Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Jump to Review >>
Best Runner-Up: HP 15.6-inch
Jump to Review >>
Best Battery Life: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
Jump to Review >>
Best 2-in-1: Lenovo Flex 5
Jump to Review >>
Best Light-Weight: Asus Zenbook
Jump to Review >>
Best Bargain: Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Jump to Review >>
Best Budget: ACER Aspire 5
Jump to Review >>
As a college student, you need a laptop which ideally has an all-day battery life, a strong processor and is lightweight. Moreover, if you like to take notes by hand, you should pick a 2-in-1 laptop that converts from a computer to a tablet.
Students will primarily use a laptop to do productivity work, watch movies and maybe play light games. When you are under a $600 budget, finding a laptop that does everything can be tough.
For students, these are the most important things to consider when choosing a laptop under $600.
- A 12.5 to 15.6-inch full HD screen. Too small a screen can hinder usability, and too big a screen can cause portability challenges.
- An AMD Ryzen CPU. Ryzen’s are proven to deliver better performance than Intel processors. Moreover, Ryzen’s are cheaper than their equivalent Intel counterparts. With a $600 budget, Ryzen 5 is your best option.
- SSD Storage instead of a hard drive. An SSD drive provides three times more speed than a hard drive and is more important than the CPU to deliver strong performance.
- 8+ hours of battery life so you can spend the whole day in college without a charger.
- Five pounds or less weight so that you can easily carry it in your backpack.
- At least 8 GB of RAM is sufficient to run most college software and good enough for productive work.
Based on the considerations above, we have thoroughly reviewed and selected laptops that can deliver on all or most of these requirements.
In this Article
Best Overall: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
An excellent performance laptop with good battery life. Though it has a cheap quality display, it will keep you productive and entertained at the same time.
Specifications:
CPU: 3.3 GHz Ryzen 5 5600H
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen Size: 15.6″ FHD Display
Weight: 4.95 pounds
Battery Life: 8+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT
- This laptop is FAST, and RAM is upgradeable
- Extreme value for money
- Compact and sturdy design
- Excellent gaming capability at 1080p
- Decent battery life of 8+ hours
WHY NOT:
- Extremely lacklustre display for a gaming laptop
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming is an excellent all-rounder that can be used for school, work, and leisure. The IdeaPad’s 15.6-inch screen is ideal for viewing media and doing other tasks simultaneously.
The speakers are average, and the display is cheap.
The 8GB of RAM in the IdeaPad makes it more capable of running any college software or application and multi-threaded applications. In addition, the IdeaPad has a decent 256 GB SSD that is good enough for most college students.
The Lenovo IdeaPad features everything you could ever want to keep productive and entertained while working on a project or watching your favourite show online.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 Gaming Laptop is a fantastic choice if you need a powerful machine that can give you the best gaming at the lowest price. In addition, the AMD Ryzen 5000 H-Series Hexa-core processor delivers unrivalled performance.
Get this one if you’re looking for a college laptop that can keep you entertained and productive simultaneously. Compared to other budget gaming laptops that fall in the same price range, Lenovo IdeaPad is far superior.
Get it here.
Best Runner-Up: HP 15.6-inch
This is an absolute beast with high-spec hardware – from a 8GB RAM to a speedy 512 GB SSD, from a fast 2.3 GHz AMD Ryzen 5 processor to lightweight at just 3.7 pounds.
Specifications:
CPU: 2.3 GHz Ryzen 5 4500U (up to 4.0 GHz max boost)
GPU: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 512 GB SSD
Screen Size: 15.6″ FHD IPS Display
Weight: 3.73 pounds
Battery Life: 9.5+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT
- Hefty processing power
- Lightweight and thin (though not the lightest)
- Good display for the price
- 9.5+ hours of battery
WHY NOT:
- Gets hot and louder under load
This laptop is for any student who needs an absolutely bursting spec laptop that is super portable. The 15.6-inch screen FHD IPS is excellent for working on colourful presentations or documents. The keyboard is roomy and comfortable to use.
The HP 15.6-inch laptop is an excellent choice for boosting efficiency. Thanks to its Ryzen 5 processor, 8 GB RAM, and 512 GB of super-fast SSD, this laptop has the muscle you need to complete every possible college assignment.
With its pre-installed copy of Windows 10, this laptop is a breath of new air in the world of personal computers. Also, the Radeon card is plenty powerful for light gaming. The SSD and 8 GB RAM will give you a smooth and fast experience while working with multimedia or video editing.
Get it here.
Best Battery Life: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
With its ultra-affordable price, premium build quality and high-quality display, this laptop delivers good performance to college students.
Specifications:
CPU: 4.2 GHz Intel Core i5
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 520
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB SSD
Screen Size: 12.5″ Touchscreen Display
Weight: 2.48 pounds
Battery Life: 14+ hours (charges to 80% in an hour)
WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:
- Compact and lightweight (best for carrying to class)
- Gorgeous display
- Good webcam for video conferencing
- Premium built quality
- Comfortable keyboard, which doesn’t induce stress
- Perfect battery life at 14+ hours (with light use)
WHY NOT:
- Not enough storage capacity
- Can’t do any video editing or gaming
There are several ways in which Microsoft Surface excels above standard laptops. It is undeniably a novel and flexible piece of technology. In the first place, the Surface Go 2 makes it simple for students who need to use Microsoft Office, browse the internet, send emails, and do zoom calls. Being lightweight and thin, coupled with a great battery, makes Surface Go very portable.
The 12.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen display is ideal for web surfing and film watching. In addition, the Intel Core processor guarantees a silky-smooth and reasonably quick experience.
When held, the laptop feels premium.
For students, it is an excellent choice. The performance won’t disappoint you, and the battery life will not disappoint you.
Get it here.
Best 2-in-1: Lenovo Flex 5
A powerful, 2-in-1 laptop for college work and light gaming. With 12+ hours of battery life, the Lenovo Flex 5 is a solid pick for college students.
Specifications:
CPU: 2.1 GHz Ryzen 5 5500U
GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
RAM: 16 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen Size: 14.0″ FHD Touch Display
Weight: 4.99 pounds
Battery Life: 12+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:
- Speedy AMD Ryzen 5 processor
- Convertible 2-in-1 laptop, ideal for students
- Transforms from a computer to a tablet (360-hinge design)
- Touch-screen display
- Stylus (included) for note-taking in class
- Exceptional battery life, 12+ hours
- The physical shutter on the webcam for privacy
WHY NOT:
- Slightly on the heavier side at 4.99 pounds
- Screen not too bright, max 250 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop that excels in many areas. Its convertible design makes it usable as a notebook and a tablet, and its processing power is sufficient for college work, web surfing, and casual gaming.
Though a little dim, the 14-inch Full HD display is good enough to spend a day binging on Netflix. The keyboard provides good feedback, although the trackpad is slightly cramped. The battery life is perfect and one of the main reasons you should get this laptop. A full charge can last you a day on campus without scrambling for charging outlets.
You get a lot of ports, so you don’t need to spend extra on adapters.
Its Ryzen 5 AMD processor far outperforms the equivalent Intel Core processors. Coupled with a 16GB RAM and a Radeon Graphics card, it can handle much more than typical college work, along with some light gaming. The laptop is plenty quick for most users. The 256GB SSD in the Flex 5 is smaller than we’d like, but it’s still three times faster than the one with a standard hard drive.
Overall, it delivers a solid overall performance and massive battery life.
Get it here.
Best Light-Weight: Asus Zenbook
Stunning display, exceptionally lightweight, yet powerful enough for college work. The only drawback is the 6+ hour battery life, which means you will need to carry the charger on campus.
Specifications:
CPU: 2.1 GHz Ryzen 5 5500U
GPU: NVIDIA GEFORCE
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen Size: 14″ LED Display
Weight: 1.1 pounds
Battery Life: 6+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD BUY IT
- Excellent performance
- Best display for a budget laptop
- As light as a feather
- Slim and attractive
- Clean and modern styling
WHY NOT:
- Average battery life
- Gets hot (better use it with a stand to allow airflow)
ASUS ZenBook 14 is not without flaws but is sufficient to handle a day of college work. This laptop is not suited for heavy multitasking, but the NVIDIA GEFORCE means it can be easily used for high-quality visuals for all your online and binge-watching activities. What’s more: the bright LED screen will make the visuals even more appealing.
Note that the laptop can get hot very quickly under load, so use it with a portable stand.
The only drawback is its 6+ hour battery life which means you can’t use it for a full day at college without the charger. Nonetheless, the laptop is so lightweight that you can easily squeeze the charger into your backpack.
If you’re looking for a classy, ultra-light, dependable college laptop, go no further than the Asus Zenbook.
Get it here.
Best Bargain: Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Premium feel, sturdy body, great performance and a fingerprint scanner make IdeaPad 3 a strong contender for the best college student laptop under $600.
Specifications:
CPU: 2.1 GHz Ryzen 5 5500U
GPU: AMD Radeon™ 7 Graphics
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen Size: 14″ FHD Display
Weight: 3.1 pounds
Battery Life: 10+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:
- Solid performance for any type of college work
- Easy to carry around due to its lightweight
- Upgradeable RAM
- The battery will last a day at college
- Thin but sturdy body
WHY NOT:
- It can’t be used for gaming or video editing
- Dull display
- Uninspiring speakers
Lenovo’s budget-friendly IdeaPad 3 has a lot to offer for its low price. In addition, it comes packed with all the specs you would need as a student.
It’s lightweight and compact, so it’s excellent for students constantly on the go.
Budget laptops can be ugly and of low-built quality. Although IdeaPad 3 is made of plastic, it is a solidly built machine with an eye-catching look.
The battery life of the Lenovo is excellent. It has a battery life of up to 10 hours if you are doing light college work such as browsing, Microsoft office, typing etc.
Get it here.
Best Budget: ACER ASPIRE 5
Not the most attractive looking, but decent performance and excellent battery life, which makes it a great value for money for students.
Specifications:
CPU: 4 GHz Ryzen 5 5500U
GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 256 GB SSD
Screen Size: 15.5″ FHD LED-backlit IPS Display
Weight: 3.88 pounds
Battery Life: 10+ hours (with light college use)
WHY YOU SHOULD GET IT:
- Robust built and durable (though not very attractive)
- A strong processor that delivers excellent productivity performance
- Decent IPS display
- All-day battery life
WHY NOT:
- Not very nice looking
- Average keyboard
- Dated webcam
ACER ASPIRE 5 is a powerful laptop for routine productive college tasks.
Given the specs, it isn’t an excellent choice for a heavy load such as video rendering, editing, or gaming. But it can be used for basic content creation, such as editing a few minutes-long TikTok or YouTube shorts.
The FHD IPS display is very promising. As expected from an IPS display, it has excellent viewing angles, outstanding colour contrast and slightly above-average brightness. The screen’s brightness is good enough for indoor use but not strong enough for outdoor use.
If you are out for the looks, then ACER ASPIRE 5 is not for you. It is not pretty but durable for carrying around without worry.
All in all, the 8 GB RAM, IPS display, all-day battery life, Ryzen 5 CPU, and price make ACER ASPIRE 5 a heck of a laptop for four years at college.
Get it here.
Round up
Best Overall: Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
Best Runner-Up: HP 15.6-inch
Best Battery Life: Microsoft Surface Laptop Go
Best 2-in-1: Lenovo Flex 5
Best Light-Weight: Asus Zenbook
Best Bargain: Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Best Budget: ACER Aspire 5