Best PC for Virtual Machines
How to choose a POWERFUL Pre-built PC for your VM lab environment…
You might not know it, but there are top brand PCs great for running multiple virtual machines, and there are duds!
We’ll avoid the duds and focus on the best desktops and laptops that can run your virtual machines easily.
In this VMinstall guide, we’ll show you what you’ll need to know before buying a PC for running virtual machines.
What’s Your Use Case?
We all want a Powerful PC with lots of memory and SSD storage space, but there’s more to high performing VM host than a cool case or brand logo.
In a minute, we’ll dive into the juicy technical details and best practices, but first, let’s start with an important question before we look at the best computer for virtualization.
What do you intend to do with the VMs running on your new system?
- Maybe you’re building a virtual test lab and plan to just mess around with different virtual machine software for work.
- Maybe you’re a developer and need various test VMs set up to test your code while you are working out the bugs.
- Or, maybe you’re like me and do a lot of training and need to install different software packages. I always have VMs running in my virtual test lab for something.
This guide will help you decide which options and configurations to consider for your virtual machine use case.
If I missed your use case, please leave a comment or question below.
Buyerâs Guide for the Best PC for Virtual Machines
Look, depending on your use case, the configuration for the best way to run multiple virtual machines follows some basic best practices:
- CPUs with faster (GHz) and more CPU cores – Faster CPUs are a must-have, but also you want to slice up your cores so that you’re allowing enough cycles per core, so you don’t oversubscribe the clocks and cause the CPU to wait. CPUs with 6 – 8 cores can be carved up into VMs with 2 – 4 vCPUs. For best performance, keep your CPU to vCPU ratio at 1:1. This means each physical CPU core can support 1 vCPUs at most. For example, a 6 core CPU can support 3 VMs with 2 vCPUs each or 2 VMs with 3 vCPUs.
- Lots of fast memory (16 GB or more) – Memory is cheap, so more is always better. I also keep memory at a 1:1 ratio for physical to virtual memory. However, as a best practice, I reserve half my memory for my main system OS. So a PC with 16GB has 8GB available for the main PC hosting the VMs and 8GB to be shared with the VMs. Based on a PC with a 6 core CPU and 16GB of memory, you can get 2 VMs with 3 vCPUs and 4GB of memory. Obviously, you can assign more memory if you oversubscribe, but performance will degrade quickly. It really does matter what you plan to do with your VMs. If you have 32GB, you can reserve 8GB for the main system and use 24GB to assign to VMs.
- NVMe SSD or ATA SSD (Dedicated 500 GB – 1 TB of space) – If you need speed, don’t run your VMs on your main PC storage. Buy a dedicated SSD for your VMs. Disk IO is tricky and can impact the performance of even the best PCs negatively when running multiple virtual machines. You don’t want to create a bottleneck for disk reads and writes. With one drive, everything is sharing the same read/write path with the storage controller. NVMe’s are best, but the new ATA SSDs also smoke. Another benefit you get when putting your VMs on a separate SSD is that VM files and directories are easier to track when you need to clone or move your virtual machines around.
Make sure you have plenty of room for growth.
Your new system for hosting virtual machines needs to be able to expand. Later you will want to add upgraded WIFI adapters, network cards, graphics cards, memory, SSDs, NVMe storage, CPUs, and USB devices.
Be aware that motherboards have limited amounts of PCIe, ATA, NVMe, and memory slots.
Planning ahead will make your virtual machine lab more expandable later, especially if you are building virtual machines for business use cases that rely on keeping up with new software requirements.
The best desktop for running virtual machines can keep expanding if needed – conder a minimum of 3 PCIe slots, 4 memory slots, 2 NVMe slots, and 4-6 ATA connectors.
That said, there is no one-size-fits-all answer for the best PC for virtual machines. It depends on your specific needs and what you plan to use your virtual machines for. These are my general tips that can help you choose the right system for your needs.
The Best PC for Virtual Machines – 3 Alternatives for Windows & Mac Users
Important: Regardless of which PC brand you decide to choose, the key is to make sure it has the ability to run virtual machines.
There is a setting in the BIOS that must be enabled for virtualization to work. This is a must-have for the best desktops or laptops running virtual machines. Most new motherboards have it enabled by default, but some might not make it available.
Major Brand Desktops – Alternative #1
Please read the reviews and compare the technical specification for yourself before making a purchase of any of these systems.
My Best Pick
Dell XPS Desktop –Â All Use Cases
The Dell XPS Desktop is the most versatile best-in-class desktop. Highly customizable.
Runner-ups for Business Use
Lenovo ThinkCentre V50s Desktop – 1st Runner-up Better Choice
The Lenovo ThinkStation is best for serious gamers or graphic designers.
- ăProcessoră Designed to handle demanding workflows, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K processor provides a balanced yet powerful computing experience with 20 Cores and 20 Threads. It is configured with 30MB of Intel Smart Cache and 36MB of L2 Cache, operates at a 3.9 GHz base frequency, and can reach up to 5.5 GHz at maximum turbo frequency, contributing to responsive performance in multitasking, content creation, and productivity applications.
- ăRAM and Storageă Supports configurations of up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM, facilitating smooth operation across multiple applications and browser tabs. Storage can be expanded up to 12TB using a PCIe M.2 SSD, which supports faster system responsiveness and provides substantial space for files, media, and software libraries.
- ăOperating Systemă Comes with Windows 11 (64-bit, English) pre-installed, offering a secure and user-friendly interface equipped with productivity features and regular updates for a reliable out-of-the-box experience.
- ăKeyboard and Mouseă Includes a Lenovo Black Wired Keyboard and Mouse set, designed for daily reliability and comfort. The wired setup provides consistent connectivity for extended use in work or home environments.
- ăTech Specsă Features practical connectivity with 9x USB ports, support for a triple-monitor setup via HDMI and two DisplayPort outputs, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 for enhanced wireless speed and device pairing, along with Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) for stable wired network access.
HP Envy Desktop – 2nd Runner-up Good Choice
Bring your data center home. The Pavilion Desktop features extraordinary processing power, graphics, and storage at an affordable price for personal use.
- input voltageïŒ100 -240V
- YOUR CREATIVE SIDEKICK: Render, edit, game and stream better than ever before
- FAST PROCESSOR: 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10700 Processor, 8-Core, 2.90 GHz base frequency, up to 4.8 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology
- MEMORY: 16 GB DDR4-2933 SDRAM memory (2 x 8 GB) (upgradable to 32 GB)
- INTERNAL STORAGE: 1 TB 7200RPM SATA hard drive & 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive (HDD 3.5" expansion bay available)
Runner-up for Home Use
Asus ROG Strix Desktop – 1st Runner-up Better Choice
Features extraordinary processing power, graphics, and storage that is usually much more expensive. For the best performance, this ASUS Desktop PC will give you everything you need to run your virtual machine lab with ease.
- Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (EXTREME processor)
- 128 GB of DDR5 RAM (PREMIUM performance)
- 11 TB Storage (1 TB SSD + 10 TB HDD); Win 11 Pro
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti with 8 GB GDDR6 dedicated memory & up to 16 GB total video RAM
- Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax) (Triple band) 2x2 + Bluetooth 5.3; Rear Ports: 1x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet, 1x HDMI, 3x Displayport 1.4, 1x PS2, 3 x Audio jacks, 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A. Front Ports: 1x Headphone-out, 1x Mic-in, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A.
Acer Nitro Desktop – 2nd Runner-up Good Choice
The Nitro is a great starter system with many growth options.
- Sleek & Bold Aesthetics - Dive into 2025 with the Nitro 60's striking design, showcasing vibrant aRGB LEDs, aerodynamic contours, and cooling air-venting bezels. Its meticulously designed 30-liter chassis makes a statement, whether it's gracing your desk or sitting on the floor.
- Game Without Compromise - Be everything you want to be âin-game and out âwith optimized performance and new features. Play harder and work smarter with Intel Core i5-14400F processor. And, with the addition of high-speed 16GB DDR5 RAM â any tasks you encounter are dealt with almost immediately.
- Game Changer - Powered by NVIDIA Blackwell, GeForce RTX 5060 GPU brings game-changing capabilities to gamers and creators. Equipped with a massive level of 614 AI TOPS horsepower, the RTX 50 Series enables new experience and next-level graphics fidelity. Multiply performance with NVIDIA DLSS 4, generate images at unprecedented speed, and unleash your creativity with NVIDIA Studio.
- Stay Connected - High-speed Realtek 802.11ax and Realtek Dragon LAN work hard to keep our pings low and joys high. Connect, zip through your transfer, done! Easy access USB 3.2 Gen1 5 Gbps Type A Ports on top and USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps Type A and USB 3.2 Gen2x2 20 Gbps, Type-C in the back providing ultra-fast data transfers and quick device charging in a port that is one-third the size of a current USB Port and reversible - no need to worry about plugging it in upside down.
- Cooling Performance and Visual Effects - Keep frames high and temps low with the reliable ARGB Lighting CPU Cooler that features high air flow blades and U-shape copper heat pipes to generate high steady air flow. Built-in aRGB LEDs with 16.8 million colors deliver vibrant lighting effects.
DIY Home Lab Server
Custom Build a Home Lab Server – Alternative #2
Custom building your own virtual machine lab desktop is definitely not for everyone. But if you want total control, assembling a system from parts is the way to go.
Here’s a sneak peek of the computer parts you will need:
- Motherboard & CPU
- Memory (RAM)
- Storage (NVMe or ATA SSD)
- Case with a power supply
- Graphics card
- Keyboard and mouse
- WIFI network adapter
Building a home lab server for your own virtual machines can be a great way to learn about hardware and best practices for assembling a system from parts.
If you’re interested in this option but have no idea where or how to start building a home lab server on your own, we recommend checking out our starter guide, “How to build home lab server.”
The guide will show you everything you’ll need to consider before getting started. It also includes a list of components best suited for powering your virtual machines.
The Best Laptop for Running Virtual Machines (Windows/Mac Users) – Alternative #3
Just like with desktops, the recommended laptop for powering virtual machines is one that has at least an Intel Core i7 quad-core processor with 16 GB of RAM. Running virtual machines takes a lot of memory, so having at least 16 GB is the best practice. If you can get 32GB of RAM, that would be even better.
Where things get tricky is laptops aren’t as upgradeable. Some have 4 memory slots and an additional connection for a second ATA or NVMe SSD.
These are the best laptop computers for running VMware Workstation, Hyper-V, VirtualBox, and Parallels (if you have a Mac). But as with desktops, please read the reviews and compare the technical specification before purchasing any of these systems.
Laptop Options for Apple Users
First off, when you’re using a virtual machine for Windows 10 to do work at the office, you don’t want it to be sluggish. If your Guest OS runs slow, it isn’t worth using. Make sure you size your MacBook for the job to be done.
The best MacBooks for the virtualization of Windows 10 or Linux:
My Best Pick for Business Use
Apple MacBook Pro – Best Choice
Most Mac Power Users love this system. This MacBook is at the top of the list.
- Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chip for a massive leap in CPU, GPU, and machine learning performance
- Up to 10-core CPU delivers up to 3.7x faster performance to fly through pro workflows quicker than ever
- 16-core Neural Engine for up to 11x faster machine learning performance - Up to 17 hour battery life
- Up to 32-core GPU with up to 13x faster performance for graphics-intensive apps and games
- 1080p FaceTime HD camera with advanced image signal processor for sharper video calls
Runner-up Business Use
Apple MacBook Pro – 1st Runner-up
The New Apple MacBook is one of the best laptops sold today. It has exceptional specs running Windows virtual machine software.
- The MacBook Pro 14inch features a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, a wide range of ports for advanced connectivity, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and the best audio system in a notebook.A game-changing combination of phenomenal performance, unrivaled battery life, and groundbreaking features.
- M1 Pro also delivers up to 200GB/s of memory bandwidth â nearly 3x the bandwidth of M1 â and supports up to 32GB of fast unified memory. Designed to dramatically speed up pro video workflows, M1 Pro adds a ProRes accelerator in the media engine, delivering unbelievably fast and power-efficient video processing.
- MacBook Pro is designed for developers, photographers, filmmakers, 3D artists, scientists, music producers, and anyone who wants the worldâs best notebook.With industry-leading studio-quality mics, a high-fidelity six-speaker sound system, and support for spatial audio, MacBook Pro delivers the best audio system ever in a notebook.
- MacBook Pro features an advanced thermal design, delivering phenomenal sustained performance while staying cool and quiet.
- MacBook Pro features a Magic Keyboard with a full-height function row and the industry-best Force Touch trackpad.
My Best Pick Home Use
Apple MacBook Air – Best Choice
The MacBook Air has great features and is currently the best Mac laptop to run Windows on the go.
Runner-up Home Use
Apple MacBook Air – 1st Runner up
The perfect MacBook Air laptop for running VM software is the 1st generation or 2nd generation, depending on your budget.
- All-Day Battery Life â Go longer than ever with up to 18 hours of battery life.
- Powerful Performance â Take on everything from professional-quality editing to action-packed gaming with ease. The Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU delivers up to 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation while using way less power.
- Superfast Memory â 8GB of unified memory makes your entire system speedy and responsive. That way it can support tasks like memory-hogging multitab browsing and opening a huge graphic file quickly and easily.
- Stunning Display â With a 13.3 inch Retina display, images come alive with new levels of realism. Text is sharp and clear, and colors are more vibrant.
- Why Mac â Easy to learn. Easy to set up. Astoundingly powerful. Intuitive. Packed with apps to use right out of the box. Mac is designed to let you work, play, and create like never before.
Laptops Options for Windows Users
My Best Pick for Business Use
Lenovo ThinkPad Laptop – Best overall
There are a few laptops that are best for running virtual machines. The Lenovo ThinkPad is a great option if you are looking for a laptop that is best for business.
- The Lenovo ThinkPad P17 stands at the peak of the ThinkPad P lineup, surpassing the ThinkPad P15, P15v, P16, P16s and P1 series. Equipped with the Intel processor and the brand-new Quadro T1000 4GB GPU, this laptop offers impressive power tailored for designers, architects, photographers, video editors, and engineers.
- 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H Processor (2.60 GHz, up to 5.00 GHz with Turbo Boost, 6 Cores, 12 Threads, 12 MB Cache); 64GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB PCIe M.2 SSD
- 17.3" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS 300 nits anti-glare Display; Dedicated NVIDIA Quadro T1000 Graphics; Expandable to 3 monitors via HDMI, Thunderbolt 4. Max resolution of the External Monitors: 4K(3840*2160); HD 720p Webcam with ThinkShutter
- 3 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 (1 always on), 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C / Intel Thunderbolt 3 (DisplayPort, Data transfer), 1 x HDMI 2.0, Mini Gigabit Ethernet Audio combo jack, 4-in-1 media card reader (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC); Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2x2 + Bluetooth 5.1; Backlit Keyboard; Fingerprint Reader
- With the Intel processing and the all-new NVIDIA Quadro T1000 GPU, this laptop will keep the applications you need for work running lag-free. With up to 2TB of storage space available, large files arenât a problem. Additionally, this laptop includes ISV certification for 3dsMax, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, CATIA, Creo, Decision Space, Inventor, Maya, MicroStation, NX, PDMS, Petrel, Revit, Solid Edge, SolidWorks, Vector works, and more.
Runner-up for Business Use
Dell XPS Laptop – 1st Runner-up
The best Dell XPS laptop to run virtual machines has the Intel Core i7 processor, and the NVIDIA dedicated video card.
- PREMIUM ULTRA-PORTABLE DESIGN â The Dell XPS 13 9350 designed for users who value performance, mobility, and premium craftsmanship. With its ultra-slim, lightweight design and refined finish, it delivers a high-end portable experience for work and daily use. Built for all-day productivity, up to 26 hours battery life keeps you powered without interruption
- INTUITIVE CONTROL & PREMIUM INTERACTION â Engineered for modern workflows, it features a precision haptic glass touchpad with smooth, responsive feedback and a streamlined touch function row for effortless control between media and function keys. Combined with its minimalist design, it delivers a clean, premium, and distraction-free experience for everyday productivity. Backlit keyboard ensures comfortable typing in low-light environments
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE - Powered by Intel Ultra 7 256V Processor (8 cores, up to 4.8 GHz) and Intel Arc Graphics, this PC delivers efficient performance for multitasking, data analysis, and content creation. Equipped with 16GB DDR5 and 1TB PCIe SSD, it ensures swift application loading and ample storage for professional workloads
- IMMERSIVE DISPLAY - Features a 13.4-inch WUXGA (1920x1200) display with narrow borders, 500-nit brightness, and 120Hz refresh rate for smooth visuals and reduced eye strain. Supports up to 2 external displays via Thunderbolt 4, with up to 4K@60Hz output. The FHD RGB camera with dual-array microphones delivers clear video calls
- ADVANCED CONNECTIVITY - With 2x Thunderbolt 4, you can easily connect external displays, storage devices and essential peripherals. Stay fast and reliable on the go with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, perfect for video calls, cloud work, and wireless devices without lag
HP Envy Laptop – 2nd Runner-up – Good Choice
This is a good laptop for a smaller budget.
Windows Users Home Uses
The best laptops to run virtual machines have the Intel Core i7 processor and the NVIDIA dedicated video card.
Our Best Pick
ASUS VivoBook Laptop – Best overall
For the best ASUS laptops for virtualization projects, you need to consider these three aspects: performance, lightweight and screen quality. The ASUS laptop with excellent performance is the ASUS VivoBook.
- ăIncredible performanceă: Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and 512GB SSD, this laptop is designed to provide an ultrafast and smooth experience
- ăFast charging batteryă: ASUS fast-charge technology can recharge the battery up to 50% capacity in just 30 minutes, allowing you to quickly top it up without interrupting your workflow
- ăExtra toughness and durabilityă: This laptop stays cool in all situations thanks to ASUS IceCool thermal technology, and meets US military-grade standards for longevity and sustainability
- ăEffortless typing experienceă: The precisely measured and fine-tuned ErgoSense keyboard design reduces strain on your hands and wrists
- ăSmooth video call experienceă: AI Noise-Canceling Technology isolates unwanted noise for smooth communications
Runner-up Home Use
Dell Inspiron Laptop – 1st Runner-up – Better Choice
The Dell Inspiron is the best general purpose laptop for doing just about anything.
- ăHigh Speed RAM And Enormous Spaceă16GB high-bandwidth RAM to smoothly run multiple applications and browser tabs all at once; 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive for fast boot up and data transfer
- ăProcessoră13th Generation Intel Core i7-1355U Processor (10 Cores, 12 Threads, 12MB Intel Smart Cache, Base Frequency at 1.20 GHz, Up to 5.0 Ghz at Maximum Turbo Speed)
- ăDisplayă15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED Backlight Touchscreen Narrow Border WVA Display
- ăTech SpecsăWi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth, 1 x USB-A 2.0, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C, 1 x HDMI 1.4, 1 x Headphone & Microphone Audio Jack, 1 x Power jack, 1 x SD Card Reader, 1080P HD Webcam, Stereo speakers
- ăOperating SystemăWindows 11 Pro-Get all the features of Windows 11 Home operating system plus Mobile device management, Group Policy, Enterprise State Roaming, Assigned Access, Dynamic Provisioningm, Windows Update for Business, Kiosk mode, and Active Directory/Azure AD
HP Pavilion Laptop – 2nd Runner-up – Good Choice
The HP Pavilion is a very good laptop for general purpose use.
- Seamless Multitasking Power: Intel high-power processor (up to 3.4GHz) paired with 16GB DDR4 RAM effortlessly juggles video calls, document editing, web browsing, and streamingâall at once. Whether you're a student managing research across multiple tabs, a professional balancing spreadsheets and presentations, or a parent helping with homework while paying bills pace online, this laptop keeps with your busiest days without lag or frustration.
- Lightning-Fast Responsiveness: 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD delivers blazingly fast boot times and instant application launches. Store thousands of documents, photos, and videos locallyâeliminating the need for external drives or cloud subscriptions.
- Go-Anywhere Design: Weighing just 3.64 lbs with a slim profile, this laptop slips effortlessly into backpacks, briefcases, or tote bags. The 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) anti-glare display delivers crisp text and vibrant visuals while reducing eye fatigue during marathon study sessions or binge-watching. Extended battery life powers through 8+ hours of classes, meetings, or entertainmentâcharge once, work all day.
- Modern Connectivity Suite: WiFi 6 delivers blazing-fast, reliable internet for FHD video conferencing. Full-size keyboard with dedicated numeric keypad accelerates data entry and calculations. Versatile port selectionâ3x USB 3.0, HDMI, headphone/mic comboâconnects monitors, printers, external storage, and peripherals.
- Ready Out of the Box: Pre-loaded with Windows 11 Home and lifetime Microsoft 365 for web (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote)âstart working, learning, or creating immediately without additional purchases. Engineered for students navigating online coursework, remote workers managing home offices, families sharing a household computer, or anyone seeking dependable everyday computing. HP quality meets accessible pricing.
Best Practices for Virtual Machines Lab PCs
This list of best practices for running virtual machines on a desktop or laptop comes from years of experience in the field of virtualization technology.
I’ve built and supported 1000s of server virtual machines on power server hardware designed for virtualization and small virtual machine labs on desktops and laptops. And in every flavor and version of an operating system for Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Best practices to consider when deciding which PC configuration you get.
1. Remember, having more physical memory is best for performance. A VM reading from memory is always faster than reading from a disk, even from fast SSDs. When you shut off your machine, everything stored in memory (RAM) will be wiped clean so always save your work.
When you have a good amount of RAM, you don’t risk starving your main OS of VMs for memory.
2. The system also needs to have a couple of USB ports and an HDMI port so you can connect other devices to them. And It should also be able to support a lot of SSD storage upgrades via NVMe or ATA connectors.
3. The processor should have a lot of fast CPU cores. BTW, I’m not going to spend much time on whether you should get a system with an AMD CPU or an Intel CPU. I’ll leave that up to your preference – they both work well when combined with SSD storage and lots of memory.
For me, it all comes down to how you plan to use the virtual machines.
The best practice is CPUs with the most cores, highest GHz, lots of memory, and SSD storage.
Related guide: Best NUC or Mini PC for Virtualization
People also ask:
What is a Virtual Machine?
A virtual machine is best described as a virtual copy of a physical system. They run on a hypervisor, i.e. virtual machine software that emulates physical hardware.
A PC running a hypervisor can support multiple virtual machine copies of the hardware with a different OS running on each copy. The performance of your VMs greatly depends on the hardware configuration of the PC.
The benefit of running virtual machine software is it allows you to run another operating system that was not installed on your physical computer alongside your main operating system i.e. Windows, Linus, MacOS.
The best PC for virtual machines is defined as one with lots of virtual CPUs, RAM memory, and SSD storage space.
Do you need a good PC to run virtual machine software?
Do you really need the best PC to run virtual machines? It all depends on your application. If you are just trying to run a simple Windows or Linux app, you can get away with a used or cheap PC with less powerful CPUs and HDD storage. But don’t skimp on memory.
Is CPU or RAM more important for virtualization?
For best performance, a balance between CPU and memory is best. Memory is cheap, don’t skimp on it. But a good rule of thumb is to keep your physical host physical. This means only allocating one-half of your total RAM to VMs.
Memory is more of a factor for VMs running large applications and CPU is more of a factor for quickly processing transactions.
Both affect performance when there isn’t enough.
What is better VMware Workstation or Oracle VirtualBox?
Both VirtualBox and Workstation work. VirtualBox is free (open source), whereas VMware Workstation will cost you.
Another alternative of virtual machine software I like to use is Hyper-V. If you have Windows 10 Pro, Hyper-V comes built-in.
If you’re running Linux, KVM is another free (open source) option built into most Linux distributions.
Here’s where you can learn more about virtual machine software alternatives, including software for running Windows on Apple’s OS X.
What is the best laptop for virtual machines?
Check out the list above, but as a quick rule of thumb, the best laptops for virtual machines have a minimum of a Core i7 CPU. They’ll be quad-core or more and have lots of fast RAM (16 – 32GB) that you can throw at your VMs.
They also have a second slot for dedicated storage via NVMe or ATA connection.
What if I want more power for my lab?
If none of the powerhouses shown above is enough for you, then here’s a VMinstall guide about new and refurbished server hardware host virtualization from all the top server brands.
What is the best laptop for IT students?
When it comes to laptops for IT students, there are a few key factors to look for. First, the laptop should have a good amount of RAM and storage space in order to run complex software programs. Second, it should have a good graphics card to allow for graphics-intensive tasks such as 3D modeling. And finally, it should be a durable laptop that can withstand the wear and tear of daily use.
With those factors in mind, here are our picks for the best laptops for IT students:
- Apple MacBook Air â Best Choice
- Dell XPS Laptop â Best overall for Windows
- Dell Inspiron Laptopâ Next Best for Windows
Will these powerful PCs also work for a small business server?
Yes, you could make them work with changes to security and a good backup system. For better hardware, you could also consider a powerful built tower server that is specially designed for SMB.
Time to Pick a PC for Your Virtual Machines
Important: Make sure you have plenty of room for growth.
As we wrap up, I want to state one last time that your new PC for hosting virtual machines needs to be expandable.
Later on, I guarantee you will want to add upgraded WIFI adapters, network cards, graphics cards, SSDs, NVMe storage, CPUs, and USB devices.
Planning ahead will make your virtual machine lab more future-proof, especially if you are building virtual machines for business use cases that rely on keeping up with new software requirements.
The best desktop or laptop for running virtual machines can keep expanding if needed before you need to replace it with a new bigger system.
Look, these suggestions all have their Pros/Cons depending on what you plan to do with your virtual machine overall, but they are all good for building a virtual machine lab.
In conclusion, the best PC for virtual machines is waiting for you! Now it’s time to check out the reviews, compare the specs, and pick the winner…
Let us know in the comments which brand and model you decide to get and why.
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