Laptop buying guide: 8 important tips you need to know before buying

1. Choose a platform: Mac, Windows or Chrome OS?

This question is not easy to answer, especially if you are not familiar with Mac or PC. But this brief overview of the strengths and weaknesses of each platform should help.

Most laptops come with one of three operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS or MacOS (only for MacBook). Choosing the right one is a matter of personal preference, but here's a rundown of what each one offers.

Windows 10

The most flexible operating system, Windows, runs on more laptop models than Chrome OS or Mac OS X. Windows laptops range in price from $150 to several thousand dollars and offer a wide range of features from touch screens to fingerprint readers and dual graphics chips . . Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft's flagship operating system, contains a number of improvements compared to Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to switch between tablet and desktop modes, an updated Start menu with live tiles, and the powerful digital assistant Cortana.

Since its launch in July 2015, Windows 10 has also added a number of improvements, including the ability to use additional questions with Cortana, search e-mail in natural language, and use the stylus to doodle almost anywhere. Windows 10 laptops are great for students, researchers, and business users, and they're the only machines gamers should consider.

Apple macOS Catalina

All MacBooks come with Apple's newest desktop operating system, macOS Catalina. In general, the operating system offers functions similar to Windows 10, but with a second approach to the interface, which replaces the application dock at the bottom of the screen with the Start menu and the Microsoft taskbar. Instead of the Cortana digital assistant, Mac users get Siri. They can also make transactions with Apple Pay, receive calls or text messages from their phones, and unlock their laptops with Apple Watch.

However, macOS is not designed for touch control, because no MacBook is equipped with a touch screen. The latest operating system macOS Catalina transfers applications from iPad to Mac, and also supports an additional display for iPad and new special features.

Chrome OS

Found on inexpensive Chromebooks, such as the Samsung Chromebook 3. Google OS is simple and safe, but more limited than Windows or macOS. The user interface is very similar to Windows with an application menu, a desktop and the ability to drag and drop windows, but the main application you use is the Chrome browser. The downside is that many of the "web applications" you use don't work very well offline. However, this is changing, as almost all Chromebooks, including the high-end Google PixelBook, can now run Android apps.

If you need a device for browsing the web and checking e-mail, navigating social networks and chatting, the Chromebook is very portable and, as a rule, provides good battery life at low prices. They are also extremely popular with schools and parents, because it is difficult to infect children with malware and they are more functional than most tablets. If you need a Chromebook, look for one with at least 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The preferred resolution is 1920 x 1080, and 4K is better, but very rare. Pay extra to get 2-in-1 if you plan to use Android apps.

2. Decide if you want 2-in-1

Many PC laptops fall into the category of 2-in-1 laptops, hybrid devices that can switch between traditional clamshell mode, tablet mode, and other positions in between, such as tent or stand modes. 2-in-1s usually come in two different styles: detachable with screens that completely detach from the keyboard, and flexible laptops with hinges that bend 360 degrees to switch modes.

Most of these systems are much better at one goal than the other: first of all, laptops are folded, and detachable devices provide excellent quality of work with tablets. However, if you don't see the need to use your laptop as a tablet, you'll usually get more performance for your money with a traditional clamshell laptop.

MORE: Removable Windows devices have a big battery life problem

3. Select the correct size.

Before you look at specs or prices, you need to figure out how portable you want your laptop to be. Laptops are usually divided into categories according to the size of the display:

1. From 11 to 12 inches: the thinnest and lightest systems have screens from 11 to 12 inches and usually weigh from 2,5 to 3,5 pounds.
2. From 13 to 14 inches: provides the best balance of portability and ease of use, especially if you're getting a laptop weighing less than 4 pounds.
3. From 15 to 16 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh between 4 and 5,5 pounds. Consider this size if you need a larger screen and you don't plan to carry your laptop around often. Laptops with 16-inch displays are rare, but Apple may start this trend with its 16-inch MacBook Pro.
4. From 17 to 18 inches: if your laptop stays on your desk every day, a 17- or 18-inch system can give you the computing power you need for high-end gaming or workstation-level productivity.

4. Check that the keyboard and touchpad

The most impressive specs in the world don't mean anything bad if the laptop you buy doesn't have good ergonomics. If you plan to do a lot of work on your computer, make sure that the keyboard provides reliable tactile feedback, long key travel (the distance the key descends when pressed, usually 1 to 2 mm) and enough space between the keys. If you're buying a Windows laptop, make sure it has the Precision Touchpad drivers installed.

Look for a precise touchpad that doesn't give you a jerky cursor and consistently responds to multi-touch gestures like finger zoom. If you're buying a business laptop, consider getting one with a thumbstick (also known as a thumbstick) between the G and H keys so you can move around the desktop without taking your fingers off the main row of the keyboard.

5. Choose your characteristics

Laptop components such as the processor, hard drive, RAM, and graphics chip can confuse even laptop enthusiasts, so don't worry if the specs look like an alphabet soup to you.

Here are the main components to watch out for.

CPU: The "brain" of your computer, the processor, has a huge impact on performance, but depending on what you want to do, even the cheapest model can be quite good. Here is a summary:

1. 10th Gen Intel Processors – Ice Lake vs Comet Lake: Intel introduced two types of 10th generation processors that will be used in next-generation laptops. You can read more about these processors here (Ice Lake) and here (Comet Lake). In summary, Ice Lake - a 10-nanometer chip - offers improved Iris Plus integrated graphics, while Comet Lake - a 14-nanometer chip - provides pure performance, especially the six-core Core i7-10710U. Not sure which one suits you? Check out our guide, which will also help you navigate Intel's confusing naming schemes.

1. Intel Core i9: replacing Core i7 as the new top processor from Intel, Core i9 processors provide higher performance than any other mobile chip. Core i9 processors, available only on laptops, workstations and premium gaming models, are worth their premium price only if you are an experienced user using the most demanding programs and applications.
2. Intel Core i7 : a step up from Core i5, whose models with numbers ending in HQ or K use higher power and have four cores, which provides even faster gaming and performance. There are also Core i7 Y series chips that have less power and performance. Look out for processors with a 10 in the model number (for example, Core i7-1060G7 for Ice Lake or Core i7-10710U for Comet Lake) because they are part of the latest 10th generation Intel processor series and provide better performance. . Please note that Intel's 9th generation H series processors are already available.
3. Intel Core i5 : if you're looking for a basic laptop with the best combination of price and performance, buy one with an Intel Core i5 processor. The most common models ending in U (for example, Core i5-7200U). Those with the letter Y in their name have low power consumption and worse performance, while HQ models consume more power and appear in thicker gaming systems and workstation systems. The latest Intel 10th generation "Ice Lake" processors have four cores and a number of useful functions, including Wi-Fi 6 support, Thunderbolt 3 integration and improved AI. Read our testing article to see how they work.
4. Intel Core i3 : Performance is only a step below Core i5, as is the price. If you can upgrade to a Core i5, we recommend it.
5. Intel Xeon: extremely powerful and expensive processors for large mobile workstations. If you do pro-level design, 3D modeling, or video editing, you might want a Xeon, but you won't get good battery life or a lightweight laptop.
6. Intel Pentium / Celeron : common in laptops costing less than $400, these chips offer the lowest performance, but can cope if your main tasks are web surfing and light document editing. If you can pay more for a Core i3 or i5, you'll be better off.
7. Intel Core m / Core i5 / i7 “Y Series”: low energy consumption and low heat allow systems with these processors to operate without a fan. Performance is better than that of Celeron, but a step lower than that of ordinary processors of the Core U series.
8. AMD Ryzen 4000 : a new set of chips designed to compete with Intel Core i5 and Core i7. We found that Ryzen 4000 chips outperform similar Intel Core processors. For example, the Ryzen 5 4500U processor provides approximately the same performance as the Intel Core i7 processor. These chips are usually found in much cheaper laptops.
9. AMD series A, FX or E : AMD processors that are possible found on low-end laptops—the company calls them APUs, not processors—provide decent performance for the money, enough for web surfing, media viewing, and productivity.

RAM : Some laptops under $250 only have 4GB of RAM, but ideally you'll want at least 8GB even on a budget system, and 16GB if you can spend a little more. For most users, 32 GB or more is more than enough, and 64 GB or more is reserved for experienced users.

A storage drive (also known as a hard drive). The performance of the drive is even more important than the speed of your processor. If you can afford it and don't need a ton of internal memory, get a laptop with a solid state drive (SSD) rather than a hard drive, because you'll see at least three times the speed and a much faster laptop overall. .

Among solid-state drives, the new PCIe x4 blocks (also known as NVME) offer three times the speed of traditional SATA drives. Laptops costing less than $250 use eMMC memory, which is technically solid-state, but not faster than a mechanical hard drive.

Display : the more pixels you have, the more content you can fit on the screen and the sharper it will look. Unfortunately, some budget laptops still have 1366 x 768 displays, as do some business laptops, but if you can afford it, we recommend paying extra for a 1920 x 1080 panel, also known as Full HD or 1080p . High-end laptops have screens with a resolution of 2560 x 1600, 3200 x 1800 or even 3840 x 2160 (4K), which look sharp, but consume more energy, which reduces battery life.

Display quality is much more than resolution. IPS panels vary in color and brightness, so read our reviews to find out if the laptop you're considering has a good display. We usually look for an sRGB color rating of more than 100% and a brightness of more than 300 nits. If you want to achieve the best image quality and do not care about battery life, consider the OLED display option. You should also monitor the emergence of new display technologies for laptops, including miniLED.

Touch screen : if you buy a regular folding laptop, and not a 2-in-1, you will not get much benefit from the touch screen and you will get 1-2 hours less battery life. 2-in-1 touch screens are included as standard. If you still need a touchscreen, check out our best touchscreen laptops page.

Graphics chip : if you don't play computer games, create 3D objects, or edit high-resolution video, an integrated graphics chip (the one that shares the system memory) will do, especially the latest Intel Iris Plus graphics. However, if you have any of the above needs, you need a discrete graphics processor from AMD or Nvidia.

As in the case of processors, there are graphics chips of both high and low level. Today's low-end gaming systems or workstations usually have Nvidia MX250 or GTX 1650 GPUs, while mid-range models have RTX 2050 or RTX 2060, and high-end models have RTX 2070 or 2080 GPUs. Nvidia lists its graphics chips from low to high level.

Nvidia's competitor, AMD, is Apple's preferred video card supplier, although you really shouldn't buy a MacBook for gaming. AMD is set to release the Radeon RX 5600M and Radeon RX 5700M notebook GPUs later this year, so keep an eye out for these chips. AMD also maintains a list of its video cards.

Ports : Although the lack of ports is usually not an obstacle when choosing a laptop, it is useful to get the necessary connections directly in the system, instead of carrying a lot of keys. Most ordinary laptops will have USB 3.0 ports and an HDMI output for video. However, more and more laptops use USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 ports compatible with USB Type-C.

The presence of Type-C is a definite plus, because you can use it to connect to universal chargers and docks. If you can wait, a USB 4 port will appear soon with higher data transfer speeds and the ability to serially connect 4K monitors using a single cable. Other useful connections include SD card slots, headphone jacks, and Ethernet ports (especially if you're a gamer).

Connectivity options : if you need to use your laptop on the road, consider buying a laptop with 4G LTE support. You will have to pay for a data subscription plan, but this will allow you to access the Internet away from the router. If you need a laptop with the latest and greatest connectivity options, look for one with Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6 offers increased theoretical bandwidth and a more stable connection than 802.11ac. We also suggest looking for a laptop with Bluetooth 5, the newest standard that offers improved connectivity to Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mice and headphones.

DVD / Blu-ray drives . Some laptops are equipped with optical drives, because all software and movies can be downloaded, although we tracked laptops with DVD drives. However, if you really need to read/write discs, and your chosen laptop doesn't have a built-in DVD drive, you can always buy an external one that connects via USB for less than $20.

6. Don't skimp on battery life

If you buy a large and bulky laptop or gaming device that you will use only on the table next to the outlet, you do not need to worry about battery life. However, if you plan to use the laptop on your lap, even if it's at home or at work, you'll need at least 7 hours of battery life, and ideally 8+ hours. To determine the expected battery life of a laptop, don't take the manufacturer's word for it. Instead, read third-party results from objective sources, such as our reviews.

7. Plan based on your budget

These days, you can buy a decent laptop for less than $200, but if you have a bigger budget, you'll get a system with better build quality, better performance, and a better display. Here's what you can get for each price range.

1. From 150 to 250 dollars: the least expensive laptops are either Chromebooks running Google's browser-oriented OS, or inexpensive Windows systems with minimal memory and slower processors, such as the HP Stream 11 and Dell Inspiron 11 3000. Use them only as secondary computers or give them to children.
2. From 350 to 600 dollars: for less than $600 you can get a laptop with an Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 processor, 4 to 8 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive, with all the decent specs. However, at this price, most laptops do not have an SSD, a Full-HD display, and a long battery life. There are some notable exceptions, such as the Acer Aspire E 15 and the Asus Chromebook Flip C434.
3. From 600 to 900 dollars: once you get above $600, you'll start seeing more premium designs like metallic trim. As you move up the career ladder, manufacturers also start adding other features, including higher-resolution displays and solid-state drives. The Lenovo IdeaPad 530s and Asus Zenbook UX333FA are great examples of laptops that offer all these benefits for less.
4. More than 900 dollars: in in this price range, expect laptops to be more portable, more powerful, or both. Expect higher resolution screens, faster processors and possibly discrete graphics. The lightest and most durable ultraportables, such as the Apple MacBook Air and the Dell XPS 13, typically cost more than $1000 (although you can get a Dell for less if you don't opt ​​for a touchscreen). High-end gaming systems and mobile workstations usually cost from $1500 or even $2500 to $3000.

8. remember about the brand

Your laptop is only as good as the company behind it. Accurate and timely technical support is of paramount importance, which is why Laptop Mag rates every major brand in our annual technical support competition. Last year, Apple took first place, followed by the big story of the year: Razer, and Dell rounded out the top three.

Support is only part of what makes a laptop brand worth your money. You should also take into account how the manufacturer competes with competitors in terms of design, cost and selection, performance evaluation and other criteria. In our report on the best and worst laptop brands for 2019, HP took first place, followed by Asus and Dell. We also rated gaming laptop brands: MSI took first place, and Acer and Alienware rounded out the top three.