14 College Laptop Buying Guide Tips

This post is about a college laptop buying guide. Use this guide to buy the best laptop for college.

If there is one other electronic item, you need apart from your cell phone, it’s a laptop. It’s a necessity!

College Laptop Buying Tips Guide

Owning one will make any student’s college journey way easier.

A laptop is one of the best college accessories, so ensure you invest in one that will last you a while – at least four years of college and an extra year for applying for these jobs after graduation.

Computer Labs On Campus

Some might argue about using computer labs on campus to save money. From experience, this is just a big inconvenience.

I used computer labs for a week, then quickly realized doing so constantly just wouldn’t work.

After the week ended, I purchased a laptop from Walmart and never looked back – this was definitely one of the best decisions I made in college.

Additionally, if you’re staying off-campus, owning a laptop will make life so much easier.

You can complete assignments, take quizzes or exams in the convenience of your apartment without going on campus.

Purchasing A Laptop Before Textbooks

I can’t imagine how college life would be without my little Gateway laptop back at University.

In addition to helping me with daily school activities, my laptop kept me connected with family and friends back home, so it served its purpose and then some.

Call me crazy, but I would recommend purchasing a laptop before textbooks. This is how important I think it is.

Purchasing Guide To The Best Laptop Deal

A decent laptop is not cheap, so you want to get the most bang out of your buck.

This list includes general information you should research before investing in a laptop, especially if you’re a first-time buyer.

1. The Cost Of The Laptop
2. Laptop Durability
3. Laptop Storage
4. Laptop Speed
5. Laptop Weight
6. Software On Laptop
7. Laptop Battery Life
8. Laptop Heat Generation
9. Laptop Graphics and Display
10. Manufacturer Warranty
11. Important Extended Warranty
12. Adding Extended Warranty
13. Laptop Repair Cost
14. Customer Service During The Sale and After

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College Laptop Buying Guide #1: The Cost Of The Laptop

You want an affordable laptop. A laptop that will get the job done on a budget. Nothing too fancy, because usually the fancier it is, the more money you will have to pay for it.

Now is not the time to get fancy unless it doesn’t cost you extra. $400 – $600 can get you a decent laptop.

Additionally, you want to take advantage of store coupons and other forms of discounts and cashback opportunities with Rakuten and TopCashback.

For example, 7% cashback on a $600 laptop is $42.00 so don’t forget to use

Rakuten, especially when you’re purchasing expensive products like electronics because it really adds up.

Therefore, if you don’t currently have a Rakuten account don’t wait, sign up and ensure you download the button for your browser and download the app on your phone.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #2: Laptop Durability

You want a laptop that will last at least five years. Anything less than that is probably not worth your time.

As a college student, every penny counts, and replacing a laptop every two years just won’t cut it.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #3: Laptop Storage

You will need a laptop with decent storage. Keep in mind, a laptop with more storage capabilities will cost you a lot more.

A cheaper alternative is to get an external hard drive to store your music and your photos.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #4: Laptop Speed

Decent speed is definitely required. You need a laptop that will allow you to open applications quickly and to multitask without freezing or lagging.

You don’t want your laptop to take 10 minutes to open a Word document.

In college, time is valuable, especially if you’re enrolled in classes that require more than normal to participate to earn the grade.

So, ensure your computer is at least Core i5 CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB SSD – this is extremely important.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #5: Laptop Weight

If you are going to be traveling with your laptop often, a lighter laptop will be better.

However, lighter, compact laptops are usually more expensive than heavier ones.

Also, they are more prone to damage. So if your laptop will be left in your dorm or apartment, you might not want to make the weight a top priority.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #6: Software On Laptop

Some laptops deals come with a Microsoft Office suite program subscription and a trial period of antivirus protection.

These are the best deals! Purchasing Microsoft Office Suite dramatically adds to the cost of the laptop, so be on the lookout for these deals.

Additionally, regarding software, you don’t want a laptop with too much bloatware you will probably never use.

So do your in-depth research before you make your purchase.

Related Post: Top School Supplies For College Students

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College Laptop Buying Guide #7: Laptop Battery Life

You need a computer that will last you at least a day of continuous use over Wi-Fi before it needs to be recharged, especially if you’re going to be on the move with the laptop.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #8: Laptop Heat Generation

Try your best to stay away from laptops that overheat.

A laptop that overheats constantly is not going to last. Additionally, using it will be uncomfortable, especially during summer.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #9: Laptop Graphics and Display

For entertainment purposes, great graphics and display are definitely a bonus.

However, I would not make it a priority if getting a laptop with the best graphics and display would add to the cost of the laptop.

Now, if you are a gamer, that’s another story. You might want to completely ignore my reasoning and go for it.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #10: Manufacturer Warranty

You want a laptop with a standard one-year warranty, just in case your laptop was a defective product.

If your laptop goes bad within weeks of purchase and there’s no warranty, you will be responsible for fixing the damage and in the worst-case scenario getting a new laptop.

That’s one of the main reasons I don’t recommend laptop purchases from eBay.

Unless the seller fully discloses that the warranty is available, I won’t even bother, and even then I am still wary.

So, by all means, purchase your laptop accessories on eBay if you find some amazing deals, but I wouldn’t recommend getting a laptop from eBay.

So proceed with caution if you’re going the eBay route.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #11: Important Extended Warranty

An extended warranty is a service contract. Please note that service contracts are not to be confused with the manufacturer’s warranty.

The extended warranty goes beyond the manufacturer warranty coverage period and that’s great, but it comes at an additional cost, and you need to do your research before purchasing to avoid being scammed.

Related Post: College Apartment Bedroom Essentials

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College Laptop Buying Guide #12: Adding Extended Warranty

So is it worth spending a little more for coverage and peace of mind? Well, it depends.

If you don’t want to face unexpected costs of repairs or replacements within the initial two-year period after the manufacturer warranty expires, I say go for it.

However, be aware that not all extended warranty services are the same.

So ensure you research and ask questions about their terms and conditions before you make a decision.

Additionally, the reputation of the company offering the service contract is very important.

So before you even consider purchasing the service, google the company, see what Google reveals.

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College Laptop Buying Guide #13: Laptop Repair Cost

Some services might require you to pay for a percentage of the repair cost or will not cover repair costs for certain damages.

So know what you’re paying for from the start – don’t be surprised when they tell you they can’t replace the laptop you accidentally throw in the pool, or you need to cover 40% of the repair for your cracked laptop screen.

Related Post: Job For College Students

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College Laptop Buying Guide #14: Customer Service During The Sale and After

Great customer service is important, especially when things go bad.

Imagine dealing with a blue or white screen and a clueless and rude customer agent at the same time.

Trust and believe, you don’t need this kind of problem in your life.

In these situations, you will definitely appreciate simple and straightforward directions on how your laptop will be repaired and what you need to do to get the progress started as quickly as possible.

So research how the company treats its after-sale customers before buying their laptop.

Effective research can be done by reading both the good and bad reviews in the comment section of websites that sell the laptop, YouTube reviews, and blog posts.

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Student Laptop Deals For College

Best Buy is one of the best places to search for deals. By signing up for the student deals newsletter, students can save up to $150 on laptops.

Therefore, if you’re in the market for a new laptop, definitely sign up for Best Buy student deals before making purchases elsewhere.

Other places like Walmart,  Overstock, Newegg, Target, and Amazon are also great places to search for college laptop deals.

However, note these deals tend to be very seasonal examples Back to School, Labor Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and so on.

So if you need a laptop immediately, and you’re shopping for it outside these seasons, chances are you will be paying a higher rate.

I hope this guide helps you find the best laptop deal within your budget that meets or exceeds your requirements.