Avoid common mistakes when choosing a Laptop

Overview:

• Different use cases require different specifications when choosing a laptop.
• Sometimes you may get a deal that is seemingly great, but there are hidden catches.
• Even if you look at the specs and they seem OK, some details may not be mentioned.

Size:

• The size of the laptop is a key factor. Recently, more 14 inch laptops get produced, and they are actually great for some use cases. They provide excellent portability, and, due to their design and screen size, they also offer awesome battery life. You have to be careful though because most 14 inch do not include a numpad on the right side of the keyboard. So, if a numpad is a core tool for you, consider looking at a different size. 
• If your focus is on gaming, and you are buying a laptop that will mostly stay stationary, consider getting a bigger size. Usually, bigger laptops offer better cooling solutions and higher end parts. Also, using a smaller screen for many hours while gaming can really put a strain in your eyes. 
• The size of the laptop and the power it consumes also affects the size and weight of the power brick, which also affects portability.

CPU:

• The CPU of a laptop is the most core part of the system. 
• And here is the catch. Even if you have two laptops with the same processor, the performance may differ, from marginal to feeling like a completely different CPU.
• Different manufacturers use different components and settings. You may find a laptop with a CPU that can reach for example up to 45 watts of power and, due to the laptops thinness and size, it may be configured to use 30 watt, for example, and have less cooling than a laptop aimed at gaming. In some use cases having less power draw may be good, since not everyone wants to game on a laptop. Also, having less power draw results in better battery life and less heat, but if you want the best performance you have to check out the specifications of the laptop itself, not the CPU as an individual component.

Ram:

• With Windows 11 becoming more demanding, 16gb is the recommended size at the moment. 8gb of ram in a business laptop resulted in having 7.4 GB available, since the integrated GPU uses Ram to execute graphics. So, with windows 11 and a firefox open for basic tasks I have 60% ram usage. That is not ideal, since when you hit 100% windows starts chugging.
• Despite choosing 16 GB, you can still run into problems. The configuration may be on single channel or dual channel. This affects performance dramatically, especially in the graphics department. Lets say, for example, you want to do some light gaming while having a slim portable laptop. You will perceive a huge difference between a single and dual channel. Most of the store websites do not mention this and you have to check the manufacturers website to check this spec. Keep this in mind and, in my opinion, always choose the dual channel.
• Soldered or not. This is another thing that is commonly not mentioned, except if you specifically look up for it. Some laptops, especially slim ones, choose to solder the ram directly on  the motherboard. This may result in good outcome or bad. Soldered ram has commonly higher speeds and is, usually, a cheaper option. The problems this approach presents are two. First, it makes the device not upgrade-able and second, if a problem occurs, you may find it difficult to fix it. Slotted ram is both upgrade-able and usually easy to replace, but results in usually more bulky devices. If you get a device for work, browsing, excel worksheets and stuff like that, and you are used to change devices every other year, you shouldn't really mind about this. If you wanna keep a device for long term, and want to have the option to upgrade down the line, either choose the slotted ram option, or get more ram to begin with.

SSD:

• For simple business use, you will not perceive differences between different SSD options, just make sure it's a m.2 SSD not a SATA one.
• If you use big files, video editing or gaming, you can check the SSD speed and currently the SSD generation. It is better to have gen5 than gen4 m.2, since they are faster and, in the future, they will offer greater speeds. 
• Also, when replacing a laptop m.2, don't just get a cheap drive. Raw speed does not always mean better performance. Random reads/writes are essential for better snappiness of the system.

Ports:

• It is easy to check the laptop's ports and see if what it offers suits you, but keep in mind that modern slim laptops do not always come with an Ethernet port, so if you wanna have the option to connect your device through cable and do not want to use an extra adapter, check that beforehand. Even with an adapter, the performance is not ideal if you are not able to connect it to a fast lightning port.

Screen:

• Despite the size that we have already mentioned, Laptop screens also have some properties you need to check if they fit your needs.
• Typing, usually IPS panels offer better color accuracy and brightness. If your budget can handle it, prefer it over simple panels. Oled ones are good as well, but personally I would not get one for long term use. Oled offers great colors and battery life, but they are susceptible to burn ins, especially on cheap Oled models. So, for once more; if you change device every other year Oled is a nice option, but I wouldn't recommend it if you wanna keep your laptop for many years.
• Resolution. A screen at 14 or 15 inches is small enough that a 1080p panel will perform great. Increasing the panel resolution results in higher power consumption and stresses the system more, resulting in higher consumption even from the GPU and GPU. A high end gaming laptop can support even a 4k panel at high refresh rates, but those have to be plugged in the outlet anyway. 1080p is plenty for battery focused business solutions.

Verdict:

Always make good research so you will not regret your purchase. Looking at product reviews and videos is also extremely helpful. I found myself in many situations that the local store salesman does not know the exact specifications of a product and has available only some base stuff about laptops. They tend to sell many different kinds of devices and don't always have the technical knowledge to help enough. So take your time and don't buy on an impulse.