10 Best Laptops For Tuning Cars – Our Choices

Are you looking for one of the best laptops for tuning cars? If you’re asking yourself what laptop is good for tuning? You’re a car enthusiast who enjoys keeping your vehicle in peak condition. That means using the best computer to record your data and share it with other tuning enthusiasts online. With so many great options available, finding just the right one can be challenging. 

As we all know, tuning a car back in the day was as simple as changing and replacing the mechanical components, but these days, using software like ESP has become very common for tuning your cars. You can improve your fuel efficiency and overall performance through these programmable programs and software for which these best laptops for tuning cars come in handy. 

Thus, to help you choose the right device, below are 10 of our favorites, along with why we chose them, that can help you make your decision easier. 

10 Best Laptops For Tuning Cars

Acer Aspire 3 

The Acer Aspire 3 makes a great laptop for car enthusiasts. It features an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1 TB HDD of storage. These are not the most high-end specifications, but for light working and for beginners, this is a great laptop to get while staying on a budget. 

It has a 13.3-inch full HD IPS display and comes with an AC adapter and Ethernet cable. The computer weighs 2.49 pounds (1.13kg) and measures 12 x 0.98 x 8 inches (30 x 25 x 20cm). This means that it is a pretty portable laptop that you can move around with pretty efficiently. 

Portability comes in handy in a laptop for car tuning, as you will need to move around quite a lot with your device. 

Moreover, the computer also has dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and up to 9 hours of battery life while streaming videos or surfing online on Wi-Fi at 50 percent brightness. The battery life is pretty decent as well, giving you ample time to work on your car without any disturbance.  

Dell Inspiron 14 

Featuring a sixth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, high-performance NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M graphics, and up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB HDD or 512 GB SSD. Dell’s Inspiron 14 will be able to handle even some of your most demanding games while also powering applications like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. These features make it a great laptop for adobe creative cloud and other high-end software. 

Plus, it is an upgradable laptop which means you can get a cheaper version of this device if you don’t want the maximum configurations that this laptop offers. With a battery life of 8 hours, you will also get decent working time with this device. 

Additionally, the 15.6-inch Full HD screen features built-in calibration software so you can get that extra level of detail your car photos deserve. 

Furthermore, it comes with 4GB of VRAM, so you’ll never have to worry about running out during those late-night races. This laptop has everything you need: portability, power, and design, making it our choice for the best laptop for automotive diagnostics. 

MSI GE72VR APACHE PRO-044

The MSI GE72VR Apache Pro is one of the best mid-range gaming laptops. But that does not mean you can not use this device for anything other than gaming. If you are looking for a laptop through which you can handle some heavy software and programs like car tuning software, it is an ideal device to consider.

Moreover, featuring a powerful and fast 7th generation Core i7 processor and a solid integrated Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, you can use this laptop for almost any task and still manage a fast performance it with reliable graphics. 

You will also get 256 GB SSD storage, along with 16 GB RAM, which are the ideal specs for a laptop for professional workers. Moreover, with a 12-hour battery life, this laptop will provide you with more than enough battery life for you to work on your projects which always comes in handy for professionals. 

Lenovo Ideapad 300 80ST001AUS 

Lenovo’s Ideapad 300 is a good laptop for car lovers. It’s an Intel Celeron-based notebook with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. These are the most basic configurations that you can expect from a laptop. Despite these are not the best, for casual use and for dealing with light software and programs, these configurations will do just fine. 

The Lenovo Ideapad 300 runs Windows 10. Plus, it costs less than $300, which means the specs and price, both are pretty reasonable. Some people may be turned off by its lackluster display, which measures 1366 x 768 pixels, but it’s got better performance and storage than many other models in its price range. 

The Ideapad 300 also has a decently long battery life of nearly nine hours, so you can expect to get at least half a day of use out of it before recharging. Thus, if you are looking for a budget laptop for tuning cars, this might be the best option that you should consider. 

Lenovo Yoga 710

The Lenovo Yoga 710 is a decent computer at a reasonable price point. Its standard i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD has all you need to tune your car on the go! The battery life is average at 5 hours, but with a 6-cell battery sold separately, you can get more juice and leave your charger at home. 

However, what you need to take note of is that 13-inch display. At 1366 x 768 resolution, it doesn’t have Full HD or higher, which makes it inferior to similar offerings from other brands. But all in all, we feel like it’s a great laptop due to its satisfactory specifications and performance. 

MSI GP62MVR APACHE PRO 8RE

MSI’s GP62MVR APACHE PRO 8RE is one of our favorite laptops because it can handle some pretty decent-sized projects. No matter if you need a laptop for video editing, or for managing your finance, this laptop will do just fine.  

The laptop has a powerful i7-7700HQ processor and 16GB of RAM, making it a good choice for any work or entertainment and some gaming. You can run some decent software like MaxxECU and TOAD Pro on this device pretty efficiently without any lag.   

It’s also built with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q graphics, ideal for high-definition video or VR streaming. Thus, if you are looking for a budget gaming laptop, this is a laptop that will do. 

This laptop comes with a 15.6 Full HD display and a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), and a 1TB hard drive. One downside of this device is its weight. It weighs approximately 5 pounds, which makes it a pretty heavy device that feels like a burden to travel with. Apart from that, it is amongst one of the best laptops for tuning cars.  

HP Pavilion 15-cw0510nr 

The best laptop for tuning cars is probably found at any laptop market you can do. Thus, there are a lot of options to consider, but if you need a decent working laptop, HP Pavilion 15 is a great choice.  

The laptop has a 15.6-inch screen and features very thin bezels, which give you decent screen space to work on. Moreover, the device also features a reliable AMD Quad-Core A8 processor that will provide you with enough processing power to work on software for your cars.  

Additionally, it comes with 8GB RAM and 1TB HDD storage; thus, any light software or program will run without any delay on this device. Plus, you will get a pretty average battery life of approximately 5 hours and 15 minutes, which is not the best, but with a charger nearby it will do just fine. 

Asus N551VW 

For tuning, you need a comfortable laptop that does not get hot easily to use on your lap. The Asus N551VW is one of our favorite laptops for car tuning, because it offers strong performance with a reliable cooling system and a decent design that makes it easy to take along wherever you go. 

You also get an adequate battery life of around five hours which means you can work for a while away from an outlet without a problem. Plus, with tons of storage and generous amounts of RAM, it’s not only an excellent laptop for tuning but one that will last years down the road.

The laptop is not very portable as it has a weight of above 5 pounds, but with a storage capacity of 2 TB HDD + 128 GB SSD, and a 16 GB RAM, the laptop will not disappoint you in any way. Making it one of the best laptops for tuning cars and running some decent-sized software.

Gigabyte P55Wv7-KL3 15.6 G-Sync  

If you want to tune your car on the go, consider a laptop with a powerful graphics card. The Gigabyte P55Wv7-KL3, loaded with an Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070, can handle any game or program that might require some serious horsepower. 

And it’s thin and light enough to carry around in a case next to your toolbox. The only real drawback is its price tag, this system will run about $2,000 before tax which is not something that will make you happy if you are on a budget. 

But if you’re going to go through all of that trouble building or tuning your car, at least do it from a supremely well-equipped machine. 

Alienware 15 R3  

For those who want a lightweight laptop with some competent gaming capabilities, you’ll love Alienware. At 5.6 pounds, it won’t be easy to travel with but considering its specifications, its weight is not a deal-breaker either.

Configured with a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M graphics card, it performs just as well as more expensive laptops on our list. 

On top of that, its backlit keyboard is a beauty to look at, and better yet, because of its high-resolution screen (1920×1080), it looks great too. 

It can be a bit hefty if you plan on taking it everywhere with you, but it’s so reliable in every other way that we still think it deserves a spot on our list of best laptops for tuning cars. 

FAQs 

Can I Use A Laptop To Tune A Car? 

Yes! It isn’t tough to tune a car using your laptop. You will need a laptop, an OBD-II cable, a copy of open-source tuning software, and special tools to adjust your ECU. The process can vary depending on your vehicle model and year of manufacture. It will probably be easier to work with if you have a newer model car, but you can still tune older cars. 

Since laptops are so powerful these days and come in different sizes and configurations, it’s essential to choose one that is powerful enough for tuning cars. Above, we outline some of the best laptops for car tuning and what kind of specs you should look out for when shopping around. 

Are Chromebooks Good For Tuning Cars? 

We all know Chromebooks are good for programming and gaming but can you use them for tuning cars? Chromebooks aren’t ideal because they aren’t meant to be used with automobiles. They do not feature the processing power and performance that will allow you to work on your car with it efficiently. 

They have limited offline capabilities and tend to crash if you push them too hard; Google is aware of these issues and regularly works on improving them, but progress is slow. 

Chromebooks are better for internet surfing or chatting with friends than tuning cars; if that sounds like what you need, there are other options out there for you. If not, keep looking. 

How Much Do Ecu Tuners Make?

ECU tuning has become a billion-dollar industry, and countless companies make their money on modifying cars.

Most tuners buy ECUs from eBay or other online vendors and make minor changes that can boost horsepower or improve fuel economy.

You can’t get rich as an ECU tuner (except in some rare cases), but you can earn extra cash while learning about your favorite hobby.

What Kind Of Laptop Do You Need For Tuning Cars?

You can expect that there are a few factors that you’ll want to consider. You should ask yourself: Do I even want to get a computer specifically designed to work with my car?

The answer may be yes or no, but if you’re going to get one, we’d recommend using one explicitly designed with diagnostics in mind. This could save you time and money in the long run and make it easier on your car’s onboard computer.

Conclusion

When choosing a laptop for car tuning, you have to be picky. The perfect laptop needs more than just good specs and performance.

Your new computer needs durability and security features as well. We’ve put together a list of 10 laptops that combine superior performance with top-notch security features in our search for these features.

All of them are powerful enough to perform various functions constantly while at the same time being pretty affordable in price tag.