March 06, 2023

Engineering coursework requires a laptop that can run specialized software and tools. While you’ll need the power and capability to access these programs, you’ll also want a device that’s easy to carry and a pleasure to use. Find a great laptop for engineering students by choosing one of these powerful, versatile Surface devices.

Essential laptop features for engineering students

When choosing a laptop to get you through your engineering program, there are certain features you should prioritize. To complete your coursework and excel as an engineering student, look for these essential features:

Fast processing power

Engineering tasks require a great deal of power. You’ll need a laptop that has a fast, strong processor to handle your demanding coursework. The best laptops for engineering students have processors that can handle working with different software simultaneously. If you’re looking for a powerful laptop, the Surface Laptop 5 is equipped with the 12^th Gen Intel^® Core^TM i5 or i7 processor and can load even your heaviest engineering programs.

High RAM

Look for an engineering laptop with high RAM that can quickly process all your data. You’ll want a laptop that has at least 16 GB of RAM, like the Surface Laptop Studio 2, to easily use your specialized programs and handle the coding and/or mathematical requirements.

Powerful graphics card

Visuals matter for many engineering programs. The Surface Laptop 5 Intel^® Core^TM i7 model comes equipped with a NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX^TM3050 Ti graphics card that’s strong enough to load and display all the videos, presentations, and images you’ll need.

Long-lasting battery

You shouldn’t have to stop to charge your laptop while you’re traveling from lectures to labs to the library. Get an engineering laptop that’s fast and powerful with a long battery life, and you can focus on being productive instead of replenishing your power supply. Whether you’re taking notes in class or completing homework outside, you won’t have to scurry to find a plug when you have a device like the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, which stays charged for up to 19 hours* of typical device usage.

Lightweight design

You’ll want a laptop that doesn’t add unnecessary weight to your textbook-filled backpack. The best laptops for engineering students have massive power, but that doesn’t mean they have to be massive. Find a lightweight, powerful engineering laptop or 2-in-1 device, like the Surface Go 3 that’s only 1.2 lb, that has the features you’ll need to get your work done successfully.

Easy-to-use touchscreen

Another laptop feature you’ll want as an engineering student is a large screen that’s easy to navigate. Some of your coursework will require you to look at a great deal of data and information or examine minute details. Find a laptop for engineering students that has a large touchscreen that allows you to manipulate data or images, scroll, and more with the touch of a finger. If you don’t want to navigate using your fingers or trackpad, you can pair your Surface device with a compatible smart pen, like the Surface Slim Pen 2, to write, draw, and click on your Surface screen.