What to look for in a laptop

Jared Newman

July 30, 2024

In this guide:

Start with the operating system
Pick a screen size
How much RAM do you need?
Sort through your screen options
How much storage do you need?
Clamshell or convertible?
How to size up battery life
Do you need a GPU?
Time to pick a processor
- A note about Snapdragon
Other factors
When in doubt, try it out
Wait for a deal

One of the tech questions I get most from friends and family is also one of the trickiest to answer: Which laptop should I buy?

Unlike smartphones or streaming boxes, in which a few clear candidates exist in every budget, laptops present a seemingly endless number of choices. Even if you’re set on a specific model, you’ll still have to make some decisions around storage, RAM, and processing power.

Almost there.

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