Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop: Buying a laptop is a time-consuming process. We should spend our hard-earned money on that laptop which gives satisfaction to us. Most people get confused while buying a new laptop as there are many manufacturers with the same type of hardware & software configuration for a laptop in a particular price range.
Before buying a laptop, many people do research on the web about a particular laptop. But still, they are confused as they are overloaded with information. What should they need is a Laptop Buying Guide. A Laptop Buying Guide will help you to make your purchasing decision about a laptop. It will tell you which things you should consider before buying a laptop. As there are many components (hardware & software) in a laptop system we have examined all its features carefully before making a decision.
As technology is growing, the features & design of laptops are also evolving. That’s why we have to know the changes in ever-growing technology. The manufacturer is developing better CPU, RAM, design, and other features in a laptop. International companies like Intel always work on to make its processor as fast as possible to cater to the needs of users & latest trends.
Now you don’t need to do unneeded research on the web but just consider 10 points before buying. This guide will tell you things you should know before buying a laptop. Let’s proceed on.
Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop (Laptop Buying Guide)
Below are the things to consider before buying a laptop. You can also consider it as a laptop-buying guide.
1. Budget: Point To Consider Before Buying A Laptop
Budget is the most important factor that will ultimately decide the buying of a laptop. Everybody has purchasing power so before buying a laptop, we should put a budget for buying the laptop. For example, suppose Tim is a college-going student with a part-time job and Rick is an employee in a reputed company and his monthly income is quite decent. Both want to purchase a laptop, what will they do? First, they will put a budget for it. As Tim’s earnings are low he will put a low budget for his laptop, say $400 maximum. But on the other side, Rick who earns well from his job can put in a decent budget for buying his laptop, say $1000.
In both cases, the budget for purchasing a laptop is different because of purchasing power. So you have to decide your budget, and after that, you can look for laptops in that particular budget range. You can buy a decent laptop if you have more money to spend.
2. Processor (CPU)
The processor (CPU) is the main part of a laptop or computer system which defines the speed of processing any task in a particular system. If you want to surf the web, play the latest games, do video editing, or do any processor-intensive task then all you need is a powerful processor. A fast processor will let you do all tasks on the system buttery smooth. Most of the latest laptops come with CPUs of two brands, Intel and AMD. Both give decent performance but Intel is considered to be more advanced than AMD. Laptops with Intel processors are also more expensive than AMD-based laptops.
If you want super-fast processing speed, go for Intel Core i7 series laptop.
3. RAM (Random Access Memory): Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop
RAM or Random Access Memory is the physical memory of any computer system that helps speed up the processing of the application. For smooth operation of all tasks, it’s recommended to have a laptop with at least 4GB RAM. If you want to do heavy processing tasks like video editing and graphics designing your laptop needs more than 4GB RAM.
Also, it’s not only how much memory you got installed in your laptop but RAM type plays an important role in defining speed. You should always look for a laptop with DDR3 RAM as its latest. DDR3 tends to run at a faster frequency than older DDR2.
4. Storage Drive: Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop
Hard Disk Drive will keep all of your data including docs, software, videos, images, and other system files. How much hard drive space you need is another big question. Most of the low-priced laptop comes with a hard drive of 320GB. You can increase its capacity by replacing it with another hard drive with higher storage space. You can opt for 500GB to 1TB depending on your budget and price.
If you want your system to perform the task in a fraction of a second then SSD (Solid-State Drive) should be preferred. But these SSDs are quite expensive than normal HDDs and are way faster than HDDs. Most of the high-end laptops come with Solid-State Drive.
5. Screen Size & Type
Screen Size & its type also matter when buying a laptop. Most of today’s laptops come with a minimum screen size of 14.1 inches. It all depends on all of you to define the screen size for you. If you are fond of watching movies and playing games on a laptop then it’s better to buy a laptop with a bigger screen of 17 inches. For casual computing tasks like web surfing and office work, 14.1 or 15.6 inches are enough.
It’s also recommended to opt for an HD screen with anti-glare features. HD Screen will let you watch movies with HD resolution. Another side anti-glare is a coating put on-screen for anti-reflection. If you want a touchscreen laptop, you can easily get one in the budget range. The touch-screen helps you to navigate on any screen with ease.
6. Design
The design of a laptop is also one of the important things to consider when buying a laptop. Today’s laptop buyers also give preference to the design of a laptop before buying it. Everyone wants a laptop with a slim design with high portability. A laptop should be slim and lightweight. The design of a laptop also impacts its price.
These days laptops have a design in which the screen of the laptop can be removed from it and can be used as a tablet. But laptops with this type of design are expensive.
7. Graphics Processor
If you are a pure game lover and love to watch HD & Full HD Videos on your laptop then GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) will play an important role. GPU will take all of the graphics processing tasks on it. Most of the latest Intel Core Processors have integrated & powerful graphics units and can perform any graphics-intensive task with ease.
But if you want ultimate graphics performance then go for discrete graphics units like AMD and Nvidia provide discrete graphics.
8. Battery
Battery capacity is another deciding factor in buying a laptop. As the laptop is a portable device so should have decent battery life to work anywhere. A laptop with poor battery life will always interrupt your work. Most of the low-price laptop comes with 6-cell batteries. Still, battery life depends on the usage of the laptop and how well you maintain it.
A basic 6-cell laptop battery should give at least a minimum of 4 hours of backup. The modern processor allows the battery to get to its maximum backup as it takes less power.
9. Operating System
Which operating system do you want in your system? If you want Mac OS X there is only one option of Apple MacBook. In laptops, you can opt for Windows 11. Before buying a laptop, you should always be aware about that Is OS comes pre-installed with the laptop or not.
If you have already purchased a licensed version of the Windows operating system then it’s better to avoid pre-installed OS laptops.
10. Brand
The brand of a laptop matters a lot. You should always prefer some leading laptop brands like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, Asus, etc. You can also look for top laptop brands before buying a laptop.
11. Warranty: Things To Consider Before Buying A Laptop
After-sales service and warrants is one of the important things to consider while buying a laptop. HP is known for its best after-sales service and attractive warranty offers. Many companies provide attractive extended warranty offers. Another point is that you must check if there is any service center available in your city or not.
12. Tweak Your Budget
First, you have to make a budget for buying a laptop. After knowing your needs for a laptop like CPU, RAM, Scree, Brand, Design, and more, if the price of a laptop exceeds your budget then it’s up to you to increase the budget or just buy other laptops with lower features.
Remember, the more budget you put the more you can buy a better laptop. You should also look for some other basic features like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Optical Drive, Web Cam, and Keyboard type.
Conclusion: The Best Laptop Buying Guide
Buying a laptop can be confusing. This guide will easily let you buy your dream laptop. All you need is to follow the above tips to buy a laptop. You should alter your price range accordingly if you want decent features in your laptop.
If you have followed any other tips while buying a new laptop, let us know in the comment section. Have a Happy Laptop Buying process.
