How to find and buy the best laptop

What we will discuss in this post?

• We will discuss in brief the role of specific parts of a laptop. 
• We will breakdown the 25k and 35k-40k difference of laptop
• We will understand what we are paying extra for.

AMD vs Intel 

1. Intel generation 

● Current 11th generation (you can consider 9th generation) 

● Don't compare cross-generation of (i3, i5, i7) 

● When shortlisting laptops, compare its CPU by typing the (model number A) vs (model number B) on Google. Ex: AMD ryzen 3 3200u vs Intel i5-9300h

● Higher generation is better but sometimes older generations are available at cheap prices. 

2. AMD Ryzen, Athlon and Threadripper

● AMD Ryzen 

● Intel has been ripped off by AMD Ryzen processors lately

● Ryzen APUs are far more powerful than Intel’s integrated GPU 

● Athlon is a low budget CPU from AMD 

● Ryzen chips provide better value for the money 

● Threadripper is only recommended for high-end PCs which will be high-end calculations or computational work (Threadripper is costly) 

Role of Laptop Components 

1. CPU: CPU is responsible for processing the data. Better the CPU better computations can be performed by it. More threads and cores mean better multitasking (multiprocessing). Higher generation CPUs (modern CPUs) are usually better in terms of performance and pricing.

2. RAM: RAM is responsible for storing the programs temporarily in the volatile memory. The higher and faster the RAM, the better the multitasking performance. 

3. Storage: Data and Operating System is stored in Hard Disk or SSD. SSDs are 10X faster than mechanical hard drives and highly recommended these days. SSDs usually have a longer life compared to the mechanical drive as they don't have moving parts. 

4. Graphics Card: If you are interested in gaming, video editing, or graphic-intensive software like Blender, Premiere Pro/After-Effects, you will need a good graphic card. Otherwise, a graphic card will not hamper your day to day experience on your machine. 

5. Brand: Brand plays an important role as you will need to get your laptops serviced quite often. If your brand doesn't have a service center near your college/home then you should consider this as a factor in buying your laptop. An extended warranty can save you a lot of money.

What can you expect at your budget? 

➔ Under 30,000 Rs:

◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, Online lectures) 

◆ No gaming, video editing, etc. 

➔ Under 30,000-50,000 Rs: 

◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, Online lectures) 

◆ Low-end gaming 

◆ Low to Moderate Video Editing/Blender/Graphic Designing 

➔ Under 50,000-70,000 Rs: 

◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, Online lectures) 

◆ High-end gaming (only if the laptop has good GPU built-in)

◆ Moderate to High-end Video Editing/Blender/Graphic Designing

Minimum requirements for some Softwares: 

1. Android Studio(Java and flutter) minimum requirements: 

● Microsoft® Windows® 7/8/10 (64-bit) 

● 4 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB RAM recommended. 

● 2 GB of available disk space minimum, 4 GB Recommended (500 MB for IDE + 1.5 GB for Android SDK and emulator system image) 

● 1280 x 800 minimum screen resolution.

2. Jetbrains Pycharm/IntelliJ & other IDEs 

● 2 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB RAM recommended 

● 2 GB of available disk space minimum, 4 GB Recommended (500 MB for IDE + 1.5 GB for Android SDK and emulator system image) 

● 1024x768 minimum screen resolution.1920×1080 Recommended. 

3. Adobe Premiere Pro 

● Processor: Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU or AMD equivalent Operating system 

● Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1803 or later 

● RAM: 8 GB of RAM
● GPU: 2 GB of GPU VRAM 

● 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation(Additional high-speed drive for media)

4. Visual Studio 2019 

● 1.8 GHz or faster processor. Quad-core or better recommended 

● 2 GB of RAM; 8 GB of RAM recommended (2.5 GB minimum if running on a virtual machine) 

● Hard disk space: Minimum of 800MB up to 210 GB of available space, depending on features installed; typical installations require 20-50 GB of free space. to improve performance, install Windows and Visual Studio on a solid-state drive (SSD). 

Some tips:

• Don't go into a very deep analysis of laptop models. Just find a good laptop which suits your needs and buy it.
• AMD gives better value for the price compared to Intel-powered laptops
• Even if you have less budget now see upgradability options on a laptop. See if you can add RAM and SSD (now or later) to match the specs you wanted.
• See if your laptop has an M.2 slot which will be helpful to add SSD later on
• If your budget is super low and does not want portability then go for building a PC
• The metallic body is better compared to the plastic body as wear and tear is less and slow
• Max 70-75k is mostly enough for good specs laptop
• Search for offline options also if you are getting a lower price
• Choose a brand with a good service record
• Avoid buying refurbished or used products