Education is the basic right of the human being and everyone should always strive to obtain higher educational levels.
However, it is easier said than done and sometimes tough study schedules take a toll on you, as you progress through the struggles of achieving higher education levels, the requirements for the dedication and sheer commitments increases drastically.
And to achieve your dreams, you would need some tools such as a Laptop that will be suitable for your everyday needs such as research, finding solutions to the complex problems through the internet and another complicated task that you would face in your Doctorate degree. To unlock your highest potential in such dire circumstances of completing a PhD Degree, a laptop is considered a basic need.
However, you can’t just purchase any laptop since most of them aren’t fit for criteria such as satisfactory computational speeds for multitasking, storage space to accommodate your study material or battery time that won’t hinder your researching process.
Although finding the best laptop for PhD students is a bit of hassle itself and time consuming, we have got you covered as in this article we have listed handpicked laptops that will be best suitable for you.
Table of Contents
- 1: Acer Spin 3 Convertible Laptop, 14″ Full HD IPS Touch, 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4, 8GB LPDDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Rechargeable Active Stylus, SP314-54N-50W3
- 2: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 13.5″ Touch-Screen – Intel Core i5
- 3: Apple MacBook Air (13.3-inch Core i5)
- 4: LG gram Thin and Light Laptop – Intel Core i5
- 5: 2020 Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) – Silver
- 6: ASUS ZenBook S13 Ultra Thin & Light Laptop 13.9” FHD, Intel Core i7-8565U CPU
- 7: Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin & Light Laptop
- 8: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touch-Screen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD
- Conclusion
1: Acer Spin 3 Convertible Laptop, 14″ Full HD IPS Touch, 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G4, 8GB LPDDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD, WiFi 6, Backlit KB, Fingerprint Reader, Rechargeable Active Stylus, SP314-54N-50W3
Getting your hands on an affordable laptop with a wide assortment of ports that has genuinely decent hardware is no easy job, however, with the Acer Spin 3 convertible laptop, you can have all the features right away. It has an active rechargeable stylus which is smooth and elegant to use and the laptop doesn’t feel bulky when carrying around making it highly portable.
Display
Rocking a 14 inch 1080 widescreen that has a Full HD 1920 x 1080 maximum resolution, with a LED Backlighting to deliver a crisp standard display to the viewer’s eyes. The Acer spin 3 will leave you mesmerized with the Iris graphics and multitouch supporting display. However, the Display is dim at only 209 nits brightness so watching movies outdoors might feel like a hassle.
Performance
Armed with a robust super fast 10th generation Core i5 1035G4 processor that keeps the multitasking lighting fast paired with Intel Iris graphics integration. The Acer Spin 3 has an 8GB DDR4 Ram, however, we think 12GB should be minimum for such a high-performance laptop but 8Gb is still enough. The laptop has a 512GB NVMe SSD storage which cuts boot times in half.
Keyboard
The silver keyboard has a sober look yet unique nonetheless, the grey font on the keys looks nice and fitting and the island-style keyboard is illuminated with backlighting which aids while working in a poorly lit area. The Touchpad is well placed and feels responsive and there is a fingerprint scanner located at the upper left corner of the touchpad.
The keyboard is surrounded by a smudge-proof chassis which keeps the laptop clean. The body of the laptop feels very sturdy and using the typing on the keyboard feels very comfortable.
Ports
The Acer Spin 3 doesn’t shy away with the ports, you will see a total of 8 ports on either side of the laptop, there is a DC-in jack, HDMI 2.0 port, Thunderbolt 3 port, USB 3.2 Port and a memory card slot on the left side and stylus port, Headset jack and Kensington Lock slot on the left side of the laptop.
Battery
The laptop doesn’t have an impressive battery runtime, and honestly speaking we have seen better and longer battery time when compared with alternative devices with a similar price range. You can get a maximum of 8 hours of work time from the Acer Spin 3 till you run out of power.
Pros
- Rechargeable stylus
- Great assortment of ports
- Slim and lightweight
Cons
- Shorter Battery time
- The display feels dimmer in outdoors
2: Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 – 13.5″ Touch-Screen – Intel Core i5
The Microsoft Surface 3 laptop has a rich colourful display, wonderful chassis build and lightweight design making it one of the best laptops for students to use in their everyday tasks. The laptop is truly worth the money you will be investing and the hardware in Surface 3 ensures that every task is snappy fast.
Display
The 13.5 inches display of the Microsoft Surface 3 is an excellent choice for anyone that loves watching a movie or just scrolling through their gallery. The touchscreen is very responsive and the best one so far we have seen on any laptop. The screen has a maximum resolution of 2256 x 1540 and gives off eye-pleasing colours and doesn’t feel oversaturated. However, the bezels are slightly thicker.
Performance
The device is powered by a decent 10th Gen Core i5-1035G7 processor(1.2Ghz Clock speed) paired with Intel Iris integrated graphics card that can support games in medium to a high quality without losing frames ingame. The laptop has 8GB DDR4 Memory ram and 256 Solid-state storage drive to carry all your files.
Keyboard
The keyboard is comfortable to use and the colour of the keys is very soothing and matches the silver finish of the chassis. The keys are well spaced and they are very accurate and you wouldn’t see any mistakes when typing quickly on it. In other words, the keyboard of Microsoft Surface 3 is a dream for every keyboard enthusiast.
Ports
The major flaw about this laptop is that its not generous with the ports, there is no Thunderbolt 3 port, there is magnetic connect port that you can use to charge your laptop or connecting the surface dock.located on the left side and a 1 x USB 3.1 type A port, 1 x USB type C and headphone and mic combo jack are present on the opposite end.
Battery
The battery is not the best but the worst either, you can easily achieve a solid 9 hours and 30 mins runtime from the device with the wifi on. This aspect contributes highly to the portability of the laptop.
Pros
- Superb Display
- Premium build
- Comfortable key
Cons
- Pricey
- Fewer ports and lacks thunderbolt 3
3: Apple MacBook Air (13.3-inch Core i5)
There is no match for the elegant design and stylish build for the Apple Macbook Air, the price might be higher the iOS experience is truly breathtaking. The hardware is a decent one making it the ideal choice for every student.
Display
It is no doubt that Apple makes one of the best screens for their products, and the Apple MacBook Air is different in this case.
The 13.3-inch retina display has a high resolution of 2560 x 1600 per 227 pixels with IPS display that has LED backlighting that delivers true tone technology which ensures you see the correct palette of colours at every angle.
Performance
The laptop is powered by an 8th Generation core i5 which isn’t that fastest but does the job decently. The base speed of clock frequency is 1.6Ghz with a turbo boost up to 3.6Ghz. The laptop has 8GB memory Ram and has 256GB solid-state drive. The graphics are supported by Intel UHD 617.
Keyboard
The MacBook Air keyboard experience is not the best when compared with alternative laptops, the keys feel very clicky and shallow and its butterfly style of the keyboard might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The fingerprint sensor is present oddly below the keyboard region but nonetheless, it is fast and accurate.
Ports
The laptop isn’t port friendly, there are only 2 thunderbolts 3 ports and you can use one for charging the MacBook. This might be the major flaw for this laptop.
Battery
The battery time is not that great either, and you can get roughly 8 hours of runtime while watching videos and wifi turned on. In regards to battery runtime, we feel like there are better options in the market.
Pros
- Retina display with true tone colour technology
- Stylish build
- Decent speaker sound
Cons
- Only two ports
- Poor battery time
4: LG gram Thin and Light Laptop – Intel Core i5
The LG Gram laptop is a versatile device that has all the features you would need, it is super lightweight(2.16 pounds) and has a reasonable price tag. The Laptop’s slim and sleek design makes it highly portable and the bezel-less screen offers a stunning display.
Display
Watching movies on this 15.6 inches display feels really good and there is fading or inverting of colours while watching it from an angle. There is almost no bezel at all which makes the laptop have a massive display at a 1920×1080 maximum resolution with an IPS technology, however, there is no 4k feature yet. The display colours feel natural and the saturation is balanced.
Performance
The LG Gram super-thin laptop is equipped with an 8th generation core i5 lightning processor and paired with dual-channel 8GB DDR4 ram and has a builtin 256GB SSD for blazing-fast bootup and loading times. It also has an Intel HD 520 integrated graphics card.
Keyboard
Using the keyboard feels like a breeze and the precision of the keys makes it one of the best in the market, it is comfortable to type on without feeling fatigued even for inexperienced typers. Furthermore, you also get a full keypad experience which is a nice touch.
There is a fingerprint sensor located on the power button that reads your fingerprint while turning the laptop on which is highly responsive.
Ports
The LG gram follows its predecessors in regards to ports and has nothing special to offer, it has 2 x USB type-A ports and USB 3.1 port, A audio/mic com
bo, Memory card reader on the right side, on the opposite end there is a Kensington lock port present.
Battery
The battery is mediocre at its best, pushing through a solid 7 hours runtime, the LG gram struggles to be one of the best laptops that have good battery time. However, this might be due to the robust hardware that it has built into it. The lightweight and slim features also cut the battery space in half.
Pros
- Comfortable keyboard design
- No bezel in the display
- Lightweight like a feather
Cons
- Mediocre battery life
5: 2020 Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD Storage) – Silver
The Apple MacBook Pro 2020 is a device with superb design and clean look, the screen is well rounded and sturdy silver chassis makes it stand out from the rest of the alternatives, the hardware fulfils the criteria in every way possible.
Display
There is no apple product that doesn’t have a gorgeous display, the 2560 x 1600 retina display offers beautiful imagery, thanks to the true tone technology that balances the colour with the environment, watching movies on this Retina display is fun and there is no colour-popping so you can work for hours without straining your eyes.
Performance
The Macbook Pro is powered by a strong 2Ghz Intel 10th generation core i5 processor that ensures lag-free multitasking and complex tasks. It has a 16GB DDR4 Ram that delivers solid performance and has a massive storage space of 512GB SSD to carry all your files in one place with superspeed read and write times.
Keyboard
There is a massive improvement in the keyboard from its previous models, the Apple Macbook Pro has a magic style keyboard that is highly tweaked to enable hassle-free typing experience so that you wouldn’t have to worry about making mistakes while typing really fast the buttons are positioned you won’t feel discomfort, just like you would with its predecessors.
Ports
The MacBook Pro has 4 thunderbolts 3 ports and one headset port on the right side. Each side has 2 thunderbolt port 3 present on it which you can also use to charge your laptop. And if you need to connect any peripherals or external devices you would be needing special cables or adapters for that task.
Battery
The battery runtime is also improved too, it can easily excel through solid 10 hours of runtime and you can use it all day long without having to worry about charging it. The charging speed is fast too.
Pros
- Good battery runtime
- Mesmerizing display
- Tweaked keyboard
Cons
- A fewer assortment of ports
- No wifi 6 support
6: ASUS ZenBook S13 Ultra Thin & Light Laptop 13.9” FHD, Intel Core i7-8565U CPU
The Asus ZenBook S13 Ultra is a compact laptop that doesn’t compromise its screen space with thick bezel. The laptop is an ideal choice and you would hardly find any flaw in it. The laptop has attractive design and aesthetics and has a premium feel.
Display
The Asus Zenbook has a remarkable display quality with the 14 inches Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution you can get to experience brightness up to 400 nits which is huge, however, there is no touchscreen option.
Although the display quality is good when viewing pictures up close and you wouldn’t find any pixelation on the screen. The bezels are super thin and the screen is very slim too, which is why the laptop feels almost weightless.
Performance
Armed with the decent processor Intel Core i7 8th generation 8565U quad-core that has a base frequency of 1.8 and turbo boost up to 4.6 GHz paired with an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB DDR5. It has 8GB DRR3 memory ram with a base frequency of 2133Mhz and a storage capacity of 512 GB solid-state drive.
Keyboard
The Asus offers one of the best keyboards in their devices, the island-style keyboard with amber lettering and little travel time makes it a perfect keyboard. The bounce of the keys are tactile and responsive and requires moderate pressure to type on. The keys are illuminated with two-level backlighting.
Ports
The laptop has 2 x USB 3.1 type C ports which you can also use for charging your laptop on its right, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port and a Memory Card reader on the left. However, there is no Thunderbolt 3 port, which is odd for such a premium standard laptop.
Battery
With the WIfi turned on and brightness tweaked to maximum, you will get a solid 8 hours power from the battery which is decent for a laptop that has high-end hardware built into it.
Pros
- Thin bezels
- Very lightweight
- Sturdy chassis build
Cons
- No Thunderbolt 3 ports
7: Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition Thin & Light Laptop
Huawei MateBook has a durable and elegant design and has high-end hardware installed into it. Multitasking on the laptop feels like a breeze making it a premium notebook.
Display
The screen is huge with a 3000 x 2000 pixel display that delivers full depth quality of the imagery so you won’t miss any detail. The colours are vibrant and the screen can withstand even the brightest list areas since it emits 458 nits brightness.
Performance
Armed with the Intel Core i7 8th generation processor that ensures lightning-fast multitasking, the 16GB Ram provides seamless processing speeds. The Huawei Matebook also has an Nvidia MX150 graphics card and has 512 GB SSD for storage space.
Keyboard
The keyboard doesn’t feel shallow and has a bevelled edge that surrounds the keyboard which is a nice touch. The silver buttons give the laptop a sober look and the keys are accurate and very comfortable to use.
Ports
There are plenty of ports in the Matebook X such as Thunderbolt 3, USB type 3 headphone jack, USB 3.0 Type-A on the left and headphone jack, USB type C, thunderbolt 3 located on the right side of the laptop.
Battery
Huawei has an expertise in making batteries that last all day long, the devices give a solid 9 hours 30 mins runtime with the Wifi turned on which makes the laptop highly portable.
Pros
- Great hardware
- Unique design
- Solid battery runtime
Cons
- Temperature issues
8: Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – 12.3″ Touch-Screen – 10th Gen Intel Core i5 – 8GB Memory – 256GB SSD
The Microsoft Surface Pro 7 has all the qualities from its predecessor with an even better display and hardware specifications, the matte black finish of the latest model gives off a unique slick look and the build of the device in regards of quality has no parallel.
Display
The display is one of the most responsive touch screens we have ever seen, the experience from the screen feels very premium and the 2 in 1 design is a cherry on the cake. The laptop delivers beautiful and gorgeous displays so you can enjoy videos on it with true colours as there is no oversaturation.
Performance
The laptop is equipped with 10th generation powerful core i5 and an 8GB DDR4 RAM with a builtin storage space of 256GB SSD which ensures blazing fast load times.
Keyboard
The keyboard is arguably comfortable, it is no doubt that Microsoft has a great reputation in making good keyboard builds. The keys feel accurate and the positioning prevents any mistakes while quickly typing on it.
Ports
On the left side, there is a 1 x USB Type C port, 1 x USB 3.1 type A and magnetic surface connect port for charging your laptop.
On the right side, you will notice a Headphone jack, SD card slot.
Battery
The battery is the major flaw of the laptop, it cuts on the portability aspect as the laptop struggles to give 7 hours of runtime which some might not like. This feels like a trade-off for such good hardware specifications.
Pros
- Nice keyboard design
- Crisp High definition Screen
Cons
- Disappointing battery runtime
Conclusion
We hope this article has been helpful and we have enlightened you with our expert opinion about our handpicked list of laptop models that will be suitable for your journey towards a doctorate degree.
If you have any queries regarding the list feel free to contact us or comment in the section below.
