Laptop Buying Guide 2021 

 

Content

• Read this Before you going to buy a Laptop. 
• Step-by-step instructions

Laptops are one of the most necessary gadgets that many of us use almost every day. Even though smartphones are now capable of covering for many laptop utilities, but laptops are still a necessity for students, employees, gamers and other user types. So, here are some Tips and Suggestions to buy a Laptop.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A LAPTOP?

First of all , You should have an idea about why you want a laptop. So the first step is to understand your requirements and preferences that you want in your Laptop. Given below some small points that are to be considered before buying a Laptop.

Quick Tips

• Understanding the Usage
• Selecting the Platform
• Selecting the Brand
• Choosing the Specifications
• Checking the Ergonomics

Understand the USAGE

The first place to start when it comes to buying a laptop is the use.

What will you primarily be using this laptop for? 

• Is it for casual use? 
• Are you a student? 
• Are you on the go often? 
• Do you want a gaming laptop? Etc. 

There are a lot of such use cases which, when narrowed down, will greatly help when it comes to finalising your purchase. Once you’ve decided on a use case, you can move on to the next step.

Select the PLATFORM (Operating System)

This is not an easy question to answer, especially if you're not familiar with both Macs and PCs. But this quick overview of each platform’s strengths and weaknesses should help.

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

Windows 10

Microsoft Windows 10 

The most flexible operating system, Windows, runs on more laptop models than Chrome OS or Mac OS.  Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft's flagship operating system, provides a number of improvements over Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to switch between tablet and desktop modes, a revamped Start menu with live tiles and the powerful Cortana digital assistant. 

Windows 10 laptops are great for students, researchers and business users, and they're the only machines gamers should consider. 

Apple MacOS 

Apple MacOS

All MacBooks come with Apple's latest desktop operating system, macOS Catalina. Overall, the operating system offers similar functionality to Windows 10, but with a different take on the interface that substitutes an apps dock at the bottom of the screen for Microsoft's Start menu and taskbar. Instead of the Cortana digital assistant, Mac users get Siri. They can also perform transactions with Apple Pay, take calls or texts from their phones and unlock their laptops with an Apple Watch. 

However, macOS isn't made for touch, because no MacBook comes with a touch screen. The latest macOS Catalina operating system brings iPad apps over to Mac, as well as secondary display support for iPads and new accessibility features. 

Chrome OS

Google ChromeOS

Google's OS is simple and secure, but more limited than Windows or macOS. The user interface looks a lot like Windows with an application menu, a desktop and the ability to drag windows around, but the main app you use is the Chrome browser. The downside is that many of the "web apps" you use don't work particularly well offline. However, that's changing as almost all Chromebooks, including the high-end, Google PixelBook, can now run Android apps.

If you need a device to surf the Web and check email, navigate social networks and chat online, Chromebooks are highly portable and tend to offer good battery life at low prices. They are also extremely popular with schools and parents, because they are hard for kids to infect with malware and more functional than most tablets. If you need a Chromebook, look for one with at least 4GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. A 1920 x 1080 resolution preferred and 4K is better but very uncommon. Pay extra to get a 2-in-1 if you plan to use Android apps.

Selecting the BRAND

Your laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Accurate and timely technical support is paramount. Support is only part of what makes a notebook brand worth your money. You also have to consider how the manufacturer stacks up to the competition in terms of design, value and selection, review performance and other criteria. Brands like Apple , HP , Dell , Acer , lenovo are good at services and support. So make sure you consider to buy a laptop of the above mentioned brands first.

Choosing the SPECIFICATIONS

Processors

Starting with the processor, for the casual laptop user, a current generation Intel i3 processor is more than enough if all you need it for is casual browsing, viewing videos and running lite software. If you’re a student maybe and are hoping to play a few games possibly, then an Intel Core i5 processor or above is suggested. As it will comfortably let you play games and work with more intensive software. Core i7 and i9 processors are top-of-the-line and offer the best performance, but they come with a price tag to match. Go for these only if you know you have CPU intensive software or want the best gaming performance. Choose a processor according to your usage.

For more details about processors [Click here]

RAM

Whichever laptop you decide on, always consider a laptop with minimum of 4GB RAM not less than that . But it will be better if you select a laptop with 8GB of RAM . This is ideal to be able to have multiple applications open at the same time comfortably, and have multiple tabs open on your browser without your laptop crashing on you. If you’re looking to the game, at the entry-level, 8GB of RAM is fine, but you ideally want 16GB, especially with games today.

Storage

This one is simple enough. You could go for a laptop with a high capacity HDD if you’re someone who needs a lot of storage space. But if you’re looking for speed and faster performance, then you want an SSD. Certain laptops come with support for M.2 or NVMe SSDs to speed up your read and write speeds. Of course, there’s always the middle ground of getting a low capacity SSD with a high capacity HDD. Consider that you can always get more space via external drives, but faster storage is more of a hassle to expand. 

Graphics Card 

Next, you look at the graphics card or GPU. If you’re a casual user, then you needn’t consider this and can make do with an integrated GPU. However, if you plan on playing games or using rendering software, you will need a discrete graphics card. To comfortably play most games at reasonable frames, we recommend going for a laptop that has at least an NVIDIA GTX 1650Ti. To experience AAA games in all their glory, you will need an NVIDIA RTX 2070 or higher. The RTX 2060 is a decent middle ground if you can’t spend too much but still want good graphics, at least on Full HD displays. 

Battery

This is pretty important, especially if you’re someone who is going to use a laptop away from a power outlet for long periods. This is a crucial factor to consider for those who travel a lot. Lower power laptops and ultrabooks which come without discrete GPUs are best in this category as they can easily offer you at least eight hours of battery life, plenty of time to find a power outlet. With gaming laptops, you can throw battery life out the window. These beasts are usually meant to be plugged in at all times, and unplugged will give you up to two hours max. 

Connectivity and Ports

Thinner laptops are known to compromise on ports, keep this in mind when making your decision. Some things you should consider are whether the laptop has USB 3.0 or 3.1 ports, Type-A or Type-C. If you intend to connect your laptop to a larger display or TV, then you want to keep an eye out for HDMI. Most laptops come with audio ports, but you might want to keep in mind whether you want a laptop with both a headphone and microphone jack or a uni-jack.

Like we mentioned above, thinner laptops usually compromise on ports, one which is commonly missing from such laptops is the Ethernet port. Consider laptops with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and up to 5GHz standards. If you’re looking for Bluetooth support to connect audio devices or wireless peripherals, consider Bluetooth 5.0 support, you can bring it down to Bluetooth 4.2 if necessary. 

Display

Smaller laptops usually come with a resolution of 1368x768, which is pretty tiny. For casual use, this is fine. Ideally, you want a minimum of 1920x1080, which is full HD. From here, you can go higher as per your preferences. There are plenty of 4K laptops in the market, but they are battery drainers and will usually always be plugged in. Most laptops come with a refresh rate of 60Hz, but you will find gaming laptops with refresh rates of 144Hz and above. You don’t need more than 144Hz. 

• 11 to 12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11- to 12-inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds.
• 13 to 14 inches: Provides the best balance of portability and usability, particularly if you get a laptop that weighs under 4 pounds.
• 15 to 16 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh 4 to 5.5 pounds

Upgradeability 

This option may be or may not be available in most of the laptops. If you’re looking to get a laptop and plan to sit on it for a while (not literally of course), you might want to consider one that can be upgraded down the line. Being able to expand RAM and Storage, later on, can save you the need for an upgrade, but you will eventually need one anyway, depending on your use case. 

Checking the ERGONOMICS

The most impressive specs in the world don't mean diddly if the laptop you're shopping for doesn't have good ergonomics. 

Weight

While the general idea is that laptops are meant to be portable, this isn’t always the case. You will find that some gaming laptops can be extremely bulky, with some coming with their own suitcases to be moved around in! However, there are gaming laptops with smaller form factors as well that weight between the 2-5kg mark. Still pretty heavy. Of course, there are non-gaming high-performance laptops that weigh under 2kgs and can be carried around easily. Most casual use-case laptops are also usually lightweight.

Back-lit Keyboard 

If you plan to do a lot of work on your computer, make sure the keyboard offers solid tactile feedback, plenty of key travel (the distance the key goes down when pressed, usually 1 to 2mm) and enough space between the keys. Do buy a laptop with Backlit keyboard.

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 generally come in two different styles: detachables with screens that come off the keyboard entirely and flexible laptops with hinges that bend back 360 degrees to change modes. 

Most of these systems are much better at serving one purpose than the other, with bend-backs being laptops first and detachables offering a superior tablet experience. However, if you don't see the need to use your notebook as a slate, you'll usually get more performance for your money with a traditional clamshell laptop.

Ultrabook

Ultrabook is technically a specification that Intel used for extra-light, portable laptops designed to be as easy to carry as possible while still providing great battery life. They use SSDs, Intel Core processors designed to be efficient with power use, and carefully designed clamshell bodies. This became a very popular type of computer, and many people began applying the name “ultrabook” to any compact, lightweight laptop that was designed for easy transport.

Source: Internet, digit , Laptopmag , tomshardware, digitaltrends.