Laptop Buying Guide for 2022: 5 Things You Should Look Out For

Since the pandemic started, laptops have become more popular than ever. The devices are portable, lightweight, and do not restrict you to a single place. Laptops from every segment have made the sales, and users are drawn towards gaming and productivity laptops a little more than the other segments. However, even after the increased popularity of laptops, many users do not know about how to buy a  laptop. There are multiple things that need to be considered apart from RGB lights, and the aesthetic of the laptops. This laptop buying guide will help you understand all the aspects that you need to know before choosing your next laptop.

5 Things You Should Look For

Every laptop comes with multiple aspects, and different specifications. Consumers need to select what they want from a laptop, and what they want to do on the same. This is where this laptop buying guide comes in.

Understand Your Requirements

The 2022 laptop market is flooded with laptops from every segment. Gaming laptops, productivity laptops, hybrid laptops, workstation laptops, and more are some of the line-ups and categories of laptops available in the market. It is important to understand your requirements before selecting a laptop. Most people usually opt for a specific brand, or try to stick to a specific budget. If your budget is around INR 30K, and your requirements are that of a productivity laptop or mobile workstation, this budget would not suffice.

Before opting for a brand or sticking to a budget, one needs to understand the basic expectations from a laptop, and what specifications can be good for them. It is also very easy to go all overboard while buying a laptop, but a good decision can only be made after consideration.

Know about the CPU Generations

The processor or the CPU is the main component of a laptop or PC. No laptop can run without a CPU, and therefore choosing the right processing unit is very important. With the new Intel 12th generation processors out, the confusion can be immense. The new generation CPUs are immensely powerful and efficient. However, you do not always need the latest processor in a new laptop.

Processing power differs from task to task, but that does not mean that you choose an older processor because it is cheaper. There are multiple laptops in the market with Intel 8th Gen CPUs, but the processor will run its course in the next couple of years, and your laptop will start feeling laggy. No amount of added memory or faster storage can help that because the central processing unit is not able to handle the work load. Putting in some level of research before deciding on a laptop is essential.

Focus on the Memory

Laptops come in all and multiple ranges. The configuration on these laptops also differ from one another. One of the prominent issues that most new budget range laptops have is the memory. Programs and software products are getting heavier and require more memory. Even “lighter” programs like Google Chrome requires memory to function lag and crash free. When you are buying a new laptop, make sure that it has at least 8 GB of memory. Another to look out for is the additional ram slot.

After a few years of using a certain laptop, you might need more memory. Having a free memory slot to expand the memory can actually help boost the performance of the laptop if the other components of your laptop are not obsolete. Going for a 4 GB RAM laptop might seem like a good idea, but it is 2022 and choosing a 4 GB RAM laptop might not get a lot of work done.

HDD or SSD

HDD and SSD are the most commonly used storage options in laptops. Most laptops come with HDD as the primary storage solution. Sometimes it is the only storage solution available in the laptop. However, in 2022, it is best to opt for a laptop that has SSD as its primary storage solution. Having an SSD in the system makes it snappier and more responsive. It also makes the experience of the user better.

However, if a laptop with SSD goes beyond your budget, you should choose a laptop that has a separate option for adding an SSD. Adding an SSD separately definitely adds to the overall cost, but it does make the device more responsive overall, while keeping the high-storage HDD option.

GPU or No GPU?

GPU plays a central part in productivity and gaming laptops, but is not a necessary in other laptops. Some productivity and entry-level laptops come with integrated graphics that draw memory from the system RAM, making multitasking, a task. You should know that not all tasks require the contribution of a GPU.

If you are a designer, editor, gamer, or an architect, you will need a decent to powerful graphics performance to support your tasks. Programs like Adobe Premiere Pro, AutoCAD, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe InDesign, etc require more memory along with dedicated graphics performance. On the other hand, if the majority of your work relies on Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace then going for a GPU model would be an added stress to the budget.

Integrated graphics can do a decent job, but if you need the graphical power, then going for a dedicated GPU is always a better option. Mobile workstations and gaming laptops come with dedicated powerful GPUs, however, the decision of having a GPU should be made before buying a laptop because this component can not be added after the purchase.

Added Tip for Laptop Buying Guide 2022

Laptops are supposed to be portable, and easy to use. Therefore, the weight of the laptop becomes important. Every segment and line-up of laptops has lightweight and portable options, but they can be pricier than the other variants. If you are someone who travels a lot, or does not like to work in one place, going for a lightweight laptop would be a suitable option.

If you do not have to move around a lot, and can sit and work in one place, then choosing power over portability can be a viable option. This choice needs some analysis and understanding of your needs.

Buying a laptop in 2022 can be challenging, but this laptop buying guide will make it easier for you. You will know what suits your style and budget. For more such guides and articles, follow Techburner.