If you daily spend most of your time exploring or collecting data using GIS software, a compact laptop with decent specs would definitely smooth your workflow and for that, we are going to share a list of top 10 the top ten best laptops for GIS.
In today’s digital era, data is knowledge. It provides indisputable evidence and prevents us from taking an incorrect or assumption based decision. The system that is used to collect manages the process and analyze that data is called GIS. The GIS software such as ArcGIS or others helps the users to produce maps or visual displays of geographic information.
You can use this GIS software to produce maps based on data on different characteristics. You can check the number of roads in a particular city or area, categorized based on coffee-drinking, or gathers all information regarding a particular area.
GIS software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, ArcReader, MA Publisher, and others are resource consumption machines. Because the entire process of GIS is not that simple as it seems, it involves many steps such as exploring data, choosing analysis methods, and performing the analysis. Each one of these steps can further be explored in many steps.
In other words, to run GIS you require a calibrated system. A laptop that got the specs to tackle the workload the software is going to throw. It is not easy to pick a laptop for one particular purpose. Laptops are not designed in that way; you scrub through the internet and maybe after reading hundreds of products you could find a few contenders.
But if you rely on us, believe in us, as we got experience picking great laptops for different purposes. We can assure you, you will not get disappointed. So without further ado, here are the 10 best laptops for GIS in 2021.
Best Laptops For GIS
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | DETAILS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Acer Swift 3 |
| Check Price | |
 | Lenovo Flex 5 |
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 | Acer Aspire 5 |
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 | Dell Inspiron 14 |
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 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 |
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 | LG Gram |
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 | ASUS VivoBook 15 |
| Check Price | |
 | Hp Pavilion 15 |
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 | Lenovo ThinkPad E15 |
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 | Acer Nitro 5 |
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1. Acer Swift 3
- Powerful Octa-core processor
- FHD IPS display
- Ultra-portable with 2.6 pounds
- Long-lasting battery
Let’s start our journey with a pocket-friendly and budget laptop option. It is hard though to pick a good laptop for GIS or cartography under a budget price range. But, if you are into the laptop world and know every bit of them, you surely can get a good option. The model comes in hands at an affordable price range and offers a good line of specifications that fits the needs of running GIS.
It has AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-core processor. It is an 8-core advanced designed mobile processor that helps users get hands on complex processing such as the task in hands. Here we require a multi-layer of information processed to get useful information about a region, geographical location, and others. The laptop would not let you down with its processing power.
You get 8GB memory that suffices your memory needs. You can run many operations at one time and squeeze the required information for your clients. It got good storage onboard as well; it means 512GB SSD storage is more than enough for your growing data storage desired. You would be amazed to learn, the already enlarged storage can further be expanded. You get an empty slot, fill that with one more storage and get storage bigger.
It got 14-inches FHD IPS to display with an 82-percent screen to body ratio. The display comes in narrow bezels and offers you view more in less. It offers an impressive viewing angle for cartography and GIS professionals to work-through without any screen issue. You can work on the screen for prolonged hours without any issue.
With a full size, backlit enabled keyboard you get good typing areas. Keys are wide space; you get a smooth typing experience, unlike narrowed keys.
Its battery life is more than amazing. As per the company’s claims, it offers 11.5 hours long runtime in a single charging. I think, for the price, this is the feature that beats the rest. It is hard to get this long runtime and I think this is because of its high-ended mobile processors.
In total, the laptop offers a good deal for GIS for the price. The laptop specs are good for the job at hand. You can run GIS, ArcGIS, and many other software of the niche without any big issue.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core |
| Ram | 8GB LPDDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Graphics |
| Display | 14″ Full HD Widescreen IPS |
2. Lenovo Flex 5
- Ultra-portable model
- FHD IPS Touchscreen display
- Seamless transition into tablet
- Long battery life
Lenovo’s designed model is one of the viable options for GIS and ArcGIS running. The reason is obvious; the model strikes the right balance between performance, versatility, and connectivity. It comes in a sleek sober-looking design that is easy to carry around. Convert the model anywhere anytime into a tablet and get a smooth all-rounder performance.
It comes integrated with AMD Ryzen 5 4500U Processor with Radeon graphics. You get unrivaled processing power to cater to loads of GIS software. The processor is good enough to keep the software running and make the system providing power for a long time.
It has 16GB DDR4 RAM which is way more than required to run and smoothly perform GIS software. You do not require more than this memory, and if someone says so, do not believe in that. Because the software would not consume way more than this, you can easily handle any scale of multitasking while using GIS.
It has 256GB SSD storage. Same with the storage, you do not require more than this, enough to make you store geographical information and mapping.
The most amazing and finest feature of the model is its display. It has a 14 inches FHD IPS touchscreen display that lets you convert the model into a tablet. Their multi-touch supports FHD display not only helps you type onto the screen direct but bring crisp and error-free visuals on the screen. It is great to view on the 14-inches screen; its four-sided narrow bezels bring more viewing area in less space.
The model comes with a physical shutter on the webcam. The feature may not improve the overall performance but gives you peace of mind. As you will always be sure, no unwanted and unauthorized gazed are onto you.
The model offers a long battery runtime as well. You get a 10-hours long battery backup that makes you stay ahead of the tasks always. Get your hands on the laptop, and accomplish the tasks important without any halt or disturbances. In total, the laptop is a breeze to take around. It adapts your style and makes you get things done on the go. Get hands-on with the laptop, I am sure you will not regret the decision.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U |
| Ram | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB SSD |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ti |
| Display | 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS |
3. Acer Aspire 5
- Bright and clear screen
- Sturdy construction
- Upgradable specs
- Thin and lightweight
- The battery lasts around 8-10 hours
Another great laptop that comes in hands at affordable price range but serves the purpose well. It is one of the most-selling and top-rated laptops designed by Acer. It is also called an all-purpose laptop, can be taken for anything. A portable yet powerful option for handling GIS (Geographical Information System) software.
It comes fitted with 15.6 inches FHD IPS Widescreen LED-backlit display that offers crisp, smooth, and error-free visuals produced on the screen. With the 1080P resolution, creativity touches new heights with sharp visuals showcased on the IPS display.
With a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, you get enhanced creativity power and get processing run at blazing fast speed. Its processor coupled with 8GB memory that offers you enough power to tackle the multitude of workloads comes through your ways. Do not worry about the multi-layered information processing thrown by the GIS application. The processor and memory got your back and make you sail through without any issue.
With a mammoth of storage, the model exceeds your expectation. I mean, you get a 512GB SSD NVMe technology-supported storage that helps you store ever-growing data and information without any issue. Furthermore, you can expand the storage using the extra empty slot. Keep in mind, it is SSD storage, not just the data-transfer speed is improved but boot-up time and your system’s overall speed sees a transition.
It has a discrete graphics card onboard as well. With an Nvidia GeForce MX350 graphics card with 2GB dedicated space, you get an instant and error-free loading of the data and allow you to run multiple operations at one time.
It comes with a backlit keyboard. The full-sized keyboard offers a great typing experience. Keys feel soft and make you type for hours without any trouble.
It offers a great battery backup. Yes, the model lasts long around 8-hours in one charging. The backup time is recorded on casual surfing; multimedia, browsing, software installing, and others. With a dim display and for light browsing you can enhance the backup time up to 12-hours.
In total, the model exceeds our expectations. It offers much better than the price it comes at. It has almost everything a GIS user would ever seek into. So, do not roam around and get hands-on with an ultraportable laptop.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce MX350 |
| Display | 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS |
4. Dell Inspiron 14
- 10TH Generation processor
- Upgradable specs
- FHD IPS touch display
- Sturdy hinges
If you are a student and have decided to pursue a career in GIS and studying mapping, or cartography, I think you should give special heed to this model.
The reason is, the model is suitable for students because of its price, portability, and par configuration. It has an FHD IPS touchscreen, a good processor onboard, and a good solid-state drive. Let’s review its attributes one by one and see how the model stands out from the rest.
It comes powered with 10th Generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor with 3.6 GHz clock speed in turbo boost. The processor offers seamless processing and multitasking performance without consuming too much battery. The model takes care of multitasking as well and makes you deal with a load of data.
It has 12GB DDR4 Dual channel memory. A special assistant to take care of multitasking and apps and programs running in real-time. The added ram size ensures you get instant and fast loading of the heavy application and enjoy fast booting time. You can run more than one application at one time without any lagging or rendering issue. The ram size is upgradable you can expand the memory up to your desired level.
It has 256GB SSD storage to make you store heavy applications and larger geographical maps or visuals without any issue. The storage can further expand, using the extra slot. Anyhow, the mentioned storage is also enough to store all files and data a GIS student needS to store.
It has 14.0 inches FHD IPS LED-backlit touch display with wide viewing angles and anti-glare panels. Its larger viewing angles allow users to view the screen from any angle without any disruption.
Its display offers amazing versatility. You turn into any mode that suits you the best. Turn it into a tent mode to watch movies or letting your kids stream the latest cartoon videos on Youtube. It also transitions into a tablet mode, to make you write directly onto the screen and sketch or draw anything you like.
It has a fingerprint reader on board. Get an instant sign-in, fast, and safe sign-in on the power button enhances your efficiency.
Its battery life is amazing to compare to other models. On heavy consumption, the model lasts around 6-hours in a single charging. On light browsing and dim display, you can expect no less than 8-hours.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
| Ram | 12GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe |
| Graphics | Integrated |
| Display | 14-inch FHD IPS |
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- FHD IPS crisp display
- Powerful mobile processor
- Travel friendly
- Fine keyboard
If you are running short of budget and looking for an economical option, get hands-on with the Lenovo designed IdeaPad series third installment. The model comes at a tiny price compared to its specs range. You get its hands on it for under $400, yes you heard it right. The model is way cheaper than others and makes your house good specs holding machine without costing arms and legs.
It comes powered with AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor with Radeon graphics that delivers a stunning range of performance for everyday computing as well as running GIS and ArcGIS software. The mobile processor series is famous owing to offering high-end performance with incredible bandwidth. The processor consumes less power and lets you done faster.
It comes fitted with 14-inches FHD IPS with narrow bezels. Two sides’ narrow bezels make a clean design and offer a larger display and more viewing area. The display has an anti-glare coating, larger and sharper viewing angle to make you view the display from any angle.
It has 256GB SSD storage. You get it right; you are going to enjoy SSD storage of size 256GB for the price under $400. The same goes for memory, it has an ideal memory size; 8GB DDR4. The added memory is good for the workload we are going to deal with in the case of GIS and ArcGIS software.
The keyboard is one of the finest features of the model. It has a phenomenal feel and makes you feel better while typing. The membrane style keyboard offers nice tactile feedback and makes you enjoy a smooth, comfortable, and solid typing experience on the go.
The model comes with 2 USB 3.0 ports, to make you connect anything you like. For storage expansion, you can use one of the ports and inject an SSD external drive to expand the overall storage.
In total, the model worth every penny you are going to spend-on. The model offers superior range performance; make you watch 1080P videos at the highest brightness. For the price, the model seems a high-way robbery.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 3500U |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 SSD |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon Vega 8 |
| Display | 14-inch FHD screen |
6. LG Gram
- Thin and lightweight
- FHD IPS screen
- 10th generation processor
- Thunderbolt 3 support
LG Gram takes the place in the list of best laptops for GIS because of its crazy visuals, portability, and power. The model lets you unleash the creative power within you and make you touch the new standards.
It gives you the power to use it for designing, video editing, running GIS, and ArcGIS apps, and much more others in the row. Let’s explore its interiors and see what comes inside the premium grade constructed laptop.
It comes integrated with a 10th Generation i5-1035G7 processor with Iris Plus graphics. The latest generation powerful processor offers processing power enough to tackle the load of GIS and ArcGIS projects. It let you edit images and videos and make you accomplish your commercial-grade projects.
It has 14-inches FHD IPS display onboard. The anti-glare FHD display produces a stunning range of visuals in the highest 1920 x 1080 resolution. You get to view stunning, error-free visuals and behold crisp images produced on the screen.
It got 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage. Both the memory options are on par, make you hold-up lots of programs and apps at one time. It will be more than a breeze for you to handle GIS projects. On the other hand, if you see storage is not enough or you require more storage for your ongoing projects, there is an empty slot you can fill-up the slot with an SSD drive to increase the overall size.
The model shares thunderbolt support as well. This one port serves three purposes. It offers you lighting fast charging, connecting displays, and at the same time transferring data up to 40 GB/s. You can enjoy smooth 5k displays on your laptop, and charging it as well.
Its battery life is more than just superb. I mean, at this price, it is hard to get a laptop that offers this long backup time. The model at streaming on twitch, music playing, and doing other tasks offers 4-6 hours runtime, no dim brightness.
In total, the laptop seems like one of the viable options for GIS and ArcGIS. You can rely on the laptop, its speed is on par, and makes you enjoy superior range performance without spending arms and legs.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G7 |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB M 2 NVMe SSD |
| Graphics | Integrated |
| Display | 14” Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS |
7. ASUS VivoBook 15
- Ultra-portable model
- FHD IPS Four-sided Nano bezels display
- 10th Generation processor
- 512GB SSD storage
- Fast charging
If you are on a go user and looking for an ultra-lightweight laptop as light as feather then get your hands on the model. The model in 14-inches chassis comes fitted with a 15.6 inches display. Four-sided nano bezels FHD IPS display keeps the dimensions down to a minimum and make you enjoy on the go computing.
The display has anti-glare panels, a larger and sharper viewing angle, and produces images at 1080P resolution. Even with the Nano-edge frameless border, the laptop still manages to put an HD camera on the top bezel to make you enjoy an error-free undisturbed video conference.
The model comes integrated with the 10th generation Intel i5-1035G1 processor that goes up to 3.6 GHz clock speed in a turbo boost. The model produces enough power for the users to tackle multiple operations at one time without any lag or freeze. GIS and ArcGis operations can easily be tackled using the processor and make you enjoy uninterrupted processing.
The latest model comes integrated with 8GB DDR4 RAM. The ram size is good to go for the type of work we are going to tackle. No need to think about expanding memory size or feel it is less for the job at hand. it is good enough to make you enjoy smooth and error-free computing, simple.
The storage size is more than we had expected. It has 512GB SSSD storage, which is great. You can meet the growing needs of storage without any issue and fill the storage up with the type of files you like the most.
Keep in mind, the model has Intel UHD Graphics onboard as well. The integrated graphics might not be enough to make you have hand son latest titles but enough to power-up the device for the visually intensive workload.
Yes, it has a backlit keyboard integrated. The keys are responsive, soft, and make you enjoy an optimized typing experience. It shares an ErgoLift design for an optimized typing experience. The keyboard due to the design little lift-up and make you enjoy ergonomic typing speed. The keys share a 1.44 mm key travel distance to make you go through several hours of typing work.
It has a good battery backup. The battery offers an hour’s long runtime in a single charging. More than that, it got 60-percent charged in less than 49-minutes.
The model looks great and offers a stunning specification lined-up. You can rely on the machine for your GIS projects and go through any amount of processing in one go. The model shares a small chassis and offers feather-like portability.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Display | 15.6 inch Full HD (1920×1080) |
8. Hp Pavilion 15
- Ultra-lightweight
- Long battery backup
- 10th Gen processor
- FHD IPS display
HP Pavilion is considered one of the leading line-ups for business users. The brand has made so many top-rated products to earn a huge name to the brand. This HP pavilion 15 model comes integrated with the latest specs and makes you go through multiple operations at one time.
It is a thin light design model that you can take anywhere without any issue. It has 6.5 mm micro bezels around the display to make you get more display in less physical space.
It comes integrated with an Intel 10th Generation Core i5-1035G1 processor that makes you process through bundles of operations at one time. Apps such as GIS and ArcGIS along with mapping will witness a smooth passing. It is always good to opt-with latest generation processors when it comes to CPU as they are the latest designed and optimize apps and software ideally.
It has 15.6 inches FHD IPS display that lets you enjoy clear visuals at brilliant details of 1080 pixels. In a 15.6 inches display, Nano bezels around, 2 million-plus pixels make you have an immersive and error-free entertainment experience.
The model is designed for everyday computing. It offers faster boot-up time, and make you transfer files without waiting for hours due to SSD storage. It has 256 GB SSD storage that lets you stuff as many files as you like without witnessing a poor transfer speed. The model boot–up in seconds, saves your precious time. Plus, there is an extra slot that helps you expand the memory.
The model due to its latest high-bandwidth memory lets you enjoy the highest level of efficiency. It has 8GB memory, which is non-upgradable. I do not think for home computing and casual use, along with running a Graphic Information system without any issue.
The latest designed HP Pavilion model battery life is one of the most highlighted features. The model offers around 8-hours long runtime in a single charging. More than that, the fast charging mechanism lets you charges up to 50-percent of the charging within 45-minutes. It’s because of HP fast charging mechanism that lets you juice the model without waiting for hours.
The model has a full-sized keyboard with a dedicated number pad. Yes, it is not backlit supported, it is though good enough to make you type for hours without any big trouble. Keys are soft and make you have a smooth typing experience.
In short the laptop worth the price. It is one of the finest models for GIS handling and other mapping or Google earth pro.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-1035G1 |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Display | 15.6-inch diagonal full HD |
9. Lenovo ThinkPad E15
- Latest 10th gen processor
- FHD IPS 220 nits anti-glare display
- Type-C support
- Decent memory option
It is hard to get a laptop that offers maximized flexibility with the highest performance. But it seems like Lenovo designed Thinkpad E15 offers improved versatility while maintaining the performance. It is a business-ready model that shares a stunning range of specifications on board. The model comes in hands at an affordable price range, its features are latest and specs are upgraded.
The model comes powered with the 10th Gen Core i5-10210U mobile series processor. The processor offers a multi-core and multi-thread processor, a base clock speed of 1.6 GHz that goes up to 4.2 GHz in turbo boost. The processing power of the model is more than we demand our tasks. You can bank on the product for consistent unrivaled performance.
It has 16GB DDR4 memory to help you cater to the multitasking loads. You can run as many apps and programs as you like without witnessing a freeze, jam, rendering, or blur issue. Switch through multiple operations like a breeze. The memory size is non-upgradable, but the size is already more than what we require for the job.
It has 512GB SSD storage. The storage is enough to take care of your growing needs of storage. You enjoy efficient, reliable, and improved data transfer, due to the SSD type of storage onboard. Yes, the storage is upgradable you can expand the size using the extra slot it comes with.
Lenovo’s latest designed E-series E15 model comes fitted with a 15.6 inches FHD TN display with 220 nits of brightness. The model has anti-glare panels to make you view the images and visuals with no glares outside.
It comes integrated with an extensive range of ports and connectivity. The model has to share a USB Type-C port as well that support charging as well. There are three other USB ports onboard along with an HDMI port, an audio port.
Its fingerprint reader not only gives you peace of mind but offers around the clock security. No one without your knowledge could get access to your system. Furthermore, you get an instant and easy logging-in. One tap of your finger and you there into your system without putting your brain onto the hardest task of recalling your password.
In total, a model is a handy option. You get all boxes checked here. Get things rolled smoothly and accomplish your commercials scale GIS project in no time.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-10210U |
| Ram | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Display | 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
10. Acer Nitro 5
- Powerful processor
- FHD IPS display
- Dedicated graphics card 1650
- Decent storage option
Gaming is an ever-growing industry. People are crazy about the games, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are a GIS professional, but passionate about games and looking for a model that helps you play games and do your job (Killing two birds with one stone), get a hands-on Acer designed laptop.
It is touted and marketed as a dedicated gaming machine, but the specs of the model are more than just stunning. You can bank on it for your GIS, ArcGIS, and other such software running.
The model comes integrated with the 9th Gen Intel Core i5-9300H Hexa-core processor that offers a 4.1 GHz clock speed. The processor is on par, I mean, it probably overkills any GIS software we are desired to run.
It offers more power than just for the mentioned software running and using. It is designed for the latest games in mind; you know how resourceful today’s games are. Do not fret, the laptop processor is more than what you require for the job at hand.
It has a dedicated graphics card. Yes, a GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB dedicated space is going to overthrow all the visual processing. You can hand-on latest titles and smooth sail-like never before. Actually, for the job in hand, GIS software running, we do not require a dedicated graphics card. It is good though to have more than required.
It has 8GB DDR4 memory and 256GB SSD storage. Both the options are on par, for games maybe you will have to use the extra slot and expanded the storages. But for us, the storage is more than enough.
With A 15-Inches FHD IPS LED Backlit display you are going to enjoy super-smooth visuals processing. You get to see crisp, crystal-clear, and error-free visuals with accurate color production. You enjoy a smooth gaming experience with accurate refresh rates, with no bleeding or motion blur issue.
With a backlit enabled keyboard, you enjoy the next level of typing and gaming experience. Its WASD keys are highlighted for easier location. Keys offer nice tactile feedback and offer 1.6 mm key travel distance. Get hands-on with the latest games, and score new miles using the specs of the laptop.
Its battery life is good to go, not that impressive but for a gaming laptop, it is impressive. Still, the battery could have been better than this.
In a nutshell, the laptop is a pure gaming machine. It comes integrated with all specs and features that a gamer and GIS professional would require in a professional career. If you are a gamer and looking for a sober option to go with, do not hesitate the option is impressive.
| Hardware Specifications | |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-9300H |
| Ram | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
| Display | 15″ Full HD Widescreen IPS |
GIS Laptop Requirements – Buying Guide
To run GIS and ArcGIS you need to check the hardware requirement before buying a laptop. In the coming section, we are going to give a short glimpse of the minimum and recommended hardware requirements.
CPU
Officials recommend a 2.2 GHz clock speed for running the software, you can use Pentium 4, Xeon Processor SSR2, this is the minimum CPU requirement. But, you can’t use Pentium 4 laptop these days, even the basic operations will take time on the processor.
We recommend multi-core processors with hyper-threading. You can opt with a Core i5 processor, do not go above if you have a budget issue, but i5 is good enough for home computing as well as GIS.
RAM
ArcGIS recommend a minimum of 2GB of memory. But, again this is not even enough for basic operations. You must go with at least 8GB memory to witness a smooth multitasking experience. For professionals we recommend 16GB, but 8GB is good enough for personal to professional scale tasks.
Storage
The software requires at least 1GB disk space. But you must be asking for overall system storage. For the ArcGIS and other such applications, we say, 256GB SSD is good to go. Do not settle with mechanical drives, or you will be facing poor data-transfer speed and boot-up times.
Graphics card
For the GIS operations, in reality, you do not require a dedicated graphics card. Integrated graphics can do the job without any issue. If you are more into dealing with visually intensive tasks, it is good for you to ensure a dedicated graphics card.
Display
The size of the screen is a personal preference of a user. If you are comfortable using a 12.3 inches screen laptop, it is great. But for GIS and other Geographic Mapping and visuals, often bigger screens are recommended.
So, I would suggest at least 15 inches screen with an FHD display. Officials say 1024×768 pixels resolution is enough to run the software though.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GiS?
In simplest words, GIS (Geographic Information System) is a system that is designed to collect, store, and process, manage, and present Geographical data to make maps and 3d scenes. GIS reveals deep insights about a particular location and makes you learn different patterns, relationships, and make a smart decision or solve any issue.
It functions collaborating with geographic science, GIS tools collaborate with geographic science to make meaningful patterns and relationships. For example, using GIS software we can learn about drug consumption worldwide. We can see which country or city has the highest consumption of drugs. You can learn about drug consumption in a particular city as well, and organize them with age, gender, and other categories.
Difference between GIS and ArcGIS?
GIS (Geographical Information System) is a framework that organizes, communicate, store, and process geographical data. It is a system that collaborates with Geographic science and brings geographical maps, patterns, or relationships.
While ArcGIS is a GIS software or program that is used to create, manage, and share data. It allows handling and analyzing information and build maps or trade flows. The flows or maps are used by Government and other institutions for the betterment of human beings.
What kind of software is required to create GIS?
You can use any GIS software to create GIS. Dozens of software are already there in the market, you can pick any and get things gone. ArcGIS though is one of the leading names in creating GIS, the software is developed by Esri. This software is known as the market leader for a long time.
Other GIS software includes QGIS, GeoMedia, Global Mapper, MapInfo Professional, and many more others.
Can I Run ArcGIS on MacBook?
The simplest answer is no. Because the software is not natively designed for Mac OS. It is designed for Windows. To run it on MacBook either you will have to install a Windows operating system or create a dual boot setup using the software.
So, as I said, the simplest and shortest answer is ‘NO’. Get your MacBook installed with Windows OS to get a smooth run of ArcGIS and GIS.
Can I use my everyday laptop for ArcGIS or ArcGIS Pro?
Any laptop for install and run ArcGIS or ArcGIS pro as long as it meets the minimum hardware requirements. The minimum hardware requirement as per ArcGIS officials is less than even a home computer.
In other words, you can use a simple home computing machine to get a smooth run of the software. Check if your processor is core i3 or i5, get 4-8GB memory, and at least 128GB storage. I think every laptop comes integrated with the mentioned specification.
Can I buy a laptop for GIS for Under $800?
You can buy a laptop even in the $400 price range. Yes, I am sure, I have listed one laptop that is priced at 400 dollars. For 800 dollar price range you can grab a sober laptop that will be great not only for running the software but for other users as well.
The Bottom Line
In this post, we tried to cover the topic of the best laptops for GIS. We have seen the top 10 models that fall right on the criterion of running the GIS system and tools such as ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro, ArcReader, and others.
The mentioned laptops are great, not only for running GIS but other casual and home computing. From the list can get the idea that for running the GIS you do not require a high-ended laptop with the bulky specification. You require an average performing laptop that you use for home computing and casual browsing etc.
I do not think you will have any issue in picking a laptop for your professional GIS career. We have reviewed top models you can pick any get things rolled on.
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