What are the best laptop suggestions for a computer engineering student?
What are the best laptop suggestions for a computer engineering student?
Hi,
To give you some context, my Dell 5559 has been working well for quite some time, but it started failing frequently—often crashing unexpectedly. Despite all my attempts to troubleshoot, I couldn’t get it to function properly. Right now, I’m looking to replace it with a new laptop. I’m in my first year of college, studying Computer Engineering, and I need a reliable machine. My main focus is stability: I need it to handle AutoCAD, Arduino, and other demanding design tools, possibly an i7+ processor. Next, portability matters—something medium to slightly large in size so I can carry it easily. Lastly, I want it capable of running games, as stress relief helps me unwind. I’ve watched a few guides but haven’t found one that fully meets my needs. I’d really appreciate your advice and feedback on this decision. I’m just starting my semester and while things aren’t overwhelming yet, delaying the purchase might affect my ability to keep up with coursework and projects.
Usually you begin with a budget. There are too many options across every price category.
For your situation, it seems you need something equipped with a dedicated GPU, which narrows down your choices.
i7, Ryzen 7
32GB DDR5 4800 or higher
RTX 4060 or better
At least 512GB SSD, preferably 1TB.
Screen size 15.6" or 16" with (Full HD) or 1920x1200 at 144hz.
This should place you around $1100 and above.
Another approach is to search for systems that include only 16GB of RAM but allow expansion, and the same applies to the SSD.
Hey there!
I didn’t include my budget in my last message—I really should’ve. The best I could manage is about $800 to $850. I might be able to stretch it a bit if needed, but most likely I’ll stick to that range. Thanks for the suggestion, and I’ll look for a good balance between the specs and my budget.
Here are some options you might consider:
- https://www.newegg.com/p/2WC-000C-0GXH3
- https://www.newegg.com/acer-anv15-5...rc...6834360319
- A good deal on a Ryzen 9: https://www.newegg.com/msi-thin-a15...rc...6834156648
- Alternative idea: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-t...=198&skuId=6560989&u1=058qSaqrWLLuxz1W2l4evvG
Thanks for the feedback, I discussed it with my dad and he was surprised by how costly they were in Canadian Dollars. I tried to persuade him, but he insisted on finding alternatives. My uncle recommended checking Costco, so I did that. After some research, I came across this product:
ASUS VivoBook:
https://www.costco.ca/asus-vivobook...–-...14600.html
Besides the graphics card and display size, the specifications are almost identical. I’m unsure if I can upgrade the memory to 32GB or if the maximum RAM is capped at 16GB. I’ll keep exploring to be more certain. My main interest is the graphics card—though it’s not the RTX 4060 you mentioned, but from what I’ve read, the Iris Graphics perform well. I’m torn between buying this or continuing my search.
It's just an integrated GPU, one of the slightly bigger models from Intel, not suitable for serious CAD or demanding tasks. It works well for office use and general purposes but has its limits.
Specifying Canada would have been better, as it's a different market with unclear pricing. At around $900 CAD, you probably won't find significantly better options. You might consider older refurbished units with more memory and older GTX graphics cards.
Avoid Nvidia's MX graphics solutions—they offer only discrete GPU memory, which is essentially repurposed defective hardware with poor performance.