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Laptops are getting more powerful
and thinner each day thanks to the
ultrabook design features and new
processors by Intel. Often people
search for best laptops within their
price range and they all they get is
sponsored laptop recommendations.
These paid reviews often glorify
overpriced Apple Macbooks and does
not do justice to other brands out
there, e.g. Lenovo, Dell and Asus.
But I am not going to debate which
laptop is best or recommended for
purchase in year 2016. Instead, I
will give you important tips and
checklist for buying a good laptop
that will immensely help you with
your Laptop purchase.
Guide and Tips for Buying a New
Workstation Laptop:
1. Processor Architecture
The currently used high performance
Processor microarchitecture by Intel
is Broadwell series. Also, new
architecture is coming early 2016 its
called Skylake processors. Every new
processor series promises improved
GPU, CPU performance bundled with
awesome battery life. So look for a
laptop with newer CPU.
Intel Broadwell starts with 5xxx on
processor model no.
Intel Skylake series starts with 6xxx
2. Battery Life
After the performance, the next is
battery life. A decent laptop must
have at least 2+ hours of battery life
on a full charge. If it fails to deliver
such usage time on battery, it’s time
to skip that laptop.
3. Keyboard, Mouse and Webcam
Placement of input devices is very
crucial. Make sure of the following:
Keyboards’ keys are properly placed,
there has to be a little distance
between them.
The touchpad should be in the
middle and should not interfere
when you’re typing.
Webcam must be placed in center, if
its on the left-right, you’ll have a
hard time adjusting with it.
4. Long Charger Cable
Pretty much self explanatory. Power
brick must have long cable so you
don’t have to stay near power socket
all the time just to charge your
laptop.
5. Avoid Graphic Card Unless
Required
Graphic cards (GPU) are very power
hungry and they can put a negative
impact on the battery life or your
machine. Also, the video card
performance reduces as your laptop
ages. It is best to avoid GPU unless
you have real use for it (e.g.
gaming, video editing). Intel is
doing a great job with the new
processors, the Broadwell, Skylake
series CPU’s already have good
dedicated graphics (Iris Pro)
processors built-in.
6. Heating Issues
It’s best not to overlook heat factor.
Overheating can cause laptop to
malfunction, it can also reduce its
life. If the laptop gets heat up even
on low usage, avoid it at all cost
because it can cause permanent
burns on your Lap.
7. Build Quality
It is the very important thing to look
for. Build quality has to be sturdy,
check the overall laptop and
examine its build quality, also check
the LCD/LED hinges durability. If
the laptop is made of cheap plastic/
material, chances are it won’t
survive in long run.
8. Good number of USB ports
I have this laptop with just 2 usb
slots which is a pain. I have to use
USB extension to connect additional
devices. So make sure you get
laptop with at least 3 to 4 usb
ports.
9. Built-in Operating System
Windows 10 is now a default
standard for all coming Laptops. It
means drivers and software utilities
will be that operating system. But
what if you want to run a program
that only runs on Windows 7 or 8.1?
Always check backward driver and OS
compatibility on manufacturer’s
website.
10. Headphone and Mic Jack
Many laptops these days come with
single dual-purpose 3.5mm audio
jack that supports both Headphone/
Mic input. I would suggest you to
avoid it and get a machine with
separate for Mic and Headphone
slot.
11. Avoid Touchscreen (Hybrids)
The idea of touchscreen looks really
appealing on a Laptop but trust me
it isn’t. You might use your laptop
touchscreen for a few days and then
never use it again. Laptops are not
Tablet replacement, they are heavy,
they heat up pretty quickly on your
lap. Not to mention the rotatable
screen is fragile and can be easily
broken.
12. Expensive is not always better.
This is not a case when buying a
notebook. Many laptop
manufacturers add premium price,
addons such as extended warranty,
software bundles which you’re not
going to ever use. Avoid that.
13. Screen size
The screen size should be big
enough at least 15 inches. Because
looking at small screen for long
hours can affect your eye sight and
cause eye strain.
14. SD Card reader.
It is great to a have a built-in SD
card reader. You don’t have to
connect your camera through a data
cable. So keep an eye on it.
15. RAM and Storage
If you are planning to use your
laptop for web browsing, movies and
a little bit of Photoshop, 4 GB ram is
enough. If you going use memory
intensive applications such as CAD,
get a RAM upgrade. For Hard drive,
you can get 500 GB or 1 TB, it
totally depends on you. If you want
speedy storage, get Solid State Drive
(SSD).
16. HDMI, Ethernet and other ports
Make sure the laptop you are going
to buy has all support for all these
ports. HDMI will let you connect
your Laptop to your TV for watching
movies and sharing media. Ethernet
(LAN) is good for transferring huge
files to router or media server.
17. WiFi and Bluetooth.
They are standard for every machine
nowadays. But if you have a dual
band gigabit router installed at your
house then double check if your
Laptop supports gigabit WiFi.
My thinking capacity has come to an
end, let me know if I am missing
something. Nowadays, it is very hard
to buy a laptop that fits your needs.
I hope my checklist helps you in
your next Laptop purchase.
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