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Here are the reasons why you need a laptop for college: For convenience and ease-of-work. For taking notes in class. For completing more school work in less time. For typing and submitting reports. For personal/e-learning purpose. For analytical, programming, or designing classes.
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- Overview
- You don’t need a powerful laptop for writing
- Blinded by science
- Have some fun, though
- So, what should I buy?
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By Allisa James
Contributions from
Jackie Thomas
last updated 26 July 2023
It truly depends on your major field of study
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Here at TechRadar, we do a lot of writing, so you can take it from us: you don’t need an absolute beast of a laptop to get your writing done. As long as you have 8GB of RAM – even 4GB if you're cash-strapped – you should be more than fine most of the time. This is especially true if you’re only working on one or two projects at a time, as individual Google Docs tabs won’t really eat up too much of your system resources.
However, we will acknowledge that there are certain people that like to have 30 browser tabs open while listening to Apple Music (we’re certainly guilty). If that’s a luxury you can’t live without, the bump up to 16GB of RAM is worth the price of admission.
Then, let’s talk about the best processor. If you’ve been shopping around for a laptop for a while, you’ve likely seen plenty that advertises an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 processor, likely coupled with a four-figure price tag.
You don’t need one of those, either.
For most people, an Intel Core i5 processor is going to be more than enough to get your work done, especially if you get an 11th or 12th-Gen chip. You’ll get four cores and high enough clock speeds to power through whatever you need to do.
However, there are plenty of scenarios where you might actually need more power. Not everyone’s college workload begins and ends with writing a paper.
Heavy computing workloads, like those that Engineering and Computer Science students are going to run into will require, well, heavier computing. For these students, picking up a laptop with a powerful processor and even a strong graphics card is a must. While this does mean that Engineering students have an excuse to buy the best gaming laptops or best laptops, there are plenty of laptops that are designed for compute-heavy workloads.
The same goes for any students who need to cut their teeth on creative workloads, too. If you’re doing a lot of video editing or 3D work, a thin and light Ultrabook just isn’t going to cut it. You’re going to need a workstation-class device in that situation as well.
We get that students don’t have the money to drop on a pro-level device, though, so something like the Dell XPS 15 or the M1 MacBook Air should be able to get the job done, too.
College isn’t all about getting schoolwork done, though, we know that. If all you did was put your head down and get work done, you’d get burnt out pretty quickly, and no one should have to go through that. So, you should also take entertainment into consideration.
If you need to sit down and watch Netflix to give your brain a break, there’s absolutely no shame in that. Luckily, these days most laptops are capable of powering Netflix, so the trick will be to find one with a display that’s up to your standards. If you’re a resolution snob like we are, there are plenty of laptops with 4K displays so you can watch your favorite shows in all their glory. Even if the laptop you pick up doesn’t have a 4K display built in, pretty much every laptop on the market will let you connect to your dorm room TV and support 4K over HDMI or USB-C.
But, what about gaming? If PC gaming is more your speed, one thing you need to realize right out of the bat is that picking up a laptop with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 or RTX 4090 is going to be very expensive. However, if you just want to play some Overwatch in 1080p between classes, you can pick out a laptop with an RTX 3000-series GPU like the RTX 3060 or higher, and that will be plenty. If you have the cash to burn, we won’t judge you for picking out the best gaming laptops, so you can play the best PC games like Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing enabled.
You don’t need to buy the most powerful laptop to get your schoolwork done, but there’s no shame in admitting that you want the most powerful laptop. Life is more than schoolwork, so, like, enjoy yourself.
If there’s one thing you take away from this, it’s that you should consider what you actually need before you jump on the hype train for the best MacBook that everyone else has. You can save a ton of money by just picking up what you actually need.
That being said, if you want to do some heavier computing stuff for fun, there’s no shame in picking up a beefier computer. Just realize 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 get your work done. If your budget is just a few hundred bucks, there are plenty of options out there for you. Keep in mind that the best Chromebooks still exist in 2019, and might be the perfect choice for your schoolwork needs, especially if you just need to do some word processing in Google Docs.
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- Our pick: Asus Zenbook 14 OLED. Our pick. Asus Zenbook 14″ OLED (UM3402YA-WS51T) The best value. The Zenbook 14 is the best laptop you can get for the price.
- A Windows upgrade: HP Spectre x360 13.5. Upgrade pick. HP Spectre x360 13.5″ The best ultrabook. The Spectre x360 offers excellent battery life, a tall touchscreen, and a reliable keyboard and trackpad.
- Mac options: MacBook Air. Our pick. Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) Performance for a great price. The M1 MacBook Air has a comfortable keyboard, good performance, and a reasonable amount of storage—things that haven’t always been true of previous MacBook Airs.
- Budget Chromebook pick: Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. Our pick. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus. The best Chromebook. Reliable performance, a spacious touch display, and long-enough battery life for a full workday make the Flex 5i the best Chromebook for the price.
Aug 16, 2024 · Looking to pick up a laptop for your specific college major? You've come to the right spot! Whether you're going into engineering or graphic design, we'll guide you every step of the way.
Aug 10, 2017 · Do computers help or hinder classroom learning in college? Step into any college lecture and you’ll find a sea of students with laptops and tablets open, typing as the professor speaks.
Jun 12, 2024 · Why do you need a laptop or desktop as a student? A laptop or desktop computer is more of a necessity than a luxury for a college student. Here are some of the reasons you’ll need one: For starters, a powerful computer is necessary for the ever-increasing trend of online classes, as well as for engaging with professors and students.
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Oct 7, 2024 · For college students who want a bigger screen, or need a little more performance for media work or gaming without going the full gaming-laptop route, the LG Gram Pro 17 is your best bet.
