Some tips for buying a laptop

Buying a laptop can be a challenging endeavor today due to constant changes in technology and more number of options available while buying. If you are planning to buy a new laptop then here are some tips for buying a laptop. Since you will invest a decent amount of money so make sure you make the best decision and get the satisfactory return on investment so that you do not have to repent in future. Read on to make it simpler.

Some tips for buying a laptop

If you have considered both a tablet and a laptop, you may want to look into purchasing a convertible laptop. Convertible laptops give you the convenience of both for less than the purchase price of individual units.

Consider the type of laptop that fits your lifestyle best. These days there are multiple types of laptops, from netbooks to desktop replacements and everything in between. Take note of how much you travel, how often you expect to carry your laptop with you, and how intensive the software that you expect to use really is. All these will affect the choice you make.

Some of the core features which must be considered before buying a laptop is briefly described as follows :-

CPU  Intel Atom processors are low in terms of performance, but offer longer battery life. If your use is limited and do not include resource intensive tasks utilizing more processing power then it is good to go. If performance matters, then go for Intel i5 processor at least.

RAM  When it comes to RAM, most of the laptops have 4GB these days so don’t settle for less. For power users 8GB can be considered a nice combination.

Hard Drive  1 TB of HDD at 7,200-rpm is a good one. If you require blazing speed then go for SSD. It will reduce the I/O time a lot. You’ll enjoy faster boot times, faster resume times and quicker software open. It is very good and is very costly. You have to compromise with storage limit as 120GB SSD cost approx = 1TB HDD.

Graphics Card For the most part, an integrated graphics chip (one that shares system memory) will be fine for basic tasks, including surfing the web, watching video, and even playing some mainstream games. But a discrete graphics processor from AMD or Nvidia (which has dedicated video memory) will provide better performance when it comes to the most-demanding games.

Know what kind of operating system you’re going to get before buying your laptop. This should be displayed in the technical specifications brochure, or you can do some googling using the model number of the computer. Most laptops come up with Windows OS preinstalled. If you tend to use your computer for home use only (internet, music, movies, document viewing and editing) then i must insist you to use Linux. Some versions of linux are very user friendly.

Make sure that your laptop comes with a quality sound system. The audio capabilities are often limited on laptop computers. A bad sound system can be a real turn off and will completely hamper the laptop using experience. Check the laptop’s sound specifications before purchase. A dolby digital sound is considered better. Vendors like JBL, Altec Lansing, Harman Kardon etc are considered the top in the line.

A large screen is enticing, but it is not always convenient. The larger the screen, the heavier the laptop and the harder it is to carry around. In addition, a large screen uses battery power quickly. Now-a-days 13 inch screen is considered a decent one for using a laptop like a laptop. This statement is not applicable for alienware users. 😛

So much new technology is emerging everyday. Buying a laptop is becoming complex for you as there are numerous options. Please ask (in comments section) if you have any queries. I shall be glad to help you.