Find the perfect laptop in 7 easy steps - a beginners guide

If you're looking for a new laptop, there are plenty of things to think about and with literally hundreds of different laptop models available, it can be hard to know where to start. Follow our 7 simple steps below to help you find the perfect laptop based on your individual needs and personal preferences.

Step 1. Establish your requirements. 

You'll want to pick a laptop with enough processing power and memory (or RAM) to complete the tasks you need to accomplish.

Broadly speaking, there are three main types of tasks: basic, advanced and professional. 

Basic tasks include:

• surfing the web
• emails
• social media
• watching TV or films
  

If you plan to only complete basic tasks like these, we recommend an entry level laptop with an “Intel Core i3” or “AMD Ryzen 3” processor and at least 4GB of RAM.

Advanced tasks include:

• basic photo and video editing
• basic to mid-level gaming
• running standard business applications like Sage

If you plan to only complete basic and advanced tasks like these, we suggest you pick a laptop with a “Intel Core i5” or “AMD Ryzen 5” processor and at least 8GB of RAM

Professional tasks include: 

• advanced photo and video editing
• high-end gaming
• 3D modelling

If you plan to complete professional tasks like these, you will need a laptop with a “Intel Core i7 or i9” or a “AMD Rysen 7 or 9” processor and at least 16GB of RAM.

Step 2: Pick an operating system.

A laptop’s operating system (or OS) is the software platform that powers all the apps you need to run. There are three main operating systems:

• Windows from Microsoft
• Mac (iOS) from Apple
• ChromeOS from Google

Windows is the most common OS and has the widest range of compatible software apps and hardware devices. 

Mac OS is only available on Apple devices, is very user friendly and is extremely popular for graphic design and video editing users. 

Chrome OS is a web-based operating system from Google. It's a lightweight OS well suited for basic tasks and is typically found on Chromebooks.

Step 3: Select the storage you need.

Files and programmes take up space on your laptop. 

Most laptops come with at least 256Gb of storage.

Chromebooks typically come with 32Gb of storage but Google offer 100Gb of free Cloud based storage (for two years). 

Unless you're planning to download a lot of files or store big image or video files on your laptop, the default storage capacity should be fine.  

Alternatively, you could use an external storage solution to boost your capacity, such as a cloud service like “Dropbox”, or a physical external hard drive.

Step 4: Find the right style of laptop.

Laptops come in all shapes and sizes. 

Traditional full-sized laptops are great for most users and provide the best experience during extended use.

Small, lightweight ultraportable laptops are great for users who are constantly on the go.

Convertible (or 2-in-1) laptops can switch between a laptop and tablet format. These machines are great for creatives and touchscreen lovers.

Step 5: Get the right display and sound.

Laptop screens typically range in size from 11 to 17 inches but 13-to-15-inch screen models are most popular.

Most new laptops have a 1080p Full HD screen which is perfect for most people. However, if you are using the laptop for gaming or CGI work, a 4K laptop with a dedicated graphics card will provide the superior picture quality, fast response times and high refresh rates you need. 

Most built in laptop speakers and microphones are basic when it comes to quality. If sound quality is important to you, we recommend external speakers, headphones and microphones rather than searching for a machine with high-quality built-in audio. 

Finally, most but not all laptops have built in webcams. 1080p and 4k webcams offer the highest image quality but these can also be bought as separate products you can use with your laptop.

Step 6: Consider your ports.

You’re probably planning to hook your laptop up to other devices. Virtually all laptops feature an ethernet port, which you’ll need if you want to connect to a wired office network. An HDMI or Display Port makes it easy to connect to external monitors or screens for presentations. All laptops come with USB ports which is the standard port used to connect most devices such as a wired mouse or keyboard. There are different USB port versions, the latest of which is USB-C which allows you to both transfer data quickly and charge your device. Make sure you pick a laptop with enough ports for your needs.

Step 7: Find the best price.

If you have followed this video from the start, you should now have a list of recommended specifications for your processor, memory (RAM), operating system, storage capacity, laptop format and screen size. 

You can use these specifications as filters when shopping online at TheITBay.com or any other retailer. Let’s show you how…

• Visit TheITBay.com
• Select Laptops
• Select your Processor Type
• Select your RAM
• Select your Operating System
• Select your Laptop Type
• Add any other filters you would like
• Sort by Price (Low to High)

The top result will now be the cheapest laptop that meets your needs. You can find out more about these laptops and whether they are right for you by clicking through to view their product pages. 

And that’s it, 7 simple steps to finding the right laptop. We hope you have found this useful – if you are still unsure about which laptop is right for you get in touch by emailing [email protected].