Laptop buying made easy: Focus on these factors when choosing the perfect laptop

Brand. Screen-size. Processor. Storage. These are just some of the major factors that can come into play when choosing which laptop to buy. While the ever-evolving choices can get a tad overwhelming, your laptop buying process doesn’t need to get confusing. Setting your sights on your primary needs and requirements, and of course, your budget, should help you buy that perfect laptop. If you’re confused about buying a new laptop, here are five factors to focus on.

Size

Size is one of the first deciding factors when buying a new laptop. While laptops with a 15.6-inch screen are fairly common, there are also smaller laptops and larger ones, each with their own pros and cons.

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Smaller laptops may lack screen real-estate, but are more portable and lighter, while larger laptops offer a superior media consumption experience and better battery life. Which size you need will come down to factors like where you’ll use the laptop more, how frequently you’ll carry it around and how likely you are to have a charger around you at all times.

Operating system

The next step is determining which operating system or OS your laptop will be powered by. While Windows laptops cater to most users, there’s also Apple’s MacBooks for those in the Apple ecosystem looking for more power, and Chromebooks for light-users on a budget. All three platforms have their own advantages and drawbacks though. Know if your use cases are supported by the platform before you dive deeper into selecting a laptop.

Performance

Among the most crucial parameters to focus on when choosing a laptop are processor and RAM capacities. There are multiple processor options available across various price points from industry bigwigs like Intel and AMD. If you plan to use a laptop for basic tasks, then opt for ones powered by an AMD Ryzen 3 or an Intel Core i3 processor.

For heavier workloads, Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5-based laptops should do the trick. Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 based machines are ideal for those who want to game or perform resource-intensive tasks like video editing.

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As for RAM, 8GB capacity is a bare minimum when doing basic tasks. If you tend to engage in heavier tasks such as simulations, photo or video editing or gaming, then 16-32GB of RAM is considered ideal.

Storage

While we all agree that more storage is better, it is also important to remember that laptops with higher storage are also more expensive. One also needs to make a choice between a Solid-State Drive (SSD) and a Hard Disk Drive (HDD). Laptops with SSDs tend to be thinner and also significantly faster. HDD laptops, on the other hand, are more affordable and capable of handling basic multitasking well.

Bonus tip

Laptops are a fairly expensive and long-term investment, and it is only natural then, to want to protect that investment. For an extended period of protection, it is highly recommended that you opt for an extended warranty plan.

These plans, depending upon which one you choose, provide coverage for manufacturing defects and/or accidental damage, repairs for which otherwise may be pretty expensive. While many assume that extended warranty plans are expensive, in reality, they are about a fraction of your laptop’s cost. They are also much cheaper than most repair costs your laptop can stir up.