One fundamental tool that many of us have grow accustomed, to the point that where it's being taught in our school curriculum as children is Microsoft Office. More specifically, how to use programs in the suite such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. Yes, something that we use even in our day to day lives as adults are PowerPoint presentations. I'm sure many of us can relate to those butterflies in our stomachs as we're about to present to a room full of people, be it for a pitch, a meeting, or for your university class group presentations.
One of the original programs released in the MS Office suite of programs in the early 1990's, it's now taken so many various forms and uses we couldn't even conceive thirty years ago. The program has now evolved to have even more useful features, animations, and styles than ever before. It might be a little boring but, hey, that's the world we live in now.
That being said, if you're a teen looking to find a laptop for university, a fresh grad needing a more 'professional' laptop, or a working professional looking to up their PowerPoint presentation game; we're going to be listing out some of the best laptops for PowerPoint presentations to get you ready to take on any presentation. But before we get to that, let's take a minute to understand what PowerPoint and the suite of Microsoft Office programs is all about.
What is a PowerPoint Presentation?
PowerPoint presentations have essentially become commonplace in a modern technological age. There are so many different uses and scenarios that require using a presentation software like PowerPoint or Google Slides. Some of the possible uses of a PowerPoint presentation you'll encounter are things like presentations to pitch an idea at work, or teachers and lecturers using PowerPoint presentations to highlight important topics, students using a PowerPoint presentation for group work, and more.
Even in a professional setting, besides the obvious uses for meetings, pitches, etc. You also can use it for creating instructional presentations, handbooks, and more to easily and efficiently dispense information to users who need it. It's just an easy way for both the presenter and their audience to view, consume, and discern information they need to. I'm sure no matter who's reading this, there's been a a presentation or two you didn't really pay attention to. It's still an important tool so it's best to be as accustomed to the software as much as possible.
In 2021, PowerPoint presentations have taken a huge leap in functionality than just using Clip art and low-res gifs to make things a little more appealing. Nowadays PowerPoint has come a long way with a whole host of animations, transitions and features that makes a normal presentation exciting.
Now that we've gotten a better understanding of what a PowerPoint Presentation is, let's take a look at some of the important specs the best laptop for PowerPoint presentations will need.
The Important Specs
The above specs are the minimum system requirements for the latest Microsoft Office, so we can use it as a guideline to figure out what the best laptop for PowerPoint presentations will house. For the most part, basically any laptop should be able to run Microsoft Office and PowerPoint, but let's take a minute to better understand these specs and what we'd recommend you get.
1. Display (Rec: Full HD Display 1920 x 1080)
For the display, we're going to recommend a Full HD display as a base with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. This is mainly as for most content you're going to be viewing on your laptop will have a base HD/FHD resolution. Since 4K panels and content isn't exactly the 'norm' just yet, you should be able to have a good time both when you're presenting on PowerPoint, or when you're gaming, streaming YouTube videos or binging Netflix.
Anything lower than a Full HD (1920 x 1080) I can't personally recommend unless it's got a super low price tag. Still, just to give you that extra peace of mind while you're in an important presentation, it's better to look for a laptop that can provide reliable performance for a little extra. It'll be a much better deal in the long run. Another feature that many users looking for the best laptops for PowerPoint presentations will appreciate is a touch display.
This could come in two forms: a 2-in-1 configurable laptop or a touch display. A 2-in-1 laptop isn't necessarily the best laptop in this case, but may prove useful for consumers looking for a more versatile laptop. A touch screen will prove useful while you're reading, watching movies, or researching. If that's something you were looking for, I'd recommend finding a laptop with a touch screen display.
Any screen size with a Full HD panel is going to be your best bet here.
2. Processor (Rec: Intel Core i5 or Better)
Based on the minimum requirements specified by Microsoft, you're going to need a base of a dual-core processor with 1.6GHz or better. This would equate to a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor, which means anything better than that should be more than capable for PowerPoint and other Microsoft Office programs. Even with an Intel Core i3 processor base, we're going to recommend you find a laptop with at least an Intel Core i5 processor or better. This could relate to a number of processors, but most often we're going to be met with something like an 8th Generation Intel Core i5. Even the 7th Generation Intel Core i7 7500U or 8th Generation Intel Core i7 8750H would be able to handle Microsoft PowerPoint very well.
Wouldn't recommend an Intel Core i7 7500U though, since we'll com across much better, affordable processors in our search. The processor is the one spec that determines how well your laptop performs. Everything from load times, multitasking, and general app usage, your CPU and processor will be handling it. Having a laptop with a 10th / 11th Gen Intel Core i5 quad-core processor is the easiest way to ensure consistent, powerful, speedy performance.
3. RAM/Storage (Rec: 8GB RAM / 256 GB SSD)
Another important spec that supplements the CPU performance is how much RAM and storage your laptop has. A laptop with a balance of decent processor, RAM and storage is a good way to find an affordable, capable laptop. One of the best laptop variants to look for is something like an 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256 GB SSD storage. Having at least 8 GB DDR4 RAM is the most cost effective variant, with a good balance of power-to-price ratio. You could get away with 4GB RAM, but this might be too little for your laptop to handle heavy multi-tasking.
To be safe, we're going to recommend you find a laptop with at least 8 GB RAM.
For the storage, this is a more flexible spec that really depends on your budget and personal needs. A good base variant would be a 256 GB Solid State Drive, but you can get away with 128 GB SSD if you were being frugal with your space. However, university students should keep in mind, as those documents, files and presentations you get from your lecturers will pile up over time. Your hard drive storage can also be supplemented by an external hard drive or solid state drive, so if you were looking for more storage this is a valid option as well.
4. GPU (Rec: Intel UHD Graphics or Better)
Since you're mainly going to be focusing on CPU intensive tasks like PowerPoint, Word, etc. the GPU is a lesser concern in our search. You're pretty much going to be okay with any number of integrated graphics cards like the Intel HD Graphics 620 or Intel UHD Graphics. While the Intel HD Graphics and similar GPUs aren't very powerful, since you're not going to need it, you can save some cash by skipping this spec. Usually powerful laptops are supplemented with a powerful GPU, ideal for gaming, graphic design work, and video editing. Unless you specifically need a laptop to help do design work and gaming, you're better off looking for better, more important specs.
However if you needed something with a little more power on the graphics side of things, I'd recommend finding a laptop with at least a NVIDIA GeForce 1050 or equivalent AMD graphics card.
Now that we've gone through all the pertinent specs that will directly affect your performance, let's take a look at some additional features that'll make the best laptops for PowerPoint presentations that much more enticing.
Other Key Points
1. Backlit Keyboard
If you were going to be doing a lot of typing, writing essays, reports or preparing presentations, your laptop should have a comfortable typing experience. One major factor that affects this, besides the size and shape of the keys, will be backlit capability. This is an often overlooked feature but its value cannot be taken for granted. If you were the type of user who uses their laptop in the dark often, you're going to want a backlit keyboard. Backlit keys just makes the typing experience that much easier in a variety of scenarios and environments.
Plus, it does give your laptop that 'premium feel' as this is a feature usually fitted in on more high-quality, premium laptop brands. Either way, a backlit keyboard is essential for most users so I'd recommend you find a laptop with one built-in.
2. Battery Life
Battery life is another consideration that many users overlook when looking to buy a laptop. A strong battery greatly adds to the value of the laptop, as well as bolsters the portability aspects of a laptop even more. Since how much battery life you have dictates how long your laptop can last without a charger, this is an important feature those looking for a laptop for PowerPoint should look into. Can you imagine getting up in front of everyone, presenting, and midway through your laptop just dies? Yeeah, doesn't sound like a fun time, does it? To counteract that, we recommend finding a laptop with at least 7 hours of battery on a single charge.
Best Laptops For PowerPoint Presentations
1. Acer Aspire 3
For students and those looking for a truly 'budget' laptop, the Acer Aspire 3 is just the right combination of value-to-performance that you could ask for. You're met with a charming, simple design throughout with a 15.6-inch FHD display with decently thin bezels around the side. Not much to write home about, but hey, it gets the job done, and that's what's important. You should be able to handle even the toughest presentations with what this laptop is packing under the hood.
On the inside, where it truly matters, the Acer Aspire 3 comes with one of the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processors, 8GB RAM and a sensible 256 GB SSD. On the graphics side of things, we're met with a standard Integrated Intel UHD GPU which should be fine for minimal graphic tasks. For the most part, you're quite well equipped with an all-round spec sheet. If you were looking for something with a little extra fire power, you could search up for the HP Pavilion laptop lineup. They're pricier, but they've got the bells and whistles of a flagship laptop which would gel well for the power user.
Some other extras you're getting with the laptop includes a full array of ports including a USB 2.0, USB 3.1 and HDMI port, up to 9 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 5 and a sleek Charcoal Black color scheme. All in all, the Acer Aspire 3 is a great, run-of-the-mill laptop that doesn't do anything fancy, but will get the job done well when you need it to. Considering the price tag, this may well be the best budget laptop for presentations on this list.
2. Microsoft Surface Pro 4
For those looking for a capable, attractive, and affordable 2-in-1 laptop, the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is a great bargain for the price. It's one of the older variants of the Microsoft Surface Pro lineup, but arguably just as capable, especially if you needed a laptop purely for PowerPoint presentations. Do mind that this is a 'tablet' configuration, but as you can do with the rest of the Microsoft Surface Pro lineup, you can pair it up with a detachable keyboard and mouse. With the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, you're getting a sleek 12.3-inch PixelSense display with touch screen capabilities.
Under the hood, we're met with some decent powered specs which might be slightly outdated but solid performers nonetheless. The Microsoft Surface Pro 4 comes with a 6th Gen Intel Core i5-6330U, 8 gigs of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Considering the form factor though, you're getting quite a bit of power here. It's a pretty sleek, compact device, so it should be more than capable for getting you through a PowerPoint presentation or two.
The 2-in-1 laptop also features some great extras that make it a worthwhile purchase like Windows 10 Pro on-board, up to 7 hours of battery life, microSD Card reader, Surface Connect charging, and Windows Hello facial recognition. All together, the Surface Pro 4 makes up for a compelling package with adequate performance, great portability, and versatility that you just can't get from a standard laptop form factor. At that price? Well worth the cash.
3. Dell XPS 15
For consumers looking for a truly premium, high-end laptop, look no further than the latest Dell XPS 15 laptop. You're truly getting a lot from the Dell XPS 15, but the caveat here being an accompanying premium price tag. But let's not that dissuade us from the fact that this is a beastly performer. You're getting a 15.6-inch Full HD+ InfinityEdge display with super slim bezels on the display frame. That's a lot of screen real estate, resulting in a 5% bigger screen size in a 5.6% smaller body. Truly a great looking display on the Dell XPS 15 here.
Though pretty looks isn't the only thing this beastly laptop has to offer. You're also getting formidable performance with a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10750H, 16GB RAM and a sizable 512GB SSD. That was impressive as is, but to supplement the performance the laptop comes with an impressive NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti which should be more than capable of handling design programs and some gaming. A great all-round performer here but I can see how this might be a bit rich for most consumers. If so, you're still getting some great specs from the lower-priced laptops from Dell, like the Dell Inspiron 15 5502 or Dell Inspiron 15 3593.
Back to this beast of a performer though. There are a few great laptop features that makes the Dell XPS 15 standout like the quad-speaker Waves Nx audio, 62% larger trackpad, a long battery life of 25 hours and USB Type-C charging. This laptop truly is a premium, high-quality device that does pretty much everything you need, and even some things you didn't know you needed. If you were willing to pay the high price, that is.
4. Lenovo ThinkPad T495
Those of you looking for a more serious, industrial looking laptop with capable internals, the Lenovo ThinkPad T495 is a great choice. You're getting the globally renowned Lenovo ThinkPad brand for a stellar price tag if you ask me. The first thing you'll notice about the laptop is the 14-inch FHD display which admittedly doesn't do much in the wow-factor department, but gets the job done. Like I said, the ThinkPad brand is very distinct with a focus on productivity and business usage. Not a bad thing, but might not be everyone's cup of tea.
On the inside, we're met with really great internal specs that will get you through all the presentations you could possibly need to do. You're getting a capable AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 3500U mobile processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD. The laptop also comes with an integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 GPU to get some light gaming done after a full day of presentations. Based on these specs alone compared to the price point, this is one of the best deals so far with a great balance on specs and additional features to sweeten the pot.
Some of these great extras include a 720p webcam with ThinkShutter, Windows 10 Pro, Wi-Fi 5 support, a full array of ports, and up to 14 hours battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T495 is a fantastic deal, especially for how much performance you're getting built-in.
5. Apple MacBook Air
Now finally, for the outlier on our list running Apple's latest macOS is the latest Apple MacBook Air. The Apple MacBook Air lineup has always been about adopting some of the latest and greatest innovations from the MacBook Pro in a more affordable, compact form factor. This time around, the Apple MacBook Air comes with a 13.3-inch Retina IPS display with a 2560 x 1600 resolution with some fantastic built-in display tech. For a better viewing experience, the laptop features a P3 wide color gamut and True Tone technology to adapt the display to the surrounding environment.
On to the internals where the laptop makes a big splash. The laptop features the latest Apple M1 chip for both CPU and GPU performance, 8 gigs of RAM and a respectable 256GB SSD. Since this is the latest Apple M1 chip, which may sound foreign to some of you guys. This is a first for Apple shifting from the industry standard Intel Core processors, but so far, the SoC has proved reliable and capable so this should be a great laptop to get some presentations done with.
And of course, being an Apple device we can expect some fairly unique, Apple-centric features such as the Facetime HD camera, Apple's Magic Keyboard, a Force Touch trackpad, Wi-Fi 6 support, and a staggering 18 hours battery life. This is truly a well-equipped laptop that can handle pretty much everything you need it to. The best part? You can get it for a pretty reasonable price, all without missing out on what makes Apple products special.
Conclusion
We've seen a great selection of laptop brands and devices so far, but we've got to pick just one as the undisputed best out of the best laptops for PowerPoint presentations.
Our winner today is going to be the Lenovo ThinkPad T495!
This laptop just upped the game with the laser focus on productivity, well-suited for fresh grads and working professionals alike. It has all the right specs, with a great industrial 'business' look that's bound to impress at your next big presentation. All that for a very reasonable price tag makes it the best laptop for PowerPoint.
