Best College Laptops: Tested Picks for Research, Writing, Gaming and More

For college students, no tool is as important as a laptop. It covers all of taking notes, studying, homework, collaboration, procrastination (don’t tell the professor), and extracurricular activities. Choosing one may result in choosing a tool for at least four years of education, if not further research or subsequent life.

Choosing a college laptop can feel like homework in itself. There are so many on the market that we recommend focusing on portability, battery life, and performance based on school and undergraduate recommendations.

Entering the fall semester of 2022, the latest parts of the laptop include Intel’s 12th generation CPU, AMD’s Ryzen 6000 processor (though these were hard to find), GPU, Apple’s M2 chip, and Nvidia’s RTX 30 series. Includes GPU.

Tech products are easier to find than earlier this year, but some items may still be difficult to obtain. So keep that in mind when shopping. Also, be aware of student discounts.

• Consider your major or specialty: Science and liberal arts may have different needs. Engineering majors working with computer-aided design software may need a notebook with a discrete graphics card, but students who are primarily research or writing papers may be fine with a thin ultrabook. Schools and faculties may also have recommended specifications, so be sure to check them out.
• Learn whether your job lives locally or in the cloud: Check if your school or faculty uses cloud storage such as Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. If so, you may be able to work with less internal storage. Of course, if you need a copy of your work, or if you want to keep your personal files as well as your school files, make sure you have a little extra space.
• Weight and battery life issues: After all, when traveling between classes, you’ll have to carry this laptop in your backpack all day long. Lightweight and long battery life saves your back and leaves more space for your books.
• Consider how to take notes. A good keyboard is always important, especially when writing a treatise. However, some students still prefer to take notes by hand, and those people will want to consider a stylus convertible or removable 2-in-1.
• Check if you can get a student discount. Some stores offer discounts that prove their partnership with a university or college. It is also possible that your school has a relationship with a vendor for a particular model of transaction. Others may just throw a gift card or free earphones. It would be great if you could find a deal. The school is high enough.

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