There are a couple of important things to consider specific for college. Portability and battery life are fundamental. Regardless of your budget, you want something that will last all day and does not weigh you down while carrying it from class to class. Whatever more than four pounds will begin to feel evident in the backpack.
The overall dimensions are also important. Bringing a 16 -inch laptop to class may seem obtuse given the size of the university hall counters. The same goes if you intend to bring your laptop to a cafeteria or in the crowded library. That’s why 13 -inch or 14 -inch laptops are preferred. Having said that, if you are a player or you need a discreet GPU for your courses, you may have to bite the bullet and buy something a little bigger.
Here are some other specifications to consider:
Processor
- Windows: If you are receiving a Windows machine, your main options for the processor are Intel and AMD, although Qualcomm is now a valid alternative with Copilot+ PC. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. For a more complete guide to differences, consult our complete guide to the purchase of a laptop.
- Chromebooks: These browser -based machines use half a dozen different processors, most of which have probably never heard of. There is a reason for this: those processors are slow. My recommendation when buying a Chromebook is to stay with a Chromebook Plus machine. This is a new Google standard created to guarantee a certain level of performance and Polish with Chromebook.
- MacOS: Apple has created its processors for a few years, such as the last M4 chip found inside the MacBook Air shown below. More powerful models such as MacBook Pros present M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, which have comparable GPUs with discrete GPUs that you find in the Windows laptops. Our MacBook purchase guide can help.
RAM and storage space
Regardless of the operating system you choose, the minimum quantity of RAM you want in your laptop is 8 GB. It is enough memory to make your computer feel SnAppy even if it works under load. But in these days, 16 GB have become the new standard and you will find many laptops about $ 800 which are equipped with 16 GB. So if you can afford it, especially if you plan to edit photos or videos as part of your courses, go for 16 GB or even 32 GB.
The new default setting for storage is 256 GB and will do so if you are trying to save money. It is always possible to use external storage if you need to add. Sprima for 512 GB or a terabyte, if you can, though.
Screen
The screens vary enormously, but not satisfying anything less than 1080p (or 1200p for displays of proportions 16:10). For a 13 -inch laptop, 1080p is quite acute. If you are going with a larger laptop, 2.5k or even 4K screens will improve the display experience. If you are trying to play games, make sure you get something with a higher refresher frequency: 20 Hz or 144 Hz will be more than satisfying.
Weight and battery
Don’t forget that you will drag this thing around. It could very well get on your back for eight hours or more. A pound may not seem very much, but at the end of a long day of walking, you will notice the difference between a three -pound laptop and a four -pound laptop. Trust me. Also, maybe choose a nice bag to bring your computer.
Likewise, the battery life is very important when you are (potentially) away from a wall socket for long periods. Whatever you end up receiving, make sure it is able to last at least eight hours in use of the real world: breaking the web, modification of documents, writing of e-mail and taking notes. Even then, you may want to consider a portable charger.