How to Choose a Good Laptop? A Laptop Buying Guide India 2023
In this post, let us discuss how to select the right laptop for your personal or office use. It would be helpful to select the best laptop configuration if you know the things to consider before buying a laptop.
Smartphones and tablets are the primary devices most of us have. Yet these devices’ smallest screen form factor creates problems in productive work, even though they have the same hardware power as conventional laptops.
In this new age of mobile devices, a lot of people are relying on laptops for their productive activities. We don’t forget people who like desktop PC environments, particularly institutions, and shops.
Nowadays, a lot of laptops are available on the market from different brands and it is a very cumbersome task to choose the best configuration laptop for our use. But if you keep the following points in mind, it will be very easy for you.
Relevant things to know before buying a laptop are the following. Understanding these things will enable you to pick a laptop for your needs and you may consider this article as a laptop buying guide for India especially.
See the latest best laptop deals on Amazon.
1. Determine Whether You Want a Laptop or a Desktop PC
Mostly you have come to this page after a determination to buy a laptop. But still, you realize the Pros and Cons of a laptop as it is an investment for a long time.
Processing Power
In earlier days, Desktop processors are more powerful than their laptop counterparts. But modern laptop processors are just as powerful as desktop processors. But there are still some advanced industrial programs that can’t be run on a laptop.
Portability
Laptops are very portable, and it’s an important thing to attract people. Modern laptops are getting lighter and thinner, making them more portable. But because of this portability, their laptops will be lost or stolen at any time. So care needs to be taken to avoid this.
Space to Accommodate
A laptop needs less space to accommodate in your home or office. But your desktop needs more space to accommodate your CPU Tower, Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, and UPS (if any).
Power Back up
The provision of a separate UPS is important in the case of a desktop computer if you are facing intermittent power outages. But no separate power backup is required for a laptop because it has a built-in battery.
Upgradability
Laptops are not as easy to upgrade as desktops. But there are a lot of upgrade options available for a desktop.
Heat Dissipation
Laptops are getting hotter than desktops. But there is plenty of space on the desktop to dissipate the heat produced in the cabin.
DIY Assembly
You can’t make a laptop of your own choice. We are always forced to satisfy a laptop configuration more or less as per our requirements.
But in the case of a desktop, we can assemble a PC according to our exact requirements by using components of our own choice even comparatively at a lower price.
2. Decide and Plan Your Budget
Your laptop investment budget is the next aspect to be considered. Laptops are accessible even for ₹15,000. But a good, efficient laptop is more expensive.
But you’ll get decent Windows or Linux laptops in the price range from ₹30,000 to ₹45,000.
Often select a laptop of high quality, better performance, and good display within your budget. You have to pay more for an Apple laptop (MacBook) than a Windows laptop with the same setup.
3. Select the Operating System
It also plays an important role in laptop configuration. Laptops come with or without a pre-installed OS. The choice of operating system depends solely on the use of the applications that you want on the laptop.
So check with your application vendors, which are the OS platforms where the application is available. The operating systems available are Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and Chrome OS.
Please note that Mac OS and Chrome OS are only available with Apple laptops and Chromebooks, respectively. Chromebooks are made by different manufacturers using Google’s Chrome OS.
If you’re going for one without a pre-installed OS, you can save a huge amount, and later you’ll be able to install your OS as you want (Windows or Linux).
Related: Install Windows 10 From a USB Drive
Windows
It is the most versatile and widely used operating system. Most machines are operating on Windows, and the current version is Windows 10.
The biggest benefit of Windows is that you’ll get a wide variety of applications. Most of the leading applications have a Windows version of it.
You can choose either a preinstalled Windows laptop or a laptop without Windows. If you have already a Windows license you can easily transfer it to your new system.
Linux
Linux is a “free” operating system with a wide variety of customization options. Free in the sense that you can change the Linux source according to your freedom.
Also, you don’t have to pay for most Linux distributions like Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc.
The greatest downside of Linux OS is that most of the leading software programs do not have Linux versions. And this is supposed to be kept in your mind when choosing Linux.
Another advantage of Linux is that it is less vulnerable to malware attacks than Windows.
macOS
As mentioned earlier, MacOS comes from Apple and is only available with their laptops. It’s a polished OS like Windows, too.
It is also said to be a comparatively stable OS and well-designed for Macbooks.
Chrome OS
Chrome OS is from google and it’s a chromium-based operating system. This is only available on Chromebooks.
It’s a lightweight OS. As most of its applications are web-based, so Chromebooks should always be linked to the internet.
It’s the best and most secure OS if you only plan to use your laptop for browsing, email checking, and web applications. It’s also much cheaper than other laptops.
4. Laptop Size
Of course, the size of the laptop to be used should be sufficient for the work to be performed. The size of a laptop also plays an important role in its portability.
Laptops are available in 11-inch to 18-inch screen sizes.
Mostly 11-12 inch laptops come in the Netbooks category. They have less processing power, although they are more susceptible to portability. These are small-size laptops and weigh approximately 1 to 1.5 kg.
Most mainstream laptops have a screen size of 13-14 inches. It can provide a good balance between portability and usability. There are different configurations available for your choice in this range. The weight of the laptops in this range could be less than 2 kg.
There are also Hybrid laptops with a screen size below 13 inches. This will only be useful for you if you want a touch screen and a detachable keyboard.
If you want a comparatively larger screen with a good laptop configuration, you should go for a 15-16 inch laptop. It’s the most popular size. This could be the right size for you if you don’t intend to carry it often. Laptops in this group may weigh between 2 and 2.5 kg.
17-18 inch laptops are the perfect replacement for your desktop PC. As you know, portability in this range is a bit difficult. But the variety of laptops comes with good processing power and specifications.
5. Finalize the Laptop Configuration You Want
Important specifications that you must keep in mind while selecting your laptop are CPU, Harddisk, and RAM. It is not an easy task to declare the best configuration for a laptop as it purely depends on the user’s requirements.
So you should be aware that how to check laptop configuration and understand the things to consider before buying a laptop. We have tried to cover all these things in this laptop-buying guide.
CPU
As you know, the central processing unit ( CPU) is the core of any computing device. This, too, is the case for laptops. A processor plays a key role in the output of a laptop. So the correct selection of a processor is important and lets us understand how to choose a processor.
How to choose a processor for the laptop?
Intel and AMD are the major producers of computer processors. You may either go to the Intel or AMD processors. Comparatively, AMD processors are cheaper than the Intel processor equivalent. Whatever the case might be, it’s always up to the latest generation of processors.
Intel processors have the most demand for their ‘i’ series, which includes core i3, i5, i7, and i9.
Core i9 processors are used in laptops that require high performance, such as gaming systems, workstations, etc. As this is a premium processor, the price is also high for i9 core processor laptops. So just go to the core i9 processor where you want premium performance.
Core i7 Series has performance capabilities between the Core i5 and Core i9 Series. If you are not a high-end productive gaming user, but still want good comparatively good performance, this is the best choice.
The Core i5 series offers the best balance between performance and quality. You can blindly pick this processor for routine day-to-day use. Core i5 processor will meet all your needs in a good way without any lag in operation.
The Core i3 series is the basic processor of the ‘i’ series. If you have a budget, we always recommend that you go to the i5 processor minimum.
Intel Pentium and Celeron processors are cheap both in terms of performance and quality. If you are using simple internet surfing and reading document files, you can go to these processors. But still, you’ve got a cheaper way to pay for at least an i3 processor.
Intel Xenon is the most powerful processor in the category. This processor is intended for use in high-end workstations, 3D modeling systems, and other industry-standard systems. It’s a high-priced one, of course, and doesn’t expect a decent-level battery backup as in other processors.
As with Intel processors, AMD is also the leading player in this area. They have a wide variety of processors to suit your needs. Usually, AMD processors are called APUs (Accelerated Processing Units).
The AMD Ryzen series is the equivalent of the Intel Core ‘i’ series. AMD Ryzen 5000 series are new in this category. Also, the A, FX, and E series are planned to accommodate the usage of simple users.
If you’re too mindful of your budget, go to the AMD APU and you’ll get a good performance at a comparatively lower price.
RAM
And if you have a laptop with a top-level processor, you can not use its maximum output unless it is equipped with a decent RAM capacity. Nowadays almost all laptops come with at least 4 GB of RAM capacity.
This is good enough for your daily use, too. But we recommend a minimum of 8 GB and you can upgrade to a maximum of 64 GB.
Related: What Is the Difference Between DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 RAM?
Graphic Processor
Both Intel and AMD have integrated graphics management capabilities in their processors. This is enough to meet your basic needs for basic gaming and video editing.
But if you’re a professional video editor or designer, go for a laptop with an individual graphics processor that can handle all your graphics needs.
A discrete graphic chip is also recommended for heavy gaming users.
As in the case of CPUs, there is a wide range of graphics chips available from AMD or Nvidia.
Storage
Storage selection is also an important factor in the selection of laptops. Selecting a laptop storage drive is almost as important as selecting a CPU. You have an option for both HDD(Hard Disk Drive) and SSSD(Solid State Drive).
If you want more performance and speed with your laptop, go to the SSD. But its price is a little bit higher than the comparable HDD. Yet it’s more useful to you in the long run.
In SSD selection also there are normal SATA SSDs and the latest PCIe x4 (NVME) drives available. Here NVME drives offer faster performance than the normal SSDs.
See some of the most recent SSD laptop models available on Amazon.
In addition to the important basic specifications, several other things should also be considered while you select a laptop configuration.
These include screen size, port availability, and options for optical drives. You can choose these things according to your requirements.
Ports
In the case of a laptop, ports are not an important factor. But it is good to have basic ports such as USB and Type C ports which will eliminate the use of additional dongles to carry along with your laptop.
All of the most basic laptops come with USB and HDMI ports. A USB Type-C port is useful to connect the laptop to any USB Type-C supporting device, such as universal chargers.
Other basic ports required in a laptop are SD card slots and headphone jacks.
Connectivity
Even on basic laptops, Wi-Fi connectivity is available, but you should be careful to check its availability on your device. Wi-Fi networking is an important function that all Internet-based devices should have.
If you are a frequent traveler, you have to pick a laptop with data connectivity. So, without the use of any external data dongles or smartphones, you can use independent data for the laptop.
Related: Best Laptop for Students in India
Conclusion
We have discussed a lot of things in this laptop-buying guide. Based on these things we can reach a quick conclusion.
- Screen size: If you are focussing on usability and portability, a 13 to 14-inch size is suitable for you. Otherwise, go for a larger screen.
- OS: If you are a normal user a Windows laptop is useful for you. If you have to do a lot of video activities and budget, go for a Macbook. Linux can be installed both on a Windows laptop and on a Macbook. A Chromebook is a good choice if are satisfied with less functionality. OS selection is a personal preference.
- If you also want to use your laptop in tablet mode, select a 2-in-1 laptop.
- Battery backup: Laptop with good battery backup.6-8 hours back is ideal.
- Minimum Spec: Select a laptop with at least an Intel Core i5 or AMD RyZen 5 CPU, SSD storage,4GB RAM, and 1920 x 1080 screen resolution.
Hope this laptop buying guide is beneficial to you and please share it with your relatives and friends who want to select a laptop.
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Hi, thank you for this deep dive content. This article provides maximum details for those who are willing to buy a laptop but are struggling to choose the right one for them.
Thank you so much for this master piece content.