Virtualization is a resource-intensive task because you will have to use multiple operating systems on a single piece of hardware.
However, does your laptop have limited capacity and can’t meet the above requirements? It’s time to consider the best laptop for virtual machines.
The laptop models on this list can well support running multiple operating systems, serving your virtualization needs.
In this article, I also cover information about RAM, CPU, capacity, and more. Now, find out the article!
Our Top Picks
- Apple MacBook Air – Best for Overall
- Alienware M15 R6 – Best for Screen
- MSI Stealth 15M – Best for Performance
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – Best for Adjustability
- HP 15.6″ FHD Micro-edge – Best for Storage
- Panasonic Toughbook CF-20 – Best for Portability
- CHUWI HeroBook Pro – Best for Connectivity
- Google Pixelbook Go – Best for Adjustability
- ASUS L210 – Best for Budget
- HP Light-Weight – Best for Versatility
1. Apple MacBook Air – Best for Overall
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 13 Inches.
- CPU: Apple M1 Chip.
- Ram Memory: 8GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 256 GB.
Product’s highlights
Apple MacBook Air has all the advantages of a virtualized device: mighty processing power and impressive storage memory.
In terms of performance, the Apple M1 chip with 8 cores has brought a real revolution. The MacBook Air M1’s processing speed is 3.5 times higher while still being more energy-efficient.
In terms of storage memory, the product owns 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of hard drive, ensuring to meet the storage needs of even large graphics files. Good storage capacity also helps you to multitask smoothly.
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What We Like
- Powerful integrated M1 chip.
- Impressive battery life.
- Vibrant color retina display.
- Social operating system.
- Super fast memory.
Things To Consider
- No cooling fan.
2. Alienware M15 R6 – Best for Screen
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches.
- CPU: Core i7 11800H.
- Ram Memory: 16GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 512 GB.
Product’s highlights
Virtualization tasks like testing, debugging, and development require your laptop to have a sufficiently large, high-quality display. And Alienware M15 R6 is the product that can meet these needs well.
This laptop model has a screen size of 15”, which is ideal for virtualization work. The manufacturer also equips the screen with advanced Optimus technology, a refresh rate of up to 240 Hz.
Not only impressed with the display, but this laptop model is also a worthy choice for virtualization because of its impressive memory, powerful graphics card, and cooling ability with Alienware Cryo-Tech.
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What We Like
- Memory 3200Mhz.
- High refresh rate.
- High-quality mechanical keyboard.
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card.
- Cool with Alienware Cryo-Tech technology.
Things To Consider
- Cannot upgrade RAM.
3. MSI Stealth 15M – Best for Performance
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches.
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11375H.
- Ram Memory: 16GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 512 GB.
Product’s highlights
The MSI Stealth 15M is one of the best-performing virtualization laptops available today.
Making the product’s power is the 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor. Combined with that is the exclusive Cooler Boost cooling technology to optimize the device’s performance.
As a result, you have a powerful laptop that easily handles all virtualization tasks.
Powerful laptop models, especially gaming laptops, will have a rather bulky design. However, the MSI Stealth 15M proved otherwise.
This gaming laptop is thin and light enough for you to carry and work anywhere.
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What We Like
- Compact design.
- Versatile connection.
- High image performance.
- Exclusive cooling technology Cooler Boost.
- High-performance 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor.
Things To Consider
- The speaker volume is not significant.
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 – Best for Performance
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 14 Inches.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U.
- Ram Memory: 8 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 256 GB.
Product’s highlights
The best laptops for virtual machines are always high-performance. And the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is no exception.
Lenovo equips this laptop with a responsive AMD 5000 series processor. But high performance is not enough, and this laptop model also has Q-Control, a smart feature that allows users to adjust performance.
In addition, the manufacturer also does not forget to equip an advanced heat dissipation system to ensure that the device always operates at total capacity but is always excellent and quiet.
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What We Like
- Slim and lightweight design.
- Thin screen border, wide viewing angle.
- AMD 5000 series CPU, AMD Radeon 7 GPU.
- Offer 3 performance tuning options.
- Improved mechanical airflow for good heat dissipation.
Things To Consider
- The camera quality is not so good.
5. HP 15.6″ FHD Micro-Edge – Best for Storage
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U.
- Ram Memory: 16 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 512 GB.
Product’s highlights
RAM and memory are the most commendable advantages of the HP 15.6″ FHD Micro-Edge. This device owns up to 16GB of RAM with high bandwidth. As a result, you can run multiple programs or even multiple operating systems simultaneously.
Meanwhile, this laptop’s 512GB SSD will give you more storage space and faster file access. You’ll also benefit from this device’s seconds-booting advantage as a virtualization worker.
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What We Like
- Amazing battery life.
- 16 GB of high-bandwidth RAM.
- Powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor.
- AMD Radeon graphics deliver lifelike visuals.
- Impressive memory capacity for quick file opening.
Things To Consider
- The USB-C port does not support video.
6. Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 – Best for Portability
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 10.1 Inches.
- CPU: Intel Core m5-6Y57 vPro.
- Ram Memory: 8 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 128 GB.
Product’s highlights
The Panasonic Toughbook CF-53 is the go-to device and helps you get work done wherever you go. Unlike the previous names, this representative from Panasonic does not have a potent processor.
Yet, the product is highly portable. With a screen size of just over 10”, good battery life, and lightweight, you can take this laptop with you on your journey.
In addition to impressing with its practical design, this laptop model also possesses a series of commendable features such as a multi-touch screen, diverse connectivity ports, and a keyboard for good typing.
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What We Like
- Enduring.
- Good battery life.
- Various connection ports.
- Convenient multi-touch screen.
- Compact design, high portability.
Things To Consider
- Small size working screen.
7. CHUWI HeroBook Pro – Best for Portability
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 14.1 Inches.
- CPU: Intel Gemini-Lake N4020 Quad Core.
- Ram Memory: 8 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 256 GB.
Product’s highlights
In the process of working, you will need to connect to many peripheral devices. And to avoid being limited in the number of supported devices, you should look to laptop models like CHUWI HeroBook Pro.
CHUWI HeroBook Pro has a slim and light design, but not so that the manufacturer removes the number of ports on the product. This model owns up to 7 ports, including essential ports such as USB, HD Mini, and HDMI.
But the impressive advantage of this model does not stop at the number of ports.
The CHUWI HeroBook Pro is also the ideal choice for anyone with virtualization needs because of its powerful processor, impressive memory, and many helpful support features.
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What We Like
- Lightweight.
- 7 connection ports.
- Large size touchpad.
- 38Wh battery for up to 9 hours of use.
- The Intel Gmini Lake N4020 quad-core processor.
Things To Consider
- The build quality is not so good.
8. Google Pixelbook Go – Best for Battery Life
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 13.3 Inches.
- CPU: Core i5-8200Y.
- Ram Memory: 8 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 128 GB.
Product’s highlights
The names on the list of best laptops for virtual machines all have relatively stable battery life. However, the product with the most impressive usage time when not plugged in is the Google Pixelbook Go.
This laptop model owns a large capacity battery, making it capable of continuous operation for 12 hours.
Besides, the manufacturer is also equipped with fast charging technology, allowing you to use the laptop for 2 hours with only 20 minutes of charging.
The above equipment has made a laptop model that can accompany you throughout the long working day, even with energy-intensive tasks.
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What We Like
- Lightweight.
- Powerful processor.
- Fast charging technology.
- Battery life can be up to 12 hours.
- Built-in with Titan C security and anti-virus software.
Things To Consider
- It may not be compatible with some programs.
9. ASUS L210 – Best for Budget
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 11.6 Inches.
- CPU: Intel Celeron N4020.
- Ram Memory: 4 GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 64 GB.
Product’s highlights
A laptop model that meets virtualization needs well often has a relatively high price. However, ASUS L210 proved otherwise because only at a reasonably affordable price, this laptop model still meets virtualization tasks.
In terms of processing capabilities, the product owns an Intel Celeron N4020 processor that works quite effectively. In terms of storage capacity, the Asus L210 uses 64GB eMMC flash memory and 4GB DDR4 RAM.
The above equipment is not the best, but it is enough to make a laptop model that can meet your work.
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What We Like
- Enduring.
- Affordable price.
- Windows 10 in S Mode.
- Slim and portable design.
- Efficient processor for the price.
Things To Consider
- Limited memory.
10. HP Light-Weight – Best for Versatility
Important Specification
- Screen Size: 14 Inches.
- CPU: A4 3020E.
- Ram Memory: 8GB.
- Hard Disk Size: 128GB SSD + 64GB eMMC.
Product’s highlights
HP Light-Weight is one laptop model that supports running multiple operating systems to serve the best virtualization.
It can be confirmed above because the product owns 8 GB of high-bandwidth RAM and 64GB MMC + 128GB SSD solid-state drive.
In addition, this HP representative also owns an AMD 3020e mobile processor, 2 cores & 4 levels, which can meet all your needs from work to play.
The above combination has helped this laptop model have outstanding performance, multitasking ability, and reliable processing. In particular, you can use this laptop model to create many independent virtual machines.
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What We Like
- High bandwidth RAM.
- High definition screen.
- Radeon Graphics 3 cores.
- AMD 3000 Series mobile processors.
- Large capacity solid-state drive.
Things To Consider
- Poor speaker quality.
Buying Guide
CPU
The CPU is responsible for processing software operations directly affecting the computer’s working speed.
With resource-intensive work like virtualization, you must ensure your device’s CPU is powerful enough to handle it as quickly as possible.
Your best choice should be an Intel chip from i5 or higher. With processors from AMD, you should consider AMD Ryzen 5 or 7.
GPU
A virtual machine has to handle any graphics needs. To take this heavy work well, the laptop should have a discrete graphics card, such as an Nvidia GPU.
RAM
Whether you run many programs or many different machines at the same time, you need a laptop model with enough RAM.
The more RAM a laptop has, the more impressive the processing speed will be. Yet, considering the budget, you can start with models with at least 8GB of RAM.
FAQs
Can I run a virtual machine on a laptop?
You can virtualize your computer if it meets CPU, RAM, and storage specifications.
Do I need more RAM for virtual machines?
Upgrading RAM will bring a user experience. The more significant the amount of RAM, the smoother all operations with the virtualized workstation will be.
Does a virtual machine slow down your computer?
Virtual machines will consume storage space, which can affect the computer’s processing speed.
Is i3 suitable for a virtual machine?
Devices running i3 are only suitable for light hardware virtualization tools. If you want more complex work, look at laptop models with at least i5 processors.
How many VMs can run on a CPU?
Sixty-four virtual machines are the maximum if you want to take advantage of all the processors.
Conclusion
If I have to pick one product out of these 10 laptops, the Apple MacBook Air will be my perfect choice.
Yet, you also have many other options worth considering. The Alienware M15 R6 has an impressive display, while the MSI Stealth 15M has a strong performance.
What is your option? Hopefully, after reading the list above, you have your answer. Thank you for reading!