Are you struggling to find out the best engineering laptop for yourself? If yes, then I’m here to save you from the fuss of selecting the right laptop to fit your engineering needs and satisfy all your requirements. A laptop is one of the gadgets that can cost a fortune to a student as you might be purchasing one after months and months of part-time work.
Furthermore, the selection of a laptop that can still prove beneficial after your studies, is a cherry on top. Now, let’s dig into this article to get help in selecting the best laptop for engineering.
Hold on! As you know that there are several fields in engineering: computer, software, electrical, civil, mechanical, aeronautical, chemical, etc., to name a few. So, let’s start our laptop research by filtering the engineering fields for you.
Sr. No. |
Laptops |
Brand |
RAM |
Price |
| 1. | Dell XPS 13 9360 | Dell | 8 GB | Check Price |
| 2. | Surface Book 2 | Microsoft | 16 GB | Check Price |
| 3. | Dell Inspiron 15 | Dell | 8 GB | Check Price |
| 4. | ASUS ZenBook 13 | ASUS | 8 GB | Check Price |
| 5. | MSI GS66 Stealth | MSI | 8 GB | Check Price |
| 6. | Razer Blade 15 | Razer | 16 GB | Check Price |
| 7. | Acer Helios 300 | Acer | 16 GB | Check Price |
| 8. | Dell XPS 15 9500 | Dell | 16 GB | Check Price |
| 9. | HP Spectre x360 | HO | 16 GB | Check Price |
| 10. | Acer Aspire 7 | Acer | 8 GB | Check Price |
Laptops as per your engineering domain
If you’re a computer/software engineering student, you do not need a powerful laptop to handle the load of programming and coding software. Rather, any regular laptop with full operating systems like Windows, Mac OS, or even Linux can serve the purpose.
The same goes for electrical engineers as their required programs do not take a lot of system memory, for instance, circuit simulators (SPICE).
On the contrary, a mechanical, civil, or, aeronautical engineer requires a rather powerful laptop. One that can handle strong software for creating complex 3D designs including CAD, CAE, CAM, MATLAB, etc. So, the ideal laptop for such a student has to be the one with strong system memory, capable of handling powerful designing and simulating software. Just keep your eyes on the laptops offering more than 8GB RAM, to serve the purpose.
Portable, speedy, and good battery life!
Besides the domain requirements, you need a speedy laptop with good battery strength. As a student, you won’t be bothering to stop at intervals, charging your laptop, while on campus. Here, an engineering laptop with good battery life is all you need.
A quick checklist of the features:
Here, I have made a list of top computer specifications to be considered before making a purchase of an engineering laptop. So, you must keep your eye out for these, irrespective of your engineering domain.
- RAM: A minimum of 8GB of RAM is a crucial requirement of any engineering laptop
- CPU: The minimum requirement for CPU is Intel Core i5 or above (for CAD or CAM etc.) while Intel core i3 can serve the purpose efficiently for computer engineers.
- Storage: A minimum storage of 512GB SSD or above is best for a laptop intended to be used by an engineering student.
- Battery: You will need a battery life of 5 to 8 hours considering your academic environment as a student.
- Display size: Display size should be around 13 inches, and consider buying a laptop with a matte screen. These features can lower eye strain, as you’ll be spending good long hours staring at your laptop screen.
- Screen resolution: Never settle on the screen resolution below 1920 x 1080, if you’re fishing for an engineering computer. The software you’ll be running for designing (CAM/CAD), works best at high resolution.
- Graphics card: Always go for the Nvidia GTX series, they are best overall. Although, the Nvidia RTX series are also suitable for the laptops intended for civil, and mechanical engineers.
Top 10 Laptops for engineering students in 2021
1. Dell XPS 13 9360 – Best for Computer Engineering
If you are a computer or software engineer, then we highly recommend you to check out Dell XPS 13. This laptop comes with a perfect balance of quality and affordability making it thebest machine for students that can also provide all the essential functions for completing the degree, yet gentle on the pocket.Interestingly, it comes with an i5 core processor that is more than enough to handle your engineering software and applications. Furthermore, its lightweight body, large screen equipped with higher screen resolution makes it one of the best laptops for engineering students in 2021.
Features
CPU: Intel 8th Generation Quad-Core i5-8250U 1.60 GHz processor will serve the purpose for any software engineer. But if you’re planning to use powerful designing Softwares like CAD, you should better consider Dell XPS 15. For it comes with a stronger processor to handle your heavy-duty applications.
RAM: This laptop comes with 8GB RAM, allowing the users to perform multiple machine activities without lagging issues.
Storage: Dell XPS 13 comes with 128GB M.2 SSD storage, which is not bad for an engineering student.
Graphics: As mentioned above, this laptop is best for computer engineering students as it is integrated with Intel HD Graphics 620. Anyhow, you will need better graphics if you are searching for a laptop to meet your mechanical/civil engineering requirements.
Battery: One feature every student sets their eyes upon is the batter! Yeah, no one wants to keep heavy, and space-consuming chargers around the campus. So, here’s good news: this laptop comes with 11 hours of battery life. Well, 11 hours of battery time, and good performance features, coming within a friendly budget is something to go for!
Display: One of the best features of this engineering laptop lies in its 13.3-inch anti-glare, and anti-smudge screen. You will also get a high-quality resolution of 1920×1080, making it friendly for your eyeballs. Especially if you will be using it for longer hours.
Other Features:
- Its premium-grade aluminum body not only provides lightweight (2.7 lbs. total weight), but also durability, and strength. Again! Making it suitable for any student who has to carry it to the university and back.
- The fingerprint scanning feature for logging into a laptop makes it much secure and minimizes the login time.
- Hd webcam
- Multiple ports
- Backlit keyboard makes it elegant and enable users to type in dark
2.Surface Book 2 (Microsoft)-Convertible laptop for engineering students
The Microsoft surface book 2 is the best option for any student, irrespective of the engineering domain. It is considered as a luxury laptop, as per its stylish design, and light-weight. Moreover, it offers the best quality graphics, i7 processor, and high screen resolution to support intensive designing software which makes it best for gaming apps. As per the student’s perspective, its dual use, as a laptop and tablet, makes it a win-win device. Be it notes-taking during the lectures, reading, running CAD-like software, playing video games, etc, it can do it all for you!
Features
So let’s not waste any time and go ahead with the features it offers.
CPU: Microsoft surface book 2 comes with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor capable of operating at a speed of 1.9GHz. The best feature is the inbuilt cooling system. Let me mention that the CPU generates heat, and if your device doesn’t come with a cooling system (inbuilt fans), it can be dangerous for your machine. So, no worries in the case of this laptop as you’ll be provided with fans, one on the tablet, and the other on the keyboard base.
RAM: This 2 -in-1 laptop offers 16GB RAM. Well, 16GB is the minimum requirement for running CAD, and other FEA software. So, mechanical and civil engineers must note that point before purchasing this device!
Storage: 512GB SSD is more than enough for a chemical, electrical software, and a computer engineer. But not suitable for a mechanical or civil engineer. Especially, if you like to play heavy games, the storage space of 512 GB might be less for your gaming requirements.
Graphics: Microsoft surface also comes with an inbuilt 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card to handle graphics Softwares like CAD, CAM, and MATLAB, etc. This makes it a good laptop for engineering students.
Display: This convertible laptop comes with a 13.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels. The display color, brightness, contrast-all are classy!
Battery: One of the top qualities of this model is its long battery life of up to 17 hours, making it the best laptop for engineering students.
Check Price3. Dell Inspiron 15- budget-friendly and multi-tasking laptop
Here, I have come up with another budget-friendly engineering laptop for you! Dell Inspiron-15 offers a powerful processor along with an NVIDIA GeForce MX230 graphics card. These features alone make it a better option for the engineers using CAD software or other EFA tools. Besides, it offers a large anti-glare display screen of 1920×1080 pixels.
Wait! That’s not all it offers! 512GB storage is something to go for on such an affordable budget. Moreover, 8 GB of RAM (in-built) can be increased up to 16GB with the BIOS-board. Similarly, you can add SSD SATA and m2 NMVe to meet your working requirements. These features make it suitable for working and gaming.
Features
CPU: This affordable laptop comes with a powerful Intel 10th Generation Quad-Core i7-1065G7 processor that is perfect for an engineering student. Heavy-duty applications and software can run without lagging including CAD, CAM, etc.
RAM: This laptop comes with an inbuilt 8GB RAM. This can be increased as per your RAM requirements.
Storage: Dell Inspiron 15 comes with 512 GB SSD storage, that’s quite enough for an engineering student.
Graphics: The graphics are amazing! As I mentioned before, this laptop is best for computer engineering students as it is Integrated with NVIDIA GeForce MX230. This feature makes it one of the cheap and best laptops for engineering professionals.
Display: As far as the display is concerned, this device has an incredibly large display of 15.6 inches. The resolution is also good at 1920×1080 pixels. And the plus point is: the screen is anti-glare! That pretty much sums up the display portion of this amazing engineering laptop.
Battery: The battery life of this engineering laptop is around 6 to 8 hours. As per the public reviews, the device can continuously work for over 4 hours. So it’s better to use this laptop while charging so that you avoid any battery issues. Especially during the use of heavy-duty software.
Check Price4.ASUS ZenBook 13- Budget-friendly laptop for software engineers
Here, I have come up with another great laptop for the engineering students, but this time I’ve bought something easy on your pockets. Yeah, you heard it right! Asus ZenBook 13 comes with all the essential features any computer or software student would cherish.
It offers a powerful processor, sizable storage capacity, excellent glare-free 13 inches display, and long battery life. Despite all these essential features, its lower price makes it one of the best laptops for engineering students in the year 2021 to work on. Moreover, it’s light in weight (2.6lb), making it friendly for traveling especially for the students to carry around at campus.
Features
CPU: Let’s begin our exploration of its processor. So, Zenbook comes with an Intel Core i5-8265U processor with an amazing speed of 3.9GHz. If you’re a computer /software/chemical/ or electrical engineer and want a laptop device within a tight budget, it can be the best laptop option for you!
RAM: Now, let’s move on to its RAM. well, it offers 8GB RAM, similar to the Dell XPS 13 I mentioned earlier.
Storage: This budget laptop comes with a storage of 512GB SSD, again excellent for computer engineering students. Although not recommended for engineering students, leveraging it for powerful designing software.
Graphics: Well, it’s obvious that not everything splendid comes at an affordable price. So, if there’s something objectionable in this device, that’s the graphics of course. This engineering laptop comes with the Intel HD Graphics 620, better for a software engineer. But, definitely not suitable for mechanical, aeronautical, and civil engineers.
Display: This smart laptop comes with a 13 inches display with 1920 x 1080 pixels. An added advantage is its Anti-Glare and HD display properties. Both of which are highly important if you’ll be staring at the screen for quite a great deal of time.
Battery: This portable laptop offers a battery time of about 15 hours. This feature makes it quite useful, keeping in view the needs of an engineering student.
Check Price
5. MSI GS66 Stealth – powerful all-in-one laptop
If you’re looking for an all-rounder laptop- for studying, gaming, and working. This machine is the one for you! It offers a powerful processor along with an exceptional storage capacity of 1TB SSD. although, that much storage size makes it best for gamers. Well, who doesn’t want some gaming experience after hours and hours of work and study! This 5-star laptop eliminates the need for a desktop computer. And the best part is: this workstation is best for engineering students irrespective of the domain. For instance, the RTX 2070 Super GPU is ideal for running CAD/CAE software as well as for a graphics-intensive gaming experience.
While those students who don’t use such powerful software for their work. What’s in it for them? Well, they can make the fullest use of this device for their gaming needs. Yeah! Why bothering to buy a separate laptop for work and gaming, while you can have both in ONE!
Features
CPU: This workstation comes with the powerful Intel Core i9-10980HK 2.4 – 5.3GHz processor. No doubt this feature can handle your heavy multitasking-work and gaming activities like a pro.
RAM:
The MSI GS66 Stealth comes with an incredibly high memory of 32 GB. the maximum you can get in today’s engineering laptops.
Graphics: As far as the graphics are concerned, it comes with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super card. So, if you’re’ planning to buy this workstation, get set for getting the high-quality graphics for sure.
Storage: To handle the powerful graphics tools and software, the storage of 1TB SSD is provided-making it the top laptop for engineering students.
Display: Now, coming towards the display, it comes with a 15.6 inches display. The screen is Glare-free, providing maximum angle view. Additionally, a Full High Definition screen resolution with 300Hz of refresh rate is provided. Let me mention, the greater the refresh rate, the smoother your games will run. So, this information is no less than a blessing for gamers out there!
Battery: The most exciting feature is the long battery life of more than 10 hours. That much battery-life is rare in the case of workstations though, but here we are with one of the best laptops for engineers.
Check Price
6. Razer Blade 15 – Extremely Powerful
If you’re an engineering student and looking for a perfect laptop for yourself, then you can never go wrong with the resourceful Razer Blade 15. It has everything to satisfy the requirements of an engineering professional. This ultra-compact device is equipped with the newest 10th Generation Intel i7 processor making it the most gorgeous yet powerful gadget on market to deliver outstanding performance with a speed of over 5.0 GHz.
The 15.6-inch sleek bezel HD display with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics provides the best visual quality for both any gamer or engineering student to enjoy a cinematic experience while either gaming or working.
Its aluminum frame packed incredible performance in just 0.78″ sleek and durable body. You can also customize the features including storage, memory, and keyboard color according to your desire.
The Blade 15 comes with a backlit keyboard with a quality ouch-pad enabling the engineers to work more conveniently even in dark. Also, it has a webcam for attending visual lectures or meetings, loudspeakers to provide leisure while listening to music or playing games.
Features
CPU: As already mentioned, Razer Blade 15 is equipped with the latest intel core i7 which is the most powerful on market till now. The core i7-10750H can turbo this laptop up to 5 GHz. Also, it’s incredible Hexa (6) core processor makes it best for all engineering domains.
RAM: The expandable 16 GB ultrafast RAM processes the data and fetches the files at the speed of 2933 MHz.
Storage: It comes with the storage of 512 SSD (solid-state-drive) which aids in loading the Windows 10 OS and other demanding applications. Also, 4 upgrading PCle memory slots are available to handle multiple users by adding more storage space.
Display: This amazing laptop comes with a 15.6 inches FHD display which is clearer than the MacBook display. This makes it perfect for engineers and gamers. Moreover, 100 percent DCI-P3 offers much more than we can ever expect from a machine, it not only provides color accuracy but also gives exceptional angles for view with 1920 x 1080 pixel CR (cumulative resolution).
Graphics: It has NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics which gives off a real-time in-game experience with a full HD display.
Battery: The standard Razer Blade 15 offers a 6 hour long steady performance on complete charging, which is quite impressive considering its high tech features.
Check Price7.Acer Helios 300- Affordable Engineering Laptop
Another feature-packed laptop – Acer Predator Helios 300 is suitable for multiple engineering domains including civil, gaming, and mechanical. It has almost similar features to Razer Blade 15, which gives you an option with the same desirable specifications at a very affordable price.
This engineering laptop may not look as attractive as other mighty laptops out there, but don’t judge a book by its cover!
The Helios 300 is equipped with the incredible combo of 10th Gen core i7 and fast features, making it a devastatingly powerful machine. Such laptops can get easily heated which may affect its battery life or overall performance, but with the 3D aero blade, fans feature, the heating won’t be an issue anymore. Since the fans keep the laptop cool while letting you play and work for limitless hours.
Interestingly, you will find a turbo button on the keyboard which will not only overclock the GPU but will also boost the cooling system by kicking the 3D aeroplanes into the hyper-drive to dissipate the heat while doing the process. Besides this, there is also a predator button available which opens an application and lets you know about the current temperature of the GPU/CPU as well as the temperature of your working environment.
The 15.6-inch FHD display with high-quality integrated gaming graphics is all set to give you a clearer high-octane visual experience that will bring your games to life. After using the NVIDIA GeForce RTX and 144 Hz screen panel and Intel core i7 processor, you will completely forget your old computer. RTX is the latest technology that is capable of doing ray-tracing. In case you are wondering about RTX then let me clear, it’s a gaming effect that developers are installing in computers to give realistic effects, it may require a specific card to take advantage of it.
Young Engineering students can also attend visual meetings and see their friends in online classes with a 720-pixel webcam.
With Helios 300, you can customize your profile lighting, can overlock GPA with multiple speed options ranging from normal to extreme, and even you can change your cooling speed by customizing the settings from automatic to manual.
Acer application also gives it an edge over other engineering laptops by giving you control of everything exclusive of overlocking GPS and voltages, because the app already does that for you. Also, many engineers may find it complicated to overlock their GPS so, a simple click on the turbo button can resolve your problem.
If looks don’t concern you then you must get this powerful Predator Helios right away!
Features
CPU: Acer Predator Helios 300 is powered with the new intel core i7 which makes it very efficient. The i7-10750H has the capability of processing high-end programs and demanding applications easily. Along with core i7 chipset, hyper-threading and visualizing support aids in managing, CAD work, program codes, and much more with surgical precision. Also, this latest processor can turbo up to the speed of 5 GHz whenever it’s needed.
RAM: The ultrafast 16 GB VRAM can handle multitasking way more efficiently.
Storage: It also comes with the updatable storage of 512 SSD (solid-state-drive) which aids in loading the Windows 10 OS and other demanding applications. Also, upgrading PCle memory slots are available to handle multiple users by adding more storage space.
Display: This laptop comes with a 15.6 inches display which is also FHD. Thus making it perfect for engineering students who also enjoy computer games in their free time. Besides, a 75% NTSC color gamut not only provides color accuracy but also gives exceptional view angles with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Graphics: It has NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics which gives off lighting effects in games, making it look just like real.
Battery: It offers a 6-hour long efficient performance per single charge, making it quite reasonable for engineering students to work without worrying about charging.
Check Price8. Dell XPS 15 9500 – Versatile for Students
Looking for a power-packed laptop but smaller in size? Then you can get yourself no laptop can be better than Dell XPS 159500, one of the best powerful laptops on our list. It is fully equipped with everything you would need to unleash your talent and let the magic happen in a better way!
This stunning laptop combines devastating power in a premium grade aluminum and carbon fiber casing which not only makes it look stylish but also reduces the weight to just 4.5 lbs. Despite its small size, it never holds back in featuring the powerful internals and user-friendly externals that never fail to enhance the working experience.
The crisp and gorgeous display features four-sided infinity edges and GeForce GTX Ti graphics to provide the ultimate 500 Nits brighter display which is anti-reflective. Additionally, Dell protected its amazing display with Gorilla Glass 6 and provided an exceptional eye-protective feature for the students.
It’s advanced thermal technology also keeps the machine cool for extended hours. The dual fans quickly dissipate the heat by spreading it over a wider area and direct it to the other two heat pipes and vents via a hinge, ensuring the best performance with a small body.
This compact laptop also has a smart feature that allows the users to connect their phone to XPS 15 9500, enabling them to see their mobile notifications and send text messages or make calls.
Features
CPU: When having concerns about the powerful processor, Dell XPS 9500 is equipped with an Intel i7-10750H chipset that has the ability to turbo the clock at 5.0 GHz while processing demanding programs. With a single/multi-core processor, this powerful CPU enables the students to work efficiently on their academic assignments, CAD tasks, Analysis of Fine Elements, high-end programs, 3D sculpting using Blende, and other engineering activities with great precision.
RAM: The 16 GB DDR4 RAM can handle multitasking efficiently and provide cohesive coverage to engineering students.
Storage: It comes with 1TB system storage and the updatable 512 SSD (solid-state-drive) which can easily house the Windows 10 OS, data sets, heavy files, and other demanding applications.
Display: Dell XPS 15 takes the graphics to a whole new level with high resolution (3840 x 2400 px), 94 percent DCI-P3 color gamut which offers exceptional color accuracy, a UHD panel, and an anti-reflective screen to let you see clearer in sunlight. It is also protected with Corning Gorilla Glass which is durable and touch to provide resistance against damages.
Graphics: It is equipped with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 which allows the students to work on any graphics application and play games by direct x 12 support, which is the latest version. GTX 1650 is not that high-end but it’s still good for engineering students.
Battery: It provides backup for up to 12.5 hours with great performance.
Check Price
9.HP Spectre x360 – Touch Screen Laptop
One of the high-end HP laptops out in the market. The HP Spectre X360 is a perfect high-end hardcore performance system that also comes with a touch screen and other various features.
It provides astonishing sound quality with quad speakers embedded in this laptop which are custom tuned by the experts at Bang & Olufsen, entertainment along with HP Audio Boost 2.0, letting you enjoy your music or sound experience more than anything else.
This powerful laptop not only has the strongest processor but also high NVIDIA graphics, all compacted in a sleek body which is perfect for engineering students. Also, its touch screen with a stylus will enable you to draw innovative 3D models.
Features
CPU & RAM: The HP Spectre x360 equips 16 GB RAM (2 x 8GB), 1 TB of M.2 SSD combining that with a 6 core Intel‘s i7- 9750H, this makes the Spectre x360 one of the fastest and quickest systems in the world. These high-end specifications make HP Spectre x360 one of the most perfect gadgets with monster speed and performance.
Display: The laptop comes with an impressive 15.6 4K (3840 x 2160) IPS micro-edge BrightView WLED-backlit touch screen which is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass that allows for a spectacular user experience and the ease of working using the fingers or stylus.
Graphics: The Spectre x360 packs a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4GB). This graphics card working alongside the powerful processor and the high amount of RAM can run any modern-day Triple-A gaming titles such as Grand Theft Auto V, Metro: Exodus, Deus Ex Mankind Divided.
Battery: The Spectre x360 comes with an 84 Wh Li-ion battery and this battery is bigger than any average laptop you see on the market (54-68 Wh). The HP official website states that with a full charge, this laptop can provide a Full HD video playback of up to 15 hours and up to 17.5 hours in general.
Other Features
- HP TRUE VISION camera which is compatible with Microsoft Windows Hello also comes with a dual array microphone and IR technology.
- 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports which allow for high-speed data and power transmissions
- 1x USB type C and 1 x USB 3.1 ports allow the use of flash drives and many more devices.
- 1x HDMI 2.0 Port which allows the connection to HDMI enabled systems with a wire.
10. Acer Aspire 7 – Budget-Friendly Laptop
If you’re looking for a laptop powered with AMD Ryzen chipset that takes your gaming machine to the next level, then you can never go wrong with Aspire 7. This attractive laptop is very creative in housing the best gaming features – NVIDIA GeForce GTX & AMD Ryzen Processor- in an ultrathin mat black chassis which is quite lighter in weight so students could carry it easily. Such advanced features enable you to accomplish any engineering task with much power, no matter how difficult it is.
In addition to that, it is equipped with a backlit keyboard, amplified speakers, a high-quality web camera, and a pair of microphones; these resourceful features will cut off your extra cost. This laptop can get quite hot when working for a longer time. However, this 4.75 lbs. gadget is portable enough to make it handy.
Aspire 7 may not be the best laptop on market, but it is very resourceful for any engineering professional.
Features
CPU: Aspire 7 featured with Quad processor AMD Ryzen 5 3550H which enables you to process data efficiently at the boosted speed of 3.7 GHz.
RAM & Storage: When talking about RAM, it comes with a dedicated 4 GB GDDR6 VRAM complemented by an ultrafast 512GB SSD and 8 GB RAM with a processing speed of 2666MHz, which can stack in Windows 10 OS as well as very demanding Softwares and applications with ease. This amazing duo makes a perfect workstation for an engineer.
Display: The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS screen, equipped with an amazing color intelligence by Acer to provide a crystal clear and crisp visual experience to users. It also ensures the accuracy of colors with innovative Acer ExaColor technology, which intensifies the distinctions and shades.
Battery: It offers a steady backup for up to 7 hours to open and start editing to your large files and data sets.
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FAQs
1.Are gaming laptops good for engineering?
Yes, Gaming laptops make the perfect workstation for engineering students/ professionals. They are quite expansive but quipped with a really strong intel core i7 processor and NVIDIA GTX or RTX to provide an exceptional working experience with amazing viewing angles and color accuracy.
2. How much RAM is required to run 3-D modeling?
The 8 GB is the minimum requirement of RAM to do 3-D modeling on any laptop. However, the more the better so it’s always good to get a laptop with larger RAM, and 16 GB RAM is the best of all. It allows the user to install and use demanding applications with ease.
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