From the past decade, the laptop has undergone uncountable changes and the laptop industry has become one of the top leading industries nowadays. Day by day we are moving towards the technological era, where each and everything will be based on artificial intelligence.
Every day there is a discovery that is beneficial for humanity. This everyday changes somehow creates confusion. Let me tell you how.
There’s bound to be extra confusion in terms of laptop or any technological device aisle more than ever. The modification or change is a laptop that means a betterment of laptop or upgrading it and this is how it becomes confusing.
And especially if you are looking for the best laptop for a niche profession or best laptops for computer science students.
A new laptop coming encompasses everything. They can be fast processing, feather weighing, business experts, ultra-portable laptops that weigh less than 2 pounds to –lap crashing high weight gaming laptop that weighs up to 10 pounds but today we aren’t talking about that.
In this article, we are going to list the best laptops for computer science students.
You can be from any primary subject, but without a decent laptop, you may find difficulties while graduating from universities/colleges. And in case you are a computer science student then you should buy the best laptop for computer science as soon as possible.
To save your effort and time we are here with a list of best laptops for computer engineering students.
Top Picks of 2023
Buying the best laptop can a tricky task to do. You read it right, especially with a degree in computer science it becomes more challenging to pick the best laptop for coding because of the everyday enhancement s and changes of software and devices.
You’ll have to make faster, smoother and efficient software, devices or depending on your specialization on your job and to do so, and you’ll need a fast processing laptop.
Ironically
While you are in college/ University, seriously, you don’t need to have that much power on your laptop if you just need it for graduation. But you should still focus on some of the basic features of the best laptop for coding.
And for that, a buying guide is written at the end of the article (before the conclusion) to make it easy for you to make a final decision. So let’s go ahead with the best laptop for computer science 2023.
1. Apple MacBook Air
You might be surprised after knowing that Apple MacBook, mainly the Air, is mostly used for Computer science or by computer scientists and by anyone related to programming.
To understand its worth, if you ever get a chance, go to professional meetings, there you will see a lot of people holding a shiny Apple display. Probably, your professor uses MacBook too.
Talking about the display of the screen, the deal would have been more perfect if the laptop has a new screen resolution. The resolution isn’t full HD that everyone wants nowadays but it also doesn’t have the smallest decision that comes in TN displays i.e., 1366 x 768.
Mac Book has a native resolution of 1600 x 900. This resolution is perfect for coding or preforming daily tasks like reading the documentation of your assignments.
The configurations of this laptop can be upgraded to an Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB of RAM and 512 GB, but this seems like overkill for the task you may encounter being an undergraduate.
The basic model comes with Intel Core i5, 256 GB of SSD. The 8GB RAM will never let you down. And make sure to pick the right RAM while making a purchase. Upgrading Mac Book isn’t that easy.
The keys have low travel, fast responsiveness, and don’t make any noise. It also features an adjustable feature so that you can also code while sitting at the back of the class where sunlight doesn’t reach.
2. HP spectre x360
If you think that HP spectre line up is the same as it was before then, you are wrong because, in 2023, HP has taken things to a whole different level, bringing new features and updates alongside everything we love about this series.
Back with and smaller and prettier look HP Spectre x360 offers you flashy-fast SSD, vivid 13.3 inches 4k OLED Screen display and a fast responsive and comfortable keyboard packed in a signature design.
From the back, the Spectre x360 has a gorgeous nightfall back overcoat design tucked around thin aluminum chassis. The sliced corners of the laptop and curvy hinges makes its body more than elegant.
In terms of color accuracy, HP spectre x360 killed it, nailing 218% of sRGB color gamut which is approximately more than any premium average laptop (123%). Moreover, the laptop screen holds the resolution of diagonal 4k (3840 x 2160) and has a UWVA Bright view micro-edge AMOLED multi-touch display.
The laptop is boosted with 10th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 processors (if configured.) plus Intel Iris plus Graphics with impeccable 2 in 1 design. The specs of these laptops mean that the new and upgraded version of this laptop is worth being placed on the list of best laptops for computer science. The Spectre x360 comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD (expandable up to 2TB.)
The spectra x360 is fitted with an impressively long battery life which means you carry it with yourself all day without worrying about the battery. With these specifications, this laptop is one of the best laptops for computer engineering students.
3. Asus Vivo Book S
Asus Vivo Book S stands among one of the most portable laptops without a doubt. Not massive, powerful, affordable, 14-inch large display what else do undergraduate needs? Not only it offers sleek, slim, and lightweight build this laptop has 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor that gives this laptop the performance edge over other laptops in its league with performance cons with the storage of 256GB.
On lifting the lid, you will see a 15.6 inches Full HD display with the native resolution of 1920 x 1080p. Moreover, the laptop’s screen is covered with an anti-glare technology that displays accurate colors and performs well in dark and bright rooms.
The laptop has impressive performance, and it offers such performance that any computer science undergraduate would need. It’s 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8250U, 8GB of DDR4 RAM and Intel HD graphics card. With these three components combined, you can quickly complete your graduation.
Being a computer science, you’ll love to transfer files and pictures wirelessly because wires are trouble to carry around so that you will enjoy its Intel HD wireless connectivity via an integrated 802.11ac module with a reliable Bluetooth 4.2 connection. Any computer science student looking for the best laptop for programming tasks can rely on Asus Vivo Book S.
Unfortunately, the battery is not as good as expected. It only lasts for 5 hours. Overall, the Asus Vivo Book is a mid-range laptop and perfect for those users who want to stay productive and creative on the move. Backlit keyboard and some gaming capacity is a plus point of this laptop.
4. Asus Zen Book
Lightweight and sleek Asus Zen Book come with 13.3 inches display and in my opinion, this is the most ideal and easy to carry size and screen for any programmer. The laptop can easily handle heavy IDEs like Visual Studios, Eclipse, and Android emulators. The featuring SATA III SSD is flashy fast.
At the back, there is a glossy Asus logo of gold. With its thin bezels, it gives rain dropping falling in the midst of calm feels. The laptop has clock speed up-to 3.8 GHz using a turbo boost.
Is there anyone who doesn’t like fast processors well love them, but here CPU doesn’t matter a lot for a computer programmer or computer scientist. So don’t worry if the CPU is a little slow.
The laptop is thin and light, and this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t offer fewer ports. The Zen Book 13 has USB Type-A port and HDMI port too. On the left side, the laptop holds power jack, an HDMI 1.4 port, 1 x USB 3.1 port and 1 x USB Type-C. On the opposite side, it has a microSD card slot and 1 x USB 2.0 port and a headphone jack.
Another thing which is worth considering its keyboard, actually there is a drawback which is not a drawback. Still, it’s just that the manual is not of the highest quality and nowhere close to Apple’s MacBook Air flawless and silent keyboard. But it goes with the price tag.
If you aren’t a fan of the Windows operating system, but for the keyboard, then you can go for Apple Mac Book Air. This can be an excellent alternative for you
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is an updated version of Microsoft Surface Pro 6. The updates with this model are befitting option for students of computer science or for those who are craving for a hybrid laptop.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has a sharp and better display, with an Impressive type cover keyboard and fantastic performance which gave it an edge over other convertible work machines in this price range.
The screen measures 12.3 inches and holds the resolution of 2736 x 1824p and presents sharp colors and satisfying brightness for reading, web browsing, watching tutorials, coding or doing something creative like graphic designing.
The performance of the laptop is impressive. Under the hood, Intel Core i5-1035G4 10th generation CPU lives and 8GB of RAM which makes a flashy combo.
The integrated Intel Iris Plus graphics will let you comfortably use the laptop to perform some massive tasks or multitasking too without affecting its performance. 256GB SSD boosts the rest of the performance, SSD made you transfer the larger files quickly.
We can’t categorize Microsoft Surface Pro 7 in the list of high-end laptop but it is powerful enough to stand out in the list of best laptops for coding or best laptops for computer science.
The battery of this laptop is a little weak point and maybe a cause for it letdowns for those who hate carrying their chargers around.
The laptop also features a 4-inches wide touchpad to add ease to your typing experience. The keys of the keyboard are well spaced and quickly responsive.
6. Dell XPS 13
Like a pro, the Dell XPS 13 comes with high configurations that go beyond 16GB RAM with a top speed 8th generation Intel Core i7 Processor. The laptop is portable and one of the best in 13 inches laptop. This laptop comes with two configurations one if Full HD display and a QHD touchscreen (4k resolution.)
Both editions of the laptop come with infinity edge display which means that the screen offers very thin bezels around the screen which let you enjoy the screen to the fullest.
There isn’t any reason to overspend and sacrifice battery life with the touchscreen 4K resolution version. The full HD screen of the laptop is sufficient enough to give you much workspace area through the lines of code to follow the logic of your coding blocks without needing scroll down too much.
The basic model of this laptop comes with Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM, which is enough to handle the developing and coding environment you will encounter while studying Computer science and it can easily handle heavy IDEs like Visual Studio, Eclipse etc.
The laptop is a step above other laptops in terms of standard integrated graphics cards too. The laptop offers Intel Iris graphics card (as in Apple mac Book Pro.) Because of these dense configurations, the price of a laptop is a little high.
In comparison to Apple Mac Book Pro, Dell XPS 13 has more ports. Finally, it offers Thunderbolt 13 connectivity which allows you to use two external displays for a more creative and productive setup.
If you don’t have a tight budget and you are cool with Windows OS, then the Dell XPS 13 is a good option you have got.
7. HP Pavilion 15
One of the famous series of HP is the pavilion gaming series. HP is well-known because from years, they are coming with power-packed machines and once HP is here to offer you a powerful tool with serious performance within an affordable price tag. For majors like computer science where student mainly deals with graphics and coding, this laptop is a perfect fit.
This model gives a hard completely overhauled and edgy look. At the center, the reflective HP logo is stamped which offers an elegant look. The screen is 15.6 inches and weighs 5lbs.
In short, the machine is substantial as it is a gaming machine. The fact that it is a heavy gaming machine doesn’t mean that the people aren’t buying this beast. If you can bear its weight, then this laptop seems an excellent option for you.
Since the laptop is from gaming series so it can easily handle heavy tasks like android development, coding environment, and iOS development, the computer has ample 1TB HDD storage which is perfect for storing gaming and heavy IDEs like an eclipse, net beans and Visual Studios etc.
The 8GB DDR4 RAM with a CPU of Intel Core i5-8300H, that’s not all my friend, the laptop also features GTX 1050Ti 4GB graphics card which will take your gaming experience to another level.
The keyboard and touchpad are highly responsive. The keyboard comes with green peripheries; the keys are well-spaced and soft as a gaming laptop does have. HP claims to offer 9 hours of battery life of mixed-use.
So if you a computer science student and also love gaming on the side, then this laptop is worth your attention.
8. Acer Predator Helios 300
If you are a side gamer and looking for a laptop that holds the ability to handle both gaming and programming environments on the run, then you are looking to the right work machine here. For any computer science student, it is a dream to have a high-end graphics laptop and that’s where Acer Predator Helios 300 came in.
The laptop in short, is a powerhouse that comes in a lesser price tag as compared to other similar featuring laptops.
Design-wise the laptop comes with the same look as previous its model does. It hasn’t changed much. You still get the strong-quality build and it exactly looks like a gaming laptop. It comes with 15.6 inches full HD display which offers a refresh rate of 144Hz and 144Hz is a standard refresh rate that comes in many gaming laptops.
If we talk about GPU performance, you would be surprised to know that this laptop comes with GTX 10606GB GPU and a robust Intel Core i7-8750H processor. And these specification sums up with 16GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD, and make this machine one the best laptop for computer science or coding or gaming.
The machine is NVMe is quite faster than other laptops that offer SATA SSD. The laptop weighs (5.5 lbs.) 2.5 KG which is enough to carry the laptop around for shorter distances, but carrying it for many miles might annoy you.
Whether call it a low-end price case or design fault, some things might disturb you when it comes to touchpad and typing. The keyboard is backlit, but not friendly at all. The keys are tactical and noisy. Apart from these, the laptop offers an over-efficient cooling system and freedom to you for overclocking the GPU to its maximum power.
Acer claims that the laptop runs for 7 hours on high-end gaming, and on average, you can get 5 hours of working on regular use.
9. Dell Inspiron 15 5000
Dell laptops have been in the top line for decades and recently, they got a refreshing touch with more new and superior Intel hardware. This 2018 model is still invoicing for its fan and since it releases the laptop remains an attractive laptop with a brushed metal finish metal across the lid.
Coming to the design and build of the laptop, the very first and impressive impression comes from its metal lid and attractive Dell logo. The aesthetics spread on the side and base of the laptop makes it look like a premium design. The build of this laptop is muscular and burst.
The screen seems sturdy and the components inside the laptop screen are well-protected. If you are concerned about its aesthetic damage, you will need to use a protective sleeve. This only looks like a premium laptop. It isn’t a premium laptop, so don’t expect a metal draped over every surface.
The laptop is fitted with an essential component that is Core 2.4 GHz i7-5500U chip. The laptop has 8GB DDR3 RAM and 1TB of HDD 5,400 RPM. With these processors under the hood, the laptop performed well with a score of 3,658 in the processor benchmarks.
Talking about the graphics of the machine, the laptop is fitted with an AMD Radeon R7 M265 graphics core, which gives it stand among other best laptops for computer science.
The screen holds the resolution of 1366 x 768. With this resolution, it is quite challenging to watch 1080p videos. 189cd/m2 brightness level is suitable for office and home use.
10. Acer Aspire E 15
Acer Spire E15 comes with decent specifications. Describing this laptop isn’t that difficult. It has all the things you want, moreover all those things which you don’t want. In serious words, the laptop has excellent configurations, better than fine. You can handle coding environments, play games, multi-task at the same time with this device. This device is originated as a real gaming device.
It’s not the sleekest device in the market but with 8th generation Intel Core i3 chip and a decent battery it undoubtedly stands out and shines in the list of best laptops for computer science students.
The computer is mainly made up of plastic but that doesn’t mean that the laptop can’t bear normal pressure.
You will see nothing on the lid but the Acer logo on the left side and it looks beautiful. Under the lid, there is a full size keyboard with Numpad on the right. The screen is surrounded by thick bezels and a webcam at the center.
The 15.6 screen is full HD which holds the resolution of 1920 x 1080p.
Under the hood, laptop packs 8th generation Intel Core i3-8310U processor along with 6GB of RAM and spacious 1TB hard drive.
If you are a side gamer and want to do some gaming too then let me assure you that you can play games like Fortnite, cup head and laptop will do the Job finely. The game Dirt 3 runs on a laptop with 56 frames per second beating any other laptop in this price range.
The battery backup of this laptop is reliable. On a single charge, the battery lasted for 9 hours of daily work like web surfing and multi-tasking.
11. Asus FX504
Most of the gaming laptop or those laptops which can handle high-end graphics or entry-level laptops starts at around $1,000 but this beast offers the same configurations in much lesser price tag.
The Asus TUF Gaming FX504 seems like a steal with a price. Unfortunately, there are some sacrifices you will have to make, like the laptop doesn’t display videos in 1080p because the display is bit bland and dim.
Coming to its design, the laptop doesn’t look pretty but a bad boy. The lid of the laptop is a black hunt with faux aluminum blushing and red color paint in a rectangular lined pattern that gives cyber feels. The logo of the Asus is reflective and shiny.
The outside of the laptop reveals that the inside is pretty of the same color and same physique. A chunky and thin bezels surround the 15.6 inches screen. The keyboard is red. In short, the laptop is a combination of plastic, hardcore processors and red color. On the bright side, the screen is sharp.
The laptop is fitted with 8GB DDR4 2400MHz RAM, which is upgradable up to 32GB RAM and preinstalled NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GDDR5GB VRAM Graphics which takes you to the whole new level of gaming.
The laptop has a powerful Intel Core i7-8750H processor and 512 GB M.2 SSD storage.
The port selection of this bad boy is just fair. In my opinion, it could have been better. On the right side of the laptop, you will see an Ethernet port, HDMI port, 2 X USB 3.0 ports, 1 x USB 2.0. on the opposite side, you will only get Kensington lock, there is no USB Type-C or SD card reader in laptop and this flaw might disappoint buyers.
12. Asus ROG G703
If you want longer battery life and probability, then it’s better to forget this laptop as this is a pure gaming laptop. If you love multitasking and play the latest high-end games, then surely this laptop is made for you.
Nothing can’t stop it. For engineers, Asus ROG G703 is one of the most capable computers and also one of the best laptops for programmers and the best laptop for computer science students who are gamers too.
The laptop comes with an 8th generation Intel i7-8750H flashy processor and can be overclocked up to 4.10 GHz. Plus, NVIDIA GTX 1080 8 GB graphics gives you the freedom to handle high- graphics games.
The 17.3 inches screen offers you refresh rate of 144Hz and Full-HD IPS-Type AHVA gaming panel with NVIDIA G-sync and amazingly fast 3ms response time.
The bad beast has a wide array of input and out ports. There is HDMI 2.0. Port, Thunderbolt 3 port, mini Display port 1.4, USB 3.0. The backlit keyboard is a plus.
Buyer’s Guide
Here’s a summary of what specs you should look for while buying a laptop for coding.
From the above-listed laptop, there are chances that your professor uses the very same laptops. Make your selection concerning these crucial aspects.
In order of priority.
RAM
The RAM is one of the most critical factors in a laptop and if you are into coding and developing android apps or iOS apps, then you should check the RAM of a laptop before making your decision.
- For Simple Coding and school projects, we recommend you to pick a laptop with at least 4GB.
- For University/College, you should go for a laptop with at least 8GB of RAM.
- If you are doing it at a professional level or into a Virtual machine, then go for 8-16GB.
The RAM is always upgradable so no worries if you already bought a wrong one, you can upgrade it. You can also upgrade your previous laptop.
Display
As a beginner student and programmer, you are going to stare at the screen, and every time you step outside of a lecture, be kind to your eyes and pick a laptop with a soft screen.
- Resolution: we recommend you HD or FHD to use Split screen and see more lines of code so that you can follow the code logic without scrolling so much.
- Size: we recommend you 13 inches (easy to carry around), and 15.6 is also good.
Keyboard
As a programmer, your hands will be on your keyboard all the time. (Sometimes programmers are coding in their dreams too.) With knowledge, sometimes the right keyboard is all that needs to be fast at programing. So pick-up a keyboard which suits your fingers.
Storage
Whether it’s 128GB or 256 GB, don’t worry, the thing you should take care about is SSD over HDD. SSD runs faster and helps in loading the program and IDEs more quickly and smarter.
CPU
Any recent processor with modern architecture such as 6th, 7th and 8th generation.
- For simple programming: Cerelon, Pentium core i3.
- For IDEs like the eclipse, Java: Core i5 (not strictly recommended), you can still use Core i3.
- For virtual machines: Quad-core i5 or i7 or i9.
Conclusion
After going through a buying guide, you know that you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a laptop. You can even Ph.D. with an old school laptop (but must have recommended specifications) as long you need to install Linux in it (By the way, Linux OS is runnable on Chrome Book.)
Our recommendation to you is to get a laptop that suits your pocket and level of studies and is comfortable to both your eyes and hand. And yes, portable enough to carry it around.
Make sure to check the battery life of life before buying, because a computer science undergraduate may need the laptop for longer work durations.
Again, there is nothing like buying the most expensive laptop to be good at programming. If you are into gaming and 3d design, then cheaper laptops are an excellent alternative.