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College is expensive—including tuition, housing, and books, not to mention food and miscellaneous expenses. So students need a reliable laptop that will last for years to write, write papers at 3 in the morning, and edit slides for group projects. But choosing the right laptop can be more challenging than writing a thousand words on Proust.
Best Cheap Computers For Students
We test a lot of laptops every year, and for this guide, we've collected a selection of other guides that are best for students. The laptop's price-to-performance ratio is the most important factor, followed by battery life, size and weight, and keyboard and trackpad. Our top picks offer the best balance of all these factors for high school and college students, whether they're taking classes remotely or walking into a physical classroom.
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We also have plenty of portable options, if you can afford it. And for anyone on a tighter budget, we have cheaper options that are also suitable for small children. For a cheaper price tag, these cheaper options make all the serious trade-offs—shorter battery life, larger size, or more limited functionality—and won't last. as long as we choose. If you are a film or photography student and you need a laptop to edit photos and videos, or if you want a laptop that can also play games, we have options for you.
The Zenbook 14 is the best laptop you can get for the price. But the build quality was poor, and it didn't perform well for several years as a top pick.
This version of the Zenbook 14 performs like the main option, but costs a few hundred dollars more than the base model.
Who it's for: Budget ultrabooks—thin and light laptops with good performance and long battery life and priced in the $700 to $800 range—are great for high school and college students because they offer at the best value. These cheaper ultrabooks tend to make a bit of a trade-off compared to ultrabooks over $1,000: They may be bigger and heavier, they may not last as long on a charge, they may g they feel less strong or solid, or they may lack comfort features such as. as a fingerprint reader or USB-C charging. But despite these shortcomings, budget ultrabooks still provide better overall performance and quality compared to $500 laptops.
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Why we love it: Most high school or college students buying a laptop for graduation should get the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, either the base model with 8 GB of memory or the version with 16 GB of memory. It's powerful and portable enough to use all day in class, and has a live screen and a solid keyboard and trackpad. Unlike the cheapest ultrabooks, the Zenbook 14 is durable and has a fingerprint reader, and it has a USB-C charger, which can be used to charge many devices and is generally cheaper to replace than a dedicated non-USB-C charger. . If you spend about $400 more for the HP Specter x360 13.5, you'll get a slimmer, sleeker laptop with a better webcam and potentially more memory. But for most students, the difference isn't worth the $400.
You can read more about the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED and other options in our guide to Windows ultrabooks.
The Specter x360 offers incredible battery life, a long touchscreen, and a reliable keyboard and trackpad, and our pick is thin and light enough to fit in your bag and take anywhere.
Who it's for: If you're willing and able to pay more, get an ultrabook, which is a laptop with a good keyboard, screen, and battery life, plus enough power to do everything a computer needs. It is also thin, light, and portable. Since a good ultrabook provides a better experience and lasts longer than cheaper alternatives, it can cost more than students might spend on a laptop — expect that pay between $1,100 and $1,300 for a good one that will last for years. But they don't have the processing power to play high-end games or handle demanding tasks like video editing or 3D modeling.
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Why we like it: The HP Specter x360 13.5 (with 16 GB of memory) offers the best balance of what makes a great ultrabook: It offers fast performance, all-day battery life in the classroom, an ideal high screen aspect ratio. for web browsing and writing papers, and a quality keyboard and trackpad. And if you take the class, the Specter has the best tested webcam this year. It also has a 360-degree hinge that allows you to rotate the touchscreen all the way around to use it as a tablet (or in any intermediate position), and has an active stylus for to take notes. The Specter x360 13.5 isn't as light or compact as other Windows ultrabooks, but at 3 pounds, it's not heavy. It ships with a lot of bloatware, but it's easy to remove when the laptop arrives.
You can read more about the HP Specter x360 13.5 and other options in our guide to Windows ultrabooks.
The M1 MacBook Air has a comfortable keyboard, good performance, and a decent amount of storage—something that wasn't always true of previous MacBook Airs.
The 2022 M2 MacBook Air offers an updated design, a brighter screen, and a better webcam, and brings back the fan-favorite MagSafe port.
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Who it's for: If you like macOS or need exceptional tech support, the MacBook is a safe bet; 13-inch models often offer the best combination of size, weight, and speed. It's great for many types of schoolwork, including writing, research, and basic video and photo editing and coding. Once you factor in Apple's education discounts, you can get one with enough specs and storage to last three to four years for less than $1,000. MacBooks are generally more expensive than Windows ultrabooks, especially if you want to upgrade memory or storage. ; The price of upgrading to Apple SSD is very high, so it is usually recommended to look for cloud storage or external SSD.
Why we love it: At $900 after education discounts, the 13-inch MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is Apple's most affordable MacBook. If your budget can stretch another $100, we recommend the newer MacBook Air (M2, 2022, 13″), which has a brighter screen, a superior webcam, and a charging port. charge with MagSafe. Both models are faster for browsing the web, working on documents, and light photo and video editing, as well as handling professional work such as 3D rendering or code compilation. They also have a great keyboard and trackpad, as well as all-day battery life. Like other Apple laptops, the Air only has a USB-C port; You may need a USB-C hub for some peripherals. But the Air's light weight, sturdy construction, and industry-leading support make it a great laptop, especially if you also have an iPhone or other Apple device.
With reliable performance, a sharp, bright display, and long battery life, the Spin 513 is the best Chromebook for the price.
Who it's for: Chromebooks are great for students who don't need Windows or macOS for some programs. A good Chromebook can do anything a regular laptop can do, including working on documents, making video calls, and streaming video—as long as it's done in a web browser or through a Android apps. And $500 Chromebooks tend to be faster, lighter, and slimmer than similarly priced Windows laptops. In addition, Chromebooks are safe and easy to maintain. But Chromebooks may have problems connecting to campus printers, and may not be able to play Windows games. And it's not ideal for people who need access to Mac or Windows apps for photo, video, or audio editing, or other specialized software.
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Why we like it: If you can complete the entire Chromebook course, we recommend the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (CP513-2H-K62Y) because it has the best combination of features and price of all the models we tested. . It has reasonably fast performance, a reliable keyboard and trackpad, and a long, sharp touchscreen. The Spin 513 is also portable, with a thin and light body and long battery life for a day's work or class. While we wish the Spin 513 was cheaper, it's worth the price. (We've also seen this model drop below $500 on sale, which is a good deal.)
Unlike the cheapest Windows laptops, the Aspire 3 Spin 14 is fast, compact, and light, and has a great 1080p touchscreen and great battery life.
Who it's for: If you need a Windows laptop for school and can't spend a lot, you can find a decent one for under $500, but you'll have to make compromises. These models are best suited for middle or high school students, as they are generally fast budget Windows laptops.
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