Laptops are almost a necessity for College students nowadays. Assignments, projects, reports, and even exams are done using computers. The use of the internet is like second nature for students as well. Different models and brands are introduced in the market. Laptops for College Students these days are more improved regarding internet accessibility and synchronized file storage.
Nowadays you can’t go through college without having a decent laptop at your disposal. Fortunately, manufacturers have decided to come up with dozens of affordable alternatives for students. Choosing the right gadget can be complicated though as the markets are filled with options. Our experts have taken the time to test and rate tens of budget laptops. They’ve managed to put together a list with the best college laptops 2017 which all incorporate the best features within a certain price limit.
That way, students can access their files easily wherever they are. There are a lot of models sold on the market, and it can be confusing which laptop to buy especially if you are not too much of a tech savvy. Our computer experts say that the features you should look for in the best laptops for college students 2017 are:
CPU
The CPU determines the speed and the maximum performance of a laptop. Laptops with a greater number of cores for a processor work a lot better especially for multitasking. The laptops that you can find on the market today have an Intel or AMD processor. For regular schoolwork, a standard core processor will suffice. However, if most of your projects involve using sophisticated software and applications, you should consider a laptop with a powerful processor.
Operating System
The choice for the operating system is somewhat personal, and you decide it based on which one is more convenient and easy to operate for you. Two of the most popular operating systems for laptop computers these days are Microsoft Windows and Apple’s Mac OS. There are different versions available for the Windows operating system platform, each with an increasing degree of sophistication and performance. Mac OS, on the other hand, has a uniform operating system throughout its laptops, smartphones, and mobile devices. Choose a laptop with an OS that would be conventional for all your activities.
Memory
You can find laptops with at most 8 GB of RAM these days. But most of the models on the market have at least 2 GB RAM. For light and mostly writing or internet surfing functions, laptops with 2 GB RAM would be enough. But, if you will be dealing with larger files, you need a laptop with at least 4 GB RAM.
Hard Drive
One of the fundamental functions of a laptop is processing and storing of data. The best laptop for college students 2017 must have a hard drive with a storage capacity that will be enough for ebooks, videos, documents, reports, and research data. A typical college student laptop has at least 200 GB storage capacity. Storing movies and a lot of photos might require a laptop with at least 500 GB capacity.
Graphics Card
Graphics card takes care of the quality of display your computer can offer. A standard graphics card will be enough for basic student computer functions. However, people who do a lot of video editing or gaming needs a more sophisticated graphics card.
Size and Weight
A student needs to be able to bring their computer in a lot of places like the library or coffee shops. Portability is a big factor, which is why size and weight matters. You’d do well with a laptop that has a screen size within the 13’’-15’’ range.

Best Laptops for College Students in 2017
In this new age of computer one of the most necessary gadgets for a College student to have is a computer. Laptop computers are more preferred for mobility, efficiency, and design. And even though laptops seem to be the most popular gadget these days, not everyone knows which models are better over the other. There are a lot of features that make up the best laptops for college students 2017. Five of the best-performing laptop computers on the market are listed in this article.
Acer C720 Chromebook
One of the latest designs from Acer is the Acer C720 Chromebook. It is a unique type of notebook computer which is particularly designed for web-based functions. It’s like a traditional laptop but with advanced Web-browsing features. The impressive Celeron Processor is supported by a DDR3L SDRAM memory. The C720 displays amazing image quality with its Intel HD graphics card. It has a very sleek and efficient design for maximum portability.
- Slim and wellbuilt.
- Good screen for the price.
- Extremely portable.
- Chrome OS is a glorified browser.
- Very limited offline functionality.
Acer C720P-2666 Chromebook
Acer is a big name in the computer industry, and it is coming from the fact that this brand has put up impressive products over the years. One of its latest, most advanced designs is the Acer C720P-2666 Chromebook. This particular laptop operates by an Intel Celron processor, backed up by DDR3L SDRAM. It is designed for a more convenient internet surfing, and its apps are compatible for web browsing. Its Widescreen LED display is capable of displaying great image quality.
- Decent connectivity
- Great display
- Faster processor than most Chromebooks
- Good battery life
- Touch screen
- Only 2GB of RAM
- Includes a fan
- Poor screen
- Shallow SD card slot
Samsung Chromebook
Samsung is a leading brand for a lot of gadgetry – laptop computers, most particularly. Chromebook is a special computer that is designed for advanced Internet apps functionality. It maximizes the use of Google apps in fulfilling usual computer tasks such as editing photos and creating documents. The Dual core processor backed up by 2 GB DDR3L RAM makes it a very efficient computer. A few of its perks include automatic updates, extended storage space via Cloud, and ultra-portability.
- Excellent display
- Satisfying performance
- Super thin and lightweight
- Included stylus
- Android apps don’t quite mesh right with Chrome OS
- Mediocre Speakers
ASUS VivoBook X200CA-DB01T Touchscreen Laptop
ASUS is a popular brand for laptop computers, and one of its latest designs is the VivoBook touchscreen laptop. Its slim and lightweight design are excellent for college students who are on the move most of the time. Intel Celeron processor and 2 GB DDR3 is the best combination for this computer. The intuitive touchscreen feature is particularly designed for the Windows 8 OS. The screen displays great image quality, and the built-in speakers work well in delivering full sound making it the best laptop for college students 2017.
- Small, compact, USB 3.0
- Touchscreen.
- I don’t like how the touchscreen keyboard
Dell Inspiron i15RV-954BLK Laptop
Dell is known for developing durable and efficient computers, and the Dell Inspiron laptop is one of its newest designs. The Intel Pentium processor may be inferior with the processors these days, but the 4GB DDR3L memory compensates for it. It is particularly designed for the Windows 8 OS, and its apps are compatible for Web-based tasks. The cloud connectivity is ideal for extended storage space which is pretty handy for College students. For students with a tight budget, this computer makes it to the list of the top laptops for college students 2017.
- Interesting surface haptic.
- Good price performance ratio.
- Acceptable battery runtimes.
- Imprecise, sharpedged clearances.
Education methods have advanced over time. Having an internet connection and a laptop is now an essential factor especially if you are in college. Assignments and exams demand a lot of research in a short time. Without a laptop you will never be able to finish in time and you may also have trouble finding the right information. Fortunately, everyone can now afford buying such a gadget. Manufacturers have struggled for a very long time to find the perfect balance between performance and price.
It seems that currently there are hundreds of options for you to consider. We’ve decided to help you narrow those numbers down in order to make your decision a whole lot easier. If you are on the market for the best laptop for college 2015 we recommend using our buying guide which we constructed out of the most popular questions readers have sent our way.
How important is battery life?
Even though you can now find a power outlet almost everywhere around campus, it is still safe to say you need a laptop with a strong battery. If you are always running around you will not have the time to charge your laptop whenever it is all drained of energy. Paying a bit more for extra battery life is an investment worth making. We recommend focusing on this particular aspect if you are checking out several of the best laptops for college 2015. Look for newer models which use processors built out of 4000- series parts. These processors consume less energy than most of the other similar items.
What is the perfect size for a laptop destined for college use?
College laptops should be small in size and very lightweight. Running around campus with too much weight is not a pleasant situation. Also remember that laptops like these are meant for mostly studying, putting together assignments and the occasional videos. You really don’t need a big display. Rather concentrate on performance as bigger displays contribute to the increase in price. We recommend the small and highly portable Acer C720. For more information check out the reviews below.
What keyboard is more comfortable for your most common laptop-related activities?
You will probably be doing a lot of typing on your laptop. If this is not the case get a tablet. It is very unlikely though for a student not to need a keyboard though. Try as much as possible to find a decent sized laptop with a well spread out set of keys. Cramped keyboards can be very annoying especially after using them for hours and hours. We recommend getting the HP Pavilion which has one of the best keyboards out there. For more details check out the reviews below.
What top-end features to avoid in order to save money?
If you plan on using the laptop only for basic use avoid spending money on things like quad-core processors, high-end designated graphic cards, SSDs or 4G wireless. All these could make a normal $300 laptop cost three times as much without exactly improving your experience in a significant way.
Hope you liked this article on top 5 Laptops for College Students, Best Laptop for Engineering Students, and Best Laptop for College 2017. Comment below if you need any help.
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