If you’re a college student, you probably spend a lot of time in front of a computer. And while that’s great if you’re studying, that can be a problem if you’re using the computer for recreational purposes.
So, to make your life easier, we put together a list of the best laptops for students. Whether you want a compact laptop that’s easy to carry around or a desktop replacement with a large screen, we’ve got you covered.
Which Is The Best Desktop Computer For Students?
Desktop competitors, also known as PCs, are considered a great option for students. They are reliable, powerful and work well whether you are researching and essay writing, or binge-watching and computer gaming in your free time. Also, the larger screen, keyboard and mouse can be more comfortable when working for long periods of time. Below is a round-up of the best PC’s that we think are perfect for student life.
Dell XPS Desktop
This is one of the best overall PCs for students. It comes built-in with a little bit of everything, so you can browse, type, and play to your heart’s content. Its extremely powerful as it contains an 11th generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor, an NVIDIA GTX graphics card and a fast NVMe SSD, so you really are set for anything.
The Dell XPS Desktop is also designed to stay quiet and keep things cool as it has four fans inside that adapt to performance, so they’re silent when you’re just browsing or enjoying a film. This can be very useful for students living in a dorm room with roommates, or for when you are pulling an all-nighter on a last-minute project.
Top specifications:
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-11400 Processor – Hexa-core – 2.6 GHz / 4.4 GHz – 12 MB cache
- Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 1650 Super – 4 GB GDDR6
- Stroage: 256 GB SSD
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4 (2666 MHz) – 128 GB maximum installable RAM
You can find the Dell XPS Desktop here for £949 (via Dell)
Apple iMac
The famous iMac by Apple can sometimes feel more like a work of art than a desktop PC. It features an incredibly beautiful and sleek design that looks great on any desk, and has a ton of power to help students achieve all their goals.
It also features an impressive 4.5K detail on a thin 11.4 mm Retina display, and the P3 wide colour gamut displays over a billion colours, making every photo, video or application look true-to-life. The iMac truly creates a comfortable computing experience for any student and allows you to reach new heights of performance, efficiency and security.
The one drawback of the Apple iMac is the price. It is considered on the more expensive side for many students, especially when compared to other desktop PCs with similar features.
Top specifications:
- Processor: Apple M1 Processor – Octa-core CPU – 7-core GPU – 3.1 GHz
- Graphics card: Up to Integrated 8-core GPU
- Storage: Up to 2TB
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4
You can find the Apple iMac for £1,249 by clicking here (via Apple)
Mac Mini M1
If you are looking for the luxury and performance of an Apple PC, but need something a little smaller or more affordable, then the Mac Mini M1 may be just right for you. Its compact size of 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4-inch frame allows it to fit on just about any shelf on your dorm room desk but don’t be fooled, just because it is small doesn’t mean that it isn’t mighty.
The high-quality M1 hardware has great power and potential and includes the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, I/O and more onto one compact chip. Plus its got lots of ports too including Thunderbolt / USB 4.0 ports that are perfect for transferring data, an HDMI port for your monitor and two USB ports for secondary accessories.
Top specifications:
Processor: Apple M1 chip – Octa-core
Operating system: MacOS
Storage: 512 GB SSD
RAM: 8 GB DDR4
You can find the Mac Mini M1 here for £838 (via Currys)
The Best Laptop For College Students
When it comes to choosing between a PC or a laptop, many students end up choosing the latter. The biggest reason for this is their portability as laptops are not confined to being used in one place. This makes them perfect for taking on the go, whether you are studying in your dorm room, or taking your studies to your favourite cafe for some peace and quiet whilst you study.
Either way, we have gathered some of the best laptops that make the perfect companions for students. Below you will find our top laptop picks, as well as why we think they are so great.
HP Pavillion 14
This laptop features great all-around specs, which include an 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U CPU, Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, lots of storage space along with a simple yet stylish design and crisp screen, for the money you can’t do better running Windows 10. The solid build of this laptop also makes a strong and reliable, so you can take it on the go whenever you need to.
The HP Pavillion 14 really hits a sweet spot with everything – price and features. That’s what makes it such a great option for students as it contains everything needed for researching, writing, editing and more.
Top specifications:
- CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
- RAM: 8GB
- Screen: 14-inch (1920 x 1080 resolution)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
You can find the HP Pavillion 14 here for £549 (via Currys)
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon
If you are a student that is also on the go and need your laptop to be with you at all times, then this option may be the best for you. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon is no bigger than a notepad and weighs less than a kilogram so it’s super portable. Even the charger can be carried around with you so you never run out of power as it’s small, compact and resembles a mobile phone charger rather than a laptop one.
Some of its main features include facial recognition and powerful performance which makes it secure to take around with you on the go.
The one downfall to this option is the average battery life as it does drain quite quickly, and will definitely need to plug it in at some point during the day. Luckily though, it doesn’t take long to recharge and the charger is compact enough to be put in your bag.
Top specifications:
- CPU: 11th Generation Intel Core processors
- Graphics: Intel Iris XeRAM: 8GB / 16GB
- Screen: 13.3inch QHD (2560 x 1600 resolution)
- Storage: 256GB / 512GB SSD
You can find the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Carbon here for £899.99 (via Lenovo)
Nicholas Porter is an active technology enthusiast and a leading voice in personal computing. As a key contributor to Digital Edge PC, Nicholas simplifies complex topics, making them accessible for all skill levels.
