The latest laptops offer enhanced capabilities that may surprise you, along with the versatility of working from your office, home or virtually anywhere. So how do you know what to look for when shopping for a laptop? Here are some important things to consider which will help you make the best laptop purchase for your needs…

When it comes to operating systems, Windows supports a lot of apps and features and because it is the most prevalent, it is typically a decent deal. Just keep in mind that Microsoft will be ending support of Windows 10, so you want to purchase Windows 11. While MacBooks is easier to use and generally the best choice for graphics, it tends to be more expensive.

Your laptop’s brain is an extremely important consideration too. The higher number of cores the CPU has, the more powerful it is. For instance, Core i3 will let you perform basic tasks; Core i5 allows for light gaming and multitasking; Core i7 is great for gamers and graphics; and Core i9 is professional-grade. Ryzen tends to be compatible with Core models, but less expensive Celeron and Pentium will be slower.

Look at generation too. The higher the number, the newer it is. Then check the suffix. H, K and X will be your high-performance processors and U and Y provide the most energy efficiency. As far as storage, 256GB is okay for most users, but 512GB to 1TB is better for those working with a bunch of larger files. 

Don’t forget RAM! For memory, figure 2GB will only allow you to run one or two programs at once; 8GB will let you open more tabs and run several programs at once; 16GB is great for serious gamers because it lets you run as much as you want; and 32GB will enable users to work with really large files.

For more information on stuff like graphics cards, clock speeds, Apple M1 vs M2, hard drives vs solid state drives, refresh rates and any other questions you have, you know where to go – Computer “A” Services!