The Best Day Trading Computer Setup

Day trading is one of the most competitive industries in the world.

Every day, millions of full-time traders and computer algorithms grapple for the same money. The last thing you need is to be using slow or otherwise inferior equipment and software.

To give you the highest chance of success, your trading environment needs to be top-notch. Don't worry though, you don't need to spend an egregious amount of money to get a great trading setup.

Here are the hardware, software, and other tools used by professional traders that make the complex job of day trading faster, easier, and more profitable.

A quick look at the best day trading products

Here's a quick look at the best products and tools for day traders.

Hardware

• Best PC desktop computer: Radical X14 EZ Trading Computer
• Best PC laptop computer: Odyssey X7 EZ Trading Laptop
• Best Mac desktop computer: Mac Mini
• Best Mac laptop: MacBook Pro
• Best single monitor: Samsung CH890 Series 34-Inch Ultrawide
• Best for dual monitors: Dell UltraSharp 24-Inch FHD 1080p Screen

Software

• Best brokerage overall: TradeStation
• Best brokerage for new traders: moomoo
• Best charting software: TradingView
• Best real-time news feed: Benzinga Pro

Other tools

• Best desk: Azonanor Standing Desk
• Best chair: Mimoglad Ergonomic Chair
• Best keyboard: Lovaky MK98 Wireless Keyboard
• Best mouse: Logitech M510 Wireless Mouse
• Best internet: Premium, high-speed internet
• Best UPS: APC UPS 1500VA Battery Backup

Read on for full details about these products, including why I recommend them.

Hardware

To be a successful day trader, you will need a fast, high-quality computer and monitor(s). These are the most important components of your setup.

1. Computer

Your computer is the foundation of your trading setup — if you're going to spend money on one thing, I'd recommend buying a great computer.

A good day trading computer will have similar specifications as a good gaming computer, except that the graphics card is not as important as for gaming. Here are the important specs you should look for:

• RAM: Preferably at least 16GB
• Processor: Minimum of 6-cores (i5), but more is better (i7, i9, M1, or M2)
• Hard drive: Use an SSD (which performs better than HDD)

Unsurprisingly, this type of hardware doesn't come cheap, but you can still find good deals on great equipment.

EZ Trading builds top-of-the-line trading computers. Their Radical X14 is one of the most popular desktops among professional traders.

The X14 has a 24-core, i9 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 500GB SSD. Through our link, you can score free upgrades — 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD — and save some money.

If you're looking for a laptop, the Odyssey X7 is a great option and also comes with a discount and multiple free upgrades (32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD) through our link.

While these are both PCs, I've long been a Mac user and have found my 2020 Mac Mini (M1 processor) to be more than capable of managing my trading workflow.

And, although I haven't personally traded on it, I'm assuming a MacBook Pro with either the M1, M2, or M3 chip would be similarly capable.

2. Monitor(s)

Now that we've got our computer, it's time to buy some screen real estate.

Personally, I can't stand trading on a laptop screen — it's too small — but it works well enough for many of the traders I know. If you travel a lot or think you could manage to trade off a laptop and don't want to buy a monitor, I'd encourage you to try it.

For the rest of us, there are external monitors.

I've found one ultrawide monitor to be my favorite for day trading — I've used the Samsung CH890 34-inch curved monitor for the last three years.

I'll never go back to a dual-monitor setup after having an ultrawide, but I know people will disagree with me on that.

If I were going to get two monitors, I would aim for 24- to 27-inch displays with thin bezels. I've always preferred the quality of Dell monitors, so I'd go with the Ultrasharp U2419H 24-inch.

Software

Here are my recommended brokerages, charting platform, and news feed.

1. Brokerage

At least as important — if not more important — as having a great computer is having a great trading brokerage.

TradeStation has been my most recommended day trading brokerage for the last few years. It's fast, powerful, and incredibly reliable — I've never had an issue executing an order.

Additionally, it has a huge variety of tradable assets like stocks, options, futures, crypto, and more, and gives you access to international markets.

One caveat: TradeStation was built for serious day traders and isn't overly user-friendly if you're completely new to trading.

moomoo is an easier-to-use trading platform that still offers multiple assets and markets to trade. Plus, you can get up to 15 free stocks for signing up and making a deposit.

2. Charting software

When I'm day trading, I spend 90% of my time in my charting software, not my brokerage, making it an indispensable part of my workflow.

TradingView is the single best charting software available, as proven by its user base of more than 50 million traders. It's fast, very easy to use, and extremely capable.

It has everything: there are 15 chart types, 20+ timeframes, 110+ drawing tools, 400+ pre-built indicators, 100,000+ community-built indicators, and 70+ exchanges from 50+ countries.

There's nothing you can't do. Plus, its “Replay Mode” makes it the best day trading simulator I've ever used.

My favorite part about TradingView is that it's both intuitive and exceptionally powerful, making it the perfect tool for traders ranging from complete beginners to advanced traders.

While you can use it for free, serious traders will want to pay for the upgrade. I recommend Pro, which you can try free for 30 days with our links. You can read more about why I use Pro in my TradingView Review.

3. Real-time newsfeed

Depending on the type of trading you're doing, you may want access to an up-to-the-minute newsfeed. For that, there's no better tool than Benzinga Pro.

Get real-time quotes, news, scanners, sentiment analysis, signals, unusual options activity, SEC filings, calendars, and more.

I wouldn't call it an essential tool, but it is a component of many of the best day trader setups.

You can get started for free and then upgrade to a Basic subscription if you decide it suits your trading style.

Other Tools

Finally, let's not forget your office setup and other equipment.

Here is my recommended desk, chair, keyboard, mouse, internet connection, and backup power source.

1. Desk and chair

If you already have a good desk and chair, you can skip this section.

As a trader, you will spend a lot of time in front of your computer. For this reason, I recommend having a sit-and-stand desk (like this Azonanor) and an ergonomic chair (like this Mimoglad).

2. Keyboard and mouse

Don't overcomplicate your keyboard and mouse. They should be comfortable and responsive, but you don't need any extra bells and whistles.

Like your desk and chair, you can probably use the equipment you already have.

I prefer wireless, so I'll recommend the Lovaky MK98 keyboard and the Logitech M510 mouse. But any lightweight gaming keyboard and mouse should also work well.

3. High-speed internet connection

There's nothing worse than seeing trades execute late or missing entries because of a delayed connection. I recommend paying for premium internet service.

4. Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

The only thing worse than a slow internet connection is no electricity, especially when you're in the middle of a trade.

A USP can save you from power surges or outages and ensure you will never get stuck in a position.

The APC UPS 1500VA is a great choice if your home or office has frequent outages.

You may also want to invest in your education. For that, check out our article on the best options trading courses.

Final word

Day trading is complex and stressful, and you need to give yourself every advantage.

The lowest-hanging fruit is a solid day trading computer setup that is fast, reliable, and comfortable.

If you're constantly battling your hardware and software, you'll be draining your emotional and physical energy, putting yourself at a disadvantage.

A good computer setup for trading may be the lowest risk, highest ROI long-term investment you'll ever make as a day trader.