Top 5 Best Laptops for Engineering Students in 2025

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Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

Top 5 Best Laptops for Engineering Students in 2025

1.M4 MacBook Air (15-Inch, 2025)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

They’ve all had their charms, but this number three could be the best yet: The 15-inch Apple MacBook Air from 2025 is the company’s third Air laptop with that screen size, and it’s the most affordable and improved of the bunch. For this new edition, Apple reduced the starting price of the 15-inch Air by while also introducing its latest-generation M4 processor, a new 12-megapixel Center Stage webcam, and a free Sky Blue color option. However, while the larger Air is superior, the world has not stood still in its wake—the 15-inch Air is losing ground to some competing PC laptops in terms of performance, features, and battery life.

Every new 15-inch Air configuration includes an improved 12-megapixel Center Stage camera, and if you want to go beyond the original gold (Starlight), silver, and black (Midnight) options, you can select the new Sky Blue chassis color. This color has a two-tone effect, appearing as a cloudy silver in direct light and a subtle, barely-there baby blue in indirect light. Looking at it one way, you get two colors for the price of one; looked at another way, Sky Blue is actually silver and slightly off-silver.

Much of what I said in my review of last year’s 15-inch MacBook Air is relevant to this model. The anodized aluminum shell, punchy-but-quiet keyboard, and silky-smooth trackpad have all remained virtually unchanged. The laptop is 0.45 inch thick and weighs 3.3 pounds, the same as last year.

And how has the thin-and-light, desktop-replacement PC laptop competition progressed since my previous MacBook Air review? Let’s just say Apple’s 15-inch Air is in a fiercely competitive space in 2025, with all of our comparison systems challenging its light weight and ultra-slim dimensions. The Asus Zenbook S 16 is nearly as thin and light, measuring 0.51 inch and weighing 3.31 pounds, respectively—a difference that you’ll barely notice.

The narrowing of the portability (and performance) gap between Apple’s MacBook Air and similarly priced PC laptops means Apple will need to find new ways to compete in order to reclaim the significant leads it once held.

This problem may be exacerbated by the fact that the MacBook Air’s top-of-screen “notch” (which houses the webcam hardware) and port arrangement have remained unchanged. While the screen design does not bother me too much (since the notch occupies the same amount of screen space as the macOS menu bar), I get the impression that I am in the minority in this regard.

2.M4 MacBook Air (13-Inch, 2025)

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

With the twin 2025 reboots of its MacBook Air laptops, Apple is surrounded by some fierce competition, with AMD- and Intel-based Windows notebooks ready to outperform and outlast the Airs. Perhaps, in part, this explains why Apple did something unusual: It pushed for a price cut. Cupertino reduced the starting configurations for the MacBook Air in 2025 by each. With a new standard of 16GB of memory, the 13-inch MacBook Air becomes, surprisingly, one of the best deals in computing this year. That’s especially true when you consider Apple’s included software and the now-cheaper upgraded configurations.

If you’ve purchased a MacBook Air before (or if you browse Apple’s product pages wistfully on a regular basis), the 2025 model’s configuration scheme will not surprise you. However, prices may have changed, as the 13-inch version of the laptop is now only $999and the 15-inch version is. Both are less expensive than the equivalent Air models in 2024.

All 13-inch MacBook Air configurations feature the same 13.6-inch Liquid Retina LED display with a resolution of 2,560-by-1,664 pixels. The screen refreshes at 60Hz and has a brightness rating of up to 500 nits. All models get an upgraded 12-megapixel Center Stage camera.

The upgraded webcam is a carryover feature from the M4-powered MacBook Pro and iMac computers. It uses a wide-angle lens and the M4’s 16-core Neural Engine coprocessor to track you as you move around the camera’s larger field of view.

The new Sky Blue color is a welcome addition to the Air’s traditional silver, gold, and black hues of recent years. While I’d always go with the black MacBook Air, the Sky Blue creates a nice, albeit subtle, two-tone effect. It appears silver or pale blue depending on the lighting and the angle from which you look at it.

Otherwise, this is the same MacBook Air that we’ve become accustomed to since its last redesign in 2022. It’s just as thick (0.44 inch) and as light (2.7 pounds). That’s thinner but slightly heavier than the new Dell Pro 14 Premium, which is 0.71 inch thick and weighs only 2.52 pounds. Similarly, the Asus Zenbook S 14 is thicker (0.51 inch) but lighter (2.65 pounds), demonstrating that the PC laptop world has made significant inroads into Apple’s feathery domain.

Of course, an unchanged design means that Apple fans’ (and Apple detractors’) standard criticisms remain, most notably the display “notch” at the top of the screen, which houses the webcam hardware. Given that the macOS menu bar already takes up this space onscreen, the notch does not bother me too much. That being said, I wouldn’t mind if it was removed in the next design update.

Aside from the notch, Apple may want to consider using OLED for the MacBook Air’s display in its next iteration. OLED panels are appearing more frequently than ever on sub-$1,000 PC laptops, particularly from Asus, and the color-coverage and contrast boosts that OLED provides appear to be missing from the MacBook Air display.

3.Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The designs are one of the Surface Laptop series’ most consistent features. The chassis is always sleek and lightweight while remaining sturdy, there is a good selection of colors to choose from, and the keyboard feels snappy and responsive while typing. Thankfully, the Laptop 7 does not change on that front, instead embracing its strengths and focusing its efforts on implementing improvements that are actually required.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has a 13.8-inch (2304×1536) HDR-supported display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is unusually high for a non-gaming laptop. It weighs less than three pounds, making it extremely portable – an absolute must-have for any office worker or student who needs to transport it between home and work, or to and from class. I wish it had an OLED screen option, but omitting it keeps the cost down, which makes sense.

Its keyboard is also as quick and responsive as you’d expect, though the touchpad has some minor response issues that can be resolved by adjusting the sensitivity settings. The webcam is standard 1080p fare, nothing too shabby, but it lacks a physical shutter, which is a notable oversight given its price point.

The port selection isn’t bad, with two USB Type-C ports, one USB Type-A port, and a combo port. However, it is not well-balanced, as it lacks several important ports such as ethernet, SD card reader (although the larger 15-inch model does have a microSD slot) and HDMI. Even worse, Microsoft continues to insist on the abysmal Surface Laptop connect charging port, which only serves to occupy space that could have been used for literally anything else.

It has a solid sound quality as well, with instruments sounding clear and distinct from each other in music. Bass isn’t too shabby as well, which is always surprising when it comes to a non-Ultrabook or gaming laptop.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7’s AI Copilot+ integration, which includes the Copilot key that Windows AI laptop keyboards now come with, is another noteworthy feature. However, the Copilot key is currently inoperable, and there is no way to reprogram it to function either.

I might add that the Copilot feature functions fairly well. The Copilot chatbot performed admirably on all three of the levels I tested it on: creative, balanced, and precise. The responses, which ranged from simple math to a simulated interview to a novel outline, were carefully considered and properly referenced. Additionally, you can activate different plug-ins to facilitate shopping or other kinds of conversations.

4.Asus Zenbook A14

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The ZenBook A14 from Asus is an intriguing device. Because its chassis is composed of “Ceraluminum,” it is extremely lightweight and robust. It weighs slightly more than two pounds and has a fantastic battery life. However, Asus decided to equip this device with the incredibly slow Qualcomm Snapdragon X chip.

The Snapdragon X chip used in the ZenBook A14 was designed for laptops costing. Even though this laptop has a longer battery life, I don’t think the price is justified for the trade-off. A faster Snapdragon X chip would perform better for daily tasks (and often be less expensive!). However, if battery life is a major concern and you’re content with Windows on ARM, this could be the machine for you. It’s just a very small niche to target.

That’s due to the “Ceraluminum,” the “revolutionary material” Asus is showing off here. It’s ceramic-coated aluminum, which Asus says “combines the lightness of aluminum with the resilience of ceramic.” It’s incredibly light! And, while Asus does say it’s rugged as well, I should note that I was not attempting to scratch or drop this machine to test that!

Interesting is the Ceraluminum. You’re touching ceramic, not metal, so it doesn’t feel like normal metal. Although I wouldn’t describe it as feeling inexpensive, there’s something about picking it up that makes me think of picking up a plastic laptop because it’s so light that it almost feels hollow. Although there is metal underneath, you won’t feel it. We associate that “metal” feel with high-end laptops. For those who prefer heavy, metal laptops, this is not the right choice. However, this is impressive if you enjoy the feel of something light. You may feel as though you’re picking up something nearly impossible to carry for the performance if you can get past the lack of metal vibe. That’s awesome!

5.Acer Aspire Go 14

Last update on 2025-04-14 / Affiliate links/images from Amazon.

The Acer Swift Go 14 has a number of compromises as a mid-tier laptop, beginning with the fact that it is plastic underneath but has an aluminum lid and top plate, which prevents it from feeling genuinely high-end. However, its silver and black color scheme appears decent enough if you don’t look too closely. Additionally, it weighs just over 3 pounds, making it a reasonably light Ultrabook.

Again, in terms of componentry, it won’t be the most reliable computer available. With an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, integrated Intel Arc graphics, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and a sizable 1TB SSD, it is more than capable of handling the demands of the intended user.

The Acer Swift Go 14 should last for a few years if you’re looking for a computer that’s suited for daily tasks that don’t involve intensive editing or gaming. Additionally, it has an Intel AI boost neural processing unit that handles the AI processing that you’ll primarily access through Copilot (more on that later), making it somewhat future-proof, or at least forward-looking.

Though there are some amazing upgrade options, the screen is competent but not quite wow-level. The review model comes with an IPS 1920x1200p 16:10 ratio display with a standard refresh rate of 60 Hz. Although it can handle HDR streaming, it does not support HDR.

The touchpad and keyboard are functional but not particularly noteworthy. I miss my MacBook Pro a little bit while typing this review on the Acer Swift Go 14 because the keystrokes are a little shallower. Nevertheless, neither the touchpad nor the keyboard will interfere with your daily tasks. When the laptop is powered on, a bright “SWIFT” illuminates on the trackpad, which is a nice touch, even though the keyboard’s backlight is a little dim.

Another advantage of the touchpad is that it can recognize a wide variety of gestures, some of which can be adjusted in the settings so that you can use three or four fingers at once.The Acer Swift Go 14 was never intended to be a powerhouse. This type of portable computer is ideal for those who want a reliable device that can easily manage their daily workload for a few years without breaking the bank. Additionally, it performs well there.

Even though it lacks distinct graphics, it can manage some simple games like CS:GO and won’t have any issues running multiple tabs at once. Although you won’t be doing any heavy lifting with this laptop, most people will find that its performance is more than sufficient, especially given that it has some good quality-of-life features.

How much you rely on or wish to rely on AI will determine whether the built-in Copilot AI, which has its own dedicated button and has replaced Cortana, is one of those QoL inclusions worth paying for.

It certainly facilitates the process of looking for answers when troubleshooting problems, whether or not they are computer-related. It’s not that much more reliable than what you can find on Google, though. All of it just so happens to be in one location. We’ll have a clearer picture of how essential Copilot and similar systems will be to the user experience as generative AI advances. It piqued my interest more than anything else.

Best time to buy a laptop

You can find a laptop at a great price during Amazon Prime Day. Back-to-school sales in late summer or early fall, as well as Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales a little later in the year, are other times of the year when you can find the best laptop deals. Although laptops are discounted all year long, these are usually the best times to buy one if you’re looking for the best price and can wait.

Are Chromebooks worth it?

They are, but not everyone is a good fit. In the more than ten years since its introduction, Google’s Chrome OS has advanced significantly, and Chromebooks—laptops running Chrome OS—are ideal for individuals who spend the majority of their working hours using mobile apps or web browsers. They are safe, easy to use, and usually a good deal. They are unable to run Mac or Windows software natively.

Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?

Any laptop can be used to create content and play games. The laptop’s internal components have a significant impact on the games you play, the content you produce, and how quickly you complete these tasks.

You don’t need a powerful gaming laptop to play casual browser-based games or to use streaming game services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now. Similar to this, you can get by with a cheap laptop or Chromebook with built-in graphics if you’re cropping images, cutting short videos, or streaming live video from your webcam.