On the hunt for the best laptop for finance majors? You’ve landed in the right place.
As a finance major, you’re not going to need a powerful laptop but a reliable one. A laptop that can handle your workload smoothly without glitching is more valuable than a high-performance laptop that isn’t that reliable.
Whether you’re in college or you’ve just graduated, having a good laptop by your side is a necessity. There are a lot of factors that go into picking a good laptop for finance majors and analysts. If you have no clue, then reading them will only confuse you further.
We, at modelmayemusk.com, have done all the research to find the best laptops for finance majors and analysts so that you don’t have to go through that process.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the list of top notebooks for finance students and financial analysts.
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
EDITORS CHOICE
 | ASUS ZenBook 13 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
BUDGET PICK
 | MacBook Pro 13 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
BUDGET PICK
 | Acer Aspire 5 |
| View on AmazonRead Reviews |
TOP CHOICE
 | Acer Predator Helios 300 |
| View On AmazonRead Reviews |
Best Laptops For Finance Majors
Our top picks are
1. Editor’s Choice – ASUS ZenBook 13
- 13.3 inch FHD 1920X1080, 16:9 Anti-Glare NTSC, 72% Wide View 4-way NanoEdge bezel display
- Latest 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Core Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz) with Intel UHD graphics
- Windows 10 Pro
Our choice for the best laptops for finance majors is the Asus ZenBook 13.
This ZenBook model is an excellent ultrabook that comes with a small form factor and it’s also one of the well-designed laptops on the market right now. The laptop comes with a slim profile and fits in pretty much any student’s backpack. The laptop also weighs around 2.47lbs making it one of the lightest laptops right now.
The battery life of the Asus ZenBook 13 is one of its best selling points. With simple use, the laptop can easily last for about 8 to 10 hours depending upon the user’s habits. As a finance student, you will find this very useful as you won’t be charging the laptop in the middle of the day and that is a huge relief.
The laptop also comes with the rapid charging feature through which you can charge your laptop for 30 minutes and get around two hours of use easily. Most finance majors will be using the laptop flight activities so you will be getting the promised battery life without any issues. Even with heavy usage, this laptop can last for about 5 to 6 hours which is still pretty impressive.
The display on this laptop is a 13.3″one with full HD resolution. The pixel density of this display is pretty good thanks to the smaller screen size and it reflects in the quality of output as well. The color quality is neat and you will enjoy working on this display whether it is numbers or simple media consumption.
The processing power on this laptop is taken care of by the Intel Core i7 processor from the 9th generation of Intel chips. This is a hexa core processor that comes with exemplary performance. You can run spreadsheets and other financial applications like bookkeeping ones without any problem. The processor can even handle heavy applications as well.
You get 16 gigs of RAM in the memory department and they play a significant role when it comes to multitasking. To be honest, finance majors do not need this kind of memory but if you’re going to work with huge Excel files, then this memory may not be all that unnecessary. The storage on this laptop is also a pretty fast one and can help improve the performance of the notebook wherever possible.
The laptop also comes with an excellent keyboard and trackpad. The typing experience on this device is pretty good and you will not be disappointed with the trackpad either. We also get excellent connectivity options on this ZenBook which means you won’t have to worry about getting adapters and such.
Overall, the Asus ZenBook 13 is an excellent ultrabook that comes with impressive specs and delivers a solid performance for finance matches. This is also an affordable laptop that brings both portability and performance in the same device making it one of the best laptops for finance majors.
- Affordable
- Lightweight and portable
- Excellent performance
- None
2. Best Apple Laptop For Finance Majors – MacBook Pro 13
- Apple-designed M1 chip for a giant leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Get more done with up to 20 hours of battery life, the longest ever in a Mac
- 8-core CPU delivers up to 2.8x faster performance to fly through workflows quicker than ever
The MacBook Pro 13 is the best Apple laptop for finance majors. You are a fan of Apple laptops, then this one is the perfect choice for you. This has more power than the MacBook Air and is far less expensive than the flagship MacBook Pro 16.
The MacBook Pro strikes the right balance between power and budget. At a little over $1000, you get an excellent ultrabook that is a perfect companion for your financial studies. This MacBook Pro is one of the lightest Ultrabooks out there weighing at just 2.7lbs. Can easily slide this into any backpack and carry on like nothing ever happened.
The MacBook Pro comes with excellent features like Touch Bar and Touch ID. The Touch Bar gives you contextual menus depending upon the app you are using. It does replace the function key row but gives you more options and is more flexible than ever. With the right third-party applications, you can modify your Touch Bar to improve and take your productivity to the next level.
MacBook Pro also comes with Touch ID which allows you to log in to your user profile with a simple touch of a finger. This fingerprint sensor is much advanced than the ones you find in Windows laptops as it reached your fingerprint and logs you in to your personal profile even if there are other users on the same laptop.
MacBook Pro absolutely nails it when it comes to battery life. With simple use, this MacBook can last for about 8 to 10 hours which is extraordinary considering this is a high-performance ultrabook. As a finance major, you will be focusing on a lot of light activities which means you will get the same battery life without a big difference.
The processor that runs this MacBook Pro is an Intel Core i5 processor. This is a 9th generation i5 processor that comes with a max clock speed of 3.7GHz and has four physical cores in it. This processor is one of the main reasons why this laptop can last for such a long time. If the MacBook came with an i7 processor, then the battery life wouldn’t be that good.
The processor takes ample support from the memory department that has eight gigs of RAM. Together, this combo does a fantastic job of running pretty much any application you throw at them. Spreadsheets and other bookkeeping applications run like a hot knife through butter. As far as processing power is concerned, you will not have any bottleneck when you keep things strictly financial.
The storage on this laptop is made up of 256GB SSD. This SSD is super fast when it comes to reading and writing data. You can move gigabytes of information from one directory to another in just a few seconds which is astonishing. The SSD also plays a major role in making sure the performance of the laptop is on point.
The lack of a dedicated graphics card on this MacBook does not affect any finance student. The integrated graphics card is pretty good when it comes to handling your daily graphics needs. If you are a gay man, then you might need a dedicated graphics card. But if you are a gamer, then you shouldn’t be buying a MacBook at all.
Overall, the MacBook Pro 13 is a fantastic laptop for those who favor Apple laptops over Windows ones. This ultrabook delivers excellent performance when it comes to handling financial applications and is a great choice for students making it one of the best laptops for finance majors.
- Gorgeous display
- Solid performance
- Excellent battery life
- Only USB type C ports
3. Budget Choice – Acer Aspire 5
- 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor (Up to 3.6GHz)| 8GB DDR4 Memory | 256GB NVMe SSD
- 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS Display | Intel UHD Graphics
- Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax | Backlit Keyboard | Fingerprint Reader | HD Webcam | Up to 8 Hours Battery Life
If you’re looking for a budget laptop, then the Acer Aspire 5 is the best laptop for finance majors on a budget.
This is a 15.6-inch laptop that comes at a very affordable price point and also brings decent hardware that translates to very good real-life performance. Just under $600, you get a laptop that doesn’t compromise on performance and delivers.
The display we have here is a 15.6″ one with a full HD resolution. This display may not be as good as the ones have discussed previously on this list. But it was a full HD display and with that, you get excellent resolution and pretty decent color accuracy which is impressive for the price.
You also get an IPS panel underneath the display which plays a major role in the picture out. The clarity of pictures is quite clear and text is super sharp making it a very good laptop for general use. The viewing angles of this display are also pretty good considering we have an IPS display on board.
The keyboard we have here is an excellent one. We have a full-size keyboard which means this one comes with a dedicated number pad. Surprisingly, this budget laptop is the only one with a dedicated number pad on this list. As a finance major, you will definitely appreciate this number pad as it will make your workflow a lot easier. The keyboard is pretty good for typing as well. Trackpad, on the other hand, does a neat job as advertised.
When it comes to processing power, the Acer Aspire 5 does not disappoint us. We have an Intel Core i5 processor from the 10th generation of Intel chips taking care of the laptop. This is a quad-core processor and it comes with a maximum clock speed of 3.7 GHz which is more than enough power for most finance majors and financial analysts.
The RAM department comes with eight gigs of DDR4 RAM and it does a pretty good job when it comes to multitasking. You can improve your productivity efficiently with this memory asked you will be able to run more than a few apps simultaneously without any issues.
Overall, the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent budget laptop for finance majors. It comes with all the essential hardware you would require to have a smooth daily experience. If you are on a budget, then this Acer laptop is probably the best one for most finance majors.
- Inexpensive
- Good performance
- Awesome battery life
- None at this price point
4. Top Choice – Acer Predator Helios 300
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H 6-Core Processor (Up to 5.0 GHz) with Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
- Overclockable NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 with 6 GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM
If you are a gamer, then you want a laptop that can play the latest and the greatest games without costing you your entire bank balance. The Acer Predator Helios 300 is an excellent gaming laptop that comes at an affordable price tag. This laptop does not compromise on the most important specs and gives you solid gaming experience.
The display of this Acer laptop is a 15.6-inch display with full HD resolution. this display is perfect for gaming as it comes with a refresh rate of 144Hz and an overdrive response time of 3ms. These specs make your regular user experience much better when compared to a display with a 60Hz refresh rate.
The widescreen is perfect for crunching numbers as it gives you more screen real estate. You can also run two windows side-by-side without overlapping and having to squint hard at the screen. The text on the screen is super sharp which makes it easy for working with spreadsheets and bookkeeping applications.
The processor that powers this Acer laptop is an Intel Core i7 processor. This is a hexa core processor and it does extremely well when it comes to running spreadsheets and other simple financial applications. This processor is actually overkill for what finance major would need a laptop. The processor can also run heavy applications as it can clock to a maximum of 4.50GHz.
The memory department on this notebook comes equipped with 16 gigs of DDR4 RAM. This is a high-speed memory that plays a fantastic role when it comes to efficient multitasking. You can run several applications side-by-side without having to worry about any performance works.
The storage we have here is a 512GB solid-state drive. This solid-state drive is way faster than the Mechanical hard drives older laptops used to use. Not only does this SSD give you enough space to play with, but it also improves the performance of your laptop wherever possible.
The graphics card that enables you to play pretty much all the games out there is an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060. This graphics card comes with a dedicated memory of 6GB that is of GDDR5 type and also is based on the Pascal architecture. With this GPU you can play almost all games and you can also try your hand at video editing and other graphics-heavy applications. As a finance major, you won’t have a lot to do with this discrete graphics cards unless you are a serious gamer.
Overall, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is an excellent gaming laptop that comes at an affordable price. If you are a finance major who also happens to be a hard-core gamer, then this laptop is all you need without having to break your bank.
- Beautiful display
- Excellent performance
- Awesome design
- A bit bulky
What To Look For In The Best Laptop For Finance Majors?
If you’re not happy with any of the models mentioned above, we suggest finding the laptop yourself. But before you go and continue your search blindly, we do have some criteria that can help you weed out models that aren’t a good fit for you.
These criteria are important not only in selecting the right laptop but also to know which ones to avoid. Sometimes, you might end up paying more for a device that you don’t need at that point. With this buying guide, you can avoid that scenario.
Let’s dive in.
Display
The display on your laptop is a very important component as you will be spending most of your time in front of your laptop.
Getting an average display will not only interfere with your work but will also have an effect on your health as well. You might have to squint harder and get closer to the laptop which will definitely impact your eye health over time.
The first thing you should decide is the screen size. If portability is a priority, then you should go with 11.6“ or a 13.3“ laptop. The former is way too small for modern devices. So we recommend going with a 13.3“ laptop as it is perfect for portability and also gives your screen big enough to crunch your numbers.
You can also go with a 15.6-inch laptop but your portability is going to be crippled. This screen size is much bigger and is only preferred if you want to have a bigger screen that can give you more data at the same time. If you don’t have a problem with portability, then you can absolutely go with one.
The resolution of the display is as important as the screen size. Ideally, you should have the highest resolution on your laptop as possible. This is not an option for all as higher-resolution displays are more expensive and can be out of your budget. So as a minimum, we recommend going with full HD displays as they give you a good balance between resolution and price.
If you are not bound by a budget, then you can absolutely go for QHD or even a 4K display. Since you will be mostly dealing with a lot of numbers, having a higher resolution display will definitely be handy for you. you can view more data on your screen at the same time and you no longer have to squint to see what that figure actually is.
You also have the option to select between a glossy and matte display. If you are someone who works a lot outdoors, then it would be a good idea to get a matte display as it will reduce the reflections to a minimum. Having a glass display can be distracting as you will see a lot of reflections especially in brightly lit areas. This is more of personal preference and will not affect your work in any way so the choice is obviously yours.
Make sure that the display has a decent brightness level. The maximum brightness of the display should be at least 400 units so that you can use your laptop even under the bright sun. A bright screen will also be helpful when you’re working in a brightly lit office.
Input Devices
The keyboard and the trackpad on your laptop are very important for finance majors. You will be working with a lot of numbers and having a good keyboard is of paramount importance to you.
The keyboard should have a good layout and well-spaced keys that have a good travel. The typing experience on your laptop should be pleasant and he should be able to work on it for long hours as well. A backlit keyboard is optional but having one will shortly be of advantage as you can work even in dimly lit office spaces.
Having a dedicated number pad is an absolute necessity when it comes to dealing with a lot of numerical data. As a finance major or a financial analyst, you can improve your productivity With the help of a dedicated number pad.
Unfortunately, only 15.6“ laptops come with them. If you’re going to pick a 13.3-inch laptop, then you need to get an external number paid separately that can connect to your laptop through a USB port.
Having a good trackpad on your laptop is equally important as the keyboard. Make sure that the trackpad comes with a smooth surface and doesn’t provide any friction whatsoever. The trackpad should have compatibility for all the windows gestures. If you’re going with the windows precision track pant, then you don’t have to worry about this.
You can also opt for a convertible laptop in which case we will have a touchscreen to play with. A touchscreen is also an input device and you should make sure that it is responsive to touches and can take your comments with precision. A good touch screen will not have a lot of input lag and will be quick to react to your hits.
Battery Life
If you’re going for a portable laptop, then the battery life of that laptop should be spectacular. The reason you’re going for a smaller 13.3-inch laptop is that you want to travel. In your case, a portable laptop will be super handy for a student to move from one place to another even inside the campus.
Since you will be on the move, the option of you staying at one place and charging your laptop will only spoil the day for you. Colleges are the busiest places to find charging ports and we are sure that your place will be no different. Having a laptop with an all-day battery life will absolutely change the way you use your laptop. The fact that you have some juice left at the end of the day will make you feel so much better.
If you cannot afford a laptop with all-day battery life, then go with one that has at least six hours of battery back up. Make sure that the laptop supports rapid charging so that you can charge the laptop for 30 minutes or so and get around 50% of the laptop’s battery capacity. This can really come in handy as you can charge your laptop quickly and get at least 2 to 3 hours of usage.
Storage
Having reliable storage on your laptop is now more important than ever before. This day and age, having a slow laptop is the absolute equivalent of having a bad laptop. This is especially true for a student who is taking finance as his major.
When it comes to storage, you have two options. You can either go for a mechanical hard drive or a solid-state drive. The mechanical hard drives are expensive and can give you more storage at cheaper prices. The issue here is that these storages are very slow in nature and can wreak havoc into your workflow.
The solid-state drives, on the other hand, do not have any moving parts in them and are extremely fast. The best solid-state drives out there are 17 times faster than the average mechanical hard drive which is simply in another league. Having a solid-state drive on your laptop will completely change the way you use your computer. Everything will be fast and you will have a great user experience even if you have a mediocre processor and memory on your system.
The problem with solid-state drives is that they are a lot more expensive than your average mechanical hard drive. This means he won’t be able to get a lot of storage as it will significantly increase the price of the laptop. We recommend getting a decent size, like a 256 GB SSD, so that you can manage your initial years with very good storage in place.
If you can’t afford that, then we suggest taking the route of a hybrid storage device. This hybrid storage consists of both a solid-state drive and a mechanical hundred. You can get a starter solid-state drive and add more storage with the help of mechanical hard drives. This way you get this speed up with the help of SSD and the storage space in the form of a mechanical hard drive.
Processing Power
When it comes to finding the best laptop for finance majors, you don’t really need a lot of processing power. An Intel Core i3 processor will be more than enough to deal with most of your needs unless otherwise, you’re working with huge data sets that need more processing power.
Getting an i3 processor might be a good decision from a budget point of you but it will grow irrelevant in the next few years so you may have to get another laptop to meet your then workload. This is why we recommend going with an Intel Core i5 processor or an i7 processor depending on your budget.
While a dual-core processor might be enough to handle a lot which depends on the user, it is always smart to go for a quadcore processor as you can get more stuff done at the same time. Having a high-end processor will also play an important role if you are going to work on financial modeling as well.
Clock speed is not much of a factor when it comes to picking the right processor for your finance studies. Anything greater than 1.5GHz should be more than enough has a good base frequency. The processor, however, should have the capacity to boost the clock speed whenever you need more power.
Then there is always this question of Intel or AMD. Most people will get an Intel processor as they are the more popular ones and it is believed to be better than AMD. While it is partially true, AMD has caught up with Intel when it comes to sheer performance.
If you want to save a few bucks, then going for an AMD processor would be the smart thing to do. There are two ways this could benefit you. Get the same performance of an Intel processor by going for a cheaper AMD processor. Or, you could get better performance than an Intel processor by spending the same amount of money on a superior AMD processor. Either of these routes is perfect to get a better bang for your buck.
Graphics
In most cases, finance images will be perfectly fine with the integrated graphics cards. Model integrated graphics cards are much improved and can handle your everyday graphics requirements without any issues whatsoever.
The only scenario where you will need a discrete graphics card is when you want to game. If you are a serious gamer, then you should get a gaming laptop that has an impressive graphics card to run the games of your dreams. Do remember that going for a gaming laptop can significantly increase your budget.
Connectivity
The laptop should have all modern and essential connectivity options.
You should have at least one USB gen 3.2 Type-C port, one USB gen 3.2 or 3.1 Type-A port, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack. Having an HDMI port on a display port is absolutely essential when you have a laptop with a smaller display and if you want to connect it to an external display that is much bigger in size.
The Laptop should also have excellent wireless standards built-in. You should have either WiFi 6 or 802.11ac Wi-Fi built-in so that you can have high-speed internet on your device. Having a reason Bluetooth adapter is also something that you cannot skimp on.
Operating System
The operating system is another important factor when selecting the best laptop for you.
Most people will go with a Windows machine as it is a popular choice. The good news is that you can also use macOS and Linux distributions for financial analysis. All major software applications are available on all popular operating systems.
If you’re a fan of the Mac, then there is no need for you to switch boats. MacBooks are perfect for financial analysts and finance majors as macOS has all the major apps and you will have a stellar user experience.
If you’re going to use any specialized software, then be sure to check its compatibility with the operating system of your choice. It is better to go with the OS that runs that application smoothly without any hiccups.
The advantage with Macs is that you can also install Windows and Linux operating systems with the help of BootCamp. This way, you can get all 3 operating systems on the same machine. However, you won’t be able to install macOS on either of the other operating systems.
Budget
The budget is the most impactful criterion when it comes to finding the right laptop for your needs.
If you have don’t have any budget, then you can simply go with our Editor’s choice. It is not very expensive and at the same time, gives you all the performance you need for a good career in finance.
You can also get the best canlaptop of your dreams if the budget is not a problem for you.
If you’re on a shoestring budget for a laptop, then we would be a bit more careful when picking one. Our budget choice is a solid laptop that comes with an impressive performance. If you want an even cheaper laptop, then you can try some entry-level ones with an AMD processor. These can cost you around $300 to $400.
Regardless of the budget, you can work on your numbers with any laptop. Luckily, you don’t need a spec-heavy laptop for crunching numbers which is perfect for those on a budget.
Conclusion
This post was designed to help finance majors and financial analysts to find the best laptop for their needs. We hope we were able to achieve that.
If you still have doubts or queries, do not hesitate, and just shoot us an email. We’ll get back to you at the earliest with all the answers you need.