Planning to Buy a New Laptop? Here's How to Pick One that's Best for You [On A Budget]

 If you have been looking to buy a new laptop, whether it's for work, college, or gaming, you would have searched around a little bit, but there are many options and it can get overwhelming. Here's a guide to choosing the laptop that suits your needs best.

Before we start, there are many factors to consider like the need for a dedicated Graphics card, which CPU, how much RAM, Cost, what kind of display, and how much storage you need. Let's start:

1. College Students and Office Workers

If you are a college student looking for a device that can do basic tasks and run software like MS Word, Excel, etc you wouldn't need a very powerful machine, here's what to look for:

• RAM

8GB RAM is the minimum but you can opt for 16GB if you are looking to do some multitasking, DDR4 should do good enough(If you want to know what 'DDR4' means, check out my other guide). 

Whatever category of users will come after this would need at least 16 GB of RAM so I would not be mentioning it again and again, but if there is something different to say; it will be mentioned; just keep it in mind.

• CPU

Look for a laptop that has at least an Intel i5/i7 or an AMD Ryzen 5/7. Ensure that it says 'U' at the end of the full name of the Processor for maximum battery backup.

• GPU

For an office device, you don't really need a dedicated GPU, the integrated GPU should do just fine (Integrated means the GPU that comes built into every CPU). But if you are looking to game a little bit, the NVIDIA RTX 2050 is a great choice.

• Storage

As of now, every laptop has an SSD; so you don't have to worry about that, but you should consider the size of the SSD. 256GB storage is the minimum storage you can get but I would recommend 512GB just be flexible, you never know when you will require your old documents when you would have deleted them to make more space.

• Display

If you are into gaming, watching movies and series, you could go for a Full HD display that's 15.6 inches, but if you want to cut some cost and you are buying one for the sole purpose of college and office work then the display shouldn't matter much, nowadays most laptops come with a 15.6-inch FHD display.

• Cost

A laptop with this setup could cost around $350-$600 (Rs.30,000-Rs.50,000 INR). Remember the costlier it is, the better it will be.

2. Graphics Designer, 3D Modeling and Animators 

• CPU

From now on, every category will have the same CPU type; that is; an Intel i5/i7 or an AMD 5/7; so it won't be mentioned again and again but the CPU generation and the series will matter. For this category make sure the device comes with at least an Intel 10th Gen or AMD RYZEN 70000 series processor. Ensure the CPU is H series for the best performance.

• GPU

 Now in this category, you would start needing a dedicated GPU so you could go for the RTX 2050 for a budget build or an RTX 3050 for a more powerful device (Especially for 3D modeling and animation). The dedicated GPU will make your work easier as it can render images, videos, and timelines faster than an integrated GPU as it has dedicated VRAM (Video Memory) [If you don't know what VRAM is then please check out my other blog on Graphics Cards].

• Storage

Look for one that is at least 512GB and is at least Gen4. Anything under that should not be considered, seeing as the files and games are getting bigger and heavier for your machines to handle.

• Display

If you do work that requires color correction, look for one that has 100% sRGB and high brightness (at least 250 nits) and is an FHD 15.56-inch.

• Cost

A machine like this should cost around $600-$750 (Rs.50,000-Rs.60,000 INR), seeing how it would have a dedicated GPU and some other advanced stuff.

3. Gamers+AI Tasking

Considering that today's games and AI tasks can be very demanding, this guide will help you pick one that is going to last you years. This build can also work in the 2nd category (above) for the ones who are professional and would need an even more powerful device.

• RAM

RAM should be at least 16GB DDR5. DDR5 is faster and better than DDR4 which will improve your performance in heavy tasks and reduce lag and stutter, you can also go for LPDDR5X which takes up less power and is faster but is ultimately costlier.

• CPU

Look for that one with at least an Intel 12th Gen H, HS, or HX [HX for the most performance] or AMD RYZEN 5000 series. These high-end H series processors will make your system run smoothly and fast even while doing heavy and demanding tasks. At this point, the brand should provide a MUX Switch with their CPUs [A MUX Switch basically switches between your Integrated GPU and Dedicated GPU automatically].

• GPU

Games nowadays require at least 4GB VRAM so I would suggest going for an RTX 3050, and max 6 GB so you could go for the RTX 3050 6GB varient or the RTX 4050. If you want to future-proof your laptop I would suggest the RTX 4050 because it uses DLSS Frame Generation using AI to give an FPS boost plus most high-end animation and modeling software like Blender recommends an RTX 4000 series GPUs.

• Storage

For games as big as today's, I would recommend 512 GB or if possible 1TB Gen 4/5 SSD. This would help you to store and transfer your files quickly and give you lower loading times for your games without having to worry about your storage running out.

• Display

Most laptops in this category come with a 15.6 inch display, what you want to look for is if it has 100% sRGB.

• Cost

This is a heavy setup so expect it to cost around $750-$1200 (Rs.60,000-Rs.100000 INR).

Remember that you can always mix and match things and find the one that best suits your work and needs best.

• Some Important Points to Remember

1. The GPUs mentioned are all good for gaming, it's just that they are a little outdated for today's game standards [6GB VRAM] but they still can run games when adjusted to the right settings.
2. Always check if the RAM and Storage are upgradable and also check how many more units can they support to future-proof your laptop.
3. Check for Warranty. It should be at least 1 year.
4. Check the ports. Ensure that the ports given will suffice your needs.
5. Check for the battery backup.
6. Check how many ports there are and if they suit your needs.
7. Check if the seller or the brand is legit.
8. Please do your research properly and check different brands and websites for the best deal.
9. I am not sponsored by any company or brand mentioned in this blog.

Choosing the right laptop depends on what you need it for, like studying, working, or gaming. Focus on important parts like memory (RAM), the processor (CPU), and storage based on what you do. If you need it for heavy tasks, look for good graphics and a nice screen. It's important to balance performance and price, so take time to research and compare different laptops to find the best one for you.

Ohh! Look there are some pigeons here to wish you good luck in finding your laptop

Have a good day :)