When looking for a student laptop, you can easily be tempted by the latest and greatest hardware. You'll see the new MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor (CPU) and up to 32GB of RAM (not to mention robust AMD Vega graphics) and presumably assume you need that power. to do their school work. . Fortunately, you probably didn't. Of course, some students really need this kind of power. Engineering students will need plenty of GPUs and computing power in their
laptop to launch your school projects, as well as anyone making 3D videos or lessons. However, if you're simply trying to get this term for your English class, a Chromebook with just 4GB of RAM will probably suffice. We'll dive into the type of material you'll need to do your schoolwork, paying special attention to the different types of workloads students may encounter on a daily basis. The good news? You can go out and save money by purchasing a laptop more suitable for your specific studies.
Microsoft's Surface Go must be an affordable dream for liberal arts students. (Image credit: TechRadar)
You don't need a powerful laptop to write.
At TechRadar, we write a lot, so you can tell us: you don't need a laptop to help you write. As long as you have 8GB of RAM, even 4GB if you run out of money, it should be more than adequate most of the time. This is especially true if you're only working on one or two projects at a time, since the individual tabs in Google Docs don't consume a lot of system resources. However, we'll recognize that some people prefer to have 30 browser tabs open while listening to Apple Music (we're certainly guilty). If this is a luxury you can't do without, the amount of RAM up to 16GB is well worth the price of entry. So let's talk about your processor. If you've been looking for a laptop for a while, chances are you've seen plenty of them advertising an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 processor, probably with a four-digit price tag. You don't need one of them either. For most people, an Intel Core i5 processor will be more than enough to get the job done, especially if you have an 10th-generation Intel Kaby Lake Refresh chip or a Whiskey Lake Ultrabook. It will have four cores and high enough clock speeds to allow it to do everything you need to do. Example: The Microsoft Surface Go is one of our favorite laptops for students, especially those majoring in the liberal arts field. He's not exceptionally powerful, but he still has enough euphoria to get his school work done. The fact that the Windows tablet is designed to work perfectly with Windows is no problem as it was designed by Microsoft, but it still proves that a less powerful laptop is more than enough. And don't feel locked into MacOS Catalina or Windows XNUMX, either. The best Chromebooks are for large student laptops because they only contain what's needed. If everything you do for school is in a web browser, you don't really need anything more than a Chromebook. Also, there are many these days that have beautiful screens that are perfect for catching some Netflix during your downtime.
The Microsoft Surface Go, accompanied by a Type Cover keyboard, must be your best companion in the fields of liberal arts studies and perhaps even design, thanks to its touch screen and storage capacity. Surprisingly large for its size. View deal
The latest Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is a powerhouse. (Image credit: TechRadar)
Blinded by science
However, there are many scenarios where you may need more power. Everyone's academic workload does not begin and end with writing a paper. Computing-heavy loads, like those you'll be meeting with engineering and computer science students, will require, shall we say, heavier computing. For these students, getting a laptop with a powerful processor and even a powerful graphics processor is essential. This certainly means engineering students have an excuse to use one of the newer gaming laptops, but many laptops are designed for heavy computing workloads. Laptops like Lenovo's ThinkPad P73 mobile workstation are equipped with Nvidia Quadro graphics and Intel Xeon processors to make heavy computing tasks easier. It's a bit pricey and not the most attractive device, but a mobile workstation could be perfect for engineering students. The same goes for all the students who have to bite their heads in the creative workload. If you do a lot of video editing or 3D work, a thin and light Ultrabook won't cut it. You will also need a workstation device. However, we find that students don't have the money to use a professional-grade device, so something like the Dell XPS 15 or a 15-inch MacBook Pro should also be able to get the job done.
The 15 2019-inch MacBook Pro features XNUMXth Gen Intel Core processors and AMD Radeon Pro GPUs to handle intense workloads in all types of study areas. Plus, the Retina display is nice to look at, and you can keep your device safe with Touch ID. View deal
The new Razer Blade is a sleek beast of the game. (Image credit: TechRadar)
Have a good time
College isn't just school work, we know. If all he was doing was putting his head down and getting the job done, he'd wear out pretty quickly and no one should have to suffer through that. So you also have to take entertainment into account. If you need to sit back and watch Netflix to relax, there's no shame in that. Fortunately, most laptops today are capable of powering Netflix. The trick is to find one with a screen that meets your expectations. If you're a resolution snob like us, there are plenty of laptops with 4K displays so you can watch your favorite shows in all their glory. Even if the laptop you choose doesn't have a built-in 4K display, every laptop on the market will allow you to connect to your bedroom TV and support 4K technology via HDMI or USB-C. But what about the game? If your PC's gaming speed is greater than your speed, you should immediately realize that it's very expensive to buy a laptop equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080. However, if you just want to play Overwatch in 1080p between classes, you can choose a laptop with a GTX 1660 Ti or a GTX 1650, and it will be plenty plentiful. If you have money to burn, we won't judge you for picking the best gaming laptops, so you can play computer games like Cyberpunk 2077 with the lightning bolt feature turned on. You don't need to buy the most powerful laptop to do your homework, but it's not a shame to admit that you want the most powerful laptop. Life is more than school work, so have fun.
The Razer Blade 15 will look handsome and serious in the campus library and be ready to move when it's time to launch Fortnite. You can thank the 144Hz display, RTX 2060 graphics processor, and 7th Intel Core iXNUMX processor for that. View deal
Looking to save money? Try a Chromebook. (Image credit: TechRadar)
So what should I buy?
If you remember something, you should consider what you really need before you jump on the fashion train for this new MacBook that everyone has. You can save a lot of money by choosing what you really need. That said, if you want to do heavier computing for fun, it's not a shame to go for a beefier computer. Just keep in mind that opting for more power will often result in an inflated price tag. At the end of the day, there is a lot of misinformation out there about what you need to do your job. If your budget is a few hundred dollars, there are plenty of options for you. Don't forget that the best Chromebooks are still around in 2019 and could be the ideal choice for your school work, especially if you need to do some word processing in Google Docs.