Best Laptops For Mechanical Engineering Students

We understand that engineering students require a laptop that will be able to handle demanding tasks and software such as CAD, MatLab, and even GINT. That’s why the best laptops for engineering students are equipped with the powerful configuration.

But we also understand that it can be hard to find a portable laptop to make the traveling easier for engineering students, yet powerful enough to handle the software students use. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in the right place.

Because, in this post, we’ve listed top laptops for mechanical engineering students in 2024 that are listed in different categories. This way, the decision is made simple for students.

Recommendation for April 2024

HP Envy – 4K Display
Lenovo Ideapad L340 – High-End Workstation
Acer Aspire 5 – Budget Laptop
Lenovo Thinkpad X1 – Lightest Laptop
MacBook Air – Best Mac Option
Asus VivoBook – 2in1 Laptop Option
Dell XPS 15 – High-End Graphics
HP Pavilion – Enormous Storage
LG Gram – Big Screen & Lightweight
Acer Predator Helios 300 – Gaming & Engineering

Table Of Contents shows

Best Laptop For Mechanical Engineering Students In 2024

HP Envy – 4K Display

HP Envy

This laptop is one of the best for engineering students because there has been great leverage given to the design and functionality of this device. The processor is ideal and it can run at incredible speeds.

The overall design of this laptop is underwhelming. It has simple clean lines that make it look professional. The aluminum chassis is sleek and modern. The bezels are fairly slim for a laptop and the same silver exterior continues inside.

With a 4k screen resolution, the display is incredible. The images are bright and the colors are evenly distributed. You will be surprised at how even the darkest corners of the picture are easily visibly down to the last detail.

There are a few great ports that are useful for engineering students. There are two USB 3.1 ports along with a Gen 1 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 port. Additionally, there is a Type-C port as well as a media card reader, webcam kill switch, and a fingerprint reader.

With a powerful Intel Core-i7 processor that is dual-core, it isn’t the fastest laptop on the market but it certainly packs a punch. You will get a steady performance with this laptop as it is designed for a mechanical engineering student.

If you find the rest of this laptop underwhelming, you will sincerely love the battery life. For other laptops of its class, this one has up to 13 hours of continuous battery life which is essential for students who are in classes all day working on projects.

Recommended Configuration for HP Envy

Lenovo Ideapad L340 – High-End Workstation

Lenovo Ideapad L340

Mechanical engineering students deal with some of the most demanding tasks and Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is the right laptop to handle any type of task and any software. The bonus is that it’s also suitable for gaming so it can be a great 2-in-1 laptop

Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is a big-sized 17.3″ inches laptop that features a beautiful IPS display and a great design. The weight of this laptop is increased due to the components and its build quality, but it’s definitely worth every pound it weighs.

Inside this large laptop, a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card is located along with the 9th generation of Intel i7-9750H. Such a configuration will handle any type of tasks, and even multiple uses of software at the same time.

For the speed and quick performance, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage will provide the mechanical engineering students the speed they require. This way, no time is wasted, especially in the classes when it matters the most.

In our opinion, Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is still thin enough, considering everything it has packed inside. Yet it features 3 different USB ports, HDMI port, 4-in-1 card reader, and a headphone & microphone combo jack.

Lenovo IdeaPad L340 is powered by a Windows 10 64-bit operating system that offers a smooth experience to millions of students who prefer Windows over any other operating system.

Recommended Configuration for Lenovo Ideapad L340

Acer Aspire 5 – Budget Laptop

Acer Aspire 5

If you want a decent laptop as a mechanical engineering student but your budget is limited, the Acer Aspire 5 is powerful enough for everyday use as a student yet comes with an affordable price tag.

Acer Aspire 5 is one of the most affordable laptops for mechanical engineering students for everyday use, a perfect laptop for those looking to buy a decent laptop with great specs and design.

It offers a 15.6-inch Full widescreen LED-lit display for wide angles and perfect picture quality, inside a slim body it is fitted with Core i5 processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card to ensure you can take on any heavy tasks you work on.

It comes with an 8GB of RAM which is more than enough for mechanical engineering student’s everyday use, while the 512GB SSD provides incredible speed and large storage for all your files.

Laptop with these powerful specs is more than enough to take on any student’s everyday tasks and it comes with affordable prices. So if you opt to go for an affordable but worthy laptop, the Acer Aspire 5 is for you.

Recommended Configuration for Acer Aspire 5

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 – Lightest Laptop

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Lenovo Thinkpad X1

Not being on a budget and on a mission to find a top overall choice will most likely lead you to Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It’s a laptop made to handle high-performance tasks, deliver what’s promised and never slow you down throughout the process.

From the moment you see Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop, you’ll notice its elegant and stunning design, but once you get your hands to it – you’ll notice how lightweight it is.

And when you finally fully test this laptop, you’ll be faced with a combination of ultra-lightweight and ultra power that will keep you pushing through the hardest tasks and days.

ThinkPad X1 Carbon has got an award for being the best business laptop in 2018, and it sure is well worth the price.

When you start using Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, other than noticing how powerful it is – you’ll notice something else, something even better. It’s the 14” full HD IPS screen that even features a touchscreen ability.

With an increased brightness, expanded contrast, accurate colors, and refined detail – no matter what project you’re working on, you’ll enjoy every second of it.

As you’ll be working on important projects, having an extra bit of privacy is never a bad idea, right?

That’s what Lenovo thought when they came up with a brilliant idea to introduce a ThinkShutter feature in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.

It’s a feature that allows you to physically shut the camera lid and enjoy the privacy to its fullest. You can never be too sure, right?

Recommended Configuration for Lenovo Thinkpad X1

MacBook Air – Best Mac Option

MacBook Air

MacBook Air is considered to be one of the most professional laptops on the market, and if you aren’t a big fan of Windows – Mac OS will be able to handle the same software you require for your studies. It’s equipped with powerful components that aim for the best performance and highest speed possible.

Mechanical engineering students require a professional laptop that can handle the use of software such as Civil3D or Autocad. MacBook Air with its Mac OS X can handle such software easily thanks to the Pro’s configuration.

Depending on which version of MacBook Air you choose, you’ll get different specifications. The one we’ve reviewed comes with the Intel Core i5 processor that has a TurboBoost feature to boost the processor up to 3.6GHz.

No matter how thin the MacBook Air is, it still features 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD storage along with the Intel Iris 640 graphics card. It’s a configuration that can handle even the most demanding engineering tasks and software.

Therefore, mechanical engineering students will have a laptop ready to tackle their studies with nothing to hold them down.

But here comes the best part.

MacBook Air is the coolest thing you’ll see, but literally. It’s ultra-thin yet has a very efficient way of cooling down and eliminating the heat from the device. The smart airflow increases as the tasks get heavier, and therefore, students won’t be facing a useless noise fan.

The trackpad provides a great all-around experience, and you might not even need an external mouse since the trackpad is really well built. It’s very responsive, comes with multi-touch gestures, and it offers plenty of space.

Recommended Configuration for MacBook Air

Asus VivoBook S14 – 2in1 Laptop Option

Asus VivoBook

The Asus VivoBook S14 is one of the better additions to the list of laptops designed for mechanical engineers. This laptop delivers in quality and performance making it an excellent choice for any of the students of engineering.

The display of this laptop is incredible. There is a full 14” inches touchscreen of widescreen that you can use to view everything on. You get exclusive picture quality that is in full HD. You will see that the display quality has incredibly improved from previous models.

The battery life is decent on this laptop. However, with intensive use, the battery tends to wear after 8 hours. You want to be able to have a charger on hand if you are going to be on campus longer than that time frame. However, you do get great performance during that time.

The 8th Generation intel core i7 packs a powerful punch. You can run complex engineering programs on this laptop without worry that it can keep up. This processor will tend to provide you with amazing speed that is accurate compared to previous models.

While the ScreenPad 2.0 adds an interactive secondary touchscreen to enhance productivity.

If audio is something that is important to you, you will be thrilled with the audio quality of this laptop. There are dual-coil, front-mounted stereo speakers that deliver very loud and clear audio that can be heard around a standard-sized classroom.

Recommended Configuration for Asus VivoBook S14

Dell XPS 15 – High-End Graphics

Dell XPS 15

This Dell laptop is a favorite when it comes to consumer laptops as it has an epic battery life and super-fast quad-core speeds. All that cased in a very sleek and modern design makes this Dell a true contender.

Dell hasn’t done much to change the design from other XPS laptops. However, change is not necessary. Aesthetically, the design is sleek and modern looking as it is made of aluminum silver.

You are not lacking in ports when it comes to this XPS 15. You get USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, a Noble lock slot along with a thunderbolt 3 port, charging connector, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The ports on this system are just what you would want.

The XPS 15 display offers you a rich-colored screen that is in 1080p. You get wide viewing angles as well as vivid and clear images that are breathtaking. The infinity-edge touch screen makes it even better when it comes to image quality and overall display.

With a processor that intel 9th generation, you are getting a high-powered system that will outperform many other engineering student laptops. The display and the processor combined to give you an intel computer that is going to perform remarkably.

Aside from high-end graphics, the life of the battery on this system is ideal for a student as it will last for many hours before needing a charge. You will get up to 9 hours with multiple tabs open and complex software running. If you are just using simple documents, you can squeeze up to 13 hours of life from this system.

Recommended Configuration for Dell XPS 15

HP Pavilion – Enormous Storage

HP Pavilion

The HP Pavilion is an excellent laptop for engineering students if you have a budget for it. The price is fairly high, but it comes with high-end configurations and features that make it incredible. Furthemore, it is lightweight and durable making it ideal for a university setting.

The processor is an impressive 10th Gen Intel i7 that packs a powerful punch. The processor on this laptop is higher-end and it allows you to multitask with ease without worry of lagging and delay. This laptop is ideal for mechanical engineering students as it provides enough power for complex programs.

The display on this laptop is in HD quality that is impressive and allows you to work on the laptop for hours without eye strain. The display space is 15.6 inches which is a great screen size for a college students laptop and the quality is great. You can work all day long on this laptop.

The battery on this laptop is underwhelming, but it does provide a powerful performance. You will get 7 to 8 hours of continuous use with multiple projects going and maybe squeeze out 9 hours on a singular or dual program.

With an impressive Intel Iris Plus graphics card, you can be sure that you will only get the best when it comes to image quality. The graphics are impeccable making this laptop ideal for complex designs and programs. Any engineering student will enjoy the use of this graphics card that is comparable to higher-end laptops.

Recommended Configuration for HP Pavilion

LG Gram – Big Screen & Lightweight

LG Gram

Mechanical engineering requirements need a pretty powerful configuration, and if you can get a large quality display such as LG Gram has to offer – you’ll love your new laptop. LG Gram offers the lightweight yet large body that is made out of military standard material.

LG did an amazing job creating such a lightweight laptop yet introducing a full 17” display that can be referred to as a big canvas.

It’s a display that is based on a full HD IPS display which is slim, has a narrow bezel, and yet will offer vivid colors, bright & crisp images that will put life to anything you do.

Whatever you do and wherever you go, you’ll be backed up with your new favorite laptop, thanks to its powerful configuration.

Other than being able to provide ultimate performance, LG Gram also provides the best support you’ll ever experience.

With the latest generation of a dual-channel processor, a combination of RAM and SSD storage, and Intel’s integrated graphics processor – you’ll never be slowed down.

Even though these laptops is actually 17” big and are truly on the larger side of laptops, it’s a laptop that gives you the ability to take it anywhere without tipping the scales.

Thanks to LG’s innovative design, they weren’t only able to pair a wonderful display with such powerful configuration, but they managed to keep it as light as it is physically possible.

Needless to say, they did an amazing job.

Recommended Configuration for LG Gram

Acer Predator Helios 300 – Gaming & Engineering

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Acer Predator Helios 300

Want a fast laptop for your studies as a mechanical engineering student? The Acer Predator Helios 300 could be your study and gaming buddy at the same time! You’ll surely love this powerful laptop.

The Acer Predator may have been mentioned over and over again for every other purpose, that is because whatever your purpose is, you can use this laptop for it. It can play games, run software, and other heavy tasks smoothly.

Featuring a superb 15.6-inch full HD widescreen display for immersive picture quality, fitted with the latest Core i7 processor so you can achieve remarkable speed.

While the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card makes sure you have plenty of graphics fro rendering and gaming.

Speaking about battery life it can work for up to 7 hours in a single charge which is good number to go for.

All of this in a sleek looking gaming laptop that has a classy looking design.

Recommended Configuration for Acer Predator Helios 300

Picking The Best Laptops For Mechanical Engineering In 2024

Performance

Engineering students work most of the time using a number of specific software and having a laptop that has the ability to run such software is crucial. Going for at least Intel i5 processor (if not even 7th or 8th generation of the i7 processor) along with a high number of RAM GB’s and plenty of storage is crucial.

Another thing that you shouldn’t forget to look out for is the graphics card. While some engineering students might do well with the only integrated graphics card, it’s never a bad idea to have additional processing power that will easily help you, and better yet, never slow you down.

Other than the speed and performance, you want to have enough of storage, but also pay attention to the type of storage drive your laptop uses. We highly recommend going for SSD or a combination of both SSD & HDD drives.

O.S

As an engineering student, you won’t have the freedom to go with any operating system you wish, and the main reason for that is the compatibility. You want a laptop that comes with a pretty well-known and always an official operating system that is being supported by almost every software company out there.

Two of the best-operating systems are definitely Windows & Mac OS, but in some cases, engineering students might do well with Linux operating system too. However, we wouldn’t recommend going for the Linux unless you have a clear reason for the use of such operating system.

We find that both Windows & Mac OS work well with the components in the laptops, especially Mac OS since it’s being used only on Apple laptops directly. Therefore, it increases the level of reliability and minimizes the possible failure.

Connectivity

Connectivity might not seem like a pretty big deal for most engineering students since you’ll most likely rely on software, configuration, and superb internet connection.

However, having a laptop that includes a number of ports will ease your mind since you won’t have to worry about whether your laptop is capable of connecting with any other device. That’s one of the biggest advantages you can get with a laptop – knowing that you will always be able to connect easily with other devices (even if it happens last minute).

While MacBook laptops might lack a bit of ports, we consider them to be just enough when it comes down to connectivity – and if you want to expand their connectivity, you can easily do so with any external gadgets. With Windows laptops, the amount of ports depends on the manufacturer, but more ports you get – the better it is for you.

Battery Life

Battery life is extremely important, not only to an engineering student but also to every student out there. However, it’s highly important for an engineering student who works with software that uses a lot more power due to the processing tasks it does.

Therefore, we highly recommend engineering students to go for high-end batteries that are made to last at least 6-7 hours. If you’re not on a tight budget, getting a laptop that comes with a battery that can last all-day is going to make your best decision.

Higher processing tasks will put a lot more strain on the laptop and on the battery itself. Therefore, you need to combine a great configuration and a battery that will work well together to provide a long-lasting and positive experience throughout your schooling days.

You don’t want to be that student who relies on the charger and power plugs wherever he goes, right?

Storage

As mentioned earlier, it’s not only the amount of storage that matters but it’s the type of storage too, and sometimes, even the amount of storage drives.

We highly recommend going for an SSD drive, and if you aren’t able to purchase a laptop that comes with a large SSD drive, combining SSD with an HDD drive is a smart decision.

If you solely rely on HDD type of storage, we recommend you to always go with the fastest RPM HDD drive (which is in a rage of about 7000 RPM’s). Slower HDD will definitely give you a slower performance, no matter if you have RAM maxed out. You’ll notice the lack of speed in files transfer, rendering, copying and pasting, and even when doing simple tasks. Start-up is significantly going to be slower too.

Therefore, SSD is the way to go and if you can’t afford one now, you can always upgrade later.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of configuration do I need as an engineering student?

The lowest budget configuration you should aim for is definitely the Intel i5 processor, with at least 6GB of RAM, and always go for the SSD storage if possible. If you’re not on a budget, definitely go for the latest generation of Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, dedicated graphics card and SSD. The more storage – the better for you.

What is an advantage of performance-based laptops?

Reliability – nothing will slow you downSpeed – it’s constantly thereGaming – you might even do some gamingLong lasting device – won’t need to upgrade laterDurability – a combination of portability and versatilitySecurity – data privacy and security is always improvedCooling – cooling is always a top-notch in higher performance laptops

SSD or HDD drive for engineering school?

We highly recommend you SSD for engineering school since engineering students always use a lot of software, and SSD just boosts the speed up to 4 or even 5 times up.HDD might do the job just fine, but it’ll do it way slower and you might end up waiting for the system to boot or your software to open while other students are already doing the work.

Dario Lemut

Dario is a writer at NetbookNews.com. He is at the same time an avid technology addict that loves reviewing gadgets & devices, and then writing useful reviews.