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Best laptops for students


Even for those who feel at home with their nose in a textbook, the end of summer break (or Winter recess) is a big bummer. But as much as it's a return to school and schedules, it's an opportunity. This is a fine excuse to invest in some fresh tech to make the coming academia-addled year a little more bearable.

If you're still reliant on a desktop, or if your laptop winces at the sight of a high-definition video lecture, it's time to look into an upgrade. And thankfully if you know where to look, it's possible to get a sleek and impressive notebook without blowing through your savings (or student loans).

We've pored through our archives from the past several months and picked the best laptops for school. Our short list spans a variety of budgets that range from power-sipping Chromebooks to help you with that 1,000 page dissertation to more powerful machines that'll do better at a dorm room lan party.

Update: Microsoft recently announced its Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. The Surface Pro 4 is an updated Surface Pro 3 with Intel's Skylake processor, while the Surface Book is billed as Microsoft's first entry into the laptop space. The Surface Book is a convertible hybrid that's positioned as a competitor to rival Apple's MacBook Pro.



1. Asus Zenbook UX305


A most affordable and excellent Ultrabook


CPU: 800MHz Intel Core M 5Y10 (dual-core, 4MB cache, 2GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300 | RAM: 8GB DDR3 | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 (matte) | Storage: 256GB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 1.2MP HD | Weight: 2.6 pounds |Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches (W x D x H)


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Solid performance
Incredibly thin and light
Wonky video driver
Tinny speakers

Call it a MacBook Air knockoff all you want, the Asus ZenBook UX305 is one of the best and most affordable Ultrabooks available now.

Read the full review: Zenbook UX305



2. Acer Chromebook 15


Chrome OS comes to the big screen


CPU: 1.5GHz Intel Celeron 3205U (dual core, 2MB cache) | Graphics: Intel HD graphics | RAM: 4GB DDR3 | Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution | Storage: 32GB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 720p HD | Weight: 4.85 pounds | Dimensions: 15.08 x 9.65 x 0.95 inches


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Absolutely radiant display
All-day battery life
Sudden crashes
Tinny but serviceable speakers

The Acer Chromebook 15 asks if you need a big machine to just run a Chrome browser, and I say 'oh, yes.' The Chromebook 15 takes Chrome OS to new places as it's the first device to arrive with a 15.6-inch display and the first to come with Intel's newest Broadwell processor.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15



3. Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-inch with Retina Display


The fastest small MacBook Pro yet is a force of nature


CPU: 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with 3MB L3 cache (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) | Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch IPS, 2,560 x 1,600 pixels | Storage: 128GB SSD |Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: FaceTime HD | Weight: 3.48lbs (1.58kg) |Dimensions: 12.35 x 8.62 x 0.71-inches (W x D x H)


See more MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina display deals

Retina Display
Faster processor
Force Touch underdeveloped
Unchanged design

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is an excellent option for students who may need more power than a Chromebook or a MacBook Air without sacrificing portability thanks to its long battery life, relatively light weight, and high resolution display. Students on a budget will be happy to know that they can get started right away as the MacBook Pro with Retina display ships with free copies of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote out of the box as well as iMovie, Photos, and GarageBand for basic, creative projects.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina display



4. Acer Chromebook 15 C910


The colossus of Chromebooks


CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200 dual-core processor | Graphics: Intel HD 5500 graphics | RAM: 4GB, DDR3L SDRAM | Screen: 15.6-inch Full HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution | Storage: 32GB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 720p HD | Weight: 4.85 pounds | Dimensions: 1.0 x 15.1 x 10.1 inches inches


See more Acer Chromebook 15 C910 deals

Fast processing speeds
Long battery life
Too heavy
Awkward keyboard

Don't be fooled by this fatso. The Acer Chromebook 15 C910 is a durable workhorse that will reward you for looking past its size in favor of its performance, long battery life and stylish good looks.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 C910



5. Apple MacBook Air 13-inch


Finally, battery life within our grasp


CPU: Dual-core 1.3GHz Intel Core i5 (2.6GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5000 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 1440 by 900 | Storage: 128GB SSD | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: FaceTime HD | Weight: 2.96 pounds (1.35 kg) | Dimensions: 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.68 inches (W x D x H)


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Fantastic battery life
Haswell processors
No Retina screen
Not user upgradeable

While it has yet to make the leap into Retina, this is still the laptop that the ultrabook aspires to, thanks to incredible battery life and AC Wi-Fi.

Read the full review: MacBook Air 13-inch



6. Asus ROG GL551


The best entry-level gaming laptop available


CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-4710HQ Processor (quad-core, 6M cache, up to 3.5GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M (2GB GDDR5 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4600 | RAM: 16GB DDR3L (2x 8GB at 1600MHz) | Screen: 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080), matte finish | Storage: 1TB HDD (7,200 rpm) | Connectivity: 802.11g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 1.2MP, 720p webcam | Weight: 6 pounds | Dimensions: 15.0 x 10 x 1.3 inches (W x D x H)


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Impressive performance
Solid build
Finicky screen
Rather thick

With a surprising amount of horsepower under the hood, you couldn't ask for more from the Asus GL551, save for maybe a better screen.

Read the full review: ROG GL551



7. Acer Aspire V7


Offering great all-round performance this is ideal for a student


CPU: 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.60 GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT 750M (4GB DDR3 RAM); Intel HD Graphics 4400 | RAM: 8GB DDR3L RAM | Screen: 14-inch, 1920 x 1080 glossy IPS touchscreen | Storage: 500GB (5400 rpm with a 16GB SSD cache) | Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 720p webcam | Weight: 4.41 pounds | Dimensions: 13.4 x 9.4 x 0.9 inches (W x D x H)


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Seamless design
Gorgeous screen
Rough trackpad
Short battery life

A short battery life and an obnoxious amount of bloatware hold back this otherwise excellent notebook that tows the line between Ultrabook and gaming laptop.

Read the full review: Aspire V7

Read: Acer Aspire V7 review



8. Microsoft Surface 3


Thinner, lighter, quieter, cheaper


CPU: Quad Core Intel Atom x7-78700 processor (2MB Cache, 1.6GHz turbo boost to 2.4GHz) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 10.8-inch ClearType Full HD Plus Display (1920 x 1200) | Storage: 128GB | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 3.5 megapixel front-facing camera; 8.0 megapixel rear-facing camera with autofocus | Weight: 1.37 pounds | Dimensions: 10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 inches (W x D x H)


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Display
Design
Keyboard
Storage

If you want the cheapest and most portable Surface tablet money can buy for lightweight computing tasks, the Surface 3 fits the bill. Power-hungry users should consider the low-end Surface Pro 3 instead.

Read the full review: Surface 3



9. Microsoft Surface Pro 3


Thinner, lighter, quieter, cheaper


CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i5-4300U (dual-core, 3MB cache, up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost) | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4400 | RAM: 8GB LPDDR3 | Screen: 12-inch, 2160 x 1440 multi-touch (ClearType, 3:2 aspect ratio) | Storage: 256GB | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: Two 5MP webcams (1080p HD video) | Weight: 1.76 pounds | Dimensions: 7.93 x 11.5 x 0.36 inches (W x D x H)


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Sharp display and design
Huge Type Cover upgrade
Runs hot at times
Type Cover still optional

Not without its drawbacks, this is the brightest shining example of not only Microsoft's vision of a laptop-free future, but the entire laptop-tablet hybrid category.

Read the full review: Surface Pro 3



10. Lenovo ThinkPad E555


A ThinkPad, but without the price tag


CPU: AMD A8-7100 APU | Graphics: Radeon R5 | RAM: 4GB DDR3L 1600Mhz RAM (0.67GB allocated to graphics) | Screen: 15.6-inch AntiGlare display, 1366 x 768 pixel resolution | Storage: 500GB (7200RPM) | Connectivity: 802.11n Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: HD | Weight: 5.29lbs (2.54kg) | Dimensions: 14.76 x 10.04 x 1-inches (W x D x H)


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Great keyboard
Decent performance
Poor battery life
Heavy

Forget Lenovo's Essentials range, the ThinkPad E555, bears all the qualities (well, almost) of the legendary ThinkPad family but without the price tag.

Read the full review: ThinkPad E555

Originally contributed by Joe Osborne and Kevin Lee.











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