For machine learning, you’re probably better off with a desktop. They perform much better than laptops, and you can always change components to suit your need. But if you’re a professional (e.g: an ML engineer or Data Scientist) or a student, a laptop for ML can be an excellent choice. You can take work with you, no matter where you are.
But not all laptops are good for training and running machine learning algorithms. Here, we considered the typical needs of a professional to rank 9 laptops for Machine learning.
Contents
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- 1 Machine learning is hardware-intensive
- 2 Things to Consider
- 3 Best Laptops for Machine Learning
- 3.1 1. Eluktronics Max 15 – All-rounder
- 3.2 2. TensorBook by Lambda Labs
- 3.3 3. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – An affordable Beast
- 3.4 4. MSI GE76 Raider – Desktop-level Performance
- 3.5 5. Razer Blade 15 RTX3080 – The Elegant Beast
- 3.6 6. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – The Portable Beast
- 3.7 7. Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 RTX3070 – The workhorse
- 3.8 8. Lenovo Legion 7 Slim – Stylish & Powerful
- 3.9 9. Asus TUF Dash F15 (2021) – Budget RTX Machine.
Machine learning is hardware-intensive
If you’ve ever trained a machine learning algorithm, you know how long the process can take. Machine learning is a computationally-intensive process, so you need a powerful machine to handle the load. Modeling an ML involves matrix operations, and the neural networks can have millions of parameters to train.
Things to Consider
Before jumping to the product listing, here are some things you want to keep in mind. To train and deploy a model smoothly, you want your laptop to have a powerful GPU with a lot of VRAM. You also want to have a fast, multi-core processor and at least 16GB of RAM.
A high performance GPU is crucial
Main Article: A Decent GPU is Crucial for Machine Learning
At its core, machine learning is all about crunching numbers and solving matrices. Training an ML algorithm involves a lot of matrix operations, especially if you have a large dataset. That’s where parallelizing computations can change things.
CPUs are faster than GPUs, but they compute sequentially and only feature a few processor cores – which offer rapid and focused sequential processing. On the other hand, a GPU is specially designed to crunch numbers, as graphics processing is basically complex matrix operations performed parallelly.
Typically, a GPU contains thousands of small “cores” or processing units that are optimized for these kinds of operations. The high number of cores allows GPUs to parallelize matrix operations, and cut down processing time.
Memory Bandwith and VRAM
Every GPU has a memory Bandwith and a video RAM that holds the data required to perform a task. The Higher the Memory bandwidth and VRAM you have the smoother your ML models will perform.
Get an Nvidia GPU
For ML or any other AI-related applications, Nvidia GPUs are perfect. Over the years, Nvidia has been putting hardware-level optimizations to better support AI-related tasks. Besides, their CUDA software development kit (SDK) supports all major machine learning frameworks. Combined with a large, helpful community and libraries, Nvidia is the perfect suit for most ML enthusiasts.
CPU core matters
GPU is important for running ML models, But it’s only going to be a small part of your framework. To create a model, you’ll have to sort, preprocess, and do all sorts of work with your original data. This is the most important part of the whole process. Then you’re going to need to industrialize your models.
And for all of that, you’ll rely much more on the other parts of your computer than your GPU – especially the CPU. You should get a processor with a higher clock speed and of course, more cores. Having more cores ensures smooth multitasking across applications and reduces the time needed for data transfers between the CPU and the GPU.
We recommend AMD processors because the Ryzen 7 and 9 series feature more cores and offer spectacular performance in multi-threaded scenarios. Having said that, premium Intel CPUs like the i7 and the i9 are also excellent choices. But one downside would be a lower core count than AMD alternatives.
High-Speed SSD
You also want to have fast storage with a capacity of at least 512GB. This is important because datasets for ML models tend to be huge in size. Without fast storage, data processing will take longer.
Mobility
High-performance laptops have a tendency to be bulky and heavy. But if you are a professional or a student, you’ll have to carry the laptop around on a daily basis. So always consider the portability of a laptop before making a purchase.
Battery Backup
Training and deploying models is computationally intensive, so don’t expect the battery to last long in those tasks. But your laptop should provide decent battery backup (at least 6 hours) under nominal load.
Best Laptops for Machine Learning
Here’s our pick for the best laptops for machine learning. We tried to include a laptop to meet every budget, so you are encouraged to check the whole list.
1. Eluktronics Max 15 – All-rounder
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16GB
- RAM: 32GB
- Screen: 15.6″ QHD 165Hz
- Storage: Up to 2TB SSD
- Battery: 8+ Hours
- Weight: 3.84 lbs
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Pros:
- lightest RTX 3080 laptop.
- Sturdy and premium build.
- Neutral Design.
- Solid performance.
- Lots of ports.
Cons:
- Average Battery life.
- Chassis gets quite hot under stress.
Product Description
The Eluktronics Max 15 is a portable, high-performance laptop, and it’s not made for gaming. Of course, you can play most modern games with ease thanks to its high-performance CPU and GPU. But the Max series is especially aimed at professionals who require extra performance at work. Its clean, notebook-ish design looks perfectly professional. And there are no external branding or stickers on the laptop, no intel or Nvidia logos anywhere.
The laptop features the latest RTX3080 that packs the highest number of CUDA cores you’ll find in a laptop. The VRAM size is 16GB, so you’ll have no problem loading larger datasets. Its 16-threaded Ryzen 9 is capable of providing excellent performance in multi-threaded applications. It’ll come in handy in libraries that don’t support GPU acceleration.
The laptop is designed with mobility in mind. Crafted from magnesium alloy, the MAX 15 weighs only 3.84 pounds. That’s really impressive for a 15-inch laptop. To put into comparison, the 14-inch Zephyrus G14 weighs about 3.5 lbs, which is probably the lightest of all gaming laptops. The display is also top-notch, with its bright colors and a fast refresh rate.
The laptop can also be put into Office mode, which throttles performance and minimizes fan noise. This is especially useful because gaming laptops can suddenly start making noise when under stress. The battery life is average though, but it should be enough for typical work hours.
2. TensorBook by Lambda Labs
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10870H
- GPU: RTX 3080 Max-Q 16GB
- RAM: 64GB
- Screen: 15.6″ QHD 165Hz
- Storage: Up to 2TB SSD
- Battery: 4 Hours
- Weight: 4.4 pounds
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Pros:
- Fastest RTX GPU.
- Superfast Storage.
- ML-ready out of the box.
Cons:
- Poor Battery life.
- Lack of customer support.
Product Description
The TensorBook is a machine designed by data scientists, for data scientists. It’s a powerful piece of a machine that can outclass desktops in terms of performance.
The laptop sports the most powerful RTX3080 Max-Q GPU. Its 16GB VRAM is sufficient for loading large datasets fast, and the 6144 CUDA cores can reduce training time to minutes. It also comes with 64GB RAM and a 2TB, ultrafast SSD, so that you never have to sit idle because of bottlenecking.
The display is okay and is adequately bright. There are sufficient ports for everyone, including an HDMI and a DisplayPort, a thunderbolt, and 2 USB 3.1 ports.
At about 4.4lbs, Tensorbook is quite portable for the performance it offers. But sadly, the battery backup is poor. It doesn’t last longer than 5 hours even if you’re just surfing the internet.
3. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – An affordable Beast
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 8GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 300Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 8 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
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Pros:
- Top-notch performance.
- Bright and fast 17-inch display.
- Quiet fans.
- excellent battery backup.
Cons:
- Slightly expensive.
- No webcam.
- No card reader, Thunderbolt port.
- Chassis gets hot under heavy load.
Product Description
Now here’s a beastly machine. The Strix G17 is designed to get max performance out of its powerful CPU and GPU. And like other portable machines, this one doesn’t limit performance, thanks to the more efficient cooling system.
The ROG Strix G17 is a well-designed machine, offering a formidable core experience for serious gaming and multitasking. Its high-performance RTX3070 GPU, with its 8GB VRAM is excellent for training ML models with huge datasets. And the 8-core Ryzen 9 is similarly capable of providing a snappy computing experience.
The big, 17-inch display is bright, crisp, and color-accurate. And an ultrafast 165Hz 3ms refresh rate makes the flow of fast-paced action look impeccably smooth. Illuminate your environment with Aura Sync accents that shine from the metallic ROG logo, across the backlit keyboard, to the wraparound light bar.
With its 90Wh battery, the Strix G17 can last up to 10 hours at low brightness and a moderate workload. But the major downside is its weight. At 6 pounds, you may not want to carry it on your back.
4. MSI GE76 Raider – Desktop-level Performance
- CPU: Intel Core i9-11980HK
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 16GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 300Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 8 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
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Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- Quiet fans.
- 1080p webcam
- Good audio Quality.
- Lots of ports.
Cons:
- Steep price for the performance.
- Dim screen.
- Heavy.
Product Description
The flagship GE76 is MSI’s take on the premium gaming laptop market. at three and a half grand, you get a blazing-fast, market-leading Intel Core i9 processor. As for graphics, the mobile RTX3080 GPU can provide excellent processing power to train models fast.
With a metal chassis and edged design, the laptop looks classy while keeping the gaming signature. The fast, 17-inch display delivers excellent color quality, but it could have been brighter. The keyboard is comfortable, and the trackpad is accurate to touch.
Though it sports a 99-WHr battery, the backup is poor. That’s understandable in high-performance laptops since the components are highly optimized for speed rather than efficiency. We think the battery life should improve with more BIOS and driver updates in the future.
5. Razer Blade 15 RTX3080 – The Elegant Beast
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 16GB
- Cooling: Vapor Chamber
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6″ QHD 165Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 5 Hours
- Weight: 4.63 lbs
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Pros:
- Advanced vapor chamber cooling system.
- Sleek, non-gaming design.
- Premium build quality.
- Solid gaming performance.
- Wide range of CPU/GPU combo available.
Cons:
- Trackpad could have been better.
- Expensive compared to the specs.
- On the heavy Side.
- Average Battery life.
Product Description
The updated version of Razer Blade 15 has been around for just a few months. And already it’s become one of the best gaming laptops around. It’s relatively thin and light compared to older bulky beasts, while also providing decent battery backup.
The laptop’s minimal look and sleek design are perfect for work and business, it doesn’t scream for unwanted attention. but make sure to turn the RGBs off.
The Blade 15 is designed with gaming experience in mind. Its 11th gen core i7 processor and the RTX 3080 GPU can easily produce three-digit frame rates. While built for gaming, it’s perfect for anyone (including ML engineers and data scientists) who are looking for a high-performance yet portable machine.
It also stays cooler thanks to the vapor chamber cooling system – which efficiently dissipates heat, to keep the chassis cool. We recorded a maximum keyboard and chassis temperature of 44°C.
The premium 165Hz display is smooth enough for hardcore gamers and the 1440p resolution will be good enough for doing work as well.
6. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – The Portable Beast
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 14” IPS HD 144Hz
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery: 9 Hours
- Weight: 3.5 lbs
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Pros:
- Super-fast AMD Ryzen 9 processor.
- Clean, and attractive Design.
- Lightweight and portable.
- Commendable battery life.
Cons:
- Cooling fans are noisy under load.
- 14″ display.
- No Webcam.
Product Description
With the Rog Zephyrus G14, Asus has redefined Gaming Laptops. The professional, non-gaming design and excellent balance of speed and mobility easily make it one of the best gaming laptops for professionals.
The Rog Zephyrus G14 has a clean design, with no shiny stripes or lightings. So it’s a great choice for college-goers and professionals. The performance is top-notch as well. The duo of Ryzen 9 and RTX3060 can easily reach triple-digit FPS in many titles. While the RTX3060 isn’t the fastest GPU out there, it features the least optimizations from NVidia and should provide decent performance in ML-related applications.
While the 14″ inch display isn’t the best for gaming, it has decent clarity and a high refresh rate for a smooth gaming experience.
The laptop weighs just under 3.7 pounds and has a very compact form factor. The battery backup is also commendable. It has a 76 WHr lithium battery that lasts more than 9 hours under a normal workload.
Like most gaming laptops from Asus, this one lacks a front-facing webcam, so you need to buy a USB webcam for video chats.
7. Asus ROG Zephyrus G15 RTX3070 – The workhorse
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6” IPS QHD 165Hz
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Battery: 9 Hours
- Weight: 4.2 lbs
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Pros:
- Super-fast AMD Ryzen 9 processor.
- Excellent RTX performance.
- Outstanding battery life.
- Smooth 165Hz Display.
- Classy Design.
- Great speakers.
Cons:
- No Webcam.
- Tenkeyless keyboard.
Product Description
Solid Performance, outstanding battery life, and compact design – this is ROG Zephyrus G15 in short. It’s a laptop designed not just for gaming, but for anyone who needs a capable laptop for office or work. The RTX3070 GPU features 8GB VRAM, so it should have no problem in training and deploying ML models.
We also loved the classy, non-kiddo design. It doesn’t scream for attraction, and you can’t really say that it’s a gaming rig from one look. Its compact form factor is great for carrying in the backpack. And it only weighs 4.2 pounds, less than most gaming rigs with an RTX3070 chip.
The ROG Zephyrus G15 has a 90WHr battery with fast-charging support. Under normal workload, the laptop ran for almost 9 hours. So you can easily spend a day without looking for an outlet.
8. Lenovo Legion 7 Slim – Stylish & Powerful
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
- GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 Max-Q
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 15.6″ FHD 165Hz
- Storage: 512GB
- Battery: 7 Hours
- Weight: 4.2 lbs
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Pros:
- Advanced vapor chamber cooling system.
- Sturdy, and premium build.
- Sleek Design.
- Solid Gaming performance.
Cons:
- No Thunderbolt port.
Product Description
The Lenovo Legion 7 Slim is a fantastic laptop that offers all-around performance while looking classy. It’s a handsome-looking, covert gaming machine that you can buy, even if you don’t intend to play games.
Its sleek design and bright, vibrant display, combined with the colorful RGB lighting deliver an excellent gaming experience. You can also take it to an office, thanks to its neutral, non-gaming chassis design.
Under the hood, The combo of RTX 3060 GPU and AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU can achieve impressive performance in demanding tasks. And thanks to the latest vapor chamber cooling technology, the keyboard and chassis stay relatively cool under load.
At 4.2 pounds, the weight is on the heavier side. But we’ve seen heavier machines so this one should be relatively easy to carry.
9. Asus TUF Dash F15 (2021) – Budget RTX Machine.
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11370H
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti 4GB
- RAM: 8GB
- Screen: 15.6” IPS FHD 144Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery: 10 Hours
- Weight: 4.4 lbs
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Pros:
- Decent RTX performance.
- Great battery life.
- Compact design.
- Quiet cooling fans.
- Comfortable keyboard.
Cons:
- No webcam or biometric features.
- Screen could tilt back more.
Product Description
Asus TUF series has introduced many great budget machines, and this one is one of their best. Under a thousand bucks, you get a combo of 11th gen core i7 and RTX 3050Ti. And with its smooth 144Hz refresh-rate display, it’s a well-designed and capable machine for gamers and professionals alike.
The laptop also has excellent battery life and moderate portability. It comes with a 4-cell 76 WHr lithium-ion battery that can easily last 10 hours under normal use.
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly machine with the latest specs and decent performance, the Dash F15 is absolutely perfect for you.
