Trader is a new generation profession, which is hard to imagine without basic gadgets: a computer, a laptop and a smartphone. Despite the fact that trader is directly associated with a free and independent person, without these, at least, two gadgets it’s almost impossible to carry out trading on a professional level.

Moreover, trading is performed on dynamic global trading floors and any delays, platform freezes can have a detrimental effect on the account balance. That’s why you need to take care of your workplace, and most importantly, choose a decent computer for trading. Today we are going to discuss what kind of computer is necessary for trading and also get more detailed information about how to make your working place more efficient.

The trader’s workplace

Surely you have seen videos or pictures of stock speculators, who are 180 degrees surrounded by monitors. It seems to be crazy, where are so many screens, and where can you find so many eyes to keep track of everything? However, if that’s what the pros do – it’s for a reason. In fact, the workplace is first of all the health, and then the comfort!

If we take a trader’s space, he is necessarily surrounded by the following elements:

  • System unit;
  • Monitor;
  • Additional equipment;
  • Furniture.

What system unit should a trader choose?

The system unit is the heart of your computer, so it is necessary to choose it very carefully. Despite the habit of most people to focus on gaming computers, in the case of trading can perfectly suit the most ordinary office PC worth up to $ 500. When choosing a PC you should pay attention to the following elements:

  • Processor;
  • RAM;
  • Hard drive;
  • Graphic card.

The most important thing for the trader is the processor. The fact is that MT4 and MT5 terminals are not resource-intensive programs for Forex trading. However, this statement is true only as long as you do not use computing power for your Expert Advisors during optimization. Frankly speaking, complex Expert Advisors with a few dozens of parameters and a huge historical testing period of several years can stun even the coolest gaming computer for a few hours. That is why the MT5 developers have implemented a service that can involve other computers and their power during optimization.

However, for the most ordinary casual trading, an ordinary dual-core processor will be enough. The brand and generation of the processor depends primarily on your pocket. Don’t forget that MT5 was released in 2009 and the fourth generation even earlier. Therefore even if you have an old dual core AMD Athlon of the shaggy generation with the clock frequency of 2,9 GHz you won’t see any glitches. However, if you have the opportunity to buy a processor with four or eight cores on board, like a generation Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 5, your trading terminal will fly at an incredible speed, even with a large number of Expert Advisors and indicators on dozens of charts.

MT4 and MT5 do not gobble up memory, because the platforms were created at a time when four hectares of RAM was a luxury. Nevertheless, your browser, antivirus and other programs today can create a greater load than the terminal. So when choosing the amount of RAM, rely on the minimum gaming standard of 8 gigabytes. This will allow you to conduct parallel activities without freezing up your browser and terminal. If you do not have free money, even with only 2 GB of RAM, the platform will function without any problems (without the parallel use of simultaneously running programs).

The hard drive for all testers and future fans of automated trading systems should choose exclusively SSD. Despite its cost, this decision is justified, because of the importance of data transfer speed when optimizing and working with quotes. Of course, an old and time-tested HDD will perfectly cope with the task of storing files. But if you want to build a computer specifically for algorithmic trading, it is better to take less memory, but its type should be SSD.

The most important component for you and your terminal is the graphics card. The platform is not overloaded with graphics elements, moreover you will not have to observe excessive dynamics. That’s why you can buy it just about the cheapest one for $10. However, if you plan to work with several monitors, for example, to use 4 or more screens, it is better to look at more expensive options.

You should also pay attention to the cooling system and buy more expensive fans, because the noise level should not interfere with your concentration and trading.

Choice of monitor

The monitor is the main attribute of the workplace, with which you will constantly interact! Not only the quantity of information you can digest, but also your health depends on its quality! The thing is that Professionals are in front of the monitor during at least one trading session when the price activity peak falls on a selected instrument, if they do not practice the automated trading. It means that they will have to spend from four to eight hours a day at the monitor.

If the screen is small, without an eye-protection function – the vision will deteriorate in the first year of work. That’s why it’s important not only to choose a large diagonal of 26 inches, but also to ensure that the matrix is not the cheapest (no China!). Viewing angles, color rendering, additional options to save power and protect your eyes – this is what you should not skimp on.

By the way, you’ve probably seen how the pros have 3-8 screens in front of their eyes. As a rule, there is a large monitor in front of your eyes and small auxiliary monitors around. It is necessary to monitor the market situation on several instruments and markets at the same time. Such a hodgepodge can be assembled on your own by taking a splitter for your video card in the nearest store. However, everyone usually resorts to buying pre-built units, which sell for an average of $1,000 to $1,500 for a set of six.

We want to draw your attention to the fact that one screen is enough for beginners! MT4 and MT5 allow you to configure charts windows in such a way as to display the information on several instruments on one workspace. If you are studying the MQL4 program code and developing your own Expert Advisor or indicator, it is desirable to have two monitors – one for the MetaEditor program, and another for testing the received code in the terminal.

Additional equipment

A mouse, keyboard and speakers are an integral part of the computer by default, but their quality will not affect your efficiency. An uninterruptible power supply is another thing, without which you can’t do without if you’re serious about trading. You need to be sure that in case of power outage your positions will not be AWOL, bringing solid losses in the end.

We also want to pay special attention to the Internet! Choose a provider who has a stable Internet connection, moreover, make sure that your smartphone has free megabytes. This is necessary so that in case of problems with one provider you can easily distribute the Internet directly from your phone. We would like to point out that ping is very important in trading, especially when it comes to scalping. Your computer can be incredibly cool, but if the Internet is glitchy, you can forget about quality trading.

Having a printer will be a huge plus, even if it’s not necessary. With it, you will be able to print trades and charts, and then conduct analysis in a convenient form. If you do not have extra money for a printer, do not be sad, because you can always make a screenshot of the chart and review them on your iron horse.
Furniture

Unfortunately, a huge number of people neglect the quality of furniture, namely the orthopedic properties. The fact is that a trader is a typical office worker who is in a sitting position all day. That is why the first thing you should really splurge on is a chair. You should not sit on a wooden stool without back support, moreover, the cheapest chairs are not the best option either. Otherwise you’ll not only harm your posture, but you’ll get terribly tired. Fatigue, lethargy and lack of sleep are a direct path to stupid mistakes and bad moods, which should not be allowed in the work with money. Therefore, it is worth considering a computer chair priced from $150 and up.

It is also worth taking care that your monitor is at eye level. This will allow, at a minimum, not to strain your neck, which means no headaches.

Personal computer or laptop

Thanks to the marketing of brokerage companies, the trader is a person with a laptop. Freedom of movement, thoughts and the possibility to earn anywhere and anytime have become the main slogans of advertising companies. But is it really so? Of course it’s not! Moreover, bright pictures from the stock exchanges of people, in front of a huge number of monitors confirm it.

However, let’s approach the choice pragmatically. A laptop is expensive, especially if the characteristics are identical to the PC. If we talk about the average and budget segment will always suffer from the quality of the screen, as well as its size. Also, we should not forget about the well-known problem of the portable gadget – it is a flimsy cooling system, because a huge number of gadgets that lift a laptop from the table by an inch, were invented for a reason.

However, it does have some pluses:

  • Mobility;
  • No need to buy an uninterruptible power supply.

There is an opinion that the laptop, like a tablet, introduces a negative discipline (photos of people lying on the couch with food on his belly may be about you).
Conclusion

In conclusion it is worth noting that the computer for trading should always be a desktop, despite the stereotypes. But you should not run to the store and buy expensive equipment! Your old computer that can barely breathe will cope with MT4 and MT5 trading terminals without problems. At the beginning invest in the deposit, and only with a profit start to improve your workplace.