💬 Which laptop should a coding student buy in Hyderabad?

Every few weeks someone in my college group asks me which laptop to buy for coding. So I thought I'd write down what I tell them, instead of typing the same answer again. Most of them are in their first or second year with a tight budget. They all want a gaming laptop with a big GPU because it looks cool in photos. For college level coding, web projects, Java and Python assignments, you don't need all that. What I always say is get enough RAM, a proper SSD and a decent processor. I've seen 8GB choke when someone opens Chrome with 15 tabs, VS Code and an emulator together. An SSD made a bigger difference for me than anything else I ever upgraded. For people with a smaller budget I send them to the refurbished shops near Ameerpet and SD Road. A few of them sell old business laptops like ThinkPads that cost a lot when they were new. The build is tougher than most new plastic ones, and the keyboards are much better. Two of my juniors bought one last year and they're still happy with it. Always try the keyboard in person if you can, since you'll be typing for hours. Check whether the RAM can be upgraded. Some thin laptops have it fixed to the board. Don't pay extra for a gaming GPU if you're only writing code. It runs hotter and heavier too. Tell me your budget and what you're studying and I'll tell you what I'd look at.

One thing missing here is the charger. Refurbished laptops sometimes come with a duplicate adapter. Ask the shop to show the battery working unplugged for 10 minutes before you pay. I bought mine near Ameerpet and the seller let me test everything for an hour. Also take a more experienced friend along, it's easy to get pushed into a deal.

I'm a final year student and I regret buying a gaming laptop for coding. It's heavy, the fan is loud in the library, and the battery lasts about 2 hours. My friend's refurbished ThinkPad is lighter and lasts all day, and he paid much less. If someone asks me now, I say buy the boring laptop and spend leftover money on RAM.