

Solid state drives give you faster performance, but come with a higher price tag. With the easy accessibility of cloud storage - which lets you keep files online so you can access them from anywhere - systems with smaller hard drives aren't a problem.

However, these systems are likely to be sluggish, and that could cost you time even if it saves you money. Budget systems may use Intel Celeron processors. While more gigahertz is better, anything in those processor classes should be fine. That means an Intel Core i5 from the Coffee Lake, Whiskey Lake, or Comet Lake lines, or an AMD Ryzen 5.įor better performance, look for Core i7 chips from the same lines as above, or Ryzen 7 chips - but expect to pay at least a couple of hundred dollars more for the upgrade. Regardless of brand, though, you're looking for a middle-of-the-road processor that gives you good performance at a reasonable price. Most laptops use Intel processors (though HP, Dell, and Lenovo offer AMD processors, too). If your degree program asks for more, you should take their recommendations over ours. SEE ALSO: All the Best Student Discounts and Freebies in 2020īelow, we've outlined the basic laptop specs you should look for. If that's all your degree program requires, buying a laptop for college is simple. Any computer on the market today can do these things with ease. If you're like most college students, you'll need the ability to do the basics: word processing, note-taking, emailing, and online research.

What Specs Do the Best Laptops for College Have? To find out, do a quick web search for your university name, degree program, and "laptop requirements." If you can't find them online, ask the admissions department or your academic adviser. Universities often list general software requirements for undergraduates, but different degree programs may have their own necessities. The last thing you want to do is show up for class with a laptop that can't help with your coursework, so it's important to find out what you need before you buy. If your major is among them, you'll likely have to cross Macs and Chromebooks off your shopping list. And must-use software for some majors may only run on Windows. Most students can get by just fine with cheap college laptops, which are useful for note-taking and word processing.īut some coursework may require specialized software that's more demanding.
