Whether you’re a Mechanical Engineer, or a student of any other engineering discipline like Aerospace, Automotive, or Chemical engineering, during your course of study you will need a laptop for university or college for a number of reasons.
Engineering is a dynamic field involving various concepts of science, mathematics, physics, and even chemistry. Computers and software play a vital role in engineering to make models and different processes.
You will need to deal with random software which definitely will run on a reliable laptop to work create models, write assignments, and design circuit boards and various programming languages like PHP, Python, and Matlab.
Choosing the best laptop for mechanical engineering students that gives the best performance and fulfills your study needs on a budget is quite challenging. There are many features to consider when making your purchase. In this article, we will discuss some of the most important features to look for and provide a list of laptops that have those features.
One of the most important features for students in any field is processor speed. The faster the processor, the more you can accomplish. The laptops on this list have processors with 4 or more cores for performing tasks like video editing and rendering.
Another feature to look for i.e. graphics card memory. This does not directly affect your productivity but can come in handy when playing games or watching videos. If gaming or multimedia is important to you, look for laptops with at least 8GB of dedicated graphics card memory.
Battery life is another important consideration. Laptops that require an AC adapter to function are not ideal for students who will be moving around a lot. All of the laptops on this list have a minimum battery life of 6 hours, so you can work or play for extended periods of time without having to worry about your battery running out.
Another important feature for students is portability. Laptops that are thin and light make it easy to take them with you wherever you go. The laptops on this list all weigh 4 pounds or less, making them easy to carry around.
Finally, price is always a consideration when making a purchase, especially for students who always have tight budgets. The laptops on this list range in price from $600 to $1,700. So, there is something for everyone, regardless of your budget.
With all that said, here are the best laptops for mechanical engineering students:
1. Dell XPS 13 9310 Touchscreen Ultrabook
Dell XPS was delivered safely in a boxed packaging that we were not expecting from the vendor. Upon unboxing this laptop, we found this is a nice laptop with good finishing and a sturdy build to be part of mechanical engineers’ journey.
We were amused with its sleek design, less weight, and of course the bright display. It would be great for students to carry this extremely portable laptop on and off their universities and colleges.
Since this is an older model that the company still produces and it is still holding consumers’ trust for its reliability. You can find the newer model of Dell XPS with a little bit of variation at a higher price.
If you are on the lookout for a great laptop with an impressive balance of portability, power, and performance, then look no further than the Dell XPS 13 9310 Touchscreen Ultrabook.
The laptop comes with a powerful 8th Generation Intel Core processor that easily handles most Mechanical Engineering software. It also includes 16GB LPDDR3 RAM that allows you to multitask without any lag or delay.
The laptop’s 13.3-inch InfinityEdge display is one of its major selling points. The bezel-less design and nearly nonexistent borders provide an immersive viewing experience that is perfect for watching movies, presentations, and listening to music.
The FHD resolution (1920 x 1080) is also more than enough for viewing high-resolution images and videos. Get the best results in terms of graphics and display on this laptop.
The Dell XPS 13 9310 Touchscreen Ultrabook also comes with a built-in fingerprint reader that provides an extra layer of security for your device. You can use the fingerprint reader to unlock your laptop, make online payments, and sign in to websites and applications.
The laptop’s battery life is also impressive, lasting 7 hours and 32 minutes in our test. This means you can use the laptop all day without having to look for a power outlet or charger. It also comes with a built-in webcam, two USB Type-C ports, one USB 3.0 port, and an SD slot.
Pros
- Sleek and extremely portable design for students who attend a lot of classes and need laptops they can bring anywhere
- Powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor that easily handles most Mechanical Engineering software
- Includes 16GB LPDDR3 RAM for fast multitasking without any lag or delay
- Immersive viewing experience with a large 13.3-inch InfinityEdge display
- Comes with a built-in fingerprint reader that provides an extra layer of security for your device
- Long battery life at 7 hours and 32 minutes in our test
- Has a USB Type-C port for transferring files to external drives/devices at a high speed
Cons
- No optical drive
- No Thunderbolt 3 port
2. Lenovo Yoga C930
The Lenovo Yoga C930 is a high-end 2-in-1 laptop that is perfect for students who are majoring in Mechanical Engineering. This laptop has an 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM that can easily handle most heavy software.
The laptops also have a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM that is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks like CAD and 3D design.
Yoga 390 also comes with a 13.9-inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS touchscreen display that is one of the laptop’s major selling points. The touchscreen display makes writing code, watching video presentations, and taking notes much easier.
Another great thing about this laptop is its battery life. It can last around 8 hours on a single charge, providing more than enough power for a whole day of classes or meetings.
The laptop also has a built-in webcam, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and an HDMI 2.0 port. This is the best-rated laptop by leading Lenovo Yoga C930 reviews.
Pros
- Powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM that can easily handle most heavy software
- Includes a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM that is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks
- 13.9-inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS touchscreen display makes writing code, watching video presentations, and taking notes much easier
- Has a long battery life at around 8 hours on a single charge
- Have a built-in webcam, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, one Thunderbolt 3 port, and an HDMI 2.0 port
Cons
- The laptops’ speakers are not very powerful and can be difficult to hear when in a noisy environment
3. Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop
The Lenovo Legion 5 15 Gaming Laptop is a great laptop for students who are majoring in Mechanical Engineering and like to play video games. A powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM can easily handle most heavy software.
Legion 5 has a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM that is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks like CAD and 3D design.
This laptop also comes with a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate that provides an amazing gaming experience. It has two front-firing speakers with a 2-watt dual-channel amplifier for great sound quality.
Another great thing about this laptop is its battery life. It can last around 4 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge, providing more than enough power for a whole day of classes or meetings.
Lenovo Legion 5 includes a 256GB PCIe SSD that provides fast data transfer speeds.
Pros
- Powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM that can easily handle most heavy software
- Includes a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti graphics card with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM that is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks
- 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate provides an amazing gaming experience
- Two front-firing speakers with a 2-watt dual-channel amplifier for great sound quality
- Has a long battery life at around 4 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge
Cons
- All ports are on the left side making it difficult to connect more than one device
4. Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Touch Bar
The Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Touch Bar is a great laptop for students who are majoring in Mechanical Engineering. The laptops come with a powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8850H processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM that can easily handle most heavy software.
The laptop features a dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 555X graphics card with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM that is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks like CAD and 3D design.
MacBook comes with a 15.4-inch Retina display with True Tone that provides beautiful and accurate colors. The laptop also has a backlit keyboard that makes typing in the dark much easier.
The laptops also come with a Touch Bar that provides a fast and easy way to do things like change volume, control media playback, and more.
Another great thing about this laptop is its battery life. It can last around 10 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge, providing more than enough power for a whole day of classes or meetings.
Pros
- Powerful 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8850H processor and 16GB DDR4 RAM that can easily handle most heavy software
- A dedicated AMD Radeon Pro 555X graphics card with 4GB GDDR5 VRAM is perfect for students who need to do a lot of graphic intensive tasks like CAD and 3D design
- Has a backlit keyboard, which makes typing in the dark much easier
- 15.4-inch Retina display provides beautiful and accurate colors
- Comes with a Touch Bar that makes it fast and easy to do things like change volume, control media playback, and more
- Has a long battery life at around 10 hours and 30 minutes on a single charge
Cons
- A bit expensive for most students.