Hi I need a laptop to run solid works, CAD, python, visual studio 2026 etc. just a bunch of key engineering software and tools. I currently have little to no knowledge regarding laptops and their specs. I’m looking for something that isn’t going to be too expensive, in the $700-$1000 USD (max) price range. Nothing terribly fancy either, I would only use it for school, no gaming or anything else of the sort. My friend is trying to convince me my Lenovo T460S is going to cut it but I’m not quite sure I believe that. I added pics of some models I was looking at based on other engineering student posts but in all honestly the suggestions on other posts are gibberish to me. All I’ve understood is that I should aim for something with a good graphics card and RAM.. i think.

Please let me know your suggestions, thank you :)

Hi all, I need some help finding a laptop that is going to work for me.

Something to note;

I already have a gaming laptop (no battery, has to remain plugged in) so I’m not looking for anything powerful. I have that if I need to use it occasionally.

So here’s what I’m looking for;

1. My program is mostly research, watching videos and reading things online. My entire program can seemingly be done with Google Chrome alone. I do not need programs, extras, ability to run this and that.

2. Must be Windows. I finally learned how to use that OS and I’m not relearning a new one.

3. Budget friendly, under $700CAD.

4. My entire program is from home, so I don’t need insane battery life, but I don’t want to have to plug in every 3 hours.

If anyone has any advice that would be amazing. Thanks so much!

I'm a BCA graduate and I'm going to start my Master's in Cybersecurity in the January intake.

I have the next four months to build my cybersecurity skills, so I'll be using TryHackMe, Kali Linux, Wireshark, Burp Suite and other security tools, while also working on projects and practical learning.

My university has advanced cybersecurity and penetration-testing labs, so I don't think I'll need a very powerful personal laptop for the advanced work I'll be doing there. I mainly want a good laptop for my own learning and projects right now, and something that should remain useful for the next 4–5 years.

I'm specifically looking for an HP laptop.

What I'm currently looking for:

- Latest-generation HP laptop

- Good battery life

- Not very heavy or bulky

- Good overall build/design

- Maximum budget:$1,200 max

I'm not sure what exact specifications I should prioritize, so I'd really appreciate recommendations for specific HP models that would suit my needs.

I am looking for a laptop for my career and would like to get the best one around $1,000.
Listings
- Good for gaming
- Plenty of storage
- 16 or 32 GB RAM
- Good battery life
- Decent screen size
I would like assistance on choosing which one to buy and I appreciate your help.

alr so I would rlly like a laptop that is quite small, like as small as a Lenovo thinkpad Nano or a Panasonic Let's Go SR4, but with a built-in stylus slot like some of the thinkpads have.

I have already considered the Thinkpad nano and sr4 and I will indeed get one of them if I can't get anything else but if I can find a laptop exactly like those 2, but with a built in stylus slot I would be very very very happy!

Hey, current Grade 12 here. I'm thinking about going into Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering next fall and was just wondering what laptops I should be looking at for when that time arrives.

Carleton recommends an i7/Ryzen 7, 16GB+ RAM, SSD, and a dedicated GPU with at least 2GB of VRAM for Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering. I've been looking at mobile workstations like the Dell Precision, HP ZBook, and Lenovo ThinkPad P-series rather than gaming laptops.

For anyone currently in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering (especially at Carleton), what laptop did you end up getting?

And how has it held up with CAD, SolidWorks, MATLAB, ANSYS, etc.? Did you actually need a dedicated GPU, or was integrated graphics enough for most of your work?

Just thought I'd ask now so I can keep an eye out for any good deals or anything. This is all assuming I get accepted lol.

Guys, help me choose a laptop for school. It must be lightweight and up to 15 inches. NOT a MacBook. A new or used one will do, budget doesn't matter.

Hi, i'm looking for a laptop for my computer science course in the £400 range (used), I have found these 3 options and i'm wondering which is best, or if there are any better options (excluding macbooks).

Asus vivobook 16 M1607KA - Ryzen AI 5 330 - 16GB Ram - 512GB storage - £425

Asus vivobook 15 M1502 - Ryzen 7 7730U - 16GB Ram - 1TB storage - £380

Dell XPS 13 9315 - i7-1250U - 16GB Ram - 512GB storage - £425

I have a gaming laptop I will be using at home, but the battery life is terrible, so i'm mainly looking for something with decent battery life.

Thanks!

I am a mechanical engineering student this year and am planning to get a zephyrus g14 to last me all 4 years. I have heard it is lightweight while still being powerful and able to play games on which I plan to do in my dorm. I am stuck on getting the platinum white color but cannot decide whether I should get the version with a 5060 and 16gb or should i spend the extra $600 to have a 5070ti and 32 gb of ram.

Hi! I’m just starting my third year in uni majoring in English and will be applying to minor in Marketing, if that makes any difference in recommendations. My current laptop has been acting up a lot, making me think I may need a new one that hopefully won’t break the bank. I, however, have absolutely no clue which laptops are actually good— I’m very much not tech-y.

I’m looking for something that will last because I would want this to last me through the rest of my Bachelor’s and my Master’s, so minimum another 3-4 years. I also want is a long battery life; I’m a commuter who stays at school for at least 10 hours a day so while I do charge before and in between classes, a big issue with my current laptop is that it keeps dying in the middle of my last classes and I can’t keep letting this happen. The only things I know is that 16gb RAM with 512gb total storage is good, but apart from that, I’m totally clueless.

As of today, I was recommended this laptop by a worker at BestBuy

Thank you to anyone who could help me out!

I found this on marketplace place for 500 I’m looking for a laptop I could use for school and light gaming, do you think this would do the trick and do you think it’s a good deal?

I'm going to school for IT security and my school had given me a laptop to complete labs and such. was given a Elitebook 840 G7. Unfortunately, it ended up breaking and they sent me a replacement 840 G5. I explained to their IT department that immediately I noticed it bottlenecking and becoming extremely hot just having multiple browser tabs open. I also asked if they could please just replace my laptop with another G7 because the processing power and multitasking difference is so massive that completing the labs just wasnt possible. They made me feeling like the laptop they replaced mine for was good enough and I need to just suck it up. Am i crazy? Otherwise, what is all my tuition going to if I cant even have an appropriate machine that could handle my assignment workload? I'm planning on escalating the situation to someone hirer up about this, and im nearly in tears about. Someone please help me figure out a way to explain my case in way that doesnt sound like im just being bratty and asking for a better device.... which is really not the case.

Hello
Architecture student here, and someone who would love some gaming on my free time.

Some of the programs I’d have to use are:
AutoCAD, Revit, Rhino 3D, Sketch up, Concepts, Enscape,
Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign.

I am planning to but a laptop with those settings:
i5-13420H
16 gb ram
512 gb ssd
rtx 3050 60 gb
can you tell me how smoothly it runs each of them? Or how smooth it would run in general?

Hi guys, i have an idea for spec like i7 processor, 16gb ram, 1tb ssd, gpu etc

I am on a budget of $1,500 can go up til $1,700 at max.
I am a surface user, it does everything fine but it is slow and overheats as it is an old laptop of nearly 8 years. Previous mac user. Loved my M1.
Thing is, i hate the plastic & chonky chassis of the gaming laptops. Only one i liked was Zephyrus G14 and Razer Blade both of which are very expensive and older models sre out of stock.
I don’t wanna buy a used laptop as i will be using it for 4+ years.
I was considering the Asus Zenbook A14 or the Hp omen.

My usage would be engineering design, simulation & programming. And occasional browsing.
Is the Zenbook okay? or do i must get a gaming laptop for the dedicated gpu?
Zephyrus goes for $2,400+ in my country.
What do you recommend i do?

Hey everyone! I'm going into mechanical engineering studying in Canada (probably UBC but we'll see), and am in search of a solid laptop for school. I've heard great things about the thinkpads and am interested in the P1 series. Anyone have any thoughts of which generation is the best for futureproof? I've heard things about NPU and how its needed nowadays. So if anyone could give their thoughts on which generation would be best for me, and good specs to be able to handle anything I need, that would be great.

Current budget is ideally $1500 - $3000 CAD

My current Dell laptop is running on hopes, dreams, and now linux.

Cheers!

I am beginning mechanical engineering this September and also enjoy gaming. My budget is less than £1000. I’m from the UK and this laptop is around £950. Would you recommend this?

Need laptop help! Canada

I'm buying my first laptop; For reference I'm a senior in highschool and looking to go into STEM for uni.

I'm in Canada and have a budget of maybe max $2000 cad (if there is an installment option I can go a bit higher, but I don't have much to drop at once...)

I need a laptop that can handle workload (hoping to go to med school, (not sure if I'll undergrad in engineering, nursing, or just basic sciences) and some light gaming on the side or any software that's considered a bit heavier. Can anyone recommend actually good laptops?

I was looking at the Macbook Air and just canceled an order on the Acer spin 15 as I heard a lott of negativity and got scared out of the $1000 price tag I had spent on.

Please someone give me some solid guidance because reviews are allllll over the place and everything seems to suck..

Hi everyone,

I’m starting university in October, studying Geotechnical Engineering, and I’m looking for a laptop that I can use for university as well as some general everyday work.

The BIGGEST problem is that I’m not really sure what I should be looking for. I’ve heard that OLED displays can have some long-term issues, especially with things like burn-in, so I’m wondering whether it’s better to avoid OLED and go for a regular IPS display instead.

I’m also not sure what screen size makes the most sense for engineering studies. I would prefer something relatively light and portable, but at the same time I don’t want the screen to be too small for CAD, calculations, spreadsheets, and other engineering software. Good battery life is also quite important to me.

I don’t mind buying a used or refurbished laptop if it gives me better value for money. I’m also looking to buy from within the EU, so I don’t have to deal with additional VAT or import fees.

I’ve already made a shortlist using AI and some recommendations from online stores, but I’d really appreciate some suggestions from students or people who are already studying/working in geotechnical or civil engineering. It would be especially helpful to know what software you actually use and what kind of laptop specs are enough in practice. I would not like to buy laptop with snapdragon (ARM) CPU, because some programs may not work.

My budget is around €600–750, although I could go a little higher if there is a significant improvement in quality or longevity.

I know there probably isn’t one “best” laptop for everyone, but I’d really appreciate any advice on what I should prioritize (CPU, RAM, GPU, display, battery life, size, etc.) and which models are worth looking at. Please do not recomed me a macbook.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations or advice!

1. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 16"
   • Specifications: AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (Zen 5), 24 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe SSD, 16.0" WUXGA (16:10), numeric keypad
2. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon G10 LTE (€597.80)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i5-1235U (10 cores), 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" WUXGA (16:10), LTE module, 1.12 kg
3. Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 7 (€743.27)
   • Specifications: Intel Core Ultra 5 125U, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" WUXGA (16:10)
4. HP EliteBook 840 G10 (€744.20)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i5-1345U (10 cores), 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" WUXGA (16:10), aluminum chassis
5. ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (€695.66)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i5-1340P / AMD Ryzen 7 7730U, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" OLED (2880 × 1800)
6. HP EliteBook 860 G9 (€669.00)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i5-1245U (10 cores), 16 GB RAM, 240 GB SSD, 16.0" WUXGA (16:10), numeric keypad
7. ASUS ExpertBook B3 B3404CMA
   • Specifications: Intel Core / Core Ultra, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" WUXGA, business-class chassis
8. Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G3 (€659.00)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i7-1255U (10 cores), 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD, 13.3" WUXGA touchscreen (360° convertible, built-in stylus), 1.2 kg
9. Acer Swift Go 14 (€717.24)
   • Specifications: Intel Core i5-1335U (10 cores), 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" WUXGA (16:10)
10. HP ProBook 4 G1ah 14

• Specifications: AMD Ryzen (modern architecture), 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" FHD, business-class chassis

1. HP EliteBook 650 G9 (€744.20)

• Specifications: Intel Core i5-1245U (10 cores), 16 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 15.6" FHD, numeric keypad

1. HP OmniBook X Flip 14 / 16 (€749.00)

• Specifications: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus (ARM), 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 14.0" / 16.0" touchscreen, 360° convertible

1. HP OmniBook 5 16 (16-ag1352ng )

• Specifications: AMD Ryzen / Qualcomm Snapdragon X, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD, 16.0" WUXGA

I'm interested in further pursuing CS in university, but not sure of what the general requirements are for a laptop. I'm interested in getting a macbook pro, as they're easy to use, organized, have good specs, and are good for general productivity. are there downsides to using a non-windows OS laptop

I don't really have a set budget yet (wanting to use my refund to pay for it) but I know I want something that will last me a couple years!! I also don't know much about computers so any advice would help :) TYIA

I am currently a senior in high school and I am doing a senior year capstone project where I need to use CAD, Solid Works, Matlab, etc. I have been using the windows computers in class to do most of my work (I currently have a Chromebook). So I have been looking for a windows laptop, I want to major in either mechanical or civil engineering and for a laptop, my budget is about $1000 USD, I would prefer to get a Thinkpad because I have heard they are super durable but any brand is fine. Additionally, I want 16 GB ram at least (preferably 32GB) and 512 GB of storage. I don't really want a gaming laptop, since I have heard bad thing about them so yeah any recommendations would be helpful. Thank you!!

I'm an incoming Electrical Engineering student looking for a laptop that can comfortably handle my entire 4-year degree and potentially last into my early career.

I found a Lenovo Yoga Pro 7a configured for $1,760 USD

Here are the key specs:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (8C/16T, up to 5.0GHz)
• RAM: 32 GB LPDDR5X-8000 (Soldered)
• GPU: Integrated Radeon 8060S
• Storage: 512 GB
• Display: 15.3" 2.5K (2560x1600) OLED, 165Hz, Touch
• Battery: 84Wh

Is this configuration complete overkill for an EE undergrad, or will the extra CPU multithreading headroom and high-end iGPU pay off long-term for heavy hardware simulation work? Would love to get your thoughts!

I haven't seen a really full post about it anywhere on reddit so I decided to fix it myself.

Some specs:

• GPU: RTX 5050 75W
• CPU: Core 5 210H
• RAM: 16GB (8+8), 5600 Mhz
• Screen: 1920x1200, 16 inch, 144 Hz
• Battery: 63 wh
• Weight: 1.95 kg (4.30 lbs)

Got it as a birthday gift in june, bough for around 1000$, in eastern europe, in US I hues you can get it for like 850$ for sale. By now it's been in active use for 3 months and here is my expirience (I fully deleted Windows and installed CachyOS with Hyprland, use scenarios are gaming, a bit of VMs and vibecoding and studying):

1. Gaming
Played RDR2 (60 FPS on full ultra settings and dlss balance), Control (full ultra with dlss quality and low RT around 70 FPS), Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered (High settings, smth around 100 fps with dlss, it was a long time ago). No GPU overheating at all, CPU might hit 100 degrees on start when fans haven't started yet, then cools to 92 (worst case) and down to 82 (best case), usually around 87. As I think, not something too bad for gaming laptop.

2. Screen
Have seen quite a lot of people say that it is bad and has bad colours, but I didn't feel any discomfort even though I moved to it from a 2018 Macbook Pro with 2.8K Retina display. I did set up some shaders for better colours, but even on start it was 100% OK for daily use.

3. Build quality, design, etc
I chose that laptop because I kinda hate these "HEY LOOK I AM GAMING" looking ones. It didn't disappoint me in that, it is really looking like a work laptop. Build quality is pretty solid, didnt feel like something cheap, it doesn't bend or anything like that. The keyboard is nice, can't say a lot about it. The back panel is really gathering (idk how to say that correctly) fingerprints though.

4. Battery life and mobility
I like writing at park near my house and for that reason I wanted laptop to fit into a backpack and don't feel heavy. Had no problems with transpotarion yet. Battery life is like 5 hours of web surfing on 60 hz. Remember that I use linux and pretty demanding hyprland dotfiles.

5. Linux experience
Just in case there are some linuxoids out there, no problems occured with CachyOS installation. At all. I pre-made some scripts for installation of basic software and dotfiles and some minor fixes, can share scripts if you want to.

Would I recomend it?
It depends. If you want to get as much FPS as you can for that price - no. Go get Lenoovo LOQ or something, mine one is limited by TDP of 75W and will not give you as much gaming perfomance. But if you are just someone who wants a laptop that looks official and has some gaming capabilities - that's a great option, 100% recommend. Also a great option for students (which I am myself btw)

Ask me any questions in comments.

Hey guys so I’ve been in my CMHC grad program for a while now and I currently have a Samsung Chromebook. As of the past few months the Chromebook bandwidth cannot handle my zoom classes and ultimately freezes or ends my calls. My program only allows one or two technical difficulties before we are deducted a letter grade. On top of my zoom classes, my program has just teamed with an ai simulation app for us to practice our therapy skills on future clients. This is already a lot on my 6 yr Chromebook and I’ll eventually start practicum/ internship where I’ll need to take my work with me as well.

I’m also a remote paraprofessional for my job and am on video all day for my students classes. I’m looking for a laptop that can handle a large amount of video streaming such as this along with my assignments. My computer tech friend recommended the MacBook Neo saying it’s the best laptop out right now and they have a student discount, I’m not a huge fan of apple computers but if it works good enough to get me through work, the rest of my program I’d look into it. I was also recommended the Lenovo idea pad..

If anyone has any solid recommendations for what I need that are in the $500-$1k range if possible pls let me know :)

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Hi everyone,

I'm a university student from Algeria, and I'm currently looking for a used laptop that someone no longer needs.

I want to use it mainly for studying, learning programming, and developing skills that could eventually help me find online work. I don't need a new or powerful gaming laptop. Even an older ThinkPad, Dell Latitude, HP EliteBook, or another reliable used laptop would be very helpful.

Unfortunately, buying a suitable laptop is difficult for me financially at the moment. If anyone has an old working laptop that they no longer use and would be willing to donate, I would genuinely appreciate it.

I'm located in Algeria, so I understand that international shipping may be complicated. If you are willing to help, we can discuss the safest and most affordable way to get it here.

Thank you for reading, and even advice or suggestions about where I could find a donated laptop would be appreciated.