In this article, I’m going to cover the basics of choosing the right laptop computer. I can’t cover everything, but I’ll discuss the basics of selecting a good computer that will deliver an enjoyable experience for years to come.

There are hundreds of laptop models on the market at any given time, and countless variants of those. This is further complicated by the fact that certain retailers have specific versions that might share a name, but have a slightly different model number, with completely different components.

But, by doing a little research, and carefully comparing specifications, and shopping for the best deal, you can find the right computer. Please note that in this guide, I’m only going to discuss new computers purchased from major retailers or directly from manufacturers. I’ll briefly mention used, refurbished, and open box, at the very end of this article, but generally, going new is the easiest way to buy a laptop. It’s not the only way, but for most people, it’s the best choice overall.

By the way, I’m going to use the term notebook and laptop interchangeably, although some people claim there is a technical difference. Overall, it’s accepted that these two words mean the same thing.

What are you using it for?

Before anything else, the thing that matters most, is what are you going to use the computer for. After all, you probably wouldn’t buy a Prius to haul lumber, and you probably wouldn’t drive for Uber in a Silverado 3500.

Here are some examples of use cases that are a good starting point.

• If you have no computer knowledge, need to do nothing more than browse the internet, prefer simplicity over everything else, and generally use Google services like Gmail and Google Docs, a Chromebook would probably be your best option.
• If you’re on a budget, need the best compatibility with mainstream applications and devices, and are used to Windows, a typical Windows laptop with an Intel or AMD processor and integrated graphics would probably be right for you.
• If battery life is the thing you care about most, and don’t need the best compatibility with older or obscure software, a Windows laptop powered by Snapdragon X is probably your best choice. Or, if you can afford to pay a bit more, the MacBook Air is a wonderful product.
• If gaming is important to you, a Windows laptop with Intel/AMD processor with dedicated graphics from Nvidia is likely going to be the right fit. But, these don’t generally have good battery life, and might run hot. Which model you choose will primarily be driven based on how much you can afford and what GPU that laptop is packing.

If you’re doing specialized work (something like 3D CAD, for example), you should refer to your software vendor to see what they recommend. Many such programs require specific hardware configurations, although they aren’t always set in stone – for example, I know an architect that uses a Lenovo gaming laptop with a consumer grade GeForce GPU for this work full-time, even though the software provider claims the professional series of Nvidia hardware and software is required. But, keep in mind that for most applications, if you require technical support for that vendor, they’ll tell you you’re using an unsupported configuration and can’t help you (even if your issue is unrelated).

What’s your budget?

This is the next thing you need to think about. There are $200 laptops and there are $10,000 laptops. And even when comparing laptops in the same price range (let’s say, $700), there are many different categories of computers that might have vastly different specifications, design, and platform, even if they’re about the same price.

And while typically a more expensive laptop will be better, it’s not that simple. Overspending on a computer might not improve your experience. At the same time, sometimes it’s worth spending a little more for a higher quality computer. Hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll be able to find something that fits your needs and your budget.

Categories of Laptops

So, before we get into the details, let’s discuss some of the main categories of laptops. Of course, these are just generalizations – there are various models of laptops that either don’t fit cleanly in any of these categories, or could fit in two or more. But, when you’re shopping, here are the main types of laptops you’ll find.

Mainstream Laptops

The most popular choices for the average consumer are what I would call “mainstream” laptops. They pretty much exclusively run Windows. In this category, 15″ is the most common display size, but there are plenty of models with smaller or larger displays as well.

These computers are usually $300-700, and have lower end processors, integrated graphics, mediocre displays, and decent battery life. They’re typically portable enough to use on your lap or casual traveling, but don’t typically use premium materials or offer super long battery life.

These laptops are ideal for web browsing, word processing, streaming video, and other everyday tasks like managing your family photos. However, they wouldn’t be a good choice for gaming or content creation.

Premium Thin & Light Laptops

While there are plenty of thin & light laptops with mainstream specifications, and some are even fairly affordable, what I’d consider the second most popular category of laptops is “premium thin and light.”

In 2011, Intel introduced the Ultrabook trademark, and while they haven’t used that branding in years, the concept is still very popular. These computers blend a thin and light design, premium materials and nice design, and great battery life, without compromising on performance.

The MacBook Air is the perfect example of a premium thin and light laptop. Great performance, high quality hardware, a sleek design that’s super pleasant to use, and amazing battery life. But, there are plenty of premium thin and light laptops that run Windows.

Gaming Laptops

Gaming laptops are another popular category. The most important part of a gaming laptop, and how most people choose one, is by what video chip it has. Of course, processor and memory are important too.

There are a wide variety of gaming laptops out there, but generally, they’re thick, loud, heavy, and have poor battery life.

Many of them also have outlandish designs with complex patterns, colorful LED illumination, and vents all over the place, but that’s not always the case. And of course, while it depends on how much you spend, build quality and long term reliability typically take a backseat to cramming as much graphics horsepower in there as possible at a given price point.

While you might be tempted to get a gaming laptop for non-gaming usage, keep in mind that the displays often compromise on resolution and color accuracy in exchange for the fastest possible refresh rates.

Lately, some companies have been combining gaming laptop guts with more subdued designs and higher quality materials and displays, marketing these as computers for content creation. The may cost a little more than a similarly specced gaming laptop, but they are a great way to get a higher quality computer that also looks more professional, while still being able to game when you want to.

Workstation Laptops

For the most part, gaming laptops and workstations have similar specs, but they prioritize stability and reliability, over raw performance. These usually use professional graphics chips that, although often based on similar silicon as gaming chips, are optimized for stability and are paired with drivers and software that are certified for CAD applications and other professional use cases.

But, you certainly pay more for this stability and optimization. After all, it’s expected that if you’re buying this, you’re a business making a lot of money from what you do with the computer.

That’s why, for most people, a laptop marketed for “gaming” (or “content creation,” as mentioned in the gaming section above), is a better choice. But if you’re a business, let’s face it, you’re probably not going to be giving out Acer Nitros or Dell Alienwares with rainbow RGB keyboards to your employees.

Rugged Laptops

This is a less common category of laptop for most users, as they’re primarily used by law enforcement, government agencies, utilities, or corporations in certain industries like construction, but they are definitely worth touching on.

While the Panasonic Toughbook is the rugged laptop most people think of, there are other options out there, that might offer similar solutions at a better price, including Getac and Dell Pro Rugged.

Something to keep in mind is that, depending on what you’re doing, you might be better off with a cheaper mainstream laptop, even if you break them more often, than spending a lot of money on real rugged laptops.

For example, let’s say you’re an auto repair shop that is using Windows laptops for diagnosing and repairing vehicles. It’s still overall cheaper to replace a $500 laptop every year than it is to replace a $3,000 rugged laptop every 3 years.

Also, don’t forget that many rugged laptops prioritize being rugged over everything else. While they might have powerful processors, the parts of the laptop you interact with are usually compromises in some way. For example, displays might be bright (great for outdoor usage in direct sunlight), but resolution and color accuracy are usually pretty bad. And that water-resistant keyboard might be durable, but it might not be great to actually type on.

If you really need a rugged laptop, you’ll know – otherwise, don’t fall into the trap of overspending on a computer that’s more durable than you need it to be.

Chromebooks

While Chromebooks are technically available in both mainstream and premium thin & light categories, the main use case for these is a cheap, secure, simple machine that’s perfect for users that aren’t tech-savvy at all and just need something to browse the web.

They’re great for using Google’s ecosystem – if you use Gmail, Google Docs, a Google Chromecast, and Google Drive, you’ll feel right at home.

But if your life doesn’t revolve around Google services and products, you’re probably better off with a Windows laptop. But it’s worth keeping in mind that if you are not very confident online, you’re far less vulnerable to malware (like viruses) when using a Chromebook, compared to a Windows computer or even a Mac.

Operating System

Many people have a chosen technology ecosystem, or prefer a particular OS for whatever reason. If that’s the case, feel free to skip this section. But remember to be open-minded, after all, I’m a long-time Windows and Linux user that owns probably a dozen PCs at any given moment, and I’m typing this on my MacBook Air.

Microsoft Windows

When most people think of a computer, they think of a PC running Windows. This is still the de facto standard for office and home computers. But, as time has gone on, Windows has become more and more frustrating to use, with no respect for your privacy, so many people have been switching to a Mac.

But, Windows excels at compatibility with the widest range of hardware and software. While the cheapest new Mac laptop (The 13″ MacBook Air M4) has a $999 MSRP, the cheapest Windows laptop my local Best Buy in stock is an (absolutely atrocious) $169 turd that you should not buy.

And while gaming on macOS and some Linux distros do offer an acceptable gaming experience for a few games, if you are a gamer, you basically have to use Windows.

Apple macOS

Apple’s strength is their control over the entire product ecosystem and the small variety of hardware they build. This means that a Mac running macOS offers a stable, reliable, and secure experience. It’s smooth, and while Apple isn’t perfect, they respect your privacy far more than Microsoft does.

Since macOS is Unix-based, it behaves a lot like Linux-based systems and servers, so web developers will feel right at home, and you can use stuff like Docker without Windows WSL (although that does work fairly well these days).

For photo editing, video editing, pro audio, and even some types of AI workloads, macOS works really well, thanks in part to its Unix roots, but also how well it integrates with Apple’s truly impressive M-series ARM chips that combine the CPU and GPU memory (they call it Unified memory).

But, even though Apple has put a lot of effort into graphics, gaming on macOS is still basically impossible. Sure, a few games will run, but it’s clearly not meant for that.

And despite how smooth Apple stuff is from a software perspective, and how efficient and performant their hardware is, when you’re buying a laptop, you aren’t just buying the operating system – and Apple is quite stingy on memory and storage. If you need to upgrade to more RAM or SSD space, you’re going to overpay massively, and no, don’t think about doing that yourself later – it’s all soldered and proprietary. If you need more resources later, you have to buy a new computer.

Google ChromeOS

ChromeOS is a Linux-based OS made by Google that is primarily used on Chromebooks. That said, a few companies do make desktops (usually mini PCs) that run ChromeOS – these are sometimes called Chromeboxes. Also, you can actually install ChromeOS on other PCs using ChromeOS Flex, but hardware support varies.

Anyway, as previously mentioned, this OS is only suitable for basic web browsing and integrates tightly with Google solutions like Gmail, Google Docs, etc. If you are looking to do anything else with your computer, avoid ChromeOS, and stick to Windows or macOS.

Linux

If you’re a Linux fan, you’re already upset at me for categorizing Linux as an operating system, because technically, Linux itself isn’t actually an operating system – it’s the underlying kernel upon which a huge variety of operating systems are built (often referred to as distributions).

Popular distributions of Linux include Ubuntu and Fedora, but there are many, many more. Chances are, you won’t find a new laptop for sale at any typical retailer with Linux on it (except ChromeOS, of course), but if you do want to use Linux, you’ll want to buy a Windows laptop and then install Linux yourself. Be sure to buy a Windows laptop with a traditional x86 processor from Intel or AMD – the new Snapdragon stuff is neat, but Linux on ARM is basically unusable right now.

Hardware Specifications

Ultimately the most common way you’ll be comparing a laptop is by its specifications. Here are the main points.

CPU (Processor)

When buying a Mac, it’s simple – the only option is an Apple M-series chip. These are ARM processors that are combined into an SoC (system on chip) with the GPU, NPU (neural engine) and unified memory. Let’s explain it real quick:

• MX, where X is a number denoting the generation of the chip. For example, an M4 would be a fourth-gen chip.
• Within each generation, there is the base (MX) version, then there are Pro (MX Pro), Max (MX Max), and Ultra (MX Ultra).
• At any given time, different Macs may come with a mixture of these processors. For example, while as of December 2025, all MacBook Airs come with the M4, the MacBook Pro is available with M4 Pro, M4 Max, or M5. This makes it tricky to compare models.

While the unified memory is helpful for overall efficiency and many AI workloads, it also has its drawbacks – primarily in gaming, although no current Apple computer is really meant for gaming anyway, so that doesn’t really matter too much.

Despite being ARM chips, software compatibility on Macs is pretty good. Most Mac software has already been updated to natively run on the M-series chips, but even older stuff works pretty well.

Now, for PCs, there are two main platforms, x86 and ARM.

x86 Processors

x86, also referred to as x86-64, are traditional processors made by Intel or AMD. These have great software compatibility, and can be very performant – great for gaming or other high-performance tasks. Most computers across all price ranges and categories will have an x86 processor.

Intel

Intel’s CPU models and naming schemes are very confusing. Here’s a basic overview:

• Intel Processor is the slowest stuff, in a similar performance category to what was Celerons and Pentiums the last few years.
• Intel Core 3/5/7 is the mainstream stuff.
• Intel Core Ultra 5/7/9 is the high performance line.
• Intel processors are available in N, U, H, and HX. This describes the power level/TDP of the processor, which ties into performance as well.

AMD

If you thought Intel was confusing, don’t get me started on AMD. I don’t even entirely understand it myself. But here’s my best attempt at explaining it.

• Ryzen is the prior gen of processors, based on the Zen 4 or older architecture.
• Ryzen AI is the latest gen of processors, based on the Zen 5 architecture.
• Ryzen 3, 5, 7, and 9 describe the overall performance category of the processor.
• Ryzen processors are available in U, H, HS, and HX variants. This describes the power level/TDP of the processor, which ties into performance as well.

ARM Processors

However, more recent offerings for ARM PCs have come on to the market, and they’re actually pretty good. I’ve written a few articles about that, namely my review of my Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini X and my previous article that discusses Windows on ARM more generally along with a brief review of my Dell Inspiron Snapdragon laptop.

These ARM-based PCs are great in terms of efficiency, so you’ll usually find them as thin & light models with great battery life. But, in raw performance and software compatibility, they still need some work. So, for most people, an Intel or AMD laptop will be a better choice.

While there are some options from vendors like Mediatek, most ARM laptops are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series. Unlike Intel and AMD’s stupid naming trends, It’s pretty easy to understand what Snapdragon you’re getting.

• Snapdragon X: These are the base processors, intended for mainstream laptops
• Snapdragon X Plus: These are an upgraded processor with additional performance and a more powerful GPU.
• Snapdragon X Elite: The best chip in their lineup, but honestly, at the price point of these systems, if you need that much performance, you’re better off with an Intel or AMD powered computer.

RAM (Memory)

The most common amount of system RAM on any decent computer these days is 16GB. While 8GB can be OK for light usage, to keep system performance smooth when you have lots of browser tabs or other applications open, you should probably go for at least 16GB.

16GB is also enough for many games, content creation, and software development tasks, but 32GB is a better choice if you’re serious about any of those things. Some companies, like Apple, are quite stingy, but macOS is pretty efficient, so 16GB on a Mac is better than 16GB on a PC.

RAM quantities above 32GB is pretty rare, but if you need it, you’ll know.

The most popular memory standard right now is DDR5. Some cheaper or previous gen laptops use DDR4, but these are becoming less common at this time (December 2025).

All Macs use unified memory. This can’t be upgraded. ARM laptops also can’t be upgraded. When it comes to x86 laptops, some cheaper and some thin and light laptops have soldered RAM, but most models still use traditional user-replaceable RAM.

SSD (Storage)

So, we won’t even discuss hard drives, because you shouldn’t buy a computer with a mechanical, rotational HDD, and literally every modern laptop uses an SSD, or solid state drive. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s discuss the different types of SSDs.

• eMMC. This is the slowest standard. It’s only used in the absolute cheapest of computers, and you should never buy any computer that uses an eMMC drive.
• SATA. No modern computer uses this storage standard, but it’s worth noting that SATA can come in multiple form factors – either M.2 or the traditional 2.5″ standard previously used by hard drives. This is worth mentioning because a few larger gaming or workstation laptops may have an empty bay that can accept additional 2.5″ SATA drives, but as time goes on these are getting more and more rare.
• NVMe is the latest standard, and has been the most common choice for storage since about 2017. When it comes to consumer grade computers, these are always in the M.2 form factor (unless it’s soldered on, like in a Mac, or the occasional lower end or ultra-thin PC laptop).

More about NVMe

Since it’s very likely that anything you buy today will use NVMe, let’s discuss a bit more about it.

There are different physical lengths for M.2 drives. Some smaller laptops may use M.2 2230 or 2242 drives, but M.2 2280 is the most common. If you’re curious, those four numbers indicate the width and length in millimeters. For example, a 2280 drive is 22mm wide and 80mm long.

In terms of speeds, NVMe runs on the PCI-Express protocol. Each generation of PCI-Express is faster, with double the bandwidth per lane. Most laptops today use Gen4 or Gen5. Typically, SSDs will use four lanes, but there are exceptions.

SSD speeds vary not just based on NVMe generation, but also the type of NAND chips, SSD controller type, and whether it has DRAM cache, but typically, the higher-end the laptop, the faster an SSD it will come with. Unfortunately, laptop OEMs often mix and match various models of drives, even in the same model of computers, so you don’t always know exactly what you’ll get until you take it home. But pretty much all modern SSDs perform very well and will have sufficient endurance rating that will exceed the typical lifespan of your system.

GPU (Video Card)

There are three main types of video cards used in laptops.

• System on Chip (SoC): This is what ARM processors like Apple M-series and Qualcomm Snapdragon X use. Performance varies based on a variety of factors, but you probably won’t be gaming with them.
• Integrated Graphics: This is most common for mainstream laptops. These have enough power to handle streaming video and other typical use cases, but not ideal for 3D design, gaming, or content creation.
• Discrete Graphics: Also known as dedicated graphics, if you’re doing gaming, video editing, or AI work, this is what you want. Common options in this realm include Nvidia GeForce, AMD Radeon, and Intel Arc.

But choosing a laptop with the right GPU is more complicated than just seeing an AMD Radeon sticker on the palm rest and assuming it’ll run all your games. Even the exact same chip can be fed different amounts of power in different models of laptops, making a huge difference in how it performs. Typically, a physically larger laptop will have a better cooling system and have more thermal headroom for a higher GPU power limit.

And when it comes to certain tasks like video editing, even though Apple’s GPUs use very little power, they offer comparable performance to dedicated graphics in gaming laptops. So be sure to do your research.

NPU

Marketing will tell you that you need to throw out your two year old PC to get one with an NPU to use the latest and greatest features. But in the real world, you probably don’t – unless you have a very specific use case, don’t worry about it.

Display

While it doesn’t affect the actual performance of the computer, the screen is a vital part for any computer, and as you’re probably going to be staring at it for many hours a day, the right screen is really important. Unfortunately, especially on less expensive computers, laptop OEMs know that most consumers shop based on specs like amount of RAM or storage, so they often skimp on panel quality.

Size

Size is the most obvious thing when you think of a screen. It’s measured diagonally. 15″ is the most common, but laptops focused on portability might have smaller screens, while gaming or workstation laptops might have larger screens

Aspect ratio

This is the proportion of width to height. 16:9 is the most common, but 16:10 has some advantages in productivity to reduce vertical scrolling when writing or coding

Resolution

Resolution is how many pixels in each direction the screen has. For example, a 1920×1080 resolution means you have a display that’s 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels tall.

You should not buy any laptop with a screen solution less than 1920×1080. For a 15″ or smaller laptop, 1920×1080 is standard for mainstream laptops.

Premium laptops will have a higher resolution display, making text crisper and easier on the eyes. However, keep in mind that the higher the resolution, the more graphics power it takes to push those pixels to the screen, which will result in worse power efficiency.

For gaming, you typically don’t want an insanely high resolution. That’s why most mainstream gaming laptops still come with 1920×1080 panels, and that’s totally fine.

Pixels per inch and font scaling

The pixels per inch (PPI) is the result of the size and resolution of the display. The higher the PPI, the smaller text and items will be. To accommodate very high resolutions, you can use scaling to make text and user interfaces a reasonable size. But some older or specialized software can have issues here, and the way fonts and other elements are scaled depend on the operating system, so it’s something to keep in mind.

Refresh Rate

For decades, 60Hz has been the most common refresh rate. But in the past few years, higher refresh rates have become common place. While 60Hz is still fine for everyday use, higher refresh rates offer a smoother experience when scrolling or moving stuff around on your screen, and also offer a better gaming experience (especially in competitive games). 100Hz, 120Hz, 144Hz, and beyond, are all popular refresh rates, and some computers support variable refresh rates as well.

So overall, a higher refresh rate is better, but 60Hz is still fine for most people. And just like higher resolutions, remember that a higher refresh rate may decrease battery life.

Panel Type

The most common panel types you’ll find in a laptop are IPS, OLED, and TN.

TN is the oldest display technology. It’s rare in all but the absolute cheapest computers, and should typically be avoided. However, it does offer some advantages in terms of the lowest latency.

IPS is the most common across all types of laptops. IPS panels have better color accuracy, brightness, and viewing angles. And with modern technology, they can have low latency and fast refresh rates as well, almost as good as a TN panel. This is the best overall option for most people.

OLED is coming down in price and is now available on many laptops. These panels offer beautiful colors and true blacks. But, OLED displays can suffer from burn-in, where elements that stay on the same place on the screen can “burn in” to the panel. Modern OLEDs combine hardware and software to minimize this, but it’s still a risk. So if you plan to keep your laptop for many, many years, or care more about refresh rates than beautiful pictures and videos, you may want to choose IPS.

Matte vs Glossy

This one’s pretty simple – glossy displays make pictures and videos look nice, but may reflect a lot in bright conditions. What matters more depends on your use case.

Everything Else

So, you know what you’re going to use it for, how much you want to spend, and what specifications you need. Now come the subtle things that you should keep in mind when shopping for a laptop.

Keyboard

There are two main attributes to a laptop keyboard that you can see in just a glance – whether it’s backlit and whether it has a numpad.

Personally, a backlit keyboard is something I love. However, some people don’t care, and I respect that.

The presence of a numpad on a laptop has its pros and cons. Most gaming laptops or workstation laptops will have one, as these computers are larger, but this often results in the main part of the keyboard with the letters on it no longer being centered. Whether this bothers you is personal, but despite being a heavy numpad user when using a desktop, I generally prefer laptops without one.

There are other aspects of the keyboard that determine how well you can type on it, including the depth of travel, texture of the keys, and more, but this is very subjective. I think the best thing you can do if you’re worried about the keyboard is to go into a retail store and play with the demo/display laptops.

Touchpad

If you want the best touchpad, buy a Mac. But, many PC touchpads have come a long way, and offer a good experience. And it doesn’t always seem to align with the price of the computer. For example, my ~$700 Acer Nitro gaming laptop has a very good touchpad – better than some other very expensive PC laptops I’ve used. Still not as good as the one in my MacBook Air M4 though!

Ports

When it comes to thin and light laptops, most of them will have a couple USB-C ports, and that’s it. You might find a 3.5mm audio jack or an SD card slot, but the industry has made it clear that USB-C is the future.

Most mainstream and thin and light laptops nowadays use USB-C for charging as well, but some larger laptops will still use a separate DC jack. It doesn’t really matter, but just keep in mind that if your laptop uses USB-C to charge, it’ll use up a port whenever it’s plugged in. Of course, Apple uses their MagSafe power connectors – personally, this is one of the brilliant things they’ve ever done – it’s too bad this isn’t the industry standard.

If you need more connectivity, like USB-A, Ethernet, etc. You will want to look for a chunkier laptop that supports those things natively. But, if you also need portability, you can add that capability with adapters, dongles, and docks – just keep in mind it’s one more thing you have to carry around, and those can get pricey.

Brands

Whether it’s cars, cereal, or computers, brand loyalty and fanboyism is rampant. Everyone has their favorite, and their favorite is better than yours. But at the end of the day, every company has made great products and trash. But, based on over a decade of working on the computer industry, here is my general impression of some of the most popular brands. I’ve put this list in the approximate order in which I prefer them, but since every brand makes so many different computers, it’s hard to say whether a specific model is good just because of the brand.

• Apple: Great hardware quality, great battery life, unbeatable design. But, you’re going to massively overpay if you want anything but the base model memory and storage capacity.
• Lenovo: While the cheaper ones can have very plasticky build quality and lousy screens, the mid range or better laptops from Lenovo tend to be reasonably reliable and solid performers. Generally, Lenovo would be my first choice for a mainstream PC laptop. Although, their customer service and tech support are truly awful. When it comes to business grade laptops, the ThinkPads have legendary reliability. They’re not as good as they used to be, but still generally the best option.
• Dell: Quality varies greatly due to how many different models they have, but they’re generally OK. Some of their thin and light laptops do seem to suffer from cooling issues in the more powerful configurations. Their business grade laptops are also pretty good, although not quite as good as Lenovo’s ThinkPads.
• Acer: If you need a gaming laptop on a budget, the Acer Nitro series is hard to beat. I speak from experience here, as I’ve had two of them. You get a lot of bang for your buck, they’re actually pleasant to use ergonomically, and both of mine were easy to take apart to upgrade the RAM. Despite being quite fond of their gaming laptops, when it comes to their lower end mainstream laptops, I’d avoid them, and go with a Lenovo or Dell option instead.
• HP: If you’re buying a lower cost laptop, they have some great value options. But HPs tend to feel and look cheap. When I worked at a computer repair shop, HPs had very high motherboard failure rates, but the newer ones seem fine. Also, their business laptops are definitely a step up from their consumer grade stuff, but still, Lenovo wins there.

There are plenty more laptop brands, like Asus, MSI, Samsung, etc. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough real world experience with their modern offerings to have a strong opinion on them.

Where to Buy

First things first, I would NEVER buy a new computer on Amazon. While Amazon does sell some of the most popular models directly, most laptops on here are sold by third party sellers. The majority of these systems are either older models, overpriced, or won’t have a proper manufacturers warranty.

You should either buy your laptop from a major tech-focused retailer like Best Buy or Microcenter, or directly from the manufacturer through their official website. Once you’ve figured out what laptop you want, cross-shop those retailers with the manufacturer’s website. Depending on promotions, deals, rewards points, etc. you might find that one offers a better price than the other.

Costco does have competitive prices, and from my understanding you do get a better return policy and warranty, but I’ve always found their selection to be very limited. If the computer you’re looking for is available there, it’s probably a great place to buy it, but it wouldn’t be the first place I’d look.

Beyond New

Used, refurbished, and open box laptops can be a good way to get a better computer for the same price or cheaper than a lower end one. However, you need to be very careful.

For example, we picked up a Samsung Galaxy laptop for my aunt earlier this year as an Open Box deal from Best Buy. It was in immaculate shape at half the price of buying it new, and had just a couple hours of run time on it (based on SMART data from the SSD). But it isn’t always that great of an experience – other Open Box products I’ve tried have been hit or miss and I’ve returned many of them due to weird little problems they didn’t catch in their inspection.

When it comes to refurbished and used computers, there are so many variables. How old is the system? Where did it come from? Who refurbished it? Can you return it easily? Does it include a warranty from the seller, manufacturer, both, or neither? How much are you saving compared to a new laptop? Is it safe and clean? At the end of the day, I don’t think the average consumer should buy a used laptop.

More Resources

Hopefully you found this article helpful, but if you want more information on laptops, check these out:

• Just Josh on YouTube. Very informative and unbiased reviews
• Luke Miani on YouTube. This channel has a focus on Macs, but lots of useful information.