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Best Laptops For Collage, Top Models for High-End Performance

I have been looking into getting the best laptops for college, and honestly, the options can be overwhelming. I need something that’s fast, reliable, good for multitasking, and light enough to carry around campus every day. After going through reviews on the New York Times, Consumer Reports, and Popular Mechanics, I have narrowed it down to two models that really caught my attention:

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4 chip)
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2025-MacBook-15-inch-Laptop/dp/B0DZDBDCFH?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=thehomecrat02-20&linkId=6439b8b8b83eb83cd982c92c9ec21207&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Carbon-Intel-Camera/dp/B0DQ4CRXDQ?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=thehomecrat02-20&linkId=ea2772f786b194470f3bec91d3a96d99&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

I’m a bit stuck because both seem perfect in their own way. MacBook feels better for portability and battery, while ThinkPad looks like a powerhouse for multitasking and future-proofing.
Has anyone here used either of these for college? Which one would you recommend? Or is there another laptop I should consider in the same price range? Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

Dunnig Kruger

Those reviews on those websites are a joke!
They come across as if they're written by the office junior journalist that has copied "reviews" from elsewhere.

They are written as if used laptops don't exist. Making them advertorial in nature, instead of them being great pieces of consumer advice.

The perfect laptop would be one that cost you nothing whilst doing the jobs that you want it to do very well.
Because every pound spent on a laptop is less money for you to spend on something else.

For a laptop for supporting your studies and general personal use, the internal bits don't matter. Anything with an 8th gen onwards Intel (or equivalent era AMD) CPU onwards will be perfect for your needs.
If you had specialist usage needs, such as doing 4k video editing, we'd be looking at mobile workstation type internal spec.

There's an art to matching the usage needs of the user to the internal spec of the laptop.
I know degree students that are perfectly happy with 2016 era laptops. The laptops are lightning fast for their needs. And they're in no hurry to move to Windows 11.

You can get free laptops. For example writing to the IT departments of large companies in your area and asking if they have any spare laptops they can give you, with you mentioning any charity work you'll do on the laptop.

Or you can go on ebay or facebook marketplace and get yourself something like a fully working HP 840 or 845 G8 for under £210. These are premium business laptops. They come with good keyboards, trackpads, screens, chassis, lids. The engineering quality of the laptop counts for a lot in terms of how long it's likely to last and how nice it will be to use.
Premium business laptops are a few rungs above consumer laptops for engineering quality.

"Future proofing" is a con when it comes to brand new laptops.
You could spend £1000 or more on the Macbook or the X1 Carbon. And replace it in 10 years time with another brand new laptop.
Or you could spend £200ish on a used laptop today. And in 2030 buy another used laptop for £200ish. In that time the sweet spot in used laptops will have moved on and you'll probably be looking at buying a 2026 to 2027 premium business laptop.

That's also where warranties are a load of nonsense. £1000 is enough to buy you 5 x used premium business laptops over the course of the next 20 years. If you're ever unlucky enough that a laptop goes (beyond economic repair) kaput, you just buy another used laptop.

Here is an example of an OK laptop deal:
£210 HP 845 G8
With patience you'll be able to get a "looks pretty much indistinguishable from new" HP 840 G8 for £180ish.

Reply 2

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

Original post

by Laika12

I have been looking into getting the best laptops for college, and honestly, the options can be overwhelming. I need something that’s fast, reliable, good for multitasking, and light enough to carry around campus every day. After going through reviews on the New York Times, Consumer Reports, and Popular Mechanics, I have narrowed it down to two models that really caught my attention:
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (2025, M4 chip)
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-2025-MacBook-15-inch-Laptop/dp/B0DZDBDCFH?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=thehomecrat02-20&linkId=6439b8b8b83eb83cd982c92c9ec21207&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 Aura Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkPad-Carbon-Intel-Camera/dp/B0DQ4CRXDQ?th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=thehomecrat02-20&linkId=ea2772f786b194470f3bec91d3a96d99&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
I’m a bit stuck because both seem perfect in their own way. MacBook feels better for portability and battery, while ThinkPad looks like a powerhouse for multitasking and future-proofing.
Has anyone here used either of these for college? Which one would you recommend? Or is there another laptop I should consider in the same price range? Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I’m in my third year of university and have been using the 13-inch MacBook Air, and it’s never let me down. It’s fast, lightweight, and really reliable. I also find it very easy to use since all my Apple devices are connected, which makes multitasking and transferring work really smooth.

I’d recommend visiting stores to see which one feels right for you and choosing based on features and your budget.

Hope this helps,

Tayba
Student Rep