Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Best student laptop deals: Laptops for college from $169

Heading off to college is an exciting and momentous occasion in anyone’s life. It can also be incredibly expensive. We’re not just talking about school fees but having to pay for accommodation and all the other things you need to own while you’re stepping out into the world for the first time. One thing you’ll need is a great laptop. Fortunately, there are some excellent laptop deals around which means you won’t have to worry about spending too much on the pleasure of being able to type up your reports and notes without any hassle. With so many options around, we’ve picked out some of the very best student laptop deals available so you know exactly what to buy. We’ve included laptops and Chromebooks of varying price ranges so there’s something for every budget and need here.

IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook — $179, was $319

The IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is a great option if you often work unplugged for long periods of time.
Lenovo

Fitting in as one of the best Chromebooks for students, the IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook runs on 4 GB of memory and a MediaTek Kompanio processor. The 14-inch FHD screen has a 100% sRGB color gamut and sides of the keyboard contain speakers, making it a serviceable video lecture companion. The IdeaPad Slim 3’s WiFi 6 allows for quick downloads and a solid internet connection. This, combined with the laptop’s 13-hour battery life, solidify it as the perfect laptop to throw in your bag and take notes with at class. You can still watch (purely educational, of course) YouTube videos, but the machine isn’t designed to be overly distracting.

ASUS Vivobook 15.6-Inch — $339, was $379

The ASUS Vivobook 15.6-inch version with a menu open.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The ASUS Vivobook 15.6-Inch is a great study companion due to quirks that make it perfect for late night usage. Like other ASUS laptops (just one reason ASUS is featured among the best budget laptops) it sports a quiet keyboard with slender-pressing keys. And, in this case, they’re also backlit, meaning you can find the right keys easily even in the dark of night. Its 180-degree hinge, when fully opened, means the ASUS Vivobook can lie flat, allowing for multiple comfortable positions for in-bed studying. The ASUS Vivobook 15.6-Inch features 8GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD storage, and an Intel i3 processor.

IdeaPad Slim 3 — $430, was $650

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 on a white background.
.

When we look at 15 inch laptops we shouldn’t ignore the IdeaPad Slim 3, which comes with an AMD Ryzen processor and AMD Radeon graphics. Behind its 1080p, anti-glare screen is the 8GB of memory and a 512GB SSD storage drive. What makes the IdeaPad Slim 3 special is its tough exterior, made for withstanding harsh drops. This, along with its slim build, make it perfect to throw in the backpack and tug along with you wherever you go. Take even 15 minutes between classes for a charge session and you’ll get two full hours of usage out of your IdeaPad Slim 3, it is a truly versatile machine that is ready to go when you are.

ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 — $513, was $789

The ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 turned to its side, open, and with a menu open.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

When we think of the best Lenovo laptops, one line always comes to mind: ThinkPad. They have a reputation for high durability and good keyboards. While we’ve warned in the past that the latest laptop model isn’t always the best, there is something to be said about the ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 being a new arrival to the Lenovo store. It’s got the latest features that you’ll want for the long term, in abundance. For example its got both USB-C ports and WiFi 6, which are becoming increasingly useful. Furthermore, the ThinkPad E16 has a 16-inch 1920 x 1200p screen, 256GB of storage, and an 8GB memory.

HP Pavilion Laptop 15t — $580, was $1,000

The HP Pavilion 15t-eg300 laptop against a white background.
HP

If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, the HP Pavilion Laptop 15t really starts to ramp up the stats. The 16GB of RAM can be especially useful if you need to use advanced creative software, for example, and competes with the very best business laptops. Of course, the Intel Core i7 processor won’t hurt either. Store you projects and PowerPoints locally on the 256GB SSD contained within, as you don’t want poor reception in the depths of the philosophy building keeping you from getting your points across. Overall, this is one of the best student laptop deals for those that need a little extra power but aren’t ready to break the bank on luxuries like an ultra-advanced display (the HP Pavilion Laptop 15t is 1080p).

HP ENVY Laptop 17t — $790, was $1,290

A side profile of the HP Envy 17-inch laptop against a white background.
.

Featured among our best HP laptop deals as well, the HP ENVY Laptop 17t is praised for its photo connectivity features. By using HP Palette, you can search through the images of your college memories with photo recognition software. (Yes, the guy you went to chemistry with was also the awful karaoke singer last night.) The HP ENVY Laptop 17t also has quick file sharing between connected devices. Another thing to note about this laptop is how bit it is. It has a 17.3-inch, 1080p screen, so be sure to check out our favorite 17-inch laptop bags if you pick up this offering, as your current one might not be able to handle it. And that big size won’t go to waste at all, as it will not only help you see your pictures better, but also see yourself better from its 5MP built-in webcam. The HP ENVY Laptop 17t uses an Intel i7 processor, gets 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.

 

Dell XPS 13 — $849, was $949

Dell XPS 13 on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Consistently one of the best laptops around, the Dell XPS 13 is a dream in almost every way. The thinnest and lightest 13-inch XPS laptop yet, it’s powerful too. It has a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage. Its 13.4-inch full HD+ display with a 1920 x 1200 resolution is a delight to look at with 500 nits of brightness ensuring it can handle all lighting situations too. An impressive battery life of up to 12 hours means it’ll handle the busiest days of classes while you can enjoy streaming your favorite shows in style later in the day thanks to the great display and bigger internal speakers than previous models.

Editors' Recommendations

John Alexander
John Alexander is a former ESL teacher, current writer and internet addict, and lacks the wisdom to know what the future…
Best HP laptop deals: Get a 14-inch Windows laptop for $170
An open HP Spectre x360 16 sits on a table, angled so that the screen and keyboard can be seen.

HP is one of the best laptop brands out there, and they're not afraid to slash their prices. Whether you're looking for cheap Chromebook deals or powerful gaming laptop deals, HP has something to offer. Below we've collected the best laptop deals on HP computers from around the internet. Models include the Pavilion, Victus, 17z and the mighty Omen.

HP 14-inch Laptop -- $170, was $200

Read more
Best gaming PC deals: Powerful gaming rigs from $600
young woman playing video games on a PC

A desktop PC offers a lot that even the best laptops can’t offer, such as expanded connectivity and the ability to swap upgraded components in the future. These features are especially handy if you’re a gamer. The best gaming PCs are a worthy investment if that’s the case, and it’s always worth searching through the best gaming PC deals if you’re in the market for an upgrade, or if you’re building a gaming setup from scratch. There are a lot of great gaming PC deals currently available, and they include brands like HP, Alienware, Lenovo, and Asus. We’ve rounded them all up, so give them a look and throw the savings at some of the best PC games.
HP OMEN 25L — $600, was $900

The HP OMEN 25L is one of the most popular gaming PCs on the market, as it offers some great value. Like all of the best desktop computers, it’s fully customizable, meaning you can purchase it at this great price and upgrade internal components if you need to in the future. This build has some good specs as it is, however, offering an Intel i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card. This is a great option for gamers on a budget, and it’s more than enough hardware to get you going if you’re new to the gaming world.

Read more
Best 2-in-1 laptop deals: Turn your laptop into a tablet for $198
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 7 laptop sits on a small desk folded like a tent.

There are laptops, and then there are 2-in-1-laptops that offer you the best of both worlds. What worlds? You can seamlessly swap between a tablet-style device, by flipping the keyboard behind the display, or when you need it, instantly swap back to a traditional laptop with keyboard. It will completely evolve your productivity, if you've never used one before. The thing is, because of the extra functionality they offer, a 2-in-1-laptop can be expensive. But you’re in luck, as some of the best laptop deals currently taking place are discounts on 2-in-1 laptops. Many of the best laptop brands are currently seeing 2-in-1 models discounted, including the likes of HP, Lenovo, and Dell. We’ve tracked down all of the best 2-in-1 laptop deals taking place right now, so read onward for more details on what might make the best deal for you.
Asus CM3200 Chromebook — $198, was $229

While the best laptops often focus on delivering as much power as they can into their footprint, the best Chromebooks tend to focus on simplicity and delivering just the things more entry-level users need. This is true with the Asus CM3200 Chromebook, which comes in at under $200. This price point gets you quite a bit, including an HD touchscreen display, an 8-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage space. This is generally plenty for base users like students, or professionals whose work doesn’t go much further beyond word processors, spreadsheets, and browsing the web.

Read more