Best Day Trading Computer & Monitor Setup in 2024
We put together three day trading computer and monitor setups, covering a range of price points. Whether you’re looking for a high-end trading setup, a midrange set up or a budget option, our article will help you find the best tools to maximize your trading success.
We put together three day trading computer and monitor setups, covering a range of price points. Whether you’re looking for a high-end trading setup, a midrange setup, or a budget option, our article will help you find the best tools to maximize your trading success. For each price point, we provide a setup including a computer, monitor(s), and peripherals.
High-end setup - A luxurious trading experience
Total price: $5,238
We’ll begin our roundup with a high-end setup day trading setup aimed at big spenders. To be quite honest, this setup will be overkill for the vast majority of traders. However, if you’re working with a big budget and enjoy using top-of-the-line gear, the following setup will provide you with a luxurious trading experience.
Computer - Dell XPS 8960 Desktop ($3,439)
If you don’t want to build your own computer, a prebuilt desktop from Dell XPS is a good option if you want very good performance. A configuration with an Intel Core i7 13700 processor, 64 GB of RAM, and a GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card is currently going for just under $3,000. Of course, if you don’t plan on using your computer for gaming, you can choose a configuration without a dedicated graphics card (or a weaker GPU) and save yourself a nice chunk of change.
Monitor - Samsung 49” Odyssey OLED G95SC ($1,799)
For those who have a big budget and prefer to avoid the complications of a multi-monitor set up, there's a straightforward solution: purchase one massive monitor.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G95SC is an absolute powerhouse, and provides plenty of screen real estate at 49 inches. It delivers exceptional image quality, thanks to its QD-OLED panel, featuring a high-resolution display with 5,120 x 1,440 pixels and a blazing fast 240Hz refresh rate. To be honest, this monitor might be excessive for most traders, but if cost is not a concern, it's among the best options available.
Buy the Samsung 49” Odyssey OLED G95SC
Mouse - Logitech MX Master 3S ($89)
The Logitech MX Master 3S is widely considered the best mouse on the market for productivity and work. The MX Master 3S sports a highly ergonomic shape, excellent build quality, and a pair of scroll wheels that make productivity a breeze. In addition, the MX Master 3S is wireless, so you won’t be bothered by any cables.
Keyboard - Razer Pro Type Ultra ($160)
It’s certainly possible to spend a lot more on a keyboard, but you quickly get into the area of diminishing returns if you want something fancier than the Razer Pro Type Ultra. Given that trading is not a particularly keyboard-intensive activity, we think that spending a massive amount on a keyboard doesn’t make the most sense when putting together a setup for trading.
The Razer Pro Type Ultra is an ergonomic wireless mechanical keyboard that’s designed with a focus on productivity. It sports silent switches and sound-dampening foam, so it’s not just easy on your hands but your ears as well.
Midrange setup - Best balance between performance and value
Total price: $1,830
For the midrange setup, we’ll be able to get the most bang for our buck by building our own computer instead of purchasing a prebuilt. This setup also saves quite a bit of money on the monitor front, opting for two solid quality 27-inch displays.
Computer - Build your own PC (Under $1,000)
If you are looking for a high-performance day trading computer setup and would like your money to go as far as possible, the best choice by far is to build your own PC. Since you won’t require a dedicated graphics card, you’ll be able to build a fantastic trading computer for under $1,000.
Here is an example of a trading computer build for under $1,000 that will be more than powerful enough for most traders:
- Motherboard: MSI PRO B760M-A ($201)
- CPU: Intel Core i7-13700 ($367)
- RAM: Crucial Pro RAM 2x16 GB ($72)
- Storage: Western Digital WD Black SN770 2TB ($84)
- Power Supply: Seasonic FOCUS GM-550 ($110)
- Case: Corsair 4000D Airflow ($95)
The Intel Core i7 13700 CPU can accommodate up to four displays, which should be more than sufficient for the majority of stock trading setups. Additionally, there are two available RAM slots, allowing for memory upgrades in the future if necessary. If you’re willing to extend your budget to $1,500, you can buy an even more powerful CPU, as well as an additional 32 GB of RAM.
Monitor - 2x Dell UltraSharp U2722D 27" ($740)
For this midrange day trading monitor setup, we are using two Dell UltraSharp U2722D 27-inch monitors. With the monitor coming in at a price of $368, this monitor setup costs just under $740.
The Dell UltraSharp U2722D 27" monitor offers a QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution and features Dell's ComfortView Plus technology, designed to make prolonged usage comfortable by minimizing blue light emissions.
The monitor's anti-glare screen ensures suitability in various lighting conditions, which makes it one of the top choices for day trading. Its thin bezel is another advantage, enabling a seamless visual transition when multiple monitors are positioned side by side.
Mouse - Logitech M720 Triathlon ($45)
The Logitech M720 Triathlon is a great wireless mouse that won’t break the bank, as it comes in at a very reasonable price of $45. While you shouldn’t expect to dominate any video games with this mouse, it does a great job for various productivity tasks, including trading.
Buy the Logitech M720 Triathlon
Keyboard - Keychron K10 ($115)
The Keychron K10 is a rock-solid all-around mechanical keyboard with a wireless connection. It provides a great typing experience and is a full-sized keyboard, which makes it suitable for productivity applications.
Budget setup - A good trading setup doesn’t have to cost a fortune
Total price: $727
You would be surprised how much performance you can get by spending very little, especially if you’re willing to buy a refurbished computer instead of a brand new one. Coming in at just under $730, this setup provides the most bang for your buck.
Computer - Refurbished Dell OptiPlex 7040 ($217)
This is where the budget build achieves most of its savings. A refurbished Dell OptiPlex 7040 desktop computer with an i7-6700 processor, 32 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB NVMe drive comes in at just under $220.
While the processor is quite old (the model was launched in 2015), this computer will be able to easily handle any web-based trading workflows and is unbeatable in terms of value for money. Of course, if your trading process involves intensive computations, you’ll have to spend more on your computer.
Monitor - 2x BenQ GW2785TC ($430)
The monitor of choice for our budget day trading set up is the BenQ GW2785TC, which is a decent quality 27-inch monitor for $215. Since we’ll be using two monitors, you’ll be spending a total of $430.
Mouse - Logitech M500s ($40)
The Logitech M500S is a comfortable and solid quality mouse that comes in at only $40. It provides a total of 7 customizable buttons and a hyper fast scrolling feature that makes browsing long documents a breeze.
However, keep in mind that the M500s is a wired mouse. If you’d prefer to use a wireless mouse instead, we recommend you opt for the Logitech M720 Triathlon, which we included in the midrange day trading setup.
Keyboard - Logitech Signature K650 ($40)
The Logitech Signature K650 is a no-nonsense wireless keyboard that provides a good deal of comfort. Keep in mind that the Logitech Signature K650 is not a mechanical keyboard, so the typing experience won’t be quite as luxurious as the other keyboards we’ve featured in this article. Still, we’re trying to make our money go as far as possible in this budget setup, and the Signature K650 does the job perfectly.
Buy the Logitech Signature K650
Laptop-based setup - Trade at home or on the go
Total price: $2,588
We're rounding out our day trading setup recommendations with a setup centered around a capable laptop. This setup has enough horsepower to handle the vast majority of trading workflows, but provides additional flexibility thanks to the portability of the laptop.
Laptop - MacBook Pro M3 - $1,675
The central part of our laptop setup is the MacBook Pro M3, which is a very capable machine that offers solid value for money. The configuration we've selected has an M3 chip with an 8-core CPU and a 10-core CPU, 16 GB of memory, and 1 TB of SSD storage.
Our configuration of the MacBook Pro M3 has a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, which will provide a pleasant experience when you're trading on the go. Still, if you're doing day trading, you'll want to use external displays to get more screen real estate (the MacBook Pro M3 supports up to two external displays).
Monitor - 2x Dell U2723QE ($844)
For this laptop-based setup, we have selected a pair of Dell U2723QE as our displays. These 27-inch displays feature a 4K resolution and are reasonably priced ($422) given the performance they provide.
This monitor features Dell's ComfortView Plus technology, which reduces blue light emissions while retaining vibrant colors.
The monitor's anti-glare screen guarantees adaptability to different lighting environments, making it an excellent option for day trading. Another benefit is its slim bezel, which allows for a smooth visual flow when multiple monitors are arranged next to each other.
Mouse - Logitech MX Anywhere 3S - $69
The Logitech MX Anywhere 3S is a compact wireless mouse that features a comfortable shape, an 8,000 DPI sensor, a Magspeed scroll wheel with 2 scrolling modes, and solid customizability.
One of the main reasons why we have selected the MX Anywhere 3S is because it is compact, which means that you can easily take it alongside your laptop and enjoy comfortable trading sessions even when you're not at home.
Buy the Logitech MX Anywhere 3S
FAQs
Now, let’s quickly take a look at some of the most common questions users have about day trading setups.
What is a good setup for day trading?
A good setup for day trading should consist of a computer with a solid processor and ample RAM, as well as plenty of screen real estate. Using multiple monitors is common, as it allows traders to view multiple price charts and other important information simultaneously. It’s also key to choose comfortable peripherals - an ergonomic mouse and keyboard combination will allow you to trade for hours on end comfortably.
How to setup a day trading computer and monitor?
In our opinion, the most important features of a trading monitor are a powerful processor and lots of RAM (traders typically use a large number of web browser tabs), which will ensure a smooth trading experience.
Graphics capabilities are not very important at all for the purposes of trading. As far as monitors are concerned, we recommend starting off with two 27-inch monitors and adding additional monitors later on if necessary.
The bottom line - You can build a good day trading setup on any budget
Hopefully, we’ve given you some good ideas for your next-day trading computer setup, regardless of how much you’re looking to spend. As you can see, it’s possible to build a good setup for trading on practically any budget.
If you’re looking to learn about the various parts of a day trading setup in more detail, make sure to check out our list of the best monitors for trading, as well as our selection of the best laptops for trading.
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