Hello to everyone in the studyblr community! I’m seriousstudybrows, and I’m here to help those of you who are thinking about/are going to buying a laptop for school. I see that no one has made a masterpost on this topic yet, and since I did a lot of research when I bought my laptop, I want to share my knowledge! My disclaimer is at the bottom of this post, so look out for it! Alright, let’s get started!
First off, here are some things you should consider when looking: what you will the device for (probably school), how much you are willing to spend, the source you are buying it from, and how long you intend it to last. Evaluating what you need is as simple as making a list of all of the things you will need the laptop to do and do well without “hiccuping” (lagging or slowing down). This may include: word processing and editing documents, Skyping or video chatting, using programs like Photoshop, etc. Knowing what you want the device to do makes it easier to know what parts to look for. You might have a set price range, but you may want to reevaluate it based off of what your needs are. Where you are buying it from also matters a great deal. What I suggest is going into the store and trying out different laptops hands-on. Make sure to look for the best deals, and do not ignore the reviews! Also, ask yourself, “How long do I intend for this device to last?” Keep in mind that technology is always evolving and getting better, and that investing in something that will last for more than 5 years may or may not be worth it to you.
Depending on your list of wants and needs, you either have few options or too many. If you have too many options, make a decision now about the OS you would like to use. OS depends on what you prefer and use case. Chrome OS is lightweight and quick, but you can’t download programs like Steam and Photoshop. Windows OS is good if you need to use Photoshop and like to game, but it is not without its flaws. Windows OS takes more horsepower to run it, so on a lower-end machine it may not work as fast as you would hope. Mac OS is great at programs like Photoshop and generally is more pleasing to the eye, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Now that that’s out of the way, make a concrete decision about the type of device you’re going to buy. Based off of your needs and wants, you may or may not opt for a laptop, and prefer a tablet or a “2 in 1” (A convertible laptop to tablet device). Unless you get an iPad, paying less money for any tablet in general can be somewhat dangerous. I had a 2 in 1 laptop for a year and hated it; it had so many software issues due to the 2 in 1 aspect that it was unusable in day to day settings. Making sure you buy a RELIABLE device is crucial; reviews are your savior, and paying a higher price for a better product is certainly worth it.
That being said, here are some recommended specs for students looking to buy a laptop:
Size depends on which type of device and how portable you need it to be. For students, around 11 to 14 or 15 inches is standard for a laptop, and for a tablet around 9 inches is perfect. Thinness should be dependent on weight; generally anything heavier than 4 pounds might make it tiresome to carry around in a bad all day. Go off of what you prefer, or maybe try something new! I went from an 11 inch laptop to a 14 inch, and I prefer the 14 inch more.
Battery life is a no brainer; the more the better! Keep in mind higher specs may contribute to lower battery life, so find a good compromise. Used as a big selling point, manufacturers sometimes lie about how much battery life a device has. In my experience, chromebooks and various mac laptops have the best battery life, and beefy windows laptops have the worst. Screen brightness and work load play into this as well; make sure to account for that.
Intel CPUs are popular for good reason because they are generally reliable; chips that were made more recently are more reliable as well. I suggest an Intel Core i3, 5 or 7 processor for something high end, and for something for a chromebook I suggest an Intel Celeron. I have not used products with AMD chips or any other brand. I do know that AMD processors are less quick but a smarter choice for the money. Pick a model based off of workload and price point.
For RAM, 4GB of DDR3 or more is good for casual things and having multiple tabs open, but if you want to do anything like intense multitasking (skyping, 10 tabs open in chrome, playing music in spotify), I suggest 8GB+. Don’t even get me started on DDR4 and 5. For tablets specifically, it depends on OS; if you’re thinking about getting a windows tablet consider getting more than 4GB because Windows 10 is more of a demanding OS.
Motherboards are usually not listed when reading about the laptop specs. But one thing to note though is the ports the device has. More ports doesn’t mean better, and neither does less ports. Make sure you have enough for your use case. Example: “I have an external monitor and wireless mouse and headphones that are usb” so you will probably need 2 or more usb ports and an hdmi port.
To fan or not to fan? CPUS in PCs can get hot, so they need to be cooled. Fans are put inside to cool them off. Sometimes they can get loud and annoying, but going fanless is not the solution. Generally, if a computer has more horsepower (Let’s say it has expensive parts and you do a bunch of multitasking), you’re probably going to need a fan so it doesn’t burn your crotch while sitting. Fans also add bulk to the laptop, so keep that in mind.
Screen Resolution depends on use case and what you are used to. I went from a 1366 by 768 screen resolution to 1080p by 1920, and it’s a heck of alot better. If you’re doing photo editing you should probably get something with a higher resolution. Keep in mind that the higher quality screen you have on a laptop, the battery life may suffer.
STORAGE is a big thing with people; if you’re going to be storing your entire life on it (documents, pictures, files, music etc), I suggest getting more storage. The difference is if you want a Hard Drive (cheaper to get a larger one, but slows down the computer) or a Solid State Drive (more expensive but faster). My laptop has SSD storage and boots up pretty quickly. I suggest more than 128 GB for a Solid State, and for a Hard Drive more than 500. Sometimes storage in laptops can be upgraded, but generally using SD or MicroSD, external drives and usb drives is safer unless you have someone who can install more storage for you.
If you’ve picked very specific parts, you may not be able to find a laptop with the exact specifications. Especially if your price range is pretty low. Just keep in mind that if you do more on a laptop, more power will be needed.
At this point your needs and want list should be revised to include a list of specs you’d like to have inside your device and anything else you’d like (touchscreen, more key travel etc).
Where to look? If you’ve decided to buy in store, go to the store and see what they have. If online, there’s a lot of good places to look like Amazon, Newegg, manufacturer websites etc. Keep in mind that where you buy it from, you will have to deal with them if there is an issue with your computer, shipment or otherwise. For example, I originally saw a laptop I wanted to buy on Amazon, but I read reviews of Amazon sending damaged shipments. SO I bought it on the google store, and there was no damage when I received it. The reason I bought it from the google store is because they don’t have as many customers as Amazon, and if I have any inquiries if my device is damaged, they are more likely to take my claim seriously and give me a refund. If there is damage and needs repairs, the manufacturer handles that. Depending on the manufacturer, you should make an account with them to register your device and to talk to community members who may be able to fix your problem. When I got my new laptop, I noticed the screen was acting up, so I looked on the forums and was able to find out what was wrong and if I should send it in for repairs. It’s generally a good idea to buy from the manufacturer; if you find it cheaper somewhere else then great, and some places do discounts for students!
Buy something newer (or less than 2 years old) because it will, generally speaking, be worth it. And it will be less likely to, you know, kick the bucket on you after a few months. I’m not saying something that came out yesterday will be without flaws, but expect an older device (especially with cheaper parts) to have a shorter life.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about each device you are looking at, and make sure to spend a fair bit of time reading reviews (you don’t want to end up with a potato!)
Talk to people you know about their laptops and tablets and see how they like them. It may seem weird, but it’s helpful when you have a friend with a similar use case who is happy with their device.
If you are buying the device, YOU ARE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. It is YOUR CHILD, so keep it up to date with software and take responsibility if things go wrong. Make an account with the manufacturer and troubleshoot issues, and make sure to clean your device and never let the battery reach 0%. Protect your child with a case and laptop bag too, if it’s worth investing in your opinion
Malware: depends on OS, but generally investing in an antivirus is a good idea. There are a lot of bad ones, but the one I suggest getting is Malwarebytes. Don’t get McAfee, AVG, Norton or Avast; make sure your OS has firewall settings and that the browser you use does too. I also use Adblock on chrome and I make sure not to go on any risky sites.
By the way, I have included at the bottom of this post some helpful videos and articles you way want to look at!
Compile a list of models you are interested in buying, and make sure to compare them to one another. Start narrowing down what you have found, and take into account the reviews posted about each device. Knowing what other people have to say about the device could alter your opinion on it, and be away that no device is without fault, and you might have a chance of encountering issues.
If you have made a decision on which one you will buy and have the money to buy it, go for it! If you are buying online, keep a close tab on when it will arrive. If you haven’t, I have included some recommendations for y’all to look at!
Laptop/ Device Recommendations:
Please be aware that I am not an expert, and that if you buy one of these off of my recommendation and it’s a “demon laptop from the 7th circle of hell”, it’s not my problem. It’s your job as a highly intelligent and capable student to understand what you may be getting yourself into. If the device you buy has issues, follow the instructions by the manufacturer and seller to return it or repair it. These picks are based off of my opinion after doing research and talking to friends who have these devices. I’m open to discussing use cases and giving more specific advice (ex. “I’m going to be studying ________, what would be my best choice?”).
Split into OS categories + links to Amazon and Apple Store:
After buying and receiving the device, I highly suggest writing about your experience with it in a notebook or in a document. Some things to write include: receiving the shipment (note any damage), first impressions, daily usage for the first couple of weeks, and any issues you may be having. This can be useful if something happens to it and you want to claim it falls under warranty. This may seem like overkill, but if you care enough about the device, you should keep track of what happens to it so your device history can be known in case you want to sell it or get it repaired.
A word about warranty: pay attention to it, especially if the device is expensive and or your main device. Read through the paperwork and make sure you understand the warranty so if any problems arise, you can know what to do. The issue with my laptop could be covered by the warranty because I have evidence that the issue has been there since day (1) and that there was no damage on the device when I received it; there must be internal damage where the wires from the display connect to the motherboard.
“Best Chromebooks 2016” by Laptop Mag
“Most Reliable PC Hardware of 2015” by Pugetsystems
“Top Ten Best Laptops for College Students July 2016” by Teradatariver
Education Pricing and Discounts - Apple
Video: “Top 4 #BestCollege Laptops” by LinusTechTips (2015)
Video: “Top 5 Best Laptops for Students 2015-2016” by Matthews Tech
Video: “Best Back To School Laptops” by TechSmartt (2015)
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