The thing no one tells you about working as a professional laptop reviewer is that everyone in your life that you even know a little about will ask you, at some point, which laptop they should buy.
SummaryPriceScreen sizeSpecificationsBattery lifeThere are variations, of course. There's "Which laptop should I buy for my son?" or "What laptop should I buy for my sister?" or "What laptop should I buy to start my podcast?" I've heard them all. I imagine most laptop reviews on the internet can say the same.
My answers are very often disappointing. I think people often expect that because I use these things for my work, I'll be able to immediately give them the perfect recommendation. But – as I imagine many gadget reviewers will tell you – it's a lot harder than you think.
Here's the reality:I spend all day thinking about what the best laptops are for most people . But the laptop that's best for most people won't necessarily be the best laptop for you. This recommendation will depend on a ton of questions that you know the answers to much better than I do.
Below, I'll give you an idea of how to go about the process of buying a laptop. I really believe that if you've thought about all the variables I've outlined here, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a good product on your own. But if you come to me (or a laptop reviewer you know, or a computer guy you know, or a tech-savvy person you know) to ask me which laptop you should buy, you have to have definitive answers to these questions ready. Otherwise, we cannot help you. (Or, at least, not as well as we would like.)
Before we dive in, a quick note:This article is largely aimed at buyers who prefer to use Windows. If you prefer ChromeOS, much of that will apply too – I've noted a few places where Chromebooks may differ. If you're looking for macOS, your only option is a MacBook, so you should just take a look at Apple's picks directly.
Finally, I don't recommend any specific models here. If you are looking for them, please check out our articles Best Laptop, Best Gaming Laptop, Best Chromebook, Best Budget Laptop and Best Student Laptop. These articles will be more useful to you if you have thought about all these questions first.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / I/O Means
Price range is most important consideration when deciding which laptop to buy. If you come to me asking for recommendations but don't know how much you're able to spend, I'm a sitting duck. It's okay if your price range is conditional (i.e. "I'll go up to X for an OLED screen, but otherwise I'm capped at Y"), but you need to have a clear one. This price range will dictate your options in the future.
The price of what would generally be considered a "good" laptop has steadily increased over the years. Some reviewers still consider $500 and under to be the "affordable laptop" line, but I'm personally starting to see the $800 mark as the point above which I expect laptops to be really, really awesome, with state of the art – state of the art build quality, top notch performance and no major flaws. That certainly doesn't mean that every laptop over $800 has top-notch build quality, top-notch performance, and no major flaws – but if that's what you're looking for, this is the place to go. to take a look at.
That said, it's worth noting that better-built laptops generally last longer. I know people who are still using MacBook Pro models from 2013; I have a friend who has been through two HP lodges in the past four years. That's not to say everyone needs to spend thousands of dollars on a laptop – it does mean that a device that's super cheap up front may not save you money in the long run. term.
Since in most cases I recommend adults looking for a primary Windows driver to stay above the $500 mark if they can afford it. That doesn't mean you have to spend $1,000 – there are plenty of well-designed options between $500 and $1,000.
This is all different if you're looking for something more specialized. For one thing, none of this applies to Chromebooks — most people shouldn't spend more than $1,000 for a Chromebook in today's market.
Gaming laptops also cost more. The fanciest ones cost several thousand dollars. That said, if you don't have very specific gaming laptop requirements and can tweak the settings from time to time, you shouldn't feel like you need to spend more than $1,500. . If you're looking for specific things (tons of RGB, special ports, QHD display, etc.), add a little to the price of each feature.
And business laptops are also at a higher price point. Companies tend to make their own deals with manufacturers and usually don't pay the list price. You'll find some of the nicest laptops on the market in the business category, but I generally recommend consumers stay out of that sphere unless money is really an issue or you have specific software needs.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / I/O Means
Your main options are a 13 inch, 15 inch or 17 inch. There are options above and below these sizes, but they are unusual and have quite specific audiences.
If you're not sure what screen size you need or are buying for a first-time laptop user, I'd start with a 13-inch or 14-inch. If you've used one before and it seems too small, or if you need more power than most 13-inchers can offer, a 15-inch is probably your choice. These are generally geared more towards heavy-use cases than the 13-inches, so you'll likely see more powerful chips here at the expense of efficiency and portability.
In general, I don't recommend most people have 17 inch screens unless they have a specific use case where they need such a large screen as possible. There are some good options in this size category, but your selection will be much smaller than it would be in the 13-inch and 15-inch spheres.
While we're talking about displays, you should think about your aspect ratio. While some laptops are available in multiple aspect ratios, most are only available in one, so it's best to have one in mind before shopping. A 16:9 aspect ratio has been the most common in recent years – it's good for media viewing but can be cramped for productivity and multitasking. 3:2 and 16:10 aspect ratios give you a bigger screen with more screen space. I've written my in-depth thoughts on aspect ratios elsewhere if you want to dig deeper.
Okay, now that you've figured out your size and price range, it's time to start looking at some models. Check out updated pages of the best laptops, find out what's selling well on Amazon and the like, ask your friends what models they have. Once you've found a selection of products you like the sound of, it's time to choose your favorite.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / I/O Means
Now is the time to think about why you are buying a new laptop. Specifically, what is wrong with your current system?
If your old driver still works fine for everything you need and your problem is related to its chassis, you can probably get a new laptop with the most recent versions of the specs. this laptop. (By specs, I largely mean CPU, storage, and RAM. You can find out what they are on your current model in Device Manager.)
Very briefly (and I'm simplifying a bit here — Portable has literature for you if you really want to get into the CPU weeds), most people buying in the consumer space will have the option of a Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or Core i9 from Intel or a Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7, or Ryzen 9 from AMD. There are different chips with different names in each of these categories, but you don't need to worry too much about them as a consumer. I generally recommend people who aren't sure what they need to start with a Core i5 or a Ryzen 5. Those are sort of the default "It works fine" chips in every row.
If there are tasks where your current laptop falls short, that's where you might need to upgrade. If it slows down when you open too many Chrome tabs, you may need more memory. If things are generally slow, you need to upgrade your CPU and storage. If your games look bad, look for better graphics.
And see how much storage space you are currently using, which you can find in storage settings. If you have plenty left over, you can probably walk away with the same amount; if you are almost full and thinking of downloading more stuff, consider getting more on your next model.
You should also think about connectivity here. Does your current system have ports you never use? Are there things you wish you could plug in that you can't? You may not be able to find a laptop with the exact ports you need, so prioritizing the ones you need the most will help.
Dongles are, of course, a thing. Many companies that ship laptops with limited port selections will include dongles in the box. But as someone who has had to spend many hours using USB-C only laptops, I assure you that dongles are still annoying. They can be difficult to follow and represent an extra step in your day. That doesn't mean the need to use them should be a deciding factor; it's just another thing to think about.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / I/O Means
At this point you should have your selection narrowed down to a few choice models. Here is where I am going to ask you to read some reviews of these models.
I know, I know, laptop reviews can be long and technical. You don't need to read it all, I promise, just press Ctrl + F "battery life" and read this part carefully. You need to make sure you're okay with the battery life a laptop can provide before you buy it.
I know this is tricky because every review you read will have different battery results. I can tell you firsthand that this is far from an exact science. Here's my advice:read a few reviews (I'd say at least three). If all reviewers have more time than you think, you're good to go. If they're all complaining about battery life, you should take a closer look. Take note of how each reviewer tested the laptop, the type of tasks they performed, the brightness and power profiles they used, and any other conditions. Identify the reviewer whose process best matches your typical conditions. Suppose you will get something roughly similar to their result. See if this is something you can live with.
Once these steps have been completed, you can move on to even more precise criteria. How is the sound? How are the microphones? How is the customer service? Keep looking at more factors and comparing them to each other until you have narrowed down your choice to just one. Good luck!
