Mobile Workstations

As you might expect, mobile workstations are assembled from high-end components that ensure top performance and outstanding reliability. Premium parts means you can expect to pay significantly more for a mobile workstation than a run of the mill laptop but the time savings and performance gains mean the extra cost outlay can be recouped quickly.

When shopping for a mobile workstation aim to get the most computing power you can for your available budget. This will be determined by the combination of the workstation’s processor and installed RAM. You can get an idea of the sort of specs you need by referring to the specification guidelines set out for the software applications you plan to use. Look for models with a Core i7 or i9 processor with at least four cores and multithread capabilities. As for RAM, the more the better; 16Gb is the absolute minimum - there are workstations that ship with 32Gb or 64Gb as standard.

Most mobile workstations feature dedicated graphics from Nvidia Quadro, Nvidia A series and AMD Radeon. The presence of a discrete GPU allows the workstation to handle intensive visual processing tasks such as 3D graphics rendering, animation and virtual reality. Screen size is something you will have to assess and balance with portability. If you’re mainly doing graphics related work a larger screen with 4K resolution will be more important than lugging an extra kilo or two around. The workstation’s colour reproduction accuracy may also be important for designers. The leading workstation manufacturers such as Dell, HP & Lenovo include calibration software that allows you to set colour palettes, white points and gamma values.

If you’re regularly working with large files, look for a mobile workstation with plenty of storage. Many workstations come with a 500Gb or 1Tb SSD installed as standard but there is often space to fit a second drive if you need more storage capacity. The presence of 1 or 2 Thunderbolt ports for high speed connectivity with external storage devices is another feature to look out for.

Finally, don't overlook the mobile workstation’s ergonomics. If you’ll be working on your workstation for hours on end, you want to be able to work comfortably. Look at the layout of the keyboard, the touchpad and the spacing and location of the keys. Do they complement the way you like to work? These will differ across brands and workstation models so spend some time assessing the available options to pick a mobile workstation that’s well suited to you.