Best Laptops for Australian Students | Australia HP® Tech Takes < Tech Takes

A young person lounges in a yellow chair on a patio, using an HP laptop surrounded by plants and a wooden fence, with a side table holding a drink and earbuds.

A laptop is as much a part of your standard back-to-school kit as a pen or pencil. However, there's not a one-size-fits-all solution for students.

The right laptop can significantly impact a student's academic success.

The key takeaway? It takes a little bit of research to find the right balance between budget, performance, and convenience when choosing your laptop.

Let's explore the key features to consider when choosing your study laptop. We'll recommend some of the best HP laptops for education that are well-suited for students at different levels.

Contents

Key Features to Consider
Choosing the Right HP Laptop for Australian Students: Budget and Performance
Additional Considerations
Choosing the Right Laptop

Key Features to Consider

A laptop is the sum of its parts. Let’s examine how each component affects function.

Processor

The processor, sometimes referred to as the CPU, is the beating heart of your laptop. It provides the 'power' to perform various tasks. The level of power you need varies depending on your laptop's intended use.

Primary students tend to use laptops for web browsing and basic applications like Word. For these tasks, an Intel, Celeron, or Pentium processor will generally suffice.

As we progress through school, tasks increase in complexity. Secondary school students will need more power to multitask as they complete research projects, or perhaps tackle a graphic design project or a coding challenge. These tasks warrant an upgrade to a laptop with more processing power, such as an Intel® Core™ i5.

The amount of processing power you need at university depends on your field of study. If you're studying engineering or media production, you may need to use advanced software applications and simulations. Your standard secondary school laptop won't cut it for these tasks. You'll likely need the efficiency of an Intel® Core™ i7 or i9 processor.

RAM and storage

A similar pattern emerges for RAM and storage.

Having enough RAM (memory) allows students to run multiple applications smoothly. For primary school students, 4GB RAM will be adequate. Secondary school and university students should look for laptops with at least 8GB to 16GB of RAM to handle more complex software like video editing or 3D modelling tools.

For storage, solid-state drives (SSDs) are faster than traditional hard drives (HDDs). Younger students won’t need more than 128GB, but older students would benefit from 256GB or more. The extra storage just helps the laptop run more smoothly, especially if you need to store large files or run several apps at the same time.

Battery life

You need to rely on your laptop throughout the day. You can't guarantee access to a charging outlet, and some lessons require laptop use. This makes extended battery life essential for students on the go.

With the variety of options available, you shouldn't settle for less than 8-12 hours, even if a primary student might not need a full school day's worth of battery life. Secondary and university students will, so having that 8-12 hours at least will let them get through a full day of classes and study sessions without needing to charge.

Portability and durability

Remember the basics of daily use: you have to carry this equipment with you as you go about your day. Lightweight laptops are therefore the better option for study. Younger students also have a tendency to be careless with their devices, and even responsible adults have the occasional mishap with their laptops.

Look for models that weigh under 1.5kg and are built with durable materials to withstand everyday bumps and drops.

Peer reviews are a great source of information here. Check out what others have to say about a laptop before you purchase it. They'll tell you from experience whether a laptop holds up over time and whether it's convenient to carry around.

Display quality: screen size and resolution

A larger screen size is generally more comfortable for students who spend long hours on their laptops.

For primary students, an 11- to 13-inch display is perfect for smaller hands and light workloads.

Secondary school and university students may prefer a 14- to 15-inch display with at least Full HD (1080p) resolution for viewing documents, media, and presentations.

Of course, getting the balance right for all of the above often depends not just on your educational level, but also on the budget you have at your disposal.

Choosing the Right HP Laptop for Australian Students: Budget and Performance

As a general rule, there’s a sliding scale from primary to university student laptops. The older the student, the more complex the demands of study, the higher the laptop price.

As a parent, you can choose a budget-friendly option for your primary school student. University students will likely need a more significant outlay to meet their needs.

We offer a variety of models that cater to different needs and price points, from primary students just starting out to university students tackling advanced coursework.

Let’s look at some of our best laptops for students in Australia.

HP Chromebook series

The HP Chromebook series is a great, no-nonsense option for parents and students looking for an affordable laptop solution, often priced well under $700 AUD.

Chromebooks run on Google’s Chrome OS, which is lightweight, fast, and ideal for web-based tasks like online research and document editing - perfect for primary and early secondary students.

They also boast long battery life (up to 12 hours) and are incredibly lightweight, typically under 1.5kg, ensuring students can easily carry them between home and school.

Of course, there’s a reason these are at the lower end of the price spectrum. They don’t offer extensive offline capabilities and have limited storage (usually 32GB to 64GB eMMC). However, they excel in cloud-based work, with quick boot times and access to thousands of educational apps.

Overall, Chromebooks are a great choice for those looking for affordable laptops for Australian students.

HP Pavilion series

The HP Pavilion series is a great mid-range option for secondary school students or those entering university. These laptops can handle more demanding applications than Chromebooks while still offering value for money.

Priced between $800 AUD and $1,800 AUD, HP Pavilion laptops come with Intel® Core™ i5 processors, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and SSD storage (up to 512GB). As such, they tick plenty of the boxes outlined above for secondary school students and some university students (depending on the area of study).

Pavilion laptops have 14-inch or 15.6-inch Full HD displays, crisp enough for watching educational videos or working on detailed projects. The Pavilion series provides solid battery life (up to 10 hours) and is relatively portable, with most models weighing under 2kg. They’re not quite as portable as the lighter Chromebooks, but still light enough for teenagers to manage.

HP Spectre x360

The HP Spectre x360 is a premium choice.

Starting at around $2000 AUD, these laptops offer powerful Intel® Core™ i7 or i9 processors, up to 16GB of RAM, and SSD storage options of up to 1TB, making them ideal for running resource-intensive software.

This capability means students working on complex computer science or engineering projects needn’t worry if their laptop can handle the workload.

One standout feature of the HP Spectre x360 is its 360-degree hinge. This feature lets students switch between laptop and tablet modes, which is particularly useful for students who need a versatile device for taking notes, designing graphics, or presenting projects.

The Spectre x360 also comes with an impressive 13.3-inch or 15.6-inch 4K UHD display. This level of display offers vibrant colours and excellent clarity for everything from coding to video editing.

Though the Spectre is slightly heavier than budget models (around 1.3kg to 2kg, depending on the size), its sleek, ultrathin design makes it easy to carry around campus. Additionally, it offers exceptional battery life, lasting up to 13 hours on a single charge. Students can get on with their day without worrying about power.

If you’re after a high-performance laptop that can handle even the most advanced university projects, the HP Spectre x360 is the perfect choice.

Additional Considerations

Just a note on a few additional considerations before you commit to a laptop:

Warranty and Support - An extended warranty and reliable customer support can be lifesavers when unexpected issues arise during a busy school term. We offer fantastic warranty packages and technical support options, giving students and parents peace of mind.

Software and Connectivity - Ensure your laptop comes with essential software for educational use, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. Also, consider the number of USB ports, HDMI output, and support for fast WiFi, as these are crucial for connecting other devices and accessing online resources quickly.

Gaming - We’ve focused on the schoolwork, but we know that many students may use their laptops for gaming when they get home. For light gaming, it's important to find a model with a decent processor (such as an Intel® Core™ i5) and integrated graphics. Generally, laptops with Nvidia graphics processing units (GPUs) are a safe bet for gamers, too. Laptops like the HP Pavilion can perform well for educational tasks and basic gaming, offering a balance without needing a dedicated gaming laptop.