What is the best laptop computer for Dragon?

It is probably the question I get asked most: "What is the best laptop or computer for Dragon Professional Individual"

Dragon speech recognition is a hungry beast  and not easily satisfied with the system resources on your computer.

To make working with Dragon pleasant experience, it really helps to have a fast computer. Most Dragon users are aware of that and they wonder what the specs are for a computer that works fabulously with the speech recognition software.

This post only deals with the hardware. There are many aspects of using a computer that influence Dragon's performance, but the hardware specifications for the computer are really important.

The best computer for Dragon

This actually is a bit of a hot potato topic, for there are people who will swear that if you don't have at least 32 GB of RAM and the newest and fastest processor, you will struggle to use Dragon.

I do not agree. None of my computers have more than 16 GB of internal memory and I am pleased with the performance. I also have one computer that has 8 GB of RAM and even that one runs Dragon 15 without issue.

However, in speech recognition land "the bigger, the better" is usually true. A faster processor and more memory will increase your system's performance and therefore will help with Dragon performance as well. But there is the matter of diminishing returns: a reasonably fast processor with a reasonable amount of RAM will make a huge difference compared to an old/slow system. However, the step from this reasonably good computer to a state-of-the-art, super expensive one may then be disappointing.

These are the points that I would make when you are searching for a new computer:

• Intel i5 or i7 Processor
  I have no experience with AMD processors, but would estimate that a modern Rhyzen processor would also work well.
• Minimal 8 GB Ram, preferably 16 GB
• SSD disk, rather than regular spinning hard disk

Get a checklist PDF with Nuance's official minimal system requirements AND my full advice on ergonomic and user experience aspect of a laptop.

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The best computer for YOU

Above I discussed the technical system requirements for Dragon. However, it is not just Dragon that needs to be able to work well with your computer, it is also YOU.

Especially for laptops, there are quite a few aspects that you should consider before making your final choice. It certainly is not only about the technical specs.

Here are some considerations:

• Screen size
• Weight
• Fan noise
• Keyboard and touchpad quality

Download my system recommendations for Dragon

The PDF does not only have the technical recommendations for a new laptop or computer, but also the considerations that may be important for you as a human being.