Entertainment
We found the 6 best laptops for college students after years of testing
Here at Mashable, we’re constantly testing the best laptops based on an exhaustive in-house methodology that combines real-world use with performance benchmarking. In the past two years alone, we’ve tried over 80 different models across a range of price points.
To determine which of them fit the bill for college students, specifically, I researched the top 10 public universities‘ hardware recommendations for the upcoming fall 2026 semester. These include processor types, operating system support, RAM and storage minimums, and other spec requirements for different majors. I honed my guidance based on the common threads I noticed.
I also gave special preference to laptops that are long-lasting and portable enough to be toted around campus, and those that are competitively priced for the current market. Laptops aren’t cheap right now, but a solid splurge can last you well past graduation. (Take advantage of student discounts whenever possible.)
Based on this analysis, I eventually settled on six top picks that make the best laptops for college students. Whether you’re a humanities student, a STEM major, or still undeclared, I’m confident that at least one of my options will be your ideal machine. You can read more about these picks and my research below.
What to look for in a college laptop, based on my research
A Windows laptop with a mid-tier Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7 processor is suitable for most college students.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
Six of this year’s 10 top-ranking public universities tell their incoming students to purchase Windows 11 laptops or MacBooks that are less than two years old. I wouldn’t go any older than that for the sake of future-proofing.
Most of those schools tell their students to purchase laptops with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage at minimum. (Liberal arts majors might be able to get away with 256GB of storage, but you’ll probably have to supplement that with an external hard drive.) More RAM and storage is better if your budget allows; more is mandatory if you’re an engineering, design, or computer science major. Students in those fields are generally advised to get a laptop with at least 24GB to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
You can approach your processor options in a similar way. For Windows laptops, most schools suggest a mid-range CPU like an Intel Core/AMD Ryzen 5 at minimum, and a mid- to high-end Intel Core/AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 chip for more demanding workloads. Several schools recommend tacking on a dedicated GPU for such coursework, too (i.e, Nvidia GeForce RTX/Radeon RX graphics). On the Apple side, the MacBook Air and Pro with the base M5 chip are go-to recs for most students.
Two schools tell their students not to buy ARM-based Windows laptops (with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors) because they can’t run certain software natively, and because they don’t support older peripherals like university printers and scanners. One software example is AutoCAD, a popular 2D and 3D design app that engineering and design students rely on heavily. I love a lot of ARM laptops because they’re fast and long-lasting, and I will say that their compatibility is improving every year. Still, I’ve opted to keep them off my list of 2026 picks out of an abundance of caution; stick with Intel and AMD CPUs for now.
Be sure to budget for an extended warranty with accidental damage protection, as suggested by over half of the top 10 public universities. For reference, AppleCare+ for Mac costs $67.99 to $139.99 a year for students, depending on the MacBook model.
What type of laptop should college students buy?
Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable
This is a question that only your college can answer for sure, as laptop type recommendations can vary by major. For example, the University of Virginia and the University of California, Davis approve MacBooks for their general student populations, but their engineering departments tell certain tracks to avoid them. Likewise, UCLA’s Anderson School of Management hardware requirement page says, “Mac computers are acceptable to use as primary computers for study at Anderson. However, please note that some elective course software is only available for Windows. Students are responsible for ensuring compatibility and configuring their Macs accordingly.”
I can say for sure that you probably shouldn’t buy a Chromebook. Three schools in my research pool discouraged them for some or all majors, and one school — the University of Florida — only recommended them “as supplemental devices.” I included a Chromebook in a previous version of this guide as a secondary option for note-taking, but price increases amid the ongoing RAM shortage have made many of them just as expensive as Apple’s budget MacBook Neo (if not more so), which is a much nicer and more powerful computer, relatively speaking.
Do you need your own laptop for college?
Yes, you should have your own laptop at college. Most universities let students temporarily borrow laptops through their libraries and/or tech desks. However, these loaners are available on a first-come, first-served basis and wiped upon return (i.e., you can’t save anything on them long-term).
I wouldn’t rely too heavily on your school’s computer lab, either, because you can’t take bring those desktops to class or your dorm. Ultimately, owning your own laptop is way more convenient and ensures you’ll have the exact specs needed for your major’s coursework.
Entertainment
R-Rated Director’s Cut Of The Worst X-Files Movie Is Streaming In Less Than A Month
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Possibly no TV series ever made has had such a meteoric rise and epic fall as The X-Files. The early seasons captivated ‘90s audiences with a potent combination of sexy lead actors and stories about alien abductions and government conspiracies. The franchise arguably hit a high point with the first movie, The X-Files: Fight the Future. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. Later seasons got progressively worse, and David Duchovny eventually left the show for good. He came back for the worst revival in television history, one that followed up on some of the revelations of the second movie, The X-Files: I Want To Believe.
Whereas Fight the Future advanced the complex mythology of the series, I Want To Believe was modeled more after the series’ monster-of-the-week episodes. Unfortunately, the monster was weaksauce, and the film’s vestigial ties to some of the stupider lore really dragged it down. But could this failed film be one good edit away from being a banger? Chris Carter seems to think so. Last year, he teased that he was working on an R-Rated director’s cut of the film, one that brings it to bloody life like never before. Now, fans will be able to judge for themselves: The X-Files: I Want to Believe Vrach Frankenshteyn will begin streaming on Hulu on August 14.
Somehow, Mulder And Scully Returned
The X-Files: I Want to Believe is a movie where Mulder and Scully have long since left the FBI; she’s a doctor, and he’s a hermit. But when an FBI agent gets kidnapped, and a Catholic priest starts seeing her in psychic visions, the Bureau gets Mulder to consult on the case because of his prior experience with all things spooky. Unfortunately, the PG-13 movie was a flop: it has a 32 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and audiences alike. It also earned only $68.4 million against a $30 million budget, with its box office likely suffering because it premiered only one week after Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
It’s a movie so bad that most X-Files fans would rather forget that it exists. However, when Chris Carter appeared on David Duchovny’s Fail Better podcast last year, he said that he was working on an R-rated director’s cut and hinted that it would premiere on streaming. “Now I have a chance to go back and make the scary movie that I always intended to make,” he said. “It’s not just doing a director’s cut to do a director’s cut. It’s really kind of bringing to life something that for me was on the page and never got to the screen.”
It’s Alive!
For better or for worse, the teasing is over. Previously, the new cut (titled The X-Files: I Want to Believe Vrach Frankenshteyn) was set to debut on Disney+ in June, but it got quietly yoinked off that streamer’s schedule to make time for some last-minute tweaks. Now, the movie is set to premiere on Hulu on August 14. While Carter is excited to show us his original vision for this flawed sequel, it’s not yet clear how it will differ from the theatrical version. It’s also not clear what the weird new title is about, though many think it’s a hint that Carter has, Frankenstein-style, cobbled together a new film out of assorted footage that had been left on the cutting room floor.
Will this director’s cut from Chris Carter leave fans screaming “it’s alive,” or will we just want to burn the movie with fire? Like Mulder always says, the truth is out there. And we can find out together: The X-Files: I Want to Believe Vrach Frankenshteyn premieres on Hulu on August 14. Here’s hoping it can help to erase the stink of Season 11 from our collective minds!
Entertainment
The Greatest Star Trek Icon Just Created A Vulgar Heavy Metal Band
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
To this day, the greatest Star Trek icon is William Shatner. As Captain Kirk, he taught all of us the importance of boldly going where no man had gone before. In many ways, the actor has led his life by this philosophy: after dominating sci-fi, he killed it in other genres, including cop dramas, legal procedurals, documentaries, and so much more. Heck, he even headlined some infectiously charming commercials for Priceline. After a while, it looked like there might be no new worlds for Shatner to conquer. However, he’s about to boldly go into his own final frontier with the project of a lifetime: leading his own heavy metal band!
I’ll be the first to admit that this news feels like something out of a fever dream. But as William Shatner’s colleague Avery Brooks once said so memorably on Deep Space Nine, “it’s real!” Shatner has assembled a heavy metal band called The *uckers, and they will be making their debut on September 20th at Chicago’s Riot Fest. This will be the group’s first live performance, but in a truly bizarre twist, their appearance took nearly two decades to arrange.
Captain Kirk Gets Heavy
While Riot Fest is mostly about established musical acts, they have a charming tradition of trying to woo various celebrities into attending and performing. For example, after a decade of increasingly wacky invites, the festival eventually convinced Full House star John Stamos into performing alongside the Beach Boys. Similarly, Riot Fest has courted Shatner for the last 17 years. He finally said yes, but instead of performing with a well-known band, the Star Trek legend decided to assemble his own group, the equivalent of a musical away team.
Apparently, both the actor and the festival know how silly it is to have William Shatner playing heavy metal, and they collectively decided to lean into the humor by publishing a hilariously outlandish rider by the actor. The rider includes demands for Chicago to let Shatner co-anchor the local weather, name some local food after him, let him sing “Take Me Out To the Ball Game” at a baseball game, and name a boat after the actor that he can then captain.
Let’s Open Up This Pit!
Additionally, the rider requests a dressing room themed as “Shatner’s Shag Shack,” a bunch of adoptable puppies, an intro video from Gwar, and a bunch of Faygo that is not to be shared with the Insane Clown Posse. Oh, and he wants his artist’s golf cart replaced by a Delorean. Believe it or not, these are just a few of the winking, outrageous, and almost certainly fake demands.
Obviously, most of this is tongue-in-cheek, and as a Star Trek fan, it’s great to see Shatner playing along. But he also expressed some real sincerity in an official statement, writing that, “I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration. Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen.” Continuing, he wrote, We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”
Somehow, Mr. Tambourine Man Returned
While Shatner is new to heavy metal, he’s not new to music, having released several albums in the past. Instead of taking on Riot Festival solo, the Star Trek actor assembled a band, The *uckers, consisting of several well-known musicians. This includes Marcus Nand on guitar, Phil Soussan on bass, Britt Lightning on guitar, and Fred Aching on drums. Together, they will play reimagined songs from Shatner’s musical history as well as songs from their amusingly titled debut album, What the F Is Heavy Metal. As he told People, “That’s the name of the album because I know nothing or didn’t know anything until I found out how little I do know.”
Want to see William Shatner make his inexplicable heavy metal debut? Be sure to save up your latinum and snag tickets to Chicago’s Riot Fest, which runs from September 18-20. On Instagram, the actor claims it will be an event that fans will want to tell their grandchildren about. We’re inclined to agree: one way or another, Shatner beaming into his metal era is something nobody will ever forget!
Entertainment
The Nutribullet Chill is the ice cream maker thats staying on my counter this summer
Table of Contents
I’m pretty loyal to my Nutribullet blender, which is now over a decade old and survived my college years and multiple apartment moves. I wasn’t surprised to see the brand expand its horizons into ice cream maker territory. Instant ice cream makers, like the Ninja Creami, which differ from traditional ice cream makers that focus on churning, are all the rage, making homemade ice cream a breeze. No more cooking custards on the stovetop or worrying about hours of churning.
But can a blender brand break into ice cream territory? These instant ice cream makers aren’t so different from blenders, using blades to break up frozen confections to create deliciously creamy homemade treats. But how does Nutribullet’s Chill ice cream maker fare in a crowded market already dominated by the Ninja Creami? Exceptionally well, if I do say so.
Nutribullet Chill at a glance:
The components of the Nutribullet Chill include the 16-ounce pint, blade block, and motor base.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Nutribullet, the brand behind beloved blenders, has debuted the Chill ice cream maker. It’s a simple but powerful ice cream maker with five presets that produces creamy, smooth frozen desserts in just minutes. For those looking for mix-ins, the machine doesn’t have a preset for it, and be prepared for noise, as it’s extremely loud.
It’s not too big for small spaces and is thoughtfully designed
The blade block attaches to pint containers and then slides into the Nutribullet Chill ice cream maker.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
As a product reviewer with access to a whole world of kitchen gadgets, I have to be picky about what stays in my kitchen because there’s only so much counter and cabinet space. While I love the Ninja Creami Scoop and Swirl, it stays in storage most of the time because I just don’t have the space for it. But the Nutribullet Chill ice cream maker might just be the device that earns some kitchen real estate.
The whole device comes in three parts: the ice cream maker base, the blade block, and the blade cover. The base is smaller than a kitchen stand mixer, taking up very little square footage as it’s taller than it is wide. It’s decently hefty at 10.5 pounds, but it is fairly easy to maneuver on the kitchen counter. When not in use, I can easily tuck it away on the counter without losing too much space.
The Nutribullet Chill takes up less space on my counter than my stand mixer.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The blade is sort of a plunger shape and screws onto the top of the pint containers. The blade attachment and pint container are then placed on the base, upside down, as the blade rises and spins through the ice cream.
It’s a fascinating design choice compared to other instant ice cream makers I’ve tried, like the Ninja Creami or Cuisinart FastFreeze, which has a blade spinning down from the top. However, its unique design definitely works.
Perfectly creamy texture on the first try
The ice cream maker’s efficacy ultimately comes down to how well it spins the ice cream, and the Nutribullet Chill does an exceptional job. I made four different mixes on this machine: a classic vanilla ice cream, a dairy-free protein ice cream, a chocolate hazelnut frozen yogurt, and a strawberry frozen yogurt with fresh fruit.
The vanilla ice cream appeared a little melted while the dairy-free chocolate had a Wendy’s Frosty-like texture.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
In most of Nutribullet’s recipes, they recommend blending your concoctions before freezing — not entirely surprising from a blender company.
Across the board, the machine processed all of the flavors I made well. The textures were smooth and creamy, but to varying degrees of success. The vanilla ice cream was the least successful as it was surprisingly melted and loose in texture; however, I don’t discredit the machine, it may have been a matter of the recipe, as other recipes fared much better.
The Nutribullet Chill makes exceptional frozen yogurt.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The dairy-free protein ice cream had a lovely, fluffy texture, almost like a Wendy’s Frosty. The frozen yogurts were the highlights, though, developing a texture between a hard and soft serve. As a frozen yogurt aficionado, I was extremely pleased with the results, excited about my next batch.
None of the mixtures needed a respin, and it was ready after just one spin cycle, which is better than most ice cream makers I’ve tested. But it’s also for the best since it doesn’t have a respin option.
Five pre-built settings — but no option for mix-ins or re-spins
The Nutribullet Chill comes with five pre-programmed settings: ice cream, sorbet, gelato, smoothie bowls, and frozen yogurt.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Preloaded with five settings, the Nutribullet Chill comes ready to make ice cream, sorbet, gelato, smoothie bowls, and frozen yogurt. The different settings worked well for their designated types, but I did feel a few were noticeably missing.
I expect a respin sitting on preprogrammed devices in case it doesn’t come out the right texture. However, Nutribullet may not need it, since all the recipes turned out well. But the most egregiously missing setting was a mix-in setting, which most ice cream mixes I’ve tested recommend.
Checking in with what the brand recommends, Nutribullet says to add in your mix-ins before freezing, which get blended and incorporated in when it processes. I took that route with the strawberry frozen yogurt, which had fresh fruit mixed in that got fully blended. If you want chunks mixed into your ice cream, then you’ll have to fold those in after.
It sounds like a truck and gets…hot?
One thing that I’ve come to expect with instant ice cream makers is the machines’ volume — they’re extremely loud. The Nutribullet Chill is the loudest ice cream maker I’ve tested, and while I can’t measure its specific decibels, I can say that it shocked me, sounding like a garbage truck was in my house, and making me wonder if I should be wearing earplugs while using it. Apartment dwellers, be warned — I’m lucky to have some very understanding neighbors.
Be warned, the shaft of the blade comes out hot to the touch after use.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
What was most shocking was that for an ice cream maker, it gets pretty hot. The blade block has a metal shaft that slides into the machine, and after use, the shaft gets very hot. The ice cream maker has multiple “shaft hot” warnings (I know, I know), but it still surprised me how warm it was, and I wondered how that heat might affect the texture of the frozen treats, especially since the vanilla ice cream turned out so melted.
A total breeze to clean
Maybe I’m still salty about having to clean the Cuisinart FastFreeze, but cleaning the Nutribullet Chill components is a breeze. Luckily, nothing on the motor base needs cleaning, but the blade block, blade cover, and pint containers are all top-rack dishwasher safe. This was a pleasant surprise, considering most ice cream maker parts are not dishwasher-safe.
But if you don’t have a dishwasher, don’t fear. I hand-washed all the parts and found them very easy to clean.
Is the Nutribullet Chill worth it?
The Nutribullet Chill ice cream maker is a worth competitor to the Ninja Creami.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
The Nutribullet Chill ice cream maker is a worthy rival of the Ninja Creami. It whips up perfectly creamy, smooth ice cream with no icy or watery texture. Be prepared for noise, as it’s the loudest ice cream maker I’ve tested, but it’s a nice option for people in smaller spaces, too.
If you just want the basics, making ice cream, sorbets, and frozen yogurt, then the Nutribullet Chill is a great machine and $30 cheaper than the Ninja Creami. But if you’re looking for mix-ins or a milkshake option, the Creami may be more your speed.
$149.62
at Amazon
$199.99
Save $50.37
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