When it comes to choosing a laptop today, people are literally spoilt for choice, and therefore choosing the right laptop can often be a daunting task. If you’re in the market for a brand new laptop, some of the most important factors and components to consider are the cost, the processor (CPU) and RAM.
You also need to consider the graphics card (GPU), the keyboard and touchpad, the overall size of the device, and the battery capacity. Take a closer look right here at exactly what makes a good laptop, including these important components, plus several other factors.
Brand new is better than second hand
There are many things to look for in a laptop, and the first thing you need to consider is your budget. For example, how much are you willing to spend on a laptop? Although there’s generally nothing wrong with pre-used laptops, if you’re looking for a good laptop that won’t have any problems from the moment you switch it on, the best thing to do would be to invest in a brand new laptop from a trusted seller. If there are any problems, you can easily take your new laptop back to the shop and get it replaced with no questions asked. However, the chances of having any issues with a new laptop are slim to none.
What will you be using your new laptop for?
Whether you are using your new laptop to watch your favorite television series on Netflix, have a few spins on your favorite Mr Green Slots, do your weekly shopping, keep up to date on your social media, edit your pictures and videos stored on the cloud, or work from 9 till 5, you will need a reliable device that won’t let you down. However, what you will be using your device for will determine exactly what kind of components you should consider.
Also, do you want to build a laptop from scratch, or do you want to purchase a laptop straight off the shelf? It’s generally cheaper to build one yourself, but this can get tricky if you’ve never built a laptop before. If the thought of building a laptop from the ground up sounds like too much hard work, then you may want to either get a professional to build a laptop for you or just buy one that’s already built.
Most important things to look for in a good laptop
The most important things to look for in a brand new laptop are things like:
- Cost – Laptops today can cost anywhere from as little as $150 up to around $4,500
- CPU (central processing unit, or simply processor) – The main chip (or the brand of the computer), which plays a huge role in how well the laptop performs. The cheaper the CPU, the poorer the laptop’s performance and capabilities will be
- RAM – The RAM or memory stores your data, and the more, the better. Most laptops today come with 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of RAM
- Wi-Fi Speed – You want something that will help your device pick up the fastest internet speeds, so remember to consider your laptop’s network card
- Battery – It’s better to get a device that has sufficient battery life so you don’t have to worry about it switching off mid-way through playing the more demanding PC games or halfway through watching your favorite ultra 4K movies
- Size – You don’t want something too big that’s overly clunky, but at the same time, you also don’t want something small and weak that’s going to break if dropped from a relatively small height. You also want a decent-sized screen, nothing too small
- Keyboard, display and touch quality – These are all important too. You need to make sure the keyboard and touch capabilities are comfortable and easy to use
- Mac or Windows – Do you want a macOS or Microsoft Windows operating system?
These are just some of the important things to consider when you next purchase a laptop. There are lots of other components to keep in mind too. If you’re looking to invest in a new laptop in 2022, some of the most trusted laptops and Chromebooks on the market today that are worth keeping an eye out for are the Apple MacBook Air (M2), the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4, and the Acer Swift 3. Other top systems include the MacBook Pro 14-inch, the HP Spectre x360 and the Dell XPS 13.
