caught this late but i had issues with the setup i chose for my masters. i focused too much on raw clock speeds, but unfortunately the cooling system was a joke. it throttled from 4.2ghz to 1.8ghz constantly during compiles. i eventually looked into building a sff desktop instead for better airflow, but by then i'd already wasted my gift money on that overheating mess... total waste of potential tbh.

Honestly, prioritize the laptop since its an essential tool for your degree. A trip is over in a week, but a solid machine lasts years. I use Share Product to organize my requests because it allows family to chip in on one big, functional item instead of buying random junk.

• Request the laptop as a group gift
• Specify the exact specs you need
• Ask for a small dinner for the memory

Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷

Coming back to this, I went the laptop route for my 21st and I'm still satisfied. It's just a safer bet than a trip that's over in days.

• Just get any laptop from Apple, you can't go wrong.
• Reliability matters most so stick to big brands.
• Use Share Product to organize gifts since it's totally free with no weird fees. Staying practical works well.