Plus, it should be durable enough for long haul – preferably 4 years of undergrad. Therefore, best laptop for college students (and teachers) cost anywhere from $500 to $1200 today. They come with excellent battery life, fast CPU performance and a little better SSD for faster boot up.
So, below are our top picks to save you the chore. Most of these laptops are well under $1000, so they won’t put a dent in your savings in a big way. Take a look!
1. Macbook Air 2020 Mi
The newest Macbook Air checks all the boxes of a best laptop for students. With its latest M1 Chip, this 2020 version delivers excellent performance and equally excellent battery consumption. So yeah, you can call it the fastest ultra-thin laptop ever.
The base model featured here boasts an 8 core CPU, 8 core GPU and a 16 core neural engine. Further, it has 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. Hence, everything you do is super fluid and fast. Besides, you get the Apple’s standard Magic Keyboard, 720p Webcam, Touch ID, 2 USB C ports and a Force Touch Trackpad. The 13 inches Retina display now has P3 color coverage, making it more vibrant than ever.
Why not get Macbook Pro instead? Two reasons. First, Macbook Air is budget friendly. You can get it under $950 easily. Second, it is pin-drop silent. You can use it in the library without bothering any one. Not to mention, Macbook Air 2020 Mi’s single charge lasts for a whopping 14 hours and 30 minutes of unrivaled performance (depending on your usage).
While MacOS may not be everyone’s cup of tea, MacBook Air 2020 Mi is undoubtedly the best laptop for college students. An outstanding performance, lasting battery life and a compact uni-body aluminum chassis makes it perfect for study excursions.
2. HP Envy 13
Our second pick is HP’s 2021 release, the petite and sweet Envy 13. Flaunting a new design and featuring the fastest thunderbolt 3 port, Envy 13 is the best under $900 convertible for students. It packs a punch and comes with a battery that lasts as long as your day (or night if you are a night owl).
This laptop has a quad core 10th gen core i7 Processor, 8 GB Ram, 256 GB SSD Storage, and a 13.3 inches Full HD Touchscreen display. The bezels on display have gone even slimmer than the previous versions. And thanks to a vivid 1080p display, HP Envy 13 can confidently hang with pricier flagships.
However, this laptop has no HDMI port. You have to invest in an adapter if you want to watch something on your home entertainment system. As for battery performance, you get 13 and a half hours of nonstop video playback on a single charge. It charges faster too, thanks to HP’s quick charge feature.
Overall, it’s a very fast and dependable flagship level convertible at a not so flagship price point. Perfect for college students!
3. Google Pixelbook Go
While Google’s Pixelbook Go is sure pricier than other Chromebooks, it’s also more lightweight (.5 inches thick and 2.3lbs weight) and offers a better battery consumption. Hence, it makes for a perfect laptop for college students. Not to mention, its performance benchmarks are unmatched as well.
Google’s Pixelbook Go is available in four configurations. Their price starts at $650 and maxes out at $1400. All of these configurations feature a 13.3 inches touch display, an Intel processor (Core i3, i5, or i7) and an SSD (64Gb up to 256Gb). But unlike other Chromebooks, it’s not a two in one convertible.
The only major downside of getting a Google Pixelbook Go is limited connectivity options. It has just 2 USB-C. If you are charging the Pixelbook Go, then you are left with only one other port for connectivity. However, a good thing is, its battery lasts for good 12 hours or longer depending on your usage.
So, if you don’t connect a lot of peripherals and don’t mind single chassis Chromebook, this stylish and lightweight laptop will get you through all of the college sessions with ease. Just be ready to fork out a little more cash than a regular Chromebook.
4.Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 Inches
The Yoga 7i is one of the budget-friendly Ultrabooks. It offers stellar performance, a long lasting battery life, solid speakers and a vibrant 14-inch display – allcrammedin a premium aluminum chassis.It’s powerful yet portable enough to use for a full day of classes. Plus, it has a decent keyboard trackpad combo.
Moving on to the specs, Lenovo has packed this convertible with Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8GB DDR4-3200 Memory, and a 512GB SSD for stellar performance. The display is 1080p FHD IPS 300nits touchscreen, which feels slightly dim when you are outdoors. But if you work indoors, you shouldn’t have any problem reading the contents.
Unlike cheap Ultrabooks, the Yoga 7i is sturdy. It is also equipped with a fingerprint reader, a USB 3.2 Gen 1, a headphone / microphone combo jack, and two Thunderbolt 4 pots. The package comes with a USB-C charger. You can use it to charge more devices and is usually cheaper to replace than non–USB-C chargers.
As for battery performance, it lasts for solid 12 hours on a single charge when you are doing regular class work. Therefore, Lenovo Yoga 7i is one of the best laptop for college students, suitable for both campus and distance learning. It’s portable. It’s fast. And it works like a charm when it comes to making presentations, writing stuff and watching everyday videos.
5. Dell XPS 13 (7390)
Dell’s XPS 13 laptops have become a sort of a staple for premium laptops. However, they cost a premium as well. This is a slightly older version. Launched back in 2019, the 13 inches Dell XPS 7390 is one of the best designed and compact ultra-books. And it comes at a very economical price point (under $800).
This laptop packs Intel’s 10th gen 6 core comet lake i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD and Intel UHD graphics for excellent performance. Additionally, this laptop has 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports with PowerDelivery & Display Port, a USB-C 3.1, and a MicroSD Card Reader for better connectivity.
Moreover, the touchscreen display is infinity edge unlike some other XPS 13 models which use 4K displays. It’s pretty standard but goes well with the size. Besides, it also helps prolong the battery life up to 10 hours straight if you are doing regular college work. The only downside of this model is that it has no regular USB port. You will need to invest in a USB-C converter if you want to attach regular USB peripherals.
While XPS 13 7390 is not the most powerful laptop in Dell’s arsenal, it is ideal for college students because of an ultraportable design, exceptional battery, and more than decent specs. Excellent value for the money!
Buyer’s Guide – Best Laptop for College Students
Besides respecting your budget, a laptop for studies should last for the entire duration of your studies. So, keep these basics in mind to make the most out of your purchase.
Size and Weight
A bigger laptop is almost always a bad idea. However, depending on how far you will have to haul it every day your preference may differ. You certainly don’t need a 5 pounder with a 17 inches screen for studies. It will be a chore to lug along as you run from class to class. You are better off with a lightweight laptop. So, a 13 or 14 inches wide display laptop is more than enough.
Keypad and Touchpad
As you will be writing research papers, assignments or chatting with fellow classmates, a comfy touchpad and full-sized keypad are vital considerations. 13- and 14-inches laptops are ideal for the same reason. Anything smaller, and you run into the risk of not getting a good typing experience. But, in case your budget only allows a smaller, less expensive laptop, you can always get a standalone keyboard for times when you need to do a lot of typing.
Battery
Your laptop should at least get you through the day. Therefore an 8 hour battery life (depending on your usage) is crucial. If possible, look for a fast-charging feature so that you can quickly get it recharged when needed. For playing games, go splurge on one of the best gaming laptops instead of ruining your college laptop’s battery life.
Hardware Specifications
As I already mentioned in the introduction, you don’t need a high-end laptop with the latest CPU GPU combo or other peripherals. A Core i3 or i5 or an equivalent AMD processor is enough along with 4 or 8 GB RAM and some SSD for quick boot. As for GPU, you don’t need it. Any integrated graphics solution should suffice.
Conclusion
So, that’s all. A best laptop for college students is one which is lightweight, durable, has decent specs and remains within the budget. Slogging through all the choices can be a daunting task. We tried our best to bring you the hottest laptops to grace your campus quad this year. Hopefully now, you have all the information you need to get your ideal workstation. Thank you for staying with us. Good luck!
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