5 Best Laptops for Virtual Machines in 2024
From this article, you will know what are the best laptops for virtual machines you can buy and use in 2024, according to us.
A virtual machine is like a computer inside a computer. It is software that can emulate the Operating System (OS) that a computer device usually uses to host all of its operations.
As you can imagine for software as complex as that, using it in a laptop requires high-level computational power. If we don’t have a laptop like that yet, we should buy one if we plan to use virtual machines in a laptop.
However, it can be hard to pick a laptop with the right model and specifications to run virtual machines smoothly from many laptop choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has come up with its list of the best laptops for virtual machines to help you choose the best laptop to buy and use.
Want to know what laptops that make it into our list and why we recommend them? Let’s get on it right away.
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| Image | View on Amazon | Product |
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Dell Latitude 5531 | |
 
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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 | |
 
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HP EliteBook 865 Gen 9 | |
 
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MSI GE76 Raider | |
 
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Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition |
Table of Contents:
What are the Best Laptops for Virtual Machines?
Now, let’s see the laptops that we think are excellent to run virtual machines thanks to their models and specifications. Using one of these laptops should help you do your activities in the virtual machines more smoothly.1. Dell Latitude 5531
Dell Latitude 5531 is the first laptop we recommend on this list. It is an excellent business laptop from Dell that has better specifications than most laptops have to offer in this model.
The performance of this laptop is backed by a 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i7 processor and 64GB RAM capacity. Considering the high-level specifications, you should be able to run multiple virtual machines quite smoothly. There is also 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD storage to store the files needed for virtual machines.
This laptop has a full range of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports ready to help you whenever you need to connect to external devices. As for the battery, it should be able to last for several hours when you do your work before you have to charge it again.
As a result of the quality specifications in it, this laptop doesn’t have a sleek design. However, it should be able to run any software and files without much problem, including virtual machines.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 15.6 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i7 with speed up to 4.8 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 64GB
- Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 8 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance to run virtual machines
- Full range of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
- Solid build
- Good webcam
Cons
- No spill-resistance
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 is the next laptop we think should run virtual machines well for you. This one is a solid ThinkPad laptop that can give a fast performance to support your activities.
The processor here is a 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i7. It is the same level of processor as the Dell Latitude we discussed previously, although with a different processor model. This processor is excellent and should be able to handle what you need to run virtual machines smoothly.
As for the RAM capacity, it is 32GB. It should be enough to multitask while you run your virtual machines. Looking at the design, it should fit in your bag quite easily since it has a sleek design.
The display and sound outputs on this laptop are good as it has support from Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Overall, this Lenovo ThinkPad Extreme Gen 5 is a fine laptop and can be the one that you choose to do virtualization with.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i7 with speed up to 4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 32GB
- Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 5 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance to run virtual machines
- Full range of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Sleek and sturdy design
- Comfortable keyboard to type on
- Good display
Cons
- Less-than-average battery life
3. HP EliteBook 865 G9
HP EliteBook 865 G9 is another business laptop that can become an able device for virtual machines. It has high-quality specifications that can boost its performance to support your activities capably.
This laptop uses an AMD processor for its operation. It is AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U which is fast and has 8 cores to run all your software and files, including your virtual machine software. The performance level should be enough to smoothly process tasks while you do your work in your virtual machines.
There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the sides of this laptop to let you transfer data fast. When you need to work online, there is Wi-Fi 6E technology to let you connect optimally to your Wi-Fi network.
As a bonus, this laptop has an excellent 1440p camera too to help you do video calls or recordings clearly. Overall, HP EliteBook 865 G9 is a premium business laptop that should handle virtual machine software well for you.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 16 inches, 1920 x 1200 pixels
- Processor: 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 with speed up to 4.7 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 64GB
- Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 15 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance to run virtual machines
- Full range of ports with two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Sleek and premium design
- Great battery
- High-quality webcam
Cons
- Average display
- No SD or micro-SD card slots
4. MSI GE76 Raider
MSI GE76 Raider is an excellent gaming laptop you can use for virtualization too. The specifications in this model should provide you with everything you need for the tasks.
The processor that backs its performance is a 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i9 processor. Looking at the quality of the processor, this laptop should run virtual machines without much problem. The RAM capacity itself is 64GB so there shouldn’t be a problem with the RAM capacity specification either.
There is 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD storage to store the files you need for your activities. As a large laptop with a thin bezel, this laptop should give you more viewport than most laptops to see multiple virtual machines you run at the same time.
Looking for an excellent laptop to run your virtual machines? You may want to consider this MSI GE76 Raider laptop too.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 17.3 inches, 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Processor: 12th Gen 14-core Intel Core i9 with speed up to 5 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 64GB
- Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 6 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance to run virtual machines
- Lots of ports with one Thunderbolt 4 port
- Large viewport
- Solid build
- Great speakers
Cons
- Quite thick and heavy
- Average display
5. Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition
Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition is the last laptop we recommend on this list. It is a gaming laptop that has huge storage in this model and should be able to give the performance you need toyou’re your virtual machines.
The storage in this laptop is a 4TB PCIe NVMe SSD. There should be enough space for all your virtual machine files with this kind of capacity in place. The RAM capacity itself is 64GB, which is huge and enables you to run multiple virtual machines quite smoothly.
This laptop has an AMD processor with AMD Ryzen 9 5980HX. It is an 8-core stable processor that should be fast enough to handle your tasks. There is also the vapor chamber cooling in this laptop that can help its processors cool down significantly and be more stable.
Want a laptop that can support your virtualization process capably? Take a look at this Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition laptop too.
Key Features
- Screen Size, Resolution: 15.6 inches, 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Processor: 8-core AMD Ryzen 9 with speed up to 4.8 GHz
- RAM Capacity: 64GB
- Storage: 4TB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Battery Life (Estimation): up to 8 hours of usage capacity
Pros
- Excellent performance to run virtual machines
- Full range of ports
- Huge SSD storage capacity
- Robust build
- Good battery life, especially for a gaming laptop
- Good audio
Cons
- No webcam
- No SD or micro-SD card slots
- Bulky
What are the Things We Should Consider When We Want to Buy a Laptop to Run Virtual Machines?
Here are the things we think you should consider when you want to buy a laptop for virtualization.- Processor. A high-quality processor with several cores can help your laptop to run virtual machines smoothly. We suggest at least a late-generation of i7 or Ryzen 7 processor with at least 8 cores
- RAM capacity. Virtual machines can eat up a lot of memory space when we use them so the laptop we buy should have a huge RAM capacity. We recommend at least 32GB RAM, although 64GB RAM will be better
- Storage. Virtual machines can have many large files in them so you should have much storage space to anticipate it. We recommend at least 1TB SSD storage in your laptop to help you with this
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is More Important to Run Virtual Machines in a Laptop: CPU or RAM?
Both are important as we need a high-quality CPU with many cores and huge RAM capacity to run virtual machines optimally. However, if you have to choose one, you may want to go with RAM.Will Virtual Machines Slow Down My Laptop?
Yes, they can slow down your laptop, especially if it has a bad or average processor and/or low RAM capacity. Thus, if you plan to use virtual machines, you should use a high-level laptop like the five we recommend above.How Much RAM Do I Need for a Virtual Machine?
We recommend at least 32GB. However, 64GB will be better.Do You Need a Good GPU for Virtual Machines?
No, as virtual machines mostly use CPU in their process.Are Gaming Laptops Good for Virtual Machines?
Gaming laptops can be good for virtual machines as they usually have excellent performance specifications. If you plan to buy a gaming laptop to run virtual machines, just double-check that it has the level of specifications needed to run your virtual machines.Wrap Up
When we want to buy a laptop, we may want one that can run virtual machines well. However, it can be difficult to pick the right laptop for that from many laptop choices out there. This is why Compute Expert has come up with its list of the best laptops for virtual machines to help you.To summarize, here are five laptops we think are excellent to do virtualization.
- Dell Latitude 5531
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5
- HP EliteBook 865 G9
- MSI GE76 Raider
- Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition
We hope our list can help you buy the best laptop to run the virtual machines you want!
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