Going into college, students 95% of the time are going to need a laptop before they start their journey of taking college courses. Specifically for engineering students, laptops are an important asset to their academic success, as a lot of their course load is done through laptops. That being said, they will more likely need to focus on the best laptop components for engineering students. If you’re an engineering student, sure you can get a Macbook Air and call it a day like most college students, but is that what you’re solely wanting?
Getting a laptop as an engineering student is a completely different ball game compared to most, as you have to truly focus on crucial components of an engineering laptop, such as its Central Processing Unit (CPU), its Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), it’s Random-Access Memory (RAM), and it’s Operating System (OS). These components make up what it takes to be one of the best engineering laptops, so that way the student knows what should stand out from the rest.
Engineering Laptop Components
As previously mentioned, understanding each component of what makes a great engineering laptop is crucial. Here are those key components that make engineering laptops, engineering laptops:
Best Laptop Components for Engineering Students: Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit, or CPU, is a core aspect of an engineering laptop. While lots of gaming computers focus more on the Graphics Processing Units or GPUs, a CPU is necessary for engineering software because it is more algorithmic, which means it will benefit from having core processors such as i5 and i7, so that way processing software can be more consistent. Without a functioning CPU, the amount of time it takes for the software to run will typically take much longer than with a functioning CPU. It is highly recommended that engineering laptops have a Core i5 processor at the bare minimum.
Best Laptop Components for Engineering Students: Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
When it comes to components of an engineering laptop, people look at the CPU universally, as it is an incredibly essential factor. The Graphics Processing Unit, or GPU, is also an essential factor to look at. Some engineering fields don’t require your laptop to have any particular 3D software, such as electrical, software, or chemical engineering. Any that are included in a standard computer will work. This being said, those who do require 3D software, such as mechanical, civil, or aeronautical engineering, those fields will definitely need larger graphical processing power. Any graphics card that has 2GB of VRAM should be good to go for any undergraduate requirement.
Best Laptop Components for Engineering Students: Random-Access Memory (RAM)
Random-Access Memory, or RAM, is also a very essential addition to an engineering laptop, as it makes sure that the computer can both store and run whatever the processor is telling it to run. The most important part about RAM is contemplating how much to get for your laptop. RAM is typically cheap, and it doesn’t necessarily change the other benefits of a laptop.
This being said, it is safe to say that the more RAM you get, the better. For engineering students, the recommended minimum amount of RAM needed is 8GB, which should allow you to run most, if not all, software needed to be run in any undergrad program. Although 8GB is perfectly fine for an engineering student, if you have the ability to upgrade your RAM to 12GB, or even 16GB, that would be very ideal for any engineering student.
Best Laptop Components for Engineering Students: Operating System (OS)
Knowing what Operating System, or OS, you’re going to be using on your laptop is such an important factor. When considering engineering software, the best operating system for any engineering software has to be Windows without question. As much as people would like to see it, Mac doesn’t support many engineering software, likely any. If you’re willing to try finding a parallel while using a Mac, just be aware that it is a difficult process and in most cases it’s just not worth the effort.
That being said, if you’re in an undergraduate program and your only requirements are going to be using the basic engineering software programs such as Autocad or MathLab, those are completely supported by Mac. So in the grand scheme of things, when looking for a proper OS, it all comes down to what requirements your undergraduate program needs and how much-added effort you are willing to put in if you need to run a more complex system.
When searching for a high-standard laptop as an engineering student, it’s so important to consider all factors before purchasing. If cost is a crucial factor as well, you should also take a look at laptops that are under a more reasonable price range. Each of these laptop components will determine whether the laptop you’re looking into will either help or hinder your academic success. I hope this all helps you and I hope for the best when looking into a new laptop!
Written by Cooper Albright