As the civil engineering field gains popularity as a stable, profitable career path, many engineering students are opting to pursue the road where many have already walked. And for them, we're going to list out some of the best laptops for civil engineering students to help them on their journey to becoming a fully fledged civil engineer.
But before we get to that, we'll have to take a minute to answer a very important question:
Evolution of Civil Engineering
Civil engineers are often touted as the backbone of humankind. Always working to improve, adapt, and conceptualize new ways of living and conveniences that benefit all of us in modern society today. Think about it, how would you get to where you're going, without civil engineers?
Civil engineering is responsible for roads, highways, dams, airports, water systems, sewage systems, bridges, and a number of other inventions and works in our now modern civilization. Originating in the 18th century where civil engineers were responsible for creating and maintaining public baths in Ancient Rome, to roads, pathways, bridges, aqueducts, moats, and other structures that paved the way to where we are now.
It's only with this understanding of history and the evolution of civil engineering can we fully appreciate the conveniences we have now. Could you imagine trying to navigate in ancient times, where roads and baths weren't common place? Doesn't sound like a very pleasant experience.
But as we evolved as a race and started modernizing rapidly, civil engineers have also evolved to create bigger, better, and more complicated systems and structures than we have ever thought possible. That being said, for those newer and better systems to be created, the processes, knowledge, and understanding has to be taught to a new, younger generation to take the helm for future generations.
Do Civil Engineering Students Need A Laptop?
The simplest answer here is yes, civil engineering students definitely need a laptop.
But, we also give that answer to any student looking to pursue a higher education be it as a doctor, engineer, business, communications, and basically any career path possible.
In our now modern, technological era, a laptop is an integral tool that has a variety of functions; to study, conduct research, complete assignments and reports, and for various other activities like streaming movies, watching YouTube videos and online shopping.
But for civil engineering students however, you're going to need the best civil engineering laptops to help you navigate and get used to programs and software that civil engineers are now using on a daily basis. For the most part, there are a variety of different roles and software that 'civil engineering' encompasses. Since building structures, roads, dams, tunnels and other public systems isn't exactly easy, the job is segmented to a variety of roles.
The simplest way we can segregate these roles is in three various categories:
Of course, the roles are actually waaaay more nuanced and intricate, and it's not an easy task defining each and every factor on the broad civil engineering discipline. But for the most part, it's a basic explanation to better understand the kinds of software and programs civil engineering students will need to get used to.
1. Management Roles
Project managers for example, would need to use software like MS Project, MS Excel, and other similar software to manage the construction site and scheduling.
2. Design & Modeling
For design, drafting and modeling, software like AutoCAD, one of the most popular widely used CAD (computer-aided design and drafting) programs around. AutoCAD, ArcGIS and AutoCAD 3D are all integral tools used to draft plans and essentially create blueprints and plans for buildings, constructions and infrastructure.
A very integral tool which has numerous various iterations and add-ons which are still being developed as technology progresses and new systems are introduced.
3. Testing & Analysis
For testing and analysis, most often you'll see software like STAAD Pro, GTS, and Strap. These programs allow civil engineers to fully explore various choices for structures like using steel, wood, aluminum, concrete to fully understand and test whether the materials is suited to the structure they're constructing.
These few examples that stated so far truly don't encapsulate the scope of software civil engineering students will have to familiarize themselves with. There are numerous others that target various niches such as software specifically designed to create plans for drainage systems, hydraulics, hydrologic simulation, and geographic information software. Simply put, there's a lot you're going to need to know.
That being said, let's move on and try to understand the minimum and recommended requirements the best laptop for civil engineering students should have.
To do this, we're going to base our search on the minimum and recommended system requirements for AutoCAD, a graphically intensive, widely popular software that many civil engineering students will need to get accustomed to. If your laptop can at the very least handle AutoCAD, it should be fine against the flurry of other design and analysis software for civil engineering.
AutoCAD Minimum System Requirements
From these specs, we've painted a better picture of what the best laptop for civil engineering students will really need. For starters, they've mentioned that the operating system your laptop for civil engineering should range from Windows 7 - Windows 10.
If you were on Windows 7 or Windows 8, we would recommend upgrading to Windows 10. It's the latest and greatest from Microsoft and has a wide variety of software and hardware support, features, and a clean and simple UI.
You could opt for one of Apple's MacBook Pro lineup, but we wouldn't recommend it. macOS and Apple's hardware is impressive, but even the best MacBook for civil engineering students would run into issues running software that macOS might not be compatible with.
As mentioned, there are plenty of other engineering programs around with many more popping up by the year. These programs would likely opt for the wide casting net of the Windows platform, meaning you might face issues with software compatibility. Just something to point out and keep in mind.
Processors
Next, we've got the processor which should be a 2.5-2.9GHz processor. For ease of understanding, we can relate this to slightly dated processors like the 8th/9th Generation Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7 processors.
An 8th Generation Intel Core i5 processor should honestly be a base standard for the best laptop for civil engineering students, rather than what we should look for.
Next up, we've got the RAM and storage requirements which include having at least 8GB RAM and 6GB of storage for the base installation.
Displays
For the display, you should at a base have a 1920 x 1080 resolution (Full HD) and a 1GB GPU to handle the graphically intensive tasks and functions of AutoCAD.
Now that we've seen the base of what a notebook for engineers looks like, let's take a peek at what the recommended requirements are and what we recommend you look for!
AutoCAD Recommended System Requirements
Based on the recommended system specs, we're met with a slightly different picture from the stated minimum requirements. The operating system at this point should be Windows 10. All laptops we'll be featuring on the list will come with Windows 10 on-board, so this shouldn't be of much concern.
Next we notice a significant upgrade, requiring a 3+GHz processor to handle AutoCAD's processes and features. This should equate to the flagship level 10th/11th Generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors. Your best bet would be to find laptops with 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processors which will ensure steady CPU performance.
1. RAM Capacity
To support the processor, you're also going to need 16GB RAM. 16GB RAM is a relatively high RAM capacity which would mean that AutoCAD (and other similar graphically intense software) requires a lot out of your laptop resources.
We would also recommend getting a 16GB RAM capacity. But since it might be a bit pricey for certain consumers, an 8GB RAM variant should be the base capacity in our search.
2. Storage
In regards to storage, the best laptops for civil engineering students will need 6GB for installation, but since AutoCAD isn't going to be the only program you're running, you're going to need quite a bit of storage.
For the most part, we recommend getting a high-capacity Solid State Drive (SSD) like a 512GB SSD or 1TB SSD. These are some of the best storage options available right now, but since the best might be too far a reach for many civil engineering students, a 256GB SSD will be our recommendation as a base SSD storage variant.
3. Display Resolution
The recommended specs also mention a 4K display and a 4GB GPU for the best experience in AutoCAD. Now, while a 4K display is definitely attractive in it's own right, this type of display usually cost a premium for solely a screen upgrade.
We'd recommend you get a Full HD display as it's the most available and widely used by laptops these days.
4. Graphics Card
In regards to the 4GB GPU, we can consider any number of medium-high level graphic cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX or NVIDIA GeForce RTX lineup.
Getting a NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics card should be considered our base in our search for the best laptops for civil engineering students. An integrated graphics card accompanied by a powerful Intel Core i7 processor and high RAM capacity is also a viable option, but we'll try to include as many NVIDIA GeForce GTX (or equivalent) graphics card laptops.
Now that we've fully disseminated what the best laptop for civil engineering students looks like, let's take a look at some other considerations for our search.
Things To Consider
1. A Gaming Laptop?
The commonality between civil engineering software and gaming in general is the need for consistent, powerful performance; from both the processor and the graphics cards. That in mind, we're going to recommend something otherworldly, unheard of, for civil engineering students; get a gaming laptop.
A gaming laptop will almost always have a powerful processor, sufficient RAM and SSD storage and a capable, reliable graphics card. Even budget, affordable gaming laptop brands equip their machines with a great combination of processor, RAM, SSD and graphics card without missing out on one spec to bring costs down.
Gaming laptops are also often equipped with powerful, smooth display tech with super fast refresh rates that'll makes things look so much better to the eyes.
But lastly, the important part of why you should get a gaming laptop is simply because they're great entertainment consoles. With a gaming laptop, you'll be able to handle a wide variety of the best games from recent years, which will be very helpful for civil engineering students out there who are also interested in gaming.
Gaming laptop brands are also well known for great audio and speakers and heat management tech which will make your laptop, as a whole, much more attractive.
As absurd (or not) an idea as it sounds, even students who don't have any interest in gaming will be able to reap the rewards of a gaming laptop. Gaming laptop brands do one thing well, and that's the performance you're getting for your money.
2. Battery Life
Battery life is another major consideration that we feel many consumers miss out on. No one really thinks about how valuable battery life is until they're scurrying for a charger 4-5 times a day just to use their laptop.
While you might have a designated workstation for your laptop, as a student you're going to have to be versatile with where you use it. University and college students have hectic schedules, juggling classes, lectures, studying in the library or a cafe, and commuting back home. Having a reliable laptop with a long lasting battery life greatly enhances how portable you can be.
Battery life not only relates to how long your laptop can last, but also how fast it can charge back up from 0-100%. The right combination of speedy charge and long lasting battery is essential for the college student on the go, and we'd highly recommend you not overlook this often neglected feature. It just makes the stresses of daily campus life that much simpler, not needing to worry about one small thing; how much battery you have left.
3. External SSD
Now, we're going to recommend you search for an external SSD to supplement your laptop storage capacity.
Why, you may ask?
Well, because the software you'll be using in your civil engineering classes will be plentiful. There are a wide variety of different software that you'll often have to use simultaneously, or port over to for different features and functions. The software itself will take up some space on your laptop, but it will also fill up with more projects, assignments, and files as you continue your studies.
If you were stuck with just a 256GB SSD for your storage capacity, this might not be enough when you consider the implications over time. As you progress through your civil engineering courses, you're probably going to be storing more and more projects and assignments on your laptop. Overtime, this will pile up and make your laptop slow, sluggish, and more prone to crashes.
Getting an external SSD will remedy this by being cost effective and convenient. There are a number of different SSD storage capacities around, ranging from a 256GB SSD to 1TB SSD which will serve you well over time.
Not to mention your own personal data, files, movies and music. This data will have to live somewhere, so having an external SSD may prove beneficial to help manage and store these files.
Best Laptops For Civil Engineering
Now that we've finally gone through almost every feature and spec you're going to need, let's get straight into the search for the best laptops for civil engineering students!
1. HP Spectre x360
The HP Spectre x360 is a top of the line, fully fledged premium laptop with pretty much everything you could ask for.
The first standout feature on the HP Spectre x360 is that it's a 2-in-1 laptop which means it can transform into various modes.
The best part about this laptop is that you can use the 15.6-inch 4K UHD touchscreen as a tablet by folding it to the rear panel. However, as a laptop for civil engineering students, this might not be a super integral feature, but it's a nice bonus. The more important spec is the beautiful, vibrant 15.6-inch 4K UHD display resolution which matches up to AutoCAD's recommended system requirements.
Plus, a pretty screen never hurt anybody, right?
The premium build quality and design is further exemplified with powerful performance. On the internals, the HP Spectre x360 houses a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10510U processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM and a sizable 512GB SSD. Definitely top of the line specs to match up with the overall 'premium' theme HP brings to the table here.
The biggest star here though, is definitely the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor which powers the laptop. The Intel Core i7 processor supported by the 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD should net you some consistent, smooth performance with minimal freezes and crashes.
You also get a decently powered NVIDIA GeForce MX330 GPU with 2GB onboard VRAM. Not the most powerful graphics card around, but it should be more than sufficient to handle AutoCAD and other similar design software. You should also be able to play some pretty graphic intensive games, which just adds that much more value to the laptop.
Some other great features that makes the HP Spectre x360 a suitable laptop for civil engineering students include quad speakers tuned by Bang&Olufsen, fingerprint reader, the HP Pen, a backlit keyboard, and up to 11 hours of battery life.
The HP Spectre x360 really does offer a lot for a variety of uses and scenarios with substantiating firepower to back it all up. A great choice for students looking to splurge a little extra on a premium laptop that'll last.
2. ASUS ROG Strix G15
If you were looking for a heavy duty, beastly gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG Strix G15 fits that description and some.
Of course, this is easily deduced by the over the top, gamer-centric design language seen throughout the whole laptop aesthetic. You've got bright flashy lights and a sleek brushed metal material adorning the chassis which leaves a lasting impression.
Besides the design, you're met with a 15.6-inch Full HD 240Hz display with slim bezels around the top and sides and a sizable chin at the bottom. Overall though, a fantastic display frame which maximizes the screen real estate with a super speedy 240Hz refresh rate. That one spec of a 240Hz refresh rate display makes the ASUS ROG Strix G15 standout from some of the best laptops for civil engineering students we've seen so far.
In line with the gaming focus, you've got some respectable firepower running things behind the scenes. The laptop comes packed with a 10th Generation Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM and a generous 1TB SSD storage.
This gaming laptop did not come to play because these are top of the line specs that would do well for both gaming and graphic intensive engineering design software. Graphical performance is further supplemented by a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU with a huge 8GB GDDR6 VRAM. With this potent combination of 10th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 makes for an almost overpowered gaming beast.
You can expect phenomenal performance in basically any design, analysis or 3D modelling software along with some of the latest games around. The ASUS ROG Strix G15 also has some additional features that makes it standout like the ROG AuraSync System which links with the RGB backlit keyboard, logo and Light Bar situated at the bottom of the gaming laptop body.
You also get ROG Intelligent cooling system for better heat management, over 5 hours of battery life, and weighs in at a reasonable 5.28lbs.
Not a bad deal all together, getting you plenty of power and gamer centric features all in one package.
3. Acer Nitro 5
For students looking for a more affordable gaming laptop for civil engineering, the Acer Nitro 5 has some great performance for a substantial discount. You still get that 'gamer' aesthetic but it's more subdued in terms of going overboard, and keeps things simple with a menacing red theme throughout the chassis and design.
On the display, the gaming laptop packs a standard 15.6-inch Full HD 144Hz display. Not as silky smooth as the 240Hz refresh rate on the ASUS ROG Strix G15, but still respectable nonetheless. You're getting a great, clear and vibrant display with a smoother UI experience so that's a plus. For the price, this just might be the best laptop for civil engineering students on a budget for the value it brings to the table.
On the internals, we start to see where this gaming laptop takes a bit of a dive to accommodate the lower price tag. The Acer Nitro 5 features a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10300H processor, 8GB RAM and a lackluster 256GB SSD. While these aren't the 'best' specs around, the 10th Gen Intel Core i5 is comparable to earlier 8th/9th Gen Intel Core i7 processors so you should be well equipped for performance.
The 256GB SSD however is a pretty low capacity storage, so I'd advise copping yourself an external 256GB SSD or bigger to counteract the lower storage capabilities.
However, the one thing the Acer Nitro 5 does to well is the graphical performance with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB of GDDR6 VRAM. It doesn't stack up to the flagship NVIDIA GeForce RTX lineup, but the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti is still a capable, powerful GPU for gaming and graphic intensive design software.
There are some other features that makes the Acer Nitro 5 a more enticing offer such as the menacing red backlit keyboard, Acer CoolBoost tech for heat management, customizable NitroSense key and up to 9 hours of battery life.
The Acer Nitro 5 is a capable, affordable gaming beast that gets the core competencies of a laptop right.
4. Lenovo Legion 5i
The Lenovo Legion 5i is another great example of a laptop built for gaming for a reasonable price tag.
You'll first notice the deep black chassis with a substantial bump behind the display frame. It's very 'gamer' in a minimalist, subtle way with what looks to be a normal productivity laptop at first glance.
The next thing you'll notice is the 15.6-inch Full HD 120Hz display which makes for a great viewing experience. Around the 15.6" Full HD display, you'll notice some reasonable thin bezels around all four corners of the frame and the 'Legion' logo in the center.
Under the hood is where the laptop really shines with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor, 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage. While the Intel Core i7 processor is commendable, the 8GB RAM feels a little lacking, leaving the 10th Gen Intel Core i7 to do the hard work. It's not 'bad' in any sense of the word, but it might hinder performance slightly when you've got a bunch of apps, programs, and files opened up at once.
However, the laptop also excels at graphical fidelity with a mid-range NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti with 4GB VRAM and an additional Intel UHD Graphics integrated on the Intel Core i7 processor. This combo will get programs like AutoCAD running smoothly, without too many hits to performance.
The Lenovo Legion 5i also comes with a white backlit keyboard, dual speakers by Harman/Kardon, and up to 6.8 hours of battery life. It's not as exciting as some of the other laptops we've seen so far, but it does get you consistent performance for a lesser price.
For the budget conscious engineering students out there, this is another great option to help you through your academic journey.
5. HP Envy 14
The HP Envy 14 is the right combination of simple, elegant, toned down aesthetics and performance for those not keen on a laptop made specifically for gaming. Similar to the earlier HP laptop, the HP Envy 14 follows suit in the premium segment with a few differences.
Firstly, the laptop features a 14-inch Full HD micro-edge touchscreen attributed to the slim display frame bezels. Overall though, this is one of the best laptop displays we've seen with a really simplistic, minimalist design language around the chassis. It just screams sleek and powerful.
However, the laptop isn't all good looks and no substance. The HP Envy 14 laptop features an 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. We're getting some capable performing laptop specs here with the exception of the 256GB SSD. That can easily be remedied with an external SSD, but we've always preferred high-capacity storage on-board.
The saving grace here though is with the respectable NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti GPU with 4GB VRAM. You'll notice that two other laptop brands on the list have the same GPU, so it's easy for us to compare how well the performance will be on this non-gaming laptop.
The HP Envy also has some great built-in laptop features that makes it stand out like the backlit keyboard, fingerprint reader, dedicated mute button, and up to 13.5 hours of battery life. You also get HP Fast Charge which gets you 0-50% in just half an hour.
All in all, the HP Envy 14 is a great laptop that has basically everything you could ask for. A great battery life, powerful performance, sleek form factor and premium build quality. However, for a top-notch laptop, you're going to have to pay top prices for it.
Conclusion
So far, we've covered some of the best of the best laptops for civil engineering students around with a wide variety of price segments and features. While all the laptops are all capable in their own right, we've got to pick just one as the champion.
The laptop winning the title of best laptop for engineering students is the HP Spectre x360!
The HP Spectre x360 gets a lot of the essentials of a laptop right, and they do it big. The premium 2-in-1 laptop has all the right attributes; reliable performance, a sleek & premium design, durable build quality and versatility. It's a worthy investment for students looking to get the best around, a machine that will last you through university years and beyond.
