Suggestion for a stock trading laptop

I’m looking to get a laptop suitable for trading stocks. It should have an i7, with 16gb ram and capable of driving two 4k external monitors. I’ve thought about the Surface Book 2, but it cannot handle the two monitors. Do I need a separate dock for the monitors? Does anyone have any suggestions?



Conversation 8 comments

  • Paul Thurrott

    Premium Member
    03 March, 2018 - 10:03 am

    <p>What you're looking for is something with Thunderbolt 3: That can drive two 4K displays. Any modern premium laptop, aside from Surface, will handle this. ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Dell XPS, HP Spectre x360, etc.</p>

    • craigsn

      Premium Member
      03 March, 2018 - 1:06 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#250258"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a></blockquote><p>Thanks Paul. Any benefit to a dock? Or is it unnecessary with thunderbolt 3?</p>

      • Polycrastinator

        04 March, 2018 - 10:13 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#250286"><em>In reply to craigsn:</em></a></blockquote><p>Thunderbolt 3 dock – anyone's really, but if you go with an OEM's brand of dock if you have issues it'll be easier to get support – should work. My work laptop is an X1 Yoga, with a Thunderbolt 3 dock, and it works well.</p><p>I'm not familiar with stock trading software, but if it's CPU and memory heavy (sounds like it might be) I'd look at something like Dell's XPS 15. Bigger than many, but it'll deal with the heat dissipation better if you're placing it under load a lot, and the discrete GPU should mean it'll never break a sweat running those 2 4K monitors.</p>

      • Paul Thurrott

        Premium Member
        05 March, 2018 - 8:07 am

        <blockquote><a href="#250286"><em>In reply to craigsn:</em></a></blockquote><p>It's a convenience. If you're not going to move around with the laptop, it's not necessary. But if you are, it's just one plug going into the PC for both power and expansion.</p><p><br></p><p>FWIW I agree a desktop would be better for this configuration. Would also be cheaper, I bet.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    03 March, 2018 - 9:13 pm

    <p>You want extreme IO.</p><p><br></p><p>Get a desktop. Something that has multiple USB 3.1 ports that all support Thunderbolt 3.</p><p><br></p><p>You want extreme IO.</p><p><br></p><p>Don't settle for portable, just get something that you can have 80 ports on, and then add PCI-X cards for future IO technologies into.</p><p><br></p><p>A FOUR FOOT TALL TOWER!! A workstation from Hell.</p><p><br></p><p>I really mean it.</p><p><br></p><p>That's what you need.</p>

    • craigsn

      Premium Member
      04 March, 2018 - 8:25 am

      <blockquote><a href="#250331"><em>In reply to jimchamplin:</em></a></blockquote><blockquote><em>Ok Jim, I get that it needs to be extremely good at IO :). And then expandable. So I'll get on the highway to hell and see what they have to offer. </em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>Seriously, I appreciate the response. But I have the desktop I like, with the monitor setups that work well for me. I was looking for something when I travel, and while I won't be the serious trader on the road, I still may wish to "dabble".</em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>Thanks again. </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

      • AnOldAmigaUser

        Premium Member
        05 March, 2018 - 2:49 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#250371"><em>In reply to craigsn:</em></a></blockquote><p>You travel with dual 4K monitors?</p><p><br></p><p>If so, then yes, I would suggest a docking station, as they will usually provide multiple video outputs, where laptops typically do not. They also provide additional ports for ethernet (and if you are running trading software, you will want a fast connection) and other peripherals. Plugable makes good ones.</p><p><br></p><p>Otherwise, you might just want a good 15 or 17" laptop and a portable displaylink monitor. Amazon lists several by Asus and AOC if you search on "external laptop monitor". They are not 4K, but if you are just dabbling, they should suffice to create a mobile multi-monitor station.</p><p><br></p>

        • craigsn

          Premium Member
          06 March, 2018 - 11:50 am

          <blockquote><a href="#250693"><em>In reply to AnOldAmigaUser:</em></a><em> Nope, don't travel with monitors. So it isn't truly necessary. But if something happens to my desktop, I wanted a quick drop in replacement. So thanks for the suggestions. </em></blockquote><p><br></p>

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