Choosing a laptop for college is not easy. There is not one that towers over the competition, because it all depends on your tastes, your requirements and many other factors.
This is a tricky decision, but to help you we have made a selection of the best laptops available on the market.
Before making the purchase, there are a few key elements to take into account, to know them go to our buying guide.
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1Honor MagicBook 14 - The best in all areas
- Most
- Excellent performance
- Premium design
- Good autonomy
- The lessers
- Poor webcam
- No touch screen
- Price
- Indicated price:
Honor's MagicBook 14 offers an unrivaled combination of price, design, features and performance. In all honesty, you most likely won't find such a good laptop at this price.
Not only does it look good, but it's also powerful with an AMD processor and Radeon graphics card. Its battery goes beyond 10 hours of autonomy and its screen is rather satisfactory.
You will also appreciate its ports, keyboard and fingerprint reader. Apart from the location of the webcam, the audio is its only weak point.
2MacBook Air M1 - The most powerful
- Most
- Outstanding performance
- Incredible autonomy
- Free software included
- The lessers
- Unchanged design
- Price
- Indicated price:
The $1 MacBook Air is the cheapest portable Mac you can buy right now.
You get an Apple M1 chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The main difference between this model and its more expensive version is that it offers an 8-core GPU rather than 7, and 512 GB of storage.
The switch to this new processor represents arguably the biggest change for the MacBook Air since its first launch. It gives you incredible performance in a thin, light cabin, including significantly improved range.
While the overall design remains unchanged from its predecessor, it still sports a new Magic Keyboard which is a big improvement over the butterfly model.
3LG Gram 16 - Best big screen
- Most
- Stunning design
- Superb performance
- Excellent display
- The lessers
- His price
- Non-touch screen
- Indicated price:
If you're looking for a big laptop, without compromising on a thin and light design, then the latest LG Gram 16 is the one for you.
Its 16-inch screen, with a resolution of 2560x1600, is stunning, especially thanks to its small edges for an immersive viewing experience.
Equipped with an Intel Core i7 1165G7 processor and 8 or 16 GB RAM, its daily performance is also excellent. Regarding its connectivity, the choice of ports is very wide.
Among its other technical characteristics to mention, it has an 80Wh battery and a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button.
4Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 - The most versatile
- Most
- Premium design
- Good autonomy
- Its impressive
- The lessers
- No fingerprint sensor or Ethernet
- Disappointing keyboard
- Indicated price:
As the name suggests, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 is a lightweight laptop that slips easily into your bag
Designed to work anywhere, it gives you plenty of ports, plus the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology for fast connectivity. You will notably benefit from a Ryzen 4000 processor signed AMD.
You will also appreciate its Dolby Atmos speakers which allow you, when you are not on any project, to enjoy superior stereo sound. As for its screen, it is a Full HD display that offers you a brightness of 300 nits.
5Asus E410 - The most affordable
- Most
- A day of autonomy
- Lightweight and compact design
- Smooth user experience
- The lessers
- mid-range manufacturing
- Dim screen
- Bulky number pad
- Indicated price:
If you're looking for a low-cost yet efficient laptop, the Asus E410 is a great choice.
The Intel Celeron N4020 processor doesn't look great on paper, however it offers solid and versatile performance that can handle basic tasks. Autonomy is also excellent, the 12 hours announced by Asus being verified in real use, a full working day is quite possible. With a weight of only 1,3 kg, it is also very easy to transport.
You get a solid 14-inch Full HD+ display, although it's not particularly bright. The numeric keypad integrated into the touchpad is more annoying than useful...
6Apple iPad Pro 12,9-inch (2021) - Best Premium Hybrid
- Most
- Nice screen
- Impressive autonomy
- Excellent photo sensors
- The lessers
- M1 chip limited by iPadOS
- Price
- Indicated price:
The iPad Pro (12,9-inch) is a hybrid, many students will want a tablet as well as a laptop, and the iPad Pro fulfills both roles wonderfully.
This year, its M1 chip takes its already excellent performance to an even higher level. It's definitely the most powerful tablet money can buy, with plenty of productivity apps available.
It sports a stunning 12,9-inch 120Hz display for an exceptional viewing experience. Under the hood, it has a large battery allowing it to last a whole day of work.
Without forgetting the Magic Keyboard and the Apple Pencil which transform it into an ultraportable macOS. It's an amazing all-in-one device if you can afford it.
7Acer Swift 5 - The most portable
- Most
- Extremely light
- Decent performance
- Nice autonomy
- The lessers
- sometimes noisy
- Weak speakers
- No Ethernet network
- Indicated price:
Although it is incredibly light (1,05 kg only), the Acer Swift 5 is still a powerful computer. You can choose between Core i5 or i7 variants of the latest 11th Gen Intel chips, as well as a discrete Nvidia GPU.
Acer even managed to include a 14-inch Full HD LCD screen, a 720p webcam and a generous selection of ports, albeit without Ethernet.
Plus, its battery lasts a full day of use, while Thunderbolt 4 support ensures fast data transfer.
8Microsoft Surface Go - Best Hybrid
- Most
- Lightweight and versatile
- Big screen
- Solid video quality from its webcam
- The lessers
- Disappointing performance
- Type Cover sold separately
- Indicated price:
We grant you, the Surface Go 2 is a tablet, but we advise you to take it into account in your choice.
Its portability is exceptional and it is one of the most affordable Windows devices on the market. Its 10,5-inch screen may be too small for some, but that's what makes the Go 2 compact, and it has a decent battery. It's perfect if you don't intend to use heavy-duty programs.
Remember that it comes without the Type Cover.
9Honor MagicBook Pro (Intel) - The best cheap large-screen laptop
- Most
- Dedicated graphics card
- Large and bright screen
- Pleasant keyboard
- The lessers
- Obsolete processor
- Non-touch screen
- Indicated price:
If you are looking for a PC with a very large then the Honor MagicBook Pro is what you need.
The Intel version comes with a Core i5-10210U CPU and Nvidia GeForce MX350 GPU, which you won't find on many laptops at this price. There is also an AMD version, but its graphics card is integrated.
The 16-inch screen is an attractive 1920x1080 LCD panel with a traditional 16:9 ratio, although it's not touch sensitive.
You will find a nice connection, a fingerprint reader integrated into the ignition button and a full version of Windows 10.
Battery life is slightly spotty, although the included 65W adapter helps recover the charge relatively quickly. You will also have to deal with a webcam integrated into the row of function keys.
10Microsoft Surface Pro 7 - Best Value
- Most
- Solid performance
- Versatile design
- Top quality manufacturing
- The lessers
- Distressed design
- Obsolete internal components
- Indicated price:
The Surface Pro 7 is a powerful tablet that doubles as a decent laptop if you opt for the Type Cover.
The Pro 7 really shines with its hardware and advanced graphics capabilities. It is certainly more muscular than the Pro X (with ARM processor) and it is a real leap forward compared to the Pro 6. It is certainly not a gaming pc, but the Pro 7 is certainly a more versatile computer than a standard pc.
Our only wish would be for Microsoft to be bolder with the design since it's redundant and starting to get dusty, especially the chunky bezels around the screen.
If you want the portability and flexibility of a 2-in-1, then the Pro 7 is worth considering, but there are more powerful laptops available at a similar price.
Buying guide for the best laptops for students
If you are a student in graphic design, design, video editing, engineering... you will probably work with complex software, so you will need a high-end and relatively powerful computer.
However, if you are studying economics or law, for example, you will spend a lot more time on programs like Microsoft Excel or Word, so it is not essential for you to have a top-notch machine.
Since the needs are very varied and depend on your situation, we have included a wide range of models, including Chromebooks.
They might not technically be computers, but we've also included a few tablets because, with a keyboard and/or stylus, they might suit you better.
Displays and Signage
Most laptops have a 13-inch screen, it's the sweet spot between size and portability. However, on the market there is no shortage of screen sizes to choose from, you are sure to find what you are looking for.
Remember that the cheapest products are usually equipped with an inferior screen, with a lack of sharpness and clarity.
Some PCs (not Macs yet) also have touch screens, but do you really need them?
Components
If a model costs close to $1, then you will benefit from a better processor (Core i000 for example), more RAM and more storage space. It could even be equipped with a dedicated graphics card. This type of computer is recommended for performing complex tasks.
Less expensive models can carry a lower-powered Intel Pentium chip, as well as their memory and storage space. So, make sure first that they are up to your requirements.
Keyboard and touchpad
Not all keyboards and touchpads are created equal. Those of the MacBooks are the best in their category, but this privilege has a price; the type of keyboard, it depends on your preference. Whether you want an integrated numeric keypad or not.
Without it, you will have a more compact computer, which can be advantageous for its transport.
Battery life
Everyone wants a very long-lasting battery, after all no technology is really useful if it falls flat in the middle of taking notes.
Be aware that an expensive model does not mean that its battery is enduring, on the contrary it will be more inclined to draw on its powerful internal components. And, a lower-end model may have a smaller battery to keep manufacturing costs down.
Ports and external drives
Maybe that doesn't seem important to you now, but think carefully about the ports you'll need. Many modern models come with few ports and are often equipped with USB-C ports.
To connect a USB key or an HDMI cable, you will probably need to get an adapter (or a dongle).
Inexpensive laptops are bulkier and usually have more space for bigger ports (USB-A for example). Which can be a real bargain.
Don't forget that computers are no longer integrating CD/DVD readers, so you will need an external reader.
Operating system
Finally, you must be sure of the operating system you want to use. Your main choices are Windows 10 and macOS, but chances are you already know which one you prefer.
If not, then check if the software you need to use is compatible.
Otherwise, there are other alternatives such as ChromeOS, it is extremely easy to use. However, it requires an internet connection to fully function.
The tablets we've included are also intuitive, but again, make sure they'll be able to run your favorite software first.
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- The best laptops
- What is the best Mac for a student?
- Good laptop deals
- The best Chromebooks
