Best laptops for Computer Science Students | Which laptop should computer science students use? There are so many options that it’s really hard to decide which laptop is best for you. But don’t worry, we’ll make this choice easy for you. In this article, we’ve put together a list of the best laptops for computer science students.
Computer Science laptop requirements
- CPU: 4 core 2.5 GHz.
- RAM: 16GB ( Recommended 32GB )
- Storage: 500GB SSD ( Recommended 1TB SSD )
- Graphics: Integrated
- Operating System: Windows 10,11 64-bit or Apple MacOS
- Extras: 1 USB 2.0 or 3.0 Port, Microphone, Camera
The best laptops for Computer Science Students in 2023
These laptops are the best recommendations for Computer Science students.
- MSI 2023 M16 Creator 16″ QHD+ (2560×1600) Laptop ($1,349)
- LG 2023 Gram Ultralight Laptop ($2,299)
- Dell XPS 17 9720 Laptop
- Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
- LENOVO IdeaPad 5
- Acer Nitro 5
- OMEN Laptop 16
1. MSI 2023 M16 Creator 16″ QHD+ (2560×1600) Laptop
MSI 2023 M16 Creator 16″ QHD+ (2560×1600) Laptop 8-Core 11th Intel i7-11800H 32GB DDR4 1TB NVMe SSD NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB WiFi AX HDMI Backlit KB Webcam Hi-Res Audio Windows 11 Home w/RE USB
| Series | M16 A11UC |
| Screen Size | 16 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 1 TB |
| CPU Model | Core i7 Family |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 32 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
About MSI M16 Creator
- 【Powerful Performance with Intel Core 11800H】Powerhouse Intel Core i7-11800H (2.3 GHz base frequency, up to 4.6 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 24 MB Smart cache, 8 cores, 16 threads), When it comes to raw power and performance, the M16 CREATOR Laptop makes no compromises. With an Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics, feel free to crank up the settings everywhere you go.
- 【Display and Graphics】Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB GDDR6 dedicated), Beautiful 16″ diagnonal display, QHD+ (2560 x 1600), 60Hz, IPS Level, 180-degree lay flat, Thin Bezel, DCI-P3 100%, MSI Wide Vision HD Camera with integrated dual array digital microphone.
- 【Customization】Seal is opened for Hardware/Software upgrade only to enhance performance. Upgraded to 32GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD, No Built-in Optical Drive
- 【Connectivity】Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5.2 combo (Supporting Gigabit file transfer speeds), 10/100/1000 mbps Ethernet LAN, 1 x USB 3.2 Type-C; 2 x SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Type-A (5Gbps); 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A; 1 x HDMI; 1 x RJ-45 LAN; 1 x Headphone & Mic Combo Jack
- 【Rock eDigital Bundle】Windows 11 Home, Backlit keyboard with Anti-Ghost key (99 Key) with NumPad.Hi-Res Audio, 2 x 2W Speaker. 3-Cell, 53Wh Li-ion, 240W AC Power adatper, 14.13 x 10.20 x 0.94 in, 6.06 lbs, Core Black cover and keyboard frame
2. LG 2023 Gram Ultralight Laptop
LG 2023 Gram Ultralight Laptop 17″ WQXGA IPS LGD Intel Evo 12-Core i7-1260P 16GB LPDDR5 4TB(2+2TB) SSD Iris Xe Graphics HDMI WiFi 6E Thunderbolt4 Backlit FPR Full Day Battery Windows 10 Pro w/RE USB
| Series | 17Z90Q |
| Screen Size | 17 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 4 TB |
| CPU Model | Core i7 Family |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
| Card Description | Integrated |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
About LG Gram
- 【Powerful Performance with Intel Core 1260P】Latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P 12 Cores (4 Performance + 8 Efficient) up to 4.7 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 18 MB Smart cache, 16 threads, Ultra-lightweight (only 2.98 lbs, lightest in class) magnesium alloy body, large 80Wh battery that can last through a full day of work.
- 【Customization】Seal is opened for Hardware/Software Upgraded only to enhance performance. Configured to 16GB LPDDR5X 5200Mhz RAM, 4TB (2 + 2TB) NVMe M.2 Solid State Drive, No DVD
- 【Display and Graphics】Stunning 17” high brightness WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS Non-Touch LGD 350-nit Display, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Integrated FHD IR Webcam with Dual Miscrophones and Facial Recognition
- 【Connectivity】Intel Wi-Fi 6E (2×2/160) Gig+ and bluetooth 5.1 Combo, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 2 x USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C (with Power Delivery, Display Port, Thunderbolt 4), 1x HDMI Port, 10/100 Ethernet Adapter through Thunderbolt 4, 1x mSD Card Reader
- 【Rock eDigital Enhancement】Upgrade to Windows 10 Professional, LG Fingerprint Reader, Full-size Backlit Keyboard with numpad, 14.91 x 10.91 x 0.70 inch, ultra-light 2.98 lbs, Black, 45 Watt AC Adapter, MIL-STD 810G certified, Thunderbold through Thunderbolt 4, DTS :X Ultra 3D sound, free Rock eDigital 32GB USB Drive
3. Dell XPS 17 9720 Laptop
Dell XPS 17 9720 Laptop – 17.0-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) Display, Intel Core i7-12700H, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, Killer Wi-Fi 6, 1-Year Premium Support, Window 11 Home – Silver
| Brand | Dell XPS 17 9720 Notebook |
| Screen Size | 17 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 1 TB |
| CPU Model | Core i7 Family |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
4. Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro Windows 11 Intel Evo Platform Laptop Computer 15.6″ AMOLED Screen 11th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor 16GB Memory 512GB SSD Long-Lasting Battery
| Brand | SAMSUNG Galaxy Book Pro |
| Screen Size | 15.6 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 512 GB |
| CPU Model | Intel Core i7 |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home |
| CPU Speed | 2.8 GHz |
About Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- EASY ON THE EYES: Everything looks brilliant with the first 13.3″ AMOLED screen in a Galaxy Book; Enjoy vibrant viewing while you work or school inside or in direct sunlight, and it lessens eye strain by reducing harmful blue light.
- LIGHTEST GALAXY BOOK LAPTOP: Sleek, ultrathin and available in a stylish, dual color design, Galaxy Book Pro is the lightest chrome book and won’t weigh you down.
- DO IT IN A FLASH: From downloading large documents fast to watching streams with no lag, and more — all with the new 11th Gen Core processor that’s Intel Evo certified, so it works on a premium platform; With 256 GB of storage, you’ll have all the space you need.
- LONG-LASTING BATTERY: Power through up to 20 hours on a full battery then recharge quick with our super small, light charger.
- WORK AND PLAY: Pair your devices and jump from work to personal; Set up computer as a second screen for more productivity; Share files with Quick Share; Do your gaming on a larger display; Connect your Galaxy Buds Pro and smoothly switch from video calls to catch up with friends; With Samsung SmartThings capabilities, control other devices with a tap.
- LOOK LIKE A PRO: Make WFH work for you with tools that help you look, sound and do your best; Attend a last-minute meeting and still make a good impression with our camera beauty filter; Hide your family’s ruckus with background noise removal and more.
5. LENOVO IdeaPad 5
2022 Newest LENOVO IdeaPad 5 17.3″ HD+ Business Laptop 11th Intel i7-1165G7 36GB RAM DDR4 1TB M.2 SSD Intel Iris Xe Graphics HDMI USB-C WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5 Windows 11 Pro w/ 32GB USB Drive
| Brand | Lenovo Ideapad 5 |
| Screen Size | 17.3 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 1 TB |
| CPU Model | Core i7 Family |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 36 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
| Graphics Coprocessor | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
About LENOVO IdeaPad 5
- Latest Powerful 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.7 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology, 12 MB Intel Smart cache, 4 cores, 8 threads)
- 【Customization】 Upgraded to 36GB DDR4 SDRAM, 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, Upgraded to Windows 11 Pro
- 17.3 inch 1600 x 900 resolution LCD for high-quality images and fine detail. Energy-efficient LED backlight, Powered by Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- Intel AX201 802.11AX (2×2) W-iFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 Combo; 1x USB 2.0 ; 1x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C; 1x USB 3.2 Type-A; 1x SD Card reader; 1x AC smart pin; 1x HDMI; 1 headphone/microphone combo
- Full-size keyboard with numpad and Fingerprint Reader, 3-cell Battery up to 8 hours, 15.7 x 10.8 x 0.8 in, 5.44lbs, Arctic Gray, free 32GB USB Drive
6. Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5 AN517-54-79L1 Gaming Laptop | Intel Core i7-11800H | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti Laptop GPU | 17.3″ FHD 144Hz IPS Display | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB NVMe SSD | Killer Wi-Fi 6 | Backlit KB | Win 11
| Brand | Acer Nitro 5 |
| Screen Size | 17.3 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 1TB |
| CPU Model | Core I7 11800H |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 16 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 |
About Acer Nitro 5
- Aspect Ratio:16:9.Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Dominate the Game: Great performance meets long battery life with the Intel Core i7-11800H Processor – up to 4.6GHz, 8 cores, 16 threads, 24MB Intel Smart Cache
- RTX, It’s On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (4GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning architecture with new Ray Tracing Cores, Tensor Cores, and streaming multiprocessors support DirectX 12 Ultimate for the ultimate gaming performance
- Visual Intensity: Explore game worlds in Full HD detail on the 17.3″ widescreen LED-backlit IPS display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate and 80% screen-to-body/16:9 aspect ratio
- Internal Specifications: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz memory (2 DDR4 Slots Total, Maximum 32GB); 1TB NVMe SSD (2 x PCIe M.2 Slots/1 x 2.5″ Hard Drive Bay Available)
- Prioritize Your Gameplay: Killer DoubleShot Pro with Ethernet E2600 and Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 lets you use Wi-Fi and Ethernet at the same time, and have total control over priority traffic to maximize speed, throughput, and control
- Stay Cool Under Pressure: When heavy use requires an added boost, Acer CoolBoost technology increases fan speed by 10% and CPU/GPU cooling by 9% compared to auto mode, overall increasing thermal performance by 25% for better gaming comfort
7. Best Notebooks OMEN Laptop 16
New OMEN 16.1″ Gaming Laptop 11th Gen Core i7-11800H GeForce RTX 3070 GPU 8GB GDDR6 16.1″ QHD (2560 x 1440) 165 Hz, 3 ms 300 nits Display Ceramic White (8TB SSD|64GB RAM) Win 10 Pro
| Brand | OMEN Laptop 16 |
| Screen Size | 16.1 Inches |
| Hard Disk Size | 8 TB |
| CPU Model | Core i7 |
| Ram Memory Installed Size | 64 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Pro |
| Graphics Coprocessor | GeForce RTX 3070 GPU 8GB |
About OMEN Laptop
- 11th Gen Microprocessor Core i7-11800H (up to 4.6 GHz with Turbo Boost Technology, 24 MB L3 cache, 8 cores, 16 threads)
- Memory, 64GB DDR4-3200 MHz RAM (2 x 32 GB) Upgrade
- Hard drive 8TB PCIe SSD, Upgrade PCIe Gen4 technology up to 7000MB/s read speed and up to 5300MB/s write speed Hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption
- Graphics GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU (8 GB GDDR6 dedicated)
- Display: 16.1 inch diagonal, QHD (2560 x 1440), 165 Hz, 3 ms response time, IPS, micro-edge, anti-glare, Low Blue Light, 300 nits, 100 percent sRGB
- Display size: 16.1 inches
- Ram memory installed size: 64.0 GB
Best Laptop for Computer Science – faq
- Do you need a special laptop for computer science?
- A standard Windows or Mac laptop is sufficient for computer science courses. If you choose a laptop with the best performance, it will definitely be a good choice.
- How much RAM does a computer science student need?
- A computer science student needs 16GB of RAM. However, the recommended 32 GB for a high level of performance.
- Does RAM matter for computer science?
- Yes, RAM is absolutely essential for computer science. We recommend that you do not use less than 16GB of RAM.
What laptop specs do I need for computer science?
You need these laptop specs for computer science:
| Windows PC | Mac | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or 11 64-bit (Pro edition is preferred)Windows must have the latest updates installed | Mac OS version 10.15 or higher with Windows 10 or 11 installed in a VM or via Boot Camp (Pro edition is preferred). |
| Processor type | Intel: Core i5, i7, i9 with 1.5Ghz or greater AMD: Ryzen 5, 7, 9 with 1.5Ghz or greater | Intel: Core i5, i7, i9 with 1.5Ghz or greater M series processors (ex. M1, M2) are not currently supported due to their inability to run Windows. |
| Memory | Minimum 16GB RAM | Minimum 16GB RAM |
| Hard drive | Minimum 250GB, 50GB of available space (SSD recommended) | Minimum 250GB, 50GB of available space (SSD recommended) |
| Graphics card | Intel Integrated Graphics or better | Intel Integrated Graphics or better |
Mac is not recommended for Computer Science. A webcam is required. Wired or wireless headset with microphone (or working laptop microphone). An up-to-date Antivirus client is required. Windows Defender is included with Windows 10 at no additional cost.