1100. Build quality is amazing, batter life will be 8-10 hours. Performance is out of the charts. Then if you don't like MacOs or in a major that probably should use windows (Finance/Engineering) then I suggest: Lenovo P14/P16 if you are an engineering major. The best for those that will use CAD, SolidWorks, MATLAB, ANSYS, Arduino IDE, etc. They will have better GPU power than the ThinkPad E series. Buying one of this will basically last you throughout all of college and probably take you to your first few jobs/interns tbh. As you will probably be using it in your job anyways Lenovo Slim 7i Aura Edition is an amazing portable laptop that is slim and portable. If you don't like Macs but want something that is similar I would say this is your best bet. The best battery of any laptop with over 16 hours with mix usage. And with the OLED screen it is great for streaming provides vivid colors if you do any photo/video editing tasks. Dell Plus 14/16" is a great budget laptop that uses the new Lunar Lake processor. Very good battery life and high resolution so great for students. Like 10-12+ hours! And with the Intel Arc graphics you will be able to do most graphical tasks like photoshop, CAD, Matlab, davinchi resolve, large excel files, coding, etc). If you can afford it get the 32GB of RAM so that you can be future proof. ThinkPad E16" if you in a math and finance related major. This laptop will have a numbpad and costs under $1000. Very very reliable and easy to upgrade and repair. These are entry level business class laptop so if you are going into a major related to finance, statistic, LLM, AI, etc then you will sooner or later use a ThinkPad in your life. So it be good to get a head start in using it early with its unique keyboard and trackpoint But, try to buy these laptops on sale. As a student you should really try to budget and get the best laptop that can last your 4 years. I highly recommend you check out this laptop deals thread that updates weekly to get the best sale. Since laptop goes on sale often, you will get the best laptop for your budget then. Answer from NoticiasMundiales on reddit.comI have been saving up and can afford any computer I want but know nothing about computers, I need help figuring it out what to get. I need something that can handle large xlsx and coding files, that can be connected to a monitor for 10+ hours without overheating, that runs on a windows 11 software and that has an ok battery life with a nice keyboard for when I am not on my monitor. I am currently thinking about the Windows Surface 7 but wanted to ask the community as I don't know what I am doing. PLEASE HELP ME :).
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What Is the Best Processor for Your Laptop?
Most $1,000 ultraportables use Intel Core processors or, less commonly, AMD Ryzen CPUs. All of these offer plenty of power for everyday computing tasks, but remember that higher CPU model numbers in a given family of chips typically indicate more processor cores, higher maximum clock speeds, and sometimes even multithreading. With multithreading, each CPU core can run two sets of software instructions simultaneously instead of just one. Modern software is designed to take advantage of as many CPU cores as possible so it can run faster on multithreaded chips.
Meanwhile, budget laptops typically use AMD Ryzen 3 processors, or Core i3 or newer Core 3 chips in Intel's case. These typically have just a few individual cores. At the other end of the spectrum, high-end powerhouse laptops have workstation-class Intel or AMD CPUs with double-digit core counts. However, expect to see many new Intel-based machines employing Core Ultra processors; these are the firm's successors to the Core i series, with an increased focus on AI processing.
Regardless of which CPU a laptop has, it’s typically designed to use less power and generate less heat than its desktop counterpart. In the latest mainstream, lightweight laptops, Intel laptop CPUs typically consume 15 watts (W) of power (or less) up to as much as 45W for the highest-end mobile chips.
Gaming laptops and mobile workstations typically feature higher-powered CPUs, usually denoted by an "H," "HS," or "HX" in the CPU's model name. These require more cooling hardware and consume more energy, but they drive performance closer to that of a desktop PC. You’ll find H-series CPUs from both AMD and Intel.
Apple is in its fourth generation of M-series silicon for MacBooks. Apple's MacBook Pro laptop models contain some variation of its M4 processors. Meanwhile, you can get the basic M4 chip in the latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air laptops.
Getting into laptop-processor specifics can get you pretty deep in the weeds, but for a decent overview that doesn't overwhelm you, check out our guide to choosing a laptop CPU that fits what you do. As a rule of thumb, though, Core Ultra-family chips are Intel's latest, while the Ryzen AI 300 and Ryzen 8000 series are AMD's newest offerings. Chips with a "U" in the model number are typically lower-powered CPUs for thin machines, and the "H" chips indicate power-user machines. A newer CPU variant is the Snapdragon X Elite and Plus family from Qualcomm, powering some recent AI-equipped models that run a special Arm-based version of Windows. (See more about these in What Is an AI PC?)
What is the best laptop under $1,000?
Which laptop brand is the best and cheapest?
I usually use my laptop for things that I believe are simple. I watch and download movies, browse the internet with many tabs open, use Word and Excel, and run screenwriting programs. And not much more.
Sometimes, for work-related reasons, I edit videos and photos. Right now, it’s not something I do frequently, but it might be in the future. So, it would be nice if my laptop could handle these tasks with ease.
I don’t play video games or do streaming.
With this in mind, what laptop would you recommend I buy in 2025? Considering that I hope my laptop will last me for several years and that I can make the most out of it.
One more thing: I love watching movies, so I’m not sure if this is relevant, but I suppose I’d prefer a screen that allows me to enjoy them. I mean good resolution and, maybe, a decent size. Right now, I have a laptop with a 16-inch screen.
One last thing: I work with a lot of files, and for example, my laptop's storage is currently almost full. Maybe this could be solved with an external hard drive or something similar. But I suppose I’d prefer a laptop that already comes with ample storage.
I guess it’s obvious to say that I’m looking for something good (something that meets the needs I described), aesthetically pleasing, and, if possible, affordable.
Alright, that’s all.
Do you have any recommendations?
I’m looking forward to your suggestions!
Helping out a friend of a friend, she is looking for a WINDOWS laptop, for basic use, paying bills, doing her taxes, internet browsing, and YouTube. Yes, I did try recommending a Chromebook/netbook already, based on her use case but she wants a Windows machine, most likely due to comfort and familiarity.
New would be the way to go with her, so used options are a no go, this way she can rely on warranty and that that entails.
Honestly for what she is using, I would say $500 tops should suffice, but jus in case there is some wiggle room on the $600 max budget.
The specs I would be most worried about.
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Must have SSD. Preferably an NVMe.
There are a number of cheaper laptops that still use mechanical drives - which would be an awful choice. -
I think it should have a core i5, either 12th or 13th gen.
Sure, it might look a little overkill now for basic usage, but how long do you honestly want to wait for Windows updates to install? And, how about in few years when the OS and windows requires more overhead? -
Minimum of 8GB of RAM.
I also typically like to see a backlit keyboard, and Bluetooth if they are doing YouTube, it is nice to pair Bluetooth headphones, and/or a Bluetooth mouse.
Here’s an option to consider:
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