Top 4 Mid-Range Laptops for Students: Best Picks for Different Academic Fields and Needs
With so many options available on the market, selecting the right laptops for students is essential to meet both immediate needs and long-term reliability. In this article, we define “mid-range” laptops as those priced between RM 2,500 and RM 5,999.
These models provide a solid balance of performance and features, making them a strong choice for students who need dependable technology for their studies. The right choice can significantly boost productivity and enhance your overall experience in university. Choosing the right laptop comes down to your major, budget, and specific needs.
Here’s our top 4 picks mid-range laptops for different academic needs:
1. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, 15″ with the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U is a strong mid-range choice for students, offering good performance, a high-quality display, and excellent battery life. It’s well-suited for everyday academic needs and light to moderate creative tasks. If your budget and requirements align with its specifications, it can be a valuable tool throughout your studies.
Key Specifications:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 4980U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Display: 15-inch PixelSense touchscreen (2496 x 1664)
- Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
- Battery Life: Up to 17 hours
- Weight: Approximately 1.54 kg
Best For:
General Use Students: Students who need a reliable laptop for everyday tasks such as note-taking, research, and online learning.
Business and Administrative Students: Students in business, finance, or administrative programs who need a powerful and efficient laptop for handling spreadsheets, presentations, and multitasking.
Creative Students: Students in creative fields such as graphic design or multimedia who need a laptop with a high-resolution display for design work and presentations.
Medical Students: Medical students who wants a combination of strong performance, a high-resolution display, portability, and long battery life. However, you might need to consider whether its integrated graphics meet your needs as it might not handle advanced medical simulation software.
2. Apple MacBook Air, M2 Chip
The MacBook Air with the M2 chip is generally a versatile and solid choice for most students due to its combination of performance, portability, and battery life. For students whose work involves very high-demand applications or professional-grade tasks, such as advanced engineering simulations or high-end graphic design, a more powerful machine like the MacBook Pro might be a better fit.
Key Specifications:
- Processor: Apple M2 chip with 8-core CPU
- RAM: 8GB (configurable up to 24GB)
- Storage: 256GB SSD (configurable up to 2TB SSD)
- Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 2560 x 1664 resolution, 400 nits brightness, and P3 wide color gamut
- Graphics: Integrated 10-core GPU
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours of battery life
- Weight: Approximately 1.24 kg
Best For:
General Use Student: Students who need a reliable and portable laptop for everyday academic tasks such as writing essays, attending online classes, and browsing the web.
Law Student: The MacBook Air’s performance and battery life are more than adequate for legal research, writing papers, and attending virtual classes.
Business Student: Business students who need to run spreadsheets, create presentations, and manage projects.
3. Acer Swift X
The Acer Swift X AMD, 14″ with the Ryzen 5 5600U is a solid mid-range laptop for engineering students, offering good performance for academic tasks and engineering applications. It balances performance, storage, and portability well. For highly demanding simulations, 3D modeling, or CAD work, consider a laptop with a dedicated GPU and more RAM.
Key Specifications:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600U (6-core, 12-thread, up to 4.2 GHz)
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 14-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080)
- Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
- Battery Life: Typically around 8-10 hours
- Weight: Approximately 1.39 kg
Best For:
Engineering Student: Students who need a capable laptop for running engineering software, simulations, and general coursework.
4. HP ENVY x360
The HP Envy x360 is suitable for a broad range of majors due to its performance, flexibility, and design. It’s particularly strong for fields that require a versatile and portable laptop for general tasks, multimedia, and light creative work.
Key Specifications:
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
- RAM: 8GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 13.3″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) touchscreen
- Graphics: Integrated AMD Radeon
- Battery Life: Up to 10-12 hours
- Weight: Approximately 1.3 kg
Best For:
General Use Student: The 2-in-1 design and good battery life make it practical for varied academic needs and easy portability.
Final Thoughts
The four mid-range laptops featured in this article each offer a balance of performance and value tailored to different student needs. Your ideal choice will depend on your specific requirements and budget. For a more detailed understanding of how to select the best laptop for your situation, be sure to read our comprehensive buyer’s guide here.
Read more of our articles below!
