QuickBooks is a very intuitive accounting tool that will let you handle your accounting without any hassle. Combine that with a portable laptop and you will be able to manage your business from anywhere.
But which laptop should you get? Choosing from over 100 models from various brands can be tough. That’s where we come in. Our experts and tried and tested 25+ laptops and picked out the 5 best laptops for QuickBooks in 2022.
Top 5 Laptops For QuickBooks Compared
New Apple MacBook Pro
Acer Swift 3
ASUS VivoBook 15
Lenovo Flex 5
New Apple MacBook Pro
Acer Swift 3
ASUS VivoBook 15
Lenovo Flex 5
In-Depth Reviews of Laptops for QuickBooks
1: LG Gram
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 2.98 lbs
- Processor: Intel 10th Generation i7-1065G7
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.5GHz
- Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 17″ (2560×1600)
- Battery Life: 17hrs
The LG Gram is one of the best options for people running a business. Owing to its large 17-inch screen and amazing battery life, it is the perfect laptop for presentations and meetings and will last all day long.
You can carry this laptop anywhere because even after having a massive 17-inch screen, the laptop still weighs a mere 1.35 kgs. The screen itself is a 2560 x 1600 resolution display, which is super crisp and bright. Large spreadsheets with a lot of columns will be much easier to view simultaneously on the large screen of this laptop.
If you’re always on the go and need a laptop with a battery that stands the test of time, this is it. The 80Wh battery is absolutely huge and delivers a life of 17 hours, with a great standby time as well. The efficient and low wattage Intel i7 CPU ensures that while the battery lasts, none of your excel calculations or QuickBooks tasks suffer.
The body is completely metallic, made from a magnesium alloy that is used as an aircraft material and brings durability with a lightweight. The LG Gram is sure to withstand wear and tear, as the body is solid and has almost no flex. The ports and keyboard have amazing build quality as well and seem to be sturdy, and additionally, the keyboard is backlit and has a Numpad as well.
Pros
- Large and High-Resolution display
- 17 Hour battery
- Dedicated GPU supports gaming as well
- Thunderbolt 3 port
- Diverse connectivity with External display support
Cons
- High price
- Speakers could have been better
2: Asus Zenbook 15
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 4.41 lbs
- Processor: Intel Core i7-10750H
- CPU Speed: Up to 5GHz
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
- Storage: 1TB SSD
- Display: 15″ (1920×1080)
- Battery Life: 7hrs
The Zenbook 15 is another one of Asus’ highly innovative laptops and is built for the multi-tasker. It packs a punch with high-powered internals and a second display inside the trackpad called the Screen Pad 2.0, which loads many apps and has many software integrations. The laptop focuses on productivity and multitasking, perfect for professionals.
It is one of the world’s smallest 15” laptops, packing a 10th Gen Intel i7 processor and an Nvidia GTX 1650. It may be small in size, but it doesn’t compromise on productivity and along with its 16 GB RAM, QuickBooks will never lag.
The Screen Pad 2.0 is special, and rightly so. It has a display inside it and acts as a secondary touchscreen with a smartphone-like UI that gives you many features. You can control your multitasking orientations, scroll through your spreadsheets, access various shortcuts, and a lot more.
The ZenBook 15 comes with a backlit keyboard that provides a great typing experience whether on a desk or on the go. It’s a work of art in terms of ergonomics, with the perfect amount of key travel. In addition, many dedicated hotkeys make it easy to take screenshots or lock the system with a single stroke.
The Zenbook 15 is also equipped with WiFi-6, which supports speeds up to 3x faster than WiFi-5. It delivers superfast networking speeds for quicker file transfers, smooth video conferences, or a snappy experience with QuickBooks online.
The Asus ZenBook 15 is powered by a large battery that won’t let you down no matter how long or demanding your workday is. You can get 15+ hours of backup from a single charge depending on the workload.
Pros
- All day Battery Life
- Compact Size
- Screen Pad 2.0
- Powerful Hardware with dedicated GPU
- Amazing UHD display
Cons
- Audio could have been better
- Small keyboard
3: Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 1.7 lbs
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1065G7
- CPU Speed: Up to 3.9GHz
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 12.3″ (2736×1824)
- Battery Life: 10.5hrs
If you travel a lot and often work on the go, a compact laptop would be your go-to option. The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 does just that but packs a powerful processor that makes it perfect for scouring QuickBooks or editing huge spreadsheets on the go.
It is equipped with a 10th gen Intel i7 processor, which is fast and efficient, and when paired with the 16 GB RAM and the super fast 256 GB SSD, it makes the laptop butter smooth. 99% of business spreadsheets or queries won’t ever trouble this laptop.
The 12.3” touch-screen display has a 2736 x 1824 resolution that is absolutely beautiful and sharp. It folds into multiple modes like a tablet, laptop, and studio and has support for pen input as well. The Surface pen comes included along with a Surface Arc Mouse in the package so that you get an entire setup all in one purchase.
The battery is easily all-day lasting, timing in at 10.5 hours. Features like Instant-On give you the freedom to sit down and start working anywhere you want and look through your receivables and payables instantly without draining the battery.
This laptop is great for people to make handwritten records and notes with the added Surface Pen. Its lightweight and slim body make it ideal for you to take the Surface Pro 7 anywhere and get writing, reading, or browsing through your data.
Pros
- Lightweight
- High-resolution display
- Powerful internals
- Long Battery
- Surface Pen support
Cons
- Small SSD
- Size may be too small for some people
4: Dell Inspiron 15 5505
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 3.72 lbs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.1GHz
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- Battery Life: 10.5hrs
The phrase “professional looks and reliable performance” is best used to describe the Dell Inspiron 15 5505. It has a sleek design with angular edges that look perfect for the office. Inspirons have always been the go-to laptops for working professionals because of their power, long life, and Dell’s excellent support.
The Dell Inspiron has a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 4700U inside, which is an eight-core beast clocking in at 4.1 GHz. Paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM clocking in at 3200 MHz and Radeon Vega graphics, the laptop sails through QuickBooks. The 512 GBs SSD storage will be more than enough to store all your spreadsheets and QBW files for a long time.
The Inspiron is smart and can understand when it is being used on a desk or is kept in your lap, and then automatically adjusts the thermal profile to keep itself cool. The dual fans and dual heat pipes have been placed strategically while designing the body, due to which the laptop is thin and compact.
The display is one of the best in class, an amazing 15.6” FHD LED panel with an anti-glare coating on the screen. The overall footprint of the laptop has been reduced from the previous generation while keeping the display size intact, by further slimming the bezels. The screen-to-body ratio is now 5.9% higher than the last generation, giving it narrow borders on all four sides and a modern look.
The capacity of the Inspiron 15 to endure bumps and falls makes it a must-have gadget for accountants who work outside of a traditional office setting. The keyboard has a numeric keypad and is backlit, allowing you to work without having to worry about illumination.
Pros
- Sturdy and Professional looking build
- Fingerprint sensor
- Backlit Keyboard
- Adaptive Thermal profiles
- Amazing display
Cons
- Awkward positioning of webcam
- Connectivity could have been better
5: HP Chromebook x360
- RAM: 4GB
- Weight: 3.3 lbs
- Processor: Intel Pentium Silver N5000
- CPU Speed: Up to 2.7GHz
- Graphics: Intel UDH Graphics 605
- Storage: 64GB eMMC
- Display: 14″ (1366×768)
- Battery Life: 12hrs
This is an inexpensive laptop that packs the portability and ease of use of a tablet, while also having PC level specs inside. It runs Chrome OS, so you will need to run the QuickBooks web version to get your bookkeeping jobs done. However, the HP Chromebook can get your work done, and help you do it on the go.
This is a machine that will easily fit into your budget and will provide great value for money. The Intel Pentium chip along with 4 GB of RAM although a little underpowered, will do fine for Microsoft Office and web surfing. The availability of QuickBooks as web software makes it possible for you to run your Bookkeeping tasks without taking a toll on your CPU.
Hence you can have a smooth and hassle-free experience with the HP Chromebook x360 using QuickBooks, given that you have a stable internet connection throughout.
The laptop comes with a 14” HD display with a resolution of 1024 x 768, which although is a little low will make do. It is made up of a touch screen and a tablet mode which makes it a seamless experience to hold the laptop in your hands and use it.
The battery lasts for 12 hours and then some, and will easily last you an entire day’s heavy usage. Having such a big battery in this price segment along with a 360-degree bending touch screen display makes it an amazing choice for a cheap price.
Pros
- Decent CPU
- Long-lasting Battery
- Tablet mode
- Very portable
- Backlit keyboard
Cons
- Low-resolution screen
- Chrome OS has limited software support
6: New Apple MacBook Pro
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 4lbs
- Processor: 9th Gen, 6-core, i7
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.5GHz
- Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M (4GB)
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 16″ (3072×1920)
- Battery Life: 7-8hrs
The MacBook Air is everything you’d want in a laptop for QuickBooks. It is powerful so both professional accountants and small businesses can use it. It is also portable and elegantly designed giving you the best of all worlds. Here’s more about it.
Processing Power
If you are a professional and plan to run QuickBooks on a Mac system with multi-user access then you’ll need a powerful processor and RAM to ensure QuickBooks runs without any lags. Thankfully, the Pro is every bit that.
For starters, it comes with the newer 9th Gen, 6-core, i7 processor that clocks at 2.6GHz. While that only meets minimum clocking requirements, the processor can turbo boost to a whopping 4.5GHz when needed.
This, in tandem with 16GB RAM that allows for multi-user configuration over the Point of Sale server workstation. Yes, you can share QuickBooks with up to 15 users without seeing even an ounce of reduction in performance.
The MacBook Pro also comes with a large 512GB SSD. There’s ample room not just for your OS but also for QuickBooks and other important programs thus ensuring they run smoother, load quicker. Plus, with an SSD, you also get more durability as it uses minimal parts.
Furthermore, it also sports a 4GB dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 5300M graphics card. While QuickBooks doesn’t require a high-end GPU, it gives you the freedom to use the laptop for more than just QuickBooks.
For example, if you are into gaming, after a long day of calculations and numbers, who wouldn’t enjoy some chicken for dinner, right? But the one thing QuickBooks and pretty much every other activity on a laptop does require is an excellent display. So let’s dig into that.
Display
One thing we know is that Retina Display with True tone technology never fails to dazzle when it comes to picture quality and this year, it just gets bigger and better.
That is because the Pro has a larger 16-inch display with an even better resolution of 3072×1920. You’d be staring at figures all day long and now you can do it without having to pinch and zoom all the time. This is also great news for gaming, watching movies, etc.
Plus, the retina display is easy on the eyes as well so you won’t end up with red and tired eyes (just the kind of display you need when pulling all-nighters).
Keyboard and Touchpad
Just like the screen has gotten better, Apple has even made typing on the laptop a whole lot easier by ditching the problem-prone butterfly keyboard for the old, tried and tested, and much-loved Magic Keyboard design.
Not only does this design have a 1.4mm travel time between keys but the internal design is such that even with dust and dirt the keys do not get stuck, in turn, making it easy to type and enter figures all day long.
The touchpad is smooth as ever and comes with all those gestures that make MacBook a fan-favorite (navigating through multiple windows and programs is going to be a breeze).
But the biggest advantage that Apple provides on this front is the TouchBar which further increases productivity by providing software-based settings and features right at your fingertips.
Portability
What I like most about MacBooks is that they are powerful yet portable. A similar Windows laptop would weigh around 5-6lbs but not the MacBook Pro which weighs a mere 4lbs.
Plus, its dimensions are compact enough for the laptop to easily fit into a handbag or a backpack giving you the power to keep in touch all the accounting work whether you are holidaying at the beach, trekking, or at a coffee shop (because for some of us, the work never ends).
Further supporting this is the 7-8 hour battery life. And when the laptop finally discharges after a day of hard work, recharging it takes a mere 2hrs (so you do not have to stay hooked to your desk too long).
Other Features
With a Touch ID, you can unlock the laptop within seconds. This does not just add to the privacy (since the chances of you getting hacked just reduced) but also means you no longer need to remember passwords all the time (touch and voila, you are in).
And when you need to transfer files in and out of your laptop, you can do it at a lightning-fast speed of up to 40GBPS thanks to the multiple thunderbolt ports on the laptop.
Drawbacks
From a QuickBook user’s perspective, there is little to no fault about the laptop except for its webcam and cost. Personally, considering I am paying $2000 above, I would have preferred a 1080p webcam. But if you do not have a lot of Zoom conferences or Skype calls to attend then the 720p should be ideal.
Also, considering the features and cost of the MacBook Pro, it is a bit of an overkill for individual users. In that case, I’d recommend the Apple MacBook Air that costs $1000 lesser than the Pro.
Pros
- Ideal iOS laptop for professional accountants
- Specs support up to 15 QuickBooks users
- Dedicated GPU supports gaming as well
- Magic Keyboard with backlight makes typing easy peasy
- 7-8hrs of battery life
- Comes with a large, crystal clear 16-inch Retina display
- True Tone Technology generates life-like colors
- Light and compact
Cons
- Average 720p webcam
- Costs above $2000
7: Acer Swift 3
- RAM: 8GB
- Weight: 2.65lbs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U
- CPU Speed: Up to 4.1GHz
- Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 14″ (1920×1080)
- Battery Life: 8-10hrs
If you are an individual professional and do not want to spend $1000 or more on a laptop, we got you covered. The Acer Swift 3 is one of the newest laptops on the block and has quickly become a favorite amongst tech geeks and professionals and here’s why it is ‘The One’ for you.
Processing Power and Speed
The most important feature for QuickBooks is speedy RAM and a powerful processor and Swift checks both boxes. With an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U Octa-Core processor that clocks at 4.1GHz, all your QuickBooks data will be processed within seconds.
The 8GB RAM also supports multi-user configurations with 4-5 users. Plus, you can browse around, check out video tutorials, update social media, etc. without the laptop crashing.
This laptop too comes with a 512GB SSD, so not just QuickBooks but even your laptop boots in mere seconds (takes less than 25-seconds to boot). Plus, the large storage means you do not have to worry about constant backups or upgrades.
Display
With 0.21″ bezels, the laptop boasts an impressive 83% screen to body ratio thus giving you a better viewing area and angles not just for the QuickBooks interface but also when streaming movies or games.
Being a Full-HD. IPS display delivers immersive colors and contrast. Plus, it is a large 14-inch screen as well so you do not have to be squinting all the time when staring at the figures.
Though it doesn’t work as well outdoors due to the low brightness levels, indoors, it leaves little room to complain.
Portability
Portability is one of Swift’s stand-out features. This baby weighs a mere 2.65lbs and just as the MacBook fits in anywhere. Thus making it easy to carry and work with on flights, at airports, hotel rooms, or anywhere work and play take you.
But don’t be fooled by the portable build, the laptop packs a punch in the durability department with a magnesium-aluminum chassis that can easily handle a few bumps.
Just like the MacBook, Swift also gives you a long-lasting battery life of 8-10hrs even if you were to use QuickBooks for the entire day (charge the laptop at night and use it cord-free all day long).
Keyboard and Trackpad
For all the hours you will spend typing, you will be glad to know that the Swift features a comfortable, not so stiff keyboard. Yes, with wear and tear the keys can get loose but regular cleaning and maintenance are all that is needed to ensure better durability.
Also, the adjustable backlight makes it hassle-free to work at night. Similarly, the trackpad was also comfortable to use with no major issues to report (it is pretty much everything you’d expect from a good mid-range laptop).
Other Features
From Type-C port, USB 3. 2 Gen 2, USB 3. 2 Gen 1 port, USB 2. 0 port to an HDMI port, the Acer Swift has ports galore. So whether you want to charge your mobile, earphones, or want a quick transfer of your files, there’s a port for it all.
Furthermore, the laptop is equipped with Cortana. From making appointments to doing a web search for you, Cortana is the personal assistant you didn’t think you needed.
Get instant access to your PC without compromising on privacy with the embedded fingerprint scanner. And lastly, the 720p webcam along with the clear microphone makes video conferences and calls hassle-free.
Drawbacks
One of the biggest drawbacks of this laptop is that the display isn’t bright enough to be used outdoor for a long time. You will constantly need to adjust the screen angle to get a clear view.
Also, I feel the delete key is uncomfortably close to the power button but nothing you won’t get used to in a day or two. Another thing that takes getting used to is the weirdly placed
Pros
- The ideal laptop for individual QuickBooks users
- Supports light gaming like Fortnite, PUBG, Overwatch
- Comes with a large, fast 512GB SSD
- Highly portable and compact
- Excellent 8-10hrs of battery life
- Decent webcam and crystal clear mic
- 83% screen to body ratio
- Backlit keyboard
- Comes with all kinds of ports
- Fingerprint scanner for quick access
- Costs less than $1000
Cons
- Delete key is too close to the power key
- The display is dim for use in bright sunlight
8: ASUS VivoBook 15
- RAM: 8GB
- Weight: 3.75lbs
- Processor: 10th Gen, i3-1005G1
- CPU Speed: Up to 3.4GHz
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Storage: 128GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920×1080)
- Battery Life: 3-4hrs
Have you just started with accounting? Or do you want a laptop to maintain home finances on the cheap? Either way, the ASUS VivoBook 15 is just the laptop you are looking for, and here’s why.
Best Features
Truthfully, the VivoBook 15 is no powerhouse but comes with the bare essentials needed in a laptop to run QuickBooks and that is a bargain considering it costs less than $500.
As long as you are not multi-tasking with ten browser windows, QuickBooks, etc. the 10th Gen i3-1005G1 processor that clocks at 3.4GHz in tandem with the 8GB RAM should run QuickBooks as smooth as butter. In fact, you can even set up multi-user configurations with 2-3 other members of your team.
Further giving the laptop a speed boost and ensuring it boots in seconds is the SSD which is a rarity in a laptop so cheap. You’ll also have to worry less about repairs as SSDs are way more durable than HDDs.
In case you want to further save some processing power, the S Mode comes in handy. This mode offers light versions of commonly used apps like QuickBooks. Here’s how you can install QuickBooks in S Mode within seconds.
The Keypad comes with a good 1.4mm travel time. But that’s not it. ASUS further added to the comfort with the special ErgoLift hinge which gives the keyboard a 2° tilt (typing for long hours hardly gets any more comfortable).
While the screen won’t win a beauty pageant, for the cost, it is surprisingly good. The standout point is the extremely small bezels on the 15.6″ Full-HD display.
Yup, the laptop sports an 88% screen-to-body ratio which is even better than the MacBooks, in turn, not just giving you a larger viewing area but decent angles as well.
Another feature rarely seen in budget laptops is a fingerprint scanner. Get up and running with work in mere seconds thanks to the accurate and secure fingerprint scanner.
In case you want to backup your work on QuickBooks, the laptop comes with Type-C ports for quick data transfer (speeds of up to 10GBPS) and easy charging of devices like mobile, earphones.
There are also USB 3.1 ports, 2.0 ports, and an HDMI output so you can get a bigger, better view by connecting the display to a TV or monitor.
Lastly, with the laptop, you get a free (yes, I said free) One-Year Accidental Damage Protection. That means in case you were to spill coffee on the laptop or drop it, the laptop would be repaired for zero cost.
Drawbacks
On the downside, battery life is poor. Most low-config laptops give about 6-7 hours but the ASUS VivoBook delivers only 3-4 hours on a single charge. Thankfully, with the USB-C charger, charging is pretty quick.
Also, as I mentioned above, the display isn’t the most captivating though but if you use the laptop solely for QuickBooks, it should work just fine.
Lastly, the storage space is low at 128GB. If you are going to install multiple programs on the laptop then you’ll need around 512GB and upgrading the storage will cost you extra.
Pros
- Costs less than $500
- 88% screen to body ratio
- Full-HD display
- Backlit keyboard
- Share QuickBooks with 4-5 users
- Fingerprint scanner for quick unlocking
- Comes with SSD storage and USB-C ports
- Free 1-year Accidental Damage Protection
- Running QuickBooks in S Mode savs processing power
Cons
- The battery lasts just 3-4hrs
- Low storage
- Average display quality
9: Lenovo Flex 5
- RAM: 16GB
- Weight: 3.64lbs
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
- CPU Speed: Up to 3.4GHz
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 14″ (1920 x 1080)
- Battery Life: 7-8hrs
Best Features
Being a convertible laptop, the Lenovo Flex 5 lives up to its name. Yup, this one is flexible AF when compared to other laptops on the list. The reason is, it converts into a tablet or can be used in tent mode apart from a traditional laptop.
With the portable design and intuitive touchscreen, it is almost like using QuickBooks on your mobile (laying on the couch/bed or out at a cafe, now keep track of your account anytime, anywhere).
Also thanks to the free Stylus, (yes, you heard that right, it is free) navigating around, selecting figures, options on QuickBooks is a breeze.
Furthermore, the laptop is also easy peasy to carry around due to its ultralight build. This baby weighs a mere 3.5lbs ensuring whether you are carrying it up a hill or to your workplace daily, you barely feel the weight of it.
To top it all, it gives a battery life of 7-8hrs on a single charge. But that’s not all, When you do run out of the battery, it takes a mere 1-hour to charge up to 80% (say goodbye to long charging hours).
Display
The best part about a display is the narrow bezels on all 4 sides that keep the display cluster-free and give you a larger viewing area along with better angles.
With a 66% sRGB color gamut, on the colorimeter, the 14″, Full-HD, IPS display lacks vibrancy but is not subpar either. Truthfully, it is good enough for QuickBooks and the occasional movie (just has the right amount of crispness and details).
Other Features
With the 1 USB-C port, you can easily charge your mobile, earphones, smartwatches, etc. using your laptop while the HDMI port allows you to connect the laptop to a large display for an even better, clearer view.
With clicky, bouncy keys, the backlit keyboard is one of the most comfortable to use. I scored an excellent 85 words-per-minute average on 10FastFingers.com. Similarly, the 4 x 2.6-inch touchpad is highly responsive and makes it easy to use gesture controls such as pinch-zoom, swipe between windows, etc.
Drawbacks
While the shutter on the 720p webcam helps protect user privacy, the quality of the camera is pretty average as the colors look faded. So if you have a lot of Zoom conferences to attend, I’d recommend using an external webcam or your smartphone.
While the display is decent indoors, viewing the screen outdoors on a bright sunny day will be tough as it has a brightness of just 226nits.
256GB storage is pretty low in Windows laptops especially if you plan on installing a few games, other apps or store large files on it apart from QuickBooks.
Pros
- Converts into a tablet or tent-mode
- Highly portable and lightweight
- 10 point responsive touchscreen for easy navigation
- Narrow bezels for a larger viewing area
- Comfortable backlit keyboard
- The touchpad supports multiple gestures like the pinch-zoom
- Excellent 7-8hrs battery life
- Charges to 80% in just 1-hour
- Stylus included with purchase
Cons
- Average webcam
- Display too dull for outdoor usage
- Low storage
10: HP 15
- RAM: 8GB
- Weight: 3.64lbs
- Processor: i5-1035G1
- CPU Speed: Up to 3.75GHz
- Graphics: Integrated Intel UHD Graphics
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15.6″ (1920 x 1080)
- Battery Life: 6-7hrs
Last on our list is another fast, reliable, and cost-effective laptop from one of the most trustworthy brands in the market, HP, making this one, a laptop worth consideration.
Best Features
The HP 15 is an elegant-looking, mid-range laptop that comes with all the power needed to run QuickBooks with multi-user access.
An 8GB RAM in combination with the i5-1035G1 process that has a max boost of 3.6GHz means you can easily share your QuickBooks with 4-5 other users or run multiple programs along with QuickBooks.
The 256GB SSD may not be a lot of storage space but boosts speed ensuring it takes mere seconds to start QuickBooks and other programs.
But what stands out about the laptop is its charging speed. While the battery lasts only 6-7 hours on average, the battery goes from 0 to 50% charge in a mere 45 minutes thanks to HP Fast Charge.
Furthermore, the chicklet-style keyboard has the perfect amount of travel between keys and provides excellent tactile feedback so entering all those numbers, making notes, writing emails, etc. should be satisfying.
As for the display, the best part about it is the narrow bezels that give the laptop an 82% body-to-screen ratio. This ensures a bigger and wider viewing area so you do not have to worry about adjusting the screen even if 2-3 people are looking at it at the same time.
And since your work requires you to be at your laptop most of the time you will be happy to know that there is an anti-glare coating on the screen ensuring your eyes don’t lose power or end up red after a tiring day.
Drawbacks
No backlit keyboard means working in the dark is nearly impossible with the laptop. That’s a shame in an otherwise very good mid-range laptop.
Since you’ll be working on numbers all day and cannot afford mistakes, I’d recommend not using the laptop outdoors in bright sunlight due to the dim display.
Pros
- Charges from 0-50% in just 45 minutes
- Supports sharing QuickBooks with 4-5 users
- SSD boosts app loading and system boot times
- Trackpad and Keyboard are comfortable to use
- Anti-glare coating on display protects eyes
- 82% body to screen ratio
Cons
- No backlit keyboard
- Dim display
- Low storage
- No HDMI port
Buying Guide
Let’s say you plan to open some small business or you are already running one, and you want to use QuickBooks as your accounting software. You need the best possible equipment that can help you do that, and the main part is your laptop.
Whether it’s invoicing customers, paying bills, generating reports, or preparing taxes, you need a reliable laptop that can provide your QuickBooks software to run smoothly and to fulfill every mentioned task. The components you should focus on the most are the CPU, the RAM, the storage, the display resolution, the GPU, as well as others.
CPU
As always, the CPU will be the first and the most important part that we should talk about. If you use QuickBooks Desktop software and you want smooth performance, you will need some of the newest processors. CPU and the RAM have the biggest role in this software. You will have to decide between Intel and AMD but you won’t make a mistake with either. QuickBooks is a more advanced software so you can’t go with Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3, like with some other software. This will result in slow operations and overall your laptop won’t be able to provide you with the successful running of the program. That’s why the minimum CPU requirements are Intel Core i5 and Ryzen 5 (if you choose AMD).
We recommend this two only if you have a limited budget and you can’t afford better, because QuickBooks will run slower than you expect. If you have a bigger budget, then you should choose between Intel Core i7 and Ryzen 7. They are both excellent choices, as you won’t feel any trouble or lags using them and your software will run smoothly. You can go with some higher generations of processors, like Intel Core i9, but it won’t make that much of a difference and we recommend the 7th gen.
RAM
Right after the CPU, there is RAM as the second most important component. When deciding which type of RAM and what size you should buy, there are the two most common choices. It’s either 8GB or 16GB of RAM. You can see, in the table, that the minimum system requirement for RAM is 4GB. This is only if you are using the web version of QuickBooks which is not so demanding.
On the other hand, if you use a Desktop version, 4GB of RAM would be a disaster and your software will probably not even run. That’s why you have to choose between 8GB and 16GB, which will depend on your budget. With 8GB you may experience some lags but overall this should be enough. If you have a higher budget, then we recommend going with a 16GB option, as it will provide you with the best possible experience. When talking about the memory speed, then you shouldn’t be worried about it, you can choose everywhere between 1600MHz and 3200MHz, just make sure it’s DDR4. This is a component that you should not save money on, and try going with 16GB.
Storage
When we talk about storage you usually have to choose between HDD and an SSD. With the HDD you get more space and with the SSD you get more speed, as it’s 5-20 times faster than the HDD. This time you won’t have that choice, because speed is your priority, so SSD is a must. The minimum requirement is 256GB SSD, while the recommended amount is 512GB SSD.
It is best to have 1TB SSD, but currently, SSD’s are very expensive and most people don’t have a budget for that. In that case, there is one solution. If 256GB or 512GB are not providing you the space you need, you can buy both 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD. SSD can hold your OS as well as the QuickBooks and you can put your other documents and programs on the HDD.
Display
The display is also very important as you will spend most of your time in front of your screen. The main thing you should focus on Is that your laptop has a full-HD display with IPS. That will allow you to see images and documents clearly and in their full size. Refresh rate is not that important because you are not working with some serious graphics and videos, and picture quality is not a priority. We suggest choosing 60Hz. If we talk about size, 15.6 inches is the most common. The minimum bar, that you should not go under, is 12.3 inches and the highest bar is around 17 inches, but you probably don’t need it.
GPU
Like you should not worry about the refresh rate, you shouldn’t worry about your GPU too, because, as we mentioned, QuickBooks doesn’t need some serious graphics or animations. The main thing you should focus on is speed, which will provide CPU, RAM, and SSD so you can go with some less expensive GPU which is an integrated graphics processor (IGP). The most common IGP’s, which you will come across, are Integrated Intel UHD and Integrated AMD Radeon. Both of them should make the job done and we recommend one of them.
Other
There are more things to consider besides mentioned, and they are battery life and operating system. If we talk about the battery life you can choose everywhere between 6 and 17 hours. It’s up to you to decide whether you need to use your laptop in some public places, where you can’t charge it, or it will be on your desk with the charger plugged in. We recommend laptops with a battery life of up to 10 hours.
You can use QuickBooks on 2 different operating systems which are Windows and Linux. We recommend Windows as it’s currently the best OS that you can get. It can support Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. The best choice is to use Windows 10, as it can provide you with the best possible experience and it’s their newest version.
FAQ
Q1: What kind of Laptop do I need for QuickBooks?
Below are the minimum requirements for QuickBooks.
- A minimum of4GB of RAM(8 GB recommended) for one workstation
- 1 GB of disk space (additional space required for data files).
- Single user: 2.0 GHz processor (2.8 GHz recommended).
- Multiple users: 2.8 GHz processor (3.5 GHz recommended).
- Display Resolution: 1280×768 screen.
- 4X DVD ROM drive, if you plan to install via DVD.
Q2: Can QuickBooks Desktop be used on a Laptop
Yes, you can run QuickBooks Desktop on your laptop. Just ensure your laptop meets all the minimum system requirements. Also, don’t forget to backup your data. In case you do not know how to create a backup, users with Intuit Data Protect (IDP) subscription can get help from the service team for a full restoration.
Q3: Can QuickBooks be used on Chromebooks?
Not just Chromebooks but even tablets, iPads cannot run QuickBooks. For starts, most of these devices do not meet the system requirements, Secondly, there is no version of QuickBooks for those devices. Even MacBooks do not have a compatible QuickBooks version. To run QuickBooks on these devices you will have to turn to QuickBooks cloud which can be operated using a browser and fast internet connection.
Q4: How much RAM do I need for QuickBooks?
The amount of RAM you need for QuickBooks varies on the number of users. Here’s a brief.
- 1-5 Users: 8GB RAM
- 10 Users: 12GB RAM
- 15 Users: 16GB RAM
- 20 Users: 20+GB RAM
Conclusion
In case you have any more questions regarding the best laptop for QuickBooks or want to share your experience of using QuickBooks with another laptop, you can drop a comment below or get in touch with our experts using the contact form on the contact page.
