7 Best Laptop For Gis In 2022- Top 7 Picks

Finding the 7 best laptop for Gis in 2022 can be difficult if you’re a student or a working professional. With so many different models on the market, how do you know which one is right for you?

This blog post will provide an overview of what to look for when purchasing a laptop for Gis and recommend several models that are perfect for any budget.

So whether you’re just getting started in geospatial technology or need an upgrade, read on to find the best laptop for your needs.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) require high-performance computers with specialized hardware. If you’re interested in GIS, you probably already know that you need a powerful computer with advanced specs and capabilities to run the software.

Spatial analysis involves collecting and analyzing geographic data. A typical computer cannot perform these complex calculations quickly enough to be useful.

To get the most out of your GIS software, you’ll want to buy a new computer that has the latest technology and processor; a large hard drive; the highest RAM options; a dedicated graphics card; and a wide variety of other advanced features that might not be available in your current computer.

There are dozens of different laptop computers available from various manufacturers with varying features and prices. Finding the right computer for running GIS software can be difficult.

Luckily for you, this article rounds up seven excellent laptops for geospatial professionals with powerful specs and feature sets that meet the needs of working with GIS software.

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Here’s a list of the best GIS computers currently available on the market, including their pros and cons. Let’s take a closer peek.

1. Microsoft Surface Book Laptop

On top of the list is the Microsoft Sur­face Book 2. It’s unquestionably one of the best laptops for GIS out there right now. One of the most amazing features of this computer is its ability to be used both as a desktop computer and a tablet.

It has two screens, one for each purpose. It’s great for portability. Even though it’s not detachable, it weighs just 3.2 lbs without its battery pack, making it easier to carry around.

If you often need to take your laptop with you, this one might be worth checking out. With its specs, the Surface Book 2 has a powerful 1.9 GHz 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U quad-core processor, 16 GB of RAM, which is plenty of memory to handle any GIS software, 1 TB hard drive of storage capacity for quick and easy access to files, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card to allow you to play games and create 3D models without a problem.

The display and keyboard batteries last an equal amount of time, which isn’t surprising since they both contain their batteries. With its 11.6-inch screen, the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro offers up to 12.5-hour battery power when running on a single charge.

It has an 8-hour battery run time when operating on a single charge in tablet mode. The detachable screen features a 15-inch IPS touch panel display with an HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It offers a wide viewing angle and vivid colors.

If you want a laptop that looks as good as it works, then you can get a top-of-the-range screen with the Surface Book 2. Other notable features of this GIS notebook include a media card slot, Microsoft Surface pen platinum, USB 3.0 type A, and USB type C.

The only drawback to this notebook is its lack of a Thunderbolt 3 port. Furthermore, the cooling systems aren’t the best, so you can expect them to get hot when running heavy-duty tasks on laptops.

However, they’re still good laptops, and if the price fits your needs, you should consider buying one.

2. Acer Aspire E 15

Next up is the Acer Aspire ES15 notebook. It has been designed for GIS students and professionals who need a powerful yet portable computer.

Regarding its build quality, the computer is mainly made out of plastic. However, it still has a strong construction and will survive if properly maintained.

The screen is a 16.0-inch 1080p IPS display that provides lifelike colors with a wide viewing angle. For its specifications, Aspire E 15 uses the 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7-8550u CPU, which offers great performance for running the demanding tasks of Gis applications.

If you tend to multitask with your computer, you’ll enjoy the 8GB DDR3 memory with a GeForce GTX 150 graphics card. With the RAM, there’s no need to worry about your computer slowing down when running multiple applications simultaneously.

The entry-level graphics card, however, allows for low-to-moderate gaming. The storage space comes in at 256GB solid-state drive (SSD); if that may not be sufficient for you, don’t fret; Acer also offers an expansion storage port to increase the computer’s SSD/HDD.

With a single charge, you can expect up to 12 hours of usage before you will need to re­charge it. Twelve hours is enough for most people to accomplish their daily tasks, which is impressive.

It has one USB Type C connector, two USB 3.0 connectors, one HDMI output, Bluetooth 4.1 technology, and a card reader for connecting external storage devices.

If you’re looking for something light and easy to carry around, this may not be the best choice. It weighs 5.3 lbs., which means that it’s quite heavy.

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3. Apple MacBook Pro

It shouldn’t be surprising that Apple has one of the best Gis laptops, which comes in the form of the Apple MacBook pro.

This laptop has an Intel i7 quad-core CPU for high-end processing power, 16GB RAM to multitask effectively, and a storage capacity of up to 256GB SSD.

One particular feature of this laptop is its Radeon Pro dedicated graphics chip, which has a 4GB RAM capacity. These advanced specs make the MacBook Pro a strong unit for Gis.

With its Touch Bar, this laptop is great for picking up the pace at the office. However, the Touch ID is a security measure designed to protect your computer against cyber attacks.

With its 15.4-inch Retina iMac, Apple offers an elegant and powerful desktop computer. Its sleek, modern design and its high-quality components ensure outstanding performance.

With its large screen, powerful processor, and long-lasting batteries, the MacBook Pro offers plenty of power and versatility.

It comes with four USB Type C ports (two of them reversible), a 3.5mm audio port, Bluetooth 5.0 wireless technology, Wi‑Fi 802.11ac, and an SD card reader.

However, it doesn’t include USB-A or HDMI port, nor does it have a slot for an SD card. Because the laptop has too many features, its lack of these basic connectors is disappointingly absent.

As with all other Apple products (including iPhones), the MacBook Pro is quite expensive, so if you’re on a tight budget, you might be better off looking for another option.

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4. Dell Inspiron i5577

The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series Laptops are laptops designed for running GIS software. These laptops come equipped with 15.6 inch Full HD displays with good viewing angles. They’re not perfect, but they’re pretty good overall.

The Inspiron i5-7567U is equipped with a processor that handles heavy workloads well. It has a dual-core 2.6 GHz Intel® Core™ i7-7700 HQ processor and 8GB RAM.

Dell offers this laptop featuring a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD) and 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) combination, offering plenty of room for the programs you’ll need to run and any personal files you might store on the computer.

The GTX 1050 graphics card will help you play games at high resolutions without lag. About its battery life, when comparing it to the other laptops we’ve reviewed so far, the estimated number of hours of usage for the Dell Inspiron i5 5557 is quite low.

If you use this computer for regular activities, you can expect up to six hours of battery life. However, if you plan to run demanding applications like GIS with heavy workloads and programs, you may only get two hours of battery life.

This is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a laptop that you’ll use solely for GIS and nothing else. However, poor battery performance may be a drawback.

We think that the laptop weighs 5.7 pounds which is heavy enough to be inconvenient if you want a laptop that you can take with you everywhere. However, if the computer is going to be left alone most of the time, its heaviness won’t be a big deal.

The system comes preloaded with Windows 10, so you won’t need to install any additional software. It has three USB ports, one of which is a Thunderbolt 3 port, an HDMI port, an SD slot, and an Ethernet jack, among others.

Another thing you may want to consider is the noise level. The noise could become distracting if you’re using the computer for long periods. However, if you don’t mind the noise, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use this Dell laptop.

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5. ASUS VivoBook S S410UN-NS74

If you’re looking for a laptop that checks all the right performance, portability, usability, and looks, check out the VivoBook S series laptops from Asus.

One of the most notable features of this computer is its sleek aluminum finish and modern design, as it has a slim and lightweight body construction.

With its slim profile measuring just 0.7 inches wide and weighing less than three pounds, the ASUS VivoBook S400CA is an ideal choice if you’re looking for a portable notebook computer.

Even though this computer has a ton of features, it still offers a good deal of performance for running your GIS applications. It uses the 8th generation Intel Core i7 8560U quad-core CPU to give you plenty of power to run your GIS software.

The RAM is an eight gigabyte (8 GB) DDR4 memory module with two gigabytes (2 GB) of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics processing unit (GPU).

It has 256 gigabytes (256 GB) of solid-state drive (SSD) storage capacity for all your documents, maps, and other important information.

The ASUS VivoBooks S410 has an amazing 14-inch full HD display with great colors, wide view angles, and a high screen resolu­tion of 1920 x 1080p.

The ASUS VivoBooks S series laptops are designed with a backlit touchpad and fingerprint reader for easier use. The laptops’ essential connectors include USB 3.1 Type C, USB 2.0 port, a USB 3.0 port, one headphone/mic port, an HDMI port, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth v4.0.

With the 42WHr lithium-ion batteries, you can get up to eight (8) hours of use time with one full charge, which is quite good.

The best is that Asus offers the notebook a one-year accidental damage warranty against electrical surge, drop, fires, and spills.

6. Acer Predator Helios 300

The Acer Predator Helio 300 is an excellent Gis­tation computer. Being the second Acer computer to be listed here is a testament to its repu­ta­tion in the technology world.

However, Acer doesn’t rely solely on its reputation; instead, it offers a high-performance computer that meets the requirements for GIS software.

For its processing speed, the Acer Predator Helium 300 is equipped with an Intel Core i5-7600K Quad-Core CPU, which can be boosted up to 4.0GHz.

It has 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card, which means it can handle any task you throw at it.

You can use the 256GB SSD for storing your documents and installing applications. However, if you want to add additional storage, you can connect an external hard drive using USB 3.0.

The display is an 18.4-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS screen with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It weighs 5.3 lbs., making it quite heavy compared to most laptops in its price range. However, portability is a priority, so this may be a good choice.

The battery life is pretty decent as well. It can last up to 7 hours with normal usage, but if you are performing heavy tasks or gaming, you can expect a maximum of 3 hours here.

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7. Dell XPS 15 9560

Dell has made another appearance on our Best Laptops for GIS 2020 list. This time, it’s in its XPS 15 9560 form factor. It’s one of the best laptops we’ve ever tested because of its rich and powerful display, which is perfect for any GIS application.

The computer has an amazing 4K screen that provides excellent viewing angles and vivid colors. If you’re into high-end displays, then this one is for you.

However, the screen resolution is not quite as high as some competitors offer at similar prices. It lasts up to eight hours which is still enough to get through most days without charging.

It’s powered by an 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor with 16 GB of memory (RAM), which delivers incredible performance for demanding applications. It has a powerful NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050Ti graphics card with 4 GB of video memory.

It may not be the fastest GPU on the market, but it can provide a smooth experience when playing games or doing 3D rendering.

The Dell XPS 15 9560 also offers the Thunderbolt 3 port, which allows ultra-fast data transfers while simultaneously re­charg­ing the device.

Factors To Consider When Buying the Best Laptops For GIS in 2022

Here are some things to remember when choosing a computer to run GIS software.

Processor

For a laptop to be ideal for running GIS applications, it needs a powerful processor with high-speed clocks of at least 2.3 GHz. Quad-core CPUs with turbo boost technologies can perform GIS tasks efficiently.

RAM

Using a GIS laptop, ideally, you should get at least 16 GB of RAM. Generally, the larger the RAM, the better (although there may be exceptions).

Storage

To get smooth performance from GIS applications on your computer, you’ll need at least 32 gigabytes of free hard disk space on an SSD. Most computers have plenty of room for this, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one that fits the bill.

If you tend to keep lots of files on your computer, then, by all means, choose a computer with a bigger hard drive.

Graphics Card

Integrated GPUs can still be used with GIS applications, but if you want to get the most out of them, you need a dedicated one. They’re better at rendering 3D scenes than integrated ones.

Conclusion

Here are some of the best GIS laptops available today. They’re equipped with advanced technology and feature sets, allowing you to use most GIS programs without issue.

Check out our buyers’ guide whenever you’re ready to buy so that you choose a good match for your needs. Have fun!

FAQs

Q 1. Which laptop is best for GIS software?

A. For Gis software, the Asus Zenbook pro duo is an excellent choice. The powerful graphic card (NVIDIA GeForce RTX2060) lets one run the GIS software without any issues. It also has 16 GB of DDR RAM, letting one use the software without issues.

Q 2. How much RAM do I need for GIS?

A. 16 GB RAM is sufficient for running GIS software. It is recommended to have at least 32 GB RAM with 8 GB of extra storage. Having a dedicated GPU is usually preferable.

Q 3. Do I need a graphics card for GIS?

A. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is a computer-based tool for managing, analyzing, manipulating, displaying, and editing geographic information. It has an inbuilt graphics chip to help make things easier. So, yes, a GIS needs a graphics chip.

Q 4. Which laptop is best for remote sensing?

A. Some of the best options for remotely sensing include an Apple MacBook Pro, ASUS Zenbook 13 UX333FA, a Microsoft Surface Pro 6, an Acer Predator Helios 300, a Lenovo Thinkpad E590, an Asus Zenbook 15, an Acer Aspire 15, and so forth.