Assuming I stick with a PC, what are the minimum hardware options you suggest?
For context: I'm not a day trader. My trades typically last days to weeks and I don't do deep analysis every day. It's more like a few days of heavy planning and then I just check in occasionally for the rest of the week.
Migrated to all laptops 4 years ago after getting tired of dealing with driver and hardware issue when building midtower PCs. Rather than going with a vendor completed PC rig, thought having laptops would be much more mobile ie if there is a fire, just grab the laptop and go. I have a "desktop" laptop and travel laptop. Desktop is connected to 34" UltraWide and 27" 3840x1600 monitor. I just upgraded both laptops due to Black Friday deals. Here are the main things I considered when I upgraded.
"Desktop" laptop
- strong CPU, not hindered by Intel EVO. EVO hobbles CPU to conserve energy for battery life so you get reduced performance. AMD's version is their U line.
- ports. Gaming laptops are a bit heavier but have enough ports to drive multiple monitors.
- weight is not an issue as the "desktop" laptop will be stationary most of the time.
- moderately quiet. Some gaming laptops can be quite loud due to full power requiring fans to cool them down.
Travel laptop
- moderately lightweight with full sized numpad/arrow keys. Since I won't lug my MS4000 keyboard when I traveled, I wanted a decent keyboard with numpad/arrow keys for spreadsheet work.
- 16" 2560x1600 screen. It's like having a desktop high rez monitor on the go.
- nice to have: decently strong CPU for longevity.
- quiet. being in different places, didn't want to pollute noise.
Existing setup
- desktop laptop: 2018 Dell XPS 15" 9570
- travel laptop: 2021 ThinkPad 14" X1 Carbon Gen 8. 2.4lb.
New setup
- desktop laptop: 2022 Dell Alienware X14. 12700H CPU.
- travel laptop: 2022 Lenovo IdeaPad 16" 5i Pro. 12500H CPU. 4.3lb. Great keyboard layout which I think is better than the ThinkPad.
I had considered the LG gram 17", 2.7lb Intel EVO CPU as a travel laptop but really wanted the Lenovo full sized numpad/arrow keys and 16" high rez screen, even at the expense of higher weight. The 12700H/12500H are a quantum leap better than my XPS/TP CPUs. You might notice that the X14 is lighter than the IdeaPad, mainly due to the BF deals that I was able to get. A gaming laptop is actually a great choice for a "desktop" laptop.
Also I should note I already have a SideTrak monitor (1920x1080) for more screen space on my travel laptop. I liked their swivel mechanism the best.
Hopefully this gives you some possible ideas about upgrading.