Top 8 Best Laptops for Virtualization in 2023 – 16GB Ram , RTX 3060/2060/GTX 1650Ti

Sometimes users have tasks that require running a whole new OS on their current machine's operating system. This is where virtualization comes in, and with various programs, you can do just that.

If you are using Oracle VirtualBox, VMWare or any other virtualization application run other operating systems on your existing system, then you need a power CPU and plenty of RAM. For virtualization we recommend a minimum of 6 core/12 thread cpu along with atleast 16 GB RAM.

Anything below that will not be able to handle multiple applications without lags. You would have to close other applications while running virtualization software which can be an impediment to the overall productivity.

Virtualization uses a lot of your hardware resources for the guest operating system thereby slowing down the host operating system. If the hardware is not powerful enough to handle it, then other applications running alongside of the virtualization software are going to slow down significantly. For example browsers like Google Chrome and any other applications.

Ideally you should have an 8 core/12 thread cpu like the Ryzen 7 5800H or the Intel i7 11800H along with 32 GB Ram. With such a powerful setup you can run multiple guest oses at once.

With at least 16GB RAM, you can run various VMs without running out of memory. A CPU with high clock speeds and multiple cores and threads will also come in handy because as soon as the VM starts up, some of these resources will be permanently allocated to the VM till it shuts down.

You will also need a good amount of storage, depending on the sizes of your VMs. And, the faster the storage (like SSDs), the better it is.

M.2 Nvme ssds will offer the best performance when it comes to virtualization, however there are not cheap and most medium to high end laptops only have around 1TB of m2 nvme ssds pre-installed. Most of the time 1TB is of nvme ssd is sufficient if you don't plan to install space consuming applications like games.

Though you can also run virtualization from external or portable SSDs as well, just in case you run out of space on your internal storage. However external ssds are far slower in terms of speed when compared to internal nvme ssds. At the same time upgrading the internal storage of your laptop with an extra nvme ssd can be expensive.

Our Top Picks for Best Laptops for Virtualization

Below are some of our top picks for laptops that are suitable for virtualization. Most of them come with i7 10th gen cpus and RTX 2060/3060 gpus. The RAM on these laptops is 16 GB but you can upgrade them to 32 GB on most models.

1. Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Laptop

The Acer Predator Helios 300 comes with a powerful 10th-gen Intel processor that has 6 cores and a clock speed that can go up to 5GHz. That makes it ideal for virtualization, and to make things even better, it has 16GB RAM.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB NVME SSD
• Dimensions: 14.31x10.04x0.9 inches
• Weight: 4.85 pounds
• WiFi-6 support
• RGB backlit keyboard
• Up to 6-hours Battery Life

Review

This laptop has powerful hardware to offer for virtualization. It all starts with the 10th generation Core I7 CPU from Intel, which has 6 cores and can achieve a clock speed of 5GHz. The CPU is further assisted with generous amounts of RAM, 16 GB, which will let the user run a virtualized system comfortably.

It has an NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU, which is ideal for gaming and can also be used for GPU-intensive processes when running virtualized systems. It has 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, making it suitable even for some demanding operations.

The need for storage is catered for by the 512GB NVME SSD. An NVME SSD is significantly faster than regular SATA SSDs, so users can expect faster overall performance and loading times compared to the latter. Storage is easily upgradable since Acer leaves a second M.2 SSD slot open. Thus, users can expand storage when the need arises.

With the 1920x1080p display running at 144Hz and a 3ms refresh rate, items on the screen will be smooth and interactions will be fluid. The aesthetics of the laptop also speak volumes, it has an angular design with 4-zone RGB backlight illumination on the keyboard. The laptop comes with a pre-installed copy of the Windows 10 Home edition to start users off smoothly.

2. Lenovo Legion Y540 Gaming Laptop

This mid-sized laptop comes with large storage for users who run guest systems that require a lot of storage space. It has a 1TB hard drive and a 512GB SSD which offers fast storage. It also comes with a powerful processor and an ample supply of upgradable memory.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD + 1TB HDD
• Dimensions: 14.4x10.2x1.02 inches
• Weight: 5.1 pounds
• Dolby Atmos support
• White backlit keyboard
• Battery: 52.5Wh

Review

This is the laptop for users who want lots of internal storage. It comes with a 1TB internal 7200rpm hard drive, alongside a 512GB PCIe SSD. Both the 7200rpm drive and the PCIe SSD are some of the fastest storage media in their categories, meaning in terms of storage, this laptop doesn't sacrifice speed for capacity.

That said, an important feature of this laptop is its processing capabilities. It comes with a 9th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, and the chip has 6 cores, 12 threads, and a clock speed that can go as high as 4.5GHz. It also has 12MB of cache for internal processes. Additionally, the graphics card is an NVIDIA RTX 2060, with 6GB of VRAM. That makes it suited for heavy and demanding workflows.

To support all the processing, the laptop comes with 16GB of RAM which can be upgraded. This amount of memory will make it easier to multitask as well as run virtual machines without running into memory issues. Because of all the powerful hardware, the system is bound to get hot. To get around this, the laptop has four thermal vents and a beefed-up fan with 70 fan blades to help cool the system.

The laptop offers a good visual experience with a Full-HD anti-glare screen that can reach 300nits brightness and run at 144Hz.

3. MSI GF65 Thin Gaming Laptop (10UE-047)

This gaming laptop has the necessary hardware for demanding productive work that entails running virtual machines. It comes with a 10th-generation Core I7 processor that has a clock speed of 2.6GHz and can boost to 5GHz. It also has 16GB of RAM as well as a powerful Nvidia graphics card.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB NVME SSD
• Dimensions: 14.13x9.99x0.85 inches
• Weight: 4.1 Pounds
• WiFi-6 support
• Anti-ghosting key
• Core black color
• Battery: 51Wh

Review

Ghosting occurs when some key entries are ignored if a key is pressed many times in succession. With anti-ghosting, keys are not ignored, and that can mean the difference between winning or losing a match when gaming.

However, while this laptop is fit for gaming and comes with features to support it, it is also capable of handling some demanding virtualization workloads, and all that is made possible with the hardware it's packing.

For starters, it comes with an Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, which has 6 processing cores and a clock speed that starts from 2.6 GHz but can hit 5GHz with a turbo boost.

As far as graphics are concerned, the laptop comes with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q. This is a 6GB VRAM unit that is capable of handling very demanding workloads with ease.

There are two 8GB sticks of memory inside, making up 16GB RAM. These are 3200MHz DDR4 modules, so users get the best performance, and as if that isn’t enough, the RAM is upgradable to 64GB.

For storage, there's a 512GB NVME SSD, which delivers faster read and write speeds, along with improved loading times. Being WiFi-6 capable, users with the right hardware can enjoy faster internet speeds. The laptop has a 15.6-inch 144Hz display with a Full-HD resolution.

4. Lenovo ThinkPad P53 Workstation Laptop

This laptop is a mobile powerhouse with its innovative features. It has a Core I7-9750H CPU and 32GB of DDR4 RAM. The icing on the cake is that it comes with an NVIDIA Quadro T1000 GPU. This is professional-grade graphics.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H
• GPU: NVIDIA Quadro T1000
• RAM: 32GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB SATA SSD
• Dimensions: 14.9x9.9x0.96 inches
• Weight: 5.5 Pounds
• Fingerprint Sensor
• Bluetooth 5.0 support
• Midnight black color
• Battery: 90Wh

Review

As far as professional productivity laptops go, the ThinkPad P53 workstation comes with the right hardware for tasks that involve virtualization. It has a 9th Gen Intel processor that has a clock speed ranging from 2.6GHz to 4.5GHz with a turbo boost. Additionally, the chip has 6 processing cores, 12 threads, and a 12MB cache.

As for graphics, the laptop has an NVIDIA Quadro T1000 card which is good for demanding workloads such as virtualizing graphics-intensive systems. The system has a large amount of RAM, 32GB to be exact, and it is DDR4, which equates to high performance.

Internally, there's a 1TB SATA SSD drive for storage and you also get numerous ports, including one for USB Type-C which future-proofs the system, and also allows faster data transfers with devices that support it. It also has an SD card reader and two thunderbolt ports. As far as wireless connectivity is concerned, you get WiFi as well as support for Bluetooth 5.0, which is much faster and more stable than previous versions.

The laptop has a simple dark aesthetic, which makes it easy to carry to important meetings if the laptop is used for work, and it ships with Windows 10, the Pro edition. It is also very secure and has an integrated fingerprint scanner that can be set up to work with Windows Hello, for improved security.

5. ASUS ROG Strix G15 Gaming and Entertainment Laptop

This laptop comes with a gamer aesthetic to it, including accent lighting and the iconic “Rog Strix” brand name on the front panel, just under the display. It has a wide chin to make room for this, but the top and side bezels are minimum, allowing you to fit a 15.6-inch display on a relatively small chassis.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD
• Dimensions: 15x11x1 inches
• Weight: 5 Pounds
• WiFi-6 support
• Bluetooth 5.0 support
• RGB Backlit keyboard
• Battery: 48Wh

Review

Coming from a long line of performance laptops, the Asus Rog Strix is a worthy machine for virtualization, owing to its high-power components. It ships with 16GB of DDR4 memory which makes multitasking a breeze, further letting you have ample memory to allocate to various guest operating systems. It comes preloaded with Windows 10 home, so setting it up will be fairly easy.

The laptop runs on Intel's 10th-gen Core I7-10750H processor. This chip has 6 processing cores with 12 threads and a whopping 12MB cache to store various CPU instructions. With turbo boost, the CPU can hit speeds of up to 5GHz, however, the base clock speed is 2.6GHz.

The laptop is equipped with 4GB VRAM GTX 1650TI graphics from NVIDIA. This allows high performance for GPU-bound applications and virtualized systems, and also helps the G15 fit within the gaming laptop bracket it's designed for.

Furthermore, it has a 15.6-inch Full-HD display with a refresh rate of 144Hz which results in a fluid viewing experience. The 512GB PCIe SSD provides fast access to files and also improves the overall performance of the laptop.

To seal the deal, you get high-speed wireless networking, including Bluetooth 5.0 and WiFi-6 connectivity.

6. Acer Flagship Nitro 5 Gaming Laptop

This laptop is both a gaming and a productivity powerhouse, running on a beefy 10th-gen intel processor and a 3000 series NVIDIA processor. It also has gaming laptop aesthetics with a red-backlit keyboard and a sharp angular design.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Dimensions: 14.3x10x0.94 inches
• Weight: 5.07 Pounds
• Windows 10 Home
• Dual-fan cooling
• Up to 11 Hours of Battery Life

Review

This laptop comes with a 6-core Intel processor with 12 threads and a base clock speed of 2.6GHz. Under heavy loads, the CPU can turbo to about 5GHz, and such performance is critical for demanding virtualized environments.

Aside from the CPU, you also get a powerful GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with 6GB of graphics memory, along with Intel's integrated UHD graphics for the less demanding loads.

There's also 16GB of RAM. This lets users assign memory to their guest operating systems while still retaining enough memory to run the host and its other internal processes. There's also 512GB SSD storage for your files, and this is fast storage so app loading and general usage will be snappy.

There's an abundance of ports for external peripherals, like three USB-A ports, a 10Gb/s USB C, and a gigabit ethernet port, which can let you download images faster if the network supports it. Furthermore, it supports WiFi-6, which means that even wireless networks may be faster.

The display has a 144Hz refresh rate with a response time of only 3ms. It is a 1920x1080 resolution IPS panel measuring 15.6 inches. With small bezels around the sides, the viewing experience is very immersive.

7. Dell G5 15 Gaming Laptop

Despite being built for portability, this laptop has the capacity for performance, with its 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a further 6GB of graphics memory. It comes with a pre-installed copy of Windows 10 for a quick and easy setup and has an abundant supply of ports, including Thunderbolt.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660Ti
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Dimensions: 14.4x10x0.96 inches
• Weight: 5.18 Pounds
• Windows 10 Home
• Thunderbolt port
• Battery: 51Wh

Review

Thunderbolt 3 enables faster data transfers, which will come in handy if you’re transferring a lot of data from compatible external devices to your virtual machine. More port options include a mini display port, HDMI, Ethernet, a combined headphone/microphone jack, and 3 USB-A ports.

Overall, this laptop is a high performer, and much of that is due to its use of Intel’s Core I7-10750H processor. This chip is capable of executing multiple tasks with ease because its clock speeds can hit highs of 5GHz with turbo boost when under load. The chip also has 6 cores that will come in handy for Core-hungry systems and 12 threads and about 12MB of cache.

Additionally, demanding graphical workloads will be handled by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660TI graphics card with 6 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. The CPU also comes with integrated Intel UHD graphics.

With 16GB of RAM, multitasking will be handled with ease, and even some demanding systems will have enough memory to operate without choking the host OS, which by default on this laptop is the home edition of Windows 10.

The display is a 15.6-inch panel with anti-glare and a resolution of 1920x1080.

8. HP Pavilion Gaming Laptop (16-a0076ms)

This laptop provides value for money when comparing its price tag to the specs you get. The 10th gen processor and 512GB PCIe SSD working together will make it easier and faster to build and run virtual machines on this. Additionally, it has a larger 16.1-inch display, which makes it easier to fit the content.

Features

• CPU: Intel Core i7-10750H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Storage: 512GB PCIe SSD
• Dimensions: 14.59x10.35x0.93 inches
• Weight: 4.78 Pounds
• Windows 10 Home
• USB Type-C port
• Battery: 52.5Wh

Review

This laptop has a 16-inch anti-glare display with a resolution of 1920x1080. That and the fact that it has a 144Hz refresh rate makes it good for running applications smoothly.

To facilitate smooth operations, however, the laptop is also fitted with an Intel Core I7-10750H CPU that is capable of running at speeds of 2.6GHz to 5GHz with turbo. It is a 6-core processor with 12 threads that offer enough power for running even some demanding guest systems.

It is equipped with 16GB of DDR4 memory that makes running multiple programs a breeze, and when requirements increase, the RAM can also be upgraded.

As for storage, the laptop has half a terabyte of PCIe storage. Not only is that a lot of space, but it is also very fast, allowing various operations like turning on or starting up virtual machines to happen much faster.

The graphics card on this is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650Ti Max-Q chip. It comes with 4GB of GDDR6 graphics memory which performs well while gaming and also when running demanding GPU-intensive processes.

The keyboard is backlit, and the laptop has a 52.5Wh battery which will let you get your important tasks done even on the go. Since the display can output at up to 300nits and is anti-glare, you can work comfortably even in some moderately brightly lit environments.

Conclusion

Many of the laptops needed for virtualization have a lot of processing power and memory because Virtual Machines use up a lot of these resources. You can think of it as running another full computer on top of your actual machine and depending on how many VMs you have running at once; the requirements can quickly build up.

Virtualization is used in both consumer space and enterprise environments with applications like software testing, emulation, hardware abstraction etc.

With enough processing capabilities from the CPU and GPU, users can run even some demanding applications on their laptops and maintain good performance all through. Many of these laptops happen to be expensive, but they have the necessary hardware for demanding workloads.