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5 Best HP Laptops for UK Engineering Students
Stephen Mash
|
December 13, 2022
Choosing the right laptop for an engineering student can take time due to the vast range of options available. Knowing which will best meet the student's needs is the hardest part of the process.
This article aims to help you find the best laptops for engineering students based on their distinctive needs by matching which of HP's laptops offers the best fit.
Engineering students' needs in a laptop
The first step in the decision process is looking at what engineering subject the student is studying, as different disciplines have subtly different requirements. This step is vital in picking the best computer for engineering students. For example:
Aerospace engineering students typically need a laptop to handle complex computational tasks such as analysing fluid dynamics and simulating airflow over structures. These tasks require the highest levels of processing performance to produce results with reasonable speed.
Architectural engineering students typically need laptops for computer-aided design and computational analysis programs. These require a large clear screen backed by excellent processing power.
Biomedical engineering students typically need a laptop that can handle simulation and modelling involving the processing of large information sets. Here data storage and processing power drive the student's computer needs.
Chemical engineering students typically need a laptop to handle complex computational tasks such as analysing and simulating chemical reactions. Performing complex analysis requires tremendous processing performance.
Civil engineering students typically need a laptop to handle complex modelling, structural design, and analysis tasks. Focusing on processor performance and a good-quality display will make this work easier.
Electronics engineering students typically need laptops that handle circuit emulation and design applications where processing power is critical.
Mechanical engineering students need a laptop with adequate processing performance to handle complex design and computational processes such as stress analysis in complex structures. Therefore, the best laptop for mechanical engineering students typically prioritises computational processing over graphical processing.
All engineering students will also need a laptop to support everyday study activities. Report writing and completing assignments require an exemplary user interface and office-type programs to aid typing and make reviewing work painless.
A crystal-clear display built for viewing comfort is vital for managing long periods of computer-based assignments.
Excellent internet connectivity is essential for online research and managing periods where study needs to move from lecture theatre to online formats, as recently seen during the early days of the pandemic.
Lightweight yet rugged construction is crucial where the student will carry their laptop around their campus all day, where bumps and knocks will be daily occurrences.
Laptops are attractive targets for theft, so you should also ensure the laptop will back up essential study materials and coursework so that they can retrieve it easily. While insurance policies will replace the physical laptop, the student can't recreate several years' worth of coursework from scratch.
All students need downtime from their studies, even prospective engineers. If the student relaxes by playing computer games, watching movies, or listening to music, you'll want a laptop with multimedia creation capabilities, so they can relax and enjoy student life. If they like to create music or videos, their new laptop doubles as a personal aide.
Ranking the five best laptops for engineering students
HP produces a broad range of laptops to suit any application, so there will always be models that meet the needs of an engineering student. We have provided this list of recommendations for the five best engineering laptops for students to help you find the best laptop.
These laptops each offer different combinations of processing performance, display size and multimedia features to help you choose.
However, all student's needs vary, and there's no one perfect laptop for all engineering courses. So, the HP website includes a helpful set of filters on its laptop product page to help narrow your search to those models that fit the criteria of best computers for engineering students.
HP ENVY 16-h0001na - Best high-performance graphics laptop
If you want the best graphical processing performance for computer-aided design applications, then the HP ENVY 16-h0001na Touchscreen Laptop with NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 is a great option.
The 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor that powers this laptop delivers incredible performance. It runs 20 threads across 14 cores at speeds of up to 5.0 GHz using Intel's Turbo Boost technology. As a result, this processor is perfect for the most demanding computational processes.
The graphical processing capability comes from NVIDIA's RTX 3060 card, which delivers outstanding performance. This card is one of NVIDIA's most powerful General Processor Units (GPU) and is ideal for complex high-performance image processing and high-intensity gaming.
If storing large amounts of important information is crucial, this laptop comes with an impressive 2TB of impact-resistant solid-state storage.
If display quality is essential, the laptop features a 16-inch flicker-free screen with Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array (WQXGA), which offers a 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 120 Hz refresh rate. In addition, the screen is 100% sRGB which maximises colour breadth and accuracy.
Construction uses an all-metal chassis combined with sustainable recycled materials to protect against the hazards of daily use.
A full-size keyboard and touchscreen technology help with useability, making the laptop easy to use for studies.
The laptop includes one year's access to Dropbox cloud storage to store and synchronise the information on the computer with an accessible copy in case of loss or damage to the laptop. This facility will protect coursework against loss should any disaster occur. It also includes the HP Quick Drop application to transfer files between the computer and other mobile devices.
HP ZBook Power G8 15.6" FHD Mobile Workstation - Best graphical processing laptop
If you want terrific processing performance for graphical applications, then the HP ZBook Power G8 15.6" FHD Mobile Workstation with i5 & NVIDIA Quadro® T600 4GB Graphics may be the perfect option.
The dependable 11th Gen Intel powers this laptop's Core i5 processor that runs 12 threads using six cores at speeds of up to 4.5 GHz. This power is more than sufficient for computational analysis and simulation applications.
The laptop includes the NVIDIA Quatro T600 graphics card, which can handle the most demanding image processing tasks. In addition, this drives a 15.6-inch Full High-Definition (FHD) screen that features an anti-glare coating, so you can use it in any environment.
The key feature of this laptop is its robustness, designed to meet exacting military standards for sturdy handling and featuring a spill-resistant full-size keyboard. In addition, its aluminium chassis makes this laptop able to withstand the rough handling often seen in student life. This ruggedness also applies to its internal 512GB solid-state storage.
This laptop includes a range of security features for protecting the information it holds. These functions are vital if you're conducting commercially sensitive research work as part of your studies or where you need to protect your intellectual property.
HP ENVY 17-cr0006na 4K Laptop - Best large-screen laptop
If screen size is the main driver for your buying decision, look at the HP ENVY 17-cr0006na 4K Laptop - Core i7.
It features an impressive 17.3-inch 4K Ultra-High-definition (UHD) screen using HP's in-plane switching (IPS) technology to deliver flicker-free imagery with low blue light levels. Over 8.2 million pixels create the 3840 x 2160 display in incredibly high quality and true-to-life definition over wide viewing angles.
This laptop hasn't traded processing performance for its display quality. Instead, a state-of-the-art 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor that runs 16 threads using 12 cores at boosted speeds of up to 4.7 GHz delivers incredible performance, sufficient for any design or emulation applications needed.
If data storage is vital, this laptop includes an impressive 1 TB of robust solid-state storage and HP's offer of one year's free online 25GB of storage using the Dropbox service.
The generous screen is supplemented with dual Bang and Olufsen speakers to provide a fantastic media experience, ideal for streaming movies or listening to music.
HP ENVY 13-ba1013na - Best compact touchscreen laptop
If your priority is a compact and highly portable laptop that delivers extraordinary graphical performance, consider the HP ENVY 13-ba1013na Touchscreen Laptop NVIDIA GeForce MX450.
The processing heart of this laptop is the capable Intel 11th Gen Core i7 with four cores running at speeds of up to 4.2 GHz and 8 GB of internal cache memory. An additional 8 GB of onboard RAM supports this processor.
Despite its small size, the laptop includes the NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics card that can handle high-definition (HD) photo and video editing, enhancing post-study gameplay.
While its 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen may be compact, it's a 100% sRGB display with stunning visual quality and flicker-free generation.
Finally, this compact laptop can operate for up to 10 hours on its internal battery, long enough to work all day around the campus.
HP ENVY x360 13-ay1012na - Best economy laptop
If budget is an issue, but you still need processing performance, consider the HP ENVY x360 13-ay1012na Full-HD Convertible Laptop.
The AMD Ryzen™ 5 Processor offers exceptional multi-threaded processing and Vega graphics that can handle intensive multimedia tasks. Its six cores can run 12 threads at up to 4.2 GHz speeds using an impressive 16MB of level 3 cache memory.
Integrated AMD Radeon™ Graphics drive a 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen display. In addition, the laptop features HP's convertible system that allows the device to be folded back on itself so it can be held and used like a tablet.
In HP products, the economy option doesn't mean fragility; this laptop features a solid-state drive and aluminium construction to withstand everyday wear and tear in the hands of a typical student.
The outstanding feature of this laptop is its battery life of over 15 hours which supports a fast charge option that delivers a 50% recharge in just half an hour.
Finding the right laptop
Choosing the best laptop for an engineering student starts with identifying the top priorities. These may be computational performance, graphical processing power, portability, or screen size.
Engineering students who need a laptop for their studies will need a computer capable of handling intensive computational processing or other power-hungry applications. However, engineering student laptop requirements continue after they leave the lecture theatre or experimental laboratory.
You can use the laptop to play the latest games, generate high-resolution graphics, watch movies, or listen to music.
If you are looking for the best laptop computer for an engineering student, HP has a broad range of options that will be perfect for your requirements.
