Many laptops are available in the market, but not all can meet the needs of students looking for laptop computers that work well with their programming projects or coding activities.
Students and professionals alike will often use different software which they may need to keep updated on through ongoing research and testing by vigorously trying to find any bugs with said software, so having a good laptop computer is a very important asset when it comes to such things.
We have compiled an extensive list outlining some of the best laptops for students who study or follow coursework while working as software engineers who engage in these types of activities through the use of software engineering.
Essentially, computer software engineering is responsible for making new software applications, improving existing ones and keeping the whole system up to date.
This can be a full-time job but usually it happens in combination with other activities, such as making improvements or troubleshooting problems in different parts of the system.
Best Laptops For Software Engineering Students
This is a guide of the best laptops for software engineering students based on their hardware (RAM & processor) and price.
Related Post: Best Laptop for Engineering Students
Keep in mind what you will be using it for because that makes a great difference when choosing your laptop from this list.
At the moment, HTML5, CSS3, and PHP 5/7 are widely used – both in software development and web development! You can get them for less than $1000. If you have any questions or anything to mention, ask away via the comments box below.
2020 Apple MacBook Air
For anyone who’s ever wished for a computer with a longer battery life, the new Apple MacBook Air is a great choice – in more ways than one.
The long-running laptop comes with a new generation of Apple’s M1 chip. That’s the high-performance CPU designed to make even the heaviest of apps run quickly and smoothly.
The M1 chip’s eight-core design makes booting up to 80 percent faster. At the same time, it runs at 80 percent lower power consumption.
That’s how it can deliver up to 18 hours of battery life. For anyone who uses a computer for hours on end, that’s a huge deal. The new Apple MacBook Air also comes with a faster SSD storage drive.
That’s the solid-state technology that makes the MacBook Air start up in seconds, not minutes.
The faster drive also makes it possible to store more. For example, a 256GB SSD can store up to 50,000 photos and other files.
The MacBook Air also comes with two times the memory of its predecessor. That’s 16GB of fast LPDDR3 memory.
It can even shut down unused memory to run only the apps you need to open. With a 9.7-inch Retina display, the new Apple MacBook Air also has a much larger screen. So you can see more of what you’re working on.
The MacBook Air was released in 2015. The MacBook Air is a laptop computer designed and manufactured by Apple Inc. It has a screen size of 11.8 inches. This laptop has a RAM of 8GB and a flash storage of 128GB.
It has a weight of 2.96 pounds. The battery life of this product is 9 hours. The battery type of this device is Lithium Polymer.
The color of this product is Silver. The operating system of this device is Mac OS. The processor type of this device is dual core Intel Core i5. The processor speed of this device is 1.6GHz.
The product dimensions of this device are 11.8 x 0.68 x 8.94 inches. The product display resolution is 1440 x 900 pixels.
The product includes a touch screen. The product does not include a hard drive. The front facing camera for this device is 720p. The rear facing camera for this device is 720p.
The ports that come with this device are USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 2, Thunderbolt 2, SDXC card slot.
Pros
- Long battery life
- Sleek design
- Good performance
- Storage starts at 256GB (larger capacity also available)
- Improved keyboard (Finally)
- Lower price of entry
Cons
- No SD card slot
- No Face ID login
- Screen bezel is large compared to many Windows alternatives
- Screen colors a little muted
- Limited port selection
- No support for Wi-Fi 6
ASUS Zen Book 15
In an industry first, the Screen Pad on the Zen Book Pro 15 is a touchscreen display that’ll change the way you interact with your laptop.
When docked, the ScreenPad gives you an additional 5.65-inch touchscreen surface, providing a natural extension to your main display. When undocked, ScreenPad transforms into a second screen with different functions.
A notification display provides quick access to a range of settings and onscreen activity, while ScreenPad apps offer a range of different functionalities, including app switching, control and multitasking.
It even supports handwriting, enabling you to take notes or draw directly on the screen. With the ScreenPad, you can do more in less time, making everything more efficient.
This is the new age laptop. The ASUS ZenBook 15 is a major step forward in design, engineering and performance. Its elegant, understated design is both contemporary and classic.
Its full-metal body provides strength, whilst remaining incredibly slim and light. The Zen Book 15 has everything needed to take your productivity and entertainment to the next level.
Powerful 8th Gen Intel Core processors and up to 16GB of RAM are packed into an incredibly slim and light 2kg chassis.
Pros
- Comfortable keyboard
- Great audio
- Improved Screen Pad functionality
- Glamourous, durable design
Cons
- The display could be brighter
- Mixed performance
ASUS Zen Book
Boot up in a flash and log in instantly with the built-in fingerprint reader in your new ASUS ZenBook UX310UQ laptop with Windows 10.
This 13.3-inch laptop features Intel’s newest 7th Gen Intel Core processors for the fastest processing speed with incredible performance.
The built-in fingerprint reader lets you login with the touch of a finger with pre-loaded Windows Hello, and enjoy simple connectivity with WiFi, Bluetooth and USB 3.0.
The ZenBook UX310UQ is ultra-responsive with ASUS Sonic Master technology, which uses fine-tuned acoustic performance, a larger loudspeaker, and an intelligent amplifier to deliver deeper audio with true resonance and incredible clarity.
It’s time to get the most out of your digital world with the ASUS Zen Book UX310UQ laptop.
ASUS ZenBook UX310UQ is an ultra-slim, lightweight, and portable laptop with a fully-functional keyboard and touchpad. This laptop has a 14-inch Full HD display with wide 178-degree viewing angles, and a thin frame.
ZenBook UX310UQ is powered by the latest Intel Core i7-7500U processor and NVIDIA GeForce 940MX with 2GB GDDR5 video memory, delivering up to 10% faster performance for even the most demanding tasks. ZenBook UX310UQ is designed to let you make the best of your digital life.
The laptop features a backlit keyboard, a precision touchpad with ASUS Smart Gesture technology, and a durable and exquisite spun-metal finish.
Zen Book UX310UQ contains the Asus Sonic Master technology with 5W stereo speakers, providing you with rich, clear, and immersive audio.
The most important factor in Zen Book UX310UQ’s performance is the speed of its storage, which is why it uses the latest high-speed PCIe solid-state drives (SSD).
Pros
- Excellent Keyboard and trackpad
- Powerful performance
- Battery backup
- Impressive design
- High contrast IPS LCD panel with narrow bezels
Cons
- No fingerprint sensor
- No Thunderbolt support
- Display is reflective and attracts smudges
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
The Surface Laptop is designed to be lightweight and portable, with a premium look and feel that does not betray its affordable price. The 12.3″ PixelSense touchscreen display has a thin, solid metal body that looks sharp and feels sturdy, with a thin bezel and a clean design.
The Surface Laptop is the ultimate laptop for the modern professional on the go. It has the latest 7th Generation Intel Core processors, a thin and light design, a rich and colorful display, and a premium magnesium body.
With Windows 10 S you’ll be in the familiar Windows environment, but with more powerful features like access to the Windows Store for apps, games, and other experiences.
With a single button press, Surface Laptop will transition from Windows 10 S to the full Windows 10 experience, for free.
The feather-light Surface Laptop gets even thinner and lighter. It has a 13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504 PixelSense touchscreen display that adapts to your touch and a sleek, Alcantara® keyboard that responds quietly to your touch.
Pros
- Multiple color options
- Attractive styling and excellent build quality
- USB Type-A port
- Inexpensive
- Light weight
- Comfortable keyboard and touch pad
Cons
- Internal storage tops out at 256GB
- Middling audio quality
- Less-than-1080p display
- No face recognition camera or keyboard backlighting
Lenovo Chromebook C330
Sleek, stylish, and secure, this 360⁰ convertible laptop is less than 1-inch thin and about the weight of a hardback book, with an 11-inch touchscreen display that’s perfect for day-to-day computing and multimedia, on or offline.
Get high performance when you need it – The Chromebook C330 boots up in seconds and features easy-to-use Chrome OS, plenty of memory and storage, and so much more.
Designed for durability – This Chromebook withstands bumps, bruises and spills. And it’s engineered with a sealed touchpad and keyboard to protect against dust, dirt and grime.
With the Lenovo Chromebook C330 10.1-Inch Laptop, you can access your email, documents, and photos from anywhere, anytime. It is weather-resistant and sturdy, making it a versatile 2-in-1 device you can use for years to come.
It features a 10.1″ screen with a screen resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and makes it easy for you to watch videos and play games.
The Intel Celeron N3350 processor and 4GB of onboard memory make it easy for you to run multiple applications quickly.
Pros
- USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI ports.
- SD slot for storage expansion.
- Low price.
- Even with its low resolution, a better-than-expected IPS screen
Cons
- Keyboard isn’t backlit.
- Jumbo screen bezels.
- Subpar sound.
Lenovo Flex 5 14
With the Lenovo Flex 5 14″ 2-in-1 laptop, you can enjoy the convenience of a 2-in-1 laptop that transforms when you need it to.
The 10-point, 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen allows you to use the 10-point digital pen to doodle, take notes, and sign documents.
The Dolby Audio Premium generates a fuller sound with deeper bass, so you can enjoy immersive, 360-degree sound quality.
This 2-in-1 laptop weighs just 3.64 pounds and is only 0.82″ thick. It’s soft and comfortable to the touch, with a durable paint that creates a better user experience. The Flex 5 14″ 2-in-1 laptop is thin.
light, and stylish – this 2-in-1 laptop weighs just 3.64 pounds and is only 0.82″ thick. It’s soft and comfortable to the touch, with a durable paint that creates a better user experience. Digital pen included.
The Lenovo Flex 5 gives you the freedom to work wherever and however you choose, with a 360⁰ hinge that enables 4 different usage modes.
Use it in laptop mode for everyday computing, tent mode for sharing and collaborate, stand mode for binge-watching your favorite shows, or tablet mode for a more intuitive interaction.
The ThinkPad X1 Yoga offers a stunning 12.5-inch QHD+ infinity touch display. The display has ultra-thin bezels for a more immersive viewing experience, and it can bend backwards 180-degrees and lie flat, or flip into tablet mode with its multi-position Kickstand.
It is powered by a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and boasts 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD, allowing you to multitask seamlessly, run a wide array of professional software and super fast startup times.
The 13-inch ThinkPad X1 Yoga offers a stunning 12.5-inch QHD+ infinity display that bends backwards 180-degrees and lies flat, or flips into tablet mode with its multi-position kickstand.
Pros
- Good performance
- Great battery
Cons
- ‘Buggy’ in flex mode
- Reflective display
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500
Dell Gaming G3 15 3500 Laptop, 15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz 300 nits WVA Anti-Glare LED Narrow Border Backlit Display, 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H (12MB Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 6 cores) 16GB 2933MHz DDR4, 512 GB M.2 [PCIe] NVMe (SSD) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6 Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.1.
Meet your new gaming beast! Equipped with the latest 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
It delivers faster game performance, faster game loads and effortless multitasking. This machine delivers sharp visuals and accelerated performance for a smooth and seamless gaming experience.
Pros
- 120Hz display
- Full complement of ports
- Attractive low price
Cons
- Only 256GB of storage in test configuration is restrictive for gaming
- Not quite capable of 60fps gaming at high settings in AAA titles
- Middling processor performance
2020 Apple MacBook Pro
The future of notebooks. The computer leaps to life as soon as you open the display. To maximize brightness, contrast, and color, the display adapts to the ambient light.
The keyboard is an industry first with individually custom-configurable top row keys.
Keystrokes are silent, fast, and responsive with the all-new butterfly mechanism, and a spacious Force Touch trackpad that makes all gestures frictionless.
The 13.3″ (diagonal) Retina display features a widescreen aspect ratio.
The Mac notebook with the highest resolution display. The Touch Bar replaces the function keys that have long occupied the top of your keyboard with something much more versatile and capable.
The Touch ID sensor allows for convenient unlocking and signing in, and is particularly useful in the all-new Safari.
The USB-C port is the future-proof single port for all of your peripherals. And with a glass-sandwich construction that only Apple notebooks can offer, MacBook Pro is a great choice for the person who does it all, and does it all on the go.
This laptop is a beast, The display is amazing, the best I have ever used. The speed is great, booting up to working on files is so fast.
I use a lot of graphics heavy software, like Final Cut Pro and Affinity Photo, and this laptop keeps up with all the rendering.
I would like to see more than one thunderbolt 3 port but I’m certain new technology will be released in the future.
The touch bar is amazing, so easy to change brightness and volume, and the keys change depending on the app you are using.
The keyboard is great, and I haven’t really made much use of the backlit feature, but I’m sure I will get a lot of use from it.
Pros
- A grand and Swift experience with the personal trackpad
- An adequate amount of software and features
- Better sound and video quality
- Bigger memory and storage than the previous version
- High-end performance and can perform overclocking
Cons
- Low performance for 4k video and heavy work
- The price is slightly high
Acer Predator Helios 300
Acer Predator Helios 300 gaming laptop is the new standard for performance and portability.
The powerful 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor coupled with the GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card, makes it the ideal hardware platform for smooth, immersive gaming and impeccable performance.
With a 15.6″ Full HD display, striking red backlit keyboard, and a lightweight and slim design, the Acer Predator Helios 300 is sure to take your gaming experience to the next level.
The new Predator Sense app allows you to track performance and lighting effects which users can sync with Predator League of Legends and Over watch to show your true gaming identity.
The Predator Helios 300 is 0.8″ (21.5 mm) thin and weights 5.95 lbs (2.7 kg), so you can game with confidence anywhere.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is ready for battle! Equipped with powerful 7th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, and with a super-fast 144Hz refresh rate, this monitor and machine combo is ready for your next gaming session.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is one of the most unique gaming notebooks in the world. Loaded with a state of the art gaming notebook and a high refresh rate monitor, it’s the perfect combination for gaming perfection.
Pros
- Built-in overclocking features
- Good port selection
- Reasonably quiet cooling
- Accepts three storage drives
- Smooth 240Hz screen
Cons
- Some sharp chassis corners
- RTX 3060 base model is a better value than our tester
HP Pavilion 15 Laptop
You’ll enjoy the ultimate in performance and productivity with the affordable HP Pavilion 15 laptop. Powered by 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, this laptop is great for whatever you’re doing—whether you’re creating, sharing, or exploring.
With a 61.9 cm (24.1″) diagonal FHD IPS micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass (1920 x 1080) display, you’ll see all the details.
Enjoy movies and games in Full HD resolution and in wide viewing angles. The Pavilion comes with a webcam, so you can video chat with family and friends.
There’s also dual speakers (Dolby Audio®), so you can hear movies and music with rich, stereo sound.
With a new design and refined style, including a wider and longer palm rest, the Pavilion is more comfortable for typing and working. And with a long-lasting battery that keeps you powered up, you can go all day.
It’s the laptop that doesn’t quit. Get more work done and have more fun with the HP Pavilion 15 (15-cc508na).
This laptop has a thin, sleek design that shows off its 15.6-inch diagonal Full HD display with an ultra-thin 6-millimeter bezel that supports a 90-percent screen-to-body ratio.
Take it anywhere and keep going for up to 9 hours. The 11th Generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor and 16 GB of memory provide fast responsiveness.
The HP Pavilion 15 (15-cc508na) delivers impressive graphics, smooth video playback and solid audio.
Pros
- Decent battery life.
- Wi-Fi 6.
- Capable 1080p gaming at high image-quality settings
Cons
- Lackluster 60Hz instead of 144Hz display in test unit.
- No Thunderbolt 3 port.
- Max-Q GPU rather than full-strength GeForce GTX 1660 Ti.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a powerful laptop for programming?
A powerful computer isn’t necessary for using one of many platforms that specialize in coding applications for Android, iOS or Windows operating systems. For example, a high-level app developer will need to have devices that support graphic-intensive software since he/she will be using games.
Which processor is best for Software Engineering students?
Intel Core i7-8750H
This laptop’s processor is truly phenomenal. Its i7-8750H model doesn’t just offer great performance, it also offers high quality work at a lower cost to the environment and your wallet.
A lot of people don’t know this, but you can achieve a lot more with less when it comes to items such as laptops.
Is MacBook air good for software engineering students?
Users of the MacBook Air are primarily students or business professionals who like to work on their laptops and on the go.
MacBook Air’s processing power, display, battery life, ultra-thin design and durability makes it a popular choice among college and university students as well as professionals in the United States.
As times change and more users become connected all day long with access to WiFi, dedicated high end graphics cards aren’t as high on priority lists anymore so most people tend to not look for them when buying laptops but this is mostly due to pre-existing products with those capabilities being old or consumers having the ability to work around the lack of a dedicated graphics card.
Final Verdicts
In this article, an expert discusses how to select the best laptops for software engineering students and recommends one in particular.
Read the complete review to purchase your own laptop today! Before making a decision on which laptop is best for you, be sure to check our recommendations for some quick inspiration.
Cody is a passionate gamer, writer, and computer programmer who’s always looking for ways to optimize and automate everyday tasks. When he’s not immersed in prose and code, he’s busy tinkering with computers, automating his home, and spending time with his wife and kids.
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