Here is a complete guide for you, so you know what to look for when buying it .We explain how to buy the best laptop for you
At first, it may seem easy, but the truth is that there are many different models of laptops on the market, and it can be a bit confusing to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Factors to consider: –
First steps –
Battery life and extras –
Types of laptop –
Operating system –
RAM memory and storage –
Graphics card (GPU) –
Processor (CPU) –
Screen –
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It happens to many people that they walk into a store, see all the laptops available, and stare at that long list of specifications without really knowing what to look for. There are a lot of people who really only control the difference in price and design, but to choose the best laptop for you, it’s important to really know what to look for beyond that. There are many types of laptops, and depending on the needs of each one, you have to know how to decide which one has the best features for the type of use you want to give the equipment. That is why we have prepared this guide, to try to shed some light on all those data that at first seem to make no sense, and learn how to interpret them.
How to choose the best laptop:
First steps :
The first thing you should think about before you go shopping for a laptop is how much money you want to spend . Therefore, setting a price range will help you easily rule out some models. The next thing you need to do is ask yourself what you really need the laptop for . Do you need it to work? Do you need to store many documents and photos? Does your work require opening large heavy files that the computer has to process? Do you need to be able to transport your laptop often? Throughout this guide we are going to review absolutely all the aspects that you should take into account, so that you can choose the best laptop for you: one that is perfect for what you need to do with it.
Battery life and extras:
We are going to start talking about the easiest aspects for anyone to understand; later we will talk about the different components. Battery life seems like an obvious factor to consider, but many times we forget to pay attention. This aspect will be more important for you if you plan to use your laptop many times in places where connecting the device to the current is complicated, for example, if you go many hours by bus or take many flights, you need your laptop battery to last the maximum possible.
On the other hand,
there are many people who actually tend to keep their laptop at home or at work, where they can easily charge the battery whenever they need to; in these cases the battery life is not so important. The best laptops should allow you to be able to work, or play, for several hours, without having to run for the charger. Modern laptops are more energy efficient, so their battery lasts longer. Theirs is that a laptop offers a minimum of five hours of battery. To find out how long a laptop will last on if you put it on charge, you can look at the capacity of the battery, a fact that is usually put in the specifications of the device.
Sometimes it also usually puts an estimated duration, which although it is not usually exact, it can give you a good idea. You should also keep in mind that even if two laptops have the same battery capacity, if, for example, one has a 17-inch screen and the other has a 15-inch screen, obviously the larger laptop’s battery will run out faster because it uses more energy.
Changing the subject, other extras or things you should consider are:
If you need to type a lot: Is the keyboard comfortable to type on? If you use the laptop a lot in dark places: Is the keyboard backlit ? Is there a numeric keypad? (Number keys on the right side, it’s a matter of taste) Do you want a touch screen ? What sound quality and volume level do the speakers offer? Does the laptop have extras like fingerprint reader for login? Do you need a CD/DVD reader ? (There are fewer) How many USB connections does the laptop have to connect accessories? If you are going to make a lot of video calls, how good is the webcam ? What type of laptop is the most suitable for you? Depending on the shape and design of each laptop, we distinguish several types.
Let’s review the general differences:
Ultrabooks :
They are characterized by being the thinnest and lightest. They may or may not have a touch screen. You can take a look at our buying guide where you will find a ranking of the best Ultrabooks.
Example of an Ultrabook 2-in-1 laptops:
These are laptops that turn into tablets, either because you can detach the screen from the keyboard or because they have 360º rotating hinges that allow you to fold the keyboard back. All 2-in-1s have touch screens and are usually smaller than other types of laptops, but not always. They are the most versatile devices, and you can find it with Windows or with the ChromeOS operating system .
Chromebooks are laptops that run the ChromeOS operating system.
These devices offer much of what Windows and macOS can do in the browser, and they prioritize cloud storage over physical. In addition, the latest touchscreen models are compatible with Android applications. They tend to cost less than other devices and some can stand up to more expensive laptops, but more importantly, you are clear if a Macbook or chromebook is right for you,
Gaming laptop:
This type of laptop is explained quickly, if you are a gamer and want to play video games on your computer, then you need a specialized gaming laptop (or a gaming PC. These devices come with the most powerful components to ensure that you will enjoy a great gaming experience. they are not exactly cheap.Gaming laptops are very powerful and usually come with RGB lights .
Operating system:
let’s talk about the components and the specifications of the laptops. The operating system of the laptop is another decision that you will have to make. While Windows laptops are the most popular, Macbooks (running MacOS) are a fantastic alternative for many people,
Apple’s MacBooks
Apple’s MacBooks offer great graphics performance. It is also true that the difference between Windows laptops and MacBooks is getting smaller, as there are more and more programs that you can use on both systems, as well as having options to work in the cloud, which means that you will be able to collaborate with other people on the same documents regardless of the equipment you have. As for Macbooks, they are a very attractive option, among other things because they often have lower prices. But they also differ from the other two types of laptops in a number of ways, so once again you need to be clear about what they offer to make sure they’ll do what you want to do. while you’ll be able to do a lot of things, it’s not quite as complete as Windows and Apple’s macOS.
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A chromebook can help you save money, and you’ll be able to stream movies, browse the Internet, and do a lot of other things. But it is very important that you first be clear if it is good for you. We have a detailed guide where we have explained exactly what you can do with a chromebook,
Finally,
if you are going to buy a Windows laptop, it is very important that you make sure that it comes with the operating system , that is, with Windows, included in the price . It is very typical, especially on online platforms like Amazon or PcComponentes, that they have wonderful laptops at incredible prices; many times this is because they come without an operating system, which means that you will have to pay for it separately or spend your life when the computer arrives: without an operating system you cannot use it. RAM vs. SSD Difference Between RAM and SSD ,RAM and storage . One of the typical confusions is not fully understanding the difference between RAM and storage on a laptop. Let’s start by explaining the difference between the two things in the simplest way possible.
We could say that the storage, which is the hard drive, is literally the place where all your files, photos, programs, etc. are kept.
The more storage the hard drive has, the more things you can store on your computer . On the other hand, RAM memory is a piece that the computer uses to process work. Nothing is stored in the RAM (in fact the entire RAM is erased every time you turn off or restart your laptop). RAM is dedicated to “reading what’s stored on the hard drive.” Simplifying as much as possible, the more RAM your computer has, the faster it will be . Now that we have a basic idea of what each thing does, let’s dive deeper.
Let’s start with the hard drive of a laptop:
There are different types, and nowadays you should choose a laptop with SSD (solid hard drive) storage , as it allows you to read and write data much faster than traditional hard drives. Also keep in mind that when a computer’s hard drive becomes too full, the laptop slows down.
A typical example to understand this is to equate it to humans:
when your head is too saturated, when you have many problems or a lot of work loading your mind, you are thicker? Well this is something similar. That said, it’s also good to know that if you need more space to store things over time, you can buy an external hard drive (or pen drive), which connects to your computer via USB and allows you to expand the capacity of your laptop. But let’s be clear, on the external hard drive you can store many photos, videos and documents, but you cannot save programs or Windows updates.
Therefore, to conclude with the hard drive, when choosing a laptop, do not get carried away just by seeing more or less capacity.
First, notice that the storage is SSD, since traditional disks, which are known as HDDs, may have more capacity, but they are much slower. Once the laptops with an SSD have been chosen, they should have an absolute minimum of 256GB of capacity, but if you are going to need to install many heavy programs or video games, then you should look for a computer with 500GB, or even 1TB in extreme cases. This will also depend on your budget.
Now let’s talk about Laptop RAM memory:
In a way it is simpler to explain. If you are going to choose a Windows laptop or an Apple MacBook, basically, we recommend choosing a laptop that has around 6GB or 8GB of RAM for most people. Now, if you are going to edit a lot of photos or videos, then at least 8GB. And finally, if you want to play video games you should already opt for 12GB or 16GB or more. In the case of Chromebooks, they work a little differently, as we said before, their operating system is lighter, so they don’t need as much RAM to go just as fast.
Different graphics cards of laptop
integrated or dedicated graphics As its name suggests, the graphics card is responsible for the graphics of the laptop, and is also known as the GPU. For most users looking to put their laptop to typical use, ie working, editing documents, surfing the web or streaming movies, an “integrated graphics” is fine.
Summarizing it to the maximum this means that there is no separate piece that takes care of the graphics;
This option is much cheaper than the other. But, people who want to play video games, or who need to perform very graphically demanding tasks, like editing a lot of videos, using Photoshop often, editing photos, etc., then they should look for a laptop with a “dedicated graphics”. How to distinguish the type of graphics in the specifications of a laptop? Basically, if it clearly states what the graphics card is, then it will be a specialized one, that is, dedicated. For this, you can also search for words like “Nvidia” or “AMD Radeon”, which are typical graphics names. When they are integrated, they are not usually specifically specified in the details of the laptop.
First of all,
It must be understood that a Chromebook does not need a processor as powerful as a Windows laptop, since its operating system is lighter and therefore requires much less. On the other hand, if you’re buying an Apple MacBook, know that the latest models now come with the company’s own new M1 chip, and they’re great. Although you will still find some Apple laptops with Intel processors on the market. Let us now explain a little about the processors that you will find in Windows laptops. They will practically always be of the Intel or AMD brand.
To make things easier for buyers,
both Intel and AMD use a numbering on their processors that gives us an idea of how well they perform and what we can expect from them. If you’re looking for an affordable laptop for simple tasks like surfing the web or watching Netflix, then you’ll be fine with an Intel Pentium, Intel Core i3, or AMD Ryzen 3-equipped laptop. If you are looking for something with more power, for example to edit videos or work in multitasking, then you should buy a laptop that has at least an Intel Core i5 or an AMD Ryzen 5 processor.
The best laptops for other more complex tasks, such as media creation or very demanding games, are those that come equipped with an Intel Core i7/i9 CPU, or from an AMD Ryzen 7. These are the highest range and they will give you excellent performance no matter what you ask of them. Of course, they are also the most expensive laptops. Finally, do not forget to look at how new the processor in question is. Intel names its processors by generations, which is nice, so the higher the generation, the newer the CPU. Right now the latest is the 11th generation.
Remember:
An 8th generation i5 is not the same as an 11th generation i5, the difference is enormous. The newer the processor, the better performance and energy efficiency it will offer but you will also have to pay more. Resolution and screen sizes Factors to consider about the screen .
The screen:
size and resolution As for the screen, before we get into technicalities like resolution, let’s start with the easy stuff: First, think about what screen size you want . The standard is usually around 15.6 inches. On the other hand, people who need to carry their laptop every few minutes often prefer a smaller screen. Or if you need to work on multiple documents at once or something like that, you might prefer a larger 17-inch one. Another easy factor to decide is whether you want the screen to be touch or not . This is not a necessary feature, but it is something that often makes life easier, making it a great option.
And now yes, let’s comment on the resolution, although it doesn’t really seem too decisive a factor either, since for normal day-to-day use, the truth is that all laptops on the market look good. But it is something that greatly influences the price of the device.
Normally, laptops offer a minimum resolution of 1080p, and that is more than enough for most people. If you want a better resolution for whatever reason, you can choose a laptop with a 1440p screen. On the other hand, if you do graphic design work at a professional level, your thing is that the screen is superior. In this case, an OLED type panel will be fantastic, since the colors will be even more intense and striking. We know that 4K is fashionable, but it is something that will cost you a lot more money and it is not really necessary.
Finally:
gamers should pay attention to some important factors on the laptop screen, since when playing games they are important to have an advantage against enemies. But it is not the resolution that is important, but the refresh rate , where 144Hz are incredible, and the response time , which should not be more than 4ms in any case. These two parameters will make your game much smoother and faster, and they are much more important than having a 4K screen. We hope that with this complete guide you now have a little more clarity on what you should look for when choosing the best laptop for you, and that at least everything doesn’t sound so wired when you go to the store and start comparing.
In this guide we have explained the different components. we have recommended what you should look for in each aspect .
And finally,
Remember that if you are considering buying a Chromebook, it’s great. But you first make sure that it is the right type of laptop for you.