Best Laptops for Engineering Students in 2020

The Top 5 Best Laptops for Engineering Students

1. RAZER BLADE STEALTH 13.3

Have you been looking for the perfect laptop to replace your bulky desktop? The Razer Blade Stealth 13.3 is definitely a dream come true for most engineering students. With the raw power of a powerful desktop packed into the flexible body of a portable laptop, this laptop for engineers will let you work and play like never before.

The latest version comes with a new and improved Intel Core i7 8550U with four cores, giving it even more power. You can easily perform all your engineering tasks on this machine, and even play a bunch of modern graphics-intensive games when you are on your downtime from studies. Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, before we take an even closer look at the Razer Blade Stealth 13.3, let’s check out the spec summary:

Design

The Razor Blade Stealth 13.3 is one very beautifully made laptop. It looks stunning and performs even better. It has a matte black finish on a sturdy aluminium chassis. It is also pretty light at 1.3kgs, especially when you consider all the computing power it packs into the 14.8mm thin chassis.

Display

You will definitely be impressed the first time you look at the vivid 13.3-inch 1920×1080 Full HD display on the Razor Blade Stealth 13.3. The vividness of colours on it is so rich that it will take your breath away. Razor also thoughtfully saw it fit to include a smooth matte finish on the screen, which massively reduces reflection and improves overall viewing angles,which is great for engineers.

Hardware

The ports and slots on the Razor Blade Stealth 13.3 are pretty standard. It has 2 USB 3 ports, 2 USB Type C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The sound and audio on this laptop are however a little disappointing, as the speakers struggle to fill a room with sound. You will probably need to get a set of speakers to go with it. The keys on the also feel a little squeezed, but they are comfortable to type on and easily get the job done. Plus, the beautiful RGB lighting behind the keys will put a smile on your face.

Performance

As stated earlier, this laptop packs quite a punch in a very compact chassis. It has a super-fast SSD, and when you combine it with the Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU it comes with, you get a truly formidable machine for engineers. It will surpass all your expectations by hitting every task you throw at it out of the park. The only disappointment you will get is the fact that it has a very limited storage capacity at 256GB. If you enjoy playing some modern games, that capacity will not let you install too many games. However, if you are looking for a laptop that is exclusively for your engineering coursework, the Razor Blade Stealth 13.3 is more than sufficient.

Verdict

When all is said and done, the Razor Blade Stealth 13.3 is a great Ultrabook with decent gaming capabilities. The raw power it packs should be enough to slice through any engineering programs like a hot knife through butter, without breaking a sweat. It is a beautiful laptop that is hard to beat in terms of performance and design.

2. LENOVO THINKPAD P40 YOGA

Do not let the looks of this beautiful laptop fool you, it packs quite a punch when it comes to overall performance. It is a convertible workstation that will be a perfect powerful addition to any engineering student’s set of work tools.

Marketed as the world’s first 2-in-1 workstation, you can enjoy using the Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga either as a laptop or in tablet mode. It also comes with its very own Wacom Pen, perfect for sketching those design ideas or quickly taking down a few notes in tablet mode. It has power, portability and flexibility all packed into one great-looking laptop. Before we dive deeper into it, here is an overview of its specifications.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga comes with an entirely raven black casing, with the only accents being the red on the pointer nib at the centre of the keyboard and the mouse buttons on the touchpad. The most outstanding feature, however, is the well-designed hinges that let it easily bend back 360 degrees. You can, therefore, use it in tent mode, tablet mode, or as a laptop.

At 3.96 pounds, it is considerably lighter than other similar laptops that pack the same power it does. However, it is still a little heavier as compared to other 2-in-1 laptops, although I guess it should be expected when you try to put a workstation in the body of a 2-in-1.

This laptop has also been very well built, able to withstand a lot of torture. According to Lenovo, the ThinkPad P40 Yoga endured an 8-corner drop test and a lid open/close test that opens and shuts the lid 30,000 times. And it passed both tests with flying colours. So, you can be sure that it will not disappoint you even when you bring it with you to site visits and field trips.

Display

It has a beautiful 14-inch 1920x1080p touchscreen display that brings out all the colours in whatever you are looking at. It is very vivid and accurate, with great viewing angles and overall pleasant viewing experience. Blacks are a deep black and colours are vivid and rich. You will have nothing to complain about when it comes to the display quality of the Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga.

Hardware

The keyboard is very well designed, with spill-resistant keys that are comfortable to type on. Its backlight is also still comfortable to work with even on the low settings. The pointing stick at the centre of the keyboard is very accurate, although it does take some getting used to. With it, you will be able to work and navigate around the desktop without removing your hands from the keyboard.

Similarly, you will absolutely love the touchpad in this laptop. It is wide, sensitive and very accurate, able to precisely relay all your motions flawlessly. All the Windows 10 multitouch gestures can be sensed without hassle.

The Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga comes with a stylus. Lenovo calls it the ThinkPad Pen Pro. It is 4.5 inches long and allows you to write on the screen with over 2000 pressure levels. You will be able to write and draw effortlessly, and it will take your overall work experience to the next level.

Performance

The Core i7-6500U CPU, the 16GB RAM and the Nvidia Quadro M500M graphics work together wonderfully well to give you a very fluid performance. When you combine that with the 256GB SSD you get a phenomenal machine that will easily run any program you throw at it, including the most tasking CAD and rendering software.

Verdict

If you want a versatile laptop that you can carry around with you, which at the same time combines the raw power of a workstation with the flexibility of a 2-in-1 laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad P40 Yoga is the answer to your prayers.

3. DELL PRECISION 7510

This powerful Dell workstation has a wonderful collection of powerful components that allow it to be very flexible, perfect for every engineering student. Plus, the fact that it is completely customizable and allows you to build your own version of it only adds to its flexibility. Here is an overview of its specs:

Design

The design of the Dell Precision 7510 is deceptively plain. It has a simple black casing with a soft-touch lid and a metallic chassis. As expected of laptops of this type, it is quite thick and heavy. Most laptops that have been built to replace desktops are usually rather hefty to carry around, mostly because of all the powerful hardware that has been packed into them. This laptop is no different, with a 1.3-inch-thick body weighing in at around 6 pounds. However, it still remains much thinner and lighter than most other similar laptops.

Display

The first time you turn on the Dell Precision 7510 and dial up the brightness to max, you will be a little disappointed. The beautiful 15.6-inch 1920x1080p display is rather dull at max brightness. This makes its viewing angles a little less impressive than that of other similar best laptops because you start seeing shadows at only 45 degrees.

Hardware

It is one of the most durable laptops of its kind in the market. According to Dell, it has been subjected to 810G tests, the same tests that the US military puts their equipment through to ensure they can survive cold, heat, shock and collision. This makes it the perfect travel partner to all those engineering field trips and site visits.
It has a comfortable keyboard that is a pleasure to type on, and a sensitive yet accurate touchpad that fully responds to all the default Windows multitouch commands. You will also be pleasantly surprised at the strength of the speakers, which will loudly and accurately blast all sound throughout your entire room.

Performance

The Intel Core i5-6300HQ processor and the 8GB of RAM team up to give a speedy performance. It will not disappoint you as you run your CAD software, and you will even have the luxury of multitasking between browsing a few tabs, listening to your favourite song, and working at the same time. The Dell Precision 7510 will always deliver results that are far beyond your expectations, but if you need anything with a bigger screen, check out these 17 inch laptops.

Verdict

If you are looking for a fast, powerful and highly customizable best laptop to suit any engineering task, this is it. It can run every CAD software like a dream, and it will even let you multitask a bit as you switch between different programs. It is the perfect design companion.

4. DELL INSPIRON I5577

If you are looking for an affordably priced yet powerful laptop, this is it. As an engineering student, you want the kind of power that will not break the bank. The Dell Inspiron i5577 has an impressive price tag and equally impressive performance capabilities. With a quad-core Intel i7 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dedicated graphics and a huge 15.6-inch full HD screen, its list of specs is something you would expect from a much pricier laptop.

Here is a closer look at the specifications:

Spec Summary

CPU: Intel Core i7 2.8GHz
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB
RAM: 16GB RAM
Display: 15.6-inch Full HD display
Storage: 256GB SSD
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Design

The design of the Dell Inspiron i5577 is minimalistic and subdued, with the only hints of its uniqueness being the accented red keyboard and touchpad, and the touch of red in the middle of the lid at the back on the logo. A lot of thought clearly went into the design of its body, with the lid being rubberized, fingerprint resistant and soft to the touch. All these design ideas come together beautifully to create the best laptop that is beautiful to look at without being over the top.

Display

The 15.6-inch Full HD display is massive and beautiful, and Dell has even thrown in antiglare capabilities just in case you want to get some classwork done in sunlight. However, the tradeoff comes in the form of its overall dimness. It mutes some of its colours, and you can’t help but get a nagging feeling that the colours you are looking at are somewhat inaccurate. However, for any budget laptop, a few trade-offs need to be made to keep the computer at a specific price range. For the Dell Inspiron i5577, this apparently is that trade-off.

Hardware

The ports and slots on this laptop leave a lot to be desired. It comes with a pretty standard set, but there is the loud absence of a USB Type C port or a Thunderbolt 3 port. Although it is not exactly futureproof, you can still use any one of the 3 USB 3.0 ports.

The keyboard looks and feels really good. You will enjoy typing on the soft keys and hearing the satisfying feedback every time you press a key. The design of the island keyboard might even help you type a little bit faster than you normally would. Plus, it is spill-resistant!

The touchpad also does not disappoint. It is a 4×3.1-inch rectangle of softness bordered by red accents that make it look great. Using it is an absolute pleasure because it is very responsive. All your multitouch gestures will instantly be relayed on screen.

Performance

Once again, Dell does not fail to impress when it comes to packing a lot of heat in a budget laptop for engineers. It comes with a quad-core, 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU that clocks at 2.8GHz, but can be overclocked to a beautiful 3.8GHz. The only downside of this powerful processor is that it drains the battery way faster than you would like. On the plus side, it is almost impossible to get the laptop to overheat.

The 16GB DDR4 SDRAM memory when combined with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB RAM dedicated graphics further kick things into high gear. This laptop can run any software you throw at it, including all the engineering CAD software and rendering programs. It will also let you enjoy some light gaming on your downtime.

Verdict

The Dell Inspiron i5577 is a simple looking laptop with powerful insides. If you are not looking for anything too flashy, and you would much rather prefer a more subdued appearance, this is the laptop for you.

5. ACER ASPIRE VX15

The Acer Aspire VX15 looks good and performs better. With a huge 15.6-inch HD display, a powerful 256GB SSD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 dedicated graphics with 4GB dedicated RAM, there is nothing you can throw at this monster of a laptop that it won’t handle like a dream. Although it may not look as pretty as some of its counterparts, it definitely outperforms almost all of them, and that is what is important to any engineering student.

Design

The red and black laptop looks good enough to proudly show off to your friends. It has a plastic lid with a brushed aluminium pattern on the back. It has sporty red accents all over, from the vents to the back of the lid to the border of the touchpad and the ASDW keys. It is larger but thankfully lighter than most other similar laptops.

Display

The Acer Aspire VX15 has a beautiful 15.6-inch 1080p display that instantly raises your expectations when you first lay eyes on it. However, it is a little disappointing, with slightly subdued colours and a disappointing level of max brightness.

Hardware

You get a very comfortable keyboard with the Acer Aspire VX15. It is responsive and fun to type on, so you will definitely enjoy working on your coursework on it. With 1.6 millimetres of travel, the keys are satisfying to press on and actually end up enhancing your typing speed.

The touchpad is also sensitive and responsive. Working with the smooth surface is a lot of fun. It recognizes all the standard Windows multitouch commands and responds precisely.

When it comes to audio and sound, the Acer Aspire VX15 continues to delight. It has a surprisingly powerful set of speakers that will fill any room you are in with a clear sound. You will enjoy listening to your music, watching movies and even playing games with these speakers.

Performance

It comes with an NVIDIA GTX 1050 dedicated graphics card with 4GB of RAM. You will be able to run any CAD or design and rendering software on this laptop with ease. It will also play most games comfortably at 1080p. The powerful combination of the graphics card, the Core i5 2.5GHz CPU, 8GB RAM and the 256GB SSD makes the Acer Aspire VX15 a formidable laptop when it comes to overall performance. You will definitely enjoy working on this baby.

Verdict

The Acer Aspire VX15 is a great laptop that will allow you to perform almost any task you can imagine. One of the biggest downsides, though, is the small storage space. Consider investing in some additional storage when you but the Aspire VX15. If this doesn’t wow you, check out the Acer Spin 3 as well

If you are unsure about choosing the best laptop for yourself, check out our laptop choosing guide!

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Also, if you would like a laptop that can handle AutoCAD, read out latest guide!