A good laptop for studying is not necessarily the most basic one or, on the contrary, the top model. It all depends on the purpose of use that the student has chosen and his preferences. The manual describes the main selection criteria. A suitable laptop makes student life much more pleasant, as well as WritingAPaper.
The purpose of use
When buying a laptop computer, you should first determine the purpose of the equipment. Both the characteristics of the laptop and its price depend on this.
You may buy it for studying, reading, web surfing, typing documents, working with tables and presentations.
For a student who is studying to be a graphic designer, architect, it is better to buy a more serious device with an FHD screen, at least a 4-core processor with multithreading support, a good supply of RAM. You will also need a discrete video card.
Choosing a laptop type
To make it easier to answer the question of which laptop is better for a student to choose, you will first need to understand the types.
Netbook
An option for simple work. Web surfing, office programs, streaming or downloaded audio or video playback. In the classic version, a netbook is the same laptop, but in a reduced format: with a 9-12-inch screen and not too fast, by modern standards, hardware. The main advantage of netbooks is their affordability, low energy consumption, and compact size.
A thin laptop on a low-voltage platform
These devices are distinguished by their low weight (up to two kilos) and high indicators of autonomy. The diagonal of the display of models of this class starts from 13 inches. In this format, you can buy a basic model for studying, like the E406MA-EB003T, a workstation like the A1708 MacBook Pro Retina 13”, and a powerful gaming laptop. Most of these models are supplied without a disk drive and are equipped with an SSD drive.
Low-budget station wagon
An inexpensive version of standard dimensions with a 15.6-inch FHD screen, a processor with 2-4 cores, and 4-8 GB of RAM. A device with similar parameters is a good choice for everyday tasks. It is suitable for studying, entertainment such as web surfing, watching streaming videos, and simple games that do not require a discrete video card.
Business Laptop
Quite a powerful machine for complex tasks. Such laptops are equipped with displays with at least a full resolution. The devices have decent hardware, for example, the Swift 3 SF315-52 has a quad-core eight-thread CPU and 8-gigabyte RAM. This is the best option for a programmer student, graphic designer, or photographer: you can process photos, mount videos with such a laptop.
Gaming laptops
The top category is not only in the price segment but also in terms of technical capabilities. A gaming laptop, for example, the Legion Y530-15, does not have to be used only for games: high performance makes it possible to work comfortably with almost any heavy program. All models are equipped with a CPU and GPU, have a decent amount of RAM. Clevo X1070-17 is just like that. It is better to buy such an option for a student who is studying to be a sound engineer, cinematographer, graphic designer, engineer.
What are the main characteristics of a laptop for a student?
The selection criteria do not differ from the selection parameters of any other laptop
It is necessary to pay attention to:
- CPU;
- the amount of RAM;
- GPU;
- display;
- storage device;
- case material.
How to choose a screen
To decide which laptop with which display is needed for studying, it is worth considering three parameters:
- diagonal size;
- resolution;
- the type of the matrix.
Diagonal
Mdels with a 17” screen are the best option for graphics, games, watching movies, creating presentations and tables.
15″, like the Aspire 5 A515-51G, is the “golden mean”. The difference between 17-and 15-inch displays is not too noticeable when used, but models with a smaller diagonal are more convenient to transport.
10-14-inch displays are suitable for an active student. An option like the Probook 430 G5 is worth buying to carry with you every day.
Monitor Resolution
For today, the minimum is HD+. This indicator is enough for comfortable work with text documents, office programs. But better — FHD. Laptops with such monitors are still more comfortable for studying.
Common Laptop Monitor Resolutions
WQHD (2K) From 2560 x 1440 dpi.
It is suitable for photo processing, video editing, and rendering.
QHD+ (3K) 3200 x 1800 pixels – for raster and vector graphics. It is worth choosing a designer or an architect for a student.
UHD (4K) 3840 x 2160 pixels. The highest quality is a universal solution for professional tasks and entertainment, but it is not cheap to buy such an option.
Which processor to choose for a laptop
The choice of a processor depends on the tasks that the user assigns to the computer. The manufacturer is no longer so important: if earlier Intel was cooler in terms of logic, and AMD surpassed its competitor in graphics, now the indicators are almost equal.
How to choose a video card for a laptop
Almost every processor has an integrated graphics chip, except for some AMD models. You can choose a laptop with an integrated video card if the student is not a fan of games, and his studies do not require working with heavy software. However, for more serious tasks, including graphics programs, as well as games, it is worth buying a laptop with a separate GPU.
Which discrete video card to choose for a laptop
Before we talk about the characteristics of the GPU, it is worth noting this point. When choosing a sample, it is preferable, but not necessary, to choose the most compatible models with the processor. For Intel — NVidia, for AMD-RADEON. This way the system will work stably.
Now about the parameters. It is important to take into account the amount of video memory. The cost and performance of the GPU depend on this. For tasks of an average level of complexity, you can buy a laptop with a two-gigabyte sampling, like X512UF-EJ036. You can also play not too demanding games without claims to ultra-tuning with such a map.
Optimal at the moment — at least 4 GB of video memory. Here you can work with graphic editors in a more comfortable mode, and modern games will start in medium settings. A good example is IdeaPad 330-15.
How much RAM to choose for a laptop
The larger the volume, the better. A minimum of 2-4 GB is needed. To run heavy applications, you need twice as much. If we talk about games with a large-scale world, software for 3D modeling and sound engineering, a laptop with 16 gigabytes of RAM is suitable.
Hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD)
The question of which storage is better arises quite often. Regular hard drives are cheaper but loud. With ssd laptops, I work faster and without noise. However, the cost of solid-state drives has decreased since their introduction, although some options are still more expensive than classic hard drives.
However, it is not necessary to look towards the maximum volume. 128 GB is enough for the system disk. Or 256 GB, if the user mainly works with documents and online programs.
Which laptop case to choose
When choosing a laptop for studying, it is worth considering the possibility of an upgrade. If you need it, then you need to pay attention to models with a removable battery, as well as free slots for RAM and storage. You should also pay attention to the material.
Laptop case material
There are not so many options. Plastic is the most common. Such cases can be quite strong. Aluminum options are also quite durable. It is better to have the opportunity to touch the laptop before buying: the thickness of the material and the backlash can not be checked in any other way. But models with a carbon fiber body, like the Latitude E7440, are super strong.
It is also worth considering the coating of the case. Glossy looks beautiful, but only on the showcase: such cases collect dust and finger marks. Matte options are more practical.
It is not difficult to choose a decent laptop if you determine the purpose of the device. For the use of MS Office, the simplest device is enough. But a gamer, a future designer, or a programmer needs to buy a fairly powerful machine with a good display.
