College students often need proper tools to pass their semesters swimmingly. By tools we mean laptops, which certainly are much-needed basics for a student. Laptops get you through the coursework without any onerous labor.
Fortunately, the top laptops for students aren’t hard to find. In fact, most of them come from manufacturers as well-known as Dell, HP, Asus and even Apple. On the downside, not all of the best laptops for students appeal to every type of pupil. Some are focused on sheer horsepower, matching robust graphics with first-rate CPU performance while others are more budget-friendly.
To find the best laptops under a budget, we have considered several factors like the generation of the processor, performance, RAM, display and battery life. We have preferred laptops with above 6th generation processors as it not just improves performance, battery life but also supports DDR4 RAM, which is a much-needed upgrade.
Still, if you have a tight budget and can’t go over Rs 40,000, check our list of best laptops under 40k.
All the laptops that we have in our list are well-suited for students and basic office work. All of them can take good care of stuff like browsing, multimedia, medium level gaming and office work.
1. Acer E5-575G
Powerful and sensible
CPU: 7th generation Intel Core i5-7200U | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch | Storage: 1TB 5400RPM hard drive
Acer E5-575G is powered by 7th Gen Intel i5 processor clocked at 2.5GHz. It is not one of the best looking laptops at this price but still one of the finest when it comes to value for money offering. It can take you through mid-level gaming needs, and your internet related needs.
There’s enough storage to save tons of files and copies. The big 15.6-inch screen is great for multimedia viewing but its resolution is not the best. It gives you more than 5 hours of battery life which is also a plus point if you travel with your notebook.
2. Asus Chromebook Flip
MacBook quality for a Chromebook price
CPU: 6th generation Intel Pentium – Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 12.5-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LCD | Storage: 32GB – 128GB eMMC
While we can admit that Google’s Chromebook Pixel and the HP Chromebook 13 were handsome and built to last, their high price tags weren’t well justified. That’s why Asus has taken it upon itself to craft a full-fledged premium 2-in-1 Chromebook that retails for a fraction of the price.
The Asus Chromebook Flip’s pair of USB Type-C ports, dazzling screen and stunning MacBook-esque looks render it an essential inclusion on our best laptops for students list, especially when you consider its pristine value. And with a battery life of 10 hours and 46 minutes, the Asus Chromebook Flip ought to last you an entire work day, even if the speakers aren’t great.
Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
3. ASUS R558UR
Just what you asked for
CPU: Intel Core i5-7200U | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 940MX 2GB | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch FHD | Storage: 1TB eSATA
The laptop is powered by a 6th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with up to 4GB DDR4 2133 Mhz RAM (expandable Upto 12GB) and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 930MX GPU. It is ideal for daily computing, entertainment & gaming tasks. You can also upgrade to a solid-state disk for faster data access speeds or else you get 1TB 5400 RPM SATA HDD. Moreover, it has a 15.6-inch full HD monitor that covers looks bright and crisp.
4. HP 15 BS576tx 2017
Complete package
CPU: 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7200 | Graphics: AMD Radeon 520 2GB | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch | Storage: 1TB 5400rpm SATA
It is powered by a 6th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with up to 4GB DDR4 RAM and HD520 GPU. It may not be the best choice for gamers but it promises quality performance in day to day tasks. You can also upgrade to a solid-state disk for faster data access speeds or else you get 1TB 5400 RPM SATA HDD. Moreover, it has a 15.6-inch display with 1366 x 768 Pixels resolution.
Buy HP 15 BS576tx 2017 on Amazon
5. HP ay511TX
You get what you pay for
CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i3-6006U | Graphics: AMD Radeon R5 M430 2GB | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6-inch | Storage: 1 TB HDD
HP 15-ay511tx comes with a 6th generation Intel Core i3 processor and AMD Radeon R5 M430 graphics. To offer the best multitasking performance in its segment, it comes with 8GB RAM and 1TB storage that seems good enough for storing ample amount of data.
6. Dell Inspiron 15-3567
Taking on Apple with more ports and a touchscreen
CPU: Intel Core i5 (3.1GHz) | Graphics: 2GB AMD R5 M430 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15.6-inch | Storage: 1TB
It’s not much in terms of specs, but with this kind of versatility, the Dell Inspiron 15-3567 doesn’t need to be. For the price, it’s one of the better mid-range laptops money can buy. It’s bulky but has all-day battery life and maintains all your favorite ports intact.
It is a 15-inch notebook weighing 3.2kg running on 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-7200 (7th gen) processor with 4GB DDR SD RAM and 1TB HDD . The only drawback is that the laptop runs on DOS, which might be a big turn off for some of the users. Otherwise, the specifications are impressive for the price.
Buy Dell Inspiron 15-3567 on Amazon
7. 13-inch MacBook Air
The OG of all-day battery life
CPU: 5th generation Intel Core i5; Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch WXGA+ (1,440 x 900) | Storage: 128GB – 512GB SSD
Though it has yet to adopt Apple’s Retina display standard (and may never at this rate), you can take solace in that, with the 13-inch MacBook Air, Apple promises a 12-hour battery life paired with a dual-core Broadwell processor and now starts with a competent 8GB of RAM.
So if you’re skeptical of the 12-inch MacBook’s low-travel butterfly keys, the MacBook Air uses a more traditional, chiclet-style keyboard. And hey, a MacBook Air is the most affordable (and pretty much the only) way to get that backlit Apple logo on the back of your laptop.
Read the full review: MacBook Air 13-inch