Every finance student needs a laptop and because it’s a long-term investment, it’s better to do some research to find the best laptop for you as a finance student.
In this article, I will share with you what to look for when buying and how to get the best finance students’ laptop deals.
Table of Contents
WHAT IS A GOOD LAPTOP FOR FINANCE STUDENTS?
Since finance students spent a lot of hours engaging with technology, comfortability is essential while working on their laptops.
WEIGHT
The ability to carry your laptop easily anywhere is a top priority for you as a finance student.
Since most of the time finance studies require to use of simple programs, a lightweight laptop should work fine.
Your finance studies laptop should not exceed 3.5 lbs and anything below 3 lbs I consider it a lightweight laptop.
DISPLAY
The screen size also plays a huge role in the laptop’s portability and weight.
Laptops with 12″ screens are too small and 17″ screens will be too big and heavy.
Laptops with displays between 13″ and 15″ are ideal and give enough screen real estate to open up multiple windows next to each other simultaneously, read, type, or take notes without having to scroll down too much.
Another thing to look at is how comfortable the display is to your eyes. FHD or UHD display like the ones in recent Macbooks provide sharp text and images that will not strain your eyes.
Since you will be indoors most of the time, matte finish displays will be better than glossy ones.
BATTERY LIFE
The laptop battery life is also essential and important for students since most of their time is away from electrical outlets.
Most medium to high-end recent laptops can last between 6 to 12 hours on a single charge and this is enough for a day if you know how to manage your battery power.
Generally speaking, smaller computers tend to offer longer battery lives.
Another thing to look at is how fast the laptop is able to charge up. Any laptop that is able to charge up to 50% under 30 minutes is considered good for me.
RAM
RAM or memory determines how many programs can a laptop runs simultaneously.
I recommend you to get at least 8 GB of RAM, especially for Windows laptops because just Windows 10 eats around 3.1 GB to run.
So if you get 4GB of RAM and you use Windows 10, you will be left with less than 1GB for all your others software, which is not enough.
Because most of the recent laptops come with non-upgradeable RAM, I recommend you get 16 GB of RAM to avoid having to buy another laptop since newly released computer programs typically require increased memory use.
PROCESSOR
In order to get a laptop that can be used for many years, I recommend a laptop with 9th Gen Intel Core i7 or equivalent but if you are on a budget, you can still go with the 10th Gen Intel Core i5.
Processors or CPUs that you should avoid at any cost are:
- Celeron.
- Pentium.
- Any Intel Core CPU with the Y or M letters somewhere.
- MediaTek/Atom.
- Any AMD CPU that doesn’t have the word Ryzen.
STORAGE
For storage capacity, I recommend you 250 GB if you work with videos and large programs but if you or limited to looking at charts and web browsing, a 128 GB of storage SSD can be enough.
Other than the storage capacity, I recommend you SSDs over HDDs that contain moving parts because they make your laptop run 3 to 4 times faster and are more stable.
OPERATING SYSTEM
Windows or Mac OS are a personal choice.
For you as a finance student, look for the software that you need to use and are they available on Windows, Mac OS, or both.
If your needed programs are available on both operating systems and you are on a budget, opt for Windows laptops, they are affordable.
PRICE
An entry-to-mid-level laptop that costs between $300 and $600 can be enough for most finance students.
TRADITIONAL VS 2-IN-1 LAPTOP: WHICH IS BETTER?
2-in-1 laptops that use detachable keyboards or fold over the screen offer more advantages over traditional laptops.
The 2-in-1 laptops let you take notes during class and switch to a tablet mode to read digital textbooks.
Compact 2-in-1 laptops are more portable and flexible for students who travel frequently.
Unfortunately, any laptop advantage comes with a cost. In the case of the high-end 2-in-1 laptops, they come with a hefty price tag and if they are affordable, they may feature lower-end hardware.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY BUYING YOUR FINANCE STUDENT LAPTOP?
SCHOOL DISCOUNTS OR PROGRAMS
Check with your admissions department if they include laptops in the cost of tuition, provide inexpensive or free laptops, or lease any type of technology including laptops.
STUDENT DEALS
Another place to save money buying your finance student laptop is tech stores.
Many tech retailers offer special discounts for students, have negotiated prices or payment options dedicated limited to your college or university.
These are some laptop companies that are known to offer the best student laptop deals:
- Microsoft: Even if they offer inexpensive student-friendly laptops, they still give 10% discounts on top of that on Surface series laptops.
- Dell: On high-performing laptops, you can get 10% off or $100 off of special education computers.
- Apple: With Apple, you can receive credits toward a new MacBook if you trade-in eligible Apple devices or get their popular products at a reduced price.
- Lenovo: With Lenovo, you can get free shipping and discounts to students, teachers, and school administrators when you buy ThinkPad laptops and other qualified devices.
REFURBISHED LAPTOPS
Refurbished laptops are professionally restored to the closest they can get to ‘as new’ condition either by the manufacturer or the retailer.
This route can save you a lot of money but be aware to check your laptop heavily the first time you get by looking at it closely, testing all the ports, and putting it under heavy load at different conditions.
WAITING FOR SALES
Holiday sales or special events like Black Friday are also a good occasion to get the best deal, especially on electronics.
SAVE/MAKE MORE MONEY
My last tip for you to get a high-end laptop is to save and/or make more money. I recommend you read my articles like How to manage finances as a student or 5 Common Errors With Bitcoin Investments And How To Avoid Them.