Best Laptops For Students: Top Picks For Different Budgets & Varying Student Needs

How to pick the best laptop for students?

Decide on the processor depending on your laptop usage. If you just need a laptop for compiling your notes or taking classes online, you can go for a regular processor. However, if you have heavy usage with multiple apps, you should go for a laptop with a high-end processor

Find out the battery life that will be apt for your laptop depending on your usage

Pick the ideal screen size that you are comfortable with. After all, you will not want to go for a laptop that stresses your vision

Decide whether you want to go for a touchscreen laptop or a regular one

If you need to work on graphics quite frequently as a student, ensure that the student laptop you are buying comes with a graphics processor or graphics card

Last but not least, have a budget in mind when you are deciding on the best laptop for a student

Best laptops for students in India

Laptops for students

Approximate price on Amazon

Amazon ratings

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 AMD Ryzen 5 Laptop

Rs 37,000

4.1 / 5

Apple MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip

Rs 75,000

4.7 / 5

HP Laptop 15s

Rs 32,000

4.1 / 5

HP Chromebook x360

Rs 21,000

3.8 / 5

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

Rs 55,500

4 / 5

HONOR MagicBook X14 (2023)

Rs 53,500

4.3 / 5

Dell G15-5530 Gaming Laptop

Rs 78,000

4.1 / 5

Samsung Galaxy Book2

Rs 50,000

4.1 / 5

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 AMD Ryzen 5 Laptop

If you have very basic expectations from your laptop as a student and you are looking for an affordable option, this Lenovo laptop can be an amazing option that you can trust. With a screen size of 15.6 inches, this laptop offers a comfortable viewing experience and can meet the needs of almost all students. The battery life is decent and the webcam is available with a privacy shutter. So, your user experience is fearless when you are browsing the internet.

Key features

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U

6 cores and 12 threads

Screen size of 15.6 inches

8GB DDR4 RAM with 512GB SSD

Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics

Weight: 1.61kg

Available with a backlit keyboard

Battery backup of up to 7 hours

Rapid charging is available to offer you a run time of 2 hours with just 15 minutes of charging

HD 720p Camera that is available with a privacy shutter

Pros and cons of Lenovo IdeaPad 1 AMD Ryzen 5 Laptop

Pros

Cons

Fast charging is available

RAM and ROM not expandable

Webcam is available with a privacy shutter

Backlit keyboard available

User feedback

Apple MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip

If you want to make a premium purchase for a laptop that is not just good for students but can even be used during the internship or early work days, you should go for this MacBook Air. Available in 3 colours, this laptop comes with an incredibly long battery life of up to 18 hours. The 8-core CPU has been designed to offer you high efficiency in your tasks to help you multitask as a student and even be efficient at your internships.

Key features

All-day long battery with a battery life of up to 18 hours

Apple M1 chip

8-core CPU

8GB of unified memory

Screen size of 13.3 inches

8GB RAM and 256GB SSD

Available in 3 colours

Available with a backlit keyboard and touch ID

High thermal efficiency with no fan, no noise and proper ventilation

Weight: 1.25kg

Pros and cons of Apple MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip

Pros

Cons

Lightweight and compact

Not very budget-friendly

Available with a long battery life

Highly efficient in operations

User feedback

HP Laptop 15s

This HP laptop with an AMD processor can be another good option for students who wish to make an affordable purchase online. Available with a powerful processor, this laptop is efficient in operations and can be a good pick for students who need to take their lessons on their laptops regularly. Being a lightweight laptop with a decent screen size, this one is worth your investment even for your personal needs.

Key features

AMD Ryzen 3 5300U Processor

4 cores, 8 threads and 4MB cache

8GB DDR4 RAM with 512GB SSD

Screen size of 15.6 inches with an anti-glare display

Fast charging option available to help you charge up to 50% of your laptop battery in just 45 minutes

Long battery life of up to 9 hours

Pros and cons of HP Laptop 15s

Pros

Cons

Fast charging option available along with a long battery life

Not available with a backlit keyboard

Highly affordable

Powerful processor for basic student needs

User feedback

HP Chromebook x360

If you want to buy a touchscreen laptop for the needs of a student but have a budget constraint, this one from HP is a good option that you can consider. Available in 3 colours, you have the option to choose this laptop based on your preferences to go for the one that matches your aesthetics. Since this laptop has a screen size of 14 inches, it is a good pick for students who want the convenience of a tablet in their laptop.

Key features

Intel Celeron N4120 Processor

4MB cache and 2 cores

4 GB LPDDR4 RAM with 64 GB eMMC and 100GB cloud storage

Screen size of 14 inches

Quick booting time

Weighs just 1.49kg

Battery life of up to 12 hours

Easy to use even for school going kids

Pros and cons of HP Chromebook x360

Pros

Cons

Lightweight laptop

Not a very powerful RAM and ROM combination

Long battery life of up to 12 hours

Highly affordable

User feedback

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

If you are looking for a powerful student laptop that can even be used during early work years or other personal needs, this one from Lenovo can be a good option that you can buy online. With i5 processor, this laptop offers a powerful base that can even be good for basic multitasking needs making this laptop worth your investment. With a long battery life and a rapid charging option available, this laptop offers a smooth user experience.

Key features

Intel Core i5-12450H Processor

8 cores, 12 threads and 12MB cache

Screen size of 15.6 inches with an anti-glare display

16GB LPDDR5 RAM with 512GB SSD

Weight: 1.62kg

Battery life of up to 12 hours

Rapid charging available to offer you a playback time of up to 2 hours by charging your laptop for just 15 minutes

FHD 1080p camera that is available with a privacy shutter

Dolby Audio available for powerful speakers

Pros and cons of Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

Pros

Cons

Battery life of up to 12 hours available

Not very budget friendly

Webcam available with a privacy shutter

Rapid charging available

User feedback

HONOR MagicBook X14 (2023)

This laptop from Honor can be another good mid-range option that you can consider buying for students. This lightweight laptop is highly efficient and the processor makes it apt for your work, personal and student needs. Though not very affordable, the configuration of this laptop makes it worth your investment if you want to continue using your machine for years to come.

Key features

12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H Processor

8 cores and 12 threads

16GB LPDDR4x RAM with 512GB SSD

Weighs just 1.43kg

Battery life of up to 12 hours

Fast charging available

Two in one power button that is available with a fingerprint reader

Screen size of 14 inches

720P HD Webcam

Pros and cons of HONOR MagicBook X14 (2023)

Pros

Cons

Lightweight laptop

None

Long battery life and fast charging available

Also available with a fingerprint reader

User feedback

Dell G15-5530 Gaming Laptop

For design students who need to work on a laptop with high quality graphics, this gaming laptop from Dell can be a good option to buy online. Loaded with a powerful processor, this laptop ensures that students can conveniently use all heavy and demanding applications revolving around designing without experiencing any lag. The screen size of 15.6 inches offers a comfortable user experience and allows students to work on designing and editing smoothly.

Key features

13th Generation Intel Core i5-13450HX Processor

10 cores and 20MB cache

16GB DDR5 RAM with 1TB SSD

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 6GB GDDR6 Graphics

Orange backlit keyboard for a comfortable working experience

Weight: 2.65kg

Pros and cons of Dell G15-5530 Gaming Laptop

Pros

Cons

Powerful processor

Not very lightweight

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics

Available with a backlit keyboard

User feedback

Samsung Galaxy Book2

If you are looking for a laptop for students that is smooth in operations and is highly efficient, this one from Samsung can be a good option to trust. Being a mid-budget laptop, this one is worth your investment for the features it offers for students. With a brand trust of Samsung and a powerful processor, you get an amazing user experience while using this laptop for your educational needs.

Key features

12th Generation Intel Core i5-1235U Processor

12MB cache

8GB LPDDR4x RAM

512GB SSD with 1 slot for expansion available

Screen size of 15.6 inches

Weight: 1.55kg

Available with a backlit keyboard and a fingerprint reader

Can even be connected to your Samsung tablet to double the screen and amplify your productivity

Pros and cons of Samsung Galaxy Book2

Pros

Cons

Available with a fingerprint reader

None

Backlit keyboard available

Powerful processor

User feedback

Comparison Table - Best laptops for students

Product

Screen size

Processor

RAM

ROM

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 AMD Ryzen 5 Laptop

15.6 inches

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U Processor

8GB DDR4 RAM

512GB SSD

Apple MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip

13.3 inches

Apple M1 chip

8GB RAMand 8GB of unified memory

256GB SSD

HP Laptop 15s

15.6 inches

AMD Ryzen 3 5300U Processor

8GB DDR4 RAM

512GB SSD

HP Chromebook x360

14 inches

Intel Celeron N4120 Processor

4 GB LPDDR4 RAM

64 GB eMMC

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

15.6 inches

Intel Core i5-12450H Processor

16GB LPDDR5 RAM

512GB SSD

HONOR MagicBook X14 (2023)

14 inches

12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H Processor

16GB LPDDR4x RAM

512GB SSD

Dell G15-5530 Gaming Laptop

15.6 inches

13th Generation Intel Core i5-13450HX Processor

16GB DDR5 RAM

1TB SSD

Samsung Galaxy Book2

15.6 inches

12th Generation Intel Core i5-1235U Processor

8GB LPDDR4x RAM

512GB SSD with 1 slot for expansion

DISCLAIMER: At TOI, we keep you informed about the newest trends and products. The products listed have been well studied and researched, and are also in line with customer ratings. TOI is part of an affiliate partnership, meaning we may receive a portion of the revenue from your purchases. The product prices mentioned in the article are subject to change, as per retailers' deals

Buying the best laptop for students has always been a challenge. There cannot be a single laptop that fits all the needs. Since every student has different expectations and usage, you need to consider multiple aspects when you are deciding on the right laptop for your needs. With plenty of options available, it might get confusing for students to buy the right laptop online.To help you out, we have a list of some of the best laptops for students available online. We have even listed everything you must know while buying your new laptop including the key features, pros and cons and more. So, you will be able to pick the best laptop for your needs easily.Most students who have bought this laptop have been happy with the performance. They have found it with a nice battery life and the fast charging feature has made it worth the investment. Some users did not find the display amazing while others did not raise any such concern.Students who have bought this laptop have been happy with the purchase as the laptop offers a high efficiency that is even suitable for multitasking needs. The users have appreciated the battery life of this laptop and have found it easy to carry along even for long and unplanned trips. The sound quality of this laptop is also worth the investment.Besides being good for students, this laptop is a good option even for personal and basic work needs. So, most users have been happy after buying this laptop. However, the opinions are mixed on the overall performance of this laptop with heavy usage.Users have found this compact touchscreen laptop good for a variety of needs. Besides early years of college, this laptop is even a good pick for school students because of its budget and the RAM and ROM combination. Opinions are mixed on the display quality of this laptop.People who have bought and used this laptop have found it right for the needs of almost all types of students. The fast processor offers a high efficiency and makes this laptop apt for your student expectations. The opinions are mixed on the camera of this laptop.Most users who have bought and used this laptop have been happy with the performance and have found it worth buying. Since it has a long battery life, students did not face any difficulty in using the laptop all day long for their lessons. The fingerprint reader is an additional features that offers a better value for money for this laptop as compared to the competitors.Students who have bought this affordable and beginner gaming laptop for their graphic designing and video editing needs have found it worth the investment. Some users have raised issues about the battery life while others have found some heating issues. Other students found the laptop apt for their investment.Students who have bought and used this laptop have found it worth the investment. Since this is a lightweight laptop that is loaded with high end features, it is a good pick even for personal and basic work needs. Overall, the users did not have any complaints other than the battery life of this laptop.