Is your accounting software responding late? Perhaps, the issue is not with the software but with the laptop you are using. Being an accountant, you need a high-performing laptop to carry out a variety of accounting operations. However, before buying a laptop for accounting, there are certain things to keep in mind. In that case, the laptop for accountants buying guide should make your task easier.
Accountants are responsible for maintaining records, monitoring expenses, and helping organizations predict profits. They have to sit for long hours in front of the laptop while managing presentations, numerical indices, and complex tables. A portable, powerful laptop that can handle calculations and data is what they need.
So, how to choose the best laptop for accountants? Whether it is about bookkeeping or doing intense audit work, the best laptops for accountants will make it effortless. Besides, you do not even have to spend a lot of money buying one. A great laptop for accounting will be the perfect mix of productivity and efficiency.
Laptop for Accountants: Tips to Keep In Mind Before Buying
To make things easy for you when looking for a great laptop for accounting, check out the tips below. Rather, keep these things in your mind when buying a great laptop that can handle your accounting tasks with ease.
Because modern-day laptops are equipped with the latest technologies, you do not have to worry about speed. Below listed are some questions to keep in mind before buying the best laptop for accountants.
1. What Processor Is Best For Your Accounting Software?
Only a good processor can handle the complex tasks of accounting software. Hence, pay attention to the CPU you want on the laptop. Most CPUs can run accounting software without problems. The ones that may give you trouble are the CPUs that are old or the CPUs designed for tablets.
Both Intel and AMD create CPUs that deliver outstanding performance. But how to find the right CPU at a glance? Choose a CPU that has the number 6 or more while avoiding the other three digits. For example, consider a laptop that comes with an Intel Core i5 6100U CPU. When you omit the last three digits, you get 6. It means that the CPU refers to the 6th generation.
However, avoid Intel Atom, Celeron, or Pentium CPUs. In terms of AMD CPUs, avoid anything that does not have the word Ryzen. For example, AMD A8-5545M. Therefore, opt for a higher number above 6 for Intel CPUs and look for Ryzen on AMD CPUs.
Consider buying a laptop with Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5 CPUs. They will have the right balance of performance and battery life. In terms of pricing, laptops with Intel Core i7 and Ryzen 7 CPUs might not be necessary for accounting work.
2. How Much Memory Will Be Enough For My Laptop?
Memory capacity of RAM is another important aspect of a great laptop for accountants. When you need to process a lot of complex commands, having an adequate amount of RAM benefits you. Besides, if you want to run other applications at the same time, you need more RAM.
Considering modern-day accounting software, a laptop with 4GB RAM may not be enough to handle heavy tasks. So, you need more than that to get the best performance from the laptop. Luckily, you can find 8GB RAM on many laptops these days.
As a result, you can work with your accounting software and other applications effectively. But if you are dealing with a large database file and need to open other applications simultaneously, you may need 16GB RAM.
Still, keep in mind whether or not you need higher memory capacity for accounting tasks. Even if you are working on a large database, a laptop with 8GB RAM can handle it. Furthermore, if you work on those files occasionally, there is no need for 16GB RAM. The difference in speed between an 8GB and 16GB RAM is almost negligible.
3. What about the Display on a Laptop for Accountants?
Because you will be working on plenty of numbers and data, the laptop should have good screen resolution and size. That way, you will have a bigger workspace. The screen will cover rows, tables, and graphs with ease. Therefore, aim for a laptop that comes with a 13 or 15-inch screen.
Having a good screen resolution is necessary as well. For example, some laptops from Apple come with 1920X1080 resolution even on a 13-inch laptop. More resolution allows more pixels to display numbers, icons, interfaces, etc. without compromising the quality of the image.
In short, a higher resolution will fit more items by reducing their size. Moreover, higher resolution results in smaller icons. Your eyes can absorb them easily. There are different options for resolution you can have on laptops.
- Full High Definition – Also referred to as FHD, it has 1920x1080 resolution. It is the bare minimum screen resolution that your laptop should have.
- Quad High Definition – Also referred to as QHD or 2.5K, it has a 2560x1440 resolution. If you have the budget, QHD resolution can increase the screen space significantly.
- 4K – Also, called Ultra High Definition, it has 3840x2160 resolution. The laptops with a 4K screen resolution will cost more. Additionally, they weigh more, too.
4. What Should Be The Ideal Battery Life On A Laptop For Accounting?
Accounting is a time-consuming job because you have to perform a lot of activities. So, the best laptop for accountants should have a good battery life. Especially for people who have to work outdoors most of the time. Laptops from different brands come with different battery life.
MacBooks can have a battery life of 10 to 15 hours. Ultrabooks like the ASUS ZenBook will have 8 to 10 hours of battery life on average. Laptops equipped with Core i7 or Ryzen 7 CPUs may have 10 hours or even less battery life on average. Laptops with Core i3 or Core i5 processors may last for 5 to 7 hours. Laptops with dedicated graphics cards have a battery life of 2 to 4 hours on average.
While these are for your reference, the actual battery life will depend on how you use the laptop. But if you want to increase the battery life, follow the tips below.
- Reduce screen brightness
- Use speakers less
- Turn off Wi-Fi when you do not need
- Turn off Bluetooth as well
- Reduce resolution
5. How Much Weight Should An Accountancy Laptop Have?
If you do not like carrying a heavy laptop for your accounting work, choosing a lightweight model is wise. Many accounts use their laptops off-site. A lightweight laptop for accountants will make transportation easy. However, display size and weight are related to each other.
Laptops under 3 pounds should be the right choice for you if you need to carry them frequently. There are models available at this price range and you can get one easily. These laptops are referred to as Ultrabooks.
Laptops with 3.5 and 4 pounds or even more could make transportation hard. These laptops have bigger screens and dedicated graphics cards. Weight is not a big factor to consider when choosing a laptop for accounting. It depends on your personal preference whether or not you want a heavy laptop.
6. Is It Necessary To Have An Ergonomic Keyboard On The Laptop For Accountants?
If you want your workspace comfortable in every possible way, investing in ergonomics is worth it. A good keyboard is an important feature for an accountant. They have to type a lot of numbers that are required to prepare their financial reports.
Therefore, make sure that you choose a laptop that has a responsive keyboard. The keys should be well-spaced so that you do not make mistakes when entering data. The inclusion of a numerical keypad is equally important to accountants. Not all laptops come with this setting.
Still, if you find a laptop that meets your requirement except for the numerical keypad, use an external keyboard. Most laptops that you find around do not come with a full-sized keyboard along with a numerical keypad. Fortunately, all the laptops with 15 to 17-inch display screens have numeric keypads.
But 15 or 17-inch laptops are heavier, too. So, keep that in your mind when buying a laptop for bookkeeping or preparing financial reports. Alternatively, you can buy an external numeric keypad instead of an external keyboard.
Image courtesy - Lenovo
Buying the numerical keypad comes with an advantage. These devices are wireless and are available in small sizes. You do not have to carry a 17-inch laptop or an external keyboard to get the numerical keypad. An external numeric keypad is a lightweight device and a better choice.
7. Do You Need A Dedicated Graphics Card On An Accountancy Laptop?
Always remember that dedicated graphics cards on laptops are meant for hardcore users. For example, gamers, graphic designers, video editors, and streamers need graphics cards on their laptops. This is why you won’t find a dedicated graphics card on every laptop.
In accountancy, it does not matter if the laptop comes equipped with dedicated graphics cards or not. The Excel chart or other charts from different software will run without issues even if the laptop does not have a dedicated GPU.
Even if the report or chart consists of a few 3D designs, the integrated graphics will run without lag. The integrated GPU comes with every processor. It has enough power to handle minor graphic design work and low-profile video editing.
8. What is the Ideal Storage on the Best Laptop for Accounting Work?
These days, laptops come with a minimum of 256GB with 512GB being the standard and 1TB on expensive models. You do not need high storage on your laptop when it comes to accounting work. Gamers, graphic designers, etc. need sufficient storage.
But what if you have thousands of massive spreadsheets?
Let’s assume that the biggest file is about 100MB, which is 10% of 1GB. In reality, a spreadsheet of 100MB will take a lifetime. If the laptop has 256GB storage, it means you can use about 200GB (after deducting 20GB for disk partition and another 36GB for OS and software installation).
So, the number of spreadsheets you can store on the laptop is 200/.1=2000. Hopefully, the databases and spreadsheets related to your accounting work won’t be too big. A 256GB storage is enough to take care of your accounting software for many years to come.
Previously, desktops and laptops used to have HDDs or hard disk drives. With technological advancements, SSD or Solid State Drives were introduced. It is many times faster than the HDDs. On top of that, the NVMe is the latest addition to the SSDs.
These storage devices load up the OS and apps within a few seconds. Fetching information from huge databases is done almost instantly when you have an SSD or NVMe on your laptop. SSDs are common on laptops these days. So, choose between an SSD and NVMe. But remember that the latter one will cost you a bit more.
Laptop for Accountants: Conclusion
Before choosing the best laptop for accountants, keep in mind the above-mentioned questions. When you consider them, buying the laptop you need becomes easy. Look for the specs mentioned above and you will have the right laptop. We hope that this post will help you to get the right laptop for your accounting needs.
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