Home » Laptops » Top 10 Best Laptops For Engineering Students [Reviews] Buying Guide FAQs 2023

Top 10 Best Laptops For Engineering Students [Reviews] Buying Guide FAQs 2023

The best laptops for engineering students must have excellent features as well as great performance specs. They should have the graphic prowess to tackle CAD, simulation, and CAM software.

Plus, they need to be portable, affordable, and durable. They shall also have a great battery life that should at least run for a whole day. Moreover, they should be budget-friendly too.

See Our other reviews of laptops for teachers, autocad, cyber security, quickbooks, nursing students, programming students, web design, fl studio, mechanical engineering students, accounting majors, interior design, graphic design students, writers and bloggers and more.

Keeping all that in mind, we have compiled a list of the top 10 best laptops for engineering students so that you could spend less time searching. Here are some of our best laptop picks for engineering students.


Our Picks of Top 10 Best Laptops For Engineering Students Product Reviews in 2023

1)HP Spectre x360Best SSD i7 Laptops For Engineering Students on Budget

HP Spectre x360 - 13T Gemcut Laptop i7-8565U 1.8GHz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Windows 10 Home, USB C, 13.3 FHD Touchscreen is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with impressive viewing angles.
ProcessorIntel Core i7-8565U (1.8 GHz, up to 4 GHz, 8 MB cache, 4 cores)
Ram16GB SDRAM(ONBAORD)
Storage512GB SSD
GraphicsIntel HD , 2MB
Display13.3″ Full HD (Resolution: 1920 x 1080)
TouchscreenYes
BatteryUp to 7 Hours
Peripherals NBT, HP Active Stylus Pen, USB-C port, Thunderbolt support & SD card reader
Operating SystemWINDOWS 10 HOME 64 BIT
Dimensions12.60 x 8.58 x 0.57 inches 
Weight2.92 lbs

Review

The reshaped and remanufactured 13-inch HP Spectre x360 is the HP’s another strong performance device. With its unique color display, beautiful shape, sloping corners, and open edges, the 13-inch Spectre x360 is something to be proud of. The stylish 13-inch device is one of the coolest laptops in the market. Its 12-hour battery life, easy configuration, and high-performance loudspeakers are what makes it our top pick.

The  Spectre x360 is power-packed by an Intel Core i7-8565U CPU with 16GB of RAM, a 256GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, an Intel UHD 620 GPU, and a 13.3-inch, 1080p touch-screen display. This powerful processor can handle all types of calculations from complex algebra to Aerodynamics problems.

Rest assured, this laptop will be your best buddy during the engineering journey. Not to mention that video editing, gaming, and also the animation will be taken care of by NVIDIA’s 1050-Ti graphic card.

This 2-in-1 powerhouse, that can be can be turned into a tablet, comes in 2 sizes:13 and 15 inches. The weight is well distributed all over the unit. Moreover, the display is put together by powerful hinges that allow your laptop to be opened by a single hand. Plus, it is lighter and can be easily taken anywhere without much of a hassle.

From the display point of view, it comes in with a full HD  multi-touch feature. The display ensures that you will not be putting a lot of pressure on your eyes while using it for longer periods. This is a much-needed feature especially for software and Civil engineer who are required to use Laptops for many hours on a one-go.

The 2.1-megapixel webcam isn’t that good as we would have liked. However, it is still good enough for video calls. But, the pictures are not too clear, they look a bit gloomy. Nevertheless, it is not a worrisome issue for a college student as he doesn’t have to make professional phone calls during his engineering journey. Notwithstanding, if you do not like the webcam, you can always change it.

HP has again made a super-comfortable keyboard. With only 1.4 millimeters of travel, the Spectre x360’s look fantastic. Although it is a bit short when compared to our 1.5-mm preference, the keys still feel soft. However, there is a no number pad provided, and also the trackPad is of standard size.

The Spectre x360 is an impressive laptop that has very everything which you look for in a premium laptop. It is stylish and looks cool. It should always be on your priority list when you shop for the best laptop for engineering students.

Pros
  • Impressive viewing angles
  • Elegant display
  • The bright and vivid image
  • Long lasting battery life
Cons
  • The track pad isn’t of the highest quality

2)Dell Inspiron i5577-5335BLK-PUSBest SSD i5 Laptops For Engineering Students Under $1500

Dell Inspiron i5577-5335BLK-PUS - 15" Full HD Gaming Laptop - 7th Gen Intel Core i5 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with simple design.

Review

The Dell Inspiron i5577-5335BLK-PUS flaunts impressive specs that are configured to work best for mechanical engineers. It boasts a strong 15.6-inch Anti-Glare LED-backlit display with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 px. 

The laptop is powered by a 7th Gen intel i5 CPU that can be boosted from a speed of 2.8GHz to 3.8 GHz which is almost like i7. The system contains an 8GB of DDR4 RAM and an integrated Intel HD 630 graphics engine. The laptop is installed by Windows 10 as a Basic operating system that sails upon 64-bit architecture.

The all-powerful processor can easily handle MathCad, AutoCad, and many other software related to mechanical engineering. It can also run software engineering software without any fuss. Moreover, the 8GB RAM  and 256 GB SSD makes this laptop an all-rounder. It can handle almost anything: big data work, heavy games, photo shopping, graphic designing, and video editing. It will fulfill all your expectations.

The 4GB Nvidia 1050 graphic card can provide the best gaming experience. You won’t face any image blurring or pixel rupturing. Moreover, the anti-glare layer on the laptop will protect your eyes from getting sore after working for several hours on the laptop.

As far as design is concerned, there wasn’t much expected especially considering its price tag. However, Dell managed to surprise us a little bit. It was able to build a pleasing design without affecting the overall price. The metal black finish comes in with red and accents. The body mostly contains plastic over it but with a gentle finish on the lid. The body looks study and powerful which makes it look a little bit expensive. Overall, the design is pleasing to the eye.

The keyboard looks great. It has very little travel while typing and plus, the keys do not make any sound when you press them. However, the battery life is not more than 6 hours. Also, when you play games, it reduces to two hours only.  So, keep it charging while playing the games.

From the ports point of view, this device champions all its rivals, it has three 3.0 USB ports, a single HDMI port, an SD card reader slot, and an audio jack. But, Dell decided not to provide any space to add another hard disk. Having said that, you can always buy an external hard disk to overcome this issue.

Overall, it is a lovely laptop that all the great features to keep you busy and entertained all day long. 

Pros
  • Simple design
  • Great connectivity options
  • Best for gaming
  • Great build quality
Cons
  • Low battery

3)Acer Predator Helios 300Best i7 SSD Laptops For Engineering Students Under 1500 USD

Acer Predator Helios 300 - 15.6" Full HD 144Hz 3ms IPS Display, Intel i7-9750H, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6GB, 16GB DDR4 is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with well distributed weight.

Review

The Predator Helios 300 is a renowned brand. With the release of two models in the last year, the company has decided to release another model. The new version comes with an overhauled design, better hardware, and improved performance. 

The laptop is a beautiful looking gaming type material with sharp curves and slopes. The unit is supported by an Intel Core i7-9750H processor along with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti GPU. The device contains 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. However, the RAM can be extended up to 32 GB  and the hard drive to 2 Terabytes.

In terms of power, it does not disappoint you. It’s powered by Nvidia’s 1660 Ti Geforce graphics card, a 144Hz IPS panel, and the new ninth-generation  Intel Core i7 processor. The device comes with desktop-like specs at a much lower price than usual. This is a real gaming display laptop that is powerful enough of providing you 70-80 frames per second even during the heaviest of games.

The high power graphic card and 8GB RAM is not just good for playing video games, it is also a great value addition for doing calculations, running software, simulations, and others.  Plus, the high RAM will save you ample time during browsing.

The laptop comes with a full standard keyboard whose short and quick keys help you to type fast. There is a sudden bulge on W that helps you find it quickly.

The speakers work perfectly well. They are pretty awesome. We bet you won’t need headphones while listening to the online lecture. The speakers can easily cover the whole room.

From the connectivity point of view, you can connect almost anything to it. It has an Ethernet jack, 3 USB ports, One 3.0 Port, a type C port, an SD card reader, a microphone/ headphone jack combo. 

In a nutshell, it is a very good laptop especially for games at an affordable price tag.

Pros
  • Simple design
  • Well distributed weight
  • Fine speakers
  • Great for gaming and other engineering related purposes
Cons
  • Plastic Body

4)Razer Blade 15Best i7 16GB Laptops For Engineering Students Under 2000 USD

Razer Blade 15 - 144Hz Full HD Thin Bezel - 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with smooth finish and high power graphic.

Review

Razer’s laptops keep getting faster, better, and prettier. The company’s another high-performance laptop is available in an elegant looking design that will surely draw every eye towards it. It may not be a big size laptop but it is big in terms of specs and features. In short, its well-rounded features and improved hardware makes it one of the best laptops in the market.

In terms of the processor, it is equipped with 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H 6 Core which, honestly, is not the best thing about this device. In fact, what we liked most about this laptop is its NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q graphic card. This graphic card is one of the best graphic cards for gaming. You are assured to enjoy the best gaming experience with 60 FPS in the heaviest of games.

The laptop comes in with 256 GB SSD storage. If you think that is not enough then there is another 2.5-inch slot provided by the company for connection to another Hard Disk.

In terms of design, the case is all black aluminum. There is a green logo on the lid that makes it look stylish. The keyboard contains thin bezels and LED lights that spark when you customize. As far as weight is concerned, it is 4.6 lb which is quite light when compared to other premium laptops. Moreover, the matt coating allows you to use this machine outdoors.

The panel is backed by a 144-refresh rate, which should help in preventing any blur and jagged images. The display is able to reproduce an excellent 149 percent of the sRGB color gamut which helps to introduce clear and bright images.

Overall, it is a powerful device for students that do not come at a cheap price. You can play games, perform calculations, do graphic designing, and others with ease.

Pros
  • Well built
  • Smooth finish
  • High power graphic
  • Another Hard Disk connection option card
  • 144Hz Refresh Rate
Cons
  • A bit Expensive from our liking

5)Lenovo Legion Y7000Best i5 16GB Laptops For Engineering Students Under 1200 USD

5)Lenovo Legion Y7000 - Best i5 16GB Laptops For Engineering Students Under 1200 USD is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with great cpu performance.

Review

Lenovo is well known for making high-performance laptop at an affordable price. But, this time they have decided to add some premium features to their device making the price a little bit higher than expected. However, the price is still manageable. 

This Lenovo Legion Y7000 is a killer device that will be your buddy for many years to come. It is loaded with some of the best features that will make you adore it.

The box contains a laptop in black and blue colors. Moreover, the dimensions of the laptop are pretty much similar to the Legion Logo. On the inside of the box, you will get a device that is surrounded by soft foam. And then there is another small box where you will find a charger and mandatory documentation.

It features a full metal body made from aluminum, which weighs around 2.96 lb. Thus, it is a bit heavy from a portability point of view. However, it is not very heavy, you can easily carry if you have a little bit of strength in your shoulders.

This laptop powered by some of the high-end features such as 16 gigs of RAM, Complete HD display, Dolby Atmos sound, 256 gigs of SSD, Intel Quad-Core i5-8300H 2.3GHz up to 4GHz, GeForce GTX 1050Ti. The laptop has a refresh rate of  60Hz  with an IPS screen that produces accurate and bright colors.

The GeForce GTX 1050Ti allows you to play the heaviest of games for hours without worrying about any blurring or pixel rupturing. You can easily play games like GTA V, PUBG, and many more with 60 FPS.

The laptop is armored by 16GB RAM and 4GB video RAM, which is enough for any college projects. Plus, It can solve all of your computational work without any fuss.

Pros
  • Great CPU performance
  • High-performance features
  • Excellent design
  • Durable
Cons
  • No SD card Reader
  • Webcam placed at the bottom of the screen

6)Microsoft Surface BookBest i7 16GB 1T Laptops For Engineering Students Under 2000 USD

Microsoft Surface Book - Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with powerful and sturdy.

Review

If you are looking for a laptop that is good for all engineering fields, then this Microsoft S surface Book is a really good choice. With its marvelous display screen of 13. 5 inches PixelSense Display and the resolution of 3000×2000 6M px, it is an amazing laptop that would do a great job for an engineering student. 

The laptop is highly functional and lightweight that can be easily carried around without any burden. This 2-in-1 laptop allows you to be used as a tablet or as a laptop as per your wish.

The laptop is packed with Nvidia’s GTX 965M and 2 GB of video memory. Thus, it is not the best laptop for playing heavy games. However, for a student, it can run multiple applications at once and also it performs complex calculations without much of a problem.

It comes with a pixel density of 267PPI. Thus, providing you a great viewing experience with high resolution. The 13-ich display is a touch screen that allows you to multitask on windows10  pro. 

Microsoft Surface Book is powered by a 6th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 128 GB of storage, 8GB RAM. Plus, you can also watch non-stop videos for 12 hours as per company claims. The all-powerful processor along with 8GB of RAM should be enough for you to solve complex calculations, and run heavy software.

Moreover, the laptop also comes with a Surface pen which is a great value addition to the whole package. The Pen works perfectly fine with the display and is available in five different variants with each having its own features.

Overall, the device is a hybrid machine that offers you great user experience. The unit has a fantastic look and is one for the future.

Pros
  • Powerful and sturdy
  • Touch screen display
  • Perfect-Surface Pen
  • Great pixel density
Cons
  • Not good for playing heavy games

7)ACER Aspire VX 15Best i5 8GB SSD Laptops For Engineering Students Under 1000 USD

ACER Aspire VX 15 - 7th Gen Intel Core i5, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050, 15.6 Full HD, 8GB DDR4 is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with 15 inch keyboard and lovely specs.

Review

 Acer has launched an attention-grabbing laptop in the form of ACER Aspire VX 15. It is a really good laptop for any engineering student and especially for computer engineers as it has a fast processor, great RAM, and superior design.

This attractive piece of hardware features an active keyboard, excellent audio output, and high-performance components that are capable of performing multiple takes at once. 

This 15.6-inch Laptop is armored with the latest Intel i7 processor clocked at 2.8GHz. It also contains 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD which will help you in saving ample time. It has an IPS LCD display panel that offers a great viewing experience and is capable of producing accurate and bright colors. Also, the 1080p screen is clear and sharp. 

One thing that is worth mentioning is that the Aspire’s panel reproduces only 65 percent of the sRGB color gamut, which is quite below the mark of standard 97%. The 65 percent mark is worse than the Inspiron’s display of 67 percent. However, The laptop comes with a GTX 1050 Ti graphics card by NVIDIA with 4 GB of RAM that is capable of heavy games. This strong graphic card is also helpful for editing of videos, drawing complex diagrams, and operating graphics simulations.

The 256 SSD is good enough to make this device fast and furious when you do multitasking. Listening to music, running software, and browsing many tabs at once becomes effortless. However, if you think 256 GB storage is not enough, you can always switch to an external Hard Drive.

As far as design is concerned, it has a simple design with a decent keyboard that works fine. The battery has 6 hours of life on Wi-Fi that may reduce depending on your tasks.

Pros
  • 15-inch keyboard
  • Lovely specs
  • Powerful processor
  • Simple Design
Cons
  • Quite heavy

8)The ASUS ZenBook 13Best i7 16GB SSD Laptops For Engineering Students Under $1000

The ASUS ZenBook 13 - Ultra Slim Laptop, 13.3” FHD WideView, 8th-Gen Intel Core i7-8565U CPU, 16GB RAM is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with remarkable design and ultra-durable.

Review

The ASUS ZenBook constantly delivers strong performance and easy portability. It was nominated as the best design laptop in 2019 by the website PCmag and it is quite hard to challenge this nomination. It’s the full-metal body is something to be proud of. It is slimmer, compact, and stunning.

What’s most interesting about this laptop is that even it is quite a slim laptop, it still is able to house in the Intel i7-8565u processor and 16GB of RAM. The processor can be boosted to 4.6GHz. Therefore, it is best for multitasking.

The laptop is ultra durable as it can survive in the toughest of environments. As per customer reviews it performed quite well in high altitudes, and extreme humidity. As per ASUS claims, the device is made of military-grade material, Thus, it will survive for years to come. 

Its high-power processor along with 16 of GB of RAM allows you to open over 20 tabs at a time with 4 YouTube videos streaming at 1080p. Rest assured, there would be no stuttering during multitasking.

There is no number pad on the keyboard. In fact, it is integrated into the touchpad. You will find a small sign on the touchpad that allows you to use the number pad

 The Webcam contains a 720p camera that produces gloomy and dark images. However, it is still good enough for personal video calls. Also, there is no dedicated graphic card, instead, the laptop is supported by Intel HD graphics.

Pros
  • Remarkable design
  • Ultra-durable
  • Portable
  • Decent battery life
Cons
  • Poor webcam camera

9)The Apple MacBook AirBest i5 8GB Laptops For Engineering Students Under $1000

The Apple MacBook Air - 13-inch, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage, 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with touch id and impressive design.

Review

The Apple MacBook Air is a go-to choice for every engineering student. It has the great build quality and high-power features. It is excellent for those who desire a student laptop or something that is just not too expensive.

 The model is powered by the intel core i5 processor, which from our liking, is quite less than many other latest models. However, it is still able to beat many of its competitors from the performance point of view.

 It’s due to the fact that the applications in the MacOS run perfectly well and can work even in the toughest of conditions. 

Many undergraduate engineering students prefer the older MacBook Air, but if you are the type of fellow who likes a future-proof machine you should always go for this one.

The design is impressive and eye-catching. However, there is nothing new about its shape, but with the way it has been designed, it looks classy and attractive. The iconic wedge shape is supported by the Apple logo on the back. Moreover, the body is made from fully recycled aluminum. It also comes with a Touch ID finger reader for unlocking the laptop. Plus, the bezels have been diminished by 50 percent, with this feature you concentrate more on the screen.

There are many things which we liked about this laptop but the best thing is its display. It is a clear winner. The Retina display has crisp features and powerful colors. The picture quality is backed by 4 million pixels, that is why you will find that web pages look as though they’ve been printed on paper. 

Overall, it is a great laptop for engineering students at a reasonable price.

Pros
  • Retina display is of the highest quality
  • Touch ID
  • Impressive design
  • Slim and classy
Cons
  • Old processor

10)Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon LaptopBest i5-i7 8-16GB Laptops For Engineering Students Under 1000,1200 USD

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Laptop - Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, 14" FHD Display, Backlit Keyboard is one of Best Laptops For Engineering Students with fast and furious.

Review

This expensive ultrabook from Lenovo is a 14 inch LCD screen that is supported by 1.9 GHz and 16 GB of RAM. The ThinkPad X1 is truly a masterpiece, It never changes. But when you go back to it, you will always find something new in it. It is an excellent option for all engineering students.

The ThinkPad X1’s bright, and colorful 14-inch display, excellent performance, great battery power, and spotless build quality are something to cherish about. If you have the financial means to afford this device, there is no other laptop that is good as the X1 Carbon. 

It comes in with a 1080p display, a Core i7-CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB of SSD storage. Thus, it is capable of playing video games, But not the heaviest ones. It is also a great value addition for doing calculations, running software, simulations, and others.  Plus, the high RAM will save you ample time during browsing.

Its other feature includes the battery life of 15 hours, anti-Spotify technology, pre-installed Amazon Alexa, and an extra 35% fast processor than previous models. Overall, The ThinkPad X1 is a beautiful looking laptop that is great for any engineering student. The laptop is also an excellent choice for businessmen too.

Pros
  • Fast and furious
  • Reliable
  • Excellent battery
  • Near perfect design
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Poor webcam

Laptops Buying Guide For Engineering Students

The best laptops for engineering students must be powerful and should be equipped with the best graphics so that they should be able to handle all the complex applications and computational tasks that undergraduate engineering student has to perform. Also, it should be flexible enough to let you enjoy a bit of entertainment after classes. But, buying the best laptops is not an easy task as each laptop has its own features that are suitable for a particular purpose. For example, some laptops are only good for business students and some are good for professionals. Therefore, as an engineering undergraduate, you should know how to buy the best laptops that would relevant to your studies. So, here is the buying guide for you.

Price

Honestly, price plays a big role in finding the best laptop. Most of the high-power laptops do not come at a cheap price. There are many inexpensive laptops available out there in the market but they do not fulfill standard requirements. Most of the cheap laptops are neither durable nor powerful enough to run the heavy software.

So, if you have the financial means, always go for the best laptops but they do not come at a cheap price tag. However, we know that as an engineering student, you have a limited price tag. So, we suggest you buy those laptops from the above list which are cheap. Rest assured all the laptops in the above list are strong, durable and powerful.

Pick a Platform

Whether you want a Mac, Windows, or Chrome OS, it is totally up to you. But, for engineering students, it is preferable that the student should choose a type that he is most familiar with. If the student is comfortable with windows then he should always go for windows. Similar is the case with other operating systems

Performance

The random access memory (RAM), storage capability, and processor are the factors that decide the performance of the laptop. As an engineering student, you might have to install powerful applications; therefore deciding on these features should take time to consider.

However, we believe that 8GB is excellent for a student and 4GB is the minimum that your laptop should have. Supplementary storage with a 256GB SD card would work perfectly well for a student. Moreover, core i5 or anything above that will meet the need for multitasking in engineering schools.

Portability Factor

There is no doubt that you will need to carry your laptop with yourself from your room to the classroom and vice-versa. Therefore, always go for a device that is thin, and at the same time, it should be light enough so that it could reduce the burden on your shoulders.

Battery Power

Your laptop should have the capacity to at least remain for a whole day on single charging so that you could take the classes without worrying about battery life. Powerful laptops can live up to 10-12 hours of battery life; on the other hand, budget laptops have 5-7 hours of battery life. So it basically depends on your financial capabilities.

Display

We believe that to do multitasking, you need laptops with a widescreen. As per our recommendations, the screen should have a range from 13 inches to 17 inches. The size should be good enough for you to open multiple tabs at a single time. Plus, the big screen allows you a great gaming experience and better viewing angles.


Frequently Asked Questions of Best Laptops For Engineering Students


Final Thoughts

Purchasing the best laptops for engineering students is a herculean task. There are hundreds of factors that you have to keep in mind before going to the market and purchasing them. We just hope that our list of best laptops for engineering students and buying guide would have helped you and made you choose at least one of the laptops from the above list.


Key Reference

  1. Top 5 HP Laptops for Engineering Students | HP® Tech Takes Link
  2. Laptop System Requirements for Undergraduates – Austin Link
  3. Engineering Computer Requirement | Engineering | Virginia Link

Watch this video “Laptops for Engineering students – What you need to know” (19 mins 6 seconds)