Laptop Recommendations Please!

[TrueKnight]

Hey guys! I’m a first year Engineering/Commerce student at Monash this year and I was looking for some laptop recommendations (budget around $2500). In general as well, are there any intensive programmes in the course that we have to run which will require us to have a specced up laptop (i.e 16gb+ ram, dedicated graphics etc.). Would a MacBook Pro be sufficient?

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Alter]

16GB ram would be more than superfluous for anything you'd need in your course. Even if you're using programs such as MATLAB in your engineering subjects, 4GB (or 8GB) should be sufficient. There shouldn't be much reason to get a dedicated graphics card unless you plan to use your laptop for gaming, but if your budget is $2500 you'd be better off spending ~$1k on a gaming pc and then $500 on a normal laptop for uni. 2500 is more than enough for any good laptop + I wouldn't recommend a mac because you're paying a lot for the brand, but it's up to you if you don't mind forking it out.

What kind of features are most important to you? Touch screen? Battery length? Size? Are you going to use it for anything outside of university and how long do you want it to last?

[TrueKnight]

16GB ram would be more than superfluous for anything you'd need in your course. Even if you're using programs such as MATLAB in your engineering subjects, 4GB (or 8GB) should be sufficient. There shouldn't be much reason to get a dedicated graphics card unless you plan to use your laptop for gaming, but if your budget is $2500 you'd be better off spending ~$1k on a gaming pc and then $500 on a normal laptop for uni. 2500 is more than enough for any good laptop + I wouldn't recommend a mac because you're paying a lot for the brand, but it's up to you if you don't mind forking it out.

What kind of features are most important to you? Touch screen? Battery length? Size? Are you going to use it for anything outside of university and how long do you want it to last?

Thanks for the reply and advice Alter! Umm, I think the most important features I'm looking for are performance, durability and a small footprint (thin, light). I would like something that can boot fast, as well as run fast, so probably SSDs and i5 or i7 CPUs (or equivalent), along with a metal build that's small and compact. I'm not looking to game on the laptop and its sole use is a daily driver for everyday Uni work.

[Professor Polonsky]

If you're not gaming, then yeah, you don't really have a need for a dedicated graphics card. $2500 is also a lot. You're right about SSDs - don't get near anything with an HDD.

At that price range, my current laptop is an ASUS Zenbook and I'm extremely happy with it - one of the best laptop purchases I've ever made. I've heard good things about hp spectres as well.

[jamonwindeyer]

At that price range, my current laptop is an ASUS Zenbook and I'm extremely happy with it - one of the best laptop purchases I've ever made. I've heard good things about hp spectres as well.

My brother just got a Zenbook and it's amazing!! He paid about $1700 for one I think? He raves about it, much recommend
What sort of Engineering? If it involves programming then having a Unix/Linux based operating system would be highly beneficial for you. But pretty much every other sort of engineering program is going to rely on Windows. Lots of ways to achieve best of both worlds - I'm a Macboy with a Macbook so I program in macOS and then use a VM for Windows (or use Boot Camp if its an intensive program). I've seen people do the reverse, own a PC but have a VM/boot into Linux.

Will always recommend Macbook Pros because I do think they are worth it, all things considered, but only if you like the Apple ecosystem and are a fan of macOS

[Alter]

Have a look at some Dell laptops - maybe an XPS could fill the role you're looking for. They have insanely good specs but they're on the pricier side. Dell Inspiron if you are after touch-screen/2-in-1 laptop.

Will always recommend Macbook Pros because I do think they are worth it, all things considered, but only if you like the Apple ecosystem and are a fan of macOS

I was probably a bit harsh on macs in my previous post - this isn't a bad idea either.

[jamonwindeyer]

I was probably a bit harsh on macs in my previous post - this isn't a bad idea either.

They deserve a lot of their flak, don't get me wrong

[Sine]

Have a look at some Dell laptops - maybe an XPS could fill the role you're looking for. They have insanely good specs but they're on the pricier side. Dell Inspiron if you are after touch-screen/2-in-1 laptop. I was probably a bit harsh on macs in my previous post - this isn't a bad idea either.

yes definitely recommend the Dell XPS if you are willing to fork out the money

[TrueKnight]

What sort of Engineering? If it involves programming then having a Unix/Linux based operating system would be highly beneficial for you. But pretty much every other sort of engineering program is going to rely on Windows. Lots of ways to achieve best of both worlds - I'm a Macboy with a Macbook so I program in macOS and then use a VM for Windows (or use Boot Camp if its an intensive program). I've seen people do the reverse, own a PC but have a VM/boot into Linux.

I haven’t decided what specialisations as of yet, but am leaning towards software or maybe mechanical. Would certain specialisations require more performance enhanced laptops or certain OS types (I’m assuming that Software would be better with Windows)?

Thanks jamonwindeyer, Alter, Professor Polonsky and Sine for the valuable advice! If engineering doesn’t require workstation/high spec laptops, I’m thinking maybe MacBook Pro still as admittedly, I am kinda stuck in the Apple ecosystem, ahah.  Thanks again guys for all the help!

[jamonwindeyer]

I haven’t decided what specialisations as of yet, but am leaning towards software or maybe mechanical. Would certain specialisations require more performance enhanced laptops or certain OS types (I’m assuming that Software would be better with Windows)?

Thanks jamonwindeyer, Alter, Professor Polonsky and Sine for the valuable advice! If engineering doesn’t require workstation/high spec laptops, I’m thinking maybe MacBook Pro still as admittedly, I am kinda stuck in the Apple ecosystem, ahah.  Thanks again guys for all the help!

Apple ecosystem treats me fine as an Engineer who has done a lot of programming (electrical, so lots of overlap with Comp Sci) some of the programs you need to be able to run:

- Matlab, as aforementioned, which I've legitimately run on a desktop from 1998. Some of the more advanced simulations are more trying but any modern laptop would be fine with them.
- CAD programs, like Autocad and the like. You can download this for Mac or it will run smoothly in a Virtual Machine.
- IDE's of various kinds, which will run in a VM

If you get a Mac, definitely either set up a Bootcamp partition or Virtual Machine running Windows. You'll be sweet