Basic Recommendations for You: Laptop Buying Guide 2023
Our website offers an array of laptop choices. We know that it can be exhausting to choose especially when you have no idea how to start weighing in equally good options. Don’t worry, we’re here to help you. Here are the top things you should consider as your laptop buying guide this 2023.
The first thing you need to do in order to combat the overwhelming feeling of having too many options is to learn the process of elimination.
To break through the clutter of options, you have to consider several factors such as your budget, requirements, operating system, brand, screen size, battery life, storage, and more. By the end of it all, you’ll find yourself down with at least a handful of options left for the final round of selection.
Budget
The very first thing to consider before you proceed is your budget. Laptops can be expensive but they are an investment. Thus, you need to know how much you can afford so you can then start filtering out your options.
Less expensive ones range from having low-spec Windows systems to slower processors that are only ideal for basic functions.
A pretty decent configuration includes a laptop with at least Intel Core i3-i5 or AMD A8/Ryzen CPU with 4GB-8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD.
If you want premium quality and performance, you ought to top up your budget and choose powerful laptops with faster processors and graphics cards for an ultimate gaming, graphic designing, or programming experience.
Personal or Work Requirements
Aside from budget considerations, you should also align your purchase according to your personal or work requirements. Once you identify your needs, you can compromise the other components of your laptop.
There is always something for your every need since laptops are manufactured with a certain use or audience in mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student looking out to purchase your first laptop for online classes or a freelancer wanting to upgrade your old laptop with the latest specs.
With the right laptop buying guide 2023, you’ll be able to select the perfect laptop for yourself.
Operating System (OS)
Basically, there are three general operating systems that are commonly available - Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows. According to the Statista Research Department, Microsoft’s Windows is still the most widely used computer operating system in the world.
It accounted for 69.61 percent share of the desktop, tablet, and console OS market in December 2021. Apple's macOS follows the list at approximately 16 percent. Lastly, Linux-based operating systems, including Google's Chrome OS, follow at 5 percent.
You will probably come across lots of laptops that run the Windows OS, if anything they are the most user-friendly OS.
However, you might also get attracted to Mac’s hallmark of neat products with elegant, quality designs, as most people do.
But if you’re just into simple web-based tasks, Chrome OS is typically a much affordable choice. They are ideal if you just need a laptop to browse social media and make online purchases.
Brand
Brands, for some people, might just be a status symbol. But generally speaking, each laptop brand has their pros and cons since they each have their own priorities on their products.
Take note, that brand itself does not manufacture all the components that make up your laptop.
The real differences boil down to the product’s style and design, this includes the laptop size and ergonomics; software/driver support; quality assurance; and after-sales service among others.
Specs (Hardware)
This is where the real competition happens. Once you set up your budget and other nonnegotiable laptop components, it's now time to look out for the best hardware specifications ideal for you.
There are a lot of factors to consider starting from the RAM, processor, storage, battery, graphics card, and more.
RAM is an important component in determining your system's performance. The more RAM your laptop has, the better and faster the performance is. Depending on your budget, you can opt for 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and up.
On the other hand, processors determine the processing power of your computer. According to Consumer Reports, Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 can already handle daily, basic tasks.
As you move up the scale, the faster the performance goes, proportionate with its price.
For storage, newer laptops come with SSD compared to HDD from the old ones. SSD is faster and has more advantages, however it does come with an additional cost.
It is also important to consider battery life when it comes to narrowing down your options.
The best ones to choose are those that can last you 10 - 12 hours on regular charge. Again, depending on your budget, you can choose higher-end laptops with up to 18 hours of battery life.
What about graphic cards? Graphic cards are mostly crucial to gamers since it affects how well the laptop can render graphics-intensive programs. It may seem complicated, but there are even more factors to consider for the best overall laptop experience such as connectivity, resolution, and more.
Ultimately, you just have to select the right balance of all these according to your needs and budget.
WARRANTY
After-sales support and warranty that the brand offers are also important factors to consider. However, most users often overlook this aspect. Since laptops take a lot more wear and tear than desktop computers, it’s one way to protect against malfunctions over the years.
Always go for brands who have excellent after-service support so you’ll save up on some expenses.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON LAPTOP BUYING GUIDE 2023:
If you’ve made it to the end of our laptop buying guide 2023 article, I hope you will finally be able to get a clearer picture of the best laptop for you. You can start browsing here. Remember, always take a systematic approach when shopping. Goodluck!