While you can use the school computers to complete your assignments, having your own laptop offers greater convenience that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. If you are a STEM major, you need a good laptop with better performance to handle your classwork effectively.
When buying a laptop for STEM Majors, you should make careful considerations to make sure you get a laptop with good features that can serve you beyond your college years. A good laptop for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields should have sufficient RAM, powerful graphics, a powerful processor, a long battery life, and preferably SSD storage.
Before delving deeper into the topic, here are our top picks of the best laptop for STEM Majors
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7- Editor’s Pick
- 2021 Apple MacBook Pro- Best Value
- Lenovo IdeaPad 3- Best Budget
4 Best Laptops for STEM Majors Reviewed
1. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
- RAM: 8 GB
- Screen Size: 12.3 Inches
- Storage: 256 GB SSD
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i5
- Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics
This laptop tops our list because it offers spectacular specifications at an affordable price. It has a touchscreen and tablet mode 12.3-inch display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution so you can write, draw, type, touch, play, and work more seamlessly.
With 8 GB of high-speed RAM, 256 GB SSD storage, and a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, the Surface Pro 7 is one of the finest laptops for STEM majors and other courses, including Biology Majors.
It’s also easy to carry around since it’s ultra-slim, compact, and weighs 1.7 pounds. Moreover, it doesn’t restrict you from working near a power supply because it offers up to 10.5 hours of battery life and can go from 0% to 80% of charge in slightly over an hour.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an HDMI port but comes with USB A and C ports. If HDMI is a deal breaker for you, here are good laptops with HDMI port.
Pros
- Powerful performance
- Eye-catching design
- Multiple ports
- Long battery life
Cons
- No HDMI ports
2. 2021 Apple MacBook Pro
- RAM: 32 GB
- Screen Size: 14.2 Inches
- Storage: 1 TB SSD
- Processor: Apple M1 Pro Chip
- Graphics: Integrated M1 Pro
This is an excellent choice for a STEM student with a sizeable budget since it will cost you a little over two grand. However, you get a premium laptop manufactured using a unibody aluminum chassis and available in space gray and silver.
This laptop’s powerful processor makes it a popular choice among STEM students and everyone in general since it shines in heavy-duty computing environments, so your computer delivers seamless performance. Additionally, it has an easy-to-use trackpad and keyboard, and its display is among the best the market offers.
Apple MacBook Pro 2021 can handle anything you throw at it, from light tasks like typing an assignment to heavy-duty activities like 3D animation and video editing. In addition, it offers plenty of storage space (1TB), an outstanding webcam video, and a large, responsive touchpad.
Pros
- Fantastic performance
- Unbelievable long battery life (over 18 hours)
- Plenty of storage
- High-quality graphics
Cons
- No touchscreen
3. HP 15-cs3019nr Pavilion
- RAM: 16 GB
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Storage: 512 GB SSD
- Processor: 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7
- Graphics: Integrated Intel Iris Plus
HP 15-cs3019nr offers high-end features like a substantial 512 GB SSD storage, 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7, and 16 GB RAM, making it a powerful laptop that can handle all your STEM-related coursework. The solid metallic laptop is elegant and stylish, with a beautiful 15.6-inch full HD display.
This laptop is well-suited for multitasking and any light to medium-duty applications. When it comes to battery life, you get up to 10 hours of mixed usage, 8 hours and 45 minutes of wireless streaming, and up to 5 hours and 45 minutes of video playback.
While it may not be the lightest laptop (4.08 pounds), it is still portable. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a backlit keyboard or a fingerprint reader, which is a bit odd considering laptops half its prices have these features.
Pros
- High-end specifications
- Top-quality performance
- Good battery life and fast charging
- Multiple ports
- Reliable and durable
Cons
- RAM isn’t upgradable
- No fingerprint reader or backlit keyboard
4. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
- RAM: 8GB
- Screen Size: 14 Inches
- Storage: 256 GB SSD
- Processor: Hexa-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
- Graphics: AMD Radeon 7
This budget-friendly laptop for STEM students suffices for homework, browsing, video editing, and light gaming. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an ideal choice if you want a notebook that delivers good performance and specs, including a comfortable keyboard, a sturdy chassis, and a full HD display at an affordable price.
The 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor competes successfully with 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processors while offering two more cores translating to better performance on everyday tasks. It also comes with 8 GB RAM allowing you to multitask seamlessly, and 256GB SSD storage to hold your data and files.
Additionally, it offers over 10 hours of battery life, good graphics, a built-in privacy shutter, and a USB-C port. However, the display could use a brighter screen and better speakers.
Pros
- Affordable
- Good performance
- Durable construction
- Great battery life
Cons
- Dull display
- Lackluster speakers
Buyer’s Guide for The Best Laptop for STEM Majors
Consider the following when shopping for a laptop for your STEM studies.
a) RAM
Go for at least 8GB RAM for effortless multitasking and faster running of intensive applications.
b) Storage
You must ensure your laptop has sufficient storage space to keep your data and files, taking into consideration your future needs. While it will cost you more, you are better off with an SSD instead of an HDD for better performance.
c) Battery Life
Prioritize getting a laptop with a battery that will last you at least 8 hours.
d) Ports
You should be able to plug in additional devices to your laptop, so ensure it has multiple USB ports.
Final Remarks
Careful consideration must go into buying the best laptop for STEM majors since the laptop you get must meet your needs effortlessly. The above review provided quality suggestions for different price ranges (low, medium, and high) to make your work easier.
Related Posts: Best Laptop for Computer Science