What Computer to Take to University for Students

As a student, your biggest initial expense before even turning up at university will probably be investing in a computer. Seeing as there are so many available, it is worth considering carefully your options before making a decision. You should ask yourself these questions before you start:

• Do I want a desktop or a laptop (notebook)?

• How much money do I have available to spend?

• What do I want it for? Making notes, watching movies or playing games?

• Do I want to get one already made or custom built?

• Should I buy one over the internet or go out to the shops to buy one?

If you make a note of your answer to all of these questions then as we go through and I describe the different options available you can compare them to your own preferences.

The first thing to consider when buying a computer for university is whether you want a laptop or a desktop computer. My personal recommendation would be to go down the laptop route. Although more expensive than the equivalent desktop counterpart, the benefit of owning a laptop is that you can use it anywhere, so if you have a couple of hours free that you want to spend in the library you can take your computer with you. From my own experience, over 95% of students I have met own laptops. Further, nowadays laptops are built to rival many desktop computers, and by buying a docking station and external mouse and keyboard you can effectively turn your laptop into a desktop computer in your room, and still enjoy its portability. In this section I will suggest only laptop computers, but if there is sufficient demand in the future a desktop category may be added.

We shall separate computers in to three categories:

• Gaming

• Multimedia

• Basic

You should read the description under each section before deciding which type is for you.