If you’re getting an engineering or a Computer Science CS degree, having your own laptop is an obvious must, and any type of laptop, a powerful one that can run engineering software with no issues.And with CS college being already quite the expense, many students or parents tend to get cheaper laptops without taking into account if they are suitable for a computer science student’s need or not.
And while powerful laptops are usually more expensive, getting a better device does not necessarily mean that you must spend a huge amount of money on it, it’s also a matter of accurate research and assessment of your needs. And if you’re an engineering student or a CSE student looking to get the best laptop for your needs, keep reading! We have compiled a list of some of the best laptops for CSE students available right now.
What to consider when getting a laptop for Computer Science Engineering (CSE)?
CSE students are required to run some editing platform software applications, such as Eclipse or NetBeans , or model editing environments such as MATLAB, and many other types of programs. So, check the recommended requirements of some of the tools you might use as a CSE student. It is also recommended to check if the college doesn’t have a list of hardware requirements. A lot of them do, like the University of Western Michigan here.
In order to run these programs with no issues, you will need a laptop that has a powerful CPU, enough RAM, fast storage, and maybe a dedicated graphics card. So, if you’re still wondering which laptop is best for CSE students, here are some recommendations:
- CPU: A quad core processor is highly recommended, a minimum of an 8th gen i5 processor, or an equivalent AMD processor.
- RAM: A minimum of 8GB of RAM. And it is also recommended to check if RAM can be easily upgradable.
- Storage: A laptop with a Solid State Drive is highly recommended. But depending on your budget and specific needs, one with a regular hard drive can do. SSD laptops are more responsive, faster, and quieter in comparison to traditional HDDs. Laptops with PCIe SSD provide even higher speeds.
- Graphics card: For most CSE students, there is no need in having a dedicated graphics card. However, if you are going to use any programs that need a GPU, such as Autocad, 3DS Max, do some GPU-programming, or simply want to play games occasionally, then be prepared to spend a little extra on the graphics card.
- Display: For college students, it is recommended to get a 13,3 inch or a 14 inch laptop, as they provide the best form factor: a big enough display, without being too heavy. 14 inch laptops also tend to have good battery life, and they can get you through a full day of school. If you like more screen estate, you can also get a 15,6 inch laptop, many of them have thin bezels nowadays, which helps reduce the form factor.
Best Laptops for CSE Students:
For most engineers and CSE students, appearance is not the biggest priority. And in this case, getting a gorgeous Apple MacBook is probably not worth the extra money, considering that you can get some even better windows laptops with the same amount or less. For that reason, our list will focus more on usability and on the need to run most common software apps, and some other school related functions, like graphic design, video editing, 3D modeling, and of course gaming. Here are some of the best laptops for CSE Students picked for you:
Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762
What’s the best laptop for CSE students under $600? The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762. This budget laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD and the graphics are powered by a dedicated NVIDIA MX150 card.
The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 is quite a capable machine for its price, and you definitely rely on it for running most engineering programs out there, as long as you keep your projects simple. And while it’s not the most powerful laptop on the list, it gives great value for the money; and it has better specs than a macbook Air that costs double the price.
The screen has 15.6-inches with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels; colors are good thanks to the IPS panel. This laptop also has a good amount of ports, including one USB 2.0 port, two USB 3.0 ports, one VGA port, one HDMI port, an audio jack, an SD card slot, one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port. The maximum battery life can reach up to 15 hours.
MSI GF63 Thin 9SCX-615
With slightly more power, our next option is the MSI GF63. This laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 processor, providing a speed of 2.4 GHz. It has 8 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics card.
This MSI device delivers some good processing and graphic power, placing it at the same level of most medium-entries gaming laptops. However, if you require an extensive amount of power, this won’t be enough.
Nevertheless, the device will do a fine job for most CSE students, as it can run the most popular editing software programs with no hassle.
With a 15.6-inch display, you will get a standard 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution. The ports are also somewhat compelling, with three USB ports, one HDMI port, an SD card slot and even audio connections. The battery can last up to 10 hours, but it will only stretch for about 6 with regular use, becoming a huge disadvantage.
Lenovo ThinkPad T490
The Lenovo ThinkPad T490 is one of the most popular laptops among engineers, and business users. The ThinkPad T490 has an Intel Core i7-8565U, 16 GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 card.
Thinkpads have always provided a great combination of software and hardware, and the T490 is no exception, it’s fast, responsive, and very reliable. The RAM and the SSD are enough to provide a good amount of power for programming, which makes it one of the best laptops for CSE students who don’t necessarily need a laptop with dedicated graphics.
The 14 inch Full HD display is also very sharp, and provide excellent image quality and viewing angles. Battery life is also very good, and this laptop is equipped with a 2 USB 3.1 ports, 1 USB-C port, and 1 USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 port.
Dell XPS 15 7590
Our next option is from Dell, and it’s the latest version of the XPS 15. The new XPS 15 7590 has a 9th gen Intel i7-9750H processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. There is also a dedicated NVIDIA GTX 1650, with 4GB video memory. The XPS is a solid, super-fast laptop, sure to be one of the best options for those who require a big amount of power.
The XPS 15 is equipped with a 15;6 4K dazzling screen, which is one of the best available on laptops today, making video editing or graphic design, or even watching movies more enjoyable.
The 2019 model of the XPS 15 includes two USB 3.0 ports, and also a Thunderbolt 3 port with 4X PCIe lanes and which is capable of speeds of up to 40GB/s. And in case you still don’t have a Thunderbolt 3 compatible monitor; the XPS 15 also comes with an HDMI port to connect a second monitor.
MSI P65 Creator-1084
For those of you who need a powerful laptop that comes with a dedicated GPU, here is the MSI P65 Creator-1084. This machine comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 (2.6 GHz), 32 GB of RAM, a 1 TB SSD and with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. This is one of the most powerful laptops on our list, and is one of the recommended laptop for CSE students and engineers who need a laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, for GPU-Programming.
It’s sleek looking, fast and perfect for everyone looking to get a high-performance device. The screen has 15.6-inches, a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and it’s 4K. It has three USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, one Thunderbolt port, one HDMI port, one DisplayPort and audio connections. The battery will last you up to 8 hours.
