Computers
Ten checks before you buy a laptop for studying.
The processor on the poster changes little between two study laptops. Memory, the screen, and the weight decide whether the computer lasts the course.
16 GB of RAM, not 8
Eight gigabytes still show up in campaigns. With a browser full of tabs, a call, and a document, the machine spends its time writing to virtual memory. If the RAM is soldered, there is no upgrade in year two. Sixteen is the minimum this list accepts.
A 512 GB SSD
256 GB fills up with the system, an office suite, and a folder of coursework. A terabyte is comfortable, not required, if the university gives you cloud storage. A spinning hard drive does not belong in this job anymore.
A screen you can read by a window
Matte tires you less than glossy in a library with light from the side. Full HD is enough on a 13- or 14-inch laptop. Brightness around 300 nits or more means you do not have to hunt for shade. OLED is pleasant and irrelevant for notes. It also uses more battery.
Under 1.6 kg if you carry it
A 2 kg desk laptop with a large charger stays at home. Weigh the set: chassis plus charger. Fourteen inches is the compromise between readable text and a backpack.
Keyboard and trackpad, in person if you can
A degree in writing or law is a degree spent on a keyboard. Shallow, mushy keys tire you more than a processor one step down. The trackpad should take gestures without a mouse being mandatory in the notebook.
At least one USB-A, or an honest hub
Lecturers’ flash drives, projectors, and mice still use USB-A. Two USB-C ports, one of them able to charge, cover the rest. HDMI saves a dongle on presentation day. If the laptop is USB-C only, put the hub in day-one’s budget.
A battery that covers a block of classes
Ask for a full morning of mixed use, not the manufacturer’s maximum, which assumes low brightness and local video. USB-C charging lets you carry a smaller charger, or the phone’s, on a short day.
A recent mid-range processor
A recent Intel Core Ultra, an AMD Ryzen 5, or an Apple M chip is enough for study. A dedicated graphics card only matters for games, 3D, or heavy video, and it brings heat, weight, and a fan. For most courses, integrated graphics are enough.
Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS, depending on the course
Confirm the required software before the brand. Some engineering licences do not run on macOS or ChromeOS. A Chromebook is light and cheap when everything happens in the browser. A Mac mini does not replace a laptop if your classes are in another building.
Refurbished, with the warranty in writing
A two-year-old ThinkPad, Dell Latitude, or MacBook, sold with a local shop warranty, beats a new 8 GB laptop for the same money. Ask for the battery cycle count on a Mac, and confirm the RAM really is 16 GB, not “up to 16 GB” with an empty slot you will never fill.
Compare laptops with 16 GBThree profiles
Humanities, law, business. 14 inches, 16 GB, a good keyboard, no dedicated graphics.
Computer science. 16 GB at a minimum, 32 GB if the budget allows, a screen that is comfortable for code, and several ports. The brand matters less than the memory.
Design or video. More RAM, more storage, a screen with wider colour, and only then the graphics card. This general study list stops being enough: the budget moves up a category.