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laptops for university

Hello :redface:

I'll be starting Chemical Engineering this summer, and need a new laptop. There are some minimum specifications required by the uni (e.g. i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB memory). Could someone recommend me some good laptops that I could look at please?

I don't have a specific budget, but basically the cheaper the better :colondollar:

Thank you :biggrin:

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Look at HP and Dell. They offer some student discounts, sometimes only a little but it helps!

My laptop is HP with 17.5" screen, i7, NVIDA graphics, 1tb HDD and 8 GB of RAM and with student discount I got £70 off at the HP store.

Maybe: http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=X0N33EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB
(edited 7 years ago)
Look at laptops on eBay. Many big retailers like Argos and CurrysPCWorld offer great laptops at reasonable prices. I don't know if it's necessary for an i7. It just adds more. If your using it for uni work (Word, excel etc) and just casual web use, an i5 should be sufficient. Look at at least 4GB of RAM though.

Here's a good one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ASUS-X555LA-15-6-Laptop-Windows-10-Intel-Core-i5-Dual-Core-2-2GHz-8GB-RAM-Black-/121989472968?hash=item1c6723a2c8:g:vBoAAOSwZtJW8~hN

P.S. Check return/warranty information on any product before purchasing!
I don't know much about laptops - I usually let someone with more knowledge choose for me, but as Chem Eng student you'll be wanting to run Aspen Plus, Matlab and AutoCAD, and maybe a couple of other things, so maybe check out the requirements for those programs as well.

Someone more knowledgeable than me may be able to recommend the best laptop for running these types of programs :smile:
That's a pretty powerful laptop the uni's asking you to buy...

Basically go into amazon and search for an i7 laptop. 8GB of memory should be standard as will 256GB+ storage, I'd say go with the smallest one possible as the extra portability is soooo worth it in a uni environment, be careful about the model of i7, if it's i7-XXXXU or that first X is anything below a 4 then avoid it. I'd say go for i7 as the engineering programs you'll be asked to use will actually use the extra threads so it will speed up performance quite significantly.

If you want to game on it too you can get by with a GTX960m although a 970m would be much better, or wait about a month for the next gen mobile graphics to come out.
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Original post by Obi Juan Kenobi
Hello :redface:

I'll be starting Chemical Engineering this summer, and need a new laptop. There are some minimum specifications required by the uni (e.g. i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB memory). Could someone recommend me some good laptops that I could look at please?

I don't have a specific budget, but basically the cheaper the better :colondollar:

Thank you :biggrin:


New HP Envy machines are powerful windows machines that would meet the requirements.

Alternatively some people will be swayed towards Macbooks (i.e. pro for your needs) however I would recommend a windows-based machine.

If you want 360° then look at lenovo, and the new XPS range by dell has a smaller profile making it easier to carry/stow.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 8
Use this link here!
Have a look at novatech.co.uk they are reasonable and can modify the laptop for you as well.

Expensive option

http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/novatecheliten1632.html

Changes to make

Remove 1st hdd

Change 2nd to Sandisk 256gb SSD

Add Windows 10

Comes to£819.50 - 5% cashback from topcashback



Cheaper option

http://www.novatech.co.uk/laptop/range/novatechnspiren1624.html

Change to make

Remove first HDD

Change second to 250GB Samsung

Add Windows 10

585.94- 5% through top cashback.


Changes you may wish to make to either increase ram to 16GB.

The difference between the two models is the top one has a better CPU and comes with a graphics card.

I'm a computer science student any questions just ask.
What about the think pad they are much better
Reply 11
If it's for engineering applications then maybe something super powerful like a HP ZBook or Dell Precision or XPS.

Those are the pricey options. You can get hold of HP Pavillions and Dell Inspirons meeting those requirements for low prices now, definitely £400 or under.
Original post by M451
If it's for engineering applications then maybe something super powerful like a HP ZBook or Dell Precision or XPS.

Those are the pricey options. You can get hold of HP Pavillions and Dell Inspirons meeting those requirements for low prices now, definitely £400 or under.


Where can u get it for under £400 cheapest for those specs at PC world is £580 unless you are suggesting 2nd hand
Why? They have better specs and build quality
(edited 7 years ago)
The think pads are made of metal last longer and have better specs.
Reply 15
Original post by niteninja1
Where can u get it for under £400 cheapest for those specs at PC world is £580 unless you are suggesting 2nd hand


My bad, £400 was a stretch. You can get hold of HP 250s with a sixth generation i5, 8GB RAM and a 256GB M.2 SSD for around £430 on the HP website. The nice thing about M.2 SSDs is that they don't take up the main hard drive space (if there is one), so you can add a high capacity hard disc if needed.

Original post by niteninja1
The think pads are made of metal last longer and have better specs.


Specs among business laptops are the same as they all use the same components. Dell have a tri-metal design and HP Elitebooks are made of a magnesium or magnesium/aluminium alloy. Thinkpads don't have the best design. HP often comes on top all things considered but for the business market at least, they're all very similar and it's down to preference.
Reply 16
http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=X0N33EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

The laptop in question. Personally I'd never buy a laptop that large and would instead go for a more pricey 2-in-1 or ultraportable.
Original post by M451
http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=X0N33EA&opt=ABU&sel=NTB

The laptop in question. Personally I'd never buy a laptop that large and would instead go for a more pricey 2-in-1 or ultraportable.


It depends what you want I spent £770 on my laptop

I7-7600hq
16gb ram
Sandisk business class ssd 256GB 4K read speed
960m gpu
Plus an trusted platform module

However this is to replace my desktop.
Reply 18
Original post by niteninja1
It depends what you want I spent £770 on my laptop

I7-7600hq
16gb ram
Sandisk business class ssd 256GB 4K read speed
960m gpu
Plus an trusted platform module

However this is to replace my desktop.


My situation is similar. I use my laptop as a desktop through a docking station. Broadwell i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, 1TB HDD and TPM, fingerprint scanner and other fancy stuff for around £600. Standard price being £1000. The main benefit is portability, it's pretty much a MB Air 13", just a little smaller.

For uni, I'd strongly recommend a small and portable laptop. 15" is way too much to be carrying around with you. You also have the option of buying a dock and external monitor to use if you need a big screen.
Reply 19
Don't get a two-in-one mate

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