Buying guide for laptops

Buying guide for laptops

Most people are in need of a laptop, however, there are lots of things to keep track of when buying a laptop. Personal priorities play a tremendous role, where size, battery life, performance and price range are just some of the factors that are important to keep in mind. What will your primary use be? Is the first computer or should you update yourself to the latest and most outstanding model? Are you looking for a cheap computer or does the price not matter? We at testarna.se go through step by step what to consider when buying a computer.

operating System

Before you go out and search for the best in test laptop, it is good if you decide which operating system you prefer.

The most common operating system is Windows, which is often preferred by companies and those involved in gaming. There is a huge selection of programs designed specifically for Windows and work well with many different PC manufacturers. This makes Windows highly customizable, where you have the opportunity to choose from many different brands and models. The downside is that Windows probably doesn't have the very best performance.

MacOS is Apple's own operating system that can only be found on Apple's own products. Manufacturers have created their own software and hardware, which means that the phones, tablets and computers work together optimally. This makes the computers the fastest on the market, something that many maintain. The operating system is easy to use and is especially designed for those who work in photo editing or illustration. The downside is that the operating system is not particularly customizable, because you simply have to buy one of Apple's computers.

Performance

Performance is influenced by a number of different factors, such as graphics cards, internal memory and processor. A high performance is unnecessary for those who only want to surf and read emails, but oh so important if you want to play games or work with heavier editing programs. For example, if you want to use the computer for office jobs and web, a powerful processor with a simple integrated graphics card is enough. If you are going to use the computer to surf and watch movies and series, we recommend instead a simpler processor with a proper graphics card. If you want a good laptop that can handle everything, you should invest in a powerful processor with an advanced graphics card. Some laptops can also be upgraded in the form of SSD disks and more internal memory.

battery life

Battery life is an important factor in the choice of laptop computer, as you will most likely not always be near a wall outlet. The battery life is based on a combination of the battery size and how low power the components are. The area of ​​use also affects a lot. Movie titles generally draw a little power compared to you who play games or work with editing programs and Office documents. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a high-performance computer that is power-efficient and vice versa. Power-saving computers tend to have a lower-performing processor and graphics card, so here it is important to determine what is most important to you.

Size & Weight

Size and weight go hand in hand, so we choose to take this under the same heading. Today there are lots of sizes to choose from, where you can choose anything from small screens of 10 ”up to large of 17”. Here it is important to think about your primary use area and how often you will carry your laptop with you. If you, for example, come to see most of the movies, we recommend a larger screen of 15 "or 17" which has as many pixels as possible. Please choose a full HD laptop that has 1920 x 1080 pixels. If you are going to use the computer for work and surfing, a smaller screen is enough, which also makes it easier to carry.

Most laptops weigh between one and four kilos, which is a reasonable weight to carry or have in the lap. However, many models can climb up to nearly six kilos, which of course makes the computer more cumbersome. A heavy computer often means that it has a greater performance - though not always. Choose carefully according to your primary use.

Price

The price is a pretty important part when you buy a laptop, as the price can vary from SEK 2000 up to SEK 25,000. Usually, you pay more for a high performance and vice versa. A rule of thumb is usually that a computer can be light and cheap, fast and cheap or quick and easy - but never fast, cheap and easy at the same time.

If you are in the choice of qualifying to buy a laptop or a desktop, it is important to know that the performance costs more with a laptop. If you have the computer standing on the desk at home, it may be better to bet on a desktop model.