Recommended Laptops for Game Development?

What laptops would be recommended for ROBLOX development? I mainly use a PC for game development, but I also like using laptops for it, since I am a student still, and having a laptop ensures that I can develop on the go, like when I’m on vacation, want to go to a public place to force myself to grind some work, etc.

I used to use my 2013 Macbook Pro, with the following specs, for this.

Obviously, my Macbook is not longer optimal for developing, especially when I boot up Studio, my computer starts to heat up and make a peculiar noise. Even when I first got it, it wasn’t the best, and in some ways, I felt like it limited me, since when playing/making big games, it would not be able to handle some large projects. I.e., very laggy etc.

That being said, I enjoy using Macbooks. I am super familiar with Apple’s framework, I like how sleek and slim they are, etc.

Are any of the newer Macbooks able to handle significant game development/playing on ROBLOX without issue, or should I look at Windows laptops? I was thinking of getting an Alienware laptop, but they are super bulky and probably overkill.

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To be honest I am not 100% sure. I have a laptop which is made by Asus which was 1K GBP however due to it being designed for gaming but I do know someone who has an around 500 USD laptop which works fine for them. I know personally I also like using the OS of Windows just in general but also for development.

The new M1 and M2 Macbooks are 100% capable for game development (and likely won’t break much of a sweat), however if you want more power, go for something like a Windows laptop which is dedicated for gaming.

There are a lot of manufacturers that are known for their gaming lineups. ASUS is one of them (and I’m personally using a ASUS TUF Gaming FX505GT and it’s been working flawlessly for every use case (and it’s cheaper than most MacBooks you’d buy!)

Highly recommend researching about computers, and possibly trying out Windows 11 (as it provides more of a Mac OS experience, with the icons in the taskbar centered in the middle alongside the overall design language)

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One of the biggest issues with getting MacBooks is the extremely steep price. Even for a more basic model, it is pretty expensive (over a grand). I can afford this, but stomaching dropping so much money is hard, lol. When I got this 2013 Macbook back in 2014, it was $2,500… A similar new Macbook with the same specs + screen size is the same price, if not slightly more due to inflation.

A windows laptop would probably be cheaper, I agree.

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Been almost two years now since I posted this.

I switched to a desktop PC from my Macbook for developing in 2021, but I still had my Macbook since obviously that is portable and a desktop PC is not.

In December, I ended up biting the bullet and getting this Lenovo Legion model.

Was a bit pricey, all in, with the retail price, taxes, and the warranty I got, it was close around 1,000-1,100 dollars, but I have easily made that back with the projects I’ve worked on with that laptop since I got it. It’s a super smooth running laptop, my only complaint is the battery life on it is pretty crap, usually I have to plug it in after 1-3 hours of dedicated development activity, but I think that’s to be expected of a laptop running some pretty good specs doing ROBLOX Studio stuff.

Recommendations for people in a similar predicament: laptops with a dedicated GPU are the way to go for developing on the go. Gaming laptops are a good bet for this.

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