Buying a computer or laptop is no small feat. In order to find the right equipment, you should first consider what it will be used for. There are many things to bear in mind when buying a laptop and it’s not an obvious matter. The type of laptop you decide on depends mainly on the purpose of use. On the market there are ultrabooks (thin and light), 2-in-1 laptops (combination of tablet and ultrabook), universal notebooks and something for game lovers – gaming laptops. Deciding to buy such equipment should be approached with caution. After all, we don’t make such purchases every day, do we? Electronics shops constantly tempt us with promotions and mega deals so that before you know it, you’re at the megastore chasing that “awesome” promotion.
When buying a new laptop, it’s best to pay special attention to the following essential guidelines so as to get the best bang for your buck while serving your unique laptop needs.
BRAND
When buying electronic equipment, we often follow well-known brands: Samsung, HP, Acer, Dell, Asus or Apple. Unfortunately, a familiar brand does not always mean good and efficient devices. Every fine company can have an unimpressive or faulty model. In the same token, a not-so-popular company can work hard to produce an exceptional model. Yes, the brand is important for laptop users, but when deciding to purchase a laptop, you should pay attention to more vital parameters. An expensive and well-known laptop model does not always mean better. Often you’re just paying a premium for that over-priced brand logo.
RAM (RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY)
The amount of RAM has a significant impact on the speed of executed applications. The more the better. RAM memory contains information concerning running programs and processes. To a large extent, it depends on the performance and speed of our equipment, especially when we use many demanding programs at the same time. For ordinary users, 4GB RAM is no longer enough to guarantee smooth and stable operation of the system- since most of it is already occupied by the operating system itself, leaving little for you to use to run other apps. If you do video-editing or like to open a ton of browser tabs without slowing down the performance, you’ll need at least 8GB RAM. Moreover, if you do Data Science applications and process large data files, you’re probably going to need at least 16GB RAM if not more. And finally, for the gamers out there, the more the better! Do not settle for anything below 32GB RAM. With the trend moving towards increasingly RAM-intensive applications, your sweet spot would be somewhere between 8 and 16GB RAM- that is if you intend to maximize utility and have a still ‘relevant’ laptop in a few years.
GRAPHICS CARD
This parameter is responsible for generating and displaying images. The graphics card is of great importance to people using graphics processing applications, and especially for connoisseurs of computer games. List of available graphics card models is enormous. In a situation where the integrated graphics card is not enough to process your work, you can purchase an external graphics card. As such, you will obtain an additional graphic layout, which is important for demanding programs and applications.
MATRIX TYPE
Resolution is also an important parameter to consider while buying a laptop. If it is going to be used as a desktop computer, used solely at home and rarely moved/transported, you should opt for a matrix with a diagonal of 15, 16 or more inches. However, if you bring it along on a trip or to/from work, a smaller matrix will be a better option. It is more handy and will last longer on the battery side of things.
As for the type of matrix, you have two main options to choose from: matte and glossy. Matte is more suitable for terrain and sun-kissed rooms. The glossy matrix will work in closed rooms, offices or homes. You should also pay attention to the fact that the laptop has an LED backlight. The advantage is reduced energy consumption, better reproduction of colors, and the screen does not take as long to warm up as in the case of LCDs.
CPU (MAIN PROCESSOR)
This parameter manages all the processes in the laptop and is also responsible for its performance. It’s the brain of the laptop. It determines how fast programs and applications start and run. The type of processor should be matched to the role of the laptop. If you watch movies and use the Internet, a fairly cheap and economical processor will do. If you professionally deal with graphics or games or Big Data applications, it is best to look for high-performance CPUs. They do not come cheap.
HARD DISK DRIVE
The hard disk drive is one of the most significant components that laptops have. That’s where all your data is stored, from photos to documents, etc.. When buying a laptop you should pay attention that the drive is reliable. It is a relative term… I think that most of us had to replace a rotten hard drive at least once in a lifetime. You should remember to make backup copies of your data. Otherwise, if something happens to the disk or your coffee just spilled over, your data may be irretrievably lost. And by the way, on this front, if you take lots of photos and store them on your laptop, you might need 1TB of SSD storage, or more. If you’re not in need of that much storage, you can settle for 500GB, but not less than that unless you know what you’re doing.
ACCESSORIES
Laptops or computers have many additional features that make them more practical and fun to use. Gaming fans know that the keyboard is no longer just an office keyboard. A must have for every gamer is a backlit keyboard if you want to play long games at night. If you travel a lot and always want to have your equipment with you, a backpack or a laptop bag may not protect it enough during transport. Get yourself a laptop sleeve so your gear arrives safely. Since you already spent a lot of money on it, sparing a few more bucks for a case is a no-brainer.
ALL IN ALL
I hope the above article has provided you with the necessary knowledge about laptops and will help you choose the right one. However, when it comes to detailed information about specific models you have to look through online reviews. They can prove to be very helpful because the authors take an in-depth look at the given design and point out strengths and weaknesses. And this can help you when buying a new laptop. If, however, you still have doubts, you can also go to a stationary/electronics shop, where you will receive a whole lot of information concerning the models at hand and receive tailored advice.
