Can you imagine a student without having a laptop in his backpack in 2021? It’s like forgetting your textbook at home or more likely shutting your eyes during the whole lecture. Yes laptops for students are this much important and why wouldn’t it be? Getting a best laptop for students is as important as getting an admission in a high school or a college. But how much you need to spend on a laptop after paying your tuition fee or rents as a student seems a matter of striving for hand to mouth.
Many of the students who are paying their bills along with having a part time job can relate this situation and feel the very hit in this case. Some of you might have already gone through this but most of the students are on this same step and feeling nervous to buy a laptop which not only suits their needs but also didn’t fall heavy on their pockets. In short, looking for a budget laptop for students I must say.
Another worrisome task is to pick the right one that could not only fill the current course requirements of the particular field of students but also be futuristic so that for a couple of years you wouldn’t have to spend on a laptop again. Even if your main concern is not getting a budget laptop, then still we have covered you all, I Mean All, trust me.
Lets just know first, what your field of study really is and what type of a laptop you actually require? Or are you having a case of overspending on these machines when you really don’t need to? I mean yes, don’t stare at the screen and pull up your jaw because most of the students do make this very mistake often.
Although we have curated the best laptops for students in this guide, it also includes Chromebook, notebooks and Macbooks for students according to the field of studies, ease of work, compatibility and off course what we are going to suggest to you. Consequently, don’t just leave your seat if you are not interested in laptops for students, because as we have mentioned we are going to cover them all here.
Also Read: Best Gaming Laptop under 500
Frequently Asked Questions About The “Best Laptop For Students”
a. Which operating system is best for students, Chrome OS, Windows or MacOS?
The Windows, MacOS and Chrome are the three basic operating systems we are dealing with. Each one of them has their own pros and cons and a number of fans all around the globe which can’t be separable to give them a trophy. Who is the winner and who has to lose, is impossible to decide. One thing is pretty clear, if you are specifically talking about the students, Chromebooks (or chrome OS) is good for those who remain on the web or have internet connection all the time. It’s good for students who run applications online and surf or browse without any need of installation, not only this, but Chromebook is also light on your pocket compared to Macbooks and laptops with Windows OS.
Whereas for high school students, Macbook and laptops are the best pick. In case of college students, when there are pretty heavy applications and softwares is required to be installed, a laptop is a best pick, on the other hand, for maximum running time, Macbooks are good for students.
b. Chromebook vs laptop, which one is good for students?
Chromebooks use Chrome OS and laptops use Windows operating systems, physically both look the same (but differ in operating systems). Chromebooks are simple and manageable without crashing, all the functions are based on the Google web browser (Google Chrome) and are non complex which requires no upgrading and installation of the apps. All the storage goes to Google Drive or Cloud instead of local storage. Whereas laptops take time to boot up, applications need to be installed before working on them, they are often crashed, need frequent upgrading, have complex procedures and are more likely to need expertise to manage.
As for a student who is already having hard time earning and managing their school fees, Chromebook is a cheaper option compared to expensive laptops. Chromebook despite being an easy option for students, does have limitations whereas laptops are much more versatile than Chromebook. However, according to our cost and benefit analysis, if budget is a major factor, then Chromebooks are a better option, if you need to do complex tasks and gaming too, then laptops are way better at the cost of few intricacies.
c. MacBook vs laptop, which one is good for students?
MacBook is an Apple product which uses MacOS, whereas laptops use Windows operating systems. MacBook’s provide their own suite of applications that come from the Apple store and Windows offers Microsoft Office from any of the apps from A to Z. Any standard laptop offers 6 to 7 hours of battery life but a MacBook has an upper hand in this matter since it provides up to 18 hours of long battery life now (we are talking about the latest MacBook Air M1 2021).
MacOS or MacBook’s are extremely user friendly and can sync with other Apple devices like no other, for instance working on an Apple phone (iPhone) simultaneously update that on your Mac even without opening its lid. Laptops with Windows OS range from $200 to more than $1000 from a number of manufacturers, including convertible or 2 in 1 laptops which even come with touchscreen features as well. Whereas MacBook’s don’t have touch features in the models until December 2020, although the new versions have come up with this property but are pricey in 2021.
As for students, Windows OS laptops is still considered better among both the operating systems specially if you need a laptop for hardcore applications and gaming. Nevertheless, MacBook’s are better than laptops in terms of battery life. Subsequently, it’s a matter of preferences of the user, who can better analyze the execution of the tasks on hand than anyone else.
d. What is the minimum configuration & ideal configuration for CAD/CAM?
Students belong to the engineering field, whether Civil, Electric or Computer Science, your laptop has to be capable to deal with the softwares, applications or all the modules that come in your way in your entire student life. One of them is CAD/CAM and softwares like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Revit, Inventor etc, the configuration of your laptop should at least have dual core processor, 4GB RAM and minimum 1GB video card. Whereas for best CAD/CAM performance you need 4 or more core CPU with high base and boost clock, 8 to 16GB RAM and graphics card with 4GB or more video memory.
e. What is the ideal configuration for programming and coding?
For the students who belong to computer science, programming is the baseline you have to deal with more frequently. Your course will also comprised of scripting languages like PHP, Python, Ruby, Java, C++, HTML CSS, Haskel etc. for this you need Intel i5 or i7 processor, 8GB to 16GB RAM, 256GB to 500GB SSD storage and a discrete video card. Same hardware is recommended for the laptop for graphic designing as well.
Also Read: Best Laptop for video editing
Let’s break down the curated list for best laptop for students.
- Apple MacBook Air – Best Apple laptop for high school students
- Google Pixelbook Go – Best Chromebook for middle school
- Lenovo Flex 3 – Best Chromebook for elementary students
- Asus Zenbook 13 – Best notebook for high school students
- Asus Tuf Gaming laptop – Best gaming laptop for college
- Rog Zephyrus G15 – Best laptop for high school students
- HP Envy 13 – Best laptop for engineering students under 1000
- Dell Inspiron 13 7000 – Best students laptop for school under 1000
- Acer Swift 3 – Best laptops for students under 700
- Lenovo Ideapad Flex – Best 2 in 1 laptop for students under 700
- Acer Nitro 5 – Best laptop for graphic design students under 600
- Asus Vivobook F412DA – Best budget laptop for students under 600
Laptop For Students 2021 (12 Latest Laptops Reviewed)
1. Apple MacBook Air – Best MacBook for college students
Screen/ resolution: 13.3” QHD (2560*1600) | Processor name: Apple M1 Chip | GPU: Apple 8 core GPU | RAM: 8GB unified memory | Storage/ Hard drive: 256GB / 512GB SSD | Operating system: MacOS
Reasons to buy
- The longest battery life of 18 hours
- Fanless and soundless design ever
- FaceTime HD camera, backlit keyboard, Ambient light sensor, force touch trackpad
- The incredibly fast, powerful and smooth processing
- Best laptop for engineers, programmers and all the potential fields of studies
Reasons to avoid
- External GPUs or displays are not compatible
- Expansive one
- M1 chip is although very powerful and beating out the Intel processors but applications are often get crashed
This is purely dedicated to the Macbook lovers. Apple Macbook Air has arrived in late 2020. It has given the jaw dropping performance to its rivals and nailed the exceptionally great, powerful and fast processing we have ever seen before. Apple M1 Chip is the 8 core processor and Apple 8 core GPU, the most advanced, latest and most powerful processor by Apple this time. Nothing is restricted, you perform the way you like, it’s not any ordinary processing we are talking about, rather its itself a game changer. If you have ever used a Macbook before, this surely going to make you gawk with supreme performance and power like no other.
Apple Macbook Air is equipped with all the latest features including the most advanced industrial leading security mechanism. It has a touch ID to access unlimited apps, M1 chip and MacOS brings you near to the most advanced security, your documents and files are hidden in the safest hood ever. The quality of the image is again something to drool for. Its 13.3 inches retina display screen is pushing P3 wide color clear and vibrant images with exceptional details. The old butterfly keyboard is now replaced with Magic keyboard, and comes up with greater rectifications than before.
Further, the most attractive feature we are having in this model is the fanless design. It doesn’t have any cooling mechanism based on the fans, but the Apple this time has introduced the most silent yet effective cooling system independent of fans. The next extremely applauding fact is the 18 hours long battery life. It is very slim and light in weight, indeed the most suitable laptop for students to carry with great efficiency to handle almost everything from academics to gaming to entertainment. This is the ever best option for CAD/CAM, powerful 3D acceleration modeling, heavy computations, designing, editing videos and pictures to the professional level, intense coding and much more.
2. Google Pixelbook Go – Best Chromebook for college students
Screen/ resolution: 13.3” touchscreen FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel i7-8500Y | GPU: Intel UHD 615 Graphics | RAM: 16GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 256GB SSD | Operating system: Chrome OS
Reasons to buy
- Battery last up to 12 hours
- Extremely light in weight and thinnest profile
- 1080p Duo cam
- 13.3 inch 1080p to 4k display
- Ultra responsive trackpad and backlit keyboard
Reasons to avoid
- Pretty expensive
Shuffling for the best laptop for students and didn’t come across chromebooks for students is a case out of the box. Students, whether they are from elementary school, highschool or belong to college, chromebooks are becoming extremely popular among them due to the flexibility of performance without the need of installing applications or software. Google PixelBook Go is one of the most admirable chromebook we have. Although the production is somehow discontinued and we are expecting a new version to come up in the name of Google PixelBook 2 to arrive soon this year.
If you are getting late and don’t have much time to wait for the new PixelBook to join, then this would be the option you are left with if you still want to stick with this Chromebook. Yes it is an expensive one but if your budget is not getting in your way then you must go for it. Google PixelBook Go comes in three variants, m3, i5 and i7. We have opted for the 8th generation Intel i7-8500Y 2 core processor with 4 threads, 4MB Cache and a boost clock up to 4.8GHz. This model comes with Integrated Intel UHD 615 graphics and a 16GB RAM, which is a good start for programming and coding, although on a basic level.
Since it does not discrete graphics cards, it wouldn’t be an ideal pick for graphic designers, 3D modeling and all those graphic centric tasks which might come in your field of study. However, if you belong to a primary school, elementary school or even you have scope for using it at home, then Google PixelBook Go is a nice but budget deadly option. Remember it’s not designed for gaming purposes though, but a full pledge entertainment could be expected without going down to the painly installation processes of the applications you love. Moreover, the 12 hours of battery life and the ease of access for online meetings, classes or conferences, altogether make things super smooth for each and everyone.
Also Read: Best portable monitors
3. Lenovo Flex 3 – Best budget Chromebook for students
Screen/ resolution: 11.6” touchscreen HD (1366*768) | Processor name: MediaTek MT8173C | GPU: PowerVR GX6250 Integrated Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 32GB SSD | Operating system: Chrome OS
Reasons to buy
- Small form factor laptop
- Just 11.6 inch wide, 10 point capacitive touch
- Dual stereo speakers with Dolby audio
- Extremely easy to use
- Best budget laptop aka Chromebook
Reasons to avoid
- No backlit keyboard
- Not for gaming
Chromebooks are the most appealing option in case of affordability. If Google PixelBook Go sounds like tearing your pocket for real, then Lenovo Flex is the latest and most affordable chromebook waiting for your attention. It’s a 11.6 inch HD touchscreen laptop, its configuration includes MediaTek MT8173C 4 core processor with PowerVR GX6250 integrated graphics. Again for the basic level of numerical computation, light editing tasks, video streaming, online classes and having a little bit of casual gaming, Lenovo Flex 3 is certainly the best option to avail.
Lenovo Flex 3 is iterated from the predecessors models that came previously in terms of design and build and have not much improvement which was supposed to do. It has no backlit keyboard and the front camera is a bit darker too. Other than this, it has very loud speakers, the aluminum body is fine at its touch, looks gorgeous. It is just a 2.6 pound weighted, a size which is indeed very suitable to carry all day long both at school or office.
It contains 32GB eMMC storage memory which is not in SSD form, a reasonable form for a Chromebook since everything primarily goes to Google drive or clouds. Its 4GB RAM is nice for having applications run on the web and generating real time content of the screen. You are getting auto updates, built-in virus protection and everything you need on the go without putting your precious time for trouble shooting and protecting your machine. It is the most easiest version of a laptop for students, a great source of learning as well as entertainment.
4. Asus Zenbook 13 – Best notebook for engineering students
Screen/ resolution: 13.3” FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel i7-10510U | GPU: Nvidia Geforce MX250 | RAM: 16GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 512GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Pro
Reasons to buy
- Have ScreenPad 2.0
- Built-in IR camera with Windows Hello for face recognition
- LED backlit keyboard
- Thinnest and lightest notebook
- Most effective way to accelerate your productivity
Reasons not to buy
- Poorly audible speakers
- Built-in webcam has faults
Are you a notebook lover? Then you are absolutely on at the right place. Being a student, laptops are although always a primary option but due to max out portability and flexibility, notebooks are more frequently chosen machines. The Asus Zenbook is one of the best notebook for students, equally cherished by high school going students and businessmen. Its configuration consists of 10th generation Intel Core i7-10510U 4 core processor with 8 threads, 8MB Cache and boost clock up to 4.9GHz. It has an Nvidia Geforce MX250 video card with 2GB VRAM, very suitable for multiple editing applications to run perfectly. Very suitable laptop for engineers, architects, graphic designers and programmers.
When we say it’s the best notebook for students, we really mean it. Asus Zenbook is a 13 inches small form factor machine, it is an ultralight 2.8lbs. and 0.7 inch thin notebook. The best part is the innovative touchpad aka ScreenPad 2.0 as a secondary screen with all the necessary applications that is single touch away. It is the most effective and creative way which led you to expedite your work to a great extent. It has an IR camera with Windows Hello feature for face recognition but for video chats or online classes, this camera has serious technical issues which cant be resolved by troubleshooting. Hence, for Zoom or online classes, this notebook is not good.
Moreover, you need not to depend on its built-in speakers, they are poorly made with so less audibility. Therefore for streaming or watching movies, you either have to plug in external speakers or headphones to listen clearly. Furthermore, this notebook for students is extremely good looking, durable and combined with every latest feature you might need in future for high school as well as in a professional sector. Besides, in contrast to the manufacturer prescribed battery life that is upto 11 hours, this notebook gives up to 9 hours of running time instead, which is still in a good state for school going.
Also Read: Best portable gaming monitor
5. Asus Tuf FX505 – Best gaming laptop for students
Screen/ resolution: 15.6” FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel Core i7-9750H / Ryzen 5 4600H | GPU: Nvidia Geforce GTX 1650 | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 512GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Best laptop for engineers and gamers together
- 7.1 virtual surround sound audio
- Anti dust cooling system
- Have webcam and backlit keyboard
- 144Hz refresh rate
Reasons to avoid
- Heavy form factor
- Poor battery life
It’s rare to expel the scope of gaming even if you are a high school student. Your laptop should be able to perform smoothly for your online classes, execute major subject course requirements, homeworks and should have potential for gaming too. Asus Tuf has all these capabilities and is futuristic too. This gaming laptop for students contains two variants, one with the 9th generation Intel i7-9750H with boost clock up to 4.5GHz and other one is 4th generation AMD Ryzen 5 4600H with boost clock up to 4.0GHz. Both of them come with a dedicated graphics card that is a GTX 1650 4GB VRAM.
Moreover, we are pretty impressed with the 144Hz refresh rate of this 1080p gaming laptop, which means you can play games at high frame rates compared to 60FPS standard gaming. This screen is 15.6 inches wide as a result of which it weighs heavy in your backpack for a whole day. It has an RGB keyboard and a nice quality webcam, good for online classes and meetings. The body is reliable and durable, followed by the MIL-STD 810G military standard body structure, enabling long haul gaming performance. As for battery life, this section might bring disappointment to you, because we have witnessed no more than 5.5 hours of wifi streaming on this laptop.
Asus Tuf is an excellent pick for CAD/CAM, Revit, Solidwork, CATIA etc. all those students who are leveling up in the field of engineering and entering into the professional world, this laptop is a perfect pick for them. Further, as mentioned, it has a 4GB dedicated video card and has 16GB RAM, so if you aim to conduct graphic design work or somewhere you need softwares like Adobe or Illustrator, this laptop will cover them all smoothly. Although it’s not a very affordable choice, if the budget is not your concern and you want to make a one time investment, then go for this.
6. Rog Zephyrus G15 – Best gaming laptop for engineering students
Screen/ resolution: 15.6” FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS / AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS / Intel i7-9750H | GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060 / GTX 1660 Ti | RAM: 16GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 1TB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Really a 240Hz gaming machine
- 3ms fastest response time
- Anti dust and super effective heat dissipation system
- Front placed loud dual speakers
- Best one time investment laptop for students
Reasons to avoid
- No built-in camera/ webcam
- Expansive
- Over spending for elementary students
Rog Zephyrus G15 is one with all the power and precision that ultimately lead you to the optimal outcomes, whether it’s your studies or gaming. Yes it’s an expensive pick as a best laptop for students, but only in case of ruling out the affordability or the so called budget constraint. Rog Zephyrus gaming laptop consists of two variants; 4th generation AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS with up to 4.3GHz boost clock and AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS with up to 4.2Ghz boost clock. It has RTX 2060 or GTX 1660 Ti 6GB dedicated video card.
It’s a 15.6 inches wide gaming laptop with 240Hz refresh rate at 3ms response time, allowing you to play AAA game titles with high frame rates at 1080p resolution. Despite being a 4.6lbs heavy laptop, it’s only 0.8 inch thin profile, which makes this laptop attractive among many others. The screen bezel is just 6.2mm thin, it has dual speakers located at the front or beneath the keyboard on either side. It has a backlit keyboard with soft soundless keystrokes, which we find very appealing yet very ideal for long hours of gaming with comfort. Talking about gaming, this laptop has a very cool heat dissipation system, based on 83-blade fans and dedicated heat pipes.
However, the only deal breaker fact is the absence of the webcam. Unfortunately, if you are seeing a scope more for online classes ahead, then this laptop for students might not be very good in this perspective. Whereas, those who intend to get into intense graphic design tasks, 3D modeling, CAD/CAM, abnormal numerical computations in a potential field of study, more of the accelerated programs and applications to run, or simply you are stepping into high school with higher level of accumulated outcomes along with the gaming sphere of action, then Rog Zypherus is the perfect one to get your hands on.
7. HP Envy 13 – Best college laptop under 1000
Screen/ resolution: 13.3” touchscreen /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel Core i7-1165G7 / i7-1065G7 | GPU: Intel Iris X Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 256GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Advanced security features including camera shutter
- Automatic recovery from malfunctioning and other issues
- Fast and powerful lagfree performance
- Up to 13 hours of battery life
- Thunderbolt 3 for incredibly fast data transfer
Reasons to avoid
- Glossy screen easily gets fingerprint reflections
- No upgradable memory
- No numeric keypad
Our first best laptop for students under 1000 is the HP Envy 13.3 inches touchscreen 11th generation laptop. It is equipped with Intel Core i7-1165G7 4 core processor with 8 threads, 12MB Cache and a boost clock up to 4.7Ghz. You can also have another variant of this model with i7-1065G7 laptop under $1000 budget look up. It has Intel Iris X graphics chip which is a good video card for basic yet instinctive level of editing and putting life to creative work. From elementary school to high school students, this laptop is a great performer for every day homeworks.
HP envy contains all the advanced level of security features including the fingerprint reader; which is located within the keys for easy access, there is a camera shutter and a mute for mic option as well, so that your conferences go without leaking out your privacy. Moreover, its design is pretty impressive too, the screen is borderless maximum space giving up to the user. The cutting edge design of the machine is super gorgeous, meets all the perfectionism we look for in a professional environment. It weighs 2.8lbs, that is easy to carry around. We believe it’s a luxury for students since this is a great laptop with battery life up to 13 hours of continuity. All your sessions are taken care of smoothly and perfectly without breaking the loop.
Having said that, HP Envy is the best laptop for online classes or Zoom meetings, it also consists of dual speakers by Bang and Olufsen. In Addition, this laptop for students is an extremely good pick if you are not acquainted with software issues, boost up problems and often experience bloatwares in installing applications, HP Command Center is there to take care of everything including the automatic updating of the system without letting you know. In short, it’s a great piece of mind for content creators who want to stay on the charge among the peers.
Also Read: Best Gaming monitor
8. Dell Inspiron 13 7000 – Best laptop for elementary students under 1000
Screen/ resolution: 13.3” touchscreen /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel Core i5-10210U | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 512GB SSD+32GB optane memory | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- 10 point multi touch screen
- 13.3 inch ideal size of screen for students
- RGB backlit keyboard
- 360 degrees folding hinges
- Fingerprint reader
Reasons to avoid
- Not for professional engineers
- No DVD/CD drive
- Webcam is not up to the mark of satisfaction
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 is a best laptop for students under $1000. It comes with a 10th generation Intel Core i5-10210U 4 core processor, 8 threads, 6MB Cache and a boost frequency of up to 4.20Ghz. Having an integrated graphics card though, which is a little restrictive in terms of professional 3D modeling comes in the engineering field of study. However, it is a very good laptop for engineers in an initial phase of this particular discipline. Besides all the 2D AutoCAD applications or softwares used, this laptop can handle almost everything pretty smoothly.
Whereas talking about its build, it is made up of premium quality aluminum coated body, gives away a nice and sleek attractive touch to the user. It is a 2 in 1 convertible laptop with 360 degree flip and fold lid, great for using as a notebook in a class during lectures. It weighs 4.4Lbs weight, certainly considered a little heavy to carry. Further, this laptop for students lasts up to 6.45 hours on continuous surfing on Wifi, that is a decent bridging for a whole day of schooling. But if you plan to continue your work back at home without plugging it into the charger first, then it would be a disappointment.
Dell Inspiron 13 7000 touchscreen laptop is more likely as a budget laptop for students, business mens and a source of entertainment. Being a student if you have more of the zoom classes to attend, then the poor webcam quality may bring in hindrance for this purchase. Similar said for business conferences and video calls. However, the speakers are loud enough for streaming which is a good part.
9. Acer Swift 3 – Best laptop for engineering under 700
Screen/ resolution: 14” /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: AMD Ryzen 7 4700U | GPU: AMD Vega 7 Integrated Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 512GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Alexa built-in
- Fingerprint reader, built-in camera
- 0.6 inch thin profile, weighs only 2.6lbs
- 11.5 hours of battery life
- Attractive built quality
Reasons to avoid
- Not for gaming
- No optical drive
- Not so good for video conferencing
Here we have the best laptop for students under $700, that is the Acer Swift 3 with 4th generation AMD Ryzen 7 4700U 8 core processor, 8 threads, 8MB Cache and a boost frequency of up to 4.1Ghz. It has an AMD Vega 7 Integrated graphics card and has 8GB RAM. This laptop is capable of handling softwares like AutoCAD, Solidworks and CATIA. Similarly if you are looking for a laptop for programming, Acer Swift 3 is a bang for the buck for you with great features and potential to get into coding, numerical computation and much more.
If you are getting an admission into college and have a limited budget to throw at your laptop, then Acer Swift 3 is the most affordable laptop for students which effectively maintain the balance for all of your course requirements. It has a 14 inches FHD display screen with screen to body ratio. It is not a touchscreen display, so if you are more into writing or drawing, then there are other options to avail. It weighs 2.6 pounds and is 0.6 inch thin. Having a fingerprint reader and a backlit keyboard.
Despite all, Acer Swift 3 contains an HD webcam, which is not as good as it is supposed to be for conferencing and video calls. Moreover, the quality of the speakers are also not up to the mark, though for occasional Zoom classes and video meetings with parents, this laptop can do its job fine. Its battery lasts up to 11.5 hours which is pretty good for all day classes and a bit of juice for homework as well. It’s worth noting that it’s not suitable for gaming or high end graphics tasks. Although can be used for mainstream gaming but the results are again not satisfactory as what a gaming laptop itself is capable of. In short, Acer Swift 3 is a budget laptop for students.
10. Lenovo Ideapad Flex – Best convertible laptop for students
Screen/ resolution: 14” touchscreen /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel i5-1135G7 | GPU: Intel Iris XE Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 128GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- 360 degrees foldable design
- Webcam privacy shutter
- Great option for content creators
- 10 point capacitive touchscreen
- Attractive and appealing built
Reasons to avoid
- Screen is a bit dim
- Not for high end gaming
- 4.9lbs heavy
Lenovo Flex i5 is a best convertible laptop great option with affordability in mind and creative aspect of the innovative users. This 2 in 1 laptop comes with a 11th generation Intel Core i5-35G7 4 core processor with 8 threads, 8MB Cache and a boost frequency of up to 4.2Ghz. It has an Integrated Intel Iris XE Graphics, this can handle light editing work and casual gaming. It is not a very suitable option if you are an engineer or computer science student, since the shared memory is insufficient to run robust applications.
Apart from this, Lenovo Flex is a budget laptop for students, mainly if you are from a creative field of study for instance drawing, artistic and innovative sections where you often require to hold your notepad to jot it down your imaginations and ideas, this laptop suits you best. Other than this, the design is also very appealing with 360 degrees rotating hinges, aluminum body and a finished touch. Your zoom classes and video conferences are also taken care of pretty well, it has a webcam privacy shutter and fingerprint reader to avoid any accidental leaks or from unwelcome touch of the people.
Its battery lasts up to 11 hours of continuous web browsing or streaming. However if you are looking for a laptop for engineering, programming or something more likely as a professional, this might not be your perfect option. Nevertheless, you can do basic level of numerical computation, 2D modeling, generating real time editing work then this will do the job fine. However, for heavy applications or softwares like Adobe or Premier Pro, you have to deal with lag very often. Consequently, Lenovo Flex 5 is an affordable laptop for students that will help to pass most of the course requirements to a basic level pretty nicely.
11. Acer Nitro 5 – Best laptop for graphic design students under budget
Screen/ resolution: 15.6” /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: Intel i5-7300HQ | GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 256GB SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Support Acer TrueHarmony Technology sound system
- Super High Dynamic Range (SHDR) webcam
- Comes with dedicated GPU
- Battery last 8.5 hours
- Nice budget gaming laptop
Reasons to avoid
- 5.51 lbs heavy laptop
- Virtual reality not supportive
- No fingerprint reader
Here we have the best budget gaming laptop aka graphic design laptop for students. Acer Nitro 5 is packed with all the necessary features required to get your editing work done effortlessly even at the cost of $600. This variant involves 7th generation Intel i5-7300HQ 4 core processor with 4 threads, 6MB Cache and a boost frequency that goes up to 3.5Ghz. It has a GTX 1050 Ti dedicated graphics card with 4GB VRAM that is sufficient enough to hold 3D design/modeling and applications like Adobe, Premier Pro etc run super flawlessly. Combined with 8GB RAM and 256GB solid state drive, this is a best laptop for students of graphic designing.
Acer Nitro 5 is capable of doing everything from simple numerical computation to run AutoCAD softwares, Revit, Solidworks and much more, all that comes into the entire course of study of Programming, Engineering, creating content and web designing etc. This laptop for students also is able to get you decent frame rates for gaming at 1080p which is again a plus point than having ordinary laptops for studies. It has a red LED backlit keyboard but has no fingerprint reader on this unit. It has a webcam too which nicely produces the image even though it’s an HD camera. There are two stereo speakers which support Acer TrueHarmony Technology which is pretty loud and clear.
Its size is something which we least expect to carry around with 5.5 pounds of weight in a backpack. Moreover the borders of the screen are unusually thicker than it supposed to be, however we don’t really count this as a deal breaker though. Despite having the Acer CoolBoost Technology dual fans, they are ineffective to cool down the machine and often heavy applications and intense usage of the laptop causes instant heat up of the hardware. As a result of this thorough testing we come up to say, it is a most affordable option for students who need their homework done and afterwards a little entertainment in terms of gaming.
12. Asus Vivobook F412DA – Best affordable laptop for students
Screen/ resolution: 14” /FHD (1920*1080) | Processor name: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U | GPU: AMD Radeon Vega 8 Integrated Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage/ Hard drive: 256GB SATA SSD | Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Reasons to buy
- Great option for elementary school going students
- LED backlit keyboard
- A very affordable laptop for students
- Handle everything on a basic scale
- Nice quality webcam for online classes
Reasons to avoid
- Not for gaming
- Not a best pick for professional engineers
We have curated Asus Vivobook as the best laptop for students under $600. A nice start for school going kids and a very feasible pick for business mens. Being a student, this laptop can last with you almost two years without feeling the need of replacement. However, once you have passed your minor subjects and leap for high studies in the respective field, you really find a need to upgrade your laptop. Coming towards the configuration, Asus Vivobook consists of 3rd generation AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 core processor with 8 threads, 4MB Cache and boost clock up to 3.7Ghz combined with the Radeon Vega 8 Graphics.
For Coding/encoding, scripting languages like Java, Python, Ruby, PHP etc, this laptop can handle everything from basic to secondary level of programming. If you are seeking a laptop for engineers, Asus Vivobook again is a good choice for 2D modeling, however, this laptop is not suitable for CAD/CAM or 3D acceleration programs. Subsequently, this is a nice notebook for students at a beginning level of college or school. It is 3.3Lbs light in weight, slim and attractive with aluminum body structure. It has an LED backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader.
Further, this laptop for students is good for online classes, Zoom meetings, business conferences and video calls to family and friends. Based on the configuration, this laptop is very less likely to be used for gaming, graphic design, or high end professional fields. Nevertheless, it is good for streaming, watching videos or movies. Overall its a budget laptop for students with everything you need to enter a virtual classroom and do assignments or homework on the screen.
How to choose the best laptop for students? Buyers Guide
Being a student (from elementary school, college, high school), a laptop is a mandatory thing specially in these concentrated online classes schedules due to pandemic situations prevailing all around the world.
After highlighting the importance of the laptop for students, there is further categorization of the type of the laptop configuration, for instance, elementary students need no highly powerful machine but a basic computing laptop is enough to do the job, whereas for potential field students like Software Engineers, Civil Engineers, Architects, Programmers, Graphic designer etc. you need a laptop with some abnormal features so that your course requirements, homeworks, assignments and projects goes smoothly for your entire academic period.
Having said that, things become very mushi to classify these categories and their configuration since there are a number of softwares and applications each one having different hardware compatibility and requirement to fulfill. Therefore without getting into complexities, we rather suggest you to pick the mainstream configuration and properties a laptop for students must have.
This includes the processor, RAM, graphic card, hard drive, resolution, size of the screen, weight of the laptop and the most crucial element you have to have is the battery life of the laptop.
Here we are summarizing all of the fields a student might belong to in a basic criteria you must take care while buying a laptop for a student.
Processor/ CPU of the laptop for students
For a laptop for students, a processor is an extremely important component. The number of Cores, base frequency and turbo/boost frequency of the CPU is mainly your target you have to think for. A single core processor with high boost frequency could be more fast than a multithreaded multi core processor with slower clock speed. Every software or application utilisez the CPU differently therefore its hard to decide how many cores and speed of processing would be enough to fulfill your work requirement. Thus the safest and minimum you can go is the dual core processor with at least 2.1GHz base frequency.
RAM of the laptop for students
Many of the applications rely on the random access memory of the laptop compared to the processor you are having. Multiple tabs and using multiple softwares simultaneously, requires a good fat RAM so that things didn’t lag or crash in between your work. RAM is responsible to collect information and pass on to the rest of the system quickly within no time, resulting in a stream of rendering out results without making you pause. The more the RAM the better and fast performance will be and the more tasks you can perform in real time. Thus we recommend at least 4GB RAM for a laptop for students.
Graphics card for a laptop for students
Again here a little evaluation of the work you need to perform on your laptop to decide the role of your video card. Any integrated graphics card is enough for a student who tends to run basic computation and few applications too. But if you belong to a potential field of study, lets just say Engineering, programming or even if you are a graphic designer, then you must require a discrete graphics card in your system. Nvidia and AMD GPUs are the main buckets you have to shuffle for. Whichever GPU you pick, it has to be OpenGL and Shaders supportive because for 3D acceleration and modeling, your graphics card has to be compatible with those heavy applications to run. For this purpose, you need at least 2GB VRAM GPU.
Storage of laptop for students
Unless you are set for a Chromebook, hard drive is not your concern. But if you are picking a Windows laptop, you must need a SSD form of storage. SSD is the fastest of all types of drives and hence performs pretty well for students. You need at least 256GB SSD to get the par performance, however we strongly recommend to avoid HDD form of local storage.
Resolution, size of the screen and weight of the laptop
A laptop for students of elementary or even from college, does not need to have a high resolution unless your preference lies for more than 1080p. More particularly, if you are a graphic designer, content creator or a photographer, then you need a laptop with resolution up to 4k. However, we recommend you not to spend money on anything more than a 1080p laptop which is pretty enough even if you are planning to touch a few AAA gaming titles too.
On the other hand, the size of the screen and the weight of the laptop are interconnected to each other. The bigger the screen the heavier the laptop will be. Whereas for a student who has to carry his laptop in his backpack all day from one class to another, the machine has to be as light as it could be. With a little division, you can notice that Chromebooks and Notebooks are lighter in weight as compared to a laptop, nevertheless if you are picking a 14 inch laptop that would also make the deal. Consequently, choosing a 15.6 inch wide size laptop although gives more viewing space but it would be not only over spending but difficult to carry as well. So make sure to make a rational pick that is the size of the screen and weight is as easy to carry as it could be.
Battery life of the laptop
The battery span of the laptop is highly important for a student. No one would like to have a dead machine on their lap in between your on going class. A standard laptop usually gives up to 6 to 7 hours of performance on a Wifi streaming but a normal offline computations, analysis and working with documents pushes up to 8 hours of battery life. Chromebooks are also known for their good battery but Macbooks are now leading in this matter. A gaming laptop has the shortest battery life compared to anyone else. Nevermind, whichever laptop you aim to buy, make a thorough check and try to have maximum hours of battery lasting laptop.
Conclusion
A laptop being an imperative component in a students life, it’s hardly be replaced with anything else at this very time of frequent online classes and Zoom meetings held in every sector. Although desktops or PCs are known for the most powerful working stations, laptops are extremely popular for the flexibility and portability they offer.
We have tried our level best to introduce the perfect options for students laptops in this guide including the Chromebook for students. For those who are left with a very limited amount of cash after paying their school fee, there are plenty of budget laptops for students as well. However for those with no constraint to follow, gaming laptops and Notebooks for students are also there which could last more than a couple of years or two, or you can even have a one time investment laptop that is the Apple MacBook Air too.
