As Engineering students, the laptop that you work with and use everyday needs to be reliable and needs to have the updated software that is able to handle the intense graphic workload that is required each day. I have listed the 8 Best Laptops for Engineering Students, along with the most important descriptions that are needed to access before purchasing a computer for engineering students.
The laptops on this list are sure to last you throughout your college career and on to your professional career in the corporate world. Whether you will be using your computer for civil, mechanical, software, chemical, aeronautical, or aerospace engineering, this list will have a computer that will aid you in your engineering needs.
Top 10 Best Laptops For Engineering Students
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1. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
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Although small with a weight of 1.1lbs, this device is pretty powerful. It is a convertible laptop which means you can also use it as a tablet. This laptop can replace all of your school supplies, from books, pens, pencils, drawing pad, etc. Up to 99% of the engineering software that you’ll come across can be run on this device. It has a 10th generation Intel Core processor with 4GB RAM and a screen resolution of 2736 x 1824. It also has an amazing battery life, lasting up to 12 hours on a single charge.
The computer doesn’t come with a graphics card so some 3D projects won’t work on this but most 3D should work just fine. Just make sure to consider how important the graphic card is to your assignments.
Specifications
- Brand: Microsoft
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- RAM size: 8GB
- Processor count: 1
- Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
The Surface Pro 7 i5 (with 256GB of storage) is an incredible little beast… A Surface has a detachable keyboard cover, a magnetizing pen, and a built-on kick-stand… They aren’t cumbersome. They aren’t annoying to deal with. They do exactly what they’re supposed to do with no real effort required. It’s great… The Surface Pro 7 does not disappoint. In using the device. In how gorgeous the brushed black look is.
In overall performance (the i5 can run Halo: The Master Chief Collection at 30 fps on default settings). Even the wifi built in is superb, outperforming every other device in quality and distance (it stays connected to my router even when the other devices disconnect)… Just quality all around. Love it.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
2. Asus Zenbook
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This laptop has a slim design. Although it is pretty much the size of a legal pad, don’t let that size fool you. It is powerful, fast, & effortless. The system includes a 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 512GB of space, and 16GB RAM with a clock speed of 4.6GHz. This means that this device can handle almost 30 tabs with four youtube videos on 1080p without any issue.
The keyboard is also really unique due to a small sign on the top right side of the touchpad that users are able to touch in order to enable a numeric pad.
The keyboard has a backlight and the keys are tactile. You are also able to control the brightness of the keyboard using function keys. This computer can last for years and it was even tested for military durability and reliability along with extreme weather conditions such as temperature, high altitude, and humidity.
The only downside to be found when it comes to this laptop is that it has a 720p camera which is pretty dull compared to other cameras.
Specifications
- Brand: Asus
- Series: Asus ZenBook 13
- Display Size: 13.3 Inches
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Processor Count: 4
Sample Customer Review… Really enjoying the ASUS Zen book 13. The facial recognition is a nice touch for a fast and smooth sign-in. The computer is very sleek and does everything I need it to do for work. It is also incredibly sturdy for such a lightweight device. I have had issues with my former laptop overheating so I appreciate that this computer was designed to provide some lift to help with airflow and to prevent it from overheating. Overall it is a great computer for those who are on the move and need to be able to work from anywhere.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com
3. Microsoft Surface Book
[amazon box=”B07NMZTSK1″ description=”” rating=”4.2″]
This computer is one of the best laptops for engineering students. It’s another highly functional 2 in 1 Microsoft laptop that is small enough to carry around from class to class. The computer offers an Intel i5 processor and 8GB RAM. It works with a 256GB hard drive which provides users with plenty of storage space for all your AutoCAD files.
The keyboard is detachable and it comes with a surface pen included. The battery life is up to 17 hours which is an incredible feature that you won’t find in too many other places. You won’t have to add the extra weight of a battery in your bookbag dragging it around.
Specifications
- Brand: Microsoft
- Operating System: Windows 10 Professional
- Processor Description: 8th Generation Intel Core i5-8350U
- Memory Speed: 1.76 GHz
- Screen Size: 13.5 Inches
- Screen Resolution: 3000 x 2000
The newest surface is a phenomenal product and it keeps improving every year. The screen quality is truly impressive and this is a tablet/laptop that has a generous size to easily accomplish goals and multi-task. The computer is very fast and easily processes your multi-tasking. There are a few minor things that made it slightly less enjoyable but these did not detract much from my enjoyment of the system.
The computer is really a powerhouse or beast of a system and replaces the need to have both a laptop and a tablet. This makes it a very convenient choice for professionals because it showcases presentations but can also be used personally.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
4. ASUS ZenBook Flip 14
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This laptop has recieved 4 stars from various technical gurus and for good reasons. It is a super-thin option, weighing only 3.3 lbs. It has an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a micro SDXC card reader, and 512 GB of SSD Storage. This is one of the best laptops for engineering students because it has enough power to keep up with various complicated projects without lagging.
It features a wide display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, two USB 3.0 ports, a micro HDMI port, and an SD card. It also offers a backlit keyboard that provides visibility even when working in the dark.
Specifications
- Brand: Asus
- Series: ZenBook Flip 14
- Display Size: 14 Inches
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Processor count: 4
I’ve had this laptop for over a month now and I am very impressed with its design and performance. First of all, I think it looks very nice; it’s thin, sleek and has thin bezels on the screen. The i5 processor paired with the SSD and 8 GBS of RAM gives a very smooth experience, and it can even handle some light games! I’ve tested Dead Cells, Bastion, Minecraft, and Torchlight 2, and they can all run at 60 fps with some tweaking. The fingerprint scanner is much better than what old laptops used to have. It makes logging in very convenient and fast, you can even add multiple fingers!
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
5. Dell XPS 15
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The Dell XPS 15 is the go-to modern laptop for engineering students. This laptop has countless amazing features, including its bewildering power along with a very lightweight and quite slick-looking chassis. Anybody who’s buying a laptop wants its exterior and interior to go hand in hand.
This laptop does just that and then some. To add along, this laptop has amazing speakers, a fast responding trackpad, an instantly comfortable feeling keyboard, and an astounding bright screen display. All laptops certainly have their flaws, and this one is no exception. As of right now though, this laptop is what engineering students should be looking for when searching for a new laptop.
Specifications
- Brand: Dell
- Series: XPS9500-7002SLV-PUS
- Display Size: 15.6 inches or 17 inches
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Processor Count: 6
- Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2400
Sample Customer Review… I’ve had the laptop for about 2 months now and haven’t had any problems yet. My performance is limited to basic computer usage, though, so I can’t say how well it performs under video and photo editing, gaming, and other very heavy loads. I use it for browsing, watching videos, listening to music, Microsoft Office, and the other usual stuff. It lets me do a bunch of things at once without heating up too much (it’ll get warm but that’s not a complaint for me). It works great for my needs.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com
6. Dell XPS 13 9360
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Laptop Magazine has ranked this laptop as one of the best for a couple of years in a row and for good reason. It is lightweight, has a long battery life, includes an Infinity edge screen, and many other super cool features. It has the Intel 8th generation Quad-Core i5-8250U 1.60 GHz, 8GB RAM, and 128GB SSD M.2.
One drawback with this option is that you will be limited with 3D CAD software because none of the laptop’s configurations have a graphics card. At 2.78 lbs, this laptop is extremely thin, with a sleek design that offers many useful ports. Dell has made sure to make a computer that is useful to users so you will get your money’s worth with this device. It would be good for people who have Electrical, Computer, Chemical, or Software Engineering needs.
Specifications
- Brand: Dell
- Series: Dell 13 XPS9360 Touch Notebook
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Processor Count: 4
- Screen Size: 13.3
- Graphics Coprocessor: Intel HD Graphics 620
- Screen Resolution: 1920×1080
This is just an awesome computer. I’ve spent several days with it now, installed various software, and done some creative midi work. Wow, the feel of the unit is wonderful, the touch screen looks great and is responsive. The touchpad is just right. A couple of new features on Windows 10 are taking some getting used to, but no problem.
The fingerprint reader is fast and easy. I love the balance of this profile on my lap, had a 2 in 1 that I liked a lot, but never used it as a tablet in over a year, so this is just a better option: a better keyboard, a lower center of gravity, and a better screen. Sweet!
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
7. Acer Aspire R 15
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This 2 in 1 laptop would be helpful for engineering students because of its powerful performance. It comes with a 15.6 full HD multi-touch widescreen LED-backlit IPS display. It is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor which clocks up to 3.5GHz of speed and a 12GB RAM. Partnered with an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 VRAM, the system supports an SDXC card reader and offers up to 9-hours of battery life.
The 2 in 1 format allows users to use this laptop as a notebook, tablet, or tent, with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. There is a built-in fingerprint reader that makes it easier to sign in to the computer. It also features an HDMI port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, and one USB-C port, along with a backlit keyboard.
Specifications
- Brand: Acer
- Series: Aspire E Series
- Display Size: 15.6 Inches
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Processor count: 1
I’ve had it for a week now. Excellent computer, especially for the price value. Very fast processing, apps open and are loaded in about a second. Very clean and beautiful display, I recommend setting a custom app display at 110% (it comes at a standard 125% which looks too big for my taste, 100 looks tiny). I calibrated the hue on the screen so there is no yellowish tint or hue anymore, beautiful screen.
Excellent sound, very loud. Touchpad is very good, solid click and smooth feel, fingerprint read is flawless and instant. The touch screen works perfectly and is useful for selecting things on screen without having to use a trackpad or mouse. Build quality is a 4.5/5, very solid and comfortable feel and material quality. Near that of a MacBook. Would highly recommend this product.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
8. ASUS VivoBook Pro
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This laptop is highly recommended for engineering students and professionals because it can handle various forms of applications such as Adobe, Blender, Maya, AutoCAD, and even a few demanding games.
Engineers require laptops with fast processor speed and the maximum display resolution in order to have a good user experience. This laptop exceeds those requirements. It has an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 discrete graphics GPU. It is a very fast laptop that aids in rendering graphics and crunching numbers with 4 GHz.
Even though it is wide, it is also very thin at 0.8″ which makes it easy to carry around campus. The keyboard is backlit and the laptop has fast internet connectivity with 802.11ac. The speakers are also said to be very powerful.
The downside of this computer is the battery life which only lasts up to 3hrs on a single charge.
Specifications
- Brand: Asus
- Series: N705UD-EH76
- Display Size: 17.3 Inches
- Operating system: Windows 10
- Processor count: 4
I am a web developer so I need a really fast laptop with a lot of memory, and this does the job. I’m able to download multiple things at once now and I only wait seconds compared to hours with my previous computer, so my productivity is up by a lot. It’s also very light and thin so I can take it wherever I want and it doesn’t weigh down my backpack very much.
The battery life isn’t as good as some other more expensive laptops, but I am still able to do some work for about 3 hours straight before plugging it in. I totally recommend this laptop for anyone looking at the more expensive equivalents, like MacBook pro or Lenovo Yoga. It’s much more affordable but you still get all the important stuff.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
9. Lenovo ThinkPad
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There are more specs that allow the use of CAD software for engineering students which makes this another great laptop choice. It was designed specifically for engineers since it works well with heavy apps. It comes with the Intel 8th generation core i7-8550U Quad-Core processor, 4.0 GHz speed, and 8MB cache. It comes with 16 GB of RAM which is essential for getting super fast speed. The integrated Intel UHD graphics card 620 comes in handy to play heavy games or other graphics cards.
Lastly, the laptop comes with many connectivity ports that allow you to transfer and use data as you please and the best part? It is reasonably priced.
Specifications
- Brand: Lenovo
- Series: Lenovo ThinkPad E580
- Display size: 15.6 Inches
- Operating system: Windows 10
- Processor count: 4
- Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Sample Customer Review… Here is what you are getting. These laptops were assembled in late 2017 with the latest Intel i7 quad-core processors and 8RAM and SSD. They were probably sitting in inventory somewhere and offered at a discount. This seller upgraded them to 16RAM and 512 SSD. If you compare this package with what Lenovo is offering as new, you would have to pay several hundred dollars more for new even if you upgraded on your own.
So far this has been a great value and these machines are lightning-fast. The ThinkPad line of Lenovo computers is extra-durable, beyond the thin and flimsy machines that you see from other brands. I’m fairly certain that Lenovo’s warranty has already expired since they are older than one year, but that’s probably ok because you are not likely to have any problems anyway.
Read more reviews at Amazon.com.
10. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
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If you’re an engineering student and you’re looking for what could possibly be the most powerful laptop and are willing to drop however much money is necessary, then this is the laptop for you. This laptop’s features are incomparable to anything else. Just a few of them being its 4K touchscreen display and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, this laptop can give any engineering student a plethora of pros compared to any other laptop.
Specifications
- Brand: Razer Blade
- Series: Blade 15
- Display Size: 15.6 Inches
- Operating System: Windows 10
- Processor Count: 8
- Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Sample Customer Review… I’ve now owned this for 2 months and it works like a clock! I would have never purchased this if my new HP hadn’t died. My HP was about $2600, whereas when I purchased this it was $4000. That’s quite a bit more than what I wanted to spend for a machine, but the specs were what I needed and then some and I simply wanted a machine that worked. Because of the great experience I’ve had with this so far I’m now switched from HP after 10 years to making Razer my laptop choice going forward.
My 2 remaining HP’s will be retired and replaced with a Razer laptop when the time comes. The most amazing thing about this laptop is how thin it is (and LIGHT), but offers such a powerful GPU like the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000. This GPU can handle anything! I’ve edited without issue in Adobe Premiere Pro and have played intense games, such as Need for Speed Heat and this computer goes without any hesitation.
The audio is amazing, the 4K OLED touch display is beautiful (and the accuracy of the calibration by Razer is awesome, much better than what my HP Envy was).
Read more reviews at Amazon.com
Buying Guide: Things To Consider When Purchasing the Best Laptops for Engineering Students
Now that we have looked at ten of the best laptops for engineering students, here is a list of important things to factor into your consideration when choosing the right computer for you:
CPU
The CPU is an essential part of an engineering laptop. While many gaming computers tend to focus more on GPU’s, a CPU is necessary for engineering software because it is more iterative, meaning it will benefit from having core processors such as i5 and i7. Without a functioning CPU, the amount of time it takes for the software to run will be extensive. It is recommended that a sufficient engineering laptop has a Core i5 processor at minimum.
GPU
Although the CPU is a more universal necessity when it comes to components of an engineering laptop, GPU’s are also an essential factor to look at. That being said, if you are in a field that does not require the use of 3D software(electrical, software, chemical, etc.), you do need to worry about a specific GPU.
Any that are included in a standard computer will work. However, those who do require 3D software (mechanical, civil, aeronautical, etc.) will need a larger graphical processing power. A graphics card with 2GB of vRAM should be sufficient for any undergraduate requirement.
RAM
RAM is another essential addition to an engineering laptop because it makes sure that the computer can store and run what the processor is telling it to run. The biggest part about RAM is deciding how much to get. Because it is fairly cheap and doesn’t necessarily change the other benefits of a laptop, it is safe to say that the more RAM you get, the better.
The recommended minimum for an engineering student is 8GB which should allow you to run most, if not all, software needed to be run in an undergraduate program. However, if you can upgrade to 12 or 16GB RAM, that would be the best-case scenario.
Operating System
When considering engineering software, the best operating system for it is going to be Windows hands down. As of right now, there is not much engineering software that is supported on a Mac whereas almost, if not all, engineering software that you find will be compatible with Windows. Although there are some options for parallels when using a Mac, this process can be very taxing and sometimes not worth the hassle.
That being said, if your only requirements are going to be the basic engineering software programs such as Autocad or MathLab, those will be fully supported by Mac. So it really comes down to what requirements you really need and how much extra effort you are willing to put in if you end up needing to run more complex software.
Conclusion
Although some of the computers on this list are very pricey, they all prove to be durable and can support the basics of what an engineering student requires. These laptops weren’t listed in any particular order, so I would advise you to go through them carefully and find your best fit. Hopefully, this list was a tremendous help to you in your buying experience, and you were able to locate the best laptop for engineering students.
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Authors: Edwige Freitas, Cassidy Davis, and Cooper Albright