The best laptops for engineering students aren’t just about having plenty of power. Engineering students require portable PCs that not just deliver impressive performance, but also graphics prowess, portability, longevity and an affordable price tag.
Choosing the best laptops for engineering students, therefore, isn’t quite as easy. They must have the best processors to handle all those computational tasks, as well as rock the best graphics to tackle all the graphical needs of CAD, simulation and CAM software. And of course, much like the best student laptops, they must also be portable and affordable – because engineering students have enough expenses to deal with without spending thousands of dollars on a laptop as well.
Let us help you narrow down your choices for the best laptops for engineering students. Spend less time doing research and more time working on your school projects. Each of the laptops on this list has been tested, reviewed and given the TechRadar seal of approval.
(Image credit: Dell)
1. Dell XPS 15 (2020)
The ultimate laptop has arrived
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 15.6" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Amazing speakers
Beautiful display
Comfy keyboard
GTX 1650 Ti is a little weak
The Dell XPS 15 is, without a doubt, one of the best laptops for engineering students to hit the streets in 2020. Combining staggering power in a stylish thin and light chassis, this laptop doesn’t hold back when it comes to internals and features that improve your computing experience overall. Among those amazing features are a gorgeous bright display with 500 nits of brightness, an extremely comfortable keyboard, impressive speakers, and a terrific trackpad. We’re not saying that this laptop is perfect, but it’s certainly the best laptop for engineering students right now.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 15
(Image credit: Asus)
2. Asus Zephyrus G14
Leading AMD's charge to mobile dominance
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti — RTX 2060 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, up to 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Excellent performance
Thin and light
No webcam
Fans can get loud
The Asus Zephyrus G14 may be designed like a gaming laptop, but it’s proven itself a more than capable all-around laptop. Whether you are serious about your gaming or need a powerful laptop for productivity or content creation, this Asus laptop delivers incredible performance as well as an amazing battery life, a fast screen, and a thin and light chassis that makes it super portable. It’s not the cheapest option out there, but you have to pay a premium for quality. And, if you’re an AMD fan, you’ll certainly appreciate the processor under its hood.
Read the full review: Asus Zephyrus G14
(Image credit: HP)
3. HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
Powerful performance in a head-turning design
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2160 pixels touch | Storage: 512 GB – 2TB SSD
Beautiful design
Sharp 4K display
Excellent performance
Problematic vent placement
Awkward trackpad position
The HP Spectre x360 15-inch’s beauty isn’t only skin deep. HP fitted it with powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics and an equally powerful processor, so that one of HP’s latest and greatest 2-in-1s has the brains and brawn as well. This makes it a capable machine and one of the best laptops for engineering students. It also has a beautiful and responsive 4K touchscreen display, and the optional HP Tilt Pen so you can create those 3D models like a pro.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
(Image credit: Dell)
4. Dell G5 15
Gaming laptop that delivers a killer combo
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 – RTX 2060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS 300-nits – 15.6 inch FHD(1920 x 1080) 300nits IPS Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display, 144Hz | Storage: 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB SATA Hard Drive – 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Perfectly balanced feature set
Strong gaming performance
Great battery life
IPS panel is merely OK
Confusing configuration options
You’ve got a killer combo in the Dell G5 15, a gaming laptop that combines affordability with a solid gaming performance, an amazing battery life and the optional 144Hz refresh rate display. If you’re looking for a great value laptop, this one’s a winner, and not just for gamers everywhere. This is a great option for professionals and students as well, especially those who often rely on graphics-intensive applications and 3D design software. The fact that lasts up to 10 hours (based on our tests) on a single charge, a plethora of ports, and a chassis that has a more subtle gaming aesthetic are only welcome extras.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15 5590
(Image credit: Microsoft)
5. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
One of the best 2-in-1 laptops to date
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15-inch 3240 x 2160 PixelSense Display | Storage: Up to 1TB storage (SSD)
Crazy long battery life
Massively powerful
Excellent cooling
No up-firing base speakers
Small trackpad
Very pricey
What’s a better laptop for engineering students than one that’s actually designed for it? Microsoft developed the Surface Book line with graphical design and creative tasks in mind. It even built it to support Surface Dial and Surface Pen to make your creative experience more effortless and all the more immersive. Of course, this laptop boasts some pretty powerful specs, robust enough to support casual gaming, as well as a long battery life that will last you up to 17 hours on a single charge. Not impressed yet? Well, that excellent cooling system should round out this package nicely.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
(Image credit: Lenovo)
6. Lenovo Legion Y740
A gaming powerhouse
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti – RTX 2070 with Max-Q | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, anti-glare, 144 Hz, 500 nits | Storage: Up to 1TB SSD PCIe-NVMe M.2 + 1TB 7200RPM
Powerful internal components
New Nvidia discrete graphics
144Hz refresh rate
Keyboard arrangement
Poor battery life
Webcam placement
While there’s no such thing as a perfect device, the Lenovo Legion Y740 mostly succeeds in delivering on all fronts. With its incredible performance, a beautiful and bright display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and an elegant chassis, you’re getting a great package in this affordable gaming laptop. Its powerful internals – including 9th-generation Intel Core processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q graphics – make it an excellent choice for engineering students as well. It may not be the cheapest option out there, but it’s still pretty affordable next to other top gaming laptops.
Read the full review: Lenovo Legion Y740
Dell G3 15 is a great combination of affordability and power. (Image credit: Dell)
7. Acer Predator Triton 500
Devouring the competition
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080 with Max-Q | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS | Storage: 1 TB SSD
Beautiful display
Surprisingly long battery life
Kind of expensive
Flimsy lid
Awkward keyboard layout
As a gaming laptop, the Acer Predator Triton 500 doesn’t pull any punches. And, it’s those exact gaming strengths that make it among the best laptops for engineering students as well. Inside its subtly badass chassis are a 9th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to Nvidia RTX 2080 with Max-Q graphics and up to 32GB of memory. That’s plenty of power for all your design and drafting needs. On top of that, it’s got a decent battery life, as well as a fairly thin and light gaming design. It is, however, among the more expensive laptops out there, so it’s best for students with a bit more flexibility in their budget.
Read the full review: Acer Predator Triton 500
(Image credit: Lenovo)
8. ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation
Great power, massive price tag
CPU: up to 8th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design | RAM: up to 64GB | Screen: 15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) – 15.6” 4K UHD HDR (3840 x 2160) multi-touch | Storage: up to 1TB SSD
So much power
Glorious 4K screen
Great user experience
Heavy
Expensive
If you’re looking for a workhorse and you have the funds for it, then Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation is the ultimate machine to shell out a lot of cash on. It has several configurations on hand, fitting different needs and budgets. But, at its most basic, it’s already pretty powerful, rocking a solid graphics card in a robust carbon-fiber and aluminum package that will survive any field work. There’s no doubt that this mobile workstation earned its spot in our best laptops for engineering students list.
Read the full review: ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation
(Image credit: Razer)
9. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
A seriously powerful pro laptop
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6" OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
Powerful
Beautiful screen
Expensive
Razer’s idea of taking its famous gaming laptop and turning it into one of the best mobile creative workstations on offer has paid off. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition would have taken the mantle as the best laptop for engineering students, if it wasn’t held back by its premium price. Without a doubt, this model was designed with creators in mind, rocking powerful graphics cards and an absolute stunner of a 4K display. Sure, you’ll be spending a lot of money to take this laptop home. But, make no mistake, it will be one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make.
Read the full review: Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
How to choose the best laptop for engineering students?
So, what exactly makes for the best laptops for engineering students? Since you're likely to be running complex programs like AutoCAD, you're definitely going to need a laptop with enough power to run them.
We recommend a laptop with the latest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chips, and at the very least, 8GB of RAM – though 16GB is even better.
Many of the programs engineering students rely on are also graphically intensive programs – especially CAD, MATLAB and Solid Works, which are used for 3D modelling and video rendering. This means that it's crucial to have a laptop with a dedicated graphics card - rather than an integrated one powered by the processor.
This is why the best gaming laptops are also ideal choices for engineering students, since they offer that kind of graphic power, and the fact that they can handle games for unwinding after classes is just the cherry on top.
A large screen with a high resolution is also advisable, and if you're going to be working on site a lot, Finally, it would be a fine idea to take a look at some of the rugged or well-built laptops that are built to withstand accidents on work sites.
Continue reading...
Choosing the best laptops for engineering students, therefore, isn’t quite as easy. They must have the best processors to handle all those computational tasks, as well as rock the best graphics to tackle all the graphical needs of CAD, simulation and CAM software. And of course, much like the best student laptops, they must also be portable and affordable – because engineering students have enough expenses to deal with without spending thousands of dollars on a laptop as well.
Let us help you narrow down your choices for the best laptops for engineering students. Spend less time doing research and more time working on your school projects. Each of the laptops on this list has been tested, reviewed and given the TechRadar seal of approval.
(Image credit: Dell)
1. Dell XPS 15 (2020)
The ultimate laptop has arrived
CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics – NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 8GB – 64GB | Screen: 15.6" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 15.6" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Amazing speakers
Beautiful display
Comfy keyboard
GTX 1650 Ti is a little weak
The Dell XPS 15 is, without a doubt, one of the best laptops for engineering students to hit the streets in 2020. Combining staggering power in a stylish thin and light chassis, this laptop doesn’t hold back when it comes to internals and features that improve your computing experience overall. Among those amazing features are a gorgeous bright display with 500 nits of brightness, an extremely comfortable keyboard, impressive speakers, and a terrific trackpad. We’re not saying that this laptop is perfect, but it’s certainly the best laptop for engineering students right now.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 15
(Image credit: Asus)
2. Asus Zephyrus G14
Leading AMD's charge to mobile dominance
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti — RTX 2060 | RAM: Up to 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, up to 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Best battery life in a gaming laptop
Excellent performance
Thin and light
No webcam
Fans can get loud
The Asus Zephyrus G14 may be designed like a gaming laptop, but it’s proven itself a more than capable all-around laptop. Whether you are serious about your gaming or need a powerful laptop for productivity or content creation, this Asus laptop delivers incredible performance as well as an amazing battery life, a fast screen, and a thin and light chassis that makes it super portable. It’s not the cheapest option out there, but you have to pay a premium for quality. And, if you’re an AMD fan, you’ll certainly appreciate the processor under its hood.
Read the full review: Asus Zephyrus G14
(Image credit: HP)
3. HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
Powerful performance in a head-turning design
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6-inch, 3840 x 2160 pixels touch | Storage: 512 GB – 2TB SSD
Beautiful design
Sharp 4K display
Excellent performance
Problematic vent placement
Awkward trackpad position
The HP Spectre x360 15-inch’s beauty isn’t only skin deep. HP fitted it with powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti graphics and an equally powerful processor, so that one of HP’s latest and greatest 2-in-1s has the brains and brawn as well. This makes it a capable machine and one of the best laptops for engineering students. It also has a beautiful and responsive 4K touchscreen display, and the optional HP Tilt Pen so you can create those 3D models like a pro.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 15T (2019)
(Image credit: Dell)
4. Dell G5 15
Gaming laptop that delivers a killer combo
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 – RTX 2060 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 15.6 inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS 300-nits – 15.6 inch FHD(1920 x 1080) 300nits IPS Anti-Glare LED Backlit Display, 144Hz | Storage: 128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB SATA Hard Drive – 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Perfectly balanced feature set
Strong gaming performance
Great battery life
IPS panel is merely OK
Confusing configuration options
You’ve got a killer combo in the Dell G5 15, a gaming laptop that combines affordability with a solid gaming performance, an amazing battery life and the optional 144Hz refresh rate display. If you’re looking for a great value laptop, this one’s a winner, and not just for gamers everywhere. This is a great option for professionals and students as well, especially those who often rely on graphics-intensive applications and 3D design software. The fact that lasts up to 10 hours (based on our tests) on a single charge, a plethora of ports, and a chassis that has a more subtle gaming aesthetic are only welcome extras.
Read the full review: Dell G5 15 5590
(Image credit: Microsoft)
5. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
One of the best 2-in-1 laptops to date
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 15-inch 3240 x 2160 PixelSense Display | Storage: Up to 1TB storage (SSD)
Crazy long battery life
Massively powerful
Excellent cooling
No up-firing base speakers
Small trackpad
Very pricey
What’s a better laptop for engineering students than one that’s actually designed for it? Microsoft developed the Surface Book line with graphical design and creative tasks in mind. It even built it to support Surface Dial and Surface Pen to make your creative experience more effortless and all the more immersive. Of course, this laptop boasts some pretty powerful specs, robust enough to support casual gaming, as well as a long battery life that will last you up to 17 hours on a single charge. Not impressed yet? Well, that excellent cooling system should round out this package nicely.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)
(Image credit: Lenovo)
6. Lenovo Legion Y740
A gaming powerhouse
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti – RTX 2070 with Max-Q | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, anti-glare, 144 Hz, 500 nits | Storage: Up to 1TB SSD PCIe-NVMe M.2 + 1TB 7200RPM
Powerful internal components
New Nvidia discrete graphics
144Hz refresh rate
Keyboard arrangement
Poor battery life
Webcam placement
While there’s no such thing as a perfect device, the Lenovo Legion Y740 mostly succeeds in delivering on all fronts. With its incredible performance, a beautiful and bright display with a 144Hz refresh rate, and an elegant chassis, you’re getting a great package in this affordable gaming laptop. Its powerful internals – including 9th-generation Intel Core processors and up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 with Max-Q graphics – make it an excellent choice for engineering students as well. It may not be the cheapest option out there, but it’s still pretty affordable next to other top gaming laptops.
Read the full review: Lenovo Legion Y740
Dell G3 15 is a great combination of affordability and power. (Image credit: Dell)
7. Acer Predator Triton 500
Devouring the competition
CPU: 9th Generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 – 2080 with Max-Q | RAM: Up to 32GB DDR4 | Screen: 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 IPS | Storage: 1 TB SSD
Beautiful display
Surprisingly long battery life
Kind of expensive
Flimsy lid
Awkward keyboard layout
As a gaming laptop, the Acer Predator Triton 500 doesn’t pull any punches. And, it’s those exact gaming strengths that make it among the best laptops for engineering students as well. Inside its subtly badass chassis are a 9th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to Nvidia RTX 2080 with Max-Q graphics and up to 32GB of memory. That’s plenty of power for all your design and drafting needs. On top of that, it’s got a decent battery life, as well as a fairly thin and light gaming design. It is, however, among the more expensive laptops out there, so it’s best for students with a bit more flexibility in their budget.
Read the full review: Acer Predator Triton 500
(Image credit: Lenovo)
8. ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation
Great power, massive price tag
CPU: up to 8th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with Max-Q design | RAM: up to 64GB | Screen: 15.6” FHD (1920 x 1080) – 15.6” 4K UHD HDR (3840 x 2160) multi-touch | Storage: up to 1TB SSD
So much power
Glorious 4K screen
Great user experience
Heavy
Expensive
If you’re looking for a workhorse and you have the funds for it, then Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Extreme mobile workstation is the ultimate machine to shell out a lot of cash on. It has several configurations on hand, fitting different needs and budgets. But, at its most basic, it’s already pretty powerful, rocking a solid graphics card in a robust carbon-fiber and aluminum package that will survive any field work. There’s no doubt that this mobile workstation earned its spot in our best laptops for engineering students list.
Read the full review: ThinkPad X1 Extreme Mobile Workstation
(Image credit: Razer)
9. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
A seriously powerful pro laptop
CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q – NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 Studio Edition | RAM: 32GB | Screen: 15.6" OLED 4K Touch 60Hz, factory calibrated | Storage: 1TB SSD
Powerful
Beautiful screen
Expensive
Razer’s idea of taking its famous gaming laptop and turning it into one of the best mobile creative workstations on offer has paid off. Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition would have taken the mantle as the best laptop for engineering students, if it wasn’t held back by its premium price. Without a doubt, this model was designed with creators in mind, rocking powerful graphics cards and an absolute stunner of a 4K display. Sure, you’ll be spending a lot of money to take this laptop home. But, make no mistake, it will be one of the smartest investments you’ll ever make.
Read the full review: Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition
How to choose the best laptop for engineering students?
So, what exactly makes for the best laptops for engineering students? Since you're likely to be running complex programs like AutoCAD, you're definitely going to need a laptop with enough power to run them.
We recommend a laptop with the latest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 chips, and at the very least, 8GB of RAM – though 16GB is even better.
Many of the programs engineering students rely on are also graphically intensive programs – especially CAD, MATLAB and Solid Works, which are used for 3D modelling and video rendering. This means that it's crucial to have a laptop with a dedicated graphics card - rather than an integrated one powered by the processor.
This is why the best gaming laptops are also ideal choices for engineering students, since they offer that kind of graphic power, and the fact that they can handle games for unwinding after classes is just the cherry on top.
A large screen with a high resolution is also advisable, and if you're going to be working on site a lot, Finally, it would be a fine idea to take a look at some of the rugged or well-built laptops that are built to withstand accidents on work sites.
- Discover the best laptops you can buy in every category
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