Requirements for Engineering Laptops:

When purchasing your laptop, there are some requirements specific to those in the engineering field that other students or laptop users may not need as much.

An Engineering Laptop Needs…

1. 6-8GB of RAM
2. At least 500GB of hard drive (SSD is better)
3. Screen resolution of no less than 1600 × 900 pixels
4. Intel i5 CPU or better
5. Dedicated Graphics card

CPU Processor Speed:



Your CPU is crucial, if you are an engineering student. When you run software like AutoCAD, Matlab, it requires huge speed and database. If your CPU speed is not adequate, then you will have to wait for a long time for the software to just boot. CPU speed is generally measured in GHz. I would like to suggest for 2.2 to 2.7 GHz Intel i5 4th generation or better processor.

Ram:



You need much store capacity while running the software. If your RAM is of high capacity then it can easily read, simulate and process lots of data in a time. The mostly recommended capacity is {4GB (rarely recommend)} 8 GB and high (12GB, 16GB).

Dedicated Video Cards:



Work environments like CAD, MatLab, and Solid Works are used for 3D environment applications and video-rendering. Going with a 2GB DDR3 Graphics card will be enough for almost all environments. However, if you consider high-end gaming a priority, then I would look into a DDR5 graphics card like the NVidia GTX series.

Hard-Disk Drive Memory:



You will need adequate memory to store everything like CAD software and saving those designs, your favorite music, videos, games, pictures and everything else. I would recommend 500GB SSD or more value.

Connectivity:



You will need Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, Ethernet, etc for sharing your files, designs, upload and download videos, files, tutorials, etc. This also saves time and money for flash drives. It makes works easier.

Screen size:



The display size is actually not a major requirement when it comes to laptops for engineering students. A 14 or 15-inch laptop is perfectly adequate — these sizes are good to go for designs and drawing-related works.
While display sizes are not as crucial, the screen resolution is important. A higher screen resolution will allow more area for multiple windows. 1920×1080 pixels is the most recommended because it is the 1080p true HD quality.

OS:



There are some operating systems for computers like, Windows, Mac, Linux, etc. Mainly, I would prefer for the latest version of the windows (Windows 10) as an OS.

Battery Life:



For better performance, the battery life should be high as possible. If your battery life is less then you have to charge quickly, it definitely reduces the performance capacity.

Reference: 

(1) Photo reference-Internet

(2) TurboFuture