There are a lot of considerations when buying laptops, but you need not worry as it only takes a smattering of knowledge to help you see which portable computers are the best for you. Here is a quick rundown of a few things you need to know when you buy a laptop.
Built for gaming, programming or working
If you want a gaming laptop, you will need a great graphics card and a sufficiently fast processor among other things. A laptop for working should be reliable above all else, and so you may need a larger hard drive. A laptop for programming will need a fast processor(s) in order to save time.
The size of your hard drive
Your required hard drive size will depend on your planned use. For example, if you plan to work on the move it may be more sensible to opt for a smaller, more compact hardrive which is useful for transportation. This can always be supplemented by using cloud storage options or carrying an additional portable hard drive with you.
Consider the weight of your laptop
If you plan to use your laptop on the move, lightweight makes sense; aim for anything between one to six kilograms. If you are planning to use a laptop in your office or at home all the time, then you are better off investing in a PC.
The GHz speed of your laptop
The faster your laptop is, then the faster your programs work and the easier it is to run certain software. You should look for processors with more cache, most laptops will run dual core processors, you may need to invest in a more powerful quad core processor if you are running powerful programs, or playing computer games.
The RAM on your laptop
If a laptop has a lot of RAM, then it can handle more tasks at one time. There are two types of laptop memory; DDR2 and DDR3. DDR3 is the better choice of the two as it tends to be faster. 4GB of RAM should be enough for regular use, but you can always upgrade if you need more.
Conclusion
As this article proves, more is not always better; it just improves the odds of things being better. Do not forget that if you have more RAM, or hard drive, processors, etc, that it will cost you more money to buy and will cost you more to power. You may also find that the battery on your laptop doesn’t last as long too, so it all requires a lot of consideration.
Image by jaci XIII used under the Creative Commons license.
