Best Computers for Trading: 6 Desktops and Laptops Their Makers Still Sell

For most traders, the best computer for trading is a desktop that drives the number of monitors you use: the Apple Mac mini (from $899, up to three external displays with the M6 chip) if your platforms run on macOS or in a browser, and the Dell Tower Plus ($1,199.99 in the configuration we read) if you need Windows. If you trade on the move, the MacBook Air 13-inch (from $1,299, up to two external displays) is the lighter pick, and the Dell 16 Laptop ($1,399.99) is the Windows laptop. We kept only models their makers sold when we read Apple's and Dell's US stores, on October 31 and again on November 2, 2026; we did not test any of them hands-on.

The six computers we list

Two of the six were still on pre-order on November 2, 2026: Apple's store said "Available starting 11.6" for the iMac and for the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M6 chip, so they ship from November 6. Apple's prices are starting prices; Dell's are the prices of the configuration on the product page we read, and Dell changes them often.

The number of screens each one drives differs more than the price does. Read on the makers' spec pages, it runs from one to three:

Desktops

Apple Mac mini (M6)

Apple sells the Mac mini from $899 with the M6 chip (12-core CPU, 12-core GPU), 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage. Its spec page says the M6 model supports up to three external displays, the most of any computer on this list, which matters more for a trading desk than raw speed. You add your own screens, keyboard and mouse. A Mac fits if your broker's platform has a macOS version or runs in a browser; check that first.

Apple iMac 24-inch (M6)

The iMac starts at $1,499 with a 10-core M6 chip, 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage, built into a 24-inch 4.5K display. The 10-core model supports one external display; the 12-core model, from $1,699, supports two. It was still on pre-order on November 2, 2026, with availability from November 6. Pick it if you want one tidy machine and no more than two extra screens.

Dell Tower Plus

Dell's US store listed the Dell Tower Plus at $1,199.99 with an Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (10 cores), 16GB of DDR5 memory, a 512GB SSD and Intel UHD Graphics, in stock. It is the Windows pick: a tower you can open and upgrade. Dell's product page says its Intel graphics support two 4K monitors, through the HDMI 2.0 and Thunderbolt 4 ports; for more screens, add a graphics card.

Laptops

Taking the screens with you costs more: the cheapest laptop here starts $400 above the Mac mini.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

The MacBook Air 13-inch starts at $1,299 with an M5 chip (10-core CPU, 8-core GPU), 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage; the 15-inch model starts at $1,499. Apple's spec page says it supports up to two external displays, so it can run a two-monitor desk when you are home.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M6)

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 starts at $1,999, with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage; it was still on pre-order on November 2, 2026. It also supports up to two external displays with the M6 chip. Over the MacBook Air, you pay for a brighter display (up to 1000 nits sustained against 500 nits, according to Apple's spec pages) and more storage, not for more screens.

Dell 16 Laptop

Dell's US store listed the Dell 16 Laptop at $1,399.99 with an Intel Core 7 150U (10 cores), 16GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB SSD and a 16-inch 1920 by 1200 touch display, in stock. It is the Windows laptop on this list for traders whose platform has no Mac version. Mind its ports: Dell says its HDMI 1.4 port goes no higher than 1920 by 1080 at 60 Hz, with no 4K output, so a sharper external screen needs its USB-C port with DisplayPort 1.4. Dell does not state how many external displays it drives.

On October 31, 2026, this slot held the Dell 16 Plus, with an Intel Core Ultra 7 256V and a 2560 by 1600 display, at the same price. On November 2, Dell's US store said "This product is currently unavailable, but Dell offers similar products", so we replaced it with the Dell 16 Laptop, one of those similar products.

Apple also sells the MacBook Neo from $699, but it drives only one external display and has 8GB of memory, so we left it out. Apple has also opened pre-orders for a new MacBook Pro with a PROLED XDR display and M5 Pro or M5 Max chips; we did not read its specs, and the 14-inch model with M6 above is the MacBook Pro we list.

How to choose a computer for trading

• Your platform's system. Check your broker's download page before buying a Mac: if its platform runs only on Windows, pick one of the Dells. We left out Microsoft's current Surface laptops, which use Arm processors, rather than guess which trading platforms run on them.
• The number of screens. Read the external display support on the maker's spec page, as we did above. A laptop that drives one external screen limits a multi-monitor desk.
• Your platform's requirements. Trading platforms publish their own minimum memory and processor. We do not give a general minimum, because we found no source for one.
• Desk or travel. On this list, the cheapest computer and the one that drives the most screens are both desktops (the Mac mini); a laptop lets you follow positions away from home.

A faster computer does not make a strategy profitable. Before you spend on hardware, make sure your method has an edge with our tested trading strategies, and track the results with a trading journal.

If you want a single wide screen instead of several, read our guide to a curved monitor for trading; the rest of our hardware and software selections are in our trading reviews.

Keyboard and mouse for trading

The computer runs the platform; the keyboard and mouse are what you touch on every order. Three features matter more than looks: a numeric keypad if you type prices and sizes, programmable keys for the hotkeys your platform supports, and a horizontal scroll wheel to move a chart back in time without dragging it. A keyboard and mouse that pair with several devices also let one set control the desktop and a laptop.

Hotkeys are the reason to care. thinkorswim sets them in the Hot keys tab of its User Setup window, where the Active Trader category is turned off by default. DAS Trader Pro, a platform many active stock traders use, builds them as scripts: its own example, ROUTE=LIMIT;Price=10;Share=100;TIF=DAY+;BUY, sends a limit order to buy 100 shares at $10 with one key. On TradingView charts, holding Alt and Ctrl (Option and Command on a Mac) shows a plus button under the cursor to place an order, an alert or a price line. A hotkey sends a real order with no confirmation window, so set it up in your platform's paper trading mode first.

Sixteen older models and their status

Three desktops, seven parts for a home-built computer and six laptops from older trading setups were recommended in earlier versions of this page. We checked each on its maker's US site on October 31 and again on November 2, 2026. Seven are no longer listed by their makers, four have no status confirmed by their maker, four parts are unnamed models we cannot check, and one, a CPU cooler, still has a maker page. Their Amazon links are below so you can compare.

Desktops

• Dell XPS Tower: Dell's US desktop listing no longer shows an XPS desktop; its closest current model is the Dell Tower Plus, listed above. Amazon link (Dell Tower Plus).
• Acer Aspire Z24-890-UA91 (all-in-one): status not confirmed by Acer. Amazon link.
• Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Intel): Apple no longer sells a 21.5-inch iMac; the current iMac is the 24-inch M6 above. Amazon link.

Parts for a home-built computer

• Processor (an Intel Core i7 or i9, model not named): we cannot check an unnamed model. Amazon link.
• MSI Z390-A Pro motherboard: status not confirmed by MSI. Amazon link.
• Corsair memory (model not named): we cannot check an unnamed model. Amazon link.
• Samsung SSD (model not named): we cannot check an unnamed model. Amazon link.
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition CPU cooler: Cooler Master still has a product page for it. Amazon link.
• EVGA SuperNOVA G3 650W power supply: EVGA's product page for it now redirects to its home page. Amazon link.
• Computer case (model not named): we cannot check an unnamed model. Amazon link.

Laptops

• Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1): Apple no longer sells a 13-inch MacBook Pro. Amazon link.
• Razer Blade Stealth 13: status not confirmed by Razer. Amazon link.
• Asus ZenBook 15: Asus's US Zenbook listing no longer shows a Zenbook 15; the closest current model is the Asus Zenbook S 16 (UM5606). Amazon link (Zenbook S 16).
• HP Pavilion 15 (Intel Core i7-1165G7): HP has replaced its Pavilion laptops with the OmniBook line; the closest current model is the HP OmniBook 5 16. Amazon link (OmniBook 5 16).
• Dell Inspiron 15 (Intel Core i5-1135G7): Dell's US laptop listing no longer shows this model, since Dell renamed its Inspiron laptops in 2025; the closest current model is the Dell 15 (DC15250). Amazon link (Dell 15).
• Microsoft Surface Pro 7: Microsoft's Surface Pro page now lists only the 12-inch and 13-inch Surface Pro. Amazon link.