The necessary laptop specs for programming or coding will depend on the type of programming language that you intend to work with. While each programming language can have its ideal hardware requirements, certain specifications can be used as a baseline when buying a machine for coding. A laptop with a CPU featuring an i5 processor, at least 8 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB SSD may help you complete basic coding tasks. Depending on your specific needs, you may also need to consider screen size and resolution, keyboard attributes, HDMI ports, USB hubs, and card reader components.