Nomessin – Various student activities, ranging from presentations, data processing, writing papers, to making art, all require a laptop. Several brands, such as Asus, Lenovo, Acer, and HP, are usually laptop brands that are widely used by students. Laptop prices for students vary greatly, of course, depending on the specifications offered. Here are various recommendations for you.
Choosing a laptop for students is difficult, because this laptop will greatly affect the learning process. Therefore, consider some of the things below to choose the best laptop that is suitable for college needs.
How to Choose the Best Laptop for Students
1. Adjust the CPU to your needs
The processor, as the brain of the laptop, is one of the most influential components on laptop performance. Laptops with high-performance processors, of course, are sold at high prices too. So the first tip in choosing a laptop for students is to adjust the CPU to the needs of laptop use.
Laptop recommendations for students majoring in multimedia, graphic design, engineering, or the like, usually have a minimum of an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen processor. This high specification laptop is needed to install heavy applications, such as AutoCAD for civil engineering students. In addition to needing large storage space, the process of rendering images from various applications usually makes the processor work harder.
Laptops for students majoring in informatics engineering and the like, have at least an Intel Core i5 processor. Students of this major will usually be asked to use programming language applications that require quite high laptop specifications. For students who need to process a lot of data, for example students majoring in accounting, you should also use a laptop with an Intel Core i5 processor.
While laptops for students who don’t need too heavy an application in the learning process are Intel Core i3 or Intel Celeron. Laptops with these specifications are very sufficient to run standard applications, such as Microsoft Office. In addition, Intel Celeron and Intel Core i3 laptops are very comfortable to use for browsing to watching movies.
2. Check the screen size
For students with dense mobility, laptops measuring 11 to 13 inches can already be a suitable choice. A laptop of that size is practical enough to be carried to various places, put in a backpack or sling bag. However, the laptop still does not support various multimedia activities that usually require a laptop with a minimum size of 15 inches.
3. Researching laptop specifications
Not only processor and screen size, other specifications also need to be considered when choosing a laptop for students. Here’s more.
First, storage media, namely HDD (hard disk drive) and SSD (solid state drive). HDD prices are indeed cheaper with a larger capacity than SSDs, but SSDs excel in performance and durability. Laptops with SDD storage are usually also faster when loading, transferring data, and booting compared to HDDs.
Second, RAM that is adapted to the needs of using a laptop. Laptop recommendations for students who are required to operate many applications are at least 8 GB. The bigger the RAM, the more applications that can be opened at the same time without slowing down the laptop’s performance.
Third, FHD screen resolution or 1920 x 1080 pixels for satisfactory image quality. FHD resolution will also make you comfortable when opening image processing applications, such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, or Autodesk 3ds Max.
10 Best Laptop Recommendations for Students
From the description above, you already know what to consider when choosing a laptop for students. The following are various recommendations for laptop products for the best students, selected by Ceklist.id, complete with specifications.
1. Acer Aspire 3
The laptop recommendation for first-time students is the Acer Aspire 3 which has good specifications but is still affordable. There are two types offered in the market, the A314-35 and A315-41G-R38X types.
Having a 14-inch monitor, the Acer Aspire 3 A314-35 also has an SSD capacity of 256 GB which will be very helpful for installing many applications. Cool again, there is still one HDD slot on this laptop to increase the storage space. With an Intel® Celeron® N5100 Quad-core processor and 4 GB of DDR4 memory, this product is capable as a laptop for students who don’t need a lot of heavy applications.
The A315-41G-R38X type uses an AMD RYZEN R7 2700U 2.2GHz – 3.8GHz processor, 4GB DDR4 RAM, 2TB HDD storage, plus an SSD slot of up to 1TB. Like the Acer Aspire 3 A314-35, this product also has a 14-inch HD resolution monitor. These specifications make it can be used as a laptop for students to support their learning activities.
Both Acer Aspire 3 A314-35 and A315-41G-R38X are compatible with Windows 10 or 11 OS systems. Both are sold at a price of around 277 USD to 416 USD.
2. HP Pavilion
One of the laptop choices for students with high enough specifications is the HP Pavilion. For the type 14-CE3011TX, it is powered by an Intel Core i5-1035G1 Gen 10 processor with the addition of Intel Turbo Boost which can reach speeds of up to 3.6 GHz. The storage space is an SSD with a capacity of 512GB and 8GB DDR4 2666MHz RAM which can still be upgraded.
This laptop has a 14-inch screen with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels which produces very clear images. The OS system used is Windows 10. The HP Pavilion 14-CE3011TX is sold at a price of around 10 million rupiah.
For higher specifications, there is the Aero Laptop type 13-be0000AU. This laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen™ 5 processor with 512GB SSD storage, 16GB RAM, and is compatible with Windows 10. The monitor measures 13.3 inches WUXGA (1920 x 1200) with IPS panel technology which makes the viewing angle appear wider. Plus the quality of the FHD screen with anti-glare which makes the monitor display sharp even when used outdoors.
The HP Pavilion above is suitable as a laptop for students majoring in informatics engineering. Apart from its sophisticated specifications, the laptop weighs less than 1 kg so it is easy to carry around. The price of this laptop in the market is around 900 USD.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad
The Lenovo IdeaPad S145 type can be one of the laptop choices for students with affordable prices but high enough specifications. The processor used is an Intel Celeron Gen-8 Whiskey Lake 4205U 1.8GH with 256GB SSD storage and 4GB RAM. The monitor measures 14 inches HD and is equipped with Dolby Stereo Audio technology. You can buy a laptop that uses the Windows 10 operating system for under 5 million.
For students with a lot of assignments and need a laptop with a larger storage capacity, they can use the Lenovo IdeaPad type 330. It has 1TB of storage space, 4GB of RAM, and is powered by an AMD A9-9425 APU processor. This laptop is designed with a 14-inch FHD monitor that produces quite sharp images. The selling price of the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 is around 270 USD to 340 USD.
4. Apple MacBook Pro M1
In contrast to laptops in general that use Intel, the Apple MacBook Pro M1 uses a homemade processor, the M1 chipset. Apple is indeed suitable as a laptop for students majoring in technology and the like. The 8-core CPU inside is claimed to have 3.5x faster performance than its predecessor. While the GPU can work 5x faster for applications that are quite heavy.
In addition, the Apple MacBook M1 has a storage space of 256 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM. The monitor measures 13.3 inches with IPS technology (2560 x 1600) which makes the graphics display very clear and sharp. Like the price of other types of MacBook products, which are quite high, the price of the Apple MacBook M1 is also pretty good, around 1388 USD.
5. Axioo My Book 11 Lite
Talking about laptop recommendations for students, it’s not complete without including the Axioo My Book 11 Lite on the list. Although the price is cheap, the specifications of this laptop are good and qualified to support student learning activities.
Supported by an Intel Atom X5 Z8350 processor with 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of EMMC storage with a 64GB MicroSD added, this laptop is enough to store a lot of data. The screen size which is only 11 inches HD makes this laptop for students easy to carry around. Axoo My Book 11 Lite is usually sold at a price of around 138 USD to 208 USD.
6. ASUS ZenBook
Apart from VivoBook, ASUS has also issued a ZenBook laptop series with high specifications which are suitable as laptops for students majoring in multimedia. Asus ZenBook Duo 14 is powered by a 2.4GHz Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor with 512GB SSD storage, and 8GB RAM. The monitor measures 14.0 inches FHD and is equipped with a secondary screen feature that will assist the editing process of images, videos, and music. This laptop is sold at a price of around 19 million rupiah.
Asus ZenBook also produces other types that are cheaper, but with advanced specifications. ASUS ZenBook 14 is powered by an 11th generation Intel Core processor, with 512GB SSD storage and 8GB RAM. The 14-inch monitor, large keyboard keys, complete with NumberPad features, make ASUS ZenBook 14 suitable as a laptop for students majoring in accounting, management, and the like. The selling price in the market is around 900 USD.
7. Acer Swift 3 Athlon 300U
In addition to the various laptops above, one of the laptop products for students that are suitable for online lectures is the Acer Swift 3 Athlon 300U. The type of processor used is AMD Athlon 300U 2 Core 4 with a speed of up to 3.3 Ghz. Its performance is getting more and more qualified with 256 GB of SSD storage memory and 4 GB of RAM.
The monitor measures 14 inches with IPS LCD technology and LED backlight which produces a fairly clear image. In addition to online lectures, this laptop will be very smooth for doing various lecture assignments that don’t require too heavy an application. The selling price of the Acer Swift 3 Athlon 300U in the market is around 347 USD to 486 USD.
8. Zyrex Notebook Sky 232A
Another laptop product for students that is also quite affordable is the Zyrex Notebook Sky 232A. The processor used is an AMD A4-9125 dual-core 2.3GHz APU. In addition, this laptop has 128GB SSD storage and 4GB DDR4 2133MHz RAM. The monitor measures 14 inches with FHD resolution which produces quite clear images.
With a battery capacity of 37Wh and 5000mAh, battery life reaches 6-10 hours, depending on usage. This laptop uses the Microsoft Windows 10 Home x64 OEM operating system. Zyrex Sky 232A is sold at a very affordable price, around 208 USD.
9. Xiaomi RedmiBook 15
For those of you who like Xiaomi products, the brand also issued a laptop for students, namely the Xiaomi RedmiBook 15. The processor used is an 11th generation Intel® Core™ i3 with 256 GB SSD storage and 8 GB RAM. The laptop has a webcam installed with 720p resolution which produces a fairly clear image when used for meetings or online lectures.
Although the monitor size is quite large, around 15.6 inches FHD (1920 x 1080), this laptop still looks thin, minimalist, and luxurious. The operating system used on this laptop is Windows 10. The price is around 400 USD, the Xiaomi RedmiBook 15 is suitable as a laptop for students in carrying out their learning activities, especially in online lectures.
10. ASUS VivoBook
One type of ASUS VivoBook that is suitable as a laptop for students is the ASUS VivoBook E12. Designed with a screen that is only 11.6 inches, Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 2 GB RAM and 32 GB HDD storage. Although not the latest model, this laptop is compatible with the pre-loaded Windows 10 OS system.
The use of this laptop is recommended for light activities, such as searching for information, making reports, or presenting. With a minimalist size and a price of around 3 million, the ASUS VivoBook E12 is selling well among students.
Still from VivoBook, Asus VivoBook K403 can be a laptop for students who need higher specifications. There are two choices of processors, namely Intel Core i3-8145U and Intel Core i5-8265U with 8 GB RAM and an Intel HD 620 graphics card. The screen size is 14 inches and is equipped with a fingerprint reader. The selling price of the Asus VivoBook K403 on the market is around 400 USD to 486 USD.
Important Tips for Maintaining Laptop
Laptops for students usually function not only for doing assignments or studying, but also for entertaining themselves and communicating. Compared to tablets or cellphones, laptops are more effective in helping with college assignments. However, laptops are usually more expensive than cellphones, so maintenance costs are also more expensive. To maintain the performance and durability of the laptop, you should do some of the maintenance below.
1. Keeping the laptop clean
Some laptop components can be damaged quickly because they are dirty, one of which is the fan. Therefore, keeping the laptop clean is an important thing that must be done to maintain its performance.
Usually dust and dirt stick to the screen area, USB port, battery, keyboard, and circulation holes. Too much dirt can slow down the performance of the laptop and make it heat up quickly. Try cleaning the laptop at least once a week with certain tools, such as a spray for the LCD or a brush to clean the keyboard area.
2. Keep away from food and drink
Of course it’s fun, isn’t it when watching movies accompanied by snacks and drinks? However, to maintain the performance of the laptop, you should not bring the food and drinks close to the laptop because the food crumbs could get into the sidelines of the keyboard. Or if you’re not lucky, the drink could spill on your laptop.
3. Using the laptop on a flat surface
Both laptops for students, which are expensive or cheap, should not be used on soft surfaces, such as mattresses, sofas, and piles of clothes. Use the laptop on a flat surface, such as the floor or a table.
Using a laptop in an area with a soft and uneven surface will hinder air circulation on the laptop. As a result, hot air is trapped inside the laptop and makes the laptop overheat quickly. If necessary, also use a cooling pad to quickly remove the laptop’s hot air.
4. Avoid using it for too long
Daily use of a laptop needs to be limited so as not to overheat and cause damage to its components. Like other electronic devices, laptops also need to rest to cool their components. For example, if you have used the laptop for 4 hours, you can turn it off for 20 or 30 minutes before using the laptop again.
5. Install required apps
Laptops for students that are expensive are usually equipped with a large enough storage capacity. However, that does not mean you are free to install too many applications into the laptop. Too many applications will make laptop performance slower. Even if it doesn’t run, the application can still run in the background, thus increasing the processor load.
6. Take good care of laptop batteries
Laptop batteries are one of the components that are vulnerable to damage. One way to take care of the battery is to immediately recharge the battery before it shows the number 0%. The habit of leaving the laptop battery until it is completely empty before charging it can make the battery life shorter.
Although rarely used, laptop battery power must also be regularly recharged, because its power can decrease even if it is turned off. In addition, regularly recharging the laptop battery also prevents moisture from rising on the laptop components. The warm air that arises when recharging the battery will dry out the surrounding area and prevent harmful organisms from appearing there.
7. Shutting down the right way
Sometimes when the laptop is not used and in a hurry, many people immediately close the laptop without giving the shut down command. If the laptop is in sleep or standby mode too often, the hard disk inside can be damaged quickly, because the HDD continues to work even though sleep mode is activated.
Turning off the laptop forcibly also has an unfavorable effect on the laptop. The forced method in question, such as pressing the power button directly or removing the battery. The habit of forcibly shutting down the laptop can also make the hard disk damaged faster.
8. Stores well when not in use
In addition to use, laptop storage also needs to be considered so that the laptop lasts for years. Do not put things that are too heavy on the laptop. Items that are too heavy can press on the LCD and cause cracks. The cost of replacing a laptop LCD is quite expensive, so you have to be careful.
Put this laptop in a dry place with a moderate temperature, not too hot or too cold. Also keep the laptop away from places that are directly exposed to sunlight, because it can make the laptop hot to fade the color. In addition, laptops should not be placed in areas with strong magnetic fields, such as televisions or refrigerators.
Conclusion
In looking for laptops for students, of course you need to pay attention to specifications, needs, and available funds. Indeed, some of the laptops above are quite expensive, but improper maintenance can certainly make the laptop damaged quickly. So after getting a suitable laptop, make sure to take care of the laptop properly so that its performance is maintained.
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