How to Buy a Laptop: Detailed Guide

Planning to buy a laptop? It isn’t a very easy proposition as there is a host of different laptops to choose from. It may not be a piece of cake to buy a new laptop but we will ensure that you buy the right one. Before going out to buy one, figure out the reasons for you’re buying a laptop and the next question to ask yourself is why are you buying it. This will help you select the right one catering to your needs.

Depending on why you are buying a laptop and for what purpose, laptops are categorised into three entertainment laptops, business laptops, and gaming laptops.

1. Entertainment Laptops

These laptops cater to most users and they are not equipped with any specialized components and gets your job done with ease.

2. Business Laptops

This kind of laptops require more powerful components and they promise a higher performance.

3. Gaming Laptops

One of the most powerful laptops are certainly the gaming laptops. They are one of the most expensive ones around as they require a large number of resources to run games.

How to Buy a Laptop- Keep these Things in Mind

While buying a laptop, ensure that you have the following components in your laptop so that it solves your purpose in more ways than one.

1. Central Processing Unit

The brain of your computer or CPU (Central Processing Unit) is what you need to focus on if you require a faster or better-performing computer.  CPU’s like Intel has three main processors such as the i3, i5, and i7.  For some random browsing, an Intel i3 CPU is more than sufficient but for better performance and faster work, the Intel i7 CPU is what you need. 

 2. Go Big on RAM

The next thing to focus on when buying a computer is the RAM memory or the computer’s short-term memory. Make sure the RAM is as big as possible. Go for the DDR3 as it is the new technology and is better than DDR2 in every way. A laptop with an 8 GB RAM that will be more than enough for you.

3.  Focus on the Big Hard Drive

The Hard Drive (HDD) is the next component you need to focus on. The Hard Drive is the long-term memory. The computer stores all the important information such as Operating System, files, and folders with all the data you store in your laptops such as the movies, music, photos. Opt for HDD’s with sizes such as 250 GB, 320 GB, and 500 GB and so on.

4. Screen Resolution and Dimension

Screen Resolution and Dimension should be your next focus point while buying a laptop. It is mostly about how large your laptop screen is and what kind of technology your screen has: LED backlight, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) OLED or WLED. Opt for the LED screen as it is one of the best.

5. Battery – One of the Most Important Components

The next important component that influences your buy, is the battery. They come in standard sizes and you should certainly select the bigger one as then it will last for a longer time.  The battery is measured in cells such as 6 cells, 9 cells, and 12 cells and so on. The battery is made up of 6,9,12 of smaller batteries.

6. Additional Components – The Things You Cannot Forget

USB 3.0

Besides the above-mentioned crucial pointers, you would require USB 3.0, the latest USB technology, so look for a laptop that has one.

Web Camera

The WEB Camera or card readers are the additional features that you must take into your account if you are buying a laptop. A web camera of 2 Mpx to 5 Mpx can give you great quality videos.

Card Reader

The Card Reader is a pretty handy feature as it has memory cards, pretty similar to your camera or phone.

Operating System

Get an Operating System (or OS) to put it all together and make it all work. OS’s largely depend on individualized preferences so install a Windows 7 or a Linux distribution, whichever suits your purpose more.

These are all the major components of any laptop. So if you are trying to buy the right one, first focus on why you need it along with your budget. There are way too many brands out there enticing you with their innumerable claims. Think practically, so that you can select the one which fulfills most of your requirements and at the same time can do so without burning a hole in your pocket.