Best Student Laptops - Starting from £399

If you're currently trying to knuckle down and complete assignments for uni, college or school, the last thing you need to worry about the reliability of your laptop. If your current one just isn't cutting it, you might be trying to find a new one for an affordable price, which has all the features you're looking for. I've rounded up some of the more affordable models currently on the market.

You'll find a range of different laptops that are all suited for different things so there should be something that best works for you. There's simple laptops which are ideal for typing for long periods of time, Macbooks which are ideal if you need to edit videos, plus a laptop with a NumberPad which is perfect if your course involves a lot of number crunching. You'll also find that some of these laptops have payment plans available so if you're especially low on cash, this could be a great option for you.

ACER 715 15.6" Chromebook - Intel® Pentium®, 128 GB eMMC, Grey - £399 (free delivery) at Currys

The Acer Chromebook 715 is the perfect replacement for your desktop. It’s equipped with an Intel® Pentium® Gold Processor, so it’s fast and efficient. With its large HD screen and 12 hour battery life, this device will keep you working all day long without having to take the power adapter with you.

Because this chromebook has a carry case and mouse included, it's easier than ever to take it on the go and finish up your essay wherever you are. And with just one charge, get up to 12 hours of battery life! It also includes a fingerprint reader you can quickly and easily log in to your chromebook without remembering passwords.

Specifications:

- Chrome OS

- Intel® Pentium® Gold 4417U Processor

- RAM: 4 GB / Storage: 128 GB eMMC

- Full HD screen

- Battery life: Up to 12 hours

ACER Swift 3 14" Laptop - AMD Ryzen 3, 256 GB SSD, Silver - £529.00 (free delivery) at Currys

The Acer Swift 3 is the perfect device for anyone who needs a powerful and portable workhorse. It’s packed with features that make everyday life easier, more entertaining and more productive. You can easily multitask without any lag thanks to the Ryzen 5 processor. And you’ll love how long it lasts – 12 hours of battery life means you won’t have to worry about finding an outlet at your next meeting or class. With 256 GB of storage space, there's plenty of room for all your favourite programs too! Plus, get a free upgrade to Windows 11 when available and deals on Microsoft 365 and internet security programs as well!

Specifications:

- Free Upgrade to Windows 11

- AMD Ryzen 3 5300U Processor

- RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD

- Full HD screen

- Battery life: Up to 12.5 hours

Google Pixelbook Go - Starting at £629 (free delivery) from the Google Store

The Google Pixelbook Go is the perfect device for anyone who wants to do more with their computer. It’s ultra thin, lightweight and powerful enough to run your favourite apps. Plus it has up to 12 hours of battery life so that you can work or play all day long without having to recharge.

Get up to 2 hours of battery use in just 20 minutes of charge, minimise noise disruption with ultra-quiet keys, built-in virus protection and start up in seconds so that it’s ready when you are! The Google Assistant is available with the touch of a key or your voice command! Get started right away because this machine starts fast and stays fast over time, thanks to its solid SSD.

- Intel® Core™ m3 8GB RAM 64GB Storage

- Chrome OS

- High-resolution Duo Cam

- Dual front-firing speakers

- 13.3" touchscreen display

- 12 hours of battery life

- Titan™ C security chip

- 2 pounds light

- 13mm thin

Microsoft Surface Pro 7 - Starting at £639.00 (free delivery) from the Microsoft Store

The Surface Pro 7 is the most versatile laptop you’ll ever use. It has a sleek design and can be used in four different modes, so it adapts to your needs. Whether you want to watch movies or write a paper, this device will help you get things done faster than ever before.

This laptop is perfect for anyone who wants something that works like a tablet but acts like a PC. You can easily switch between apps with just one click of the button on its detachable keyboard cover, which also doubles as an adjustable stand for your screen when using it in tablet mode. With up to 13 hours of battery life, there’s no limit to what you can do with this device!

Specifications:

- Platinum

- Intel Core i3

- 4GB RAM

- 128GB SSD

ASUS ZenBook 13 13.3in i5 8GB 512GB Laptop - £849.99 (£3.95 delivery or free C&C) at Argos

ZenBook 13 is the perfect device for anyone who wants to do more with their computer. It’s packed with features that make everyday life easier, more entertaining and more productive. The ultrafast response time ensures blur-free movies and games, and its low blue-light levels are TUV Rheinland-certified for better eye care.

With up to 13 hours of battery life, traveling without a charger isn't a problem. You can also restore the battery to 60 percent in 40 minutes or less when needed. ASUS ZenBook 13 has an amazing OLED NanoEdge display that renders true-to-life colours at any brightness level, with deep blacks for enhanced realism so everything looks great even in bright sunlight outdoors! It also has an intelligent touchpad which can switch between NumberPad and a traditional touchpad. NumberPad is best suited for helping boost productivity and makes entering numbers quick and easy!

Specifications:

- 13.3 inch screen.

- Intel Core i5 -1035G4 processor.

- Quad core processor.

- 1.1GHz processor speed with a burst speed of 3.7GHz.

- 8GB RAM LPDDR4X .

- 512GB SSD storage.

- Windows 10 Home.

- Intel Iris Xe graphics card.

- Shared graphics card.

- Micro SD media card reader.

- 1 USB 3.1 port.

- 1 USB Type-C port.

- 1 HDMI port.

- HD webcam.

- Built-in mic.

- Smart Amp technology sound system.

APPLE MacBook Air 13.3" (2020) - M1, 256 GB SSD, Space Grey - Starting at £949.00 (free delivery) at Currys

The Apple M1 chip is 3.5x faster than the previous generation, with eight-cores of power providing an incredible performance, whether you're video editing or gaming. And for whisper-quiet operation, the improved thermal efficiency means it doesn't even need a fan. With the Retina Display screen, everything from blockbuster movies to everyday browsing is a visual joy. True Tone technology automatically adjust the display to your environment - so web pages and emails look as natural as if they were printed.

With its 15 hour battery life this machine is ready for you to get school projects done, whether you're commuting or you're using it throughout the day. Plus, you can enjoy up to 18 hours if you're watching movies on Apple TV.

Specifications:

- macOS 11.0 Big Sur

- Apple M1 chip

- RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD

- Retina display

- Battery life: Up to 18 hours

APPLE MacBook Pro 13.3" (2020) - M1, 256 GB SSD, Space Grey - Starting at £1187.00 (free delivery) at Currys

The Apple M1 chip is the most powerful and efficient Mac notebook processor ever. It’s 2.8x faster than the previous generation, with eight-cores of power providing an incredible performance. You can do more without worrying about draining your battery or slowing down your computer. Plus, it wakes instantly so you never have to wait for it to start up again when you open it back up.

With its brilliant Retina display, razor thin and feather light design, Touch Bar with Touch ID and touchpad that supports multi-touch gestures like swiping through photos in Photos or scrubbing through videos in QuickTime Player X—it’s designed to be everything you love about our MacBook Pro but better! It's now available in grey or silver.

Specifications:

- macOS 11.0 Big Sur

- Apple M1 chip

- RAM: 8 GB / Storage: 256 GB SSD

- Retina display

- Battery life: Up to 20 hours

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 (14" Intel) - Starting at: £1,779.99 (free delivery) from Lenvo

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 8 is one of the first Intel® mobility-certified laptops, and it delivers superb mobile performance with long-lasting battery life. Enjoy advanced security options, enhanced audio, and amazing displays. This legendary laptop combines exquisite detail, durability, and power to create the ultimate in premium performance.

With its stunning 14" display, this laptop offers plenty of screen space without sacrificing portability or battery life—so you can work comfortably anywhere. Enjoy advanced security options, enhanced audio, and amazing displays in a sleek package that weighs less than 3lbs, so it doesn't slow you down wherever your job takes you next!

Specifications:

- 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i5-10210U Processor

- 4 Cores / 8 Threads, 1.60 GHz, up to 4.20 GHz with Turbo Boost, 6 MB Cache

- Windows 10 Pro 64

- 14.0" FHD (1920x1080) IPS 400nits Anti-glare

- 16 GB Soldered LPDDR3 2133MHz

- 512 GB M.2 2280 SSD

- Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics

- 4 cell battery, 51Wh