10 Best Laptops for College

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) sits at an upper midrange price point and is equipped with a 24GB RAM and 1TB storage space. It features the Apple M2 processor with a dedicated GPU from the same series, ensuring high-quality performance, particularly for general usage. The laptop boasts a 13.3-inch IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution, which does not support touchscreen functionality. It has a 60Hz refresh rate, fine pixel density, and bright display with extensive color coverage, making it suitable for color-critical tasks. However, it's not optimized for high-refresh scenarios like competitive gaming. Its thin and light design, with a weight of 3 pounds and a thickness of just 0.61 inches, enhances its portability, yet it still provides a robust battery life of about 20 hours for typical use. The MacBook Pro includes two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports for versatile connectivity, though lacks Ethernet, HDMI, and expandable RAM or storage slots. The keyboard is backlit without a number pad but incorporates a fingerprint reader for added security. Its high ratings in various quality aspects such as keyboard, build, and heat management reflect an overall premium design, although its performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks is considered good but not top-tier compared to specialized workstations. This makes it more suited for professionals and creatives who prioritize design, battery life, and general performance over gaming or highly intensive computational tasks.

The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) comes with an appealing combination of features for those who prioritize a blend of performance and portability. It has a larger 15-inch display and a powerful Apple M2 chip with ample memory for smooth multitasking and everyday tasks. However, note that it's priced in the upper midrange spectrum. While it has a very slim design and light weight, enhancing its portability, it may not be the first choice for those seeking the utmost in gaming or intensive engineering due to its display limited to a standard refresh rate and integrated GPU. It offers fanless operation for a silent experience and a backlit keyboard. Although excellent for general use, performance may be fair for more demanding 3D and machine learning applications, and good for engineering tasks. Battery life is solid, allowing for extended use between charges. The MacBook Air has a top-tier build quality, excellent keyboard, and great speakers, making it a strong all-around laptop, but the premium price reflects its status as a high-end Apple product.

The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is a premium, lightweight laptop, making it highly portable and suitable for on-the-go use, especially with its long battery life. With a midrange price, you're getting solid build quality, a vivid OLED touchscreen, and excellent heat management. It has an Intel i7-1355U processor paired with 32GB RAM, which will handle general use very efficiently. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics are fine for casual gaming and moderate creative tasks, but might fall short for intensive 3D rendering or engineering software. The laptop offers a good selection of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, and a comfortable backlit keyboard, although it lacks an Ethernet port and an option for hardware upgrades due to having no available RAM or storage slots.

The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) is an upper midrange laptop offering a high-resolution Mini LED screen, a powerful Apple M3 processor with integrated GPU, and a long 17-hour battery life. It excels in general use and has a high-quality build, keyboard, webcam, and speakers. While it can handle 3D and engineering tasks, its performance there is adequate rather than exceptional. Its 8 GB of RAM and 1024 GB of storage are suitable for many users, though not for the most intensive tasks. It's relatively lightweight and portable, but this also means it might not have the expansive connectivity options of larger laptops.

The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a premium build quality and is priced in the upper midrange. It features 1TB storage, 16GB RAM, and utilizes the Apple M2 processor, providing very good general-use performance and silent operation due to its fanless design. The integrated M2 GPU accommodates some engineering tasks but might not be ideal for intensive 3D or machine learning workloads. The 13.6-inch IPS display has a resolution higher than Full HD but is not touch-enabled. It offers excellent portability at 2.7 pounds and has a lengthy battery life suitable for all-day use. It runs on MacOS and connectivity includes two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and USB-C charging, but no support for traditional USB or HDMI without adapters. Suitable for general use, everyday multitasking, and light engineering work, but not aimed at intensive gaming or the most demanding engineering software.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is a midrange-priced laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an AMD RX 6500M graphics card, suitable for moderate to intensive tasks and light gaming. It sports a high-quality OLED screen with a sharp 3840 x 2400 resolution, perfect for professional creative work. However, it is not the lightest at over 4 pounds, which might affect its portability for users who travel frequently. For connectivity, it includes a variety of ports but lacks an SD card reader. The laptop offers robust security features and is expected to have fair battery life, making it ideal for professionals who need a durable, secure, and reasonably powerful machine. It comes with Windows 11 Pro and its build quality is rated as excellent.

The HP Envy x360 15" is a versatile laptop with a convertible 2-in-1 design, which allows it to be used as both a laptop and a tablet. It has a lower midrange price and offers an OLED touchscreen with a standard resolution, suitable for general use and media consumption. The AMD Ryzen 7 processor coupled with ample RAM makes it a good candidate for everyday tasks and can handle some more demanding applications. Its portability is considered good, given its reasonable weight and battery life, which supports typical usage for a decent duration. Additionally, this laptop features a backlit keyboard and a number of USB-C ports, enhancing its functionality and ease of use. However, it may not be the best option for intensive gaming or heavy engineering tasks, as it lacks dedicated high-performance graphics capabilities. Overall, the HP Envy x360 15" could be a good fit for users seeking a combination of performance in everyday tasks with the flexibility of a tablet.

The Dell XPS 15 is positioned at a midrange price level, offering a substantial balance between performance and cost. For storage, it comes with a decent size, accompanied by a sizeable amount of RAM for multitasking. It is powered by a modern Intel processor, alongside an Intel Arc GPU which makes it suitable for general usage and some more intensive tasks like light engineering work, but it might struggle with very demanding 3D or machine learning tasks. You'll find the battery life suited for a full day's work. Its 15.6-inch display is an IPS type with a good resolution, although it's not a touchscreen. Portability is good, not too heavy nor too bulky, making it a solid choice if you need to move around with your laptop. There are multiple USB-C ports, including Thunderbolt 4, enhancing connectivity and data transfer speed. The laptop has a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader for extra convenience and security, an excellent build quality, and manages heat well. Overall, the Dell XPS 15 is versatile and well-rounded, fitting for general use, professional work, and some creative tasks, yet not the ultimate choice for high-end gaming or very demanding computational tasks.