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Table of contents
- How to choose the best college laptop that will fit your needs?
- Should you go for a Windows laptop or a Mac?
- The configuration you should look for in the laptop
- Best Laptops for College Students in India
- Frequently asked questions
- Conclusion
How To Choose the Best College Laptop that Will Fit Your Needs?
With competitive brands offering the best laptops for college students that are only slightly different from one another, it is often difficult to choose the one that fits your needs. The following are a few parameters to keep in mind while choosing the best college laptop:
- Specifications - The best college laptops have an adequate core processor, demanding graphic display, and decent RAM storage. You should be able to complete tasks like typing, accounting, browsing and streaming. Intel Core i5 and i7 are the best processors for college laptops, while 8GB RAM storage is decent for multi-tasking. Most entry-level laptops have GPU integrated with the processor.
- Connectivity – The laptop should easily connect to other devices via Bluetooth, wi-fi, HDMI, and USB ports.
- Durability – The laptop should be durable to withstand rough handling and last you a long time.
- Portable – College students must move around and often travel with the laptop, so it should be lightweight. The laptops we have listed here are mostly 1 to 1.5kg.
- Operating System- Choosing the operating system depends on your purpose. For example, if you are looking for a good typing experience and retina display, you should go for macOS, but if you want to use multiple apps on your laptop and play games, choose a Windows laptop.
- Battery Life- College students have to use laptops on the go. So, the best laptop for college students lasts at least six to eight hours.
- Price- A college laptop should not cost you a fortune. The laptops we have listed are entry-level laptops with all the good features at affordable prices.
Should You Go For Windows Laptop or a Mac?
Choosing between a Windows Laptop or a MacBook primarily depends on your purpose, comfort and budget. MacBooks give an immersive experience due to their superior audio and video quality, typing style and display features, which are difficult for any other laptops to match. They are sleek in design, offer easy integration with other Apple products and are a go-to choice for creative professionals and designers.
On the other hand, the advantage of choosing a Windows laptop over a MacBook is that you get various accessories and apps. If you are a gaming enthusiast, a Windows laptop is your only choice simply because macOS is not designed for gaming. Most demanding AAA game titles are released for the Windows version only. Also, an Android phone user will find that the phone can integrate only to a Windows laptop, not a Mac.
The Configuration You Should Look for in a Laptop
When choosing the best laptop for college students, the following are the configurations you should look for while making your purchase:
- Processor – For most college students, Intel Core i5 Processor would be enough to finish work like writing, browsing, searching and streaming. Similarly, AMD Ryzen 5 is suitable for the best laptops for college students.
- Graphics – Graphic hardware is mainly integrated with the processor in entry-level laptops. But if you want to play games on your laptop, then Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 is a stellar choice.
- RAM Memory – Choosing a laptop with at least 8GB RAM is wise as it is suitable for multi-tasking and for using heavy applications.
- Screen Display – Opt for a full HD display (1920 x 1080p) for a sharper resolution and a brighter screen
- Operating System - Windows 11, MacOS and Google Chrome OS are the latest operating systems available in the best laptops for college students. They are suitable for writing, browsing, accounting, streaming, and gaming tasks.
- Hard Drive - Choose a laptop with 256GB SSD or more to manage large files quickly. Some options offer 512GB or storage as well.
Best Laptops for College Students in India
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹49,990
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600H Mobile Processor
- 8GB Memory with 512GB Storage
- 16-inch Display
- Integrated AMD Radeon Vega 7 Graphics
- Windows 11 Home Operating System
- Weighs 1.88 kg
- Has up to 8 hours of battery life
- Backlit Chiclet Keyboard with Num-key
Positives
- Good screen quality
- Anti-glare
- Great for gaming
- Sleek design
Negatives
- Build quality could be better
- Speakers are average
User Feedback
- Users love the performance this laptop has due to the quality of its processor, memory and storage space. They say it has a sleek and stylish design and good display quality, making it suitable for gamers and great for creative professionals.
Our verdict
- Students who want a low-cost laptop with a fantastic display and reliable performance for daily usage may choose this model.
Who should try this?
- This laptop is a must-buy for corporates, creative professionals, and individuals who play games as a hobby!
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹1,49,900
- Thin and portable - 1.24 kg
- M2 Chip - Next-generation 8-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU and 24GB of unified memory
- Has up to 18 hours of battery life
- 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
- 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three-mic array and four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio.
- MagSafe charging port, Thunderbolt ports and headphone jack.
- Free software updates
- Compatible with Microsoft 365, Zoom and other iPhone and iPad apps.
- AppleCare warranty
Positives
- Designed to be thinner and lighter
- Better webcam
- Extremely long battery life
- Efficient display and performance
- Convenient MagSafe charging
Negatives
- Costly
- Gets warm under heavy workload
- Midnight colour gets covered in fingerprints
- Limited port options
User Feedback
- Users love the lightweight design of the classic Macbook Air, rely on its brand value and are impressed by the superior display, performance and camera.
Our verdict
- Anyone searching for a high-quality, powerful laptop that is still lightweight and portable should consider this laptop. It is lightning-fast and can easily handle the most challenging jobs thanks to the M2 chip.
Who should try this?
- We suggest this for daily use for students, professionals, and individuals who appreciate mobility, svelte design, and overall performance.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹82,990
- AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Mobile Processor
- 8GB Memory
- 512GB Storage
- 15.6-inch Display
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GDDR6 4GB VRAM Graphics Card
- Windows 11 Home Operating System
- Weighs 2.3 kg
- Has up to 8 hours of battery life
- 4-Zone RGB Backlit Keyboard
Positives
- Design and Build Quality
- Strong Battery Backup
- Excellent Sound Quality
- RGB lit keyboard
Negatives
- Costly
- Comparatively Heavy
- High Power Consuming
- No Camera
User Feedback
- The laptop has received excellent customer feedback for its powerful CPU, graphics card, high refresh rate display, and stunning design, including an RGB keyboard.
Our verdict
- Students who like playing video games and need a system for demanding programmes will appreciate the laptop's excellent specifications, elegant design, efficient cooling system, and reasonable price.
Who should try this?
- This laptop is ideal for students who love to game, create content and enjoy high-quality entertainment on the go.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹84,490
- PApple M1 chip
- 8GB of unified memory.
- 256 GB Storage
- 13.3" LE Backlit Display.
- Apple 8-core GPU Graphics Card
- Weighs 1.29 kg
- Has up to 18 hours of battery life
- Facetime HD camera
- Backlit magic keyboard with Touch ID sensor
Positives
- Fast and efficient performance with the M1 chip.
- The retina display gives high-resolution image quality.
- Lightweight and portable.
- The HD Facetime high-quality camera.
Negatives
- Costly
- 8 GB RAM is not sufficient for some.
- No dedicated graphic card may limit performance.
- Speakers located at the bottom may result in muffle sound.
User Feedback
- Users have praised its fast performance M1 chip, long-lasting battery, portability, and sleek design.
Our verdict
- While this laptop is quite expensive for students, it has impressed a lot of its users with its high-quality retina display, fast performance, lightweight design and long-lasting battery life.
Who should try this?
- This laptop will be an excellent choice for students looking for portability with a classy design, long-lasting battery life, and high device performance.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹43,990
- P11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor
- 8GB Memory
- 512GB Storage
- 14-inch Display
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 11
- Backlit keyboard
- Weighs 1.38 kg
- Up to 9 hours of battery life
Positives
- Fast processor
- Good picture quality and viewing angles
- Lightweight and portable
- Fast boot and load time
Negatives
- Not suited for gaming or heavy video editing
- Less powerful GPU
- Only 8 GB of RAM
- No Ethernet Port
- Average Battery Life
User Feedback
- Users appreciate its elegant and low-weight design, quick performance, extended battery life, keyboard and display.
Our verdict
- With many applauding its performance, lightweight design, and high build quality, our verdict is that it has proven to be well worth its price.
Who should try this?
- This is a fantastic alternative for students who want a dependable, portable, and reasonably priced laptop for daily use.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹59,990
- 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 Processor
- 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
- 15.6-inch Display
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 11 Home Operating System
- Weighs 1.63 kg
- 7.5 hours battery life
Positives
- Rapid charge (up to 80% in 1 hour)
- Privacy Shutter
- 12th Gen Intel Core Processor
- Lightweight
- Backlit Keyboards
Negatives
- Not a widely appealing design.
- Low webcam quality
- Weak GPU
- Low battery life
User Feedback
- Early reviews have given the laptop high performance, value, and build quality ratings.
Our verdict
- Individuals who need to use many apps and large files enjoy the high RAM and storage space. This laptop is also suitable for those who are always on the go with its lightweight design. Its backlit keyboard makes it the best nighttime study partner.
Who should try this?
- College students studying computer science and business will find this laptop helpful due to its robust and quick performance, ample RAM, and significant data storage capacity.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹64,990
- Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5 12450H Processor (2.5 GHz base frequency, up to 4.2 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology.
- Storage: 512 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
- Display: 15.6-inch (39.6 cm) diagonal FHD IPS anti-glare micro-edge WLED-backlit, 250 nits, 45% NTSC (1920 x 1080)
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB GDDR6 dedicated)
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Additional Software: Microsoft Office Home and Student 2019
- Weight: 2.48 kg
- 5-6 hours battery life
Positives
- Excellent performance
- Smooth and Clear Visuals
- High-quality sound
Negatives
- Poor Battery Backup
- Overheating Issues
- Weight
- Below-average webcam quality
User Feedback
Users love excellent performance during gaming and high-end tasks. They also praised the high-quality display with a high refresh rate.
Our verdict
- This laptop is an excellent choice for students as it handles heavy workloads and demanding tasks.
Who should try this?
- This laptop is for student gamers who are looking for high-performance components. Its powerful processor makes the OS feel friendly and much smoother. Its backlit keyboard will be helpful for late-night study sessions as well.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹55,990
- 12th Generation Intel Core i5-1235U Processor
- 512GB Storage
- Display: 14.0-inch Display
- Intel UHD Graphics
- Windows 11 Home Operating System
- Weighs 1.48 kg
- 7 hours battery life
Positives
- Excellent performance
- Ample storage
- Vibrant and Clear display
- Lightweight
Negatives
- No dedicated graphics card
- Average battery life
- No touchscreen display
- No backlit keyboard
User Feedback
- Users are praising the excellent performance of its processor and the quality of the full HD display. Users love travelling with this laptop, as it is lightweight.
Our verdict
- This laptop is the right choice for students looking for a reliable laptop for everyday use with smooth and efficient performance for multitasking and running heavy tasks.
Who should try this?
- This suits students who want a lightweight laptop for graphic design and assignments, presentations, or research papers with the Microsoft Office 2021 suite.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹57,990
- 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U Processor
- 512 GB SSD
- 15.6 inches Display
- Intel UHD Graphics
- Windows 11 Home (64-bit)
- Fingerprint reader for secure login
- Weighs 1.76 kg
- 8.5 hours battery life
Positives
- High RAM and smooth performance
- Fingerprint sensor for extra security
- Sleek and Stylish design
- Lightweight
- Backlit keyboard
Negatives
- No dedicated graphics card
- Average Battery Life
- Comparatively low brightness
User Feedback
- Users praise its performance, touchpad and keyboard.
Our verdict
- This laptop provides excellent work, play, or multitasking performance with access to up-to-date software and productivity tools.
Who should try this?
- A good option for college students who require a lightweight laptop for multitasking, running demanding apps, conducting online research, writing papers, and preparing presentations.
Extensive features list
- Price: ₹64,999
- 11th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H Processor
- 512GB Storage
- 14-inch IPS Display
- Integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Windows 11 Home Edition Operating System
- Weight: 1.45 kg
- 11 hours battery life
Positives
- Lightweight
- 2.5k display resolution
- Fingerprint sensor
Negatives
- Limited storage
- No dedicated graphic card
- Comparatively Expensive
User Feedback
- Several people have complimented its functionality, speed, graphics quality, sophisticated appearance and display.
Our verdict
- This is a fantastic choice for people who want a robust, portable laptop for productivity, light gaming, and media consumption. It offers a high-quality display and graphics card, quick processing times, and enough RAM and storage.
Who should try this?
- Students who need a powerful and portable computer for video editing, programming, and gaming and require a high-resolution display for graphic design, picture editing, and content production are the perfect match for this laptop.
Frequently asked questions
1: Why should you care about processing power, memory or graphics card?
While selecting a computer, you should consider its processing speed, memory capacity, and graphics card because these components affect its functionality. Better graphics cards provide greater visual performance and can handle graphics-intensive programmes, while more memory enables smoother multitasking and quicker data access. A computer with more processing capability can handle more demanding tasks.
2: Does storage matter? What does SSD mean?
Storage is important since it affects how much data your device can hold. Solid State Drives, or SSDs, are storage devices that employ flash memory to store data. Modern laptops employ SSDs for quicker programme load times, boot times, and overall performance.
3: Are there any alternative laptops for college worth considering?
There are a variety of other college laptops worth looking at, such as the HP Pavilion x360, Lenovo IdeaPad Flex, Acer Aspire 5, ASUS VivoBook, and MacBook Air.
Conclusion:
Choosing the best laptop for students in India can be challenging, but staying on top of assignments, schoolwork, recreational gaming, and entertainment is necessary. We hope you can choose between Windows and Apple laptops and find the one best suited for your needs. Before purchasing, consider your laptop's budget, operating system, processor, memory, storage, battery life, and portability. We have included a range of laptops for different preferences, such as the best laptop for programming, gaming, the best budget laptop for students and more! We hope you’ve found the right fit for you!
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