Image: Adam Patrick Murray
There are a ton of laptop deals now that back-to-school season is in full swing. If you’re an engineering student, you’re going to need a machine that can handle resource-intensive coursework. A powerful CPU and loads of memory and storage are an absolute must. Portability is an important factor too, especially if you’re going from class to class. If you’re not sure where to begin your search, don’t sweat it. We’ve assembled a list of laptops that are perfect for engineering students, as they’re both powerful and portable. Read on to learn more.
It’s back to school season and that means you can score some epic deals on great laptops to help you ace the next semester. Check out our roundup of best back to school deals to see what is available.
[Looking for something different? Check out our picks for the best laptops for college students!]
everything in between. In the list below, you’ll find our top picks for September 2023.
Why you should trust us: Hey, it’s in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We’ve been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who’ve applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We’re also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Best laptop deals right now:
- Lenovo Slim Pro 7, AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS CPU/Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/14.5-inch 1600p display, $899.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
- Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, Intel Core i5-1235U CPU/Intel Iris Xe graphics/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/13.5-inch 1504p touch display, $999.99 ($300 off at Best Buy)
- Acer Swift X Laptop, Intel Core i7-1260P CPU/Intel Arc A370M GPU/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/16-inch 1200p display, $799.99 ($450 off at Acer)
- Acer Aspire 5 Laptop, Intel Core i5-1335U CPU/Intel Iris Xe graphics/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/15.6-inch 1080p display, $549.99 ($100 off at Acer)
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a great option for engineering students because its very portable at less than 3 pounds. You can easily take it with you from class to class. It’s also powerful enough to run engineering software thanks to the Intel Core i5-1235U CPU, and the chic rose gold scheme is drop dead gorgeous.
Dell XPS 17 (2023) – Best overall
Pros
- Expansive 17-inch 16: 10 display
- Thin chassis
- Incredible battery life
Cons
- High price without OLED display
- Low-wattage GPU limits 3D performance
- Low-res 720p webcam
The Dell XPS 17 has a lot going for it. You’re getting super-fast performance, a vivid display, and long battery life. The laptop also provides great connectivity features with four Thunderbolt 4 ports and an impressively long battery life. Under the hood, it’s rocking an Intel Core i7-13700H CPU, an Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. That’s a ton of memory and storage, which is a good thing if you’re using a lot of resource-intensive applications such as 3D CAD modeling programs
The one real downside is that the XPS 17 weighs just under five and a half pounds, so it’s a real beast. The webcam is only 720p, as well, which may be a downside if you have to do any online classes or video-conferencing. Buy if you can live with those minor shortcomings, the latest XPS 17 is a phenomenal choice.
Read our full
Dell XPS 17 9730 review
Acer Aspire 3 – Best budget option
Pros
- Spacious keyboard with number pad
- HD webcam
- Solid video playback performance
- Decent business app performance
- Workday-long battery life
Cons
- Poor gaming graphics performance
- Basic 1080p display
- Small 128GB storage drive
If you’re looking to save some cash, the Acer Aspire 3 is a worthy choice. It packs a good amount of performance for not a lot of money. Plus, the full-size keyboard provides loads of room, which is perfect for writing those term papers or modifying those CAD models. While that’s all well and good, the internals are really what makes this laptop a solid value buy.
The Aspire 3 comes with a Ryzen 3 7320U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe SSD storage. The 15.8-inch 1080p display also has decent color quality. In our tests we found that the battery was able to hold a charge for up to eight hours of continuous use—enough to last a full day of classes. One of the most surprising features was the design. While a little utilitarian, it’s one of the sturdiest builds we’ve seen on a budget laptop. All in all, the Acer Aspire 3 gives you plenty of bang for relatively few bucks.
Read our full
Acer Aspire 3 (2022) review
Asus Zenbook 14X OLED – Best OLED display under $1,000
Pros
- Robust build quality
- Excellent OLED display
- Enjoyable keyboard and touchpad
- Long battery life
Cons
- Boring exterior design
- Weak graphics performance
- Could use another USB-A port
The Asus Zenbook 14X OLED has a lot going for it. This machine offers long battery life, rugged build quality, and a pleasant typing experience. However, the real star of the show is the stunning 1800p OLED display. The 14.5-inch screen features a resolution of 2880×1800 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. According to our reviewer, it “provides an infinite contrast ratio that can reach a perfect minimum luminance of zero nits.” That means you’re going to get a lifelike experience in dimly lit scenes. Want to know the best part? The whole package only costs $799.99, which is a killer value.
The Zenbook 14X comes equipped with an Intel Core i5-13500H CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. In other words, it’s capable of handling engineering software as well as everyday tasks like checking email and watching Netflix. At the end of the day, it’s a sensible laptop with a superb screen. Compared to other laptops in this price point, you’ll see sacrifices in the hardware or keyboard, but that’s not the case here with the Zenbook 14X.
Read our full
Asus Zenbook 14X OLED review
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (2023) – Best for gaming
Pros
- Handsome design
- Excellent keyboard
- Lots of connectivity
- Strong CPU and GPU performance
Cons
- Heavy and bulky
- Mediocre display
- Short battery life
Lenovo just continues to improve upon its Legion 5 Pro laptop, which offers awesome gaming performance, superb connectivity features, a durable design, and much more. It can easily handle both schoolwork as well as late-night gaming sessions. While it isn’t exactly cheap, considering the performance features it gives you, the pricing can actually be considered affordable as well.
This laptop is rocking