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Quick look!
First things first - THE NEED and THE BUDGET
Depending on what you are going to accomplish after owning a computer, you will decide how much you should spend on that device.
So, there come 3 categories when buying a computer:
- A Windows system.
- A macOS system.
- Others (Chromebooks, Linux systems).
Now, don't judge me for including Chromebooks and Linux machines in others, we are talking about a normal user here. If you are a power user, you know better than me so get off this site! Also, I will not be talking about Linux as it is a separate topic which needs to be discussed elsewhere.
So, we start from the bottom.
Chromebooks
Before getting into it, I want to put a disclaimer that Chromebooks are mostly for those who are new to computers (like school kids) or want a getaway device or a secondary device, as these don't provide the full experience of a full-blown computer. Also, in the price of a Chromebook, you will find a decent computer anyway.
Chromebooks are computers used for light day-to-day tasks like web browsing, checking E-mails editing documents on-the-go, casual gaming and using social media - everything we do on a smartphone but on a bigger screen and using a mouse and keyboard (they do have touchscreens on some models too). For this, you will need to look for:
- at least 4GB of RAM
- a touchscreen (convertibles are preferred)
- a good storage (32 GB is the bare minimum, 64 GB is recommended)
- an External Drive (optional)
You will notice I didn't say anything about the processor. But if you find these things in a Chromebook, chances are that you will find a nice processor bundled with it.
Why a touchscreen you say - that's because Chromebooks have android apps compatibility. So, you can use your Instagram app and play Candy Crush on your laptop. But these apps are more fun when used on a touchscreen!
Storage seems pretty low on the numbers because that's what you get with a Chromebook. Chromebooks run Web-apps which do not need to be on your disk, it's on the cloud. If storage is your concern, opt for the expandable storages that suit your needs (USB drives, External HDD or SSD or microSD card or likewise)
I guess we are sorted with the Chromebook here.
A macOS system
A system with macOS or Apple computers is known for their superior hardware, design, software and best in class support for their products. Allow me to be blunt, but all of this requires or demands a hefty price to own an Apple product and this is a well-known fact. I will just say, if you can afford it, then buy it. But the money you spend on Apple products is justified as these products are known to last longer because of their optimized hardware and software.
Macs are a good choice for those who already own an Apple product like an iPhone, iPods or Apple Watch or something likewise. The whole ecosystem is something to root for. Like you can perform transactions with Apple Pay, take calls or texts from your phones on your Mac and unlock your laptops with an Apple Watch.
So, for buying a Mac, the minimum you should go for is,
- 8GB RAM
- 256 GB storage
- Core i3
That's it. You get options based on these specifications in the Apple store. If you want a dedicated graphics card with this, you will also get a spec-bump in these categories automatically. But don't just buy a Mac system to Game on it. Go for a Windows machine or get a console like a PlayStation or an XBOX.
Avoid buying the 'Core m' processor and 4GB Ram variants because they are really not worth the money you are spending.
A Windows system
Microsoft's Windows platform offers great customization and freedom to the users and you will find a plethora of devices running on this platform. You will find devices ranging from low-budgets (₹20,000 to ₹50,000) to very high-end machines (above ₹2 lacs) all depending on the work you are doing on your machine.
The minimum you should see in a Windows machine is:
- 8GB of RAM
- 256GB SSD or 1 TB HDD or both
- Latest Quad-core processor
- Microsoft Office must be included
- 14" or 15.6" screen size (for laptops)
Windows works with a minimum of 4GB of RAM but the performance will be very degraded. Use memory in Dual Channel (4x4 or 8x8 configuration) to get a massive performance boost.
SSD (NVMe over SATA) is always preferred over an HDD or Hard Drive but a 128GB SSD will run out of memory very soon so 256GB will be on the safer side. A configuration having both the SSD and HDD is better in most ways as your OS and apps will be loaded on the SSD and you can use the Terabytes of storage on HDD for other personal and media storage.
Microsoft Office, when bundled with the computer, is much cheaper than buying the software separately. Besides, if you are using Windows then you must need Office apps for productivity tasks.
We will now see about all the above-mentioned aspects of a computer, in detail, in this post below.
The Screen Size
"The 15.6-inches give the perfect balance for portability and entertainment."
If possible, head to your nearest electronics store to check and compare the screen sizes and pick a number that suits you.
Nowadays, due to reduced bezels around the screen, the overall size (footprint) of the laptop also gets reduced. So, a 15" one will be around the same size as a 14" from a few years back.
You might also see 11" or 12" screens which are for very thin and light laptops but usually contain mediocre specifications.
The RAM
There is a common saying that the more RAM, the better. I say that it is true but it doesn't mean you just buy extra RAM and just add to your machine. There are some limitations for adding more RAM. Firstly, your computer must support the upgrade you will be making. Secondly, there must be an option for expansion. Some laptops come with a sealed-bottom or the RAM stick soldered on the motherboard. So, look out for these beforehand by searching on the web, someone somewhere must have bought the same model and gave their two-cents as a review.
See if the computer comes with a single channel memory or a dual-channel one. What it means is, you must have two slots for your RAM sticks in your computer. So, both slots must be filled with the same amount of RAM. You can mismatch both sides (like 8GB x 4GB which makes total 12GB) but it is much easier for your computer to distribute tasks in a similar configuration which results in faster operations.
If you need a high-end workstation or gaming machine, you can go up to 32GB or 64GB memory depending on your needs. But for a normal user, 16GB will be more than sufficient.
The CPU
The CPU or the processor is the most confusing part for a newbie. There are certain things that you should know to get a good performing computer.
So, the minimum you should look for is,
- The latest generation or one of the previous two generations will suffice. Don't go back beyond that.
- It should have four-cores in it.
- It should support hyper-threading.
The Generation tells us in what year the processor was manufactured in as well as what major technological changes it has acquired. This happens majorly every year.
"So, getting more than 2 generations older processors will mean the hardware is outdated and might not compete in performance with the newer processors."
Having 4-cores with Hyper-threading means that virtually your machine will run on 8-cores. Hyper-threading lets a single core to run two threads at once which increases the processing speed and reduces the computation time. There are 2-core CPUs with Hyper-threading available meaning they run 4-cores at a time like in the Core-i3 variants of Intel CPUs which also good at everyday tasks but lacks performance.
"Remember, the higher the number of cores the performance."
Clock-speed is the number of cycles executed by the CPU in a second. A cycle is just pulses of signals transferred through the CPU. During each cycle, billions of transistors within the processor open and close. Often measured in GHz or Gigahertz. A CPU with a clock speed of 3.2 GHz executes 3.2 billion cycles per second.
For Intel, find a Core i5 or an i7 since they have 4-cores (or Quad-cores) and support Hyper-threading.
One, cool fact to look out for, AMD terms their CPU+GPU combo as an APU (Accelerated Processing Unit). Avoid their A-series processors (A8, A9...) and prefer the Ryzen series as it is based on their newer design architecture if you consider buying an AMD processor computer.
Look for a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 for their quad-core prowess and Hyper-threading capabilities.
The GPU
You must have heard about the GPU or the Graphics Processing Unit. These are processors that do their work with graphics-intensive tasks that involve heavy imagery like designing and gaming. They offload the task from the CPU to let it do other tasks peacefully.
Having a GPU or not is a subjective question which depends mostly on another question that is, "What kind of work you are going to do?".
Mostly you won't need a "Dedicated GPU" (the likes from NVIDIA or AMD) as the laptops mostly come with "Integrated GPU" (from the same manufacturers as your CPU, that is from either Intel's UHD or AMD's Vega, whichever you have). These Integrated GPUs are capable enough to handle light graphics-related tasks. They don't have VRAM, that is their own memory to handle graphics so they depend on system memory (or RAM). So, don't expect it to do more than it should.
"However, if you don't know the answer to what work you will doing on the computer or want an allrounder computer, then the safer bet will be to go for a computer having a dedicated GPU."
The NVIDIA GeForce line-up has the MX series (like MX250) for light-tasked mobile computers and laptops and the GTX series (GTX 1650) for high-performance gaming laptops and workstations.
And, the AMD Radeon line-up contains the Radeon Vega series (like Vega 8) which are the integrated graphics for their APUs and the better Radeon RX series (as in RX 540) which are their dedicated GPUs.
"For non-pro users, go for the GeForce MX series of NVIDIA or if you are buying an AMD computer then the Vega Graphics comes along with it anyway."
Gamers or professionals will NEED dedicated graphics so check those numbers.
Miscellaneous
Other things to which should matter but you can't do anything about are - Battery, Ports available, Software included, Warranty and extra expenses.
The laptop batteries, sadly, come as the manufacturer desires to. You should know its capacity which is shown in mAh (milli-Ampere-hours) or Wh (Watt-hours). The bigger number tells bigger capacity but also means will take more time to fill up. (45 Wh - 60 Wh is very common). The charging speed depends upon the power of the charger. A normal laptop charger comes with a 65W (more or less) power output.
Similarly, ports are also decided by the manufacturer. Unless you are going for a modern Ultrabook (which is very slim and very light), the ports you will and should get for the minimum is -
- 2x USB Ports (sometimes it's 3x)
- 1x HDMI
- 1x LAN port
- a 3.5mm Headphone+Mic Jack
- 1x USB-C port for modern laptops (kindly check if it supports data transfer and power transfer as some laptops charge through USB-C too
About the Warranty, almost every computer sold worldwide comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. But, while buying, you will be asked about a warranty extension that includes a package of extended warranty for 2 or more years which I totally recommend to go for. And if possible, bundle an Accidental Damage protection pack for future-proofing your hardware.
Extra Expenses (optional)
Apart from the total MRP of the device, you will be buying, consider an extra amount (which is totally optional) along with your budget. You will be spending more than what you are thinking now. This amount will include:
- Warranty extension
- Other software you will be using or which is not included in the package (like Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat or Anti-Virus solutions)
- External peripherals like a Mouse, Keyboard, External storage as required.
- Hardware expenses if modifying the configuration like Expansion of RAM or Storage.
Final Verdict
Unlike a desktop PC, there are only 3 main things that we can change or modify after buying a laptop. These are
- Amount of RAM
- Storage
- Network Card (Wifi Card)
Apart from this, you will have to live with what you own already. We can't add a Graphics card later, can't change our CPU later, can't add a higher refresh rate screen later. So plan accordingly before buying a laptop.
Ok, I am going to confess now. The title of the post is just a clickbait.
If you want to add something or might want to give feedback, please comment below. Your input is appreciated!
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