As a dental student, you're undoubtedly aware that your academic journey requires more than just textbooks and hands-on experience. In today's digital age, having access to the best laptop for dental students is essential for staying organized, conducting research, and even utilizing dental-specific software. With a myriad of laptop options available, finding the perfect match can be daunting. That's where I come in, having spent a considerable amount of time evaluating the latest laptop releases and diving into the specific needs of dental students.
As a dental student, you'll need a laptop that can handle intensive programs like 3D imaging software and patient management systems without compromising on portability and battery life. Your ideal laptop should be powerful enough to multitask and run resource-intensive applications, but also lightweight and easy to carry around campus or between clinical rotations. Furthermore, a high-quality display and comfortable keyboard are essential, as you'll likely be spending countless hours studying, writing reports, and preparing presentations.
Through my extensive laptop analysis, including evaluating specs and user reviews, I've narrowed down the top laptops based on the unique requirements of dental students and various price ranges. My selection process involved examining an extensive laptop spreadsheet, comparing the most recent releases, and identifying the optimal laptops for dental students. By focusing on the features that truly matter for your academic and professional needs, this guide will help you find the best laptop for dental students, enabling you to excel in your studies and prepare for a successful career in dentistry.
Choosing the right processor for the best laptop for dental students
Processor is one of the most important components in a laptop for dental students. It's important for many reasons, one of which is that the software that students use often has to make sense of 3D images, and this requires a lot of computing power.
Requirements
A top-of-the-line processor can't be bought without considering what your specific needs are. Some applications require more cores than others and some work best with faster clock speeds. But as a dental student, you should be looking for a laptop with a strong multi-core performance because it's the most important thing you need for Exocad DentalCad or ChairsideCAD.
Recommendations
So, how do we choose the best processors? Intel Core i5-10500H is a good choice if you're looking for an affordable option but if you have an [unlimited budget](a large image of money (could be $100 bills, or 1000 yen bills, or whatever)), I'd recommend going for Intel Core i9-11900H or AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS – both are good choices for laptops for dental students.
- if you're looking for an affordable option, go for Intel Core i5-10500H
- if you have an unlimited budget, go for Intel Core i9-11900H or AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS
Deciding on a graphics card
Entry-level graphics for Dental students
Entry-level cards are sufficient for most Dental students. For example, GTX 1650 or RTX 3050 will do the job. You might be able to find some entry-level laptops that come with these cards for under $1000. If you're on a tight budget – you can always opt for integrated Intel/AMD graphics. But if you're not that much of a cheapskate – I would recommend to get a laptop with GTX 1650 or RTX 3050.
Recommended graphics card:
If you want the best of the best, then I recommend getting a laptop with RTX 2070. You'll need to spend around $2000 on a laptop though, which is out of the question for most students and hobbyists.
Best option: RTX 2070 ($2000)
- for Dental students, any laptop will do
- best option is RTX 2070 ($2000)
Deciding on a memory
Minimum (8 GB)
If you're just starting out as a dental student, 8 GB will be plenty. I would even say that it's the best option, considering that you'll most likely have a separate PC for your heavy-duty tasks like 3D rendering and CAD/CAM. That way, you can keep all your work-related stuff on one device, and dedicate the other to personal activities.
Recommended (16 GB)
When it comes to the recommended RAM capacity for dental students, 16 GB should be the sweet spot. I'm assuming that you want to use your laptop for heavy-duty tasks like studying and working on assignments. This is when 16 GB will start feeling tight and limiting.
I've noticed that some students who have used 16GB laptops often struggle with rendering time and performance in other memory-hungry applications like CAD/CAM or 3D design software. That's why I recommend going for 16 GB if you can afford it, but there's no need to go overboard with it – your needs will change over time.
Best (32 GB)
I'd say that 32 GB is the best choice if you want to invest in something that will last for years to come. It's more expensive than 16GB models but still not unreasonable in price. Plus, it's future-proofed with enough RAM capacity to run any current or upcoming application without breaking a sweat. For what it's worth, you can still get by with 16GB if you don't plan on upgrading your RAM any time soon – but I wouldn't want my child to go through what I did while in school!
- 8 GB is enough for starters, but you'll need 16 GB if you plan on using your laptop for heavy-duty work like CAD/CAM or 3D design software
- 32 GB is the best choice if you want to invest in something that will last for years to come. 16GB is fine if you don't plan on upgrading your RAM any time soon.
Storage
Minimum requirements
For starters, a laptop with 256 GB SSD should be just fine for a dental student. If you need more storage space – consider getting an external drive and using it as an additional storage device. But in general, 256 GB is plenty of space for all your data, including photos, work documents, and personal files. The average price for a laptop with 256 GB SSD is $850.
Recommended requirements
Dental students have some of the toughest academic requirements out there. To that end, I recommend getting a laptop with 512 GB SSD or higher. On average, these laptops cost around $1400 (or more).
- get a laptop with 256 GB SSD or higher (and consider getting an external drive)
- these laptops cost around $850-$1400
- these laptops are best for dental students, since they have some of the toughest academic requirements out there
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Comparison spreadsheet
This is a difficult question to answer, and I hope this spreadsheet will help you find the best laptop for dental students. You can click on the link below to see my top 100 picks!
Table of Best Laptops for {topic}
Laptop | Price (approx) |
6 Best Laptops for Best Laptop for Dental Students
1.HP
The HP Victus is a budget-friendly option with decent gaming performance, but not without its trade-offs.- Strong entry-level gaming
- Solid productivity performance
- Inexpensive for a gaming laptop
- Display and webcam could be better
- Too much pre-installed software
- Single-channel RAM in our review unit
Summary
The HP Victus offers solid entry-level gaming and productivity performance at an affordable price, but the display and webcam leave something to be desired and it comes with too much pre-installed software. Additionally, the single-channel RAM could pose a problem for multitasking.
Alternatives
MSI GF63 Thin
- Inexpensive
- Powerful Intel Core i5 CPU
- Limited gaming performance
- Dull screen
2.Dell Precision 7770
Best Laptop for Dental Students laptop- Awesome processor (i9-12950HX)
- Very good graphics card (RTX A4500)
- Terrific memory amount (64GB)
- One of most affordable laptops with an Intel i9 processor
- No IPS Panel (inferior color reproduction)
Alternatives
HP Victus 15
- Great price
- Capable of running high-end games
- Short battery life
- Plain design
3.Dell G15
Dell G15 is an excellent choice for dental students looking for a laptop with high performance and great battery life.- High CPU and GPU performance
- Illuminated keyboard
- Excellent battery life
- Space for two NVMe SSDs
- Dark display with poor contrast and low color space coverage
- No Thunderbolt and storage card reader
- Only one-year warranty
- No frame to install a second SSD
Summary
Dell G15 is a great laptop for dental students who need a powerful machine that can handle demanding software. It comes with a Ryzen 7 APU and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU, which can handle current games smoothly, and offers an excellent battery life. However, the display is poor in contrast and color space coverage.
Reviews
Alternatives
ASUS ROG Strix G18 G814JI 18
- Awesome processor (i9-13980HX)
- Splendid graphics card (RTX 4070)
- Ordinary memory amount (32GB)
4.Sager NP8875E
Best Laptop for Dental Students laptop- Very good processor (i9-13900HX)
- Splendid display (17.3 Matte G-Sync)
- Stupendous 4TB SSD
- Numpad
- Unexceptional graphics card (RTX 4070)
- No IPS Panel (inferior color reproduction)
Alternatives
Sager NP9371V
- Good processor (i9-13900HX)
- Exceptional display (17.3 Matte G-Sync)
- Heavy (7.24 lbs)
- No IPS Panel (limited viewing angles)
5.HP Omen 17
The HP Omen 17 is a powerhouse for dental students with a QHD display, but comes at a premium price.- QHD display with 165 Hz refresh rate
- Advanced Optimus technology
- Expandable working memory
- High noise level
- Clattery case
- Meager battery life
Summary
HP Omen 17 is a high-end gaming laptop that offers a QHD display with 165Hz refresh rate, advanced Optimus technology and expandable working memory, making it an excellent choice for dental students. However, the high noise level, clattery case, and short battery life could be a concern for some.
Reviews
Alternatives
ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 G733PY-XS96
- Very good processor (Ryzen 9 7945HX)
- Terrific graphics card (RTX 4090)
- No IPS Panel (inferior color reproduction)
6.ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 GX650PY-XS97
Best Laptop for Dental Students laptop- Awesome processor (Ryzen 9 7945HX)
- Competent display (16 G-Sync)
- Solid memory amount (64GB)
- Monumental 8TB SSD
- No IPS Panel (worse viewing angles)
Alternatives
HP OMEN 17t-cm200
- Exceptional graphics card (RTX 4090)
- Massive 16TB SSD
- Substandard processor (i9-13900HX)
Table of the Best Laptops for Best Laptop for Dental Students
Laptop | Price (approx) |
HP | $680 |
Dell Precision 7770 | $840 |
Dell G15 | $1,230 |
Sager NP8875E | $2,800 |
HP Omen 17 | $3,470 |
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 GX650PY-XS97 | $5,450 |