Acer, for instance, is known for its low-cost laptops that provide more enhanced specs like hard disk space and RAM as compared to its competitors. A laptop screen that touts IPS (in-plane switching) technology offers the widest viewing angles and the best user comfort. How FinTech can be the pathway to elevating your career, subscribing to the Good Gear Guide newsletter, Google Pixel 4a review: The Goldilocks Google phone, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G review: Wrong Number, LG NANO99 NanoCell 8K TV review: Prestige at a price, LG Velvet review: Fake it till you make it, Google Pixel Buds (2020) review: Course correction, Apple opens preorders for the new iPad Air, Apple may launch the first Apple silicon Mac in yet another fall event. Many of today's laptops come without an optical drive, saving weight and cost. If you’re an Apple fan, we’d recommend the MacBook Air. And some have slimmed down to weigh as little as a couple of pounds. Ultrabooks tend to favor a slim and lightweight form-factor over high-end performance. This price range is arguably the best in terms of bang for your buck. Some users need something lighter and more portable. These tend to be quite expensive. Other users need discrete graphics for things like video editing or running high end games. Until a few years ago, only 17-inch and larger models had graphics processors with dedicated video memory, but now some 14- to 16-inch models have them, making them suitable for gaming. You’re locked into whatever form-factor you select up-front, so choose wisely. Gaming laptops tend to be bulkier, typically to accommodate better hardware and larger screens. If you're looking for a very basic or budget computer to browse the web, email, and work on Office documents, basically every processor on the market should be sufficient. If it’s not possible to run such a cable through your home, consider using a WiFi adapter. When not plugged into a wall outlet, laptops use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power. Nintendo Switch vs. Switch Lite: Which is better? It’s hard to go past any of Intel’s Core-based CPUs when buying a new laptop. It has a gaming line called Legion. They’re multifunctional, serving as web browser, e-book reader, movie viewer, and music player. A program that is installed on the computer but not currently running would take up storage space but not memory. The latest offerings from Intel are its Core i3, i5, and i7 series in 8th-generation models, though we are beginning to see the roll-out of 9th-generation chips in gaming laptops and content creation machines. Another important factor when choosing a processor, especially for laptops: Lower power consumption equals longer battery life. Speeds can exceed 5 GHz for a desktop processor. The most important thing to consider here when looking for the best laptop you can buy is that you think about what you’re going to need that laptop to do. For many users, an Intel Core Processor offer the best performance when it comes to multitasking and multimedia tasks. In the case of some laptops, you will have to pay for the privilege of touch, so again, think before you buy to see whether it’s something you really need. Buyers who need a laptop for the most basic purposes (word processing, internet browsing, etc) and want to save money may find that a budget laptop is all they need. Lighter and less expensive than most laptops, these highly mobile devices offer an extra dose of portability and many—but certainly not all—of the features. 10 Top Picks of 2020: Best Cars of the Year, the single largest performance boost you can give a computer. Try to avoid buying a laptop with a CPU that’s a few generations old. They're generally inexpensive, with some starting at just under $200, and are designed for users willing to work on and store most of their files online. Most brands and OEMS like HP, Dell, ASUS and Acer tend to offer three display sizes - 13.3-inch, 15.6-inch and 17.3-inches. Fortunately, the difference between one laptop generation and the next is usually quite slim, making pre-release months another excellent time to scoop up decent deals on laptops. That said, Chrome OS is quick and more versatile today than it’s ever been, with support for thousands of Chrome extensions and a plethora of Android apps — though they don’t always scale well with larger laptop displays. On both desktops and laptops 8GB has become common, with 16GB found on higher-end devices. But with the explosion of smartphone and tablet users, Microsoft, Google, and laptop makers have made a huge effort to create a quality touchscreen experience. Look for an accurate touchpad that doesn't give you a jumpy cursor and responds consistently to multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. For this, you'll need a screen that is comfortable to look at and feels natural to use. You can get ahead by heading online beforehand to see where the best deals — and shortest lines — will be. The notable exception is Apple.