Three typical approaches to choosing laptop

When looking for laptop to consider all the available options is almost impossible. Therefore, initially you need to weed out unnecessary or inappropriate devices. There are three possible approaches here:

  • price search. Typically, there are three main price segments for laptops - entry-level (low-cost), mid-range and high-end. But each manufacturer can have their own vision on this matter, and in general, these boundaries are very blurred. Therefore, the best sorting by cost is specifically your low-cost;
  • hardware search. This is great option for highly advanced users who keep their finger on the pulse of technology. But ideally, you need to clearly understand why, for example, take a laptop with Intel Core i5, and not just be aware that this processor is more powerful than Pentium and Core i3. Plus, it is important to understand exactly the actual components: if you stopped following the hardware just couple of years ago, then you are no longer an expert de facto, because everything in this world is very changeable;
  • usage search. This is very subjective, but therefore quite useful approach to the choice. One user needs laptop to write essays and watch YouTube, another needs to answer mail, surf the Internet and chat in instant messengers, third needs to process graphics, and fourth needs not only to run demanding applications, but also to emphasize their status or it is necessary to have "long-playing" assistant without recharging. Of course, there are those who want the most versatile solution, but then the price will be appropriate. Plus, certain moments, such as uncompromising performance and maximum compactness, are sometimes incompatible, that is, you have to choose one or the other.

By the way, the listed approaches to search often do not exclude, but complement each other. Our catalog of laptops offers convenient selection by parameters, where in just couple of clicks you can specify your low-cost, the type of suitable device (its orientation), and the specific characteristics of the components.

But in any case, we recommend that when looking for laptop, first start from your tasks. After that, you have to try to fit into the low-cost (or make compromises with the wishlist). And already at the final stage of selection, you can “play around” with specific characteristics, such as the amount of RAM, the amount of built-in memory, set of interfaces, the presence of an OS right out of the box, etc.

What tasks should laptop solve?

We turn from lyrical digressions to specifics, namely, the consideration of the main types of current laptops, taking into account the tasks that they are ready to solve. This classification can be divided into 5 groups.

Low-cost laptops - the choice for the simplest tasks

Low-cost laptops are good for educational purposes.

For whom? For different categories of undemanding users, for example, elderly parents, grandparents. With limited low-cost, it is permissible to buy them for educational purposes or for the office, if the work is limited to business correspondence, filling out documents, etc.

Main features: laconic design and low cost.

What tasks are solved? Low-cost laptop can be quite versatile. With him you can

  • work with documents;
  • chat with colleagues and clients;
  • conduct video conferences;
  • watch videos and photos;
  • surf the Internet.

What hardware is used? Typical filling for such models is an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor, about 4 GB of RAM, small hard drive or solid state drive (from 64 to 256 GB). The display can be different, but most often from 13 to 15.6 inches with HD or Full HD resolution.

That is, there is not the most modern hardware here, there is no possibility of an upgrade, the overall performance is not high.

How much is it? The price starts from 250 - 300 dollars.

Non-gaming or office laptops - for most everyday tasks

An office laptop isn't just for working with spreadsheets or creating presentations.

For whom? Office workers and students who are not interested in games (or have game console).

Main features : average performance and multitasking without overpayments, large assortment of models.

What tasks are solved? Office laptop is well suited for everyday work. It “does” everything that low-cost laptop can (usually even faster), but it is also useful for:

  • creating simple graphic materials, such as presentations;
  • relatively fast data exchange;
  • multitasking with switching between browser, office applications, instant messengers, etc.

Of course, high scores in benchmarks and performance in resource-intensive programs are out of the question.

What hardware is used? Good office laptop is based on an Intel Core i3 or Core i5, which represents the 11th or even 12th generation of Alder Lake. Minimum of 8 GB of RAM helps the engine with speed. The role of graphics accelerator is performed by an integrated Intel Arc adapter or an entry-level discrete graphics card (for example, an NVidia GeForce MX series). But it should be understood that such filling will still not be enough for comfortable gaming.

How much is it? The average price ranges from $400 to $600. There are also more expensive office solutions, but this is no longer just universal "typewriter", but laptop with more status positioning (which we will discuss below).

Optimal laptops - all-rounders for work and not only

For whom? For wide range of workers, high school students and students, including those who play undemanding games at their leisure.

Main features: balanced solution in terms of features and price.

What tasks are solved? These are universal machines for work, study, multimedia entertainment. In fact, these are semi-gaming models that are capable of casual gaming and often even launching more whimsical modern games (at initial or medium settings). But the power (and often the screen size) will still not be enough for demanding gamers.

What hardware is used? The optimal laptop is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor, at least 8 GB of RAM, Iris Xe or GeForce GTX 1650 graphics, modern M.2 SSD or combination of HDD and SSD.

How much is it? The cost starts from 500 - 600 US dollars.

Performance laptops - for resource-intensive programs and games

Powerful laptop does not scare you with graphics or gaming.

For whom? For professionals working with graphics (designers and video editors), fans of computer games.

Main features: powerful filling + not necessarily haracteristic gaming design.

What tasks are solved? Performance laptops are suitable for:

  • maintaining performance during multitasking (office and not only);
  • graphics processing;
  • video editing;
  • gaming.

What hardware is used? Powerful laptops are based on multi-core processors (from 6 cores and 12 threads), most often it is an Intel Core i7 with an H index, but Core i5 versions are also found. It is installed from 16 GB of RAM (type DDR4 or DDR5), there is good supply of solid-state memory (from 512 GB or even 1 TB), and of course, olid discrete video card (from NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 to the RTX line).

How much is it? The minimum price is from $ 700, and the average is about $ 1100.

Gaming laptops - for games and eSports

For whom? First of all, for demanding gamers, computer game enthusiasts, professional e-sportsmen.

Main features: powerful filling and characteristic design, effective cooling, often the possibility of an update. But the price is also high.

What tasks are solved? Gaming laptops in terms of tasks to be solved are identical to productive models. But they are even more focused on games and guarantee comfortable gaming experience even at high graphics settings. In addition, they will not let you down in video processing, 3D design, and other resource-intensive workloads.

What hardware is used? Here you can find the most progressive laptop filling, up to the Intel Core i9 engine, fast SSDs, the best video cards for laptops (NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or RTX 3070), and highly efficient cooling system. But they also implement other important features for gamers, and it's not just about the design of the case. This includes backlit keyboards and special keys, additional software for gamers, displays with high refresh rate (for example, 144 Hz), the ability to upgrade, namely adding RAM, overclocking an existing graphics engine, or connecting external video cards.

How much is it? Prices start at $800 and can reach several thousand dollars.

The gaming laptop is combination of power and aggressive design.

We specify goals and deal with specific requirements

The above division of laptops will be really useful and will help you focus on choosing exactly those devices that will solve your problems. But even such classification is not 100% panacea in search.

First, it is very rare that person is interested in only one application scenario. Let's say copywriter who works only in office software can still get involved in amateur video editing. And the student not only write essays, but also spend leisure time playing shooters.

Secondly, the modern user has much more specific requirements for laptops. They may relate to design, dimensions of the device and / or display dimensions, battery life and even noise. As result, several more types of laptops can be distinguished:

  • ultrathin. These are models with case thickness of less than 15 mm. Their range is not too large (against the background of the general diversity). They are able to interest connoisseurs of maximum compactness and lightness. At the same time, it should be understood that it is problematic to place really powerful components and good cooling system in such minimalistic form factor. So these devices are best suited for everyday business tasks. Prices can be different: from 400 to several thousand dollars;
  • fashion. These are laptops for high-status users, such as business executives and those who are looking for stylish and fashionable device. Most often, the screen diagonal here does not exceed 15 inches, and very productive filling “hides” in rather thin case. The price is appropriate - closer to $ 1000, although there are exceptions to the rules with more affordable price tag;
  • long-playing. These are solutions with long battery life. Moreover, there are both simply autonomous models that can last whole working day under moderate loads, and ultra-autonomous ones. The latter, according to manufacturers, work for at least 12 hours without power, so even in resource-intensive tasks they will not let down hard-working owner. Such laptops are solution for indestructible Ukrainians and all those who are often away from outlets (travelers, business people on the road, etc.). The main feature is good battery and energy-efficient filling. In the low-cost segment (about $300) you can take long-playing laptop with modest hardware (Celeron processor, 4 GB of RAM, integrated graphics), and in the higher segment (from $ 2000) - high-performance portable system (Core i7, 32 GB of RAM, cool video card);
  • protected. This is choice for those who cannot or do not want to protect their laptop from any negative influences and blow off dust particles from it. Such laptops may be of interest to travelers, extreme sportsmen, representatives of dangerous and just working professions (for example, foremen). And often gaming laptops get rugged case. The chips of such models include compliance with the military standard MIL-STD-810. But all testing is carried out by the manufacturers themselves and may not report in detail about what tests the device is ready for. That is, it is definitely not worth considering such laptop ready for any impact (shocks, falls, exposure to low or high temperatures). Price tags for shock-resistant models usually start from 500 - 600 US dollars;
  • quiet. These are laptops with passive cooling (radiators and additional heat pipes). Good choice for cramped home environments that are sensitive to noise. In operation, these laptops are silent, that is, the only thing that others will hear is the pressing of the keyboard keys (or working acoustics). Also, these models are very compact and thin. The range of prices is wide - from low-cost solutions with the appropriate filling (Celeron and Pentium) for $400 to advanced ultrabooks with energy-efficient components (Core i7) for $1000+.

By the way, this classification can be used independently of the first or in addition to it. For example, if you know for sure that you want rugged model, then it would be logical to immediately narrow the choice to portable devices with MIL-STD-810 certification. And, conversely, when looking for laptop to work within wide range of office models, you can additionally look at ultra-thin or fashion solutions.

Another useful selection tip is the Intel Evo software

Intel Evo - an additional confirmation of the quality of the laptop.

To help with the search for suitable laptop for the most demanding users, the Intel Evo laptop branding software is called upon. You can read more about what preceded the appearance, what are its advantages, etc., in our material “I need the perfect laptop: an overview of the Intel Evo platform”.

In short, the Intel EVO nameplate on the laptop is another confirmation (in addition to the assurances of the direct manufacturer) of its high performance properties. And all because these models meet number of really strict requirements. We list the key ones:

  • 11th Gen Intel Core i5/i7 processor or higher;
  • modern graphics adapter ready to work with demanding video editors (most often Intel Iris Xe, less often Arc or discrete NVidia GeForce graphics card);
  • fast NVMe SSD(usually 512 or 1024 GB);
  • dual-channel RAM;
  • popular connection interfaces, including Thunderbolt 4 and Wi-Fi 6 for fast data exchange;
  • instant wake up (exit from sleep mode in 1 second);
  • large margin of autonomy (from 9 hours + fast charging, providing from 4 hours of work for 30 minutes of power).

Who should be interested in Intel Evo laptops? First of all, those who are looking for both productive and autonomous model. In Intel, these laptops are called the best choice for business people, managers, freelancers who need to be in touch 24/7. Prices for these portable devices start at $850.

Few more tips that might be helpful:

  • if you need both laptop and tablet for efficient work (for example, for drawing), then instead of two devices it is advisable to consider 2 in 1 models or transformers ;
  • if you are professionally engaged in design and printing, then, of course, pay special attention to the characteristics of the laptop screen. It is worth looking not only at the diagonal, sensor type and resolution, but also at good color gamut and / or the presence of Pantone certification;
  • layout designers, developers and the same designers will also be interested in the number of monitors that can be connected to laptop. The minimum is one, and the maximum is four ;
  • if you need high performance, then in addition to the actual gigabytes of RAM, you should also pay attention to the upgrade options, namely the maximum possible amount of laptop RAM and the number of slots provided for the corresponding brackets; if you plan to play on laptop, but don’t know much about modern video cards, then you should look at models with high fps (frames per second) in current games, for example, those that handle Metro Exodus on ultra settings;
  • if you are going to store large amount of data on portable PC, you will need model with capacious drive. But sometimes chasing physical terabytes is not advisable. At times, paying extra for another 512 GB of solid-state storage can be higher than multi-year cloud storage subscription (not to mention an external hard drive for your library);
  • if you need maximum mobility with laptop, then in addition to long-playing autonomy, the ability to directly connect the device to the mobile Internet will also be useful. This is "able" models with LTE-module ;
  • Laptops are unlikely to be able to satisfy demanding connoisseurs of high-quality sound at 100%, but it is better for them to consider solutions with branded acoustics;
  • if you actively use peripheral devices, then when choosing laptop, carefully study the proposed interfaces. Ideally, both the most progressive (for example, USB4 for the future) and the ports that are still in demand right now (the same USB A) are needed. But, as a rule, rich choice of connectors makes the device thicker and bulkier.

We hope that our guide will help you if you do not make final decision on purchase, then at least identify number of the most suitable and worthy of attention laptops.