If you are a student and professional then this guide will help you to understand the key factors to consider before buying a laptop. There are countless options available in the market and it’s hard to choose one. If you are a student, a gamer, or buying it for normal usage you should always do your best research about different things before buying the laptop. In this article, I will walk you through everything you should consider before making your purchase.

What To Check Before Buying a Laptop?

Know Your Primary Usage

Before diving into specifications and budget, always make sure about your primary usage. You should know how you are going to use it before buying one.

• General Use: For Browsing the Internet and watching videos you can consider buying a laptop with decent specifications.
• Gaming: For playing Games, you need a powerful GPU and CPU that can handle modern games.
• Professional Work: For designing, editing, and programming, go for a high-end processor.
• Portability: If you are a traveler, buy a lightweight laptop that is easy to carry.
• Student Use: If you are buying for college use, then look for a laptop that offers long battery life and solid performance.

Budget

Your budget will significantly influence your choice of laptop. A laptop under NPR 60K (~$499) is perfect for General usage whereas for student use should always look for a laptop that is under 90K (~ 699). For Gaming and Professional use never go for a laptop that does not have GPU and a powerful CPU. To get good results in gaming and editing, you should consider a laptop above NPR 1lakh (~$799). A traveler should go for Ultrabook or MacBook Air as per the requirements, as both laptops are light in weight.

Processor and Graphics

The CPU is the heart of your laptop and determines the overall performance. It handles all instructions and calculations, so choosing the right processor is essential for a smooth experience. Intel’s processors like i3, i5, i7, and i9 and Ryzen’s processors like Ryzen 3, 5, and 7 series are commonly used CPUs in laptops.

Core i3, i5, AMD Ryzen 3, and Ryzen 5 are sufficient to perform everyday tasks, whereas i7, i9, and Ryzen 7 are designed for heavy-duty applications. Most importantly, never forget to check the generation of the laptop before buying, and always consider buying laptops above 12^th generation for better performance.

Talking about the graphics cards, if you are into gaming or content creation, look for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card from NVIDIA or AMD. NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX, RTX, and AMD’s Radeon RX series are powerful options that handle modern games and creative software. Don’t forget to check the TGP of the graphic card, because the more TGP power your laptop will have, the better it will perform the task.

Check your CPU and GPU very wisely before buying, and if it doesn’t match your primary usage then it’s worthless to buy a laptop.

Memory and Storage

Always understand the importance of memory (RAM) and storage because these two components significantly affect your device’s performance, speed, and capacity. For normal usage, you can consider 4GB of RAM, but if you are a gamer or professional, then always search for 16GB or more RAM in your laptop. RAM is not upgradeable in many laptops, especially in Ultrabook and MacBook, so ensure you buy a laptop with the amount of memory you think you’ll need in the future.

SSDs are the standard storage for modern laptops as they provide more speed, reliability, and durability. So, if you want faster data access, always prefer SSD storage when buying a laptop.

Display and Battery

The display and battery life of a laptop are critical factors that significantly affect your overall experience. A good display ensures clarity and comfort, whether you are working or gaming. Content creators or gamers might prefer higher resolutions like 4K for detailed visuals.

Meanwhile, Battery life varies on your laptop usage, but if you are not a gamer or professional always look for a laptop that can provide a backup of a minimum of 6 hours.  But if you are a gamer and Professional user, then use your laptop while plugged in to get the best performance.

Keyboard and Trackpad

A comfortable keyboard and responsive trackpad can make a big difference in your overall user experience. While buying the laptop make sure to look at:

• Keyboard: Look for a keyboard with a good layout and sufficient key travel. Backlit keyboards are useful for typing in low-light environments
• Trackpad: A smooth and responsive trackpad is important for precise navigation. Ensure that the trackpad is large enough to use gestures like pinch-to-zoom and two-finger scrolling.

Ports and Connectivity

Make sure the laptop has enough ports for your needs before buying. While many laptops today come with USB-C and wireless options, it’s always important to verify the type of ports. A laptop should have multiple USB ports, as you have to connect the mouse, keyboards, and other peripheral devices. HDMI/DisplayPort is also necessary for connecting external displays.

Ensure that the laptop supports the latest Wi-Fi standards (Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6) for fast internet speeds.

Conclusion

After looking at all these essential factors, you will be well-equipped to make an informed decision. By understanding your needs carefully, you can choose a laptop that perfectly fits your lifestyle. Remember to choose the right laptop that strikes the perfect balance of everything. By learning this, you’re now ready to choose a laptop that will serve you well for years.