One could argue that everyone should have a high-quality, reliable laptop, regardless of their use, but this is especially true for anyone who uses AI tools regularly.
Unless you plan to operate your own server to host cloud-based applications with thousands of users, you don't need anything fancy. All you need to do is make sure that the laptop has a powerful processor and other necessary components. A good laptop can be a financial investment, but it doesn't have to empty your wallet. HP, for example, is always selling quality laptops with a wide range of specifications and prices to suit any budget. Narrowing down your requirements will make it easier to find what you need.
That being said, here are some reasons why AI enthusiasts need a quality laptop.
AI apps don't necessarily run on low-end machines
Every application created, be it for MacOS, iOS, Android, Windows, etc., has certain requirements to run. If the operating system and specifications do not meet these criteria, the application will be unusable.
Some of the most basic examples of apps with AI-powered features are DeepL, Grammarly, YouTube Studio, and even Canva. If you want to run generative AI apps like Discord, Playground, Kittl, Midjourney via Ideogram, you'll need a laptop that's fast enough to handle the task. These are all cloud-based applications, and while the bulk of the computing power is handled on the server side, your laptop still needs to handle some of the heavy lifting.
A quality laptop with a powerful and fast processor will be able to handle all the tasks you need to perform using the above apps (and other similar apps). Slower laptops can also use browser-based generative AI applications, but you will have to wait a significantly longer time to get results.
AI-enabled tools will run faster as processor performance improves
While ChatGPT does not put a strain on your computer's processor, other applications may. For example, training an AI model, whether text-based or image-based, requires significant computing power. The applications available are almost always cloud-based, but even this requires the use of a significant amount of resources on the user's side.
No-code, low-code and code-based applications are available, but using a no-code application doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be lightweight. It can be lightweight, but it all depends on the software you're using.
After all, you need a decent processor to run resource-intensive applications on a laptop, and forcing a lower-quality device to do it is a waste.
The AI generation will require a lot of storage space
One of the most important specs for a regular AI user is storage capacity. If you save the prompts in text format, they won't take up much space, but images will definitely fill up your internal hard drive quickly. If you can get a laptop with at least 1TB of disk space, that's ideal. But if not, you'll need an external drive.
AI-generated images fill up your hard drive quickly, as it's common to download a standard image, then an enlarged version and a few additional variations. For each image you store, you're likely creating 1-5 or more copies. If you're using a service like Kittl, where you pay a monthly fee for a daily generation limit, you'll probably max out the number of generations per day. If you only store 80 generations per day, that's 2,400 generations per month. If your average enlarged image is 3.5 MB, that's about 8.4 GB worth of images stored per month. And that's for one program. If you pay to use multiple applications, that number will be much larger, and you'll need storage to match.
If you’re a designer, you need space for your mood board
Designers often use AI to generate assets, but mood boards also pose a dilemma. Old-school designers or those who need to choose colors directly in Photoshop won't use online tools. However, a collection of custom mood boards can take up a significant amount of space on your hard drive. This is another reason why it's so important to buy a quality laptop with enough storage space to store all your files.
If you use AI tools, you need a reliable laptop
Whether you're training an AI model or simply using online tools, a laptop with a fast processor will help you run smoother production and run multiple applications simultaneously for maximum efficiency.
