In this post, you will discover the best laptop for computer science students which is great value for money.
Along with this, you will also receive a detailed analysis of the best laptop specifications for computer science students.
This Best Laptop for Computer Science post will include the specifications of all laptops for computer science, Pros, Cons, and the final verdict citing the best laptop for computer science.
With no more expiration date, let’s jump into the field of best laptops for computer science.
Selecting the Best Laptop for Computer Science
Buying a laptop for computer science is not as simple as you think. Some $3,000 laptops are suitable for dedicated programming and other purposes.
Still, they include a reduced battery life and some $300 machines are a little slow to build but have good battery life. Here are some essential tips to ensure you’re getting the features that matter most to you.
Operational system:
When you’re starting out, start with the operating system. You already have a lot of decisions, and a lot of it depends on what you do and what you usually do.
Apple’s Mac OS is the perfect choice for multimedia editing, and proficiency and windows are better for
Processor:
Looking at the processor of the laptop’s internal components is essential for a computer science student. You will need to have a core i5, core i7, or AMD Ryzen chip for virtualization, faster data compilation, and other database tasks.
If you study Intel processors, those that end with ‘U’ are less persuasive than those that end with ‘H’ or ‘HQ’.
Intel Atom chips, which you can see in really cheap laptops, are only for the most basic tasks and, as a computer science student, you should never buy a laptop with these chips.
Memory and Storage :
To hit the right point between price and performance, conventional computer science laptops must have at least 8GB of RAM.
But you’ll need at least twice as much if you’re a full stack developer. You should also choose an SSD over a normal hard drive whenever possible.
Video card:
If you are a serious gamer or a dedicated user, your laptop should have a dedicated graphics card, like the NVidia GeForce GTX 10, 20 or 30 series GPUs.
But keep in mind that if you have a powerful graphics card and CPU, your battery life will suffer, which is why; High performance laptops tend to have short battery life.
1. Dell XPS 13 9310 [ XPS 9570 ]
Best Overall
- RAM: 32GB RAM
- SSD: 1TB SSD
- Processor: 7th Generation Intel Core i11-7G1165
- Screen Size: 13.4-inch UHD InfinityEdge Touch Screen (3840 x 2160)
- Weight: 6 pounds
2. MSI GV62 8RD
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8300H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 16GB Intel Optane + 1TB HDD
3. HP Pavilion
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8300H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 1TB HDD
4. Dell G 5 15
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8300H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD
5. Acer Predator Helios 300
Best choice for those who are into high-end gaming also.
The majority of the laptops are gaming laptops as they provide good battery backup along with ton of advantages compared to the normal working laptops. If your budget is above $1000 you can easily go for Dell XPS 13 9310 or Ace predator and for less than $1000 without any doubt I would recommend HP Pavilion.
The only downside is the looks, not everyone like the looks of a gaming laptop but wants the performance can go with Razer Blade and Dell XPS. For touch screen laptops [best for the student who mostly works on graphics] you can choose my two recommendation below.
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 256GB SSD
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 6/7
- RAM: 8GB RAM
- SSD: 128GB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i8 5th generation
- Screen Size: 12.3 inches FHD
- Weight: 3.53 lbs
7. Razer Blade
Best laptop with high performance and at an affordable price.
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Resolution: 1080p
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8750H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
8. Lenovo Yoga 7i
- RAM: 8 GB.
- SSD: 256 SSD
- Processor: Intel 11th generation Core i7
- Screen size: 15 inches, 2 in 1, 360 ° flip-and-fold design
- Weight: 3.0 lbs.
What is the best laptop for computer science?
Before deciding which laptop is the best and cheapest, you should first know what kind of work and usability you are looking for. Before buying any laptop, you should know what its requirements are.
1. Which laptop is best for computer science students?
Students looking for a college degree in a subject like a computer science definitely need a laptop with 4GB+ good graphics memory and at least 16GB+ of storage memory. For one of these requirements, some of them are on the list of best laptops for computer science students:
- Dell XPS Infinite / XPS 9570.
- Microsoft Surface Pro 6/7.
- Acer Spin / Inspire 5.
- HP Pavilion.
- HP Pro Chrome.
These are some of the top models that will meet your needs in an online computer science classroom. However, if you are interested in browsing some other models, you can take a look at the above mentioned product list, which we shared above.
2. What are the necessary components required for computer science students?
- Intel Core Quad-Core i5 / i7 processor with 2.2 GHz refresh rate.
- 13-15 inch HD screen.
- 8-16 GB of RAM, or running a high-resolution program application can be difficult.
- 256-512 MB of hard disk space.
The system may crash while running various applications from time to time.
3. Is it necessary to have graphics memory in your laptop as a computer science student?
Well, if you have to use advanced C++ or Python application programming codes to run a code or test an application after creating it, a minimum graphics memory of 4GB is mandatory.
4. Can I play video games on my laptop? If yes, how much memory do I need?
Frankly, playing games frequently on your laptop isn’t a wise thing at all. However, if you’re looking for a laptop that meets your science project requirements as well as your gaming requirements, make sure you have an RTX 16 GeForce NVIDIA graphics driver on it. This will eventually speed up the CPU processor without causing any kind of technical damage to the system.
5. What if I need to learn programming and do some of that on my laptop as part of my computer science project homework?
Don’t look for money when buying a laptop if you are planning to learn to program. You need at least:
- i5 / i7 CPU processor
- 8GB RAM with extended RAM up to 16GB
- 1920 * 1080 resolution screen to run an encoding application on your laptop if you are looking for a laptop where you need to learn and practice encoding.
Affiliate Disclosure:
If you make a purchase through the links on this page, I may receive a small commission. I wrote this review based on my honest experience and my vision of the company. I only write reviews about services and products that I personally use, like and believe in. I usually try to see good things rather than wasting my time thinking about the drawbacks. I strongly believe that if you take action and dedicate some time and effort, you will get your money worth and change your life for the better. Although I always list “cons” and strive to be as objective as possible, I also think that focusing too much on negative aspects can lead to procrastination and having a negative experience. Learn More.