6 Best-Priced Student Laptops For Learners at Every Level

Whether you’re heading out to college as a freshie or returning to the classroom this academic year, a reliable laptop can help you ace your classwork and then let you unwind when you’ve the free time.

These days, it makes a lot of sense to have this trusty device—between taking notes and writing papers, there’s plenty of situations where you might need one. And, it’s also become a tool for earlier stages of education, with a lot of homework and research now taking place online.

Almost all laptops today can be great picks for students, offering solid performance, durability, good battery life, and value for money. Admittedly, though, it’s still quite difficult to narrow down your choices—and finding the right one for your needs and budget can feel like extra homework.

That’s why we’ve come up with this tech resource to help you choose. Our picks are for every type of student and budget—and can be also considered if you’re wanting a much-needed upgrade. Don’t worry: The daily drivers up ahead are all on sale right now for up to 25% off and at their lowest-price-guaranteed via your SM Malls Online app—because we know that price is a huge, deciding factor for students who don’t necessarily have unlimited budgets.

Bonus: You can even key in code SHOP200OFF to get an extra P200 off your purchases with a minimum spend of P1,000. Neat!

Gaming rig

Acer Nitro 5 in Obsidian Black

Much like the Intel®-based variant of the Nitro 5, its AMD-powered iteration is a very competitive machine in its class. If you’re after pure, raw performance and most likely to tackle resource-intensive school projects and choose to relax through gaming after, this rig’s the way to go. It’s got the combined power of an AMD Ryzen™ 5 6600H hexa-core processor and NVIDIA® GeForce® RTX TM 3060 GPU with 6GB of dedicated GDDR6 VRAM.

The fast and precise onboard GPU delivers stability for both gamers and creators alike. Coupled with an 8GB Dual-channel DDR5 SDRAM support, up to 32 GB of DDR5 system memory, and 512GB NVMe SSD, the Nitro 5’s a beast that can handle demanding loads and video titles.

The 15.6-inch laptop has a 58W battery that should last you for about four hours of usage on the go. But if you want to fully maximize its power, we suggest plugging in for a smoother and seamless work and play experience. You can score the Acer Nitro 5 AN515-46-R4W2 R5 at 14% off right now—at P68,188 instead of P78,999 from Villman.

Budget buy

HP 14s in Pale Gold

This 14-inch laptop hits all the right spots for students and casual users. It can double as a portable workstation that can be toted to classes—an everyday machine that’s not spec’ced to the max, but still packs the necessary fundamentals to get your work done fast.

Featuring an AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor, a 4GB DDR4 memory, 256GB of built-in storage, and AMD Radeon integrated graphics, the HP 14s-FQ1112AU Ryzen 3 also runs Windows 11—just about enough to swiftly switch between browser tabs and Microsoft Office apps or enjoy your multimedia sans lags.

Plus points that it comes with a compact and reasonably slim chassis weighing in at 1.4kg (that’s less than 3.1 lbs.). This laptop’s also the most affordable in our list—at 20% off, retailing for only P23,988 from P29,990 at Villman.

All-rounder

Dell Inspiron 3511 in Black/Silver/Blue

If you’re a student who just wants to get his or her daily to-do’s done with ease and efficiency, the Dell Inspiron 3511 is perfect. This 15.6-inch looker in black/silver/blue is just right to get you through the academic year.

It carries an 11th Generation Intel® Core i3-1115G4 Processor and Windows Home 10/11 alongside a 4GB DDR4 RAM, Intel® UHD Graphics with shared graphics memory, and 256GB of internal storage for a pretty responsive performance. You’ll be happy to know that it has six onboard ports (1 USB 2.0, 1 audio jack, 1 HDMI 1.4, and 2 USB 3.2) and an SD-card slot to keep you connected to your peripherals and accessories.

At 25% off (now P25,499 from P33,999) from Gigahertz, the Dell Inspiron 3511 has lots to offer to an average or casual user.

Casual usage

Acer Aspire 3 in Pure Silver

Equipped with Intel’s Core™ i5 (i5-1235U) deca-core processor, the Acer Aspire 3 should be at the forefront when you’re looking for a new laptop that’s budget-friendly. Getting this one for only P33,349 from P39,999 (that’s 17% off) at Gigahertz, allows you to reserve a portion of your student savings for something else, say, food allowance and extra-curricular expenses.

Powered by Windows 11, the 15.6-inch driver also boasts of an 8GB DDR4 SDRAM and a 512GB PCIe NVMe, which are capable of decent graphics performance for casual gaming and multimedia tasks. There’s also a good selection ports in the device; this includes an HDMI port for connecting to external displays or projectors, three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports for high-speed data transfer, and a network (RJ-45) port for wired internet connection.

The Acer Aspire 3 A315-59-598K comes with a three-cell lithium polymer battery with a capacity of 42Wh, providing a maximum run time of approximately 6.50 hours, allowing for extended use without frequent recharging. All in all, it’s a good value laptop that offers a well-rounded solution for everyday tasks and beyond.

Premium performance

ASUS TUF Gaming A15 in Mecha Grey

A well-priced powerhouse at 13% off (P61,095 from P69,995), the Asus TUF Gaming A15 (FA507RE-HN014W) from PC Gadget gives you exactly what you need and more from a mid-market gaming leader—a great price-to-performance ratio.

The ASUS TUF Gaming’s 2023 incarnation, the A15 runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H processor, an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, an 8GB DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe® 3.0 SSD—all packed in a 16.6-inch military-esque chassis that also houses a large touchpad with anime-inspired accents. These specs give you enough pace to handle intensive tasks and even top single-player titles for the next few years.

Although this one’s a chunky boy, it’s been made that way for a good reason. It’s got a MIL-STD-810H (military-grade) testing to ensure it can withstand shocks, drops, bumps, temperature changes, and water spillages.

OLED option

ASUS VivoBook 15X OLED in Quiet Blue

This feature-packed laptop makes it easy to get things done—anytime, anywhere. Boasting of an AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H processor, 8GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD, and AMD Radeon™ Graphics, the 15.6-inch machine delivers solid overall performance for its price.

Currently, it’s at 18% off at PC Gadgets—now only P39,360 from P47,995. With a crisp and clear display, 180° lay-flat hinge, a modern color, and a sleek geometric design, the VivoBook 15X OLED (M1503QA-L1019WS) presents to be a strong case to be your daily driver.

Besides the FHD OLED display, it also shines with 600 nits of peak brightness, a three-sided NanoEdge display delivering super-bright and cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 color gamut for ultra-vivid colors. It’s also PANTONE® Validated for professional-grade color accuracy and TÜV Rheinland-certified for low blue-light emissions.
 
Each entry above comes recommended—something you can really consider copping this school year via your SM Malls Online app. Whatever you end up picking from our roundup, we’re sure you’re getting plenty of bang for your hard-earned buck.

Don’t forget to use code SHOP200OFF to get an extra P200 off your purchases with a minimum spend of P1,000.

Discover more top tech at great discounts and exclusive offers only at SM Deals.