What Should I Consider When Buying A Laptop
1. Size and form factor
Laptops sizes tend to start at 11.6-inches and go all the way up to 17.3 inches. Most brands and OEMs like HP, Dell, ASUS, and Acer tend to offer three display sizes - 13.3-inch, 15.6-inch, and 17.3-inches. However, some vendors do sell laptops that fall outside these sizes including 11.6-inches, 12.5-inches, and 14-inches.
If portability is your priority, you’ll want to go for a smaller-sized Windows laptop. They tend to be thinner and lighter than their larger counterparts. Look for laptops that have a screen that is either 12.5-inches or 13.3-inches in size and a weight between 1kg and 1.5kgs.
However, keep in mind that smaller-sized 13.3-inch machines often don’t support the same high-end Intel Core CPUs or good graphics cards you’ll be able to find in their 15.6-inch laptops. Most of the time, they’ll also feature a less-robust selection of ports. If the kind of work you do intend to use more than one display or if need to use a lot of ports at the same time, you’ll probably need to look at a larger size.
Beyond specific sizes, there are several different classes of laptops to choose from. Ultrabooks tend to favor a slim and lightweight form-factor over high-end performance. Things like the Acer Swift X and HP’s Elite Dragonfly Max devices fall into this category.
By contrast, Notebooks tend to offer a good mix of power and portability. If you’re looking at notebooks, a good place to start is the Dell XPS 13 and HP’s Envy x360.
Convertibles (also known as 2-in-1 laptops) expand on this by adding the ability to fold away (or remove) the keyboard and use your new laptop as you would use a tablet. Products like Microsoft’s Microsoft Surface Pro 7 and Acer’s Chromebooks fall into this category.
Finally, traditional clamshell and gaming laptops tend to have bulkier form factors but significantly-better specs.
2. Screen quality
To start with, you’ll want to consider whether you want your next laptop to have a touchscreen at all. These days, touchscreens are very common and they can make some tasks easier than others. Some brands include this feature as standard.
Unfortunately, going for a touchscreen can sometimes add glossiness to the display. Though not a universal trait among touch-sensitive displays, glossier screens are often a little more susceptible to glare. This can be a definite drawback if you’re gaming, watching content, or editing images and video content.
Modern touchscreens are much better than their predecessors but, some of the above details persist and if you're more of a natural typist, you might want to consider going for a laptop that doesn’t have a touchscreen.
Be sure to look at the resolution on any laptop. A 1920x1080-pixel resolution (Full HD) should be considered the minimum if you want plenty of space to line up windows and keep things in view. If you splurge on something a little sharper, you probably won’t regret it though.
Select modern laptops also now offer 4K resolutions. However, these high-end display panels are generally a costly add-on to an already-expensive product. 4K is an extra that's only really going to be worth it for those who need it such as content creation professionals.
The refresh rate on the display of any potential laptop is very important. A faster refresh rate can often provide a sometimes provide a competitive advantage in online games, as it enables a smoother and more responsive play experience. Ideally, you want something with less than 5ms response time or a refresh rate greater than 144Hz. We’re starting to see laptops now with 300Hz refresh rates - laptops like the MSI GS66 Stealth and the super-powerful Asus ROG Strix G15 Advantage Edition and while this is considered exceptionally good right now, it might soon be the norm.
Viewing angles are extremely important. A laptop screen that touts IPS (in-plane switching) technology offers the widest viewing angles and the best user comfort. Chances are you’re not always going to be using your laptop in its natural habitat, so a laptop with an IPS display is usually preferred over the opposite.
3. Keyboard quality
Make sure the keyboard is also backlit. At face value, that might seem like a superficial detail but backlit keys make it much easier to see what you’re typing in dimly lit environments. Gaming laptops like the Razer Blade 14 and Acer Nitro 5 come with attractive RGB key backlighting to allow gaming at night or in dimly lit environments. Note: While backlit keys are useful, they will drain your battery sooner, so consider that when choosing your laptop.
4. CPU (important)
It’s hard not to notice any of Intel’s Core-based CPUs when buying a new laptop. Even if you’re not versed in the technical details, there’s a good chance you’ve seen the stickers plastered on all new laptops for the silicon giant’s Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors.
For many users, an Intel Core Processor offers the best performance when it comes to multitasking and multimedia tasks. Core i3-based notebooks are generally found in entry-level systems, while Core i5 makes up the majority of mainstream computers.
Core i7-based systems are for those of you who want the best performance from your laptop. However, note that with a Core i7-based system, heat coming through the base of the laptop can be cause for concern, especially if you plan to use the laptop on your lap a lot of the time.
Some larger laptops also now incorporate Intel's i9 Core processors. Laptops running on i9 Core processors are even more powerful than laptops running on i7 Core processors. They're able to rival desktops for performance but they do come with a significantly higher cost than a laptop with an i7, i5, or i3 Core Processor.
Select vendors now also offer laptops and notebooks that run on AMD’s Ryzen Mobile CPUs. If you’re a gamer, this can be a particularly compelling option worth considering. Ryzen Mobile CPUs tend to be paired with AMD’s own Vega graphics chipsets, which are currently far better for gaming than Intel’s onboard graphics.
There are a few caveats here but since laptops powered by AMD’s Ryzen Mobile chips tend to be slightly cheaper than their Intel counterparts, they can represent better value for money.
5.RAM (important)
In the old days, you rarely needed more than 4GB of RAM or more to get the best out of your system.
These days, you’ll probably want to think about 8GB as a minimum. If you’re a power user, 16GB is the way to go. Meanwhile, gamers should look at dialing things upwards to 32GB (or beyond) if they want the best experience.
More RAM allows for more applications to be run at the same time and for more data to be quickly accessible by the system at any one time, which comes in handy for tasks such as editing photos or video content.
There are a few interesting terms that you might see when looking into RAM specs, here's what you essentially need to know about them. Alongside the brand and capacity of any RAM stick, you're gonna find the letters DDR. There's also usually a number attached. For example, the Gigabyte Aero 15 OLED laptop has two 8GB sticks of DDR4 RAM. This acronym stands for Double Data Rate and the number that comes after it refers to the generation of component design.
The most recent generation of RAM hardware is DDR4 but DDR5 RAM is expected to land sometime in 2021. As a rule, higher numbers are better than lower numbers here and most motherboards can only support certain generations of RAM. Thankfully, since you're looking at buying a laptop, you don't have too much to worry about here since no sane OEM is going to stick incompatible RAM into a prebuilt machine.
The number that comes after the DDR designation is a little more significant. That's the transfer speed. Similar to the clock speed on a CPU, this number measures the default theoretical maximum transfer speed. Again, higher is better here. Higher speeds mean stuff happens faster.
Another detail to note here is whether or not the RAM in your laptop is single or dual-channel. In most everyday use cases, this might not make a huge difference but, if you're trying to weigh up your options, a laptop with dual-channel is generally more desirable than one with an equivalent amount of single-channel memory clocked at the same transfer speed. This is because dual-channel RAM can transfer a greater amount of data at once.
In conclusion, while having more RAM is always going to be better than having less RAM, most users aren't going to feel the difference between having 16GB and having 32GB unless they're running the kinds of RAM-heavy applications were that 16GB or a secondary channel is going to make a big difference. Since RAM is relatively cheap and often easy to upgrade in modern laptops, it's usually smarter and safer to buy for what you know you need here rather than what you might.
6. Storage (important)
A solid-state drive (SSD), on the other hand, offers a lot more speed than a hard drive, runs silently, and can be installed in a form factor that doesn’t add too much to the weight and bulk of a laptop. As a result of these clear benefits, most OEMs have embraced SSD storage as the standard for laptops.
Stick to an SSD for your new laptop and you’ll love the speed with which it can load programs, access your data, and also how quickly it can boot up your system.
The only problem is that SSDs don’t offer as much raw capacity. In addition, SSD storage is also often more expensive in terms of dollars-to-gigabytes than traditional hard drives. You could end up stuck with a drive that’s either 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB in size and it costs a lot more than one with a 1TB or 2TB hard drive would.
To compensate, many laptop and PC OEMs now pair a smaller SSD with a larger hard drive. This allows consumers to get the speed benefits of keeping their operating system on SSD storage while also having adequate storage space for the rest of their data.
If you opt to go for something with this dual-drive setup, you'll generally want an SSD with a minimum of 256GB of storage and a secondary drive with no less than 1TB. Alternatively, if your laptop only has a single SSD drive at its disposal, you'll want to make sure it includes no less than 512GB of storage space.
The newest, fastest laptops also have NVMe solid-state drives which are even faster than traditional SSDs but also more expensive. If you're buying a new laptop in 2020, you'll want one with an SSD. However, that being said, don't feel overly pressured to spend extra on the latest model here. While it is true that more recent SSDs boast better speeds than older models, the biggest advantages you're enjoying here are tied more to the fundamental advances that SSDs offer over traditional hard drive storage.
7. Battery (important)
Manufacturer-quoted battery life is rarely indicative of what the real-world experience of using a laptop is like.
There are simply too many variables that affect battery life. There is the screen brightness, the screen resolution, the number of applications you have running in the background plus whether or not you actively remain connected to Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices.
The operating system a laptop runs on can also play a major role in determining battery life. It’s for this reason that ultrabooks and convertibles running on Chrome OS tend to offer superior battery life than those running on Windows 10.
If you run programs that need lots of processing, stream lots of online videos, play graphics-intensive games or if you transfer lots of files over a wireless network, then your battery will drain a lot sooner than what the vendor has quoted.
A good practice here is to look at the rating of the battery in Watt-hours (Wh) or milliamp-hours (mAh). The larger these figures are, the longer the battery can last. For a 13.3in Ultrabook, for example, a battery with a rating from 50Wh to 60Wh will give you the best results.
Another key thing to look for here is fast-charging. Much like modern smartphones, many new laptops also support fast charging, which is always good in a pinch. But the faster the charging speed, the faster the battery will drain.
8. USB type-C
These days, if a laptop has only one USB Type-C port on it, you probably ought to look at buying another laptop. Ideally, you should look for a laptop that has at least a couple of these ports. They're the most common connector port in the industry and, while you can find a dongle for anything on Amazon, it's usually a better bet to just make sure your next laptop has them.
In addition to the baseline utility you get from USB Type-C ports (which allow you to plug in an external hard or SSD drive and backup your data or use a conventional mouse or a fancy keyboard with your laptop), USB Type-C ports are substantially faster than USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports. This means that data transfers over USB Type-C ports take significantly less time.
Many modern peripherals also tend to deliver the best performance on or require USB Type-C to function at all.
Among the Type-C ports, Thunderbolt 4 ports are the best option. Thunderbolt 4 ports have a peak data transfer speed of 40 gigabits-per-second. They also offer faster charging and allow you to connect multiple 4K displays or one 8K display to your laptop, which is compelling functionality.
9. Build quality
No matter how careful we are, most laptops are inevitably going to find themselves, dropped, thrown, and knocked around by the rigors of everyday use. For that reason, it's worth checking out how much testing a laptop has undergone (the manufacturer usually crows about it) or whether there's any sort of certification that you can put your confidence behind.
Modern laptops are often ruggedized to withstand rain and dust. Some are built especially for the brutal educational environments - and come with military-grade protection certifications. The most common of these you're going to see is MIL-STD 810G.
MIL-STD-810G is a standard used by the US Military to indicate a guaranteed minimum level of durability. Compliant products have made it through a gauntlet of 29 separate tests that measure resistance to shock, heat, cold, humidity, and more. Though originally developed as a way to win a government contract, MIL-STD-810G has become increasingly common in consumer tech in recent years.
10. LTE connection, Ethernet connection, or Wi-Fi
When it comes to purchasing a laptop, a big question you should ask is: Should I buy a laptop with LTE? Unlike laptops with built-in network cards, laptops with LTE can connect to mobile data signals. That means instead of having to connect to a wireless network at home, in the office, or at Wi-Fi hotspots, your laptop can connect directly to a mobile ISP for internet access. The main benefit of this is you can use your laptop just about anywhere when outdoors, traveling on the bus, or even on the beach. this option may be perfect for you. However, there are a few caveats.
LTE technology sits in the higher-end laptop category, so you will pay for the privilege. Also, just like with your phone, you’ll need to either be on a data plan or buy prepaid data to use your LTE. And as such, your experience will be influenced by the speed of your laptop’s network connection and by the amount of data in your plan.
Know what LTE network your laptop will connect to since this will determine your internet speeds. The most common LTE technology in laptops in Australia today supports connection to the 4G networks. 4G is capable of maximum download speeds of 1Gbs, which is close to most home broadband speeds. But 5G laptops will soon be coming to Australia. These laptops, when available, will feature significantly faster speeds of between 10–30Gbs. If superfast internet is a priority, go for 5G.
If you are not fussed about having LTE or want to avoid the ongoing fees, a laptop with Wi-Fi-only functionality will do just fine. Most laptops come with built-in network cards so you won’t need to fuss over installations or affix dongles. You can also use mobile Wi-Fi tethering as a source of Wi-Fi on the fly.
The last thing to consider with your internet connectivity is whether you need an Ethernet (RJ-45) port. Most people don’t use this functionality anymore, since Wi-Fi connectivity is so widespread. But, if you’re plagued by a weak Wi-Fi signal, or lack Wi-Fi altogether, you should consider it. Otherwise, it’s not necessary.
11. Wi-Fi speed
Wi-Fi speeds are determined by many different factors, such as signal strength and the level of interference between your laptop and your router, but the one factor that you should think about when purchasing a new laptop is the Wi-Fi speed of your laptop’s network card.
The speed at which your laptop transfers data from an internet router to your laptop and back is called its link speed and it is measured in bits per second (bps). Even if your internet connection is fast, if your link speed is lousy, your Wi-Fi speed will struggle.
Most laptops with network cards connect to wireless hotspots on either the 2.4GHz (Wi-Fi 4) or 5GHz (Wi-Fi 5) frequency band, meaning they are capable of maximum link speeds of 1Gbs (Wi-Fi 4) or 3.5Gbs (Wi-Fi 5). When it comes to Wi-Fi generations, Wi-Fi 4 is getting a bit old now, but Wi-Fi 5 will perform well for almost anything you’d need to do online, such as browsing webpages, watching videos, and running browser-based applications. For that, network cards that support Wi-Fi 5 will do nicely.
Wi-Fi speeds won’t always be listed in the product descriptions online or in retail outlets, but they will be listed in the detailed product specifications, so check there if you’re unsure.
Source: PC World
Credit: PC World
