Best Workstation Laptop under 2000 Dollars: 2019 Buyer’s Guide

Workstation laptops are usually very expensive, but if you’re looking for the best workstation laptop under 2000 dollars? Then you’ve reached the right place! We have selected some of the best Workstation laptop at this price range; but before we jump to the list, let’s first find out more about workstation laptops and how they differ from consumer laptops.

What is a workstation laptop?

A mobile workstation, or a workstation laptop is a specific type of laptops designed for professional users, and intended to provide high end computing features, that are usually only performed on desktops. This means that a mobile workstation has more powerful components, in comparison to a regular laptop. High-end components include faster graphics cards, more powerful CPUs, lots of RAM memory, and faster storage. And because of the extra features, mobile workstations are often heavier and bigger than traditional laptops.

Is a Mobile Workstation the right choice for You?

Many of the tasks you can do on a workstation laptop can be performed on gaming laptop; which is considerably cheaper in comparison. A lot of people will argue that workstation laptops are not really worth the extra cost; but the truth is, they actually are for business users. If you’re on a budget, and if you’re going to use your laptop mainly at home, then you can consider getting a gaming laptop, especially if you’re going to work with Autodesk software. However, if you’re a professional user, and if need a laptop that you can bring to the office, then a mobile Workstation is the way to go. Not only are these machines more reliable, but they are usually officially supported and certified by software publishers, which can be very important for business users.

How to choose a workstation Laptop?

Choosing a new laptop is always a hard decision, and it’s even harder when choosing a workstation laptop. Even if the options on the market are not that many, you should still choose carefully, since this purchase would be an investment for your career.

Initially, you should assess your personal and professional requirements. Evaluate what you prioritize the most and how much power you need on this portable device. For instance: would you use only this laptop to work, or would this be your secondary device? Similarly, visualize how you’d transport it, and then decide accordingly regarding its size and weight.

With those assessments out of the way, let’s analyze what are the most common technical requirements and what you need to keep an eye out for.

• The Processor

The processor is one of the main components to consider when buying a mobile workstation. Most workstation laptops come with Intel i7 processors, or even Intel Xeon processors. And it all depends on your specific needs, and the software you’re intending to use. For example, some programs are only able to use a single core and thus will perform better if the processor has a higher clock speed. This is actually true for a lot of programs used by engineers, such as Autocad. But there are other programs that can benefit from multiple cores.

• RAM

For a Mobile Workstation, don’t go anywhere below 16GB of RAM. Some programs may also require even more RAM to run properly, especially if you’re working with complex 3D modelling projects. Most workstations processors are also able to support enterprise management and ECC RAM. Those are functions will prevent errors in data when this one is being read and written into memory.

• The Graphics Card

Both NVIDIA and AMD offer workstation versions of their consumer cards. The NVIDIA Quadro series was designed especially for professional workflows, as well as the AMD Radeon Pro. NVIDIA’s Quadro cards offer extra memory and processing capabilities; but one of its  main advantages for engineers, designers and architects is the level of compatibility it provides with professional applications. To read more about Quadro cards and how they differ from Geforce cards, you can check this good article.

• The Build quality
  

Considering the price tag of these machines, reliability and build quality should not be overlooked. Most mobile workstations are durable and sturdy, but it’s always a good thing to check for you self, and read the reviews online before making an investment. You can also check if you can benefit from good warranty and support services.

Best Workstation Laptops under 2000 Dollars:

So, now that you have an idea what to consider when buying a workstation laptop, let’s check some of the best mobile workstations under 2000 dollars we selected for you. If you have any suggestions, feel free to ask us in the comments.

Lenovo ThinkPad P72

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With an Intel Core i7 8850H  processor (2.60 GHz up to 4.30 GHz), 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD and a dedicated 6GB NVIDIA Quadro P3200, the Lenovo ThinkPad P72 workstation provides the perfect environment for handling powerful processes, such as video editing and 3D rendering. This Workstation is silent and has a nice keyboard and trackpad.

The screen is a 17.3-inch Full HD IPS display , meaning a huge benefit for tasks like video editing. Since the ThinkPad P72 is designed for professional use, you’ll have plenty of connectivity options, which includes 4x USB 3.1 ports, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C ports with thunderbolt 3 support, 1x Card Reader, 1x HDMI port and 1x Mini DisplayPort. The Thinkpad P72 can easily be used with a docking station.

Lenovo ThinkPad P52

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Lenovo makes some of the best workstation laptops out there, and we have another Thinkpad featured in our list, the P52. This one has an Intel Core i7 processor (2.20 GHz up to 4.10 GHz), 16 GB of RAM memory, an SSD with 512 GB of storage and a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (4 GB). This is a powerful machine, capable of some heavy CAD and numerical lifting, with no hassle at all. It’s the perfect choice for engineers and designers. You can also count with a full-sized backlit keyboard with a numeric keypad.

This laptop also comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display, providing a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It comes with the following connection ports: 2x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.1, 1x HDMI and 1x Mini DisplayPort. The battery life can reach up to 10 hours.

HP ZBook 15 G4

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From HP, we have the ZBook 15 G4 , a Workstation laptop with a good battery life and an amazing performance.  The version featured here comes with an  intel i7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a 4 GB NVIDIA Quadro P1000 GPU. This machine assures enough power for your heavy-processing work, and it’s a great workstation laptop for Architects, Products designers and engineers, as well as video editors. And despite being a little heavier than the Thinkpad P52, it has a better overall external design in my opinion.

The screen is a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and which produces vivid and color accurate images. The bulkiness of the device allows for more connectivity ports, and so this device has 1x VGA port, 3x USB 3.0 ports, 1x HDMI port, 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports, 1x SD Card Slot and 1x SC slot. The battery will last for 18 hours of usage.

MSI WE75 8TJ-010

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Most known for building powerful gaming laptops, this Workstation comes from MSI and doesn’t disappoint, and it’s probably the best workstation laptop under $2000 you can find, in terms of value for money. Powered by an Intel Core i7 8850H processor, some astonishing 32 GB of RAM and a 512 SSD, you are sure to have the best working experience, especially for high-processing tasks and software. This laptop also comes with a dedicated 4 GB NVIDIA Quadro T2000.

This workstation laptop is great for anyone looking for a desktop replacement, for doing video editing and graphic design. The display is an IPS 17,3 inch full HD screen, wich is capable of producing 100% of sRGB colors. But despite the huge display, this laptop is relatively smaller in comparison to other 17 inch workstations; and that’s achieved thanks to the minimal bezels around the screen.

Lenovo ThinkPad P50

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Another Thinkpad on our list is the P50. And the version featured here comes with an Intel Xeon E3-1505M (V5),  16 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD + a 1 TB HDD and a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro M2000 GPU. This laptop isn’t the most powerful on the list, but it comes with an intel Xeon Processor, which some people might find very useful. On top of that, it has the typical great build quality of the Thinkpads.

The screen is a 15.6-inch Full HD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. It has 4x USB 3.0 ports, 1x HDMI port, 1x Mini DisplayPort, 1x USB Type-C port, and 1x Card Reader. The battery runtime is of about 9 hours of normal usage.