Of course, one of the most common and expensive purchases is a computer. While most universities provide students with access to a computer lab that they can use for homework, students are often easier to work on homework on their own notebooks without being tied to a specific location. With a laptop, students have the opportunity to work on their tasks on the same device they use to keep up to date on social networks and play games, all from the comfort of their bedroom, quad bike or favorite coffee shop. .
Since buying a computer can be a huge expense, it is important that it is done correctly. Basically, every four years in college, you choose a laptop that will serve you well. This can be more challenging for fields that require higher computer requirements, such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Some questions to ask yourself before buying a laptops
1. Think about how much time you are going to spend at the computer.
2. How many hours do you think you’ll spend studying everyday?
3. If your answer is less than 6 hours per day, then I would suggest getting a laptop that has good battery life.
4. 5. Get a laptop if you’re majoring in Computer Science/Engineering, Pharmacy, Biomedical Engineering, etc.
6. Get a laptop if your school offers classes online (online courses) or if you plan to go into research.
7. Do you need laptops only for reading and doing college work then buying a chromebook under 30000 would be a better option for you.
Features to know before buying a laptop-
Screen–
When it comes to the screen it should be around 15-inch and it should be Full HD resolution(1920X1080p) which is the best fit for this budget.
Processor –
It is the chip that runs a computer. The processor is the heart of any computer you can expect processors such as Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 at this price range. A processor is an integrated electronic circuit that performs the calculations.
RAM-
RAM is a random access memory. The overall performance of your computer is determined by how well your CPU and RAM work together. The more RAM your CPU has access to, the easier its job becomes, which enables a faster computer. You can get the RAM of 4GB at this price range.
Battery-
Bigger the battery life you will be able to do your work for more time. The battery life of the laptop should be at least of 7hrs of this price range.
Weight-
The weight of the laptop is important because it should be lightweight which makes it easy to carry. At this price range, you will get the laptop of weight around 1.5 kg or less.
Graphics-
Computer graphics are very important for a Laptop. You won’t get a gaming laptop at this price range but still, you get the average kind of graphics card at this price range such as Intel UHD 620 and AMD Radeon R2.
list of best laptops for engineering students-
1. Acer aspire 3
Acer aspire 3
Performance- 1.8 GHz Intel Celeron Processor 3867U
Design-15.6 inches (39.62 cm)1920 x 1080 pixels2.1 Kg, 21 mm thick
Storage- 500 GB 2.5-inch 5400 RPM HDD
Battery-Li-Ion2 Cell 8 Hrs
OS- Windows 10 Home operating system
Graphics card- Intel HD Graphics 520
Features– c A315-51-Z is a 15.60-inch display that has a resolution of 1366×768 pixels. It is powered by a 1.8 GHz Intel Celeron Processor 3867U and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The Acer Aspire 3 A315 packs 500GB of HDD storage which is qual to the above Lenovo Ideapad. It has an Intel HD Graphics 520 card. It has a Li-Ion2 Cell battery which lasts for 7hrs. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, Ethernet and it comes with 3 USB ports (2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0), Multi Card Slot, Mic In, RJ45 (LAN) ports. It weighs 2.1kg.
Pros– 7hrs of battery life.
Cons– 1. No USB Type-C port
2. HP 14Q
Processor- 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7020U processor, 2.3GHz base processor speed.
RAM- 4GB DDR4.
Design- 14-inch HD (1366×768) resolution, Thin and light design.
Storage-1TB HDD.
Battery- 7 hours, Lithium-ion battery.
Operating system- DOS.
Graphics- Intel HD 620 Graphics.
Features- HP 14Q comes with a 14-inch HD screen with a resolution of 1366×768 and has Thin and light design which makes this laptop look better. It is powered by 7th Generation Intel Core i3-7020U processor, 2.3GHz base processor speed which works with 4GB DDR4 RAM. It has the storage of 1TB which is the best fit for this budget. For gaming, it has Intel HD 620 Graphics. This laptop runs on a DOS operating system. It has a weight of 1.59 kg. It has a battery life of 7hrs. This genuine HP laptop comes with a 1-year domestic warranty from HP covering manufacturing defects and not covering physical damage. For the connectivity section, it has a wireless LAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, a Bluetooth, an SD card reader, and two USB 3.0 slots. Make sure that you know that it comes with a DOS operating system, i.e., it has no pre-installed Windows operating system.
Pros- Better light design and huge storage capacity.
3. ASUS VivoBook 15
Performance- AMD Quad Core A10-9620P
Processor, 2.5 GHz.
Design- 19.4mm Thin body and 15.6″ (16:9) LED-backlit FHD and 1.70 Kg.
Storage- 512GB NVMe SSD.
Battery- 42WHrs Lithium-ion 3-Cell battery.
Operating system- Windows 10.
Graphics card- AMD Integrated Radeon R5 graphics.
Features– Asus VivoBook 15 X510UF is a Windows 10 laptop with a 15.60-inch display that has a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. It is powered by an AMD Quad Core A10-9620P Processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The Asus VivoBook 15 X510UF packs 512GB of HDD storage. It has 42WHrs Lithium-ion 3-Cell battery. Graphics are powered by AMD Integrated Radeon R5. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth, Ethernet and it comes with 4 USB ports (2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 3.0 (Type C)), Mic In ports. Pros– Slim and light weight
Cons– Sound quality is decent
Also read– Laptops under 25000
Summary
To summarize, the best laptop for a STEM major is either a Mac or a PC with these minimum specifications:
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB SSD
- 1366×768 resolution
- An HDMI or micro-HDMI port
- One USB 3.0 port
- A USB 3.0 flash drive with at least 32GB of capacity
- Access to a cloud service such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
- Installed software including an office suite, Octave, Anaconda, Chrome, and a cloud client specific to your cloud service
