How to decide which laptop to buy

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Everyone in your life, even if you don't know them, will ask you what laptop they should buy when you are a professional laptop reviewer.

Of course there are variations. Which laptop should I buy for my son or my sister? I think most reviewers on the internet can say the same.

My answers are often disappointing. I will be able to give them the perfect recommendation immediately because I use these things for my job. Many gadget reviewers will tell you that it is much harder than you think.

I think about what the best laptops are for most people all day. The best laptop for most people isn't necessarily the best laptop for you. It depends on a lot of questions to which you know the answers better than I do.

I will give you an idea of how to approach the laptop-buying process. If you've thought through all the variables I've outlined here, you should be able to find a good product on your own. If you are going to ask me what laptop you should buy, you need to have answers to the questions. We won't be able to help you. At least, not as well as we would like.

This article is mostly for shoppers who prefer to use Windows. I have noted a couple of places where Chromebooks might differ if you prefer ChromeOS. If you're looking for macOS, your only other option is a MacBook, so take a look at Apple's options directly.

I'm not suggesting specific models here. If you are looking for those, please take a look at our Best laptop, Best gaming laptop, Best budget laptop, and Best student laptop articles. If you have thought through all of the questions first, those articles will be more helpful to you.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Price

The price range is the most important factor when buying a laptop. I'm a sitting duck if you ask for recommendations but don't know how much you can spend. If you have a price range that is capped at Y, it's fine, but you need to have a clear one. Going forward, that price range will dictate your options.

The price for a laptop has been increasing over the years. Some reviewers still consider $500 and below to be an affordable laptop line, but I expect laptops to be really, really great, with state, and I am starting to see the $800 mark as the point above which I expect laptops to be really, really great, with state. It doesn't mean that every laptop above $800 has state-of-the-art build quality, top-notch performance, and no major flaws, but if that's what you're looking for.

It is worth noting that better-built laptops last longer. I know people who are still using the MacBook Pro models from the previous year, and I have a friend who has gone through two HP Pavilions. It isn't to say that everyone needs to spend thousands of dollars on a notebook, but that a device that's cheap up front may not save you money in the long term.

I recommend that adults looking for a primary Windows driver stay above the $500 mark if they can afford it. There are plenty of well-built options between $500 and $1,000.

If you are looking for something more specialized, this is not the same. Most people shouldn't be spending over $1,000 on a Chromebooks in the current market.

The laptops that are used for gaming are more expensive. The fanciest ones cost a lot of money. If you don't have specific requirements for your gaming laptop, you shouldn't feel like you need to spend over a thousand dollars. If there are specific things you want, add a bit to the price for each feature.

Business laptops are more expensive. Companies tend to have their own deals with manufacturers. Unless you have specific software needs or have no money, I recommend that you stay out of this area.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Screen Size

There are three main options, a 13-incher, a 15-incher and a 17-incher. The options above and below those sizes are unusual and have specific audiences.

I would start with a 13-incher or 14-incher if you don't know what screen size you need. If you have used one of these before and it seems too small, or if you need more power than most 13-inchers can offer, a 15-incher is probably your move. These are geared more towards heavy use cases than 13-inchers, so you will likely see more powerful chips here at the expense of some efficiency.

I don't recommend 17-inchers for most people unless they have a specific use case where they need a large screen. There are some good options in that size category, but your selection will be much smaller than in the 13-inch and 15-inch spheres.

While we are talking about displays, you should think about your aspect ratio. Most laptops are only available in one aspect ratio, so it's best to have one in mind before you shop. An aspect ratio of 16:9 is good for media viewing but can be cramped for productivity and multitasking. The 3:2 and 16:10 ratios give you a taller screen. If you would like to dive deeper into that, I have written my thoughts elsewhere.

Now that you have figured out your size and price range, it's time to look at some models. Ask your friends what models they have and check out the Best Laptop pages for up-to-date information. Pick your favorite product once you have found a selection that you like the sound of.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Specs

It's time to think about why you're buying a new laptop. What is not working about your current one?

If your old driver is still working well for everything that you need it to do, and your issue has to do with the laptop's architecture, you can probably get a new laptop with the most up-to-date versions of that laptop's specifications. I mostly mean the processor, storage, and the RAM. You can find out what these are in the device manager.

If you want to get into the processor weeds, laptop has literature for you if you really want to. You don't need to stress about the different names within each category. I recommend that people start with a Core i5 or a Ryzen 5 if they don't know what they need. The chips in each line are the default.

If your current laptop is falling short on some tasks, you might need to upgrade. If it slows down when you open too many tabs, you may want more memory. You should upgrade your storage and processor if things are slow. Better graphics will make your games better.

You can find the amount of storage space you use in Storage settings. If you have a lot left, you can probably go for the same amount again, if you think you'll be getting more stuff.

You should also think about the internet. Does your system have any ports you don't use? Do you wish you could plug in things? You may not be able to find a laptop with the exact ports you need, so prioritize which ones you need the most.

Dongles are a thing. dongles are included in the box for laptops with limited port selections. I assure you that dongles are still annoying, as I have had to spend many hours using a laptop that only has ausb-C. They are an extra step in your day and can be hard to keep track of. It's not a dealbreaker if you need to use them; it's just another thing to think about.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Battery life

At this point, you should pick a few models. I'm going to ask you to read some reviews of those models.

I know that laptop reviews can be lengthy. I promise that you don't need to read the whole thing. Before you buy a laptop, you need to make sure it has a good battery life.

I know it's difficult, but every review will have different battery results. I can tell you that it is not an exact science. I recommend you to read a few reviews. If the reviewers got more time to charge than you think, you're good to go. If they are all complaining about how bad the battery life is, you should take a closer look. Take note of how each reviewer tested the laptop, the kind of tasks they did, the brightness and power profiles they used, and any other conditions. The reviewer whose process matches your typical conditions should be pointed out. You will get something similar to their result. If that is something you can live with, figure it out.

You can move on to even more specific criteria once you have been through these steps. How is the audio? What are the microphones? How is the customer service? Continue to look at more factors and compare them to each other until you have narrowed your choice down to one. Good luck!