10 Best Laptops for Programming Students

For programming students, choosing a suitable laptop is essential to be able to meet the requirements of learning. The best model need to meet the criteria of configuration, display, keyboard, and battery life.

I have compiled the top ten laptop computers for future programmers for your reference. Besides, I also share with you the criteria to consider before buying.

Scroll down to choose the one that best suits you!

Our Top Picks:

To make it easier for you to choose from the many laptop models on the market today, I have included many products for different segments, no matter what you need, you will be able to choose the right one.

1. Acer Aspire 5 Slim – Best for Overall

Specification

Brand	Acer
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	4 GB

Product Highlights

This device is for work, leisure, and sharing! The portability and power of the Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop meet the multitasking requirements of programming students.

When I connect to Wi-Fi, I find that the connection of this laptop is quite fast. Almost immediately I can log in strong. The latest Intel Core i3 processor from the 11th generation gives me a quick operating experience, I can open many taps at once, and the machine is still very smooth.

Besides, the thin bezel offers multiple screens, and the Full HD IPS display ensures true-to-life colors. This is also a feature I am very impressed with because it gives me a better visual experience.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Solid design
• Powerful productivity
• Has backlit keyboard
• Has advanced security features
• Ergonomically-designed hinge

Things to Consider

• The audio quality from internal speakers is not good

2. Acer Aspire Vero Green PC – Best for Eco-friendly

Specification

Brand	Acer
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	16 GB

Product Highlights

This laptop was carefully designed by Acer with environmental concerns, making it the perfect choice for college students who take sustainability seriously. Its 1.8 kg weight, however, is relatively heavy for a typical 15.6-inch computer.

Vero has a fingerprint reader. I like this feature because I can start the machine quickly and conveniently. Also, other people cannot arbitrarily use my laptop without my permission. This feature makes it very secure.

On the inside, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0 provide connectivity. One more HDMI output is available. The Acer also has aggressive power-saving settings to cut power usage.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Eco-friendly design
• Good ergonomics
• High performance
• Many USB ports
• Affordable price

Things to Consider

• Relatively thick and heavy
• Display quality is not good

3. Apple 2022 MacBook Air – Best for Daily Tasks

Specification

Brand	Apple
Screen	13.6 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product Highlights

The MacBook Air is always a wise decision for programming students. Although spending so much is not cheap, I believe you’ll receive your money’s worth.

It is quick, dependable, and at least up to your expectations. It can easily handle the demands and daily tasks of a programming student. For logging onto apps and websites, the fingerprint reader is a benefit.

Battery life is excellent; I use it to surf the web, play games, and do some common tasks in a day. With occasional use, I have noticed it lasts up to a week.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Easy to use
• Long battery life
• High performance
• Has fingerprint reader

Things to Consider

• Expensive

4. Lenovo 2022 Ideapad 3 – Best for A Compact Size

Specification

Brand	Lenovo
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	20 GB

Product Highlights

The elegant and modern look of this Lenovo 2022 Ideapad 3 laptop is sure to attract young customers. High-quality ultra-light materials with a scratched outer shell have created an outstanding feature for this laptop.

It is a very compact machine with a weight of only 1.7kg and a thickness of 19.9mm. I have carried this laptop to many places with lightness and flexibility. I seem to forget that I have a device behind me!

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop is equipped with an 11th generation Intel Core i3-10110U chip with clock speeds from 2.1 GHz – 4.1 GHz. Supporting it is the Intel UHD Graphics graphics chip.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Good price
• Good durability
• Compact, flexible design
• The configuration well serves all needs.

Things to Consider

• Low memory capacity
• Screen quality is lackluster

5. Acer Nitro 5 – Best for Viewing Experience

Specification

Brand	Acer
Screen	17.3 Inches
Ram	16 GB

Product Highlights

All programming students can expect exceptional performance from Acer Nitro 5. This gaming PC features a stunning 17.3-inch FHD display for a better viewing experience.

Besides, the Intel Core i7 processor in the Acer Nitro 5 delivers impressive performance. I tried doing some heavy tasks like gaming and graphics, and its processing speed was amazing. There seems to be no lag during use. Combined with the FHD display, it is well-suited for those tasks.

Furthermore, you can upgrade to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of solid-state storage on this Acer Nitro laptop when you need it.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Great performance
• Long battery life
• 144hz screen
• Best for gamer

Things to Consider

• Heavy

6. MSI GV15 – Best for Performance

Specification

Brand	MSI
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product Highlights

As a gaming PC, I find it smooth and fast thanks to the Core i5 processor. I have tried playing some heavy games and it still gives a great experience.

With this processing speed, I firmly believe that programming students will find it simple and seamless to manage programs, tasks, games, and browsers.

It also offers a great sound system for watching movies and listening to music. I am very impressed with the sound quality of this laptop. It does not seem to be different from the speaker I bought earlier.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Lightweight
• Operates quietly
• High-performance
• Excellent sound system

Things to Consider

• The battery does not last long

7. ASUS TUF Dash 15 – Best for Design

Specification

Brand	ASUS
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	16 GB

Product Highlights

It is an excellent computer! I think it is a bargain because of the features it offers. The appearance is in a style that is not pure gaming like the ROG or Nitro 5 models but like an office laptop.

Besides, the thin screen border, beautiful colors, and 144hz refresh rate (which can be adjusted automatically or up to 60hz) combined with win 11 bring a good experience.

I received many compliments about this laptop when I brought it to work. Having a clever design makes it stand out!

For editing and graphics programs, it is good equipment. It is a good purchase for any student who requires a computer with good performance.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Full Keyboard
• USB C ports, HDMI
• High-quality construction materials
• Long battery life

Things to Consider

• Fair webcam

8. Lenovo Travel Laptop – Best for Long Battery Life

Specification

Brand	Lenovo
Screen	17.3
Ram	8 GB

Product Highlights

If you’re an on-the-go college student, this Windows laptop offers all you need.

The Lenovo AI Engine features an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor on the IdeaPad 3 to keep your sessions smooth, effective, and quick.

With Dolby Audio and Smart Noise Cancellation, you may also stay ahead of video chats that look and sound better. You can travel anywhere with your Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop thanks to its up to 10 hours of battery life.

The integration is also excellent. I do not hear any fan noise no matter what task I am doing. This feature is impressive because it doesn’t bother me while I work.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Big and bright display
• Fast and quiet
• High-performance
• Good build quality

Things to Consider

• The case exterior shows fingerprints
• Short battery life

9. Acer Aspire 5 Slim – Best for Budget

Specification

Brand	Acer
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	8 GB

Product Highlights

You can purchase a quick, light, and ultra-portable laptop for less than $500! With the aid of the included SSD, this laptop opens everything incredibly rapidly right after setup.

However, it has a limited capacity of only 256 GB. Fortunately, it includes a hard disk expansion kit, albeit operating it can be a little challenging.

One of the things I like about this laptop is that it has not slowed down even after consuming more than half of the available hard disk space. Additionally, the new Ryzen processor is quite speedy.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Lightweight
• Powerful productivity
• Stunning Full HD display
• Features Windows Hello with Fingerprint Reader

Things to Consider

• Have no SD card reader

10. HP Pavilion 15 – Best for Heavy Duties

Specification

Brand	HP
Screen	15.6 Inches
Ram	16 GB

Product Highlights

This attractive small HP Pavilion Notebook has a nice appearance thanks to its contemporary design and full-size keyboard.

This HP laptop offers the capacity you require with performance up to 15x faster than a conventional hard drive thanks to its 512 GB Solid State Drive.

I can succeed in challenging activities like programming, accounting, sales, and senior management with the aid of this laptop.

Additionally, it enables you to work effectively with media editing tools like PS and Ai, or play some simple, well-known games like LOL, FO4,… for fun.

Today’s Best Deals:

What We Like

• Premium design
• Full-size keyboard
• Features Anti-Glare technology
• Full HD resolution screen with IPS panel

Things to Consider

• Does not have a backlit keyboard

Buying Guide

To understand which laptop is best for students studying programming, you should know what you need. So what criteria should be paid attention to when choosing a laptop for student programmers?

Here are the things that you need to keep in mind before buying one:

Processor

The choice of processor is important. Programmers will often multitask and open working tabs at the same time, so the central processor is an essential element.

You might choose laptops with a Core i5 CPU or higher. If you are eligible, invest in a Core i7 CPU. More apps can run simultaneously on laptops with powerful processors, which also makes them speedier in general.

Keyboard

The keyboard is very, very important! I strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to look at the laptop in person and try typing on its keyboard at a physical store before buying.

Besides, choosing a layout version for the US market should also be kept in mind, as the shortcuts will be available where you are used to and easier to work with.

For example, if you use the Markdown format, it is much easier to have the “`” key just the “ESC” key than elsewhere on the keyboard for non-US versions.

Display

Choose the display with the highest resolution possible to work with code and run virtual machines.

A Full HD display screen is for viewing images or entertainment programs with sharper and more sharp details.

On the other hand, working with FN-based laptop screens can be annoying because the colors change every time you change your viewing angle.

FAQs

How much RAM is required?

The standard RAM of a laptop requires at least 8GB of RAM for basic programming. If you work on professional projects, you should choose at least 16GB or even 32GB of RAM to work stably in the next 2 or 3 years.

Are 13-inch laptops suitable for programming?

13-inch is acceptable. However, to increase your coding efficiency, it is ideal if your display is at least 15 inches in size.

What’s the best GPU for programming?

In general, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the finest GPU for students in programming. For a tight budget, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the best choice. For 3D rendering, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 is the best option.

How do I pick a suitable laptop for programming students?

When choosing a laptop for programming, you must clearly define your needs, budget, and preferences. Then you need to consider the characteristics of a programming laptop: Processor, RAM, screen, battery, and weight.

What is the best laptop for programming students?

This depends on your needs and budget. Acer’s gaming laptop lines will be suitable for those on a tight budget, while the Macbook series will be in the high-price segment.

Conclusion

I recommend the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop if you want a beautiful, high-performance, and affordable machine. On the other hand, if you are on a budget, the Apple 2022 MacBook Air is a perfect choice.

Please carefully review this buying guide of mine and make the best decision. Buy as soon as possible to take the latest deals!