Whether you want an affordable or expensive laptop with all the coding functionalities, you can invest your time. You cannot choose the best laptop for computer science students without knowing the budget, compatibility, and personal usage needs. This guide will help you find 5 of the best laptops for computer science students so that you can easily choose the one you think is best for your studies and other purposes. After reading the complete guide, you need to decide which laptop you feel is best for you regarding processing speed and other performance features. Keep reading!
Is there any difference between the other laptops and computer science student laptops? CS students demand high-end processor laptops with efficient performance and enough RAM to perform better programming and other tasks efficiently. We came up with 5 of the best laptops for computer science students specifically. All these laptops are different in performance and speed-optimizing features compared to the other general laptops. The following are:
- Best Laptops for Students: Dell XPS 9530 Laptop
- Another Choice: ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED Laptop
- ASUS VivoBook Pro 16X
- Apple 2023 MacBook Air 13
- LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Let’s get started;
1. Dell XPS 9530 Laptop
Pros
- Top-notch performance
- Best build quality
- Good quality graphics
Cons
- Only 720p resolution webcam
The first best laptop for computer science students on our list is the Dell XPS 9530 laptop. This laptop will not disappoint you in terms of performance when you want to use it for your CS studies, as it comes with reliable hardware components. The laptop’s 15.6-inch OLED display enables you to use without the low light or glare issues. If the budget is not an issue, this laptop is the best programming laptop for CS students. Also, you will not get low-performance problems as this laptop has a built-in core i9 processor with the RTX 4070 graphics that will not create any performance issues.
Moreover, you can easily store and save your University’s CS-related projects, assignments, and other things simultaneously with the 64 GB RAM and 2TB SSD. Such memory performance features will not slow down your memory performance. As Dell will not compromise on the quality, you don’t need to worry about Dell’s quality build. Moreover, it has a sleek design, which makes it more attractive and aesthetically pleasing.
Specifications:
- Screen size: 15.6 inches
- Hard disk: 2TB
- RAM: 64 GB
- Processor: Core i9
- Weight: 8 pounds
2. ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED Laptop
Pros
- Lightweight
- Reasonable price
- Durable & sustainable performance
Cons
- Fans may get loud
Our second pick is the ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED laptop in the list of best laptops for computer science students. This laptop is also the best option to provide a fast-paced performance for your programming tasks. One thing to clear here is that this laptop is not recommended for gaming purposes, but if you want it only for fast-paced gaming performance, then no doubt, it’s the best. The 13.3-inch display of this laptop enables the students to do tasks like preparation of assignments, programming, coding, and other CS-related tasks without any screen brightness and glare issues.
The build quality design of this laptop is simple, with the lid design an attractive feature. One main feature we liked about this laptop is that it gives you 8 hours of battery capacity during excessive usage and 18 hours on normal or little use. With the core i7 processor’s exceptional performance, as we tried, you don’t need to worry about the laptop’s irregular performance. You can get the 32 GB RAM 7 1TB SSD storage capacity to meet the storage needs. So, after analyzing the different features, it’s the best in such a price range.
Specifications:
- Screen size: 13.3 inches
- Hard disk: 1 TB
- RAM: 32 GB
- Processor: Core i7
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
3. ASUS VivoBook Pro 16X
Pros
- Ample connectivity support
- Attractive display
- 16 inches screen
Cons
- Low-quality speakers
If you want a mid-range option, the best laptop for computer science students at an affordable price is the Asus Vivobook Pro x16. The 16-inch OLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio makes you efficiently work on a vertical screen. With the laptop’s core i7 processor, it is hard to execute a top-notch and upto-the-mark performance, but also, it’s not bad. This laptop will not compromise performance for your University’s computer science studies tasks. You cannot do gaming and run 3D applications on this laptop as it’s the best tool for your computer science studies.
Moreover, with the OLED display, you can get good image quality, higher brightness, and great contrast. With the screen’s 120 Hz refresh rate, you will do different programming tasks, and it’s all going smoothly. While checking it, this laptop’s build quality is exceptional, with complete aluminum material. You don’t want to compromise on the laptop’s charging when you want to use the laptop for different computer science courses or exams. So, this laptop gives you an estimated 11 hours of battery capacity for regular use. With this laptop, you will get the user guide, warranty card, power cord & adapter.
Specifications:
- Screen size: 16 inches
- Hard disk: 1 TB
- RAM: 32 GB
- Processor: Ryzen 9
- Weight: 4.41 pounds
4. Apple 2023 MacBook Air 13
Pros
- Beautiful IPS display
- Efficient battery capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
- Limited ports
In the list of best laptops for computer science students, our fourth pick is the Apple 2023 MacBook Air 13. This laptop gives you flexibility and comfort while moving the laptop and comes with the latest M2 chip. The battery life of this laptop is excellent, with excellent battery support. As a student, if you want your laptop not to create too many overheating issues, it’s great news that it comes with a unique fanless cooling system. Also, it gives you a stylish and distinctive look with its sleek design and not too heavy on your pocket.
If we talk about this Apple Macbook performance, then this Macbook comes with the M2 chip. This Macbook will be highly helpful for your computer science studies tasks through compatibility and high-end performance features. You will not get the OLED panel in this MacBook, but it has a wide view screen size of 15.3 inches, a 16:10 aspect ratio, and a 60 Hz refresh rate.
With such a display, you cannot expect it to fulfill your gaming needs, but it is the best option for your computer science-related study tasks. This MacBook M2 chip and fanless cooling system will give you better battery longevity. This feature will benefit you if you want to study in different locations without power outlets.
Specifications:
- Screen size: 15.3 inches
- Hard disk: 512 GB
- RAM: 8 GB
- Operating system: Mac OS
- Weight: 3.3 pounds
5. LENOVO ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Pros
- Having security features
- Top-notch build quality
- Long-lasting battery capacity
Cons
- Simple aesthetics
The last best laptop for computer science students is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. This laptop undoubtedly comes with a simple design, but for studies, your utmost need is the performance, not the looks. If you want performance, this laptop will not disappoint you for your computer science studies. With this laptop, you will experience a satisfying typing experience. Their keyboard design gives you the feeling of using a quality-level laptop, and the ergonomic keys help you facilitate typing easily because this laptop keyboard has proper spacing.
Also, this laptop is a matte screen laptop, and it’s the best one for you if you are a coder. Usually, people who do coding prefer a matte screen laptop because it reduces screen glare issues, and you can easily type for longer sessions. On the other hand, it is unfavorable for people who want to use the laptop for watching the videos. Moreover, it comes with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports, 1 HDMI port, and one headphone/ microphone combo jack. The average battery life of this laptop is 11 hours, but if you turn on the energy-saving mode, it may go up to 13 to 15 hours.
Specifications:
- Screen size: 14 inches
- Hard disk: 512 GB
- RAM: 16 GB
- Operating system: Windows 10 pro
- Weight: 2.48 pounds
What to Look for When Going for the Best Laptops for Computer Science Students?
When searching for the best laptop that will give you high-end performance during your studies, choosing or selecting one isn’t easy. We will guide you in finding the best laptop for computer science students easily. For this, you need to follow some of the factors earlier to make a good purchase:
Processor Performance:
If you want your laptop to execute superior level performance during your study time, you need to check the different laptop processor performance features. We recommend going for the latest core processor with more cores & threads. It will help you provide streamlined performance in different programming, coding, and other study-related tasks.
Display:
The better the display features of a laptop are, the easier it is for you to prepare assignments, coding, and programming. Moreover, a higher aspect ratio and refresh rate display provide quality brightness and graphics. So, you need to choose a laptop with at least a 14-inch screen display, a better refresh rate, and a higher aspect ratio.
Battery Capacity:
Whether you want to work at the University or at home, your utmost preference should be laptops with a better average battery capacity. Sometimes, if you are running out of battery and there’s no power outlet nearest you, then if your laptop is charged, it can easily run for 8-10 hours with or without the energy-saving mode.
Weight:
Weight is also essential when searching for the best laptop for studies. If you want to continue your studies anywhere, if your chosen laptop is lightweight, you can carry it anywhere and even do your work by putting it on a lap. So, for students, the lightweight laptop requirement is the top priority.
Memory Storage:
For storing assignments, slides, presentations, programming/coding-related files, and other study documents, you want to consider your laptop’s memory storage capacity earlier. If your laptop has ample storage capacity, it’s quite easy to store different documents simultaneously. You can go for such a laptop with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. With such memory performance and capacity, your laptop will not slow down due to memory storage issues.
Final Words!
In the above, we have explained the five best laptops for computer science students along with detailed features, pros, and cons. After reading each laptop review, you have enough idea about the top laptops’ features and quality. The buying guide is also shared to pick the best laptop for computer science studies easily. We hope that you make a better purchase, and we also hope that you will get successful grades in your studies. Happy purchase!
FAQs:
For computer science students, there is no need for a high-end laptop. Still, a laptop with high-end processor performance, ample storage capacity, and good average battery capacity will be an edge for CS students.
8GB RAM is enough, but it’s the minimum requirement. If you want more storage with better memory performance features, you should invest in a 16- or 24GB RAM laptop. With 8 GB, you can easily run development software, internet browsing, and coding.
If the CS students only want to purchase the laptop for CS studies, then you must see the processing performance, not the GPU performance. GPU performance matters when you want to play the games, too.
Undoubtedly, the core i7 processor executes more powerful performance than the i5 processor. Core i7 processor comes with more cores and threads. This makes them an ideal option for high-intensive performance tasks.