessity for a coding-work laptop, like a USB hub, a card reader, or HDMI ports for connecting extra devices or transferring data in different ways.

Let’s now dive into all the components you could upgrade:

1. Upgrade Your Monitor Setup

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Let’s start with the hardware component that can make or break your coding experience:

[pullquote align=”center”]Why do college programming courses want you to have at least 1920 x 1080 display? [/pullquote]

They’re not telling you to get a high-res screen because you need to stream 1080p video.

It’s because a higher resolution gives you more viewing area for multiple applications at the same time.

For your desktop PC, buying a better monitor is a snap — but for your laptop, upgrading your display isn’t really an option. Unless you’ve broken the display, replacing the screen and video cables on a laptop is too much trouble.

As a laptop user, you DO have another option:

Use those extra HDMI and USB-C ports to connect an external monitor (or even two).

A multiple-monitor setup is a great idea. It makes it so you can easily switch back and forth between your code and the running program — without having to Alt/Tab all over the place.

The Best Coding Monitor in Our Eyes: Dell 27″ 4k Monitor

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We recommend the Dell S2722QC as a high-end coding monitor.

• • • Its 27″ screen size at 4k resolution gives you endless “real estate” to open your coding environment, documentation, and browser windows all at the same time — while still keeping complete overview.[blank_space height=’0.5em’]
    • Dell is know for building high quality hardware. And this monitor is no exception. You’ll be able to enjoy it for many many years without having to worry that stuff stops working.[blank_space height=’0.5em’]
    • You have the ability to create a dual-monitor setup with it. In case you’re a professional programmer who wants even higher coding productivity. Check out the Dell S2722QC on amazon.

2. Upgrade Your Hard Drive/SSD

Before we get into the components like the processor and physical memory, it can’t be overstated how much switching from a hard disk drive to a solid-state drive (SSD) will boost your PC’s speed.

While that’s great for the average user who wants quick boot ups and fast data retrieval, it’s absolutely crucial for programmers, especially if coding is how you plan on making your income.

With an SSD, you’ll spend a lot less time waiting during the many Windows updates and restarts.

Solid state drives are simple to install, especially with laptops these days, as there’s typically only a single screw to remove to pull out the old drive.

While SSDs are the way to go for whatever drive your OS has installed, don’t forget you can add a cheap secondary hard disk drive (HDD) for extra storage of files that don’t particularly need to be accessed immediately.

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Whether you go with the faster SSD or slower but larger HDD, keep in mind you may end up needing a drive large enough to run a dual boot system if you plan on coding in multiple environments.

Virtualization of other operating systems is another option, but that requires a fast CPU and a large amount of RAM to work well.

Finally, don’t forget there’s a cheaper and easier “upgrade” option here that doesn’t involve swapping out components.

Simple cloud storage solutions can alleviate your PC speed problem so long as you have reliable internet speeds in your area and a hardware combo capable of quickly transferring files around.

Which SSD Drive Should You Get?

[one_half_first]Our pick for the best SSD hard drive for coding is the Western Digital 4TB SSD. It’s fast, reliable, and offers enough space for most projects — even if they’re space-intensive like game development.

Check out the WD 4TB SSD on amazon.[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

3. Upgrade Your RAM

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Here we arrive at the most obvious (and most helpful) upgrade.

Coding requires a lot of memory because your programs will eat up every last available megabyte while compiling.

If you find you get a lot of stutters, lag, and crashing while debugging or compiling, a quick and easy option is just to slap in some extra RAM.

At this point, 16GB is basically the bottom line for any sort of advanced user applications, but if your motherboard can handle it, I’d recommend upgrading to one or more 32GB modules.

The Best PC RAM Recommended for Coding

[one_half_first]The OLOy Hairline Gaming RAM is the fastest memory you can get — perfect if your gig is programming memory-intensive software. If you have the funds, get the 2x32GB bundle. You’ll never have to worry about anything lagging or running out of memory ever again. Check out the OLOy PC RAM on amazon.

[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

4. Upgrade Your CPU

Still getting slow speeds, even with more RAM?

The culprit is going to be your processor, as older CPUs have trouble compiling programs or using other tools you may need as a programmer—like video and image editing apps.

Unfortunately, upgrading the CPU isn’t particularly an option for the laptop crowd, short of buying an entirely new machine with a better processor altogether.

However, since the average budget laptop typically only lasts about 3 years, that may not be a bad idea.

Whether upgrading your desktop PC’s processor or just flat out buying a new laptop, going with one of the later-generation Intel iX core CPUs is a surefire way to get great speed now and future-proof against updates.

The Fastest CPU for Coding Recommended by Simple Programmer

[one_half_first]

For ultimate coding performance, get the Intel i9 12900K 8+8 Core CPU. It’s the absolute high end in computer processors. But, first make sure your mainboard is compatible with it! If you’re a bit more budget-minded, the i7 is still a great choice for a CPU.

Check out the Intel i9 12900K 8+8 Core on amazon.

[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

5. Upgrade Your Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

This is really only necessary for programmers working with graphics-intensive apps, like Windows games or video editing tools.

Unfortunately, this also isn’t typically an option for the laptop crowd, but there’s a workaround now.

External GPUs are becoming more prevalent and are incredibly easy to hook up.

Although they reduce your portability, connecting to an external graphics card can quickly and easily give you advanced performance when coding graphics-intensive programs.

While the new RTX series cards are available now from NVIDIA, in most cases, a GTX 1070 or 1080 will be all you need for any programming application.

Recommended GPU for Game Development

[one_half_first]

The overall best GPU for developing games we’ve found is the Geforce RTX 3060.

You get high performance at a medium price. 

Check out the ZOTAC Gaming GeForce 3060 on amazon.

[/one_half_first][one_half_last][/one_half_last]

Don’t Throw Out Your Old Components!

After going through all those upgrades, you’re probably left wondering what to do with the old hardware.

I mean, who really needs a sad 4GB stick of RAM?

As it turns out, you do!

Keeping older tech on hand is an excellent way to test your programs on a variety of hardware setups.

Not every user is going to have a high-end machine with cutting edge specs, so you need to know your programs will work on everyday hardware.

Upgrade Your Hardware, Upgrade Your Coding

Now that we’ve got that last tidbit of info out of the way, let’s take a quick recap of the best hardware to upgrade for programmers:

1. Upgrade your display, or switch to a multimonitor setup.
2. Switch to an SSD, or add a secondary HDD.
3. Add additional RAM up to your motherboard’s maximum.
4. Upgrade to a better CPU, or get a new laptop.
5. Install a newer GPU.

With these upgrade-friendly components in mind, you should be well on your way to whipping up the next Tinder or Angry Birds.

Good luck with your coding career or personal programming project!

The post 5 CRUCIAL PC Hardware Components Programmers NEED to Upgrade appeared first on Simple Programmer.

• Unlicensed software represents 37 percent of all software installed on personal computers worldwide.
• The commercial value of unlicensed software globally is more than $46 billion.
• Malware from unlicensed software costs businesses across the globe nearly $359 billion a year.

The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property estimated that annual losses from software piracy, theft of trade secrets, and counterfeit goods run as high as $600 billion each year.

If you thought this is mainly a concern of developers that distribute software outside the United States, it’s worth mentioning that the cost of software piracy is higher in the U.S. than in any other country—followed by China, India, France, and the U.K., according to data from the Business Software Alliance.

One developer succinctly explained why software developers are investing appropriately in software copy protection:

“I didn’t spend 10 years of my life developing the software so that it could be given away. I needed a better way to protect it.”

In short, as a software developer, you should have software licensing top of mind.

Why Software Security Is Important

The short answer is, people suck. Well not most people, but the few bad apples out there can cause more damage than the majority of good honest people combined.

While most people will be honest, pay for your software, and not misuse it, there are individuals who will use unlicensed copies of software, steal software for the purpose of reselling it, or reverse engineer it just to say they have.

As the developer, you have spent countless hours planning, designing, and coding software to solve some problem. The last thing you want is for someone to steal your hard work and profit from it.

Another, less considered, side effect of poor software security is the potential damage to your reputation.

According to the BSA, malware from unlicensed software costs nearly $359 billion annually. If a company determines that your software, even if used unlicensed, brought in malware that caused damage, would that company be running back to you for their next software purchase? Probably not.

Even if they understand the software was unlicensed, making the company squarely to blame, you will still have to do damage control to ensure no one else is impacted by the malicious version of your software.

The best course of action is to protect your software before it is ever distributed.

Here’s the good news: According to the BSA survey, businesses that “take pragmatic steps to enhance their software management” increase profits by as much as 11 percent.

Indeed, protecting your trade secrets and brand have obvious bottom-line benefits. These include avoidance of unnecessary costs, not to mention frustration associated with backtracking and reinventing your software with proper protection. It’s inarguably better to work on developing your software rather than on trying to gain it back.

How to Secure Your Software

There are many vendors who provide software licensing and security, but first you must ask yourself important questions to determine how to proceed.

The first question you must ask when securing your software is, what is your primary goal in implementing software security? Is it to prevent piracy? Prevent reverse engineering or misuse? Or is it something else altogether?

Then you should ask what level of security is required for your application. Will a bicycle lock do, or are you wanting something more like Fort Knox? Most developers err on the side of caution and implement more security than what is necessary and is typically recommended.

Finally ask yourself how much you want to spend on software security. There is no right answer to this question, so you’ll need to shop around to get a feel for the prices of the options you decide to implement.

Once you have determined your need, budget, and level of security, you can start looking at your options for protection.

Key Elements of Protection

Software copy protection begins with your licensing strategy, where you will determine how to be compensated for your software. Some common licensing strategies include:

• Perpetual. One-time payment allows for unlimited access to the application.
• Feature-based. Software is purchased, and additional features are unlocked with additional purchases.
• Time-based. Software is rented for a specified length of time and can be renewed at expiration.
• Tiered. Versions of the software are offered based on the number of features available, e.g., Silver, Gold, or Platinum.

Once you’ve arrived at a licensing strategy, you’re ready to find a solution that enforces that strategy and makes it very difficult or nearly impossible to circumvent, so you get paid the correct monetary value for each user.

Your software copy protection strategy should take into account where your software will be released. Will it connect to the internet? Will it run on standard PCs/Macs or an embedded device? In software copy protection, there’s no “one size fits all” approach. Look for a solution that meets all your criteria.

You’ll also want a solution that reflects your required security level. A handy analogy: You shouldn’t lock up your bicycle in Fort Knox to keep it safe, and you shouldn’t use a bicycle lock to secure the Hope Diamond. Your protection should match the value of your software.

By addressing these considerations, you can determine if a software- or hardware-based (or mixed) solution is best.

Types of Protection

Let’s run through the major options for software copy protection, including the cost, level of security, and implementation in each case.

Honor system.
The upfront expense is zero, and the hope is everyone who buys your software refuses to distribute it, so you’re paid for each user. There is no setup or implementation required: As soon as you hit compile, you’re ready to distribute. Problem: As your volume of users grows, it becomes almost mathematically inevitable that some users will intentionally or unintentionally share it. Needless to say, your level of security under an honor system is virtually nonexistent.

Software-based with no internet connectivity.
This tends to be a low-cost option. Implementation of software-based solutions are usually carried out after the software has been compiled. Typically, a software wrapper with some configuration settings is used to protect the application. When the software is run by end users, it isn’t connected to any resources for protection. Because all licensing parameters are on the computer running the software, unauthorized use is fairly easy. The level of security for software-based solutions is in the low-to-moderate range.

Software-based with internet connectivity and activation.
The required connection back to a licensing server generally results in a high cost for setup—plus recurring fees. Again, a software wrapper is used to implement the protection, but because internet connectivity is required, the options offered by the wrapping software are more robust. The additional options allow for greater visibility into where the software is being used, how it is being used and, whether or not it is being used in an unauthorized way. Because internet connectivity is always required, some locations may be excluded. Protection is in the moderate-to-strong range, because licensing parameters remain off-site on secure licensing servers.

Hardware-based protection.
Security is very strong, because licensing is contained on a USB hardware security dongle, with no internet connectivity required. The cost on a per-license basis for each dongle is low, and no recurring licensing fees are involved. Implementation can be accomplished using application program interfaces (APIs) or software wrapping.

Key Benefits of Security Dongles

USB hardware security dongles are the best choice for software licensing and security. They can be quickly and easily implemented using a software wrapper. For greater flexibility, APIs can be integrated into your software, and for the greatest security both software wrapping and API integration can be used.

Security dongles offer a variety of advantages, starting with the form factor. The presence of a physical key removes the license from the computer hardware. With an external key located outside the operating system, security is strong.

Moving the license from one computer to another is as easy as removing the USB from one computer and inserting it in another. The secure physical dongle key cannot be read or copied.

Using a USB dongle, no licensing server is contacted, so you’re able to deploy software where internet connectivity is restricted or prevented. This includes high-security locations such as government installations and areas where internet traffic is heavily monitored, restricted, or not allowed. Dongles eliminate the need to make available different solutions for different environments.

Other benefits of USB dongles include:

• Improved security for your intellectual property (IP). Tight integration between the dongle’s firmware and your software makes it possible.
• Flexible licensing options. Your options for establishing—and enforcing—licenses are virtually unlimited.
• Exceptionally easy implementation. A first-rate dongle solution can be implemented within minutes rather than in days, weeks, or months.
• Multiplatform support. USB dongles can support all versions of Windows as well as Mac and Linux systems.

What to Expect From Your USB Dongle Resource

Should you choose this option for protection, in addition to first-rate protection, your chosen dongle supplier for software copy protection should deliver:

• Ease of implementation.
• Speed of delivery for production dongles. You don’t want to be waiting on your supplier to sell more of your software.
• Flexibility to implement and customize the solution to fit your needs.
• Software licensing is far from one-size-fits-all.
• Peace of mind knowing that your supplier has a proven track record and will be around to support your though the full life cycle of your application.
• Support to help implement the solution as well as continuing support for when it’s time to upgrade your software.

Don’t Let Others Profit From Your Hard Work

While the rate of software piracy has decreased 2 percent in the past two years, it still accounts for 37 percent of software installed on personal computers. A slight decrease in piracy does not mean you can neglect software licensing and security.

You have invested hundreds, probably thousands of hours into your work; the last thing you want is for your hard work to be stolen. Before releasing any software, you should think about how you are going to license and secure it, and if you have already released software without protection, you can retroactively add security to prevent future harm.

The post The Developer’s Guide to Software Licensing and Copy Protection appeared first on Simple Programmer.

History

\n\nAndroid and Apple have been going at it since the release of the iPhone back in June 2007. In November of the same year, the Open Handset Alliance was formed, led by Google, and consisting of several key players in the sector, such as Intel, Samsung, and T-Mobile. Most importantly, it brought together many manufacturers, such as HTC, Sony, and LG under the same umbrella.\n\nAndroid was unveiled the day the Alliance was announced, as its first product, and a year later the first commercially available Android device, the HTC dream, was released.\n\nFast forward to 2015, and Apple, remarkably, is still holding its own against everyone else.\n\nPlease note that I’ll mostly be referring to their mobile offerings – smartphones and tablets – as they’re the most prevalent.\n\n

Round One: Hardware

\n\nCompared to Android, there are not a lot of options when buying Apple hardware. This is a good thing because Apple devices have remarkable build quality, with their hardware so closely married to their software that you’re guaranteed a great experience. The iPhone, regular and Plus size, iPad Air, iPad Mini, and iPad Pro constitute their lineup.\n\nAndroid devices have gotten better over the years, and there are still enough options to give you a headache. I believe currently, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is the best choice, for its incredible performance and premium design, with Google’s Nexus 6P a close second, for the same reasons. But there are a lot of great options out there, depending on your budget and what kind of phone you’re looking for.\n\nAs far as tablets are concerned, Samsung’s series of tablets and the Nexus line are pretty much the best choices, successfully balancing power, design, and price. Once again, there are still a host of other options out there.\n\nIn each case, Android’s and Apple’s best offerings are exceptionally well-built, with top of the line processors, high-end specifications, acceptable battery life, and finally in 2015 (for Android) great cameras (Android device manufacturers really took their time with that last one).\n\nWinner: Tie.\n\nIt’s pretty much a level playing field on this count.\n\n

Round Two: First Use

\n\nI recently had a chance to observe someone use a smartphone for the first time that was running Android. Watching the person struggle to find things that came easily to me, made me realize how complex Android is. Truly, it seems Android users have gotten so used to its visual cues that Google has been refining Android to be more intuitive to their current users, and not new ones.\n\nWhen you see a hamburger (that group of three lines you find at the corner of most Android apps) you instinctively know what it’s supposed to do – open a menu. This person however, thought the hamburger was a purely visual element. I had to explain to her what the hamburger meant and show her its various implementations (sometimes it’s not three lines, but three dots), as well as show her what the triangle, circle, and square meant in Android, which is back, home, and multi-tasking respectively. She was already surprised by how complicated it was, even before we got to the phone’s settings, which in Android, is much more complicated than it needs to be; Options open options, which open more options. However, by the time I left her, she could open apps, and recognise the menus, and I left her with that crucial bit of information: when in doubt, just tap the circle and start over.\n\nApple is much better in this regard, having a less cumbersome user interface, and almost perfectly organized menus. You’ll still find some questionable icons that may leave you guessing, but it’s far less than what you’ll find in Android. With Apple, it’s mostly just touch and go.\n\nThere’s also a lot of first-time setup in Android, but coincidentally, someone made an image of all the setup screens in Apple, and it was rather eye-opening. Apple, too, isn’t without fault on this one.\n\nIn the end though, for first time use, Apple feels more likable and friendly, and gets a thumbs up for that.\n\nWinner: Apple.\n\n

Round Three: Honeymoon

\n\nThe first few days after you’ve gotten your brand new device is the honeymoon period. You spend A LOT of time with it (mostly just locking and unlocking it for no reason) finding apps, investigating what exactly the phone can do, and generally messing around with it.\n\nApple, this time, lacks the edge; you’ll find the honeymoon phase with Apple doesn’t last as long as with an Android device as a result of the streamlined, focused nature of iOS. Apple makes their devices so simple to use, that most of the time, you’ll just be opening, closing, and switching between apps.\n\nAlso, with Apple, the best you can do is customise the lockscreen. There are no widgets, and the app shortcuts obstruct your view of the wallpaper.\n\nThis is not the case with Android. You can ask any Android user and they’ll tell you that the first few days with device (after you’ve gotten a grip of it) is almost heaven. You can spend hours chasing after the perfect wallpaper(!). There are widgets,the lockscreen, app shortcut arrangement, transitions, and even the lockscreen in Android has widgets!\n\nIt’ll take an Android user days to look for the perfect combo of lockscreen, wallpapers, and widgets. And that’s not even counting the themes and launchers, which change the basic interface of your device, that are available.\n\nYou can own the way your device looks. Good times!\n\nEssentially people who want to love their phone can’t go wrong with Android. People who haven’t got time on the other hand, can’t go wrong with either. Android gets the edge for having the possibility.\n\nWinner: Android.\n\n

Round Four: Getting Things Done

\n\nSo now you’ve gotten tired of messing around with the device and you’ve started getting calls, texts, reading emails, and doing actual work with it.\n\nAs of 2015, I have to say both Apple and Android are wonderfully productive. You can find almost every iOS app on Android too, and the majority of these apps are also stable, so there are not a lot of glitches which can slow down your productivity.\n\nHowever, Apple devices tend to be more stable and smoother than their Android counterparts. Apps launch with little to no lag, don’t close unexpectedly, and run with relatively no issues. It is at this point that Apple users get some sort of delayed honeymoon phase. Using Apple devices is a mostly painless, hassle-free experience. You just get things done. Opening apps, using apps, multi-tasking, it all just works. It is awesome!\n\nBut let’s not discredit Android. After Lollipop, version 5 of the OS, was released (they just released version 6, by the way), Android is also stable, smooth, and a pleasure to work with. Google has fixed most of the issues concerning lag and stability, so it’s infinitely better now.\n\nAll this is to say, you can’t go wrong with either.\n\nWinner: Tie.\n\n

Round Five: Approaching Retirement

\n\nGenerally speaking, Android devices don’t age well; software updates are inconsistent, and the device starts to feel incredibly slow.\n\nThis is mostly a software problem, and thanks to the countless ROMs (third party versions of the OS) and third party tools, you can usually fix that. But it takes time and requires some technical knowledge.\n\nApple’s software is more reliable in this regard. Updates are consistent, without leaving older devices behind and without altering the experience much. Clearly, having only three or four major devices helps them to deliver updates without trouble, whereas Android has an innumerable amount of devices from so many different manufacturers and carriers. Updating understandably becomes a major issue.\n\nHowever, you may encounter hardware issues such as broken screens and failing batteries, which are non-removable. Both Android and Apple devices have these issues, except you can find Android phones with removable batteries, and just recently, Motorola released a phone with a shatterproof screen. This is the upside of having all those Android manufacturers; competition, and the need to stand out, brings out the best of them.\n\nEven though true to Android’s nature, there are always workarounds to software updates, and choice in hardware maintenance is unmatched by Apple, Apple’s consistent software updates are a huge plus over Android, and enough to score this in their favor.\n\nWinner: Apple.\n\n

Round Six: Miscellaneous

\n\nIn wearables, it’s pretty much accepted they both have a ways to go, but the variety of Android Wear watches have given it an advantage. They have a range of options – from square-faced watches and round-faced ones, to sporty and luxurious/premium watches, thin and thick bezels, you name it, they have it.\n\nThat’s not to suggest the the Apple watch isn’t doing okay. As John’s review will tell you, it’s pretty great. A general issue at the moment, however, is their poor battery life, and unfortunately you can’t run away from that, whether you go Apple or Android.\n\nThey both have software for cars too: Android Auto and Carplay. The software seems to be at the same stage as the wearables – showing potential but not quite there yet. They are both slow, lack apps, and aren’t as useful as they claimed to be. In any case, they aren’t easy to find yet (I personally have never seen any), but Android seems to be the better option, mostly because of Google Maps.\n\nWhen it comes to the TV, once again there is an incredible variety of TVs running Android. Virtually every smart TV out there is Android, with Apple having only their Apple TV. In my experience there’s nothing overly groundbreaking about either of them, though the new Apple TV shows a lot of potential, mostly due to its app store. Android’s version of that, the Nexus Player, is definitely worse. It doesn’t have many apps, is consistently slow, and feels poorly implemented.\n\nYou can’t help but admire Android because it is on so many devices. Not only does Android have its bases covered in smartphones and tablets, but it is also in laptops, cars, TVs, watches, and even in projectors, cameras, consoles, landlines, glasses, fridges, and washing machines as well. Ridiculous!\n\nAdmittedly, Android has a remarkable presence, and it’s no surprise that it’s the most widely used OS, but Apple has yet to poorly implement a device, which is also a big deal.\n\nWinner: Tie.\n\n

Verdict

\n\nI feel confident saying that you can’t go wrong with the best Android and Apple have to offer. And they do have a lot to offer.\n\nIn terms of phones and tablets, it really is a level playing field. So much so, it depends wholly on what you want. The iPhone is easier to recommend, mostly for its great reliability and ease of use, but if you’re looking for something specific, like customizability, or battery life, Android more often than not has you covered.\n\nIn each case you’ll find carefully constructed devices, with smooth, stable, and functional software and of course, a gigantic app collection. It is up to you.\n\nOh and by the way, I’m an Android guy. What about you?

The post Android vs Apple Today appeared first on Simple Programmer.

\n
• Reduce the amount of “stuff” that needs to be backed up

\n

• Divide backed up data into two categories: critical and non-critical

\n

• Have three copies of data, two local and one offsite

\n

• Make everything automated

\n

\n\n

Step 1: Reducing the amount of “stuff” that needs to be backed up

\n\nThe easiest way to simplify your backup solution is to start by reducing the amount of stuff that you need to backup. The less you have to backup, the easier it will be to manage those backups and to actually do the backups themselves.\n\n

Step 2: Divide backed up data into two categories: critical and non-critical

\n\nBacking up one terabyte of data to the cloud takes a long time and it can be expensive–that is why most people don’t do it.\n\nSo, what do you end up with?\n\nWell, if you are like most people, you end up having some kind of local backup and you don’t really have a good cloud or offsite backup in place. It’s just too much trouble to try and backup all that data to the cloud.\n\nIf you followed my first step, you should be well on your way to reducing your total data that you need to backup, but we can do much better and get that data to an even smaller amount.\n\nInstead of trying to backup everything to the cloud or offsite, if you focus on backing up just what is critical, you’ll find that it is much more manageable and you won’t need gigabit internet to back everything up.\n\nTake all the data that you want to backup and sort it into two categories: critical and non-critical.\n\nCritical things are things that if you ever lost them, you would be very sad, because they couldn’t be replaced or would cause you some great harm.\n\nA good example of critical data for me is my wife’s photos. If I lost my wife’s photos, I would probably need to find a new wife.\n\n

Step 3: Have three copies of data, two local and one offsite

\n\nOk, now we are actually ready to back things up.\n\nMost likely, you’ll have a small amount of critical data and either a larger amount of non-critical data or almost none.\n\nThe critical data we don’t ever want to lose. So, we need to make sure that there are three copies of that data at all times.\n\n

\n
• one working copy

\n

• one local backup

\n

• and one cloud backup

\n

\n\nToday, this is actually quite simple to achieve.\n\nFor awhile I was doing this by using a service like CrashPlan. Crash plan allows you to specify folders on a computer to backup to another location and to specify some folders to be backed up to the CrashPlan cloud servers as well.\n\nI was creating two backup sets. One that backed up my critical data to another hard drive in my computer and another backup that backed up to CrashPlan’s servers.\n\nThis worked well for a while, but then I realized that I didn’t really need to pay CrashPlan’s monthly fee when I was already paying for extra storage space with Dropbox and also that I wanted to have a central place to backup data locally and not just back up from my one PC. My wife has data she needs to backup and I have a laptop and other devices as well.\n\nNow, don’t get me wrong, CrashPlan is great. I highly recommend it, but if you have a NAS (Network Attached Storage) and an account with either Dropbox or OneDrive, you might not really need to utilize a service like CrashPlan.\n\nBut, before I get into the specifics of what I am doing, let’s talk about the strategy one more time.\n\nWe want to have three copies of our data. One working copy, one local backup and one offsite backup.\n\nThere are many ways to accomplish this; the easiest way is to have a cloud storage solution like Dropbox or OneDrive as an offsite backup and then to figure out some way to have a local backup as well.\n\nThe reason why we want an offsite backup and a local backup is so that we are covered in two possible scenarios:\n\n

\n
1. Your local backup fails and when you go to recover your data you discover this problem. In that case you can just get the data from the cloud.

\n

2. Your cloud backup either fails, goes out of business or loses your data. In this case, you can use your local backup to recover your data and move your offsite backup to another service.

\n

\n\nIf you just put your data in the cloud, it isn’t good enough, because you are relying completely on someone else’s service that you can’t control.\n\nIf you just locally back up your data, it isn’t good enough, because you could have a fire and your entire house could burn down, or you could be robbed, or your backup could just fail and you not know it.\n\n

How I’m backing up my critical data

\n\nSo, how am I actually backing up my critical data now that I’ve gotten rid of my CrashPlan subscription?\n\nWell, I invested in a Synology NAS, or network attached storage.\n\nI bought a Synology DiskStation 2-Bay (Diskless) Network Attached Storage (DS213j) which I have attached directly to my network.\n\nIt allows any computer in my network to use it as a file server and it runs its own little operating system that can do all kinds of neat things like backup my data to Dropbox or even Amazon Glacier.\n\nThere are two big advantages of this kind of device versus having some hard drives in my computer that I am using to create a copy of data:\n\n

\n
1. The data is accessible by all the computers and devices in my house easily. I don’t have to have my main PC on and connected to the network.

\n

2. The Synology devices very easily do a RAID style storage. So, I can have two hard disks in there and if one of them fails, the other one still has all the data.

\n

\n\nA distant third, for me, would be that the Synology box can act as a full media server. I don’t use that functionality that much, but I know some people with huge movie collections do.\n\nThe big key point for my solution is that the Synology device creates a very good redundant RAID. In my book that counts as two copies of local data.\n\nI just attach my Synology box as a network drive on my computers and devices and I store any data that I want to make sure is backed up there.\n\nSynology has a service you can install that hooks up your device with your Dropbox account (OneDrive support coming really soon.) So, I just share out that Dropbox folder on my Synology drive out to my network and I can drop any files I want backed up in that share and those files will not only be in double backup on the Synology drive, but also backed up to my Dropbox account in the cloud.\n\nMy wife can also do the same, so this is very convenient.\n\nI also don’t even worry about having a local copy of a backup on my computer anymore, because I know that the data in the Synology drive is backed up on two hard drives and in the cloud.\n\n

How I’m backing up my non-critical data?

\n\nWhat about the non-critical data?\n\nSimple. I just copy that to a share on the Synology device that isn’t backed up to the Dropbox account.\n\nFor example, right now, the only thing I really have that I am considering non-critical data is images of my computers. I just put those on a share on the Synology and I don’t worry about them.\n\n

Why not just use a backup service like CrashPlan or Mozy?

\n\nAgain, this whole thing could be done with a backup service like CrashPlan, but if I am already going to have a Dropbox account that I use, I don’t see the point of paying for and managing another backup system.\n\nIn fact, I am probably going to switch over to OneDrive exclusively, because Microsoft just recently announced that Office 365 users get unlimited OneDrive storage.\n\nIf you want to use a backup service though, go ahead. Just make sure you have a local backup and a cloud based backup for your critical data.\n\n

Step 4: Make everything automated (and test it)

\n\nIf you followed my backup plan or you are using a service like CrashPlan, then you probably don’t need to do much here, because everything is already automated.\n\nCrashPlan automatically backs up the data on your computer as it changes, so you don’t really have to worry there.\n\nAnd, if you are using a NAS and a service like Dropbox, that is automated as well, because you basically just drop files into the Dropbox folder on your NAS and it automatically syncs with Dropbox.\n\nBut, if you are doing something else, just make sure the entire process is automated. You might, for example, want to automate backing up images of your computer. Or you might want to automate getting photos off of your phone or camera and dropping them into a backup location.\n\nFinally, make sure you test everything out.\n\nA backup that has never been tested is worthless.\n\nIf you use a service like CrashPlan, try restoring data from it.\n\nIf your backup is going to be your Dropbox box and your NAS, test it out. Make sure you can retrieve any data that you need. If you are backing up databases or snap-shotting PCs, make sure you can restore all of those backups, otherwise don’t bother backing them up in the first place.\n\nNothing is worse than trying to restore a backup and finding out that it was no good or wasn’t working.\n\n

Are you backing up your data?

\n\nLet me know in the comments below.\n\nAnd, if you liked this post and found it helpful, join the Simple Programmer community so that I can stay in touch and let you know when I have new posts or other free content you might be interested in.\n\nAlso, if you have some other suggestions or think there is something I missed or didn’t consider, leave a comment and let me know.\n\n \n\n 

The post How to Create a Simple Backup Solution That You Can Trust appeared first on Simple Programmer.