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It’s no wonder that students and their parents feel bamboozled by the detail and jargon they face when choosing a laptop. “For students it’s often one of the biggest purchases they’ll make before starting their degree,” says Stephanie Foat, computing expert for electrical retailer AO.

“There’s now a huge range of products available across every budget, and shoppers are faced with lots of technical terminology around processors, RAM, storage, battery life and AI features,” she says. “While more choice is a great thing, it can make it difficult to understand which features are genuinely important and which are simply nice to have.”

When it comes to university tech in particular, you’ll want confidence that the laptop will survive three or four years of heavy use. But, Foat warns, the best laptop isn’t the most expensive one. “My biggest piece of advice is to start with your course requirements rather than a particular brand.” Below, Foat demystifies the process of choosing which laptop to buy and the specifications to pay extra attention to.

How can I avoid buying the wrong laptop for university?
It can be tempting to focus on price and end up compromising on key specifications such as storage or RAM. But no student wants their laptop to die or run out of space when they are mid-assignment. “You might save money initially, but after a year or two a student can find themselves battling slow performance and limited storage space,” Foat says.

“Having the right ports, too, can make a real difference to day-to-day usability,” she adds. Check that the device has the ability to connect vital features such as monitors, hard drives, memory cards or presentation equipment.

Do I need a special laptop for my course subject?
Engineering and design students are more likely to use specialist software, and these programs demand more from a laptop’s processor, graphics capabilities and memory. “For these courses, AO would recommend at least 16GB of RAM, a powerful processor and fast SSD storage – at least 512GB if budgets allow,” Foat says.

“For creative students, the Asus ProArt P16 is a great example of a laptop designed for demanding visual work. It’s powerful and the true-to-life colours suit photography and video editing.”

Humanities students will favour battery life and portability as their studies involve essay writing, virtual seminars and managing coursework. Foat recommends a modern Copilot+PC (a fast laptop with integrated AI features within Windows) as AI becomes integral to university study.

What battery life will my laptop need for university?
Most students should aim for a laptop that allows for eight to 10 hours of use – ideally an entire day of lectures and coursework without the need to plug in.

More powerful laptops consume more energy. Processors, screen size, display and resolution and types of tasks all affect energy use, although modern processors are now more efficient.

“Ideally, students should be able to get through a full day of lectures and coursework without constantly searching for a charging point,” Foat says. “The Asus Zenbook S16 is a good example that can comfortably support a full day of studying.”

Is laptop screen size important for students?
A 14in screen strikes the right balance between portability and productivity, although a 15in to 16in screen is better for design and creative students, and is also better if you want to display multiple windows. Students are increasingly keen on touchscreens and styluses – useful for creatives but also if you want to annotate slides, make calculations or sketch directly on-screen.

How sturdy should my laptop be? What other bits of hardware matter at uni?
Don’t spend money on a specialist rugged laptop, Foat says. Instead look for an aluminium or magnesium-alloy chassis, which will withstand knocks better than standard plastic models – ideal for lugging around campus. Add a protective sleeve or case for extra safety.

A comfortable keyboard is more important than you’d expect. “If students are completing a lot of assignments in their university room and their laptop keyboard isn’t cutting it, it could be worth investing in a wireless keyboard like the HP 720.” For online seminars, virtual interviews and more, it’s worth getting a good-quality inbuilt camera; at least full HD.

How do I know my laptop is powerful enough for my studies?
More RAM – the laptop’s working memory – will futureproof the device over the course of a degree, so look for 16GB if possible.

“When it comes to long-term memory, students are often surprised by how quickly coursework, presentations, lecture recordings and personal files accumulate over time – AO would recommend at least 512GB SSD if possible.” However, it depends on individual use and what extra software students might need.

“When looking at processing power, AO would advise a modern Intel Core Ultra 5, Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 processor for most students. But engineers, computer science and creative students might benefit from something more powerful – such as an Intel Core Ultra 7, Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processor.”

What’s the best laptop to buy on a budget?
If you aim to spend around £500 or less on a laptop, Foat advises to focus on the fundamentals and not worry about extras. “Go instead for solid battery life, reliability, SSD storage and a decent keyboard. Chromebooks are excellent value, particularly for students whose work requires web research, essay writing, email and lecture streaming – here, the Acer Chromebook 314 ticks the boxes.”

But she emphasises that students should check their course requirements, as engineering, architecture, design and computer science students might need specialist software that requires Windows as an operating system (rather than ChromeOS).

If you are looking to cut costs, professionally refurbished laptops offer great value compared with brand new, but do buy from a reputable retailer (such as MusicMagpie) and make sure you get a warranty.

Is extra insurance and security for a student laptop really worth it?
Standard warranties cover faults but usually not accidental damage. Common mishaps of student life include spilt drinks and accidental drops, and it can be worth taking out extra cover.

Laptops today come equipped with strong inbuilt protection and features such as fingerprint scanners, facial recognition and hardware level security technology to keep personal information safe. “If it’s not included, it’s a worthwhile investment, adding an extra layer of protection to the device,” says Foat.

Shop laptops at ao.com