$1,800 laptop allowance from scholarship. Recommendations?

One response

1. With a budget of $1,800 and your specific use case in mind, here are a few laptop recommendations that should suit your needs well:

   1. Apple MacBook Pro (14-inch, M1 Pro or M2 Pro)

   • Pros:
   • Excellent battery life (up to 14-17 hours).
   • Powerful M1 Pro or M2 Pro chips handle financial modeling and media consumption with ease.
   • Stunning Retina display for great video quality.
   • Lightweight (around 1.6 kg) and portable.
   • Cons:
   • Price may vary based on configuration but generally fits within your budget.

   2. Dell XPS 15

   • Pros:
   • High-resolution 15.6” display (optional 4K) for excellent media quality.
   • Good battery life (around 10-12 hours).
   • Strong performance with Intel Core i7 and dedicated GPU options, which can handle large Excel models.
   • Sleek design and relatively lightweight for a 15-inch laptop (around 1.8 kg).
   • Cons:
   • Can get a bit warm during intensive tasks, but generally performs well.

   3. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 or Gen 10

   • Pros:
   • Known for durability and excellent keyboard for productivity.
   • Great battery life (up to 15 hours).
   • Lightweight (around 1.13 kg) and highly portable.
   • Good display quality for media consumption.
   • Cons:
   • Might lack some high-end graphics performance but adequate for your needs.

   4. ASUS ZenBook 14

   • Pros:
   • Lightweight and portable (around 1.3 kg).
   • Good battery life (around 10-13 hours).
   • Features a 14-inch display with good color accuracy.
   • Solid performance with Intel Core i7.
   • Cons:
   • Integrated graphics may not perform as well during gaming, but should still suffice for the occasional use.

   5. Razer Blade 14

   • Pros:
   • Great performance with AMD Ryzen or Intel chips, excellent for multitasking and runs Excel smoothly.
   • High-quality display with good color reproduction.
   • Slim and relatively lightweight for a gaming laptop (around 1.78 kg).
   • Cons:
   • Battery life can be less than average compared to ultrabooks but is still decent.

   Summary

   For your needs, I’d particularly recommend the MacBook Pro for its exceptional battery life and performance, or the Dell XPS 15 if you prefer Windows. Both options will handle financial modeling well, have excellent displays for media consumption, and offer good portability.

   Make sure to check out any student discounts or promotions! Good luck with your purchase, and enjoy your studies in finance!

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