In my experience, systems architecture classes can be a pain on Apple silicon if you rely heavily on specific x86 architecture VMs. Since you are working with docker and heavy IDEs, you really need a machine with solid thermal management and at least 32GB of RAM. Over the years I've seen too many students struggle with thermal throttling on ultra-thin models. If you can stretch your budget slightly, look into the Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 AMD. It handles linux virtualization natively without translation layers slowing things down. Another great option is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA402RJ which gives you serious processing power and handles heavy multi-container setups easily without sounding like a jet engine.

Man that timing couldn't be worse, sorry your machine gave out right before classes. Skip the Dell if you hate fan noise cause it gets super loud under heavy loads. Honestly as a junior CS major you want something reliable that wont choke on docker. I ve been running my code on a Apple MacBook Pro 14 M3 Pro for a while now and its been rock solid. The battery life is insane and it handles heavy IDEs without breaking a sweat. For your systems arch class, just use Docker for containerization or UTM for virtualization if you really need a linux environment, works totally fine imo. Pick one up ASAP so you can get your dev environment sorted before syllabus week.

Saw this a bit late but totally agree with keeping costs down! I just grabbed a refurbished ThinkPad and saved hundreds. Seriously, don't break the bank on brand new gear when you're on a student budget.