Whether you're an accounting student or an accounting professional, so much of the job in 2024 is PC-based that it's crucial to have a solid performing laptop if you want to perform well yourself.
I'll break down the top 5 laptops I've found best for my accounting and finance work, paying particular attention to price, battery life, memory, processing speed, overall performance, and portability for this new age of remote working.
1. Best Laptop for Accounting Professionals
For accounting, I've found that a reliable processor like the Dell Inspiron's Intel Core i7 series is essential for multitasking with speed. In general, I'd always shoot for at least 8 GB of RAM, but think it's worth at least 16 GB and a laptop that's business class.
It's 64GB high-bandwidth RAM allows you to run multiple applications and browser tabs at the same time, plus it's 2TB SSD ensures quick bootup and easy data transfer, which I think are major benefits of going with the Inspiron for accounting. If you're looking for a good laptop for a heavy Excel user, this runs like an absolute charm with the memory space.
The only main con for me is the price, which comes in a little over $1,000 on Amazon.
2. Best Laptop for Accounting Students
Lenovo ThinkPad 2023
You really can't go wrong with the Lenovo Thinkpad for college. A lot of students I know run Linux on the Thinkpad, which is probably the most secure, open-source OS out there. And what's better is just how cheap this laptop is, while still being a durable powerhouse.
If you're planning on just using your laptop for 4 years of college, and not beyond, then the Thinkpad should easily last you long enough without much deterioration, and should be able to run most programs without issue. Plus, most employers will give you a laptop for work, so unless you're looking for a long-term personal use computer, I'd recommend going Thinkpad over the later MacBook option here.
3. Best MacBook for Accountants
Coming in priced under $800, it'd be tough to find a Mac (or any computer really) that can beat this. Its M1 chip made it 3.5x faster than its predecessors, though there is now an M2 model in 2023 that is even faster (and, of course, disproportionately more expensive). This laptop is still one of the most reliable performers on the market if you're looking for a Mac for your accounting tasks but also want to be fiscally smart and not drop a fortune.
Honorable Mentions
The Surface Pro 9 might be one of the only 2-in-1 laptops that can be used for high-memory applications, and this feels much faster and more like an actual laptop than an iPad or other fringe "laptops" that come with a touchscreen built-in. Amazon has been running amazing deals on this lately, and Costco will also run good deals on the Surface in-store if you want to check prices on your next Costco haul — I'd just recommend quite strongly to go with the 16GB version of this PC for accounting over the 8GB version for everyday finance tasks.
In summary, these are the best laptops for accountants (and soon-to-be accountants) — let me know down in the comments if you agree with this list or would add in any other great PCs for accounting:
Let us know any questions down in the comments!