Most students in the 21st century need a laptop. If you also rely on online learning, it is impossible to do this without technology. All educational institutions try to include new technologies in the learning process, for example, dissertation proofreading service or computers.
The range of laptops in the modern market includes several hundred models, or rather configurations. Choosing the optimal laptop for learning from all this variety is really not easy, especially with a limited budget. To ease the pain of choice, we have selected five noteworthy laptops: for schoolchildren – basic configurations for inexpensive, for students – a little more functional models, but still for reasonable money.
We have shared some details with you below but kindly note that some specs, pricing, and availability might vary depending on your region.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is one of the most affordable laptops with a solid amount of both RAM and 86 GB of RAM, respectively. The RAM is unsoldered directly on the motherboard of the laptop. In addition, there is one free SO-DIMM DDR4 slot for upgrading. The solid-state drive is presented in a shortened M.2 2242 format, but it is possible to replace it with the more widespread 2280. The Intel Celeron N4020 processor is the simplest among modern ones – two low-frequency cores without multithreading. But it generates only a little heat, so the laptop is able to cool without a fan, which makes it relatively silent. Suitable for Chrome web browser, electronic documents Word and Excel, watching 720p movies, and even games.
ASUS laptops and Vivobooks
ASUS produces good laptops, and despite a global shortage of semiconductor chips, they are still an option for smaller budgets with a decent graphics card NVIDIA GeForce MX130. It does not know how to speed up video editing (NVENC encoder is missing), but CUDA technology supports professional photo processing and 3D modeling. The dual-core quad-core Intel Pentium 6805 processor with 10-generation Ice Lake architecture is probably the optimal partner for the aforementioned video card. Dual-channel RAM complements (4 GB unsoldered on the motherboard, four more installed in the slot) and a high-speed M.2 PCI-E SSD of 256 gigabytes. This laptop is comfortable not only for working and studying but also for having fun in multiplayer games, such as CSGO, Dota 2, and World of Tanks. The models of the series Vivobook in particular, offer interesting 2-in-1 features for students and professionals alike.
HP Pavilion 14
HP Pavilion 14 – a compact and lightweight ultrabook with a diagonal of 14 inches and weighs 1.4 kg. Two-thirds are made of metal: the top cover and the inner panel around the keyboard. No less interesting is the processor of this laptop – Core i3-1125G4 with four cores and eight threads. Previously, only the more expensive Core i5 could boast of this. The eleventh generation of Intel chips has brought energy-saving 10-nanometer process technology, increased performance per single-core, support for high-speed DDR4-3200 MHz RAM, and a new architecture of integrated graphics Xe. This means a higher frame rate in games and support for the new AV1 video format.
Not interesting in saving? Here are some of the most expensive laptops around.
HP Laptop 15s
The HP Laptop 15s is one of the cheapest laptops with a 6-core and 12-stream AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor. Built on a 7-nanometer Zen 2 chip, this chip is probably the most cost-effective solution for 3D modeling in 3Ds Max and Blender. This solution is also suitable for professional video editing – the built-in graphics Radeon Vega 7 has an RME encoder for both the classic H264 codec and the new H265. There is a decoder (for viewing, not editing) and for the VP9 format, which is used on YouTube. Two RAM modules with a total capacity of 16 GB (in the future, you can upgrade to 32) are complemented by SSD M.2 PCI-E per one and a half bytes.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a gaming laptop and a cool mobile workstation for university studies, such as software development, construction drawing, or economic analytics. A pair of Intel Core i5-10300H processors (the letter H means the possibility of long-term auto-overclocking Turbo Boost) is a discrete graphics card GeForce GTX 1650. It has not only 4 GB of GDDR6 memory but also an NVENC encoder to speed up video editing. In addition, we get an IPS-screen, 8 + 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a couple of disks – SSD 256 GB and HDD 1 TB, thanks to which at the same time quickly, capaciously, and conveniently make backups. Of course, in your free time, it will not be a sin to get acquainted with future new games – Stalker 2, Battlefield 2042, and Far Cry 6, all of which will run on medium graphics settings. Lenovo also has its own gaming hardware brand, so in case you’re interested in that rather than budget laptops, you should also give them a try.
When buying a new laptop for a student, or in case you are buying it for yourself, you should also consider investing in accessories like a laptop bag to protect the device. This, like an additional webcam, mouse, or other peripherals, might further support productivity. If you buy all of that at once, maybe you can get a good deal and save even more money.
Photo credit: The feature image has been done by Dušan Petković.
