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computer recommendation

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Getting a computer or laptop right from the seller themselves is another good place to purchase them. Also any other types of items you might need or upgrades you may want.

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Computers, Monitors & Technology Solutions | Dell USA

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Shop the latest Dell computers & technology solutions. Laptops, desktops, gaming pcs, monitors, workstations & servers. FREE & FAST DELIVERY

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This site is where the Government auctions off seized items. So, this is a direct link to where you could get computers and parts for them at a reasonable price.

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To learn how to enable Javascript on your browser ( Netscape 7.x or Mozilla 1.6 ) please To learn how to enable Javascript on your browser ( IE 5.x or 6.x) please NOTE: You don't have JAVASCRIPT enabled on your Browser!

click here

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GSA Auctions®, General Services Administration, Government Site for Auctions

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I feel like this is the ultimate guide for where to buy. It also has subheadings with things like best laptops, best linux laptops, and also windows it also has headings if you know you want particular things such as touchscreen and things of that nature.

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Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Laptops are a modern-day necessity. For home, school and work, it's hard to imagine life without access to the powerful tools, fast connections or entertainment a computer provides. No matter whether you're looking to play PC games, stream movies, create music, type up documents, share pictures, or stay connected while traveling, there's a computer out there that has the ideal specifications for your needs. Luckily, there are several great online retailers with great laptop selections to help you find that computer. Check out our list below for some great ideas to get started.

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The 8 Best Places to Buy a Laptop in 2019

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Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links. Laptops are a modern-day necessity. For home, school and work, it's hard to imagine life without access to the powerful tools, fast connections or entertainment a computer provides.

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The link is to a processor which you would need in order to build a PC or Laptop. However you can replace these in your computer.

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Only compatible with their 300-series chipset-based motherboards, the Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz Six-Core LGA 1151 Processor from Intel is designed for gaming, creating, and productivity. It has a base clock speed of 3.7 GHz and comes with features such as Intel Optane Memory support, AES-NI encryption, Intel vPro technology, Intel TXT, Intel Device Protection with Boot Guard, and Intel VT-d virtualization technology for directed I/O. With Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology, the maximum turbo frequency this processor can achieve is 4.6 GHz. Additionally, this processor features 6 cores with 6 threads in an LGA 1151 socket, has 9MB of cache memory, and 24 PCIe lanes. Having 6 cores allows the processor to run multiple programs simultaneously without slowing down the system, while the 6 threads allow a basic ordered sequence of instructions to be passed through or processed by a single CPU core. This processor also supports dual-channel DDR4-2666 RAM and utilizes 9th-generation technology.

Graphically, the Core i5-9600K uses the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630 chipset, which has a dynamic frequency of 1150 MHz. If you need even more performance, this processor is unlocked, which lets you overclock the processor over its maximum speed. However, this is not recommended, as it will void the limited 3-year warranty.

Please note that this processor does not include a heatsink or fan and requires a separately-sold CPU cooling solution.

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intel core i5-9600k 3.7 ghz six-core lga 1151 processor

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Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz Six-Core LGA 1151 Processor

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Buy Intel Core i5-9600K 3.7 GHz Six-Core LGA 1151 Processor featuring 6 Cores & 6 Threads, 3.7 GHz Clock Speed, 4.6 GHz Maximum Turbo Frequency, LGA 1151 Socket, 9MB Cache Memory, Intel UHD Graphics 630 (1150 MHz), Dual-Channel DDR4-2666 Memory, Supports Intel Optane Memory, Intel 300 Series Chipset Compatible Only, 9th Generation (Coffee Lake Refresh).

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YouTube Video that can help you with the DIY PC

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YouTube Video that can help you with the DIY PC

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The link below is a guide on how to build your next PC.

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It might be hard sourcing PC components right now, but learning how to build a PC is still a fulfilling task, regardless of what the best graphics cards are going for right now. The process actually remains the same - you need to research and choose the components that will make up the you're trying to put together. After all, you want a PC that you can show off with pride.

If you've never built a PC before, it can be a scary undertaking, especially considering that it is a good amount of work. Though a lot of people act like it's an easy task building a , you might find it a discouraging process your first time around. And, that's okay.

And, before you get too down about any issues you're facing, we're here to help. We've built quite a few PCs and have used our expertise to put together this step-by-step guide so you can build your PC in no time. We'll make it as painless as possible and take you from beginning to end.

(Image credit: DisobeyArt / Shutterstock)

What kind of PC do you need?

These days, basically everyone needs a decent PC to get through life, but they come in so many shapes and sizes that it's important to know what you're trying to build before you even get started.

For instance, if you're just going to be using your PC to do daily office work - like web browsing or writing up documents - you don't need to drop thousands of dollars on a fancy gaming rig. Building a PC with something like the AMD Ryzen 5 5600G will get you a quick and responsive PC that will last you years, with enough graphics horsepower to get you through all tasks that most people experience on a day-to-day basis.

However, there are plenty of people that need something with a bit more oomph. Computers are legitimately more powerful now than they've ever been, and there's never been more options to build something that will tear through the best PC games like they were so much paper. But, powerful hardware like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X come at a high price.

Luckily, if you're on more of a budget, you can get something like an Intel Core i5-11600K and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 (if you can find one in stock at a decent price, that is), and have an incredible 1080p gaming machine. And, that will be able to get some video editing done on the side too.

Tools of the trade

Although a single phillips screwdriver is all you need to construct a PC, you may want a few more things on hand just in case. For example, needle nose pliers or a simple pair of tweezers may come in handy to place screws into tight places or retrieve them.

Zip ties are useful for tidying up all your PC cables and luckily, you most likely won't have to buy them as they often come included with several different types of computer parts. You'll also need a pair of side cutters (or just scissors) to cut those said zip ties.

You can't go wrong with an anti-static wrist strap, either - though you can get away with not having one. Unless you've been running around on carpet all day, or have cats, you likely aren't holding enough static charge to damage the electronics. Just do yourself a favor and discharge any latent electricity by placing your hand on metal, like your PC case or power supply.

As for your workspace, you're going to want to clear off a good bit of table space, as you'll likely be flipping your PC on its side, feet, back and any which way to install everything.

And, before we forget, it's a good idea to get a monitor, keyboard and mouse set up before you start building, so you have something to plug it into when the building is done. You should also have a power socket and internet connection available.

It's hard to find a modern build with an optical drive these days, so put the Windows 10 installer onto a USB stick ( we'll show you how). If you can't find a handy thumb drive and a laptop, we would cannibalize an older rig for a CD drive, or even just buy one - you can find them online for less than 10 bucks these days.

It's time, to build. Finally.

After spending weeks coming up with a list of PC components, waiting anxiously for them to go on sale, and getting them delivered to your door, it's time. You've got a phillips head screwdriver in hand, and you're ready to go.

Now for the purposes of our PC building guide, we've used these following parts as an example of how to build a complete computer. These components are also exactly what you need to construct an modest - if a little last generation - gaming PC.

Here are some PC component deals to get your PC build started

Step by step
1. Strip down
First thing you'll want to do is strip the case down as far as you can go. Remove every panel that you can, and store them in a safe place (inside the case box is the best bet). We recommend using a bowl (or a magnetic parts tray if you want to be fancy) to hold your screws throughout your PC building process.
2. Fan-tastic
If you've purchased some replacement or extra cooling fans, now is the time to install them where you need them. Try to keep your cooling setup balanced, so there's as much air being drawn in, as is being blown out. In case you're not sure which way the wind will go, the plastic fan guards usually denotes where the air will come through.

Typically you want two fans in the front drawing air in and at least one in the rear blowing air out. You could also screw one or two more optional fans into the roof of the PC case for additional exhaust, if your PC case has mounting points for them.
3. Mobo Installation
Before we get to install the motherboard, you'll want to check on a few things about your PC case. Check for pre-installed motherboard standoffs, ensure the number and arrangement of them conforms to the holes found on your motherboard.

Secondly, see if your PC case has a large CPU cutout or window cut into the back of the motherboard frame. If it doesn't you may want to install any CPU cooler backplates and M.2 solid-state drives at this juncture.

Now that's done, first find your motherboard's rear I/O shield, and push it into the rectangular slot in the back of your PC case. Make sure it's right side up by matching the pattern of cutouts to the arrangement of ports on the back of your motherboard.

Next, lay your motherboard down inside the chassis - carefully lining up its rear ports with the corresponding holes in the I/O shield you just installed - on top of the standoffs installed in your chassis.

Then it's a simply case of securing the motherboard down with the screws that came with your chassis. Make sure you use the right ones here, as you don't want to thread the standoffs, in case you need to remove it at a later date.
4. CPU Installation
Next up, socket your CPU into the motherboard. Here's where things are a little different depending on which family and/or brand you decided to go with.

For Intel mainstream CPUs, slide the spring loaded retention arm out and up, then lift the bracket up leaving the plastic cover in place. Then, gently place your CPU inside the socket, matching the golden triangle located on the bottom left corner of the processor, with the triangle on the socket bracket.

For the next step, you should slide the securing bracket back into its original position so it locks in place underneath the screw, and secure the retention arm back down. During this process the protective plastic cover should pop off, so don't freak out if it comes flying at you. Be sure to stow the cover away in a safe place as it'll protect the motherboard's sensitive pins if you decide to remove the processor from the motherboard.

If you're installing an AMD CPU, fortunately installation is much less daunting. There's no bracket here, simply lift the retention arm in its raised position.

You should then take your processor and match the golden triangle on the corner of the Ryzen processor with the triangle on the socket. Once the pins on the bottom of the processor lineup with the holes on the socket, drop it into place. Give it a little nudge to make sure it's secure, then lower the retention arm back down and lock it into place.

Processor installation done, whew.
5. Memory Matters
Next on the agenda is installing computer memory. Push down the latches at either ends of the DDR4 slots on your motherboard. Then line up the notch on the bottom of the memory with the notch in the slot. After that, you can install the memory by carefully pushing down both sides of the memory into the slot. You should hear a clicking sound as the memory secures into place and the latches click back up.

Make sure you use the farthest and second closest slot from the CPU if you're only using two memory sticks. Complete that and you'll be good to go.
6. Cooler mounting
Here's the last complicate piece in the PC building process, CPU coolers.

Most third-party coolers require installing a backplate, which you may or may not have already done from step three of our PC building guide. Each individual cooler will have its own set of instructions your should follow, but the gist of most installations requires affixing a backplate and threading four pins though back of your motherboard.

From there you'll want to thermal paste if your CPU cooler didn't come with any pre-applied already. Users will want to squeeze out a small blob, around the size of half a pea, onto the middle of the CPU. This will spread out once your cooler is mounted, and provide a sufficient amount of thermal interface material to successfully transfer heat from the processor die to the cooler of your choosing.

For air coolers, you'll want to install most models with the fans unattached. Carefully orient the heatsink onto the pins or threads of the mounting plate and secure in place with any provided thumb screws or regular screws. After that it's simply a case of reattaching the fan to the tower, and plugging the 4-pin PWM fan header into the CPU Fan slot on the motherboard.

Liquid-coolers follow basically the same process, but require more upfront work. You'll probably have to attach fans onto the radiator and installing it into your PC case in advance. Depending on which liquid-cooler you're using, you may also need to plug in a second four-pin cable into a dedicated AIO cooler or optional cooler header on your motherboard.

This is also a good opportunity to plug in the rest of your system fans into any available slots on the board. Or alternatively, if your PC case has an integrated fan controller at the back of the chassis to route all your fans into, then directly onto the motherboard. It'll also need to connect to the motherboard via USB header.
7. Storage installation
Once memory is in, it's time to focus on some non-volatile memory storage, hard drives and solid-state drives. Our NZXT H400i happens to have a small SSD bracket on the front. Installing 2.5-inch drives into these caddies is a cinch, as you can simply slide it into place with the option of fully securing it with four screws.

Most modern PC cases comes with SSD bays of some sort. But if you're case doesn't, the 3.5-inch drive caddies typically reserved for hard drives should have compatible mounting points. No matter what type of storage drive you're installing, ensure the connection ports are facing towards a cable cut-out inside your chassis as it will make routing cables easier.
8. PSU positioning
Now you've got your motherboard, CPU and memory installed you're going to want to install your power supply next. If you've got a modular PSU, figure out what cables you need ahead of time, and plug them into your power supply first.

If your PC case comes with a PSU bracket, remove it ahead of time and attach it to the back of the unit. Next up thread the cables through the PSU slot in the back of the case first, and then slide the PSU into place, securing the bracket back onto the chassis.

Otherwise, on older cases you'll have to slip in the power supply in through the inside of the chassis and push it firmly against the inside wall as you attach it with four screws.

Depending on the design of your case, you'll want to orient the fan towards ventilation areas built into it. For most cases we suggest facing the fan downwards or to the side away from the interior of your PC. This way, your PSU can draw in fresh air and exhaust heat through the back.
9. All the buttons
To get your front I/O power buttons working properly, you need to plug in the correct cables. Fortunately, on our NZXT H400i, this is a single block that plugs directly onto the front I/O headers on the motherboard, make sure you orient it the correct way, then push it into place on the pins.

For everyone else, take the individual pins, and, using the motherboard installation handbook, identify which pins and cables need connecting. Try to do this part gently do, so as to not to bend the pins. It's important to note that any LED lights (HDD and Power), need to be oriented correctly, with the + and - cables installed into the + and - pins on the board.

It's also a good time to plug in your USB 3.0 header, USB 2.0 header, and audio passthrough. Audio is located on the bottom left of most motherboards. It will be labelled, and the pin outs will be different to the USB 2.0 headers. Install your USB 3.0 cables (denoted with a blue-colored end) into any available slots on the board, making sure to lineup the pins with the holes in the USB 3.0 cables.
10. Cable conundruming
Now you can plug in the rest of your power cables.

Identify your 8-pin EPS cable, and slide it up the back of the chassis, through the cable grommet and plug it into the 8 pin power slot at the top of the motherboard. Then, find the bulkier 24-pin cable, slide that through any cable routing recesses on the chassis and plug it into the corresponding 24-pin ATX power port on the motherboard.

Next up, take your SATA power and connect it to any storage drives. If you happen to have a something mounted onto the front of the case, run this SATA power cable through the PSU shroud, appropriate grommets or holes, and into your front mounted 2.5-inch drive. This is a good opportunity to plug in the SATA Data cables between any storage drives and the motherboard as well.

Lastly, you'll want to thread your PCIe power cable through the cutout in the PSU cover or any side grommets/holes, so that it's ready for when you install your GPU.
11. Graphically sound
Finally we have the last piece of the puzzle to slot into place.

First take a look at your motherboard and locate the PCIe slot closest to your processor. From there locate the two PCIe slots next to where you'll want to install your GPU and remove them. In most PC cases, that'll involve undoing two screws on the PCIe slot covers and removing them.

Take your graphics card out of the anti-static bag and line it up with the slots we just opened up. The rear I/O on the GPU should be facing out the back of the chassis. Once the gold contacts on your GPU make are touching the PCIe slot, gently push it into place until you hear a click. Then use the same screws we removed from the PCIe slot cover to secure the GPU into place.

Then it's simply a case of plugging your PCIe power that you routed in with our last step - and we have a fully built PC (mostly).
12. Into BIOS
Now the system's built, don't reattach all your panels just yet. First you'll want to make sure it actually turns on and runs properly.

Take your temporarily built tower over to your pre-setup computer space and plug it into power, a screen, keyboard and mouse too. Power it on, and mash the delete key to get into the BIOS screen. Check your CPU temp, make sure that's operating somewhere around 30-40 degrees C, and ensure that your boot drive is registering correctly.

If everything is showing up, now is also a good time to enable the XMP for Intel or DOCP for AMD to make sure your memory is operating at the correct frequency. Then hit F10, save and exit. Then power off.
13. Tidying up
Now that we're sure the machine is working, disconnect it again and bring it back to your workspace. It's worth doing this because you'll want to reattach all those PC case panels and tidy up any loose cables.

That means using cable ties to bunch together cables as much as you can. Most PC cases come to cable cut-outs to use as tie down points. Where they're aren't any, we usually use thicker cables to help push smaller ones flush against the inside of our computer chassis.
14. Installing Windows
Bring the system back to your computer space, where it'll sit forever - or at least until your next upgrade - as we'll want to install the operating system next.

Most modern rigs lack an optical drive to install your OS, so you'll need to create a USB install on another PC. To do this, download the Windows 10 Media Creation Kit and then install Windows 10 onto an USB stick with at least 8GB of space.

Then, once it's finished, simply plug it into your new system. Go back into your BIOS to tell your system to boot from the USB stick first. From there you can go through the prompts to install the operating system onto your new rig. Don't worry about not having a software key during installation, you can activate Windows 10 once you reach desktop.
15. Desktop maintenance
Once you're finally logged on, head on over to the manufacturer's website, find your motherboard, head to service, and download the correct chipset drivers for your system.

is a nifty tool to get all the programs you want fast without having to worry about installing each one individually is. On the Ninite site, you can select which programs you want, download the installer and let it run its magic. After that, go download and install the correct graphics driver for your card and you'll be all set to sit back and enjoy.

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How to build a PC: a step-by-step guide to building the best PC

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It might be hard sourcing PC components right now, but learning how to build a PC is still a fulfilling task, regardless of what the best graphics cards are going for right now. The process actually remains the same - you need to research and choose the components that will make up the you're trying to put together.

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This is Amazon's buying guide where you can go through and figure out what is important to you for this big purchase.

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online shopping guide for business, student, travel, gaming, and multimedia laptops from a great selection in the laptop store on amazon.com.

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Things to take into consideration when making this purchase.

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Mobile computing isn't a luxury anymore - these days, having ready access to a laptop is a flat out necessity.

Whether you need to edit video on the go, email your boss, play games, or just keep in touch with family, performance and portability come together when you pick the right notebook.

Although prices have come down, laptops are still a big investment. That's why you should be confident that you've found the perfect laptop to fit your needs and budget before checking out!

That's where we come in!

A typical laptop will last between 3 - 5 years. When it's time to replace a new laptop, from start to finish we've got a full guide to walk you through every aspect of the buying process.

How To Buy A Laptop 2020 [Short Answer]

1. Look for any device rated in the 8 - 10-hour range for battery life.

2. Pick a model with a screen in the 12 - 14-inch range for the most portability and lightest carrying weigh. Unless you are a designer or gamer, then 15- 17 inch is the way to go/

3. Go with a hybrid 2-in-1 model or anything with a detachable keyboard if you need a touch screen and want more portability. To save more money, pick a clamshell instead.

4. A minimum of 3 USB ports and an HDMI is standard, but if you don't mind using an adapter a single USB-C port can work as well.

5. Go for Windows 10 device for a broader suite of programs or want to game. Go for Chromebook if you want a cheap machine mostly for web browsing and using some light apps. Mac OS for high build quality and don't care about playing games or run Windows app.

6. To spend in the $200 - $500 range, expect a budget machine for web browsing and word processing only, and don't accept anything with less than 4GB of RAM. Make sure to get at least 500GB of hard drive space, unless you are picking a Chromebook with a smaller SSD.

7. To buy a mid-range device in the $600+ tier for other uses, don't accept anything with less than 8GB of RAM and make sure to buy a faster SSD instead of a standard HDD. Stick with an Intel Core i5 or better processor and look for a full HD screen with 1920 x 1080 resolution.

8. To buy an $800 - $1500 high-end laptop for gaming or video editing, make sure the device has a built-in graphics card that's at least a GTX 1050 Ti or better. On the RAM front, 16GB of RAM should be your minimum and an Intel Core i7 processor is ideal.

9. Finally, make sure you either get a large SSD or a 128GB SSD with a 1TB HDD for extra storage.

what to look for in a laptop 2020

1. How Much Should I Spend When Buying A New Laptop?

There are main price tiers to look at when picking a laptop. For the adventurous who aren't averse to potentially sending a machine back for repair, don't forget you can often find refurbished units for sale online.

Unless you've found a killer Black Friday style deal, anything under $300 is probably going to be a Chromebook or a refurbished Windows machine.

When going for laptop under $500, this is still the in the "budget" range, but here you start to find some better features. In most cases, 4 - 6GB of RAM is the maximum you can expect here when buying a new machine instead of going refurbished. That means your top priorities should be in getting the best CPU, most hard drive space, and finding extra bells and whistles.

Be on the lookout for trade offs here to find specifically what you need. For instance, if you prefer speed over storage space, you an often find $400 - $500 laptops with 128GB SSDs instead of the typical 1TB HDD.

Laptops Over $1000: At this price point, don't accept any trade offs in features and make sure you get everything you want.

The only exception to that rule is if you are picking an ultrabook, which offers thin, ultra lightweight designs by culling out a few features.

You should always get something extra at this range above and beyond what the budget options offer. For instance, make sure you find a backlit keyboard, touch screen, or special hybrid design.

Aside from niche systems like Linux, there are usually three main options when buying a new laptop:

Windows will often be your main pick, simply because it has the most options in terms of apps and programs.

There are downsides of course, as Windows is a resource-hungry OS that frequently slows down while installing large update files.

There's no question that gamers or anyone using a laptop for business applications will want to go with Windows in the vast majority of cases, however.

If you mostly spend your time online watching YouTube videos and browsing social media, you may be better served with the Chrome OS. Chrome also now has access to the full Google Play app store, which radically increases your options.

..the Mac OS is a solid alternative to Windows if you don't mind learning a different system...

Finally, the Mac OS is a solid alternative to Windows if you don't mind learning a different system. If you use music or video editing software, Mac is an excellent option, and they are also much less prone to viruses and spyware.

For the tech enthusiasts, MacBooks have a few features that Windows machines don't normally offer, such as high resolution retina displays and the nifty Touch Bar.

3. Important features To consider when buying a laptop

While the overall performance offered by the RAM and CPU will typically be the most touted factors, there are several other components you need to carefully consider.

3.1. Laptop Screen Size & Resolution Options

The old axiom that "bigger is better" doesn't usually apply when buying a laptop. In most cases, you want to go smaller for enhanced portability. These will be your typical size options:

11 inch

12.5 inch

13 inch

14 inch

15 inch

17 inch

It's important to keep in mind that as you go up in size, you also increase in weight and decrease in battery life.

17 inch screens are typically meant for gamers who don't mind being plugged into a wall outlet at all times. For the best crossroads between battery life, keyboard size, and display area, we recommend 12.5 inch - 14 inch laptops.

You also need to look at resolution options, particularly if you plan on watching full movies or frequently playing games. The two most common resolutions available are:

For true HD, we recommend going with the 1920 x 1080 option, but that may not always be available in budget models.

If you have more money to spend, you can find even higher resolutions that are referred to as "retina," 3k, or 4k.

3.2. Form Factor

Normal clamshell

Clamshell that can lay 180 degrees flat

Hybrid 2-in-1 360 degree hinge

Hybrid with detachable keyboard

While laptops used to only come in one variety - the standard clamshell - you've now got several major options to choose from, including:

For those who frequently use touch screen apps, a hybrid 2-in-1 model can be a life saver.

It's super easy to flip around in tent mode to play a video for your friends. If you prefer to write with a stylus, you can't beat the functionality of a full laptop that works as a tablet.

Hybrids usually come in smaller sizes, but if you don't mind spending more you can find 2-in-1 models with full 15 inch displays.

When you use your laptop as a tablet more often than actually typing on the keyboard, we recommend getting a detachable model instead.

No matter what style you go with, for the most durability be on the lookout for a laptop with a fully aluminum chassis rather than plastic, as they tend to last longer.

3.3. Keyboard Style

Whether you pick a standard clamshell design or get a hybrid model, you also have several choices to consider in the keyboard style, including:

Compact or "travel" style keyboards typically remove the Num Lock and 10 key segment on the right side entirely to save space.

If you want maximum portability, that's the way to go. Some users prefer a standard keyboard layout that's more like a desktop experience, however.

In that case, look for laptops with a full 10 key layout. These become increasingly rare as you go down in size, so you may have to go with a 14 or 15 inch screen to get the full keyboard.

Higher end models also typically feature a backlit keyboard, which means each key is lit up. If you work late at night, this feature shouldn't be overlooked, as it ensures keystroke accuracy.

Finally, keep in mind the placement of the power button, which can vary between models.

This is an issue of personal preference, but some users don't like having the power button on the keyboard itself.

3.4. Touchpad

Yep, even the touchpad can vary between laptop models! In general, you have four different styles to look out for:

The main thing to look out for here is whether the touchpad is centered, or offset to the left. This really only matters with full size keyboards where the 10 key segment is present.

Take a look to see if the laptop touchpad features individual right or left click buttons. Some newer models ditch that design and instead use a streamlined touchpad with no buttons at all.

These pads work the exact same way, but some users prefer the tactile sensation of the buttons and find it awkward to right click a streamlined touchpad.

3.5. How Much RAM Do I Need In A Laptop?

Simply put, the more RAM your laptop has, the better performance you can expect when running multiple programs. The most common RAM configurations available will usually be as follows:

4GB | 8GB | 16GB | 32GB | 64GB

The lower end of 4GB is quickly becoming obsolete, and is really only meant for budget machines that just browse the web.

If you use nearly any type of software beyond just word processing or web browsing, we highly recommend bumping up to the 8GB threshold. If you want to future proof your machine against new software with higher requirements, 16GB is a solid investment.

You generally don't need 32GB or higher unless you are using CAD software or playing brand new games on ultra settings.

3.7. What Is A Good Processor Speed For Laptop?

After you've decided on a memory size, it's time to pick a CPU. These will be your most typical options when browsing modern laptops:

Intel Core i3 | Intel Core i5 | Intel Core i7 | Intel Core i9

As you move up the scale, you can expect significantly faster speeds when installing programs or Windows updates. The price goes up correspondingly, however.

For most users, we recommend a Core i5 of at least 7th gen to get the best combination of high speed and low power consumption.

3.8. What About Graphic Cards?

Finally, the type of video card will have a direct impact on how well the laptop can render graphics-intensive programs.

While this mostly matters for gamers, a higher end graphics card may also be a requirement for CAD software or heavy duty video editing tools.

If you intend to play games on high settings, you will want to look for a dedicated graphics card in this range:

GTX 1050 Ti | GTX 1060 | GTX 1070 | Radeon 560 | Radeon 580

In most cases, the 1050 Ti model will run the vast majority of games at decent frame rates. The main reason to bump up above that tier at this point is to buy a VR ready laptop.

3.9. Battery Life

Battery life is a crucial component to consider when buying a new laptop. If you're going to stick in one spot all the time, why not just buy a desktop instead?

In general, gaming laptops will feature significantly reduced battery life over home or office models.

..to get the best battery life in the 8 - 14 hour range, be on the lookout for smaller, more compact models with less screen size..

To get the best battery life in the 8 - 14 hour range, be on the lookout for smaller, more compact models with less screen size.

The less power that has to be used to keep a bright display running, the higher your battery life.

Be careful when reading estimated battery life specs provided by manufacturers. They list high numbers based on simple web browsing with the screen brightness turned down.

Make sure to read through the reviews from other buyers to find out what the real battery life will actually be!

3.10. Storage

With so many online backup solutions available, and with USB storage so cheap, it isn't as important to have a huge hard drive anymore.

In fact, you may notice that laptops with smaller storage capacities tend to cost more. Why exactly is that?

Because newer laptops use solid state drives (SSD) instead of the older hard disk drive (HDD) tech.

SSDs offer significantly increased data retrieval speeds. You can get the best of both worlds by booting to Windows on a 128GB or 256GB SSD, while using a secondary 1TB HDD for saving your larger files.

Of course every laptop in this day and age should come with a WiFi card for connecting to any given wireless network. That isn't your only option, however.

Some laptops feature built-in Bluetooth adapters for connecting to external devices without using a cord.

This can be extremely handy for streaming audio to external speakers for instance, or using a wireless Bluetooth mouse.

Don't worry if this option isn't included however, as USB Bluetooth adapters are available very cheaply via Amazon.

It may be hard to believe, but there are still other features to take into account for the best overall laptop experience!

Notably, optical CD/DVD drives are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. You have to look hard to find newer models that include this option.

Security features are instead becoming more prevalent. If you don't want to remember another password look for models that have a fingerprint scanner and a lock slot.

Finally, don't forget to take note of the kinds of ports available! Some laptops won't include Ethernet ports for wired connections, HDMI or VGA ports for connecting to external displays, or extra USB ports for other peripherals.

Fun Facts: Things Manufacturers Not Tells You About Your Laptop

Aside from the features and specs of a laptop, there are other things that you need to focus on.

Fact is many manufacturers lie about the real battery life of their products. Some even have the audacity to advertise a battery life that is twice the real battery capacity. There are tools that you can use to check if they're telling the truth, or you can go ahead and spend hours inside a computer store and wait for the laptop to lose battery.

You must understand that manufacturers know how to catch your attention. They may advertise that their laptop has all the glowing specs you need, but underneath they eliminate some important aspects. You may feel like you're in luck because of the affordability of the laptop, but the truth is you are fooled into buying a low quality item.

And if you can't afford a new high-end laptop, you probably think that it's better to buy a refurbished product with the same manufacturer and style. However, you need to think twice about that decision. Refurbished laptops are not all "refurbished". Some of these products actually have minor factory defects.

And since manufacturers cannot sell them as brand new nor can they throw them away, they brand them as refurbished and blame the "previous" owner for its low performance.

Let's delve into the ways for you to identify a refurbished laptop:

Refurbished laptops show signs of wear and tear, especially in the keyboard.

There are scratches on the surface, particularly on the screen.

The screws on the laptop are obviously taken apart.

New laptops have an industrial cleaning smell, or a new product smell.

Look for the serial number of the laptop and compare it with the chassis serial number. Unmatched serial number means the laptop is refurbished.

Refurbished laptops have reduced warranties, like three months only.

Check for a sticker at the back that indicates the laptop is refurbished.

Check the product number of the laptop. New laptops don't have an R letter, while refurbished ones have an R added to the number. Example: New: NB123UA#ABA. Refurbished: NB123UAR#ABA.

How to Chose A perfect laptop in 2020

If you've made it to the end of our buying guide, you should finally be able to answer the question "what laptop is best for me?" with a clear and definitive answer.

No matter your budget or how you intend to use your device, the steps above should clearly break down every option you need to pick at each stage of the buying process.

Still, need more help or aren't sure which specific model to pick? Leave us a comment below with a general idea of your needs and we can respond with a couple of the best models for you!

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How To Buy A Laptop 2020 | Trusted Buying Guide

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Mobile computing isn't a luxury anymore - these days, having ready access to a laptop is a flat out necessity. Whether you need to edit video on the go, email your boss, play games, or just keep in touch with family, performance and portability come together when you pick the right notebook.

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This site gives you laptops they like along with links for purchasing

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We've tested and reviewed well over 400 laptops over the years, searching for the best of the best. So, when it comes to picking the best laptop overall for 2020, there was a clear winner: The Dell XPS 13. With fantastic performance, a display with modern-looking thin bezels, a well-built keyboard and touchpad, and great battery life, the Dell XPS 13 performs well in every important aspect of a laptop.

But if you're looking for the best MacBook, Chromebook, gaming laptops, or 2-in-1, we've made choices for these as well.

The best laptops at a glance:

The best laptop: Dell XPS 13

Why should you buy this: It's portable, fast, attractive, and reasonably priced.

Who's it for: Everyone except gamers.
Why we picked the Dell XPS 13:
No laptop in the past few years has been more influential than the XPS 13. It started this race to thiner bezels back in 2015, which has now spread to every gadget that has a screen.

In its latest iteration, Dell's taken things even further. The 2020 XPS 13 has made the screen larger using a 16:10 aspect ratio, all while shrinking the bottom bezel. The result is a larger screen without needing a larger overall laptop.

This year's XPS 13 also gets a larger keyboard and touchpad, making use of every possible surface of the device. Of course, it's just as powerful and long-lasting as before, not sacrificing function over form. It's no longer a cheap laptop, but as far as I'm concerned, the XPS has earned its spot as a premium brand. It all adds up to what is undoubtedly the best laptop you can buy.
Read our in-depth Dell XPS 13 (2020) review
The best MacBook: MacBook Air

Why should you buy this: Those who want a Mac, no matter what.

Who's it for: Students and Apple fans.
Why we picked the MacBook Air:
The latest update to the MacBook Air isn't a reinvention, but it does a number of things right. First off, it gets a price cut, now starting at just $999 (or $899 for students). That also includes a bump to the base storage, now at 256GB.

Most importantly, though, it swaps out the faulty butterfly-mechanism keyboard with the new Magic Keyboard. That means if you purchase the MacBook Air, you're getting a reliable laptop you can type on for many years without concerns of the keyboard giving out.

Performance, though, should be a consideration. Even the quad-core Core i5 MacBook Air can't compete with the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It's using a far less powerful processor. But for those who have relatively light computing needs - email, web browsing, productivity apps, Netflix streaming - the Air has plenty of performance to get you by. For most people, the MacBook Air is the best Mac you can buy.
Read our in-depth MacBook Air review
The best laptop for students: Asus ZenBook 13 UX333

Why should you buy this: You want an affordable Windows PC that's will help you keep up with your homework.

Who's it for: High school and college students who want portability, power, and long battery life - but don't want to spend an arm and a leg.
Why we picked the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333:
Students don't often have the budgets to accommodate premium laptops like the Dell XPS 13, and thus for them, we suggest the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333. It's an ultrabook that comes with our highest recommendation and costs just $850. While most laptops in this price range cut important things like battery life or display quality, this ZenBook 13 has it all. It's not as powerful as the Dell XPS 13 or a MacBook Pro, but in its most recent iteration, it almost matches the XPS 13 in terms of its tiny bezels. It's also a great looking laptop that keeps things light and thin without sacrificing build quality.

The bang-for-your-buck value here is particularly impressive. The base model comes with an eighth-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive. It hasn't yet been updated to Intel's latest 10th-gen processor, but it's still a fast, capable laptop.

It's remarkable how much laptop you can get for so little money, and that should be of particular interest to cash-strapped students. If you need to dip lower in price, we suggest the Acer Aspire E 15, which is commonly sold for around $550.
Read our in-depth Asus ZenBook 13 UX333 review
The best Chromebook: Google Pixelbook Go

Why should you buy this: You want an inexpensive but well-built 2-in-1.
Why we picked the Google Pixelbook Go:
Who's it for: Students, people who need only basic functionality, anyone who wants a cheap laptop to use as a second PC.

Chromebooks are best-known as cheap alternatives to Windows PCs, and there are plenty of good options for under $500. The Pixelbook Go, though, makes a serious case for a Chromebook with a bit more finesse. It's beautifully designed, rigidly built, and a joy to use.

Thanks to its ultra-light 2.3-pound weight and fantastic battery life, it's a great option for students and people taking their work on the go.
Read our in-depth Google Pixelbook Go review
With a starting price of $649, it's not a significant cut from the $999 original Pixelbook. You do, of course, face the usual limitations with Chrome OS. It's designed around Google's Chrome web browser, meaning you can't download your normal Windows applications. It's wonderfully simple and intuitive to use, however, and with the inclusion of the Google Play Store, you can fill some of the gaps in software with Android apps.

The best 2-in-1 laptop: Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Why should you buy this: You want a great laptop and a good tablet.
Why we picked the Surface Pro 7:
Who's it for: Anyone who needs versatility on top of performance.

The Surface Pro line has earned its dedicated following over the years with its excellent detachable keyboard and full Windows 10 performance. It's the familiar PC experience you're used to, with the added interest of 2-in-1 capability, Surface Pen stylus compatibility, and a tablet mode. It's a supremely well-built device, complete with a beautiful, high-resolution display and rock-solid kickstand.

The latest model, the Surface Pro 7, doesn't make any substantial changes to the formula, but it does offer a couple of key upgrades. You now get a USB-C port rather than a mini-DisplayPort, as well as upgrade performance with 10th-generation Ice Lake processors from Intel. That means snappier performance and improved integrated graphics.
Read our in-depth Surface Pro 7 review
Do we wish the Surface Pro 7 had the slimmer chassis and smaller bezels of the new Surface Pro X? Of course. But the Surface Pro 7 is cheaper, faster, and more universal in terms of app support.

The best business laptop: HP Elite Dragonfly

Why you should buy this: This is a business laptop unlike any other.
Why we picked the HP Elite Dragonfly:
Who's it for: Business pros who want a laptop that won't embarrass them.

Business laptops have a certain stigma around them. It's often assumed that they need to be clunky, ugly, and full of bloatware. Not so.

The Elite Dragonfly has everything your IT department will need (and you'll appreciate), without getting in the way of a supremely beautiful and modern laptop. The ideal person for the Dragonfly is someone who takes their work on the go with them, whether that's in long flights or subways. That's where the Dragonfly really comes alive as a highly portable laptop that might actually fit on your pull-down tray.
Read our in-depth HP Elite Dragonfly review
On top of all that, the Dragonfly is one of the first 5G-enabled laptops, which could come in handy as the faster connectivity standard rolls out.

The best budget laptop: Acer Aspire 5

Why you should buy this: Good performance for so little money, and a complete complement of hardware features.
Why we picked the Acer Aspire 5:
Who's it for: Those who want a do-everything Windows laptop without breaking the bank.

Buying a budget laptop (especially one under $500) can be a horrifying experience. Dim screens, plastic chassis', poor battery life, and clunky performance - it's enough to make you hold off and save up a few hundred more dollars. In most cases, we recommend that too.

The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the few. There's a wide-ranging option of configurations, ranging from $350 up to $850. The most balanced model is the $500 option, which includes an 8th-gen quad-core Intel processor and 8GB of RAM for great performance, a decent 1080p 15-inch screen, and even a 256GB solid state drive. It's not fancy, but it has everything you'd need in a modern laptop.
Read our in-depth Acer Aspire 5 review
According to our review, the Aspire 5 even gets good battery life, offering a full day of work away from the wall plug. That's something many laptops twice its price can't boast.

The best gaming laptop: Razer Blade 15

Why should you buy this: It provides a fantastic gaming experience on the go.
Why we picked the Razer Blade 15:
Who's it for: People who want a fantastic laptop that can also game.

From the exterior, you might not even know the Razer Blade is a gaming laptop. It's as light and thin as a MacBook Pro, with thin bezels, a world-class keyboard, and touchpad, as well as a bright, vivid, 15-inch display. Even if it weren't a gaming laptop, the Razer Blade would probably still be a contender for one of the best 15-inch laptops. The fact that it can play games at respectable framerates makes it a bit of a miracle.

Now with new RTX Super graphics, maxing out at the RTX 2080 Super, and a high refresh rate display, the Razer Blade is a killer gaming machine. The Razer Blade made short work of just about everything we threw at it - as long as you stay away from 4K, of course. Razer redesigned its thermal system to ensure that despite some throttling, the Blade can play nearly any game with settings maxed. That includes heavy loads like Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and Battlefield V.
Read our in-depth Razer Blade 15 review
Simply put, this is the most elegant, beautiful gaming laptop you've ever seen. The recent update to options for an OLED 4K panel or a 300Hz refresh rate sweetens the deal even more. Options like the Alienware Area-51m might perform better, but for our money, this is the gaming laptop we'd choose every time.

The best laptop for video editing: Dell XPS 15

Why should you buy this: You want a portable PC that can churn through your video editing projects.
Why we picked the Dell XPS 15:
Who's it for: Video editors who want powerful components and a big, beautiful display.

When you're editing video, you want plenty of space to view both the results and your favorite application's interface. But, if you're using a laptop rather than a desktop PC, then you want to be able to do your editing on the go. That's where 15-inch laptops come in - they're both powerful and, thanks to today's thin-bezel movement, highly portable.

The best 15-inch laptop around is the Dell XPS 15 - and in 2019, it's even better than before. With up to an eight-core, Core i9 processor and the latest GTX 1650 graphics, you now have way more processing cores at your disposal. For multi-threaded applications like Adobe Premiere, you can expect some impressive rendering times. You even have two options for a screen at the same price: A gorgeous OLED 4K screen or a touch-capable 4K LED screen.
Read our in-depth Dell XPS 15 (2019) review
Overall, the XPS 15 is easily the best all-around 15-inch laptop on the market today, making it the ultimate video-editing laptop too. A significant redesign has been rumored to be in the works, though, so you may want to wait before pulling the trigger.

The best laptop for photo editing: Apple MacBook Pro 16

Why should you buy this: You want the most extensive software support in a laptop and a picture-perfect display.
Why we picked the Apple MacBook Pro:
Who's it for: Photo editors who want a display that will give them real-world results.

Apple's MacBook line has been a favorite among photo editors forever. The company has built up such a huge following by ensuring that the best software runs on MacOS, and by offering some of the best and most accurate displays you can buy.

The MacBook Pro maintains that focus on creative professionals, especially if you opt for the new 16-inch model. It offers plenty of power in a very thin and light form factor, up to 8th-gen Intel Core i7 CPUs, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB of fast storage. And, its display is great for editing photos thanks to a 16:10 aspect ratio providing more vertical space and wide color gamuts (100% of sRGB and 91% of AdobeRBG) with the most accurate colors you can get. The 16-inch MacBook Pro has a similarly-great display with new Intel 9th-gen CPUs, and provides the larger screen that some photographers will appreciate. It also features an improved keyboard and powerhouse performance.
Read our in-depth Apple MacBook Pro 16 review
Windows laptops are catching up, but the MacBook Pro retains its place at the top of the photo editing laptop market. It's not the least expensive photo editing platform around, but it's the best.

How we test

You've read our laptop reviews. You've read our conclusions. And now you're wondering how we came to them.

Good question. Reviews often lack context, which is evident in the wildly different scores some laptops receive from different publications. Conflicting opinions can actually make buying a laptop more difficult if the review's criteria aren't made clear.

Allow us to lift the veil. Here we'll explain the benchmarks we use for objective testing and the perspective from which we approach subjective topics. We don't expect everyone to agree with our opinions, but we hope that sharing our process will leave you better equipped to decide what laptop best fits your needs.
What's the best laptop brand?
Research and buying tips

Picking just one laptop brand as the best is a bit of a challenge lately. There are so many great laptops available today, and they come from several manufacturers. Hold our feet to the fire, though, and we'll have to pick Dell as the overall best. Dell seems invested in applying the latest materials to improve the performance of its laptops, and it's constantly coming up with new innovative designs.

HP is no slouch either. It, too, utilizes some unique materials (e.g., its Spectre Folio that's literally constructed of leather) and makes some customer-friendly design decisions, such as resisting the thin-and-light trend to pack in more battery capacity.
What's a 2-in-1 laptop?
In terms of customer service and reliability, Apple carries the torch for its convenience. Its issues with its recent keyboard aside, MacBooks tend to be highly durable, and customer service is top-notch.

A 2-in-1 laptop is one that isn't limited to the traditional clamshell configuration. Instead, a 2-in-1 can convert from a clamshell into some form of tablet PC that allows for natural inking and media consumption.

The concept isn't brand-new - Microsoft sold a "Tablet PC" version of Windows as far back as 2001 that supported pen input, but it never caught on. As electronics have gotten more powerful and fit into smaller chassis, and capacitive touch and active pen technology has improved, the modern 2-in-1 has emerged. Microsoft kicked off the form factor with its Surface line in 2012, and most manufacturers followed with their versions.

Today, you can pick from among a variety of different kinds of 2-in-1s. The most popular types are the tablet with a detachable keyboard, epitomized by the Microsoft Surface Pro 7, and the 360-degree convertible where the display flips around to turn into a (usually larger) slate.
What processor should I buy?
The main advantage of the tablet 2-in-1 is portability - tablets are extremely thin, light, and easy to carry around - while they also work the best for drawing and taking notes on the pen-enabled display. The 360-degree convertible 2-in-1, on the other hand, isn't quite as handy as a tablet but it tends to work better in clamshell laptop mode - especially when using it on the lap, where it's more stable than most detachable tablets.

The most popular CPUs for laptops today are Intel's eighth-generation Whiskey Lake processors that include low-power Y-series and fast and efficient U-series. For most productivity Windows 10 users, we recommend a minimum of the Core i5-8265U, which is a highly capable processor that can handle most productivity tasks without slowing down. It's also efficient, meaning you'll enjoy great battery life. If you skip back to older generations of Intel processors, you'll find slower clocks speeds and fewer cores at your disposal, meaning you may run into bottlenecks while multitasking or running multi-threaded applications.

Chromebook running on Google's more efficient Chrome OS can utilize slower processors and still perform well, such as an Intel Core i3 or even a Pentium processor. Not many Chromebooks bother with the fastest Core i7 CPU.
How much RAM do I need?
If you're looking for a gaming or content creation laptop, we recommend either last year's 8th-generation or the most current 9th-gen, ultra-power H-series CPUs. You'll find these in laptops ranging from the MacBook Pro 15 to the Razer Blade.
Should I buy a laptop or a tablet?
The sweet spot for memory for both laptops and desktops is 8GB. You can check out our story " How much RAM do I need" for the details. But generally speaking, 8GB will suffice whether you're running Windows, MacOS, or even the more lightweight Chrome OS. And, it will provide plenty of headroom for multitasking and more demanding applications. If you're doing high-end photo or video editing, then we recommend 16GB (or more).

As we mentioned above, you can get a tablet that can morph into a laptop just by attaching a keyboard. And so if you really want the power of Windows 10 in a form factor that's easier to carry around, then you can select a tablet 2-in-1. We don't recommend these devices as tablets in themselves, as the Windows 10 tablet mode is still fairly limited. If you want the utmost in simplicity and an even smaller device, then a pure tablet like the iPad can be great for web browsing, triaging email, consuming media, and other tasks that don't require the full power of a "real" PC.
Should my laptop have USB-C?
So, where doesn't a tablet work? If you're a hardcore gamer, need a laptop that can churn through video and huge photos, or have a need for multitasking. Tablets are very thin and tend to use slower CPUs and integrated graphics that won't accelerate creative applications or power modern games. Meanwhile, the software on these devices isn't as full-featured as a desktop operating system like Windows 10 or MacOS.

The short answer is: Yes, you should try to pick up a laptop with at least one USB-C port. This is the latest in connectivity that ensures that you can connect to legacy devices (via adapters) while being covered for future devices as well. USB-C can provide for data transfer, power, and display connections, and USB-C hubs can greatly extend how many peripherals you can easily connect to your laptop.

The good thing is that laptops, even budget models, increasingly include USB-C. The longer answer is that not only do you want USB-C, but you want ports that support the even more powerful Thunderbolt 3 standard. Thunderbolt 3 provides up to 40 gigabits per second (Gb/s) over a single connection, and it can support multiple 4K displays and external GPU enclosures that can greatly improve graphics performance. Lately, even laptops under $1,000 sport Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Editors' Recommendations

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The Best Laptops for 2020: XPS, Surface, MacBook, Razer, and More | Digital Trends

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Choosing a new laptop is a big decision, considering how much they usually cost. However, you have all sorts of great options, whether you're hunting for a Windows PC, MacBook, or Chromebook. Here are our picks for the best laptops in every category from gaming to budget to Chromebooks -- and beyond.

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A. Unfortunately, a large number of affordable laptops feature a suboptimal screen resolution, and it's sad to see new laptop owners lamenting their grainy screen and having to scroll from side to side to read websites optimized for full HD screens.

A "full HD" laptop screen will at minimum 1080p, aka. 1920 X 1080, and if you are investing in a long-term laptop, don't settle for less.
Q. What should I look for when it comes to a laptop's battery life?
A. As far as battery life goes, a laptop should be able to run for at least 8 hours between charges. After all, you'll need a laptop that will survive the average workday, or a daytime outing from your home and back.

With that said, we consider an 8-hour battery life to be the absolute minimum acceptable level for a laptop, and if you can find better, go for it. Also, please note that you may need to adjust the laptop's display settings to optimize its battery life.
Q. Do I really need a laptop with a touchscreen?
A. No, but it's a handy feature to have. There are some pros and cons to owning a laptop with a touchscreen as well, for instance, the ability to instantly sign an electronic document with a touch pen or your finger beats printing, signing, and scanning the same document any day of the week. On the other hand, you may need to clean annoying, smudgy fingerprints from your laptop screen more often than you'd like to.

If a touchscreen isn't a big deal for you, you can save money by buying a model with a traditional screen instead.
Q. Gaming laptops have incredible specs. Does that mean that I should get one?
A. That depends on how you intend to use your new laptop. If you are buying a laptop for browsing the internet, compiling spreadsheets, connecting with friends on social media, and playing solitaire, there's no way to justify spending so much more for a gaming laptop's crystal-clear display, incredibly powerful graphics chip, and funky customizable keyboard lighting unless you enjoy playing video games.

Remember to compare features between laptops in regards to what you need it to do, and not only will you end up finding the best laptop for you, you may save a lot of money by not buying features and components that you don't need.

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Top 5 Laptop Computers of May 2020 - BestReviews

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A. Unfortunately, a large number of affordable laptops feature a suboptimal screen resolution, and it's sad to see new laptop owners lamenting their grainy screen and having to scroll from side to side to read websites optimized for full HD screens. A "full HD" laptop screen will at minimum 1080p, aka.

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Compact enough to carry with you, yet versatile enough to run demanding applications, a laptop is the best tool for doing serious work or play at home and on the road. While standalone tablets and smartphones are always popular, most people realize that everything from typing a research paper to crunching video to gaming works better on a laptop. So what type of laptop should you get?

There's a wide variety of sizes, features and prices, which makes choosing the right laptop a challenge. That's why you need to figure out what your needs are. To make the right call, just follow these steps.

1. Pick a Platform: Mac, Windows or Chrome OS?

This is not an easy question to answer, especially if you're not familiar with both Macs and PCs. But this quick overview of each platform's strengths and weaknesses should help.

Most laptops come with one of three operating systems: Windows, Chrome OS or Mac OS X (for MacBooks only). Choosing the right one is a personal preference, but here's a quick summary of what each offers.

Windows 10

The most flexible operating system, Windows appears on many more makes and models than Chrome OS or Mac OS X. Windows notebooks range in price from under $150 to several thousand dollars and offer a wide array of features from touch screens to fingerprint readers to dual graphics chips. Windows 10, the latest version of Microsoft's flagship operating system, provides a number of improvements over Windows 7 and 8, including the ability to switch between tablet and desktop modes, a revamped Start menu with live tiles and the powerful Cortana digital assistant. Since its launch in July 2015, Windows 10 has also added a host of improvements, including the ability to use follow-up questions with Cortana, search your email using natural language and use your stylus to scribble almost anywhere.
MORE: 100+ Windows 10 Tips to Help You Master Microsoft's OS
Apple macOS Sierra

All MacBooks come with Apple's latest desktop operating system, macOS Sierra. Overall, the operating system offers similar functionality to Windows 10, but with a different take on the interface that substitutes an apps dock at the bottom of the screen for Microsoft's Start menu and taskbar. Instead of the Cortana digital assistant, Mac users get Siri. They can also perform transactions with Apple Pay, take calls or texts from their phones and unlock their laptops with an Apple Watch. However, macOS isn't made for touch, because no MacBook comes with a touch screen.
MORE: MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro: What Should You Buy?
Chrome OS

Found on inexpensive "Chromebooks" such as the Lenovo 100S Chromebook, Google's OS is simple and secure, but limited. The user interface looks a lot like Windows with an application menu, a desktop and the ability to drag windows around, but the main app you use is the Chrome browser. The downside is that many of the "web apps" you use don't work particularly well offline.

However, the operating if you need a device to surf the Web and check email, navigate social networks and chat online, Chromebooks are inexpensive and highly portable, and they offer good battery life. Google is also slowly adding support for Android apps , with a handful of Chromebooks able to run Google Play today.
MORE: Best Chromebooks Available Now
2. Decide If You Want a 2-in-1

These days, many PC laptops fall into the category of "2-in-1s," devices that can switch between traditional clamshell mode, tablet mode and other positions in between such as tent or stand modes. The 2-in-1s generally come in two different styles: detachables with screens that come off the keyboard entirely and flexible laptops with hinges that bend back 360 degrees to change modes. Most of these systems are much better at serving one purpose than the other, with bend-backs being laptops first and detachables offering a superior tablet experience. However, if you don't see the need to use your notebook as a slate, you'll usually get more performance for your money and a better productivity experience with a traditional clamshell laptop.

If you decide you want a 2-in-1, note that bendables usually have far better battery life than their detachable brethren.
MORE: Windows Detachables Have Big Battery Life Problem
3. Choose the Right Size

Before you look at specs or pricing, you need to figure out just how portable you need your laptop to be. Laptops are usually categorized by their display sizes:

11 to 12 inches: The thinnest and lightest systems around have 11- to 12-inch screens and typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds,

13 to 14 inches: Provides the best balance of portability and usability, particularly if you get a laptop that weighs under 4 pounds.

15 inches: The most popular size, 15-inch laptops usually weigh 4.5 to 6.5 pounds. Consider this size if you want a larger screen and you're not planning to carry your notebook around often.

17 to 18 inches: If your laptop stays on your desk all day every day, a 17- or 18-inch system could provide you with the kind of processing power you need to play high-end games or do workstation-level productivity.

4. Check That Keyboard and Touchpad

The most impressive specs in the world don't mean diddly if the laptop you're shopping for doesn't have good ergonomics. If you plan to do a lot of work on your computer, make sure the keyboard offers solid tactile feedback, plenty of vertical travel (distance the key goes down when pressed, usually 1 to 2mm) and enough space between the keys.

Look for an accurate touchpad that doesn't give you a jumpy cursor and responds consistently to multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom. If you're buying a business laptop, consider getting one with a pointing stick (aka nub) between the G and H keys so you can navigate around the desktop without lifting your fingers off the keyboard's home row.

5. Pick Your Specs

Notebook components such as processor, hard drive, RAM and graphics chip can confuse even notebook aficionados, so don't feel bad if spec sheets look like alphabet soup to you.

Here are the main components to keep an eye on.

CPU: The "brains" of your computer, the processor has a huge influence on performance, but depending on what you want to do, even the least-expensive model may be good enough. Here's a rundown.

Intel Core i5: If you're looking for a mainstream laptop with the best combination of price and performance, get one with an Intel Core i5 CPU. Models that end in U (ex: Core i5-7200U) are the most common. Those with the a Y in the name are low power and have worse performance while models with an HQ offer four cores. Intel's latest-generation, "Kaby Lake" CPUs have model numbers that begin with 7 (ex: Core i5-7300U) so look for those to get the best performance.

Intel Core i7: High-end performance for gaming rigs and workstations. Models with numbers that end in HQ or K use higher wattage and have four cores, allowing for even faster gaming and productivity. There are also Core i7 Y series chips that have lower power and performance. Keep an eye out for CPUs that have a 7 in the model number (ex: Core i7-7820HQ) because they are part of Intel's latest, 7th Generation Core Series, and offer better performance.

Intel Core i3: Performance is just a step below Core i5 and so is the price. If you can possibly step up to a Core i5, we recommend it.

AMD A, FX or E Series: Found on low-cost laptops, AMD's processors -- the company calls them APUs rather than CPUs -- provide decent performance for the money that's good enough for web surfing, media viewing and productivity.

Intel Atom: Found on very low-cost laptops -- think $250 and under -- Atom offers basic performance but more battery life than Celeron/Pentium.

Intel Pentium / Celeron: Common in sub $400 laptops, these chips are a little faster than Atom, but offer worse battery life. If you can pay more to get a Core i3 or i5, you'd be better off.

Intel Core m / Core i5 / i7 "Y Series" -- Low-power and low heat allow systems with these processors to go fanless. Performance is better than Celeron, but a notch below regular Core i5 U series.

Intel Xeon: Extremely powerful and expensive processors for large mobile workstations. If you do professional-grade engineering, 3D modeling or video editing, you might want a Xeon, but you won't get good battery life or a light laptop.

MORE: Which Laptop CPU is Right for You?

RAM: Some sub-$250 laptops come with only 2GB of RAM, but ideally you want at least 4GB on even a budget system and 8GB if you can spend just a little more. For most users, 16GB or more is overkill.

Storage Drive (aka Hard Drive): Even more important than the speed of your CPU is the performance of your storage drive. If you can afford it and don't need a ton of internal storage, get a laptop with a solid state drive (SSD) rather than a hard drive, because you'll see at least three times the speed and a much faster laptop overall.
Among SSDs, the newer PCIe x4 (aka NVME) units offer triple the speed of traditional SATA drives. Sub-$250 laptops use eMMC memory, which is technically solid-state but not faster than a mechanical hard drive.

Display: The more pixels you have, the more content you can fit on-screen, and the sharper it will look. Most budget and mainstream laptops have 1366 x 768 displays, but if you can afford it, we recommend paying extra for a panel that runs at 1920 x 1080, also known as full HD or 1080p. Some higher-end laptops have screens that are 2560 x 1600, 3200 x 1800 or even 3840 x 2160, which all look sharp but consume more power, lowering your battery life.MORE: Why 78 Percent of Laptop Screens Suck

Touch Screen: If you're buying a regular clamshell laptop, rather than a 2-in-1, you won't get much benefit from a touch screen and you will get 1 to 3 hours less battery life. On 2-in-1s, touch screens come standard.

Graphics Chip: If you're not playing PC games, creating 3D objects or doing high-res video editing, an integrated graphics chip (one that shares system memory) will be fine. If you have any of the above needs, though, a discrete graphics processor from AMD or Nvidia is essential. As with CPUs, there are both high- and low-end graphics chips. Nvidia maintains a list of its graphics chips from low to high end, as does AMD.

DVD/Blu-ray Drives. Few laptops come with optical drives, because all software and movies are downloadable. However, if you really need to read / write discs and your laptop of choice doesn't come with a built-in DVD drive, you can always buy an external one that connects via USB for under $20.

6. Don't Skimp on Battery Life

If you're buying large, bulky notebook that you'll use only on a desk near an outlet, you don't have to worry about battery life. However, if you plan to use the laptop on your lap, even if it's at home and or work, you'll want at least 6 hours of endurance, with 8+ hours being ideal. To determine a notebook's expected battery life, don't take the manufacturer's word for it. Instead, read third-party results from objective sources, such as our reviews.
MORE: Laptops with the Longest Battery Life
7. Plan Based on Your Budget

These days, you can buy a usable laptop for under $200, but if you can budget more, you'll get a system with better build quality, stronger performance and a better display. Here's what you can get for each price range.

$150 to $250: The least-expensive notebooks are either Chromebooks, which run Google's browser-centric OS, or low-end Windows systems with minimal storage and slower processors, such as the HP Stream 11 and the Lenovo Ideapad 100S. Use these as secondary computers only or give them to the kids.

$350 to $600: For well under $600, you can get a notebook with an Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 CPU, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, all respectable specs. However, at this price, most notebooks don't have an SSD, a full-HD display or long battery life. There are a few noteable exceptions, such as the Asus VivoBook E403Sa and Lenovo ThinkPad 13.

$600 to $900: As you get above $600, you'll start to see more premium designs, such as metal finishes. Manufacturers also start to add in other features as you climb the price ladder, including higher-resolution displays and SSDs.

Above $900: At this price range, expect notebooks that are more portable, more powerful or both. Expect higher-resolution screens, faster processors and possibly discrete graphics. The lightest, longest-lasting ultraportables, like the Apple MacBook and the Dell XPS 13, tend to cost more than $1,000 (although you can get the Dell for less if you don't opt for a touch screen). High-end gaming systems and mobile workstations usually cost upward of $1,500 or even as much as $2,500 or $3,000.

8.Mind the Brand

Your laptop is only as good as the company that stands behind it. Accurate and timely technical support is paramount, which is why Laptop Mag evaluates every major brand in our annual Tech Support Showdown. This past year Apple came in first place, followed by HP and Samsung.This past year Apple came in first place, followed by Microsoft and Samsung.

Support is only part of what makes a notebook brand worth your money. You also have to consider how the manufacturer stacks up to the competition in terms of design, value and selection, review performance and other criteria. In our 2015 Best and Worst Laptop Brands report, Apple placed first, followed by Dell and HP.
MORE: Best and Worst Notebook Brands
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Avram Piltch, LAPTOP Online Editorial Director

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Compact enough to carry with you, yet versatile enough to run demanding applications, a laptop is the best tool for doing serious work or play at home and on the road. While standalone tablets and smartphones are always popular, most people realize that everything from typing a research paper to crunching video to gaming works better on a laptop.