Meet your new acads buddy: Here are 5 laptops perfect for incoming college students with different budgets
Whether you're attending campus in-person, online, or a mix of both, a trusty laptop is a must-have for any college student.
Laptops don't come cheap so students need a machine that can last through all those years in university. Not only that, they need a device that can handle school work, research, creating content for classes, as well as play games and stream movies.
Now, there are a lot of choices out there with different specs to think of, which can get overwhelming—learning about processors and graphics cards can feel like extra homework. Most importantly, you also have to consider your budget so we've come up with a list of capable and bang-for-your-buck laptops that would make for a trusty acads buddy.
MacBook Air M1 2020 (P57,990)
Apple might have recently released a new and improved MacBook Air with the M2 chip, but the 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip will still serve any student well without going over budget by much.
The M1 MacBook Air might be a slim laptop, but it's something you shouldn't take lightly. This beast of a computer is supercharged by Apple's M1 processor, making it capable to do photo and video editing. Now if you're going to do intensive content creation, I suggest going for its more powerful sibling, the M1 MacBook Pro as it has fans that can cool the device while you're multitasking. The Air, on the other hand, doesn't have fans.
This laptop features a vibrant 13-inch Retina display, up to 18 hours of battery life, a 720p FaceTime webcam, a triple microphone array, and Touch ID.
A caveat is the lack of ports on this machine—there are only two USB-C Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. If you want to connect the laptop to an external monitor, you'll need to buy a separate dongle.
Shop for the M1 MacBook Air through Apple's website or Beyond The Box.
Acer Swift 3 (P39,999)
One of the more impressive laptops that won't break your bank is the Acer Swift 3 with Ryzen 4000-series processors.
Sporting a sleek silver chassis, the Swift 3 features a 14-inch Full HD+ display, a 720p webcam, bottom-firing speakers, a fingerprint scanner, and a 48wHr battery life. You can also tilt the display to lay 180-degrees flat to suit your viewing needs.
Unlike the MacBook Air, this laptop is equipped with a number of ports including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
For under P40,000, you get specs like an AMD Ryzen 5 5500u hexa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. Check out more at Acer Philippines' Shopee page.
Asus TUF Gaming F15 (P38,480)
When you think about gaming laptops, they're usually pricey. However, the Asus TUF Gaming F15 sets itself apart from the rest by being one of the most affordable gaming laptops in the market.
This machine, equipped with an Intel Core i5 chip, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD, is more than capable to play AAA gaming titles during your breaks. It also has a Numpad to make crunching numbers easier.
The 15.6-inch display also comes with anti-glare so you can see your games and work in any lighting. Learn more about this machine at Asus Philippines' Shopee page.
MSI Modern 14 (P28,995)
Looking for an affordable yet stylish laptop that can keep up with your fast-paced lifestyle? The MSI Modern 14 might be a perfect match.
Equipped with a modest Intel Core i3 processor, Intel UHD Graphics, a 14-inch FHD display, 256GB SSD, and 8GB RAM. To keep your laptop cool, the Modern 14 features a hinge that lifts the keyboard.
Learn more about the laptop here.
Huawei MateBook D14 (P25,999)
Huawei doesn't just make phones, they make reliable laptops, as well. One of its cheaper offerings, the MateBook D14, boasts an 11th Gen Intel Core processor, a sleek metal body, cross-device collaboration with Huawei phones, and a 56Wh battery.
This laptop also features a 14-inch display which is almost bezel-less, making viewing more immersive. Its webcam is also neatly tucked between the function keys, which you can pop up to use, so you won't have to worry about anyone snooping. Check out this affordable laptop through Huawei's website.
