Note: None of the vendor links provided in this article are affiliated with BCT. Use at your own risk.
If you're in the market for a new trading computer*, it might be helpful to request the assistance of a knowledgeable friend or family member who you're confident that they're competent in buying a computer. There's a lot to consider and it helps to have someone who's keeping up to date in what's offered if you're not comfortable doing so yourself. In general, many find that using a "gaming computer" is the best approach, though there are still many variants of gaming computers or workstations. Certainly, you'll want to identify what you need, such as whether you want multiple monitors (and how many), whether you want a laptop or desktop, and how much you want to spend.
Which computer you buy is greatly dependent on your budget and how much support you need, as well as how many monitors and what resolution you want to be supported. With UHD (Ultra High Definition) monitors now available, you may be able to get by with a single 4K or higher resolution large-screen monitor that effectively gives you the same screen space as 4 HD monitors. So you might be able to find a gaming laptop that has UHD 4K or even 8K monitor capability connected to a 4K or 8K monitor. Remember that a laptop is usually more expensive, because it includes a few extra things like a monitor, keyboard, touchpad and a battery (and therefore a backup in case of power loss), though you also pay a premium for the miniaturization of everything. Weight is also a consideration for some laptop users if they travel frequently.
Another option for travelers and non-travelers alike is to use a VPS, or Virtual Private Server. With a VPS, you pay to use a higher-end computer that's accessible via the internet. (You usually share a powerful computer with several others, but it gives the impression that you have your own dedicated computer). You then get the image of the monitor(s) sent to you via the internet in real-time, and your keyboard and mouse commands get sent to the remote computer. This has some other advantages in that it can be up 24 hours a day, and accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. However, if you don't have a reliable internet connection, it might be problematic. It's something you can try to see if it works for you, but it does take away a lot of the frustrations of selecting and owning a computer. It seems that most traders opt for a computer they outright own.
Another question is whether to choose a Mac or PC. You'll find that most trading platforms are developed for PCs, which require that the Mac user run an emulator (which simulates running a PC) or dual-boot, which effectively boots your Mac as a PC. This can create an extra layer of complexity that many users don't want to deal with. Some trading platforms do offer "native" Mac support, like thinkorswim, so you may want to consider what's offered for your desired trading platform.
Some users want to use mobile devices such as tablets or phones to trade. This is possible as long as you are willing to be limited in what mobile platforms offer. You may find that the mobile functionality doesn't offer the same capabilities as desktop or laptop platforms, but that seems to be narrowing slightly as of late. One thing that might help mobile users is to use a platform that's designed for web-based use, such as TradingView.
Some traders, like gamers, prefer to buy all the best parts and put them together themselves. If you take this path, make sure you know what you're doing, because if something doesn't work, you may find that the individual part suppliers all point to each other as the cause. You also want to make sure everything is designed to play together well, otherwise, all these great parts may not be working at their peak. One of the most important parts of a good trading computer is getting maximum throughput, which means that the data is moving through your computer with as much speed as possible. If you use a vendor that puts all the parts together and makes sure it's working, they'll hopefully maximize the output of the individual parts by pairing them together correctly. Plus, you'll take advantage of their quantity discounts on both the hardware and the software (remember, you'll need to have an operating system) not to mention all the drivers - the small programs that allow the hardware to "talk" to the software, so it might be cheaper to buy a pre-configured system where you still get to decide what's in it, but someone else gets to put it all together with a large enough power supply and all the cables neatly tucked in where they should be.
If you agree that "a gaming computer" is a great way to go, remember that gaming computers are designed to play 3D games, which require a pricey graphics card. It's not unusual for a gaming rig to have the graphics card as the most expensive part. At $400 or much much higher, it can represent the majority of the price of some gaming computers. What you're looking for in a gaming computer is throughput more than 3D graphics, and perhaps the ability to drive multiple monitors. Last we checked, virtually no 3D graphics are needed for trading, and 2D "office" graphics are generally sufficient. There are some other benefits to having a 3D graphics card, which is basically a supercomputer inside your computer, such as rendering videos, but it's generally something that trading computers don't need or use.
If you find, like most traders, that you want to buy a PC, whether that's a laptop or desktop, you have lots of options, which depend on your budget and what you need. If you need great support from a company that understands what’s involved with trading and you don't mind paying a premium for it, then there are 2 companies that come to mind: falcon trading systems and easy trading computers. In addition to many trading-ready desktop configurations, both of them offer a highly capable laptop that’s got the most functionality for trading. It’s more like a full pc in a laptop case. It’s in the $3K+ range last I checked. Some of these companies offer multi-year warranties and lifetime support options.
https://falcontradingsystems.com/
https://eztradingcomputers.net/
If that’s too high or you don’t need support, then you can look for gaming laptops at PC configurator sites, where they build it out for you but you can select various upgrades that meet your needs. Here are two to consider, and you may find a solution that’s in the $800 to $1500 range or higher. Watch for their specials where they offer double memory or other worthwhile benefits. You may also find computers from both of these companies available at department stores (e.g. Walmart or BestBuy), though you won't be able to customize them there like you can from these websites, though it may be more convenient for some.
If that’s still more than you want to spend, then you can look for more of the budget to mid-range computers and try to catch them on sale or at a deep discount. You can monitor many of the sales that are available at any time using the following link. It may be helpful to watch what’s being offered to get a rough idea of what certain features cost. You may need to be informed about what’s being offered, such as processors, motherboards, memory, etc., so you can be knowledgeable about what’s being offered. For example, it helps to use benchmarking websites to compare CPUs.
https://www.dealnews.com/c39/Computers/
https://www.dealnews.com/c48/Computers/Desktops
https://www.dealnews.com/c49/Computers/Laptops/
Take your time in learning about which options would be best for you. And remember that anything you buy is going to be outdated in a few years' time, when you'll need to once again update to a newer version.
*If you're not sure if you need to upgrade your computer, you can review this knowledge base article:
Note: None of the vendor links provided in this article are affiliated with BCT. Use at your own risk.
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