Buying a Laptop In 2022? What features to look out for?
Buying a laptop is a huge investment even for adults. Spending more than Rs. 80000 in Nepali to 600 dollars on technology is a huge investment in my point of view. Although, many reviews are available for the laptops. Comparing it to the phone market, the reviews for budget-friendly or many different versions of the laptop are still low. So, looking out for a laptop comfortable for your work and daily use is a must. Now, let's dive into how a student, employee or creator can look out for which laptop to buy in Nepal.
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Starting on, you will have to look out for the processor of your match. Every year and so, ryzen and intel compete to dominate the market will processors claiming to be the fastest. And, watching out on those stats marketed, we crave for those latest generations processor. So, do you really need that latest-generation processor?
Processor / CPU
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Ram And Storage
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Display And Screen Sizes
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Graphics Card
Keyboard
- Battery life
- Ports
While looking out for budget laptops or notebooks you might have seen the processor ending with i5-1035G1 or i7-10710U or i5-10500H. While it might seem like all those are the latest generation processor(10th gen(Now latest gen is 12th)), these will have different performance capabilities compared to others. The last 3 numbers determine how well the if performs(i5-10500H). The alphabet at the end determines also determines the performance. You can go through this link to know more about these.
In simple words, the higher the number goes the more performance it gives. And, the alphabets Such as H, and K will perform better compared to G1 or U. So, which processor to look out for? If you are required to perform heavy tasks such as video editing, gaming and running heavy applications I recommend going with the latest gen processor i5 - i7 or ryzen 5 or ryzen 7 with the high numbers and ending with H or K.
And, if you just want your laptop to handle casual stuff like video streaming, ms packages, and skype you can settle for i3 - i5 or ryzen 3 or ryzen 5 latest gen processor with the U alphabet. As these laptops tend to be less bulky and will get your job done. However, many games won't be playable so watch out for that.
The demand for RAM has risen to unprecedented heights. Even merely running Windows 10 to 11 will need 8GB of RAM for optimal performance. Also, don't settle with 4GB of RAM because you won't get any performance out of it. If you're a casual user, opt for 8GB of RAM at the very least, and keep an eye out for expansion slots in the laptop you're considering. In the near future, you might wish to install extra RAM.
Also, if you're a heavy user, go for 16GB if it's within your budget. Alternatively, as previously noted, get one with 8GB of memory as standard, with a second slot available for future upgrades. And, both users should watch out for the RAM speed and RAM type. The latest ones are DDR5, however in the market currently you will find DDR4 with 3200mhz and all the latest gen processors will support this one.
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Moving on, to storage you will have to acknowledge the use of SSD and HDD. SSD is comparatively much faster than HDD while HDD is cheaper in comparison to SSD. HDD might just have been outdated however for people requiring huge storage it is a got to compared to SSD. And, not having SSD is just a miss out if you're buying a new laptop.
For casual users, a 256GB SSD will be sufficient for use. However, keep in mind that you won't have much storage left if you go for a 256GB SSD. I would recommend going for a 256GB SSD for OS and 512GB HDD or a 1TB HDD as a backup. Or you can just straight up go for a 512GB SSD.
For heavy users, a minimum of 512GB of SSD is recommended if you're a gamer that much storage won't last much if you're planning to play call of duty. So, you will have to look out for HDD with good rpm for storing heavy files such as videos, images or backups. Many laptops now are available with separate nvme slots for SSD and a separate space available for placing down HDD.
Working as a content creator you will have to look out for bigger screen sizes such as 15.6 as you will have to work with different stuff. A 1920*1080p resolution might be good but aiming for a 4k display with proper srgb will be a must for you guys. Wait these won't be enough lookout for those terms IPS panel, LCD screen, LED screens and OLED. As different screens and the product will result in better quality compared to another.
However, if you're a casual user a 14-inch laptop will just do fine when paired with a 1920*1080p resolution. But still, I would recommend you to go for 15.6 as well, because multitasking on a wider screen will be more convenient especially if you're a student.
The second most popular component in terms of computers is the graphics card. Graphics cards range from integrated to mx 330 to 1650 to 2000 series or 3000 series. So, do you really need the latest generation dedicated GPU for your laptop? If you're not a gamer and just like to surf around the internet an integrated GPU will be able to handle all your stuff. Similarly, if you're a light gamer I recommend you go with a Ryzen processor it works well with the integrated GPU of AMD and performance way better compared to Intel.
Heavy users such as a gamer or video editing professionals or users who need graphical performance will have to go for the high-end GPU from 1650ti to 3000 series graphics card. As in today's market price, you will be able to find 3050 GPU at the same price as compared to 1650ti, I would recommend you to explore and chose the 3000 series one.
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I wouldn't recommend you to buy one with the mx330 similar range card. Instead, you can go for other features and save yourself from the heating issues that the card cause.
This one might seem like ehh just a keyboard anything will do the job well. However, you will be working with the inbuilt keyboard 70% of the time. And, having a comfortable keyboard is a must. In addition, for working people, students or even just casual users, using a laptop at night will be a nightmare if you don't have a backlight keyboard. Don't think I am referring to those well lit RGB keyboards, it can just be a simple white backlight and trust me this decision of going for a backlight instead of a non-backlight one will have a great impact.
A simple notebook designed to use for casual work must have a minimum battery life of 4 hrs. Anything less, I would recommend not settling for those. Battery life is a must, just think of it as a smartphone you won't feel comfortable if you just bought a high-end phone that just lasts 2 - 3 hrs. Laptops are meant to be portable and having a good battery life will help you in different scenarios if you travel a lot with your laptop.
And lastly the ports, I have seen many of my friends lacking the ethernet port in notebooks. It might just seem a great design idea, as the laptop is meant to be portable and a wifi connection will just do fine. However, many times an ethernet is just more efficient and time-saving. Even I thought missing out on a type-C port won't affect me much however, I am missing out on so much speed of file transfer and many more features from the port. So, look out for those small things it will impact you in near future.
That is it for today, signing off. hope I had helped you and cleared ou different confusion you guys were having before buying a new laptop. I will get back soon with which laptop to buy and a list of different laptops. Thank You, that is all for today. Hope you have a great day.
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