This question pops up a lot in the backend development community on the type of laptops or hardware upgrades backend developers should consider, especially as a novice into the backend development career.
This article will discuss the different hardware upgrades or laptops for backend developers that are barely enough to get you started in the backend development career.
To succeed as a back-end developer is rooted in two things: the right skills and proper setup.
Although we can do coding on just about any device with a text editor, the many tools and technologies used in backend development can prove to be taxing on weaker machines.
As such, if you’re serious about pursuing a career as a backend developer, you’ll need to invest in the following hardware upgrades:
Hardware Upgrades Backend Developers
We will discuss some aspects of your machine that needs improvement and suggestions on the least type that can go.
Let’s dive right into it.
Before we dive in, if you’re a backend developer or looking at delving into this career path, join other developers to receive daily articles on backend development that will boost your productivity.
Storage
Most computers will be equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) by default, and many programmers will find that this setup is sufficient.
However, the upgraded design and data storage process used by SSDs allows for low-latency data reading and writing.
The moving parts of an HDD also make them more vulnerable to damage, whereas the way SSDs are built enables them to tolerate vibration of up to 2000Hz.
The most crucial benefit of an SSD to any programmer, however, is that it supports more input/output operations per second (IOPS), which makes booting up your computer, project files, and applications faster.
It would be best if you opted to upgrade your HDD to at least a 256GB SSD as soon as you can.
CPU
Most pre-built machines will come with an i5 CPU with 8GB of RAM. It should be enough to get started with small development projects.
However, if you do backend work and want to run virtual machines for testing, you’ll want to invest in something better. CPUs, after all, are essentially a type of Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and serve as the brain of our computer.
They undergo complex design processes that involve plenty of hours and expertise to create ever more efficient hardware that can support a wide array of computing needs.
An i7 processor with at least 16GB of RAM becomes essential for any heavy programming. Higher core counts will help ensure that you can run multiple programs simultaneously as well.
Monitor
Often neglected by fledgling programmers, a good monitor can prove to be your best friend as you spend hours coding.
You’ll want to invest in a monitor – or a set of monitors – with plenty of screen real estate and high resolution, so you can have multiple windows open at once without sacrificing picture quality.
You’ll also need a monitor with a high refresh rate, as screen flickering is known to cause headaches and eye strain.
Remember that working as a programmer will have you spending hours in front of your computer screen, often simply switching between your applications’ windows.
The minimum specifications you should look for in a good monitor should be a screen size of 27 inches, 2560×1440 resolution, and a 60Hz refresh rate.
GPU
If your work as a backend developer entails using graphics-intensive apps, a good GPU is essential.
Programming can generally be done on your CPU’s integrated graphics, but anyone serious about backend development should invest in a good GPU.
You can read through Improving JavaScript performance with GPU.js, an article that demonstrates how to use GPU.js to perform complex mathematical computations and improve the performance of JavaScript apps.
Even a GTX 1070 or 1080 should be enough for back-end programming, but more powerful GPUs will be necessary if you decide to venture into front-end and GUI development.
Most importantly, your setup will need to be properly equipped to deal with the changing requirements of the industry.
By investing in a computer that can function for many years, you will save yourself trouble down the line.
Conclusion
We have discussed the different hardware upgrades or laptops backend developers should consider as they progress in their careers or even the minimum specifications they can go for, even as beginners.
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