7 Great laptops for University students

If you’re a student yourself or your child is in university, then you know the importance of having a well-functioning and reliable laptop for regular use. After all, students can’t complete coursework or get through essays and term time without them.

The laptop market is very competitive and features a lot of choice from various brands, so it can be hard to sift through the plethora of options. But bearing in mind a few key things you should look out for in any laptops, these are a few of the best choices to pay choose from.

This HP laptop is an ideal option for a student, with a thin and streamlined design, allowing you to easily take it on the go, meanwhile up to seven hours of battery life will keep you going for extended use. Another feature is a 128GB SSD, for fast start up, with enough space for applications and essential programs.

It also comes with a full HD display, webcam and dual speakers for listening to music or watching movies or TV shows. 

. 15.6” display

. Intel Core i3 processor                

. 4GB RAM

. 128GB SSD

 

Despite their high price points, MacBooks have become synonymous with the modern university student lifestyle, as they’re seen as stylish and reliable machines.

The 2020 MacBook Air ticks all the above boxes, being incredibly light, with the powerful M1 chip and 8GB RAM, which make general day-to-day use a breeze. This is alongside a LED backlit HD display for a clear, crisp experience—it’s clear why the MacBook Air has proven so popular, as it’s a technically impressive device.

. 13” Retina display

. Apple M1 chip

. 8GB RAM

. 256GB SSD

 

Chromebooks are laptops that run on Google’s Chrome operating system or “OS”, as opposed to Windows, and they do have their own unique advantages, which include  lower price points, a very simple set up and notably long battery life. This IdeaPad for instance is 14”, very lightweight at 1.3kg and can easily fit into a backpack or laptop bag.

The IdeaPad 3 is powered by a MediaTek processor and has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space, which is double the storage space for an average Chromebook. Also featured are two USB-C ports and one USB 2.0 port, as well as a headphone jack for connecting wired headphones.

. 14” display

. MediaTek MT8183 processor

. 8GB RAM

. 128GB SSD

 

Microsoft’s Surface series of laptops also present a solid choice for a day-to-day use laptop. The Surface Go is classed as an Ultrabook, which refers to a very thin but high performing laptop with an SSD hard drive.  

And at just 12” and weighing just over a kilogram the Surface Go is notably sleek in design and perfect for taking on the go. Another prominent feature is its’ fast charging capability—the laptop can charge up to 80 per cent in just an hour, and bundled with it is Windows 10, but this can be upgraded to 11 for free.

. 12.4” display

.  Intel Core i5 processor

. 4GB RAM

. 64GB eMMC storage

 

Another Chromebook makes the list with this 14” ASUS offering that comes with a few different intel processors to choose from and a storage size of either 64GB or 128GB, including an option for an SSD.

In terms of display features, included is an HD touchscreen, powered by an Intel Core i3 processor and either four or eight GB of RAM, depending on the model. This device can also flip by 360 degrees with a flexible hinge to be used like a tablet, or in whatever position feels the most comfortable—convenient for alternative ways of using a laptop.

. 14”, 360 degrees hinge

. Intel Core i3 processor

. 8GB RAM

. 128GB SSD

 

The Acer Aspire 5 is a no-frills laptop, great for day-to-day use and essential work, it comes in at 15.6” and runs smoothly with a 128GB SSD, powered by AMDs’ Ryzen CPU. Additional features include a backlit keyboard, which could help when using the laptop in a dark room, meanwhile it also has 3 USB ports for additional external connectivity.

15.6”

. AMD Ryzen 3 3200U

. 4GB RAM

. 128GB SSD

 

Rounding off the list is this HP laptop, coming in at 14”, but still featuring the necessary specifications for good day-to-day university student life. Including a touchscreen, an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD for fast booting up and program loading times, as well as a decent amount of storage for documents, photos, and videos.

. 14”

. Intel Core i3-1215U

. 8GB RAM

. 256GB SSD

Read more: 10 Best budget laptops you can buy

Read more: View all shopping guides and product recommendations

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