Back to School 2024 with AI PCs — How to Choose the Best One?

Oct 01, 2024

Ready or not, it's time to return to school. If you're a college student looking for a new AI laptop but aren't sure how to choose one that's right for you, we have a couple of pointers and a few recommendations to help you get on the right track!

What should you pay attention to when choosing an AI laptop for a college student? Here are some pointers.

AI Features

As artificial intelligence technology develops, it would be a shame not to take advantage of what it offers. But for that, you'll need a laptop designed for AI workflows — what we like to call, an AI PC.

An AI PC is a laptop or desktop computer with unique features tailored for artificial intelligence tasks. The CPU in these systems includes neural processing units (NPUs) specifically designed for AI workloads. Major manufacturers like Intel®, AMD, and Qualcomm® have integrated these AI cores into their latest-generation CPUs. Additionally, some higher-end laptops come with graphics cards that also have AI-specific cores, such as the NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4000 series, which boasts proprietary NVIDIA AI Tensor Cores. More information here.

On the software side, AI PCs are equipped with AI-powered applications and functionalities. ASUS AI PCs, for instance, support Microsoft Copilot — an ultra useful AI assistant that can help with everyday tasks as well as enhance your studying experience. For instance, you can task Copilot with recording a transcript of an online class to make sure you don't miss any crucial information, and then later it can help you summarize the lecture in bullet points. Or, it can help you with research, writing, or editing various texts (although, we don’t recommend you task Copilot with doing your assignments for you). It can even quickly put together a slideshow presentation.

Some laptops are dubbed Copilot+ PCs, marking their native support for the latest, most up-to-date version of the personal AI assistant.

Some ASUS AI PCs also include exclusive ASUS apps like StoryCube and MuseTree*, as well as smart AI-powered features like ASUS AI Two-Way Noise Cancellation, AiSense Camera, and more. To learn more about these features, check out this article.

Size and Form Factor

These days, there are many laptop form factors to choose from, including innovative dual-screen options. However, for most students, a traditional clamshell will probably prove to be the optimal choice. A convertible with a touchscreen that supports stylus input would also be an interesting option to consider, especially for those who like taking hand-written notes.

When it comes to size, you will need to choose between portability and viewing space. For most students, something in the area of 15.6- to 16-inches would be the sweet spot — a size that is easy to carry but offers a good amount of screen real estate. However, if ultra portability is a key factor for you, you may prefer to opt for a smaller screen size, such as 13.3-inch.

CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage

What you’ll do with your laptop will dictate what specs you’ll need. The most important spec will be the CPU. Look for AI-specific cores (NPU). Snapdragon® X Elite X1E and Snapdragon® X Plus X1P are great choices for students. These options only recently became available in laptops and Windows-based tablet devices. They are AI-powered, pack a good amount of processing power for everyday tasks, and are known for energy efficiency. If you need a little more oomph for more complex, power-heavy tasks, such as multimedia editing or creation (art or design students) or work with 3D software (architecture or engineering students), or if you want to use the laptop for serious gaming, you’ll want to go for a more powerful CPU, such as an AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 Processor or equivalent.

When it comes to a GPU, a discrete graphics card is a more powerful option, but it consumes more power than an integrated GPU, which translates to shorter battery life. Integrated GPUs have recently become quite powerful — they can now handle tasks like running creative software or even some light gaming.

You'll also want to look at RAM and storage. We suggest opting for at least 16 GB of memory, and no less than 512 GB of storage space on the SSD drive.

Portability and Battery Life

There are a couple of factors that will determine how easily portable a laptop is. Most likely, you will be bringing your laptop with you when going to class and will be carrying it around when moving between lecture halls, too. Of course, every laptop is portable, but some are easier to carry than others. You'll want something lightweight ― aim for no more than 1.5 kg. And the thinner the laptop is, the easier it will be to slip it into a backpack or laptop bag. A profile around 1.5 cm ensures good portability while still offering all essential I/O ports and a powerful battery.

Speaking of battery, this will be very important for you as a student. After all, you won’t always be able to sit next to an electrical outlet in the lecture halls, so you need enough power to carry you through the whole day and more (e.g. for when you stick around at the campus library to catch up on assignments). Some of the new ASUS AI PCs can pull off an impressive 18 hours of uninterrupted entertainment and productivity!

Now that you know what qualities to look for in a laptop, here are a few ASUS AI PC recommendations!

ASUS Vivobook S 15

ASUS Vivobook S 15 is a great, student-budget-friendly all-rounder next-gen AI PC. It’s a Copilot+ PC, designed with AI workflows in mind. With a slick look, this laptop packs a punch. It features an AI-powered Snapdragon® X Elite X1E or Snapdragon® X Plus X1P CPU — both offering a powerful NPU AI processor capable of pulling off up to 45 TOPS, as well as an integrated Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU. This 15.6-inch laptop offers up to 18 hours of entertainment and productivity for all-day uninterrupted usage. The 3K 120 Hz OLED display is packed into an ultraportable all-metal 1.47 cm-thin, 1.42 kg-light body for effortless mobility.

ASUS Zenbook S 16

ASUS Zenbook S 16 is an impressive everyday AI PC. This ultrathin 16-inch laptop features a stunning 3K ASUS Lumina OLED display and immersive six-speaker audio. It’s a powerful machine, too. It features up to a top-end AMD Ryzen™ AI 9 HX 370 processor with an XDNA AI processor capable of delivering up to 50 TOPS. And all of this power is packed into a 1.1 cm thin, 1.5 kg light chassis that also fits a powerful 78-watt-hour battery. This laptop is sure to impress, thanks to a unique Ceraluminum™ coating. It’s an amazing no-compromise enhanced AI laptop for the most demanding college students.

ProArt PZ13

ProArt PZ13 is the newest entry in the ASUS creator laptop lineup. It’s the perfect combination of power, versatility, and mobility. A two-in-one hybrid between a laptop and a tablet, this creator tablet with Copilot+ features a detachable keyboard for when you need it to be a laptop. Additionally, its 13-inch 3K OLED display is a touchscreen that supports accurate stylus input, perfect for note-taking as well as creative tasks. It redefines what laptop portability means, weighing only 0.85 kg** and only 9 mm thin**. And it can withstand daily challenges, too — it's IP52-rated for dust- and water-resistance and has been tested to the strictest US military standards for durability.

*ASUS StoryCube and MuseTree are available for select models.

**without keyboard