Laptops for college students are not just used for completing college assignments and case studies. They are also used for web browsing, watching movies, playing games and many more. There are so many laptops to choose from, right from entry-level to high-end gaming laptops. As a college student, the choice of laptop depends also on the budget we’re allotted. Choosing a laptop is not easy when there is so much to consider. Hopefully, we’ll be able to simplify things through this quick guide.
Decide on your budget
There are laptops with different specifications and features priced from Rs. 10,000 onwards. It is important to decide a ball park figure on how much you’re going to spend. This will help decide one among laptop categories and types.
Choose the operating system
Windows 10 is one of the most popular operating system today. You may find it pre-installed in pretty much every laptop these days. It is easy to use. You can install any software, be it productivity to entertainment to games. Depending on what you’re studying, there might be specific system requirements such as Mac OS or Linux.
This is something to consider. Of example, if you need a software package that runs on a Mac, you won’t be able to do that on a Windows laptop. However, a MacBook or a MacBook Pro is expensive, but you can choose to install Windows on it as well. Laptops running Linux might be more affordable than ones that come with Windows pre-installed. This might save your money, but you’ll need to spend a bit more to get a copy of Windows.
Select the processor and RAM
Laptops run on Intel and AMD processors. Choosing the right one is a bit difficult. If you are going to use your laptop mainly for college assignments, basic game titles and software, an Intel Core i3 or AMD A-series A6 or AMD A8 processor will suffice. For students who run heavy programming or graphic-intensive software, it may be worth spending more for laptops running Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7 or AMD A10 processors.
Most laptops today ship with 4GB of RAM, which is great if you want to perform daily tasks like using Microsoft Office, browsing the web and watching movies. If you are ready to spend just a little more, you might find options with 8GB of RAM. More RAM means multitasking between heavy software becomes simpler.
Figure out how much storage you need
As a college student, you’re going to have a lot to store. There are documents, presentations, photos, movies, music, and much more. Most laptops today come with hard drives with capacities ranging from 500 GB to 2TB and above. A 500GB hard drive is sufficient for all the software you’ll need to install, but if you’re going to install game and store movies, you’ll need something higher. If you’re on a budget and settling for a 500GB drive, don’t fret. You can either buy an external hard drive at a later point with higher storage capacities
Choose the graphics card
There are two types of graphics solutions found on laptops – integrated and discrete. The integrated ones are typically slower while the discrete ones are more geared towards performance. If you are going to use your laptop for playing basic games or just for browsing, watching movies, a laptop with an integrated graphics card is perfectly fine. Discrete graphic card solutions on laptops are typically powered by AMD or NVIDIA. AMD calls their cards Radeon, while NVIDIA calls their solutions GeForce.
These GPUs (graphics processing unit) come with dedicated graphics memory which lets them handle graphic intensive software and games. If you are studying a 3D or computer graphics course, a discrete graphics card is essential. Of course, the other benefit is being able to play high-end games on your laptop. NVIDIA’s entry-level graphics solutions are labelled as GeForce 930M, 940M, whereas the mid-range offering start with the GTX 950M and above. AMD’s low-end graphics solutions start from the Radeon R5 going up to the R9 series of GPUs.
Choose battery
The battery on a laptop is as important as the processor and RAM. As a college student, you might need to carry your laptop to college and back. You might not always get a chance to charge it at college. A good capacity battery can last hours on end. One easy way to find out the capacity of the laptop’s battery is by looking at the rating. It’s usually marked as a 3-cell, 6-cell, or 9-cell battery. You can usually find this information on the retailer or on the manufacturer’s web site.
Choose the one that is portable
After choosing the hardware specifications for your laptop, there are other elements that you can’t ignore, such as design, size, weight and the display size. If you are going to carry your laptop daily to college and back, look for a lightweight laptop. If you stay in a hostel, and it’s a full-time machine you’re using, a larger screen size might be recommended. It’s also useful for watching movies, playing games with your friends, reading notes and creating presentations. A larger screen size also means a wider keyboard, which is more ergonomic.
Must-have laptop accessories
There are some accessories meant for protecting your laptop, while some others for increasing productivity. Carrying a laptop is not as easy as carrying your books. A laptop bag is the first thing you should consider. These bags are designed with compartments that let you securely carry the laptop and accessories. Be aware that some manufacturers bundle a free laptop bag with the laptop so you don’t always need to purchase one.
Windows come with a built-in anti-virus to safeguard your laptop from malware threats and viruses. Some manufacturers offer pre-installed software as well. Most of these are subscription based packages where you pay a set fee every year or so. If you want additional security, you can consider third-party antivirus and internet security software for your new laptop.
