Purchasing a new laptop is often an exciting venture when it comes to upgrading your work or school tech. However, it can be hard to choose the right specs and sizes for you. Is 13 inch laptop too small? Use our guide below to make the best decision for you.
What To Expect From A 13-Inch Laptop? (5 Things To Consider)
1. RAM & Storage
13-inch laptops typically have up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 512 GB of SSD storage. We recommend considering how important storage is for you and comparing the storage of your desired model with your current one.
Your career and daily digital habits will affect how much RAM and storage you need.
2. Display & Graphics
Most 13-inch laptops will typically offer integrated graphics run using Intel i7 or NVIDIA GTX graphics core processors. The graphics and resolution of the display are typically more than adequate for simple daily tasks like browsing files and streaming online content.
3. Sound
The sound on most 13-inch laptops is not the best but is adequate for standard tasks. Try looking for 13-inch laptops that use Dolby Audio Premium or Waves Maxx Audio.
The speakers should be well-tuned and distortion-free, making them good for listening to music or film audio.
4. Build & Portability
Most 13-inch laptops should not weigh more than 3 pounds or be wider than 0.7 inches. This makes them very lightweight and easy to transport from one place to another.
We recommend going for an all-metallic build and investing in protection features to keep your laptop safe. Many 13-inch laptops, such as Apple's line of products, will feature an all-metal build, which is typically more durable than other materials.
5. Battery Life
In terms of battery life, it should be easy to find 13-inch laptops with over 8 hours of battery backup and 22 hours of life on a single charge. 18 hours of battery life on a single charge is more common, but it is possible to find models above that.
Is A 13 Inch Laptop Too Small? (Compared For Different Users)
For Programming
Is a 13-inch laptop too small for programming? The short answer is that it depends on you. As 13-inches is a fairly standard size for laptops, most programmers are comfortable, but some prefer a larger screen.
It depends on the project you are working on. If it is a large project with many lines of code, which you have to execute simultaneously, then you might need a bigger screen. If you do not have an issue with this size screen, try finding a model that has good storage, battery, and RAM.
For Work
Are 13-inch laptops too small for work? That depends on what you do. If you need to get into the finer details of images or videos, you may want to invest in a larger laptop or a projector with good quality resolution to assist with your daily work tasks.
However, 13-inches works well for most standard tasks and jobs.
For School
Is a 13-inch laptop big enough for school? For most tasks and students, yes. It is slightly smaller than the average screen size but is still able to help you write reports and do research for tests. We recommend looking for a school laptop within your budget that has a good battery, storage, and connectivity.
For College
Will a 13.3-inch laptop be good for engineering students or college? That depends on your major. For literature students, having one that can connect well and let them research and write essays will be just fine.
For art, design, and engineering students, you may need a higher-quality laptop with higher storage and processing power. For students, portability, connectivity, and storage are key factors.
For Gaming
When it comes to gaming, your processing power and resolution are key factors in your laptop. A 13-inch laptop may be suitable, but some gamers may prefer a larger screen or multiple monitors to display their game.
It depends heavily on your preferences as well as the processing power of the individual laptop. Try finding a model with a high-quality dedicated GPU (such as Razer Blade Stealth), decent connectivity, and strong Bluetooth connections.
For Music Production
A 13-inch laptop is the standard size for the music industry. Depending on your routine and preferences, you may prefer up to 24 inches or multiple monitors to handle complex projects. The most important factors for music producers are the RAM and CPU power of the laptop, but the overall size depends on you.
For Photo & Video Editing
Is a 13-inch too small for video editing? Similar to music producers, RAM and CPU, as well as storage, are the most important factors in a laptop for photo and video editors.
Although a wider good-quality screen or multiple monitors may be preferable for some, it depends on your personal preferences and habits.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
Is the screen of the 13-inch laptop too small to watch a movie?
That depends on you. If you prefer a large screen, you can purchase a projector or upgrade to a high resolution or wider screen.
However, 13-inch laptops are perfectly good for streaming movies and other online content. They are also great for keeping yourself entertained while traveling.
Related: 11 vs 14 Inch Laptops Compared
How does a 13-inch laptop compare vs 15-inch?
15-inch laptops are larger and more common size laptops. However, they are also heavier, larger, and often more expensive than 13-inch laptops. Carefully consider your budget and preferences before deciding between 13 vs 15 inch laptops.
Conclusion
Overall, whether a 13-inch laptop is right for you will depend on your preferences and habits. You can check out and test various laptops sizes in stores to get a feel for them – consider your needs and digital routine carefully and read customer reviews to find the best laptop for you.
Jake Redman is a UK-born-digital nomad & founder of Ultimate Quality Content, a collective of high-end copywriters formed to provide detailed insight into everything technology-related. Jake is the definition of a man-nerd. He gets excited over things like processor architecture, ray-tracing, & is an avid E-Sports fan, specifically League of Legends. When he isn’t writing detailed tech-related articles, Jake can be found performing fire-breathing shows & wields a dragon staff, or on the sofa playing Mario Kart.