An Ultimate Guide on Before Buying a New Laptop

Laptops are portable and you can carry them easily with you. Laptops offer jaw-dropping features as much as desktop versions. If you are searching for the best laptop, obviously there isn’t a perfect answer for it. Because everyone’s needs differ and each laptop is meant for a particular type of users. There are a wide range of laptops in different price ranges and people usually get confused which one to pick. Whether you are in search of a laptop for educational purpose or for work usage you need to consider a few things before getting one. Here are a few points listed to consider while purchasing a laptop.

Operating System

This is quite a difficult one to decide especially if you are not familiar with PC’s and Mac’s. But this quick review will help you in assessing which platform you should stick to. Most of the laptops generally come with one of the operating systems from Windows, Mac OS or Chrome OS. Choose one according to your preferences based on the following synopsis.

Windows 10 is the most flexible operating system and comes with many laptop models. Windows notebooks prices fall under several thousand dollars and provide a variety of features. From fingerprint readers to touch screens and dual graphics chips, its latest update ‘20H2’ enables you to create beautiful presentations, talk rather than type and a lot more.

Apple MacBooks run with the latest operating system, macOS Big Sur. This platform offers functionality similar to that of Windows 10. It comes with a different interface than Windows 10 which substitutes an apps dock at the bottom of the screen for Microsoft’s taskbar and start menu. Despite Cortana digital assistant for Microsoft users, Mac users get Siri. Mac users can make transactions with Apple Pay, answer calls or type texts from their mobiles and even unlock the laptops with an Apple Watch. However, macOS is not designed for touch and the latest operating system highlights the improvements made to the Safari browser and Siri.

Chrome OS can be seen on affordable Chromebooks like the Samsung Chromebook 3. Google operating system is simple and secure but it has limitations when compared to Windows and macOS. The user interface looks more like Windows with an application, the main app you will use is the Chrome browser. If you need a laptop to browse the web, check emails, visit social media networks and chat online, Chromebooks are a good choice and offer good battery life. These are particularly popular with parents and schools because these laptops do not easily get affected with malware and are way more functional than most of the tablets.

Size

You also need to figure out which size is the best for you to carry. Generally, laptops are categorized based on their display sizes:

11 to 12 inches: These are the lightest systems that weigh around 3.5 pounds.

13 to 14 inches: Gives the best balance of usability and portability, comes under 4 pounds.

15 to 16 inches: This is the popular size weighs from 4 to 5.5 pounds. You can consider this option if you want a large screen and do not wish to carry quite often.

17 to 18 inches: If your laptop stays on the desk all the time, 17 or 18 inch one could give you that processing power to play high-end games and workstation range of productivity.

Processor and RAM

Processor defines a laptop’s capability while RAM promises smooth multi-tasking. Here’s a list of processors you need to take a look at:

Intel 11th Gen: Intel came up with 11th Gen Tiger Lake processor that will level up the performance of next-generation laptops. This 10-nanometer chip offers Iris Xe graphics with up to 4.8GHZ speed and Thunderbolt 4 support.

Intel Core i9: Core i9 processors provide faster performance and are available only on premium laptops, high-end gaming laptops and workstations. Core i9 CPU’s are worth having only if you are using most demanding apps and programs.

Intel Core i7: Core i7 processors are ideal for faster gaming. There are also other models like Core i7 series chips that have lower power and performance.

Intel Core i5: If you are looking for a combo of performance and price, buy one with Intel Core i5 processor. Models that end in U are quite common. Those with Y in their name have low power and poor performance.

AMD Ryzen 4000 and Ryzen 5000: These are new chips designed to outrun Intel Core i5 and Core i7. Laptops with these processors deliver great performance and also come for fewer prices than the ones with Intel processors.

Apple M1: When it comes to ARM-based M1 chip, it nails the competition of raw performance and endurance.

RAM: Some laptops are equipped with only 4GB RAM, but for an ideal use you can go for 8GB at a decent price by using Poundit coupon codes. If you can spend little more you can settle for 16GB. For many of the users, 32GB is more than enough while 64GB & above is for power users.

Storage

Much more important than the speed of your system is the performance of storage drive. Users usually prefer laptops with more storage. One can see laptops having 500GB and 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) that are quite common nowadays. Moreover, with the development of lighter laptops, solid-state drive (SSD) has become popular. SDD is fast enough but comes with less storage.

Battery Life

If you are buying a large notebook or a gaming rig, only to use at your desk then you do not have to worry about its battery life. But if you are carrying it often, you wouldn’t want to rush to the charging socket to plug it. Your laptop should at least give 4-7 hours battery life with the ideal case being 8 hours or more.

Budget

This is one of the main aspects to be taken care of. It doesn’t make sense to explore laptops unless you fix your budget. You can make additional savings on your laptop purchase by using Gearbest promo codes. In every price bracket, a certain number of laptops will be available from several brands, so you will have ample options to choose from.

This guide must have given an idea of what points to be taken into consideration while buying a laptop. Keep these points in mind when you are about to purchase a new one. So, that you do not compromise on any requirement and choose one according to your preferences.