If you are here, the only probably reason is that you are confused about which is the best laptop which you can buy as a mechanical engineering student. A laptop for a mechanical engineering student is something which is really important, be it for their personal use or even if one wants to set up a workstation.
Many have a misconception that any random laptop can serve the purpose of their workstation, but you are wrong. If you are planning to have a good workstation you need to make sure that your laptop is built with the right set of hardware so that it would be capable enough to run all your heavy software’s.
We all know that the software which a mechanical student uses are not as lite as the ones which an art student use. The reason you are here is the same, we can understand that you are so confused by looking at a number of options which are available online, do not worry because we are going to help you in making your right purchase.
Before we are moving toward the laptop’s list, I want to share with you some important things which you need to consider when you are going to buy a laptop for yourself.
How To Choose A Right Laptop For Mechanical Engineering Students?
As a mechanical engineering student, you will run some heavy applications such as AutoCAD, Solidworks, Fusion 360, MATLAB, ProE, CATIA, MS Office, etc. To handle all these apps you’ll need a laptop with powerful specs which can be able to deliver smooth performance.
I know many of you might be thinking that what kind of hardware configuration I need on my laptop as a mechanical engineering student. Don’t worry here you will get your answer. The reference for the system requirements for Mechanical Engineering students are taken from the umaine.edu website. Let’s take a look.
1. Processor:
As we all know that Processor is a crucial part of the system. This is why you’ll need a powerful CPU which is powerful enough to handle all those heavy apps.
For this course, you’ll need a processor which has a minimum speed of 3.3 GHz or higher. But the recommended requirement is 10th Gen or the latest Generation Intel Core i7 processor, which can easily tackle all the software’s easily.
2. RAM:
After the CPU, RAM is another important factor of the laptop which helps to handles the multitasking. To handle multitasking with all the heavy apps you’ll need at least 16GB of RAM which’ll give you smooth multitasking working experience. If you’ll go with 32GB RAM then you will get next level of performance.
3. Graphics Card:
As a mechanical engineering student, the graphics card is must as you’ll run 3D related software to get all the 3D works done. And for that, it will require at least 4GB of NVIDIA’s RTX or Quadro series GPU or similar AMD Radeon graphics.
4. Storage:
Finally, we are talking about storage, which is one of the main concerns for all of us. Firstly, I want to tell you that these days you will get two types of storage options such as HDD and SSD.
Many of you might be thinking that what is the difference between them? Am I right? So, here I want to tell you about the main difference between them.
The first one is speed, SSD is a few times faster than HDD drive due to its latest technology, that’s why it boots the system very fast. Another one is the pricing, SSDs are expensive compared to HDDs. This is the main difference between these two storage and it’s important that you should know about it.
These days most of the laptops come with an SSD drive rather than an HDD drive. Well, get back to the topic, for mechanical engineering studies you’ll need at least 256GB of storage space but the recommended is 512GB.
I hope that after going through these important things now you have got an idea about what kind of specs you need for your laptop. Here I advise you if budget is not a problem for you then always go with the recommended system requirements, which makes your laptop futureproof.
Without any further delay, let’s check out the list of best laptops for mechanical engineering students.
In A Hurry? Here’s Our Top 7 Picks
Best Laptops For Mechanical Engineering Students – Top 7 Picks
1. Dell G15 5520 Gaming Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i7-12700H Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Anti-Glare LED-lit Display
- Up to 3 Hours Battery Life
Review:
We’ll talk about the performance in a while, but then talking about the looks first the laptop look stunningly beautiful. The Dell G15 5520 laptop comes with matte black finishing and the placement of the Dell logo looks and feels premium.
Display:
Every student would just love to work on this 15.6 inches Full HD Anti-Glare display with IPS panel, the color reproduction is just so perfect.
Specs:
Coming to the most important aspect, the power. With the power of the intel core i7-12700H processor you can end up doing a lot more things which you cannot even image on other laptops, 16GB of RAM is definitely an added advantage.
If you want to play games in your free time, you can also do that with the help of 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 which is one of the most powerful graphics cards out there. But then storage to is something which is really important, well even that has been sorted out with the Dell gaming laptop. 512GB of SSD has been provided to store all your software’s, work files, and heavy games too.
Other Features:
Apart from the specs, it features an innovative dual fan cooling system which is very useful while you are working on a heavy file for a long time and still it will give you a stable performance by keeping the system cool.
As far as connectivity is concerned, it has got all the required ports including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Regarding the keyboard, it has got a full-size backlit keyboard with red color only and it is not customizable which may disappoint few.
- Best specs for the price
- The outer body is durable
- Innovative cooling technology
- Plenty of port options
- Backlit keyboard is not customizable
- Thick & bit heavy
2. MSI GL66 11UGK-001 – Amazon’s Choice Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i7-11800H Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 3 Hours Battery Life
Review:
Well now we are slowly entering into the category of beasts, the MSI GL66 11UGK-001 has been named as the performance gaming laptop. The first impressions one would get when they hold this laptop is that it is built to last.
This laptop comes with a brushed aluminum design and red accents which make this laptop just look dope.
Display:
The MSI GL66 11UGK-001 sports a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS thin bezel display which has some really good viewing angle. On top of that, it also has a 144hz of high refresh rate panel which delivers an amazing visual while playing games or watching movies.
Specs:
The CPU and the GPU on this laptop is great too, under the hood this laptop is equipped with the latest 8 core powerful intel i7-11800H processor which is more than sufficient for all your tasks, but if you are looking for some more power the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB dedicated graphics card is going to help you out and all these specs are coupled with 16GB of RAM.
When you have such a powerful laptop, it’s obvious that you are going to store a lot of files, so for all your storage needs, MSI has provided 512GB of SSD.
Other Features:
Apart from this, it has 2 fans and 2 exhausts, which keep the system cool and stable during intense working or gaming sessions. Besides this, it has got a full size RGB backlit keyboard which is fully customizable and got plenty of port options.
Moreover, they have focused to make this notebook thin and light so that anyone can carry it around every day at college or the office. This is very rare that we can get a gaming laptop which is thin and lightweight because usually, gaming laptops are heavy.
- Thin & lightweight
- Powerful RTX 3070 GPU
- Stunning thin bezel display
- Latest & fastest Wi-Fi 6 connectivity
- Battery life is mediocre
3. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 – Best Budget Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 5 6600H Processor
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 3.5 Hours Battery Life
Review:
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 is one such laptop which falls under almost most of the laptop categories. If you are on a tight budget, then you can easily rely upon this laptop from Lenovo.
Display:
This Lenovo laptop has a 15.6-inch Full HD Widescreen LED-lit display with IPS panel, which delivers better color from a wide-viewing angle.
Specs:
This is one of the best laptops for all those mechanical engineering students who are looking to get a good laptop but on are a limited budget. This laptop is a combination of good specs and performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15 comes with a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 6600H processor whose performance can be increased by boosting it to 4.5 GHz.
To make sure that there wouldn’t be any lag while multi-tasking 8GB of onboard RAM has been provided under the hood. Being a mechanical engineer you would have a lot of files to store, hence the laptop comes with 256GB of SSD for all your storage needs. Light gaming can be expected with 4GB of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card.
Other Features:
The thing which makes this laptop stand out from the other laptop is its Rapid Charge technology that charges the battery up to 40% in just 15 minutes. A worth mentioning thing about this laptop is that in this budget it offers a thermal management system with a quad vent which keeps you productive without slowing you down.
- Powerful specs at this price point
- DDR5 RAM
- Fast NVMe SSD
- With DisplayPort
- Battery life is weak
4. Acer Predator Helios 300 – Our Top Choice
Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i7-11800H Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD IPS Widescreen LED-backlit Display
- Up to 2.5 Hours Battery Life
Review:
The predator is one such series which Acer has launched especially for hardcore gaming, these are one of the most powerful laptops out there.
Well, the first impression of this Acer Predator Helios 300 laptop has always been the stylish looking black metal chassis which comes with the RGB backlit keyboard, this totally looks dope.
Display:
Well now talking more about this device, it sports a 15.6-inch FHD Widescreen LED-backlit display which comes with a 144Hz refresh rate. And also it has an IPS panel which delivers consistent, brilliant color from any perspective.
Specs:
If you are worried about the configuration, this laptop comes packed in with the latest 11th generation Intel Core i7-11800H processor along with 16GB of RAM, this technology makes sure that your laptop doesn’t lag even when you opt for high performance and multi-tasking.
The thing which I like the most about this laptop is that it has an empty slot for RAM & storage both for further upgrades. If you want to play games occasionally you can do that too, thanks to the 6GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. 512GB of blazing fast SSD is definitely an added advantage.
Other Features:
Talking about the battery life of this gaming laptop it provides up to 2.5-hours of battery backup on a full charge, but it may vary upon usage. Regarding connectivity, it offers plenty of port options to connect other external devices.
Like other laptops, it also comes with its own cooling technology, it has AeroBlade Fan which has an 89 ultra-thin blade design that increases air intake. So, that it keep the system cool under the pressure and provide better performance without throttling.
- Easy to upgrade
- Build quality is durable
- Display quality is good
- Keyboard & trackpad work really nice
- During heavy workload it gets hot
5. ASUS VivoBook Pro 15 – Best Value For Money Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- AMD Ryzen 7 5800H Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB
- 15.6 Inch Full HD OLED Display
- Up to 5 Hours Battery Life
Review:
All the laptops from ASUS are mainly known for their stylish looks, but what most of the people miss upon is that Asus laptop is pretty powerful too. The Asus VivoBook Pro 15 is one such powerful laptop which is a combination of killer specs and looks.
Display:
First things first, this is a lightweight laptop from Asus, which sports a 15.6 inch Full HD display, so working on this laptop will be an eye delight for all the students. The best part is that, this OLED panel emits 70% less harmful blue light so you can do your work for a long without any worry.
Specs:
Now coming to the real specs, this laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB of RAM, and comes with 512GB of SSD. If you still think the laptop is underpowered, then you can increase its performance by overclocking the CPU up to 4.4 GHz which is insane. If you are planning for some light gaming, then the 4GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 is going to support you through it.
Other Features:
Talking about some interesting features of this notebook, it has a backlit keyboard with a fingerprint sensor that allows you to sign in into the system with just a single touch. To make this device thin and light all these things are packed in a 0.74 thin profile and the weight is 3.64 pounds only.
Furthermore, talking about its few worth mentioning features which are its in-built webcam privacy shield, ASUS IceCool Plus technology, and backlit keyboard.
- Best specs for this budget
- The screen is certified by TÜV Rheinland and SGS
- Touchpad is 27% bigger and responsive
- Privacy shield for webcam
- Decent battery life
- Type C port doesn’t support display output and charging
6. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – Best 17 Inch Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i7-10750H Processor
- 16GB RAM
- 512GB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB
- 17.3 Inch Full HD IPS Display
- Up to 3 Hours Battery Life
Review:
If you are looking for a powerful laptop, then this ASUS ROG Strix G17 laptop from Asus is your go-to option. It both looks and feels powerful, thanks to the RGB keyboard and bottom light bar, and of course the powerful specs too.
Display:
Speaking about the display, this laptop sports a whopping 17.3-inch FHD IPS display which just looks dope. Apart from the study, if you like to play games on your laptop then its 144Hz high refresh rate screen along with its gaming look will give you an amazing gaming experience.
Specs:
To make the visuals even better, under the hood this laptop comes with a powerful 8GB of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card. Now coming to the power, this device is powered by an Intel Core i7-10750H processor, and backed by 16GB of RAM.
So technically with these insane specs, you can throw any task and this laptop handle it with ease. To store all your files without any hassle, 512GB of SSD drive has been provided under the hood. And the best part is that if you want to expand its storage then you can easily do that by using its empty slot for SSD.
Other Features:
Moreover, it has ROG Intelligent Cooling system that is very helpful feature when you are running heavy apps or doing multitasking for long hours. If battery life is concern then you can expect it from around 3-hours of backup on a full battery charge.
As a student, if you regularly do online video calling on Zoom, Google Duo, or any other apps then this laptop may disappoint you because it doesn’t have an in-built webcam. But if you like this laptop and want to buy then do one thing buy an external webcam to solve this issue.
All in all, this is the best laptop which comes with the combination of best specs and performance together.
- Big 17 inch display
- Attractive look
- Empty slot for SSD upgrade
- Plenty of port options
- ROG cooling system
- Doesn’t have a webcam
7. MSI Vector GP76 – High Performance Laptop
Hardware Specifications
- Intel Core i9-12900HK Processor
- 32GB RAM
- 1TB SSD
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 8GB
- 17.3 Inch Full HD Display
- Up to 3 Hours Battery Life
Review:
MSI is a dedicated gaming laptop manufacturer, all their laptops are gamers centric so you do not need to worry about the performance of these laptops. The MSI Vector GP76 looks dope, thanks to the brushed aluminum metal design.
Display:
Talking about the display, this laptop sports a big 17.3-inch FHD display with 360Hz of the blazing fast panel, which is used to deliver some really good frame rates. If you are a gamer then you can understand how the frame rate is useful for gamers.
Specs:
Coming to the power, this laptop is powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel i9-12900HK processor and coupled with a massive 32GB RAM, which makes it one of the most powerful machines in this list. Speaking about the storage, it houses a huge 1TB of SSD which is faster and enough space to store all your files and data. On top of that, this NVMe SSD is faster than the SATA SSD.
Regarding the graphics, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card this laptop has got with 8GB VRAM, so being a mechanical engineering student these specs are going to help you a lot while you’ll be using some heavy rendering software’s.
Other Features:
Moreover, it features a dedicated thermal solution for both the CPU and GPU which helps to increase the airflow and decrease the heat inside, so that you’ll get a smooth performance. What’s more, it has got a full-size RGB backlit keyboard and plenty of ports for connectivity.
All in all, this is the number one high-performance laptop of choice on our list.
- Powerful i9-12900HK CPU
- Massive storage & RAM
- 17 inch big & blazing fast 360Hz display
- The data transfer speed of NVMe SSD is amazing
- Too heavy
Final Verdict
Well, so these were the hand-picked laptops which are the Best Laptops for Mechanical Engineering Students. If you are a mechanical engineering student and is looking out to by the best laptop, I hope our list is going to help you out because there are thousands of laptops out there which are not worth your money.
If you would ask me my personal choice of laptop, firstly it would be the MSI Vector GP76, thanks to the powerful specs and the trendy design. This laptop is totally worth all your money.
My second laptop of choice would be the Asus ROG Strix G17, this is a limited edition laptop with some top-notch specs which you cannot miss out on.
Do let us know in the comments section down below on which is your favorite laptop.
Hello! I am Rick Johnson a senior editor & writer of this blog. By profession, I am a Computer Engineer and I am passionate about reviewing the latest laptops and writing about them. Here I am helping the people with my laptop expert team by creating the laptop buying guides for those who want to buy the best laptop as per their need and budget.
