*Updated For 2020
Bioinformatics – understanding biological data by combining computer science, information engineering, mathematics and statistics by analysing biological data according to Wikipedia.
Emphasis on the computer in computer science, desktops and laptops are important when it comes to bioinformatics because you literally need the power of a computer to help you analyze and a place to store your data.
In this article, we list the best laptops for Bioinformatics.
There is also a guide at the end of the article to help you narrow down your laptop if you think none of the laptops in the list suits your needs.
You are looking at the ultimate data processing workstation.
A Unix-based OS makes the Apple MacBook Pro great for bioinformatics.
Solid processing power at an affordable price. The ASUS VivoBook 15 will get the job done.
You are looking at the ultimate data processing workstation.
A Unix-based OS makes the Apple MacBook Pro great for bioinformatics.
Solid processing power at an affordable price. The ASUS VivoBook 15 will get the job done.
Last update on 2020-06-05 at 12:15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Preview |
Name |
Rating |
Processor, GPU & RAM |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GTX 1650, 16GB |
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Intel Core i7, AMD Radeon Pro 5300M, 16GB |
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Intel Core i7, Intel HD Graphics, 16GB |
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Intel Core i7, NVIDIA GeForce MX250, 32GB |
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AMD Ryzen 7, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, 12GB |
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Intel Core i5, Intel HD Graphics, 16GB |
Here Are The Best Bioinformatics Laptops
âž• Pros
- Powerful performance
- Lightweight
- Great battery life
âž– Cons
- Runs hot
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 1650 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS | Storage: 512GB SSD
The Dell XPS 15 is a Linux compatible laptop that will be able to process your datasets well, up to a certain point that is.
It has a solid build quality, thanks to its aluminum design and weighs 4 pounds and less than an inch thick. One of the lightest laptops around.
It is powered by an Intel Core i7 six-core processor and 16GB RAM. In addition, it has a 512GB PCIe SSD which will take a while to run out of space.
The display is vivid, bright and colour accurate. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS with a brightness level of 500 nits.
On the port side, there two USB 3.1 and a Thunderbolt 3. Having the Thunderbolt 3 is great because you can connect multiple external monitors.
The Dell XPS 15 has a decent battery life. On average it is able to last 9-10 hours of normal usage.
On the flip side, the Dell XPS 15 runs hot due to its powerful hardware. The good news is that it only happens when you play games.
The Dell XPS 15 has the power, battery life, and portability to handle QIAGEN, WGS, RNA-Seq, WES, etc., even if its processing power is not enough for very demanding tasks. You can use cloud computing services to process your data.
Overall, the best bioinformatics laptop you can get.
âž• Pros
- Excellent performance
- Lightweight and portable
- Great display
âž– Cons
- Pricey
- You need a dongle
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 16″ Retina (3072×1920) Display | Storage: 512GB SSD
The MacBook Pro is one of the most powerful workstations from Apple. Apple put the best hardware components into its slim build. Made from aluminum and weighing about 4 pounds makes it a portable laptop.
The 16-inch Retina Display (3072×1920) is also one of the best out there. Sharp, bright and colour accurate. Viewing angles are great too.
The port selection is a blessing and a curse. You have four Thunderbolt 3 ports allowing you to connect to 4K external monitors.
Unfortunately, there is no USB Type-A. The absence of the USB Type-A requires you to carry a dock with you at all times which you might not like.
The battery life is impressive even with its powerful hardware. Able to last on average 9-10 hours of normal usage. The performance is also top-notch. An Intel Core i7 six-core, 16 GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
Everything needed to blaze through data sets, the macOS is also Linux based so you won’t have any problem running bioinformatics software.
Great performance, solid build quality and Linux based OS make the Apple MacBook Pro one of the best computers for Bioinformatics.
âž• Pros
- Built like a tank
- Solid performance
- Above-average battery life
- Great keyboard
âž– Cons
- Average colour accuracy
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) | Storage: 500GB SSD
Aside from being above average in performance – Intel Core i7, and 16GB RAM, the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 has great build quality. The kind of solid construction known to all ThinkPads. In other words, this will last a very long time.
The Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is also a lightweight laptop that you can easily carry to your office.
Aside from that, if you are going to type code and numbers all the time, why not get a great one? The Lenovo ThinkPad E15’s keyboard though not as awesome as the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 series is better than a lot of laptops.
The keyboard has a great feeling to it and the tactile feedback is superb. You can type thousands of numbers and your fingers won’t be tired.
Battery life is above average, being able to last 8-9 hours under the consistent entry of figures.
Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is one of the best laptops for bioinformatics professionals and graduate students. The only downside is the not so colour accurate display. Highly-recommended.
âž• Pros
- Solid performance
- Great value
- Decent battery life
- Thin and light
âž– Cons
- Dim display
CPU: Intel Core i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce MX250 | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) Touchscreen | Storage: 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD
For those who want the best value laptop for Bioinformatics, the HP Pavilion 15 is a solid laptop that provides a lot of value. The HP Pavilion might not be as powerful or flashy as the high-tier laptops, but it will get the job done.
Powered by an Intel Core i7 and 32GB, you have a very capable laptop for analysing datasets. You can easily multitask and run several applications in the background.
The HP Pavilion 15 also plenty of storage space – 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD – to store your datasets.
The 15.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen display. The colour accuracy and reproduction are average at best. The display is average at best and quite dim.
When it comes to battery life, the HP Pavilion 15 is able to last 7-8 hours under normal workloads. More than enough battery juice to last a day’s work.
Overall, the HP Pavilion 15 is the best value laptop for Bioinformatics. Because it’s fast thanks to its Intel Core i7 and 32GB RAM.
âž• Pros
- Great value
- Solid performance
- Sleek design
- Slim and lightweight
âž– Cons
- Not the best display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 | Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 | RAM: 12GB | Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) | Storage: 512GB SSD
The ASUS VivoBook 15 is an affordable laptop for Bioinformatics making it a solid choice for those on a budget and students. And it’s one of the sleekest laptops you will use. It is also a lightweight laptop that you can easily carry around.
For the budget price, the performance is great. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 and 12GB RAM, your ASUS VivoBook 15 isn’t slow. Also, the SSD makes the laptop a responsive system because of the fast data transfer speeds. This makes it a solid option for processing medium biological datasets.
The display on the laptop is decent. Good brightness and sharpness. The viewing angles are not so great though.
Battery life is also decent. The ASUS VivoBook 15 is able to last 6-7 hours under consistent use. You can get 7-8 hours if you tweak certain settings.
To sum it all up, the ASUS VivoBook 15 is the best budget Bioinformatics laptop you can get. Great price-to-performance ratio and decent battery life.
âž• Pros
- Solid Performance
- Easy To Setup
- Affordable
âž– Cons
- Loud Fans
- Not The Best Battery Life
CPU: Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare | Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Dell laptops are known for their great compatibility with Linux OS, and the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is no exception. It’s also an affordable device that doesn’t require you to break the bank.
For a budget device, the performance is impressive. An Intel Core i5 serves as its CPU.
In addition to that, it has 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Enough RAM for Bioinformatics datasets and plenty of storage for your files.
The display on the Dell Inspiron is not impressive. And to be honest, it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is if you can see the data.
The Dell Inspiron’s fans really do kick in when it’s under heavy loads which are required to properly cool the laptop.
When it comes to the battery life, it is below average, i.e. 8 hours. You are looking at 5-6 hours under consistent use. It is okay, but still below average.
Overall, the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is a cheap laptop for Bioinformatics. And the fact it’s a great Linux compatible laptop makes it an easy laptop to recommend.
What To Look For When Getting The Best Laptop For Bioinformatics
Here are a few things to know when looking for a laptop for bioinformatics
CPU/Processor
Any CPU will work. But, to get the best performance, always go for the latest and best CPUs you can afford. Multi-core and multithreaded CPUs are recommended.
That means anything higher or equal to AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5. This makes sure performance is optimum and the laptop is able to keep up with the ever-increasing demands.
How Much RAM Do You Need For Bioinformatics
The minimum amount of RAM you should have is 16 GB. Recommended is 32 GB. Virtual machines and the analysis can quickly eat up your RAM if it’s not sufficient.
Get as much as you can afford. Having a lot of RAM will make the laptop futureproof and you won’t have to worry about running out of RAM when several programs are open.
Also, if you get a laptop with 8GB RAM, quickly upgrade it to 12GB or 16GB RAM.
Storage
As much as you can get. Solid-state drives are recommended because they make everything run faster and smoother. You can also go with hard disk drives because they are cheaper.
The bottom line is that have a lot of storage. If not possible invest in an external HDD or SSD drive. Datasets can be very large.
Operating System
Linux, macOS and Windows are the preferred operating systems, depending on the Bioinformatics software you plan on using because each one has their own system requirements.
And so, before you get a laptop, you have to know the Bioinformatics software that will be used and their system requirements.
Final Thoughts
That’s it for the best laptops for bioinformatics. You can use cloud computing for your work. But, you still need decent hardware if you aren’t able to access the cloud and have to rely on the laptop’s processing power.
