Best laptops for Economics students UK 2026 (£500 / £800 / £1,200)

Introduction

If you're just about to start or currently undertaking an economics degree (this blog also covers Econometrics & Mathematical Economics, Economics & Management and other related courses too), finding the right laptop can be a pain. So we've crunched the numbers, scoured the internet and worked out the best laptops to get at different price points.

You may be thinking why we have recommended these laptops out of the thousands being sold? Why no Macs? So first we need to look at the software you will be using for you degree and the hardware needed to run them. Here we go!

The software you'll be using

We've gone through all the important software you'll run during an economics degree and the specs each one needs. The full list, along with lists for other subjects, is on the Plample site.

• Excel - core software from Year 1, used for data analysis especially. Can run on 8GB RAM but 16GB runs it far smoother.
• Stata - core software from Year 2 econometrics modules, used for manipulation, visualisation, statistics and reporting. Fairly light to run, only needing 16GB RAM and no big CPU or GPU requirements.
• R - increasingly used for statistics and econometrics. A programming language for data analysis and visualisation, with the same requirements as Stata. 16GB RAM is comfortable.
• EViews - specialist software for time-series econometrics, forecasting and regression. Same requirements as above.
• MATLAB - specialist software for macro and quantitative modules, used for numerical computation and developing algorithms. Same requirements as above.
• Python - specialist software for data work, increasingly used in economics. 16GB RAM runs Python work comfortably.
• MS Office - used throughout your degree for Word essays, PowerPoint presentations, Teams channels and more. Doesn't need much, 8GB RAM is plenty, with low CPU and GPU requirements.
• LaTeX - like Word, used for writing, but more tailored toward professional documents you may need to produce during your degree. Same low requirements as MS Office.
• Mathematica, OxMetrics, SAS and Gretl - elective software depending on your modules, more likely in Year 2 and Year 3. Mathematica sets the minimum here: 16GB RAM plus a decent CPU and GPU score (604 for CPU, 345 for GPU).

Overall, the minimum requirements for an economics course are reasonable. 16GB RAM is covered by laptops at most budgets, meaning you'll be able to use these software to their full capacity. The minimum CPU score of 604 and GPU score of 345 are also covered by most modern laptops, so finding a laptop that matches these requirements won't be a big issue.

The Recommendations

Here's what we recommend as the best laptop for economics at each price point.

The ASUS Vivobook is a solid choice for a basic laptop that will run all the required software for economics whilst also being able to last for the full duration of your degree. It is currently on offer and being sold for £499.99 on Amazon (down from £549.99) and comes with an AMD Ryzen 5-7430U CPU, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 GPU, 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. It has a large 16-inch display which is perfect for any data-analysis assignments alongside personal use if you want to watch shows or films on it. Alongside this, it has a full-sized keyboard with numeric keypad, which is a useful for a mathematic degree like economics. Reviewers have reported that it has decent performance for everyday tasks including emails, completing assignments and doing readings (the main tasks you will be doing at university). Users have also complimented the physical webcam blocker that the laptop has which gives a layer of privacy and is useful for any meetings you may have. Finally, the laptop weighs in at 1.88kg which is a light compared to many other 16-inch laptops on the market, meaning you can have a large screen without having to suffer from a heavy backpack whilst walking around university. There are a few cons to the Vivobook which are worth considering before buying. Reviewers have said the battery can be quite poor, on average lasting only 4-5 hours so you will likely need to bring a charger if you have a full day at university. In addition, comments have been made about the display quality which some have deemed subpar by having low brightness and colour accuracy, although this is unlikely to be a huge issue when studying economics. Users have also said that the build quality feels cheap at times with reports of flaking plastic alongside limited connectivity options, e.g. only 1 USB-C port. Finally, the 720p webcam can also be seen as being outdated for video conferencing, so this may be something worth bearing in mind if you are wanting to secure a part-time job or internship during your degree where you will need to online interiews.

Next up is another ASUS laptop, this time the ASUS Zenbook 16 which offers a premium experience compared to the Vivobook (which is usually the more budget-friendly option). Currently being sold on Amazon for £799.99, the Zenbook comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU, Intel Arc Graphics 140V GPU, 16GB RAM and a whopping 1TB SSD. For students wanting a good display, the Zenbook comes with an OLED display with vibrant colours. Weighing in at 1.2kg, the Zenbook is a lightweight option for those who don't want to be lugging around a heavy laptop when going around campus all day. Reviewers have also praised the battery life which lasts up to 12 hours, meaning it will comfortably last a full day at university without you needing to worry about charging it. However, even the Zenbook has some drawbacks. Reviewers have said that the keyboard can feel mushy at time and lacks tactile feedback, which isn't ideal for long lock-in sessions. For those wanting a good laptop for entertainment purposes, people have said that the speaker performance is mediocre with little bass which isn't ideal when watching TV shows or films. Users have also experienced thermal throttling under sustained workloads. Although, with a degree like economics which doesn't run any particularly heavy software this won't be too much of an issue.

And the final laptop we will be looking at the Gigabyte Gaming A16 which is currently being sold for £1,099.99 on Amazon (a very good deal with it being down from £1,449.99). The A16 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 260 CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 (GPU), 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD. With a strong CPU and GPU, expect good performance with the A16 which is perfect for heavier economics tasks and gaming too if it's an important requirement for your laptop. For a gaming laptop too, the battery life is a solid 7.5 hours, but it may be worth bringing a charger along for a full day of university. Finally, users have also commented that the audio quality is strong compared to competitors so if you are looking for a laptop that you can play games on or watch TV/films then this is a solid option to go for. Although there are still some drawbacks to the A16. Some users have reported loud fan noise under heavy loads sometimes reaching up to 55 db(A) but with economics not needing any heavy software this is unlikely to be too big of an issue. Reviewers have also suggested that the keyboard layout is idiosyncratic and could annoy some users so it is worth having a good look at the laptop before making the purchase. In addition, with the laptop having a limited 8GB of VRAM this could limit the future-proofing of the laptop, especially if your work gets heavier in the future.

Conclusion

And there you have it – the best value-for-money laptops you can get for your economics degree. Of course, you may have a different budget in mind or you might be open to have refurbished models instead, both of which you can check out on the Plample website. There's no better place to find your perfect laptop match. It's plain and simple.