12 Best Laptops for Therapists in 2023

Selecting the best laptop for therapists requires a unique understanding of the profession's specific needs and preferences. As someone who has spent considerable time researching laptops and their applications in various fields, I am well-equipped to guide you through the process of finding the perfect device for your therapy practice. My approach involves reviewing an extensive laptop spreadsheet of recent releases, comparing specs, and evaluating professional and user-generated reviews. Then, I narrow down the top laptops based on requirements specific to therapists and price ranges, ensuring that my recommendations cater to the unique needs of this profession.

Therapists require laptops that can efficiently manage client records, appointments, billing, and communication while maintaining privacy and security. A powerful, reliable, and secure laptop is essential for handling sensitive client information and managing day-to-day tasks. Furthermore, as therapists often need to be mobile, having a laptop with a long-lasting battery life and a lightweight design is crucial.

In addition to these essential features, therapists may benefit from a laptop with a high-quality display and noise-cancelling microphone for conducting teletherapy sessions with ease. This ensures a professional and seamless experience for both therapist and client. By considering these factors in my laptop selection process, I aim to provide tailored recommendations that cater specifically to the needs of therapists, helping you find the best laptop for your therapy practice.

Table of Contents

The Heart of Your Laptop: Choosing the Right Processor for Therapy Work

If you're a therapist looking for a new laptop, the processor you choose will depend on your specific needs. MacBooks are a popular option for their ARM-based M1, M2, M2 Pro, and M2 Max system-on-chip modules, which offer exceptional single-core performance and battery life. However, Windows laptops also have their advantages, and we'll include them in our recommendations.

While a fast CPU isn't necessary for most therapy applications, if you're using any DAW or VST plugins, you'll need a mid-range to high-end processor. Otherwise, you can get away with a budget processor.

Other specs that are worth considering include RAM, storage, and graphics card. These components also play an important role in determining the overall performance of a laptop.

When comparing processors, there are many ways to do it, including single-core/multi-core performance, PassMark scores, Cinebench R20 scores (or even R19), and 3DMark scores (if you're into gaming). However, these benchmarks only tell part of the story and don't account for other components such as graphics card and RAM speed.

Here are my recommendations by price bracket:

Price	Processor
Minimum	i3-1115G4
Recommended	i5-1135G7
High-end	i7-11370H

Keep in mind that a processor is only one part of the equation, and you should also consider other components when choosing a laptop. With that said, these processors should provide sufficient performance for most therapy applications.

Visualize your Therapy Practice with a Powerful Graphics Card

When it comes to choosing a laptop for therapy work, a dedicated graphics card is not a requirement. However, having one can make your work easier, especially if you need to handle visual data. With that said, let's dive into what you need to consider when choosing the right laptop graphics card.

Firstly, it's essential to note that desktop GPUs are now a lot more power-hungry than laptop GPUs. This means that the gap between power-limited notebook graphics and desktop graphics cards has widened in the past few years. Additionally, Nvidia has discontinued the Max-Q label for its RTX graphics cards, which has resulted in a wide variance in graphics performance even in laptops with the same GPU chipset.

So, how do you decide which GPU is right for you? One way is to use industry-standard benchmarks such as 3DMark. However, it's worth noting that these scores can be slightly inflated due to thermal limitations and power throttling. Therefore, it's crucial to also consider factors such as battery life and thermals when making your decision.

For most therapy applications, a mid-range GPU will suffice. However, if you're looking to play games on your laptop, you'll need a dedicated GPU from Nvidia or AMD, as integrated graphics are not sufficient for gaming. When it comes to gaming laptops, make sure the laptop has enough power delivery (PDC) to support the GPU's power requirements to avoid any throttling issues.

Here are our recommendations for laptop GPUs, grouped by price bracket:

For budgets up to $500: The minimum GPU we recommend is the GeForce GTX 1650.
For budgets up to $600: We recommend the GeForce RTX 3050.
For budgets of $700 and above: The high-end GPU we recommend is the GeForce RTX 2060.

In summary, a dedicated GPU is not required for therapy work, but it can make your life easier, especially if you're working with visual data. When choosing a GPU, consider industry-standard benchmarks, battery life, and thermals, and match your choice with your budget.

Your Therapy Laptop Questions Answered

Memory Matters: How Much RAM Do You Really Need for Your Therapy Laptop?

As a therapist, your laptop's RAM may not be a top priority, but it's still important to have enough for smooth and efficient multitasking. Most mid-range laptops come with 16 GB of RAM, while high-end laptops offer 32 GB or more.

For most therapists, 16 GB should be enough. However, if you're working with multiple patients at the same time or using a lot of plugins, then 32 GB is ideal.

While the latest-gen Intel and AMD CPUs support DDR4 and DDR5, DDR5 is still quite expensive and needs time to mature as a technology. Therefore, DDR4 is currently the most common and cost-effective choice.

RAM speed is not a major concern for most therapists. However, if you're looking for the best possible laptop for your work, then getting DDR5 would be a nice bonus. But that's only if you can afford it – DDR5 is significantly more expensive than DDR4.

If you're looking for a laptop that will last you for years to come, then consider getting one with upgradable memory (not soldered). This way, you can easily upgrade your RAM in the future if you need more.

Other specs to consider when choosing a laptop for therapy include the CPU, storage capacity, screen size and resolution, and battery life.

Here's a table of recommended RAM configurations for various price ranges:

Price Range	Recommended RAM
Under $500	8 GB
$500-$1000	16 GB
$1000-$1500	16 GB or 32 GB
Above $1500	32 GB or more

In summary, while RAM may not be the most important consideration for therapists when choosing a laptop, having enough RAM is still essential for smooth multitasking. DDR4 is currently the most cost-effective choice, and upgrading to DDR5 may not be worth the cost yet. Consider other specs, such as CPU and storage, and choose a laptop with upgradable memory if you want to future-proof your investment.

6 Best Laptops for therapists

$640

1.ASUS Zenbook

ASUS Zenbook UM425QA: A Powerful, Portable Ultrabook for Therapy Sessions.

Pros

Lightweight and compact design
Powerful Ryzen CPU for smooth performance
Long battery life
Excellent IPS display with good visuals

Cons

Soldered RAM cant be expanded
Fan noise can be annoying at times
High emissions under load
Weak Wi-Fi connectivity

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Summary

The ASUS Zenbook UM425QA is a slim and lightweight ultrabook that delivers impressive power and long battery life. Its Ryzen CPU and IPS display offer smooth performance and excellent visuals, while its sleek design and compact dimensions make it an ideal choice for therapists who need a portable device for their sessions.

Reviews

Notebookcheck

83%/100

Asus ZenBook 14 UM425U [5700U version]

Ultrabookreview

4.5/5

Asus ZenBook 14 UM425QA [5800H version]

Alternatives

$710

HP Victus 15

Pros

Affordable gaming laptop
Good gaming and productivity performance

Cons

Poor display and webcam quality
Too much pre-installed software

$880

2.HP Victus 15

HP Victus 15: A budget gaming laptop worth considering, but with a short battery life and plain design.

Pros

Good gaming performance at a low price
Can double as a work laptop
Solid array of ports

Cons

Bad battery life
Rather plain design
Weak GPU yields unsatisfactory frame rates.

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