Top 5 BEST Laptops For Engineering Students in 2025
Master your course with best engineering student laptops
We’ve compiled the top laptops for engineering students to get you through your course and beyond, based on more than 1,800 reviews of laptops, Chromebooks, and MacBooks.
With an emphasis on portability and performance, my team and I have thoroughly evaluated and compared a wide variety of the best laptops and student laptops appropriate for engineering students. We have conducted benchmarks, examined specifications, and sought for sturdy designs that allow them to be carried about campus and used while working on the go.
Because of its remarkable power, elegant yet sturdy design, and status as one of the greatest laptops available today, I currently rank the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon as the top laptop for engineering students overall. The complete assessment is available below, along with some outstanding substitutes for anyone in need of a budget-friendly engineering notebook, a larger screen, or a power boost.
Table of Contents
BEST OVERALL
1. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 12
BEST 4K
2. Dell XPS 17
BEST ON A BUDGET
3. HP Victus 15
BEST MACBOOK
4. Apple MacBook Air (M3)
BEST FOR GAMES
5. Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 from Lenovo is the pinnacle of notebook adaptability. Professionals value its lightweight, portable design, which is sleek and minimalistic. It is ideal for people who operate in hybrid environments or travel frequently. While the matte display minimizes glare and ensures usability in a variety of lighting settings, the sturdy carbon fiber chassis and revised keyboard offer comfort during prolonged work sessions.
The X1 Carbon Gen 12 excels in portability without sacrificing performance. With up to 32GB of RAM and Intel Core Ultra CPUs, it can easily manage demanding business applications and multitasking. The 14-inch IPS display offers clear images and unexpected depth in dark environments, making it adequate for professional applications even though it isn’t the most colorful. This laptop’s outstanding 12-hour battery life guarantees that it will endure the full workday.
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is still a great option for professionals despite a few issues, such a somewhat poor webcam and a restricted port choices on one side. It is a strong candidate for business users that require a dependable, portable, and sturdy laptop for their work, and its quality design, long battery life, and potent performance justify its expensive price tag.
2. Dell XPS 17 (9730)
One of the devices that pleased us from the first time we opened the box till the end of our assessment is the Dell XPS 17. This massive beast is perfect for people who want a bigger computer with the capacity to do a variety of jobs, such as video editing and engineering coursework.
The screen is one of the nicest features of a really good laptop. We thought it provided a decent experience at 17 inches with 4K resolution, and the 16:10 aspect ratio, which offers extra screen real estate, is an added advantage. With 188.8% sRGB and 133.7% DCI-P3, color fidelity is quite good here if you require it.
This is a well-made, elegant, and pleasantly sturdy computer that can be carried to and from classes as well as across campus. The keyboard is encased in carbon fiber, while the chassis is constructed from machined aluminum. We discovered that typing was really pleasant when in use, which is, in my opinion, a necessary for any student laptop.
It goes without saying that at this size, weighing 5.37 lbs. (2.44 kg), it is not lightweight. Additionally, we discovered that the battery only lasted nine hours between charges, which is sufficient for a day on college.However, we wish it had lasted longer. Additionally, it is really pricey, and the cost just increases as you begin personalizing it. If you’re looking for an inexpensive engineering laptop, this isn’t it.
However, the Dell XPS 17 is a great choice if you’re looking for a computer that offers excellent performance across the board, a gorgeous screen, and a sleek overall design.
3. HP Victus 15
It may be sold as a laptop for gaming. But the HP Victus 15’s RTX-equipped variants and straightforward appearance (free of the garish ‘gaming look’ of many powerful laptops) make it a good option for any engineering student who will be using graphically demanding software.
Additionally, it’s incredibly affordable for a laptop with a discrete GPU, which should appeal to any aspiring engineer on a tight budget. It did not significantly outperform comparable gaming laptops in our usual benchmarks during testing.With a dual-fan configuration and a sizable air vent at the bottom, we also discovered that it takes air circulation seriously. When working on large, sophisticated projects and resource-intensive apps that truly put any engineering laptop to the test, it will be a huge advantage.
This laptop isn’t the lightest in the industry, but it’s durable enough to survive the rigors of college life thanks to its brilliant 15.6-inch FHD display and generally sturdy construction. This device effortlessly doubles as a laptop and a desktop substitute, saving room in your dorm room.
4. Apple MacBook Air (M3)
For the majority of consumers, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) is the greatest MacBook because it offers better performance, a little more elegant design, and a cheaper entry price. While adding features like improved fingerprint resistance on the Midnight color option, it keeps its lightweight and thin silhouette.
The latest M3 chip powers this fanless laptop, which offers consumers a great mix between mobility and power and performs exceptionally well in daily work, online browsing, and even light gaming. With more than 14 hours on a single charge, the battery life is still impressive, making it a great option for people who require a dependable, long-lasting gadget for business or travel.
Although the new MacBook Air is less expensive than its predecessor, the M2, with a starting price of $1,099, the base model’s 8GB unified memory and 256GB storage feel a little inadequate for today’s needs. It is advised to upgrade to 16GB RAM and 512GB storage for improved future-proofing. The laptop is a desirable choice for professionals that use machine learning and AI-driven activities because of the M3 chip’s enhanced Neural Engine, which also improves AI performance. Support for external monitors has been increased, but there is a catch: the laptop can only be used with two external screens closed.
Apple hasn’t changed anything about the M2 model’s look, which was already favorably received. The keyboard is comfy, the screen is still vivid and brilliant, and the connection selection is sufficient but could use more Thunderbolt 4 support. All things considered, the MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) offers outstanding value due to its reduced cost and upgraded features, making it a strong competitor in the laptop market for the majority of consumers.
5. Asus ROG Strix SCAR 18
A dynamic, high-performance gaming laptop, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 offers an unmatched combination of premium hardware and an eye-catching appearance. This laptop’s class-leading speed and Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card allow it to easily run the most graphically demanding games and sophisticated engineering software.
The Strix Scar 18 stands out thanks to its remarkable 18-inch QHD+ display, which has a 240Hz refresh rate for fluid, engrossing images. This function, when paired with a cutting-edge cooling system, ensures a pleasurable experience throughout extended use, whether for lengthy engineering simulations or gaming marathons.The laptop weighs more than 6 pounds, which limits its portability, and users should be aware of the possibility of high fan noise when using it heavily.
Even though the Strix Scar 18 is expensive, its outstanding performance more than makes up for it, especially for engineering students who enjoy gaming. Although this laptop is not intended for casual users, the ROG Strix Scar 18 is among the best options available for those looking for sheer power and a sizable, excellent display for work and play.
There are several things to take into account while selecting the ideal laptop for an engineering student.
An excellent laptop for engineering students has to run powerful programs with multiple active windows at once, such as a large Excel sheet, a CAD window, and a mapping service.
You will need a laptop with the power to run sophisticated programs like AutoCAD, MATLAB, and SolidWorks efficiently because you will probably be using them. Using applications like the best 3D modeling software and graphic design software can be graphically demanding.
Search for laptops with the greatest processors, graphics cards, and RAM in order to ensure a continuous workflow. We suggest a laptop with at least the most recent Intel Core i5 or Core i7 CPUs, 1TB of SSD storage, and 16GB of RAM (32GB is preferable).
Unless you require as much information on the screen as possible, a crisp display with at least 1080p resolution is recommended; nevertheless, size will depend on personal preference.
You should be able to carry your laptop about all day, wherever you need to work, thanks to its portability and durability. Additionally, the gadget manages a few unintentional bumps. Check each device’s battery life as part of this. With an all-day battery, you won’t need to carry a charger with you everywhere you go. However, a lower battery capacity will also work if you plan to keep your setup largely in one location.
Common laptop features include a long battery life, a lightweight design, and various features that facilitate media consumption and communication (e.g., webcams, WiFi, screens). Even if their batteries don’t last all day, engineering students’ laptops must be able to effortlessly do sophisticated tasks.
It’s also a good idea to find out whether your school, college, or university has any minimum hardware requirements or preferred machines. It’s wise to find out before committing because the engineering software you use will often be limited to a specific operating system, typically Windows.
Do engineering students benefit from using Apple laptops?
When it comes to laptops for engineers, Apple MacBooks have long been a strong contender. These laptops are now even more effective and proficient at multitasking, and they can run even the most demanding programs and tasks thanks to the recent switch to Apple’s own silicon with the M1 and M2 chips.
The problem, though, is that a lot of technical software, such as Autodesk’s, is limited to Windows. Ask your institution or school what software you will be utilizing for your course if you are unsure.
Is a powerful laptop necessary for engineering students?
Although the portability of the device and the applications being used balance this need, engineering students require a powerful laptop.
Compared to, example, the top laptops for writers, using engineering programs puts a lot more strain on computers. Engineering students’ laptops will be more productive than even the best laptops for programming.
In the end, a CAD or SolidWorks window consumes a lot more resources than a web search or text document. As a result, while CPU is more reliant on the software selected, a dedicated GPU and lots of RAM are essential.