Student Laptop Buying Guide
Summary
Whether you are a student or a parent, here are our top tips to guide you through this important buying decision.
Table of contents:
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Budget
One of the first things you should do is make sure you know how much money you have to spend. In our quiz, we have a number of budget ranges represented. However, something you'll notice is that there aren't any options below $500. This is because in that price range you would be better off buying a prior year's device or a refurbished / secondhand laptop with better specs. Here are some of the ones we recommend:
Size & Display
For school we recommend buying a laptop that is small enough to be portable yet has a screen large enough to get real work done. Students move around frequently; no one wants to lug a heavy beast of a machine with them. So, you’ll want a laptop that ideally weighs less than three pounds but certainly no heavier than four. To get real work done, we recommend a laptop with at least a 14" display but preferably 14.5" that will enable you to see a decent amount of content. But it’s not just the laptop’s screen size that determines how much content you can see. It's also important to consider its resolution and brightness.
A higher resolution display increases clarity– allowing you to more comfortably make out small text. A brighter display means better visibility. If you use the laptop in a bright environment, like a classroom that has lots of windows, this will mean you don’t need to squint or increase the font size. Ideally you should look for a laptop with a resolution greater than 1920 by 1200 pixels and at least 400 nits of brightness.
Type of Laptop
There are several different types of laptops, and each is good for different kinds of students.
Apple
Apple’s MacBooks are a fantastic choice for students. They are the best built of any laptop we’ve tested which means you’ll have less to worry about. Thanks to Apple’s excellent M Series of processors, they deliver best in class battery life, minimal fan noise, and don’t feel warm to the touch. Yet, they are still very powerful. Apple’s higher end Pro laptops even have powerful graphics, so these can still be a great choice for those doing disciplines that require that.
Their downsides though are that they are pricey, especially with the upgrades which many students will have to buy. This is particularly likely for those studying disciplines with higher performance computing needs. You may also hear that some software won't work on a Mac. Even though the applications are not limited like they used to be, it's still a good idea to check if your coursework requires anything that won't work on MacOS. It’s usually just AAA games and running the Linux operating system that won’t work.
Intel and AMD
A laptop powered by an Intel or AMD processor may be the way to go if you want a laptop with better value for money, you need broader application support, or you just prefer Windows. These laptops support the widest variety of software, including other operating systems like Linux. You will also have the largest variety of laptops available to you. From very cheap ones to expensive ones with powerful dedicated graphics, you can find one that is right for you.
However, these laptops suffer from one or more of the following issues: poor battery life, fan noise, and heat you feel. This is because the processors in them are not that power efficient. The latest AMD Zen 5 processors do go a long way toward solving this, but they are only available in a few devices right now.
Overall, these laptops are very viable for all types of students so long as you aren’t particular about the downsides I mentioned, or are buying one with the latest AMD processor listed as "Ryzen AI 9". I would also suggest carrying a small USB-C charger with you instead of the included one, which we have plenty of listed here on the website, including from channel sponsor UGreen.
Qualcomm
Now if you want something in between an Apple and a traditional Windows laptop, you could consider the new breed of laptops with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. Their battery life, heat, and fan noise is better than most Intel and AMD laptops but not quite as good as a MacBook. Their value for money, though, is just as good as an Intel or AMD one.
Their main downside is their software compatibility is quite lacking. It promises to be similar to x86 (traditional) Windows in the future, but these are using a newer technology and we have found that right now they don’t yet deliver on that promise. A bunch of specialized software doesn’t work or just doesn’t work that well. Over time we do expect that to change but for now it's something to be aware of.
Therefore, at this time, we only recommend buying one if you use your laptop for basic tasks like web browsing, email, and Microsoft Office. Those applications work very well on these. If not, please do your research and make certain that the applications you need to run will work. We have an article on our website covering what works and doesn't from our testing. We also link to other sources there, such as a gaming compatibility list. We just don't think they are good for that use case as the graphics and their game compatibility are far from ideal.
Chromebooks & Tablets
Finally, Chromebooks and tablets. These are the most restrictive devices in terms of software compatibility. We, and many universities, do not recommend them. As you'll see in our best laptops for students list below, you might be better off buying a 2-in-1 like the HP Spectre if you want the pen and note taking capabilities.
Software
As I'm sure you're gathering, the right laptop for you depends a lot on what classes you are going take, and the software that you will need to run. Please research your courses with an academic advisor at your school, a current student, or recent alumni. I wouldn’t necessarily follow their advice on which exact laptop to buy, however. That’s because they may suggest the one that they used which may now be outdated. Laptops change significantly each year. We as laptop reviewers have experience testing and using a wide variety of laptops, so it's best to consider multiple perspectives when shopping.
Configuration
Now, many laptops come in different configurations that you need to decide between. Most modern processors are plenty powerful for school, especially the ones in the laptops that we recommend. That being said, we do want your laptop to have the right configuration to get you through 4 years of school and give you some flexibility if you change disciplines or pick up hobbies. Therefore, we recommend a laptop with a minimum of 16g of RAM and 512g of storage. For those doing intense graphical tasks, we’d like to see you with at least an Nvidia RTX 4050 or an Apple M1 Pro chip.
Warranty & Serviceability
As your laptop is going to be your primary tool, it is critical that it works reliably. As mentioned, we have found Apple to be the most reliable. But, no matter which manufacturer you buy from, your laptop can have issues.
It's important to be covered under a warranty. Apple offers their excellent AppleCare+ program, which extends your warranty by several years. Many other manufacturers offer similar programs. Several even allow you to upgrade your warranty to onsite next business day repairs, which is awesome. So, before you spend all your money on the laptop itself, we would recommend checking out whether an extended warranty is available and budgeting for it.
How to Save Money
Finally, students have access to discounts. Use them! There are a ton of others way to save money when buying a laptop. We have a guide on how to save big when buying your next laptop, so check that out here.
Conclusion
As a student, buying a laptop is an important decision. It should carry you through at least four, but hopefully up to six or eight years of school if needed! We hope these tips can help you with some of the things you should be looking out for. Now you can go take our quiz linked here to see which laptop would be best for your budget and needs.