Starting a new year needs you to be fully equipped and what better way to do that than with a new laptop. Here’s a few laptops we think you should consider buying.

1. Acer Chromebook 15

The best student laptop available in 2019 running Chrome OS

Specifications

• CPU: Intel Celeron 3205U 1.5GHz (dual-core)
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics
• RAM: 4GB
• Screen: 15.6-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
• Storage: 32GB SSD
• Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Camera: 720p
• Weight: 4.85 pounds
• Dimensions: 15.08 x 9.65 x 0.95-inches

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The Chromebook 15 is a ridiculously cheap student laptop that’s also very capable. The hardware is in line with that price, with lower specs across the board – but as the machine runs Chrome OS, it doesn’t matter too much, with the laptop still delivering a fast and responsive user experience.

2. HP Pavilion 14

The best student laptop for all-round value for money

Specifications

• CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U
• Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620
• RAM: 8GB
• Screen: 14-inch (1,920 x 1,080)
• Storage: 256GB SSD

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When it comes to picking the best student laptop, you want value for money rather than the best specs or the most dazzling display. This HP Pavilion 14 is just about affordable enough for most students and won’t let you down while you’re at college or university.

3. Lenovo Yoga 530

The best student laptop for 2-in-1 computing

Specifications

• CPU: Dual-core AMD Ryzen 3 2200U (2.5GHz-3.4GHz)
• RAM: 4GB
• Screen: 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution
• Storage: 128GB SSD

The specs are very competitive for the price (though stylus costs are extra), and the Lenovo Yoga 530 should be able to chew through all the tasks you give it fairly rapidly. If you’re after something a little bit different from your student laptop in 2019, this is worth a look.

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4. Microsoft Surface Go

An excellent 2-in-1 student laptop for lightweight computing

Specifications

• CPU: Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4415Y
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615
• RAM: 4GB – 8GB
• Screen: 10-inch
• Storage: 64GB eMMC / 128GB SSD

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If you’re a student and need a system that can handle lightweight computing tasks, and can be carried around easily, and can transform into a tablet for entertainment and creative sessions, then the Microsoft Surface Go is an excellent option – especially so if you’re shopping on a particularly tight budget.

5. Lenovo Idea Pad L340

Attention student gamers!

Specifications

• CPU: Intel Core i5-9300H quad-core 2.4-4.1GHz
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Screen: 15.6-inch, FHD IPS LCD
• Storage: 128GB

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The Lenovo IdeaPad L340, a 15.6-inch gaming laptop that manages to keep the price down while ramping the specs up (take a look at that GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of video RAM). You should be able to play anything on this, even if you can’t quite ramp up the quality settings to the very highest level.

6. The MacBook Pro

Specifications

• 6-core Intel Core i7 and Core i9 processors up to 2.9GHz with Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz
• Up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM
• Radeon Pro discrete graphics with 4GB of video memory
• Up to 4TB SSD storage
• True Tone display
• Apple T2 chip
• Touch Bar

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The MacBook Pro 16-inch isn’t just the most powerful MacBook Apple’s ever made – it’s also the best. By listening to its customers and taking on board the criticisms of previous models, Apple has made a MacBook Pro that improves on nearly every aspect of the iconic workstation. If you have the budget for it, this is one of the best laptops you can buy.