Best Laptops For Engineering Students | Top 13 Picks

I know you come here because you need laptop information to get your engineering program. Maybe you’ve bought several laptops, and yet it’s not giving you what you want. Worry no more because, with any of these 13 best laptops for engineering students listed below, you are good to go no matter what engineering field you are in. An engineering student laptop must be a lightweight laptop with impressive battery life because the best laptops for engineering students are equipped with engineering software programs to show incredible performance. Even the best budget laptop for most engineering students has a dedicated graphics card to suit engineering projects given by engineering schools.

These laptops have been listed for portability in providing a delicate balance of processing power, graphics prowess, and affordability. Note, in making your choice, be sure to consider your engineering field; this is because there are different software involved.

For example, as a computer engineer, you will need to get yourself a laptop that can handle Autodesk Product Design Suite, MATLAB, CATIA, ZW3D, and so on, which not all laptops can.

On the other hand, if you are a mechanical engineering student, you need a laptop that can handle the following software Mathcad, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), etc.

Best Laptop for Engineering Students

1. Razer Blade 15

The specifications of this laptop are what make it one of the best laptops for engineering students.  This laptop’s highly loaded specification makes it ideal for running engineering applications and increases its functionality for running resource-intensive processes such as next-generation games.

However, this is an ideal laptop, regardless of your profession or subject. The processor used in the Razer Blade 15 is one of the most recent, which also makes it future-proof. The i7 can boost clock speed to an impressive 5.0 GHz! In addition, the processor is perfect for any student enrolled in any engineering domain, all credits for its hyperthreading, support for turbo boost, and virtualization.

In addition to the features this laptop offers, it offers complete compatibility with relevant engineering software, such as AutoCAD, FEA, MATLAB, and any other processes with the same specification requirements or higher. The 16 GB of RAM included with the Razer Blade 15 comes with a speed of 2933 MHz. To store your data on it, the laptop comes with a 512 GB SSD.

The inclusion of the SSD makes it one of the best laptops for engineering students.  Windows 10 is one of the heaviest operating systems ever created, but with an SSD included, it loads as if it were the size of Windows 98.

2. Acer Predator Helios 300

Acer is famous for making products that offer the best value for money. Powered by a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, the Acer Predator can be counted as one of the main options for the best laptop for engineering students.

This processor will not only prepare the laptop for the future, but it can also handle most resource-consuming programs. Mention, even more, the processor has features like hyperthreading, which will make it easier for this processor to perform heavy engineering processes like CAD without breaking a sweat.

The GPU comes with a GPU RTX 2060, which has 6 GB of VRAM, which will help execute engineering processes and heavy games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.  The Powerhouse comes with 16 GB of RAM, which is a prerequisite for most engineering programs.

3. HP Victus 15

Despite being advertised as a gaming laptop, the HP Victus 15 is a good option for any engineering student who will be running graphically intensive programs because of its straightforward appearance (free from the garish “gamer look” of many powerful laptops) and RTX-equipped models. Furthermore, it’s quite affordable for a laptop with a discrete GPU, which would surely gratify any aspiring engineer on a tight budget. In our typical benchmark tests, fared worse than comparable gaming laptops, although not by a significant amount, which is excellent news. The fact that it has a dual fan system and a sizable air vent at the bottom shows us that it takes air circulation seriously.

Although this isn’t the lightest laptop in the industry, its brilliant 15.6-inch FHD display and generally sturdy build quality allow it to comfortably serve as both a desktop replacement and a tool for on-the-go work. With a chassis partially made of post-consumer recycled plastic and eco-friendly water-based paint, it’s also a wonderful option for those who care about the environment. The Victus 15 is one of the newest models in HP’s expanding line-up of low-cost gaming computers. It starts incredibly affordable without making many sacrifices to capabilities and only mildly increases in price as the specs rise. It’s undoubtedly a basic choice with little finesse.

Given its durability and size, the Victus 15 will be more difficult to put in backpacks designed to hold larger gaming laptops. The HP Victus 15 boasts a respectable selection of connections, a 15.6-inch display that is decent for the money with good visuals and quality even at high settings, and a surprising 144Hz refresh rate. The webcam is fairly clear, the bezels are fine but not particularly noteworthy, and it will treat you well during streaming sessions. Because there is no key backlight and the keyboard is as simple as the laptop’s exterior, playing games in the dark can be a little more difficult. There is a ten-key Numpad on the right, which is a plus.

4. Apple Macbook air

One of the best laptops ever produced by Apple and one of the best laptops for engineering students is the Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022). Apple’s silicon poses serious competition in the market for light laptops even though it may not contain a potent AI-assisted GPU. This is a fantastic accomplishment: a tiny and light notebook that gives an amazing performance and incredible battery life thanks to the ground-breaking ARM-based Apple M2 CPU, an improvement from the previous M1 chip, that powers the new MacBook Air. The MacBook Air worked well during our time with it, whether we were experimenting with Garage Band or using iMovie to edit 4K home videos.

This laptop can easily last more than 11 hours on a single charge, making it convenient to use both indoors and outside of the office. With its stunning screen and newly enhanced keyboard, you may contentedly work for hours. An idea occurred to me as I was composing this MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review: what if Apple had genuinely intended for this to be a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip? In comparison to the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) that we received, the new MacBook Air has a larger screen, better speakers, and a 1080p webcam, so it sort of makes sense.

Contrary to what many people had hoped, the new MacBook Air doesn’t come in a variety of pastel colors, like the 24-inch iMac, but rather a small number of quite businesslike tones. The M2 CPU in both computers offers relatively similar performance. Last but not least, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) has a new, much higher price of $1,199 (£1,249/AU$1,899), which is more in line with a MacBook Pro than the base model MacBook Air. It would have made a lot of sense to release a refreshed MacBook Pro alongside a MacBook Air with the same design (but a new M2 chip and lower price), but Apple chose to do the opposite.

5. HP Spectre x360 (2021)

The HP Spectre x360 (2021) 2-in-1 laptop had a significant refresh, and as a result, this model is at the top of our list of the best laptops for programmers thanks to improved specifications, including 11th-generation Intel Core processors and Intel Iris Xe graphics. Beautiful devices have long been part of the HP Spectre series. So it should mean something when we declare that the Spectre x360 raises the bar. With its gem-cut design and slender profile, this laptop is not just one of the most attractive ones on the market right now; it is also durable inside.

It’s challenging to enhance a successful formula, but the HP Spectre x360 (2021) has managed to do so. Intel’s Evo certification sets the bar for what may be expected from these laptops. HP had to enhance the laptop’s performance, battery life, and design to meet Intel’s requirements. In fact, during our PCMark 10 battery life test, it lasted almost 13 hours. The HP will be able to satisfy just about any user outside of die-hard gamers, whether you’re concerned about battery life and want something that can compete with Chromebooks and MacBooks during extended workdays, need something portable to simply take on the move, or want something powerful.

Having said that, there are several errors made by the HP Spectre x360. It’s a little awkward to use in tablet mode because it’s a little too big for that setting. Consider a Surface Pro 7 or iPad instead if you need that feature and want a laptop that works equally well in whatever size factor. These are both lightweight tablets that can be used with keyboards. The fans on the laptop get pretty loud when you use it, and even when you aren’t. This is our other problem.

6. Asus Zephyrus G14

Despite being built like a gaming laptop, the Asus Zephyrus G14 has proven to be an excellent all-around laptop. This Asus laptop offers fantastic speed along with amazing battery life, a quick screen, and a small and light design that makes it highly portable, whether you are serious about your gaming or need a powerful laptop for office or content creation. This laptop dominated every CPU-intensive testing task we used. Additionally, because the RTX 2060 Max-Q is included in this package, it excels in games as well, earning a 5,872 3DMark Time Spy score and enabling us to play Metro Exodus on Ultra settings at a respectable 38 frames per second.

We can now kind of understand why AMD chose the Asus Zephyrus G14(opens in new tab) laptop to showcase its Ryzen 4000 CPUs for gaming laptops. This is a relatively small and thin device that offers battery life and performance in this category that has never been seen before. Asus and AMD both performed admirably. The Zephyrus G14 is a touch pricy at $1,449 (about £1,170, AU$2,351), but when compared to other systems like the Lenovo Legion Y740, you can purchase an RTX 2060-equipped device for the same price, but with less RAM and a far less powerful processor.

The Asus Zephyrus G14 can only use an RTX 2060, though. The degree of performance the processor offers makes us wonder what a system with a more potent GPU would be able to do, but in the end, a 1080p display is more than enough to run every game available today to the fullest extent possible, and then some. The Asus Zephyrus G14 is the first gaming laptop to use AMD’s new Ryzen 4000 CPUs, so it has a lot to live up to. But after using the laptop for a while, we can see it as a prelude to some of the most amazing computers ever released later in 2020.

7. Dell XPS 15

The Dell XPS 15 can easily be considered the best laptop for engineering students. Even after using powerful components to make it ideal, manufacturers have not compromised the look and slim design that will provide beautiful looks and ease of transport.

The screen used on this laptop is incredibly bright, which can help you notice even the smallest details since engineering can be a focus that requires mastery.

The device’s keyboard is very comfortable to use and the speakers used are quite loud, which means it will be an excellent choice for a presentation or a good movie!

The features mentioned above are what makes it some of the best laptop for engineering students.

8. Google Pixelbook Go

There is little doubt that the Google Pixelbook Go is the greatest Chromebook currently available for purchase. But it’s also a great laptop for those studying engineering.

The Pixelbook Go is more reasonably priced than its predecessor but still has many of the high-end features that came with the original Pixelbook, such as excellent battery life and one of the finest, quietest laptop keyboards we’ve ever tested. While it runs Chrome OS rather than Windows 10 and is, therefore, a more adaptable laptop, you can also install Linux on this device.

It has very outstanding hardware for a Chromebook, ensuring that Chrome OS runs smoothly on it and giving it performance comparable to many more costly Windows laptops and MacBooks in terms of general workload. The absence of discrete graphics is an important factor to take into account in this situation because it could make GPU-accelerated software perform more slowly. Google’s normally expensive product range has become slightly more affordable for customers thanks to the Google Pixelbook Go. It is therefore a welcome addition to the lineup, especially for consumers on a tight budget who cannot afford the high price of the Google Pixelbook.

However, some compromises must be made to maintain its affordable pricing. The more expensive features, like fingerprint authentication, are absent from the Google Pixelbook Go. It’s also not exactly the most affordable Chromebook available. Additionally, even while its base configuration is reasonable, as you move up the specs ladder, the price increases, making it less of a good deal. Is the Google Pixelbook Go even worth considering with these compromises? It does have some value. Its superb keyboard, long battery life, and 1080p webcam should be more than enough to persuade people to upgrade from their out-of-date laptops or tablets. And it’s still the cheapest way to access the Google product lineup.

9. MSI Prestige 14

Engineering applications need many resources, making sense to let a powerful device handle this situation. This mini workstation is an excellent option as the best laptop for engineering students. 

It comes prepared for the future and has a powerful processor. It also comes with a mid-range GPU to support the processor in heavy tasks.

The screen used is ideal and will give an aesthetic feeling when used. This happens to be one of the thinnest laptops ever created, so it looks great and is also a great option if you are going to travel a lot.  All in all, this may be the best laptop for engineering students.

10. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

The Surface Laptop 4 is the best Surface device Microsoft has ever made and is a wonderful choice for students wanting to take on a variety of tasks, from design work to content creation. It is available in a wide range of configurations to suit any student. Depending on whether you support Team Blue or Team Red, devices with both Intel and AMD processors are available, and you may select between a 13.5- or 15-inch screen. The Surface Laptop 4 is a generally delightful machine to use; the touchscreen supports the Surface Pen for creative projects and the keyboard and trackpad are both roomy and snappy. The only significant complaint we have is that there are just two physical ports—one USB-C and one USB-A—and that the 13.5-inch model’s Alcantara palm rest appears to be quite difficult to maintain.

The release of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 comes at a curious time when a pandemic around the world has forced many individuals to work from home. It and other ultrabooks have historically shone in the realm of commuting, thus they’ve somewhat lost their sparkle. Lockdowns are fortunately temporary for the Surface Laptop 4. Many people will undoubtedly go to a more hybrid work style where they divide their week between their home and workplace. Therefore, having something that is both powerful and long-lasting while also being light and portable will be essential. And at that point, the incredibly light and potent Surface Laptop 4 will truly shine.

The stunning PixelSense display and one of the most comfortable keyboards we’ve ever used make the Surface Laptop tiny and portable while yet being powerful enough to handle most daily tasks. When that becomes a possibility once more, it is the laptop we envision taking to the office. Despite the presence of the future Surface Laptop Studio, which was also revealed during the Microsoft event on September 22.

The nicest aspect is that for what it is, the price is quite fair. At the entry-level, you can purchase the 13-inch Surface Laptop 4 with a Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD for $999 (£999, AU$1,599). Although it may not be the cheapest, you would pay almost the same for a Dell XPS 13 with a similar configuration, even if it lacks the Ryzen processor. Furthermore, the Surface Laptop 4 is such a pleasure to use that its technical capabilities are virtually incidental, especially if the majority of your work involves word processing and email.

11. Dell G5 15

The Dell G5 15 “offers one of the best and most advanced combinations, making it a choice for the best laptop for engineering students. 

The laptop offers an incredible battery life, which is precisely what you need as a student. However, the display refresh rate can be up to 144 Hertz but remains optional. Most gaming laptops are also liked by college students along with an engineering degree because a suitable laptop or rather a decent laptop has all the impressive features such as a great laptop display along with the external mouse.

This laptop’s price is also very competitive and less, which can easily make it the best laptop for engineering students. The battery of this notebook can last up to 10 hours, which is a surprising aspect considering that the equipment you are using is quite powerful.

For connectivity, this laptop has many extra ports, in case you need to configure and use multiple devices simultaneously. The equipment used on this device is also quite powerful and works exceptionally well with next-generation games and resource-intensive engineering applications.

In short, this will be a great choice when considering the best laptop for engineering students.

12. Microsoft Surface Book 2

The laptop was designed specifically for engineering students to be the best laptop for engineering students. This laptop has been created intending to be used for applications and engineering processes.

Features like the surface dial and the Surface pen make engineering experiments brilliant, no matter how difficult. This laptop has some strong specifications that can run the simulation and other engineering programs like AutoCAD and heavy games like open-world games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey in the highest settings.

In everyday use, this device can last an incredible 17 hours, which is simply amazing, and this factor alone can make it the best laptop for engineering students. Many engineering students require great performance, video editing, video rendering, simulation software, graphics performance, HD screen, to suit the interest of their engineering department.

In addition to the battery, the device’s construction is very well built and allows its heatsink to let heat escape easily, keeping the device’s temperature low all the time.

13. Acer Aspire 7

If you are on a low budget and want something powerful and attractive, the Acer Aspire 7 may indeed be the best laptop for engineering students.  The processor on this laptop is from AMD. AMD is famous for making equipment that is user-friendly and powerful.

The graphics card included in the mid-range GTX 1650 will solidify its performance and provide a smooth experience when playing or running engineering applications. It also comes with a backlit keyboard to help you work in dark environments.

Conclusion

When looking for a laptop, it is vital to consider all the necessary elements that the device offers, and you should also check with the processes you want to run on your laptop whether your process will run quickly or not.  Universally, the above are the specifications that will make a laptop the best laptop for engineering students.