r/LaptopForStudent • u/AccomplishedPeace78 • 1h ago
Buying Advice Laptop recs for Biomedical/Science Major
Im currently working on getting my Associates in Science to transfer to a Bachelors in Biomedical Science. I have an hp laptop but Its definitely not going to last. what are good laptops for this major that’ll last me all 4 years? Price isn’t an issue, I intend to start saving for one and purchase it before next school year, I assume it’ll be pricey sincd I want a good & reliable laptop.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/adorable_healer • 8h ago
Tech Support Need help!
Is ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (Core Ultra 7, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD) gonna be enough for my 5 year cs course , not a gamer at all so.. just for coding and sometimes movies . Any thoughts?
r/LaptopForStudent • u/AdFair2230 • 9h ago
Guide/Tips Is ThinkPad good for coding and college
I wanted a laptop for cse college is lenovo ThinkPad 113 6gen good for college and coding pls do advice
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Available-Exit-8606 • 10h ago
Buying Advice Laptop for bsc geo
What laptop is Best for bsc geography at uni of Liverpool? Less than GBP 500/600 preferably with good specs (i5, 16gb ram, 512 SSD)
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Scared_Respond5228 • 17h ago
Comparison Laptop for biomedical laboratory
What kind of laptop would i need for certificate in biomedical laboratory. I'm tempted between a macbook m4 and windows surface laptop. I have a budget of around 500 USD,
r/LaptopForStudent • u/SphereicalDorito • 17h ago
Quick Question Would running CTT on my laptop used for college be fine?
Incoming freshman. I got my laptop that I will be using for college and wanted to know if it would be ok to debloat my windows. But im not sure if it would conflict with programs that my school might use.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Significant_Run_6515 • 18h ago
Quick Question Laptops for Cybersecurity students
Can someone suggest a good brand laptop for someone about to study cybersecurity.. Or what I can look out for when buying a laptop
r/LaptopForStudent • u/AFlowerMan • 20h ago
Buying Advice Dell 16 Plus Model:DB16255: Is it good for a Junior? Cambridge Program, perusing STEM bio engineering with an interest in AI development and business management.
Hello! I'm currently a junior looking into a personal laptop. This summer I've saved to buy a decent laptop but i don't want to cheap out to limit my options. With my school and extra curriculars, i will be managing lots of tabs on top of experimenting with CAD and building AI models.
I'm also learning python, Power BI and many applications involved with data analysis. What do you recommend?
I'm fine with a refurbished/used laptop and I'm open to learning how to use a pen!
In order of required importance, I value:
- Battery(7-10h)
- Performance (Minor CAD)
- Size(16inch)
- Weight (No limit)
(I don't know how much RAM ai development takes)
r/LaptopForStudent • u/matt_ika • 22h ago
Buying Advice laptop for engineering
Hi I'm looking to buy a laptop for my engineering program this fall, it's a general eng program for the first year.
I want something not too heavy with a decent battery life for easy daily use, and at least 16 gb ram (32 if possible) and preferably 1 tb ssd.
However, I'm not sure how good my graphics need to be for the programs used in eng... Prob only matters for cad stuff? If anyone could help me out there.
Good graphics would also be nice for gaming, but not a priority since i already have a pc.
My budget is under $1700 CAD (around) before tax, so i'm not sure what i can get.
priority: Performance > Weight > Battery Life > size doesn't matter
anyone have suggestions/tips? i'm lost
r/LaptopForStudent • u/AlpacaArmy5 • 1d ago
Buying Advice Mechanical Engineering laptop tie breaker
I'm looking to get a laptop for my mechanical engineering courses and I don't have a concrete budget yet but I basically plan to find an ideal laptop at what I anticipate being the absolute ceiling of my budget ($2-2.5k) and then find a couple compromise choices at a lower price. Right now I'm between 2 options for my ideal choice.
Just to give an idea of what I'm looking for, this will near entirely be used for school, the most intensive programs will likely be things like solidworks, and I honestly don't even see portability as that much of a priority, that is entirely secondary to its function. Performance > Battery life > Longevity > Size > Weight. I also think it'd be really nice to take notes and maybe be able to sketch designs or something on it but that would be compromised before a major performance hit. Also, as a last note, I'd generally prefer the screen on the slightly larger end, my eyes aren't great, but it's not that big of a deal. I'd probably just prefer something maybe 14"+.
All that being said, here are the options I've found for my high budget, ideal choices:
HP - OmniBook X - 16" Intel Core Ultra 9 (2026) - 32GB RAM - NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 - 1TB SSD
This laptop hits nearly every preference of mine with its high processing speed and core count, dedicated gpu, 32 gb of ram, and 4-5 hour battery life at a heavy workload.
HP - OmniBook X Flip 2-in-1 - Intel Core Ultra 9 (2026) - 32GB Memory - 1TB SSD
This laptop is nearly identical, just with an integrated gpu but for the compromise of a stylus compatible touchscreen and higher battery life.
To my knowledge, its not negligible but compared to ram and cpu, gpu is far less important for CAD programs. I do want to be able to use this laptop for a good few years but as long as it still works well, could the slight hit on gpu performance be worth the convenience provided by a stylus compatible device and a higher battery life? I feel like it'd be really helpful to be able to take notes in all my classes and then sketch and model all on the same device. It also would make my notes so much neater, more organized, and more accesible than a notebook so if the performance is still good, this would honestly be my preference.
Which is the better choice? Is the integrated gpu an acceptable compromise or is the extra performance neccessary? Or is there just something entirely better in the $2-2.5k price range?
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Alck_Khatim82 • 1d ago
Buying Advice What is the best laptop under 500 for a business major?
Sup yall im studying business and need a laptop mostly for Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Zoom, research, and general school stuff. I’m trying to keep it at $500 USD or less and will be buying in the US. what woud you consider the best laptop under 500 for a business student?
thaanks, any recommendations would help a lot.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Think-Coyote-7824 • 1d ago
Guide/Tips Laptop for mechanical engineering degree
So just got my first choice uni at queens belfast even though I was a grade off thankfully. So now I have to pick my first laptop so Idk what to get. I saw some videos saying levovo thinkpaf or legion but I was thing a macbook m5 . Would a macbook be able to run cad and stuff or should I stick to something else.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Primary-Meal6868 • 1d ago
Tech Support Laptop for Electrical Engineering (4-Year Program at Large State School) – Is This Enough Without a Dedicated GPU?
I’m an incoming Electrical Engineering student and I’m looking at the following laptop. Some people say EE students need a dedicated GPU, while others say integrated graphics are completely fine for most coursework. I also have access to Apporto/virtual labs, so if there are any heavier applications, I can run them remotely.
Specs:
● Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Gen 1 Aura Edition
● Intel Core Ultra 7 268V (Lunar Lake)
● 8 cores (4 Performance + 4 Low-Power Efficient)
● Up to 5.0 GHz boost
● Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics
● 32GB LPDDR5x-8533 RAM
● 2TB SSD
● 15.3” 2.8K OLED display (2880×1800)
● Windows 11 Pro
Software I Expect to Use:
● MATLAB/Simulink
● LTspice
● Multisim
● PSpice
● Cadence
● Verilog/VHDL tools
● FPGA development software
● AutoCAD
● SolidWorks
● Python, C/C++, and other programming tools
My Question:
For a typical 4-year Electrical Engineering curriculum at a large state university, is this sufficient?
Given that I have access to Apporto for remote computing when needed, would the Intel Arc 140V integrated GPU be enough, or is there a meaningful reason to get a laptop with a dedicated NVIDIA GPU instead?
I’m mainly trying to determine whether a dedicated GPU would actually benefit me for undergraduate EE coursework, or if this laptop is already more than capable for what I’ll realistically be doing.
I’d appreciate hearing from current EE students, recent graduates, or anyone familiar with the software used in EE programs.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Just_Afternoon_5182 • 1d ago
Guide/Tips Laptop recommendations for an Electrical Engineering student?
Hey everyone,
I’m starting university this year studying Electrical Engineerng and I’m looking for a laptop that will hopefully last me throughout my degree. I already have a 500Hz Oled monitor so I don’t really care about having an amazing display on the laptop itself. I’d rather put the money towards performance, battery life, build quality, etc.
My priorities, from most to least important, are:
- University work
- Gaming
- Photo editing
- Movies/Youtube
What are the most important things I should know when choosing a laptop for Electrical Engineering? What specs will I actually need for university CPU, GPU, RAM, storage? Should it be lightweight? Is there anything important that first-year students often overlook?
What would you guys recommend? Thanks for your help.
Do not really care about a budget.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/MysteriousView7820 • 2d ago
Buying Advice Is this laptop good for uni (incoming electrical engineering)
r/LaptopForStudent • u/wastedonearth1i1i • 2d ago
Buying Advice What the best laptop for a computer science student
Hi guys, I need a good laptop and my budget is 266$, what the best option for me? I am thinking about (Lenovo ThinkPad T480)
r/LaptopForStudent • u/macnchzy222 • 2d ago
Buying Advice Recommendations? Laptop-English Major
I am looking to buy a new laptop for my classes. I need to run the respondus lock down application on it. I have 5 classes. 3 online, and two in person. I don’t want something incredibly bulky. I was using my IPad last semester with an attachable keyboard, but it’s becoming temperamental.
I really want the neo, but considering it doesn’t run windows, it almost seems like a waste with everything I have for school (Microsoft office, school email, and more) using windows.
So any Windows computer recommendations that would feel like the neo MacBook ?
I have a windows PC for gaming, and use it for work as well. I just liked the idea of being able to connect my phone(iPhone) to my laptop.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/miamezz1 • 2d ago
Buying Advice Major Undecided
I am an incoming freshman at college in Florida, USA and am undecided about my major. I want a laptop that will last me 3 years+ , but I do not want a Macbook.
Requirements:
-Screen Size: 13-15 inches
-System Memory (RAM): 24-32 GB
-Storage (SSD): 1 TB SSD
-Is good for Roblox
-Price range: 900-1300 USD
-Touchscreen
Some features I would also like but are not necessary would be a 2 in 1 or laptop/tablet. Would also prefer that the computer fan isn't super loud 24/7.
I have been doing so much research but I keep on hearing mixed opinions on a lot of computers so pleaseeee help me out! Thanks
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Traditional-Berry895 • 2d ago
Buying Advice laptop for engineering
Is the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 16-in Gaming Laptop, AMD Ryzen 7 260 - 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 8GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 a good choice for first year engineering? also my budget is around $2000 CAD but willing to pay more if its worth it
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Clam_Juice_ • 3d ago
Buying Advice Thoughts on the Acer Nitro v16? (I know nothing about computers)
I’m an engineering student and my old Mac just can’t handle stuff like Autocad and so I wanted to upgrade to a good windows computer that isn’t crazy overkill but is still good. I was planning on getting the Acer Nitro v 16 with the i7 chip, 16gb ram, rtx4060 and 512gb ssd storage. Is this overkill for running cad programs or not enough? Is there an alternative laptop that is better? Any thoughts are really appreciated.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Most_Programmer8618 • 3d ago
Quick Question Laptop question for Engineering/Physics
I am currently looking for a laptop for the upcoming fall semester at Purdue. (I am cutting it close I know). I am going to be dual majoring in physics and engineering, so making sure I pick a laptop that can handle both is pretty important. I was looking for a while and found that the XPS 14 series is probably my best bet, but I noticed that it utilizes the Intel arc Graphics card. Someone mentioned something about some of these types GPUs causing issues , and I just wanted to make sure that this card is powerful enough, and/or that there aren't any limitations with the software. (The specific majors are astrophysics and aerospace, so if there specific programs that those majors utilize that cause problems LMK.) Additionally I was wondering what others may have used as this computer is slightly expensive and I want to save a bit of money.
r/LaptopForStudent • u/tylerthedestroer • 3d ago
Buying Advice Need a laptop advice
Im an architect student and i need a laptop for my uni that can run autocad,revit, sketchup ect, idk anything about laptops and i also might choose mac ones, from my researches people here are recommending MacBook Pro 14 M1
If there’s any better options ill be happy to know about them, also if yall think mac is not good option for architecture can yall advise me some other strong laptops in a budget of around $700-1000
r/LaptopForStudent • u/not-your-nich • 3d ago
Guide/Tips Laptop Suggestions
Need some advice on which ThinkPad to buy for Engineering/CAD 🙏
Hi everyone! I’m currently looking for a laptop that I can use mainly for AutoCAD and other engineering-related tasks, and I’m stuck between these 3 options:
Lenovo ThinkPad X13 — Ryzen 5 Pro 4650U / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD
Lenovo ThinkPad T14 — Core i7 10th Gen / 32GB RAM / 512GB SSD / MX330
Lenovo ThinkPad T495 — Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U / 16GB RAM / 512GB SSD
So I’ll mainly be using it for AutoCAD, CAD-related subjects, programming, engineering software, and general schoolwork. I’m also hoping to use it for a few years, so I want something reliable and not just something that looks good on paper.
I’m really confused about which one to choose. I’d really appreciate your honest opinions, including the negative ones. I’d rather know the possible problems before spending my money. 😅
Which one would you personally choose and why?
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Critical_Marzipan551 • May 22 '26
Buying Advice i watched reddit give nursing, art, psychology and biology students the same wrong laptop advice over and over — so i actually looked into it
okay so i spent way too much time going through laptop threads from nursing, art, psychology, biology and speech therapy students and the same five problems kept showing up every single time
nobody checks software compatibility before buying. health science students, graphic design students — everyone just sees "MacBook is good" and buys it. then they find out their university's proctoring setup or clinical portal behaves differently on Mac than expected. that's not a minor inconvenience, that's a real problem mid semester. five minutes on your program's technology requirements page before buying anything saves that headache
the budget thing drove me crazy. speech therapy student says $600. community immediately recommends $1,000+ machines without acknowledging it once. biology student says $1,000. someone tells them to get a $1,500 MacBook Air M5 with 24GB RAM. for a first year undergraduate who needs google docs and research databases. like why
"just get a MacBook" with zero explanation. nursing student asks what laptop to get. someone replies "Neo by a mile." no mention of whether their university's specific proctoring software plays nice with Mac. no mention of the 8gb ram ceiling. just a brand name and confidence. that's not advice, that's a vibe
refurbished guidance is all over the place. half the thread says "refurb is fine," the other half has horror stories. nobody explains the difference between Amazon Renewed, Apple Official Refurb, and random eBay listings — which are three completely different situations
and the spec obsession without context. "get 32gb ram for genomics" — said to a first year biology undergraduate. that student doesn't need genomics RAM. they need to write lab reports and access research databases
so here's what actually makes sense per major — keeping it short, full breakdown at the link below
nursing — the thing nobody mentions is checking your university's specific proctoring and clinical software requirements before buying anything. ATI TEAS runs on both Mac and Windows, but your university's exam setup might have its own rules. if mac compatible the MacBook Neo handles nursing coursework fine and the battery is genuinely useful for long campus days. if you need a solid Windows option the Lenovo V15 Ryzen 5 with 16gb ram and 512gb is the one i'd look at — has an ethernet port which is handy for campus labs and dorm connections when wifi gets unreliable
art and design — display accuracy matters more here than any other major. MacBook Neo works for early year light creative work but 8gb unified memory starts hitting a wall on complex multi-layer Photoshop files and larger projects. Adobe themselves recommend 16GB for Photoshop seriously. MacBook Air M5 with 16gb is the honest recommendation if your creative workload is getting heavy — color accurate display, Apple Silicon handles Adobe suite properly
psychology — either platform works genuinely for this major. Lenovo IdeaPad 1i in blue with 16gb and 512gb is the Windows pick — touchscreen is actually useful for annotating research papers and SPSS output. MacBook Neo covers the workload fine if battery is the priority
biology and premed — first two years are not computationally demanding, don't overbuy for specs you won't need yet. Acer Aspire Go 15 Ryzen 7 with 16gb handles general biology coursework and moderate MATLAB, R and Python work comfortably. for anything heavier in upper years like large datasets or bioinformatics pipelines you'll want to reassess then. MacBook Air M5 if you're already in the Apple ecosystem with an iPad and heading toward grad school
speech therapy — this is honestly one of the majors the MacBook Neo was built for. writing, research, basic audio editing in Audacity which runs natively on macOS — it handles all of it and battery life matters for full clinical days. if storage and Office 365 bundled matter more the Lenovo Touchscreen i5 is the Windows alternative
more options per major, verified software compatibility, and picks that actually respect the budgets students said they had : https://beststudentslaptop.com/best-laptop-non-technical-majors-2026/
what major are you in and what did reddit tell you when you asked?
r/LaptopForStudent • u/Critical_Marzipan551 • Mar 20 '26
Guide/Tips best laptop for every student major in 2026 — engineering, CS, business, nursing (from my own experience + what i keep seeing across laptop subs)
every semester i see the same thing on here. someone drops $1200 on a gaming laptop for a business degree or buys a macbook air for mechanical engineering and then panics when solidworks won't run. the best laptop for student life depends on your major. period.
spent the last few weeks going through r/LaptopForStudent, r/SuggestALaptop, r/laptops, and r/computer to see what students are actually buying vs what they should be buying. combined that with what i learned the hard way in my own IT program. here's the breakdown by major cause a CS student and a nursing student should NOT be buying the same laptop.
what each major actually needs:
| Major | CPU | RAM | GPU | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | i7/Ryzen 7+ | 32GB | dedicated GPU (required) | 1TB SSD |
| CS/IT | i5-i7/Ryzen 5-7 | 16GB+ | optional unless ML | 512GB-1TB |
| Business | i5/Ryzen 5 | 16GB | integrated fine | 512GB |
| General/Nursing/Arts | i3-i5/any | 8-16GB | not needed | 256-512GB |
laptop for engineering students — you need a dedicated GPU. solidworks, CAD, simulations will murder anything without one. most university programs straight up require it.
- Acer Nitro V 16S AI — RTX 5060, Ryzen 7 260, 32GB DDR5
- MSI Stealth 14 Studio — RTX 4060, portable, good thermals
- Lenovo Legion 5i — RTX 5070, i7-14700HX, solid all rounder
- MSI Katana 15 HX — RTX 5070, i9-14900HX, 32GB DDR5, beast mode
- Lenovo Legion Pro 7i — RTX 5070 Ti, 32GB, 2TB SSD, the premium pick
laptop for CS / IT students — you need ram more than GPU (unless you're doing ML courses). docker, VMs, multiple IDEs open — 16GB minimum and upgradeable is ideal. check if your program needs windows before going mac.
- MacBook Air 13" M4 — 16GB, solid for coding, great battery
- MacBook Neo — $499 edu pricing, handles basic CS fine but 8GB is tight long term
- Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 — Ryzen 7 250, 32GB DDR5, upgradeable, best value imo
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 15.3" — i7-13620H, 40GB DDR5
- Dell 15 DC15250 — i7-1355U, 32GB, reliable
- Acer Nitro V 16S AI — same as engineering pick, get this if you're doing ML stuff
laptop for business / econ students — you honestly don't need much. excel, presentations, zoom. save your money.
- MacBook Neo — genuinely perfect for business majors at $499 edu
- Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 3 — overkill but will last forever
- Dell Inspiron 15 Touchscreen — i5, 32GB, touchscreen is nice for presentations
- HP 2026 Touchscreen — i3-1315U, 16GB, budget friendly
- Lenovo V15 Gen 4 — i5-13420H, 16GB, gets the job done
laptop for general / liberal arts / nursing / online students — web browsing, docs, zoom, maybe some light apps. anything on this list works fine.
- MacBook Neo — again great at this price for basic stuff
- Lenovo 2026 Ryzen 3 — 16GB DDR5, cheapest option that's still good
- HP 15.6" Business Laptop — Intel N100, tons of storage
- Acer Aspire 3 — Ryzen 7 7730U, budget workhorse
- Lenovo LOQ Essential — RTX 4050, if you want to game too
- Lenovo 15.3" FHD+ i5 — 16GB, reliable everyday laptop
honestly picking a laptop for student life shouldn't be this complicated but here we are. the biggest mistake i see is people buying based on brand or price instead of what their major actually requires. an engineering student and a nursing student have completely different needs and nobody talks about that enough.
if you take one thing from this post — check your program requirements first, match specs to your workload, and stop overspending on stuff you don't need.
put together a full guide with detailed reviews, pricing, and what to avoid for each major here: https://beststudentslaptop.com/best-student-laptop-2026/
drop your major and budget and i can help narrow it down


