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.