The days of schoolwork only requiring a browser and word processor are long over. These days, if you want a competitive edge in your academic pursuits, you need gear that accelerates your workflow, handles demanding school apps, and keeps you connected better than anyone else. Versatile hardware setups and potent machines can be the deciding factor between straining to get a B on an assignment versus snagging an A+ without breaking a sweat.
If you’re serious about crushing your upcoming semester, consider the gear you’ll need to work smarter rather than harder. Plenty of tech can help you achieve your academic goals more easily than ever before.
Make sure you’re ready for Zoom meetings and virtual classes
Whether you need a new laptop or are considering an upgrade to your existing one, remember that a good webcam is of paramount importance. The year is 2025. No one wants to see you pixelated and fuzzy with an ancient webcam. That tool will be how you make your first impression on teachers, classmates, and friends — not to mention potential employers down the road, when you’re applying for internships and jobs. A 720p webcam is the bare minimum in 2025. Aim for 1080p or above when laptop shopping.
Being seen is only half the battle. You need to be heard well, too. Consider a proper headset with a mic built for crystal clear communication. This gadget will help you in school as well as make Discord chats and gaming communications more enjoyable. The ROG Delta II wireless headset is a great example of a headset built for all these needs. It features a 10mm super-wideband boom mic that’ll ensure every classmate, friend, and squadmate hears you with crystal clarity. And when you pair that headset with our free app, Armoury Crate, you can take advantage of AI noise canceling features. These will help you hear others more easily and eliminate background noise from your own sound output.
In just about any major, you want graphics processing power
In today’s world, many students can’t afford to skimp on graphics processing power. It’s too integral to many areas of study. Will any of your classes involve video editing, graphic design, rendering, or computationally intensive programs like AutoCAD? Are you a gamer who needs a machine capable of playing the latest AAA titles when you’re not busy with school? Will you be running AI workflows for research, brainstorming, or data analysis? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, you need a proper GPU or graphics card.
Standard laptops feature “integrated” graphics, meaning that anything graphics-related is handled by a dedicated slice of silicon in the CPU. If you grab a 2025 laptop, you can get some decent mileage out of its integrated graphics, but if any of your use cases call for more GPU muscle, you’ll want to find a laptop with a “discrete” GPU. The discrete terminology means a laptop is armed with a separate high-power GPU ready for intensive apps and workloads. Just make sure you do your homework on the ranges of discrete GPUs and opt for a laptop from a recent year. A decade-old gaming laptop’s graphics processor won’t be good for much today, but a contemporary laptop packing an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 or 50 Series GPU will set you up for many semesters to come.
Similarly, if you’re opting for a desktop PC, make sure your graphics card is up to the task. The aforementioned NVIDIA graphics options ought to do the job in the desktop realm. We offer cards such as the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 and Prime GeForce RTX 5070 White, both of which will crush just about anything your schoolwork or gaming activities throw at them.
If you’re on the fence about whether you’ll need graphics power, err on the side of caution, especially when it comes to laptops. You don’t want to buy an entire machine only to find out it’s too weak and then have to buy a whole separate laptop just to keep up. It’s best to put a little extra into the budget from the outset so when you buy your PC, you do it once and do it right.
Multi-monitor setups will speed up homework
Nothing slows down a late-night study binge or last-minute report writeup like having to alt-tab for hours on a cramped laptop screen. If you’re serious about having an efficient, organized workflow for your scholastic endeavors, you need a modern solution.
Enter the multi-monitor setup. The more screens you have, the more real estate you have with which to spread out your work and digest multiple panels of information at once. If you’re worried your dorm desk can’t fit more than one screen, think again. There are plenty of ways you can pull off a multi-monitor setup whether you’re in a dorm, home bedroom, or small apartment with minimal space to spare.
For example, most desks can handle a simple 27-inch monitor alongside a laptop, especially if they’re placed on opposite ends of the desk. You could pair an ROG Strix XG27ACS with your existing laptop thanks to its compact base, and voila, you have a multi-monitor setup. Not to mention, that ROG monitor will give you the specs you need for competitive gaming as well as a robust selection of ports and a phone holder. This means you can charge your phone and connect peripherals with ease while wielding two screens for study material. If your desk is big enough, opt for two 27-inch panels and watch your productivity exponentially increase.
Another solution is to use a monitor arm. These sturdy mounts allow monitors to hover above your desk, freeing up space for everything else. With monitor arms, you’ll have the room you need to plop down a laptop, all your peripherals, and school supplies, all while bigger screens rest comfortably at eye level.
And don’t be afraid to get creative with your interpretation of multi-monitoring. For example, if you have an ROG Ally handheld, that’s a perfect device for playing school-related video content. Pair it with your laptop and phone and you have three screens ready to go — one for writing reports, another for watching study content, and a third for texting classmates.
ASUS can help you prepare for school
When the semester starts, you want to do more than scrape by with the gear you have — you want to excel with the tools of tomorrow. That’s where ASUS can help.
We offer powerful laptops, graphics cards, monitors, and every other sort of gadget you could need for school at a range of prices perfect for every budget. Check out the best tech for learners of all ages from ASUS and ROG to see exactly what we can do to enhance your study setup and keep you on the cutting edge.