My PhD Laptop Setup (2025): Why I Chose Portability Over Power for AI Research

The ergonomic desk setup of an PhD-AI researcher, featuring an ASUS Vivobook 15 laptop on a stand, a OnePlus Pad Go tablet for digital notes, and an ergonomic HP wired mouse.

The most common piece of hardware advice for AI researchers is wrong. Here’s why you don’t need a powerful GPU laptop, what you actually need, and the exact setup I’ve refined over 6+ years of research across IIT Kharagpur, Germany, and the US. The question I get asked most on LinkedIn: “What laptop should I … Read more