Laptop Buying Guide

Valuable information, tips, and recommendations to buy the perfect laptop.

Looking for a new laptop computer?

If you are you’ve found the right place. Our comprehensive laptop buying guide was created specifically for you.

We are going to detail laptop components and provide valuable purchasing advice throughout. You definitely don’t want to miss this.

Are you a student, world traveler, or business professional looking for the perfect digital companion? No maybe you are the multimedia expert or hardcore video gamer? Regardless of your lifestyle, we are confident our laptop buying guide will kick you off in the right direction.

Because we all have unique needs we are going to start the laptop buying guide off by helping you first pinpoint your unique laptop lifestyle match.

To begin simply continue on this page to first narrow down your lifestyle. Once you're done come back up here anytime and click on any component listed below for specific information and advice.

Congratulations! You're now on your way to finding the perfect laptop.

Processor  |  Memory  |  Hard Drive  |  Video Card  |  Screen  |  Wireless  |  Keyboard

CD/DVD Drive  |  Battery  |  Expansion  |  Warranty  |  Speakers  |  Printer

Asking yourself this question is always a great first step when looking for a new laptop. 

After all you are unique, and you will need a laptop that specifically suits you, right?

So to start the laptop buying guide off we are going to make this first step as painless as possible by reviewing five common laptop lifestyles and providing valuable tips and recommendations for each.

But before you continue forward we want to remind you to check out the Laptop Comparisons page after you’ve finished our Laptop Buying Guide. 

Our laptop comparisons page will compliment the lifestyles listed below by detailing the various laptop sizes including the desktop repalcement, thin & light, ultra-portable, and mid-size laptop.  

Home User  |  Student  |  Traveler  |  Business Professional

Gamer / Multimedia Power User

Home User – Laptop Buying Guide Lifestyle #1

Most of you searching for a new laptop will fall into this category. Laptops are becoming the computer of choice for many these days and prices are lower than ever, performance is higher than ever, and the list goes on.

Unlike a desktop laptops can be moved from room to room with ease, and wireless technology is more popular than ever making it just as easy to roam your home while downloading your favorite MP3 at the same time. The benefits of purchasing a laptop these days are astronomical.

While almost any notebook type will do for most of you home users, we typically recommend a standard midsize or desktop replacement laptop type if you are going to use it almost entirely at home. If you are only going to take it on the go from time to time, we recommend either a 14.1 inch or light 15.4 midsize.

Be sure to read our Laptop Comparisons guide to get details on these and the other laptop types.

Key Features - Laptop Buying Guide Home User Features at a Glance

• Home users should look for an Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Turion 64 X2 processor. These days it is not really worth it to purchase a single core processor unless you are an absolute basic user or on a tight budget.
  
  
• Home users pick up 2GB of memory, especially for Windows Vista systems. 1GB is good for Windows XP systems.
  
  
• A 120GB Hard Drive is a good starting point for home user laptops. This will ensure you have a decent amount of storage for digital photos, music, and videos.
  
  
• A light 14.1 or 15.4-inch laptop is good if you are going to take your laptop on the go from time to time, but for stay at home computers any 15.4 or even a 17 inch display is you best bet.
  
  
• A DVD burner is pretty much standard on notebooks these days but be sure to pick one up if not a default option for they are useful for data backup, home movie creations, and more.
  
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium is recommended for home users. It offers home user focused applications such as photo and media applications, etc.

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Student – Laptop Buying Guide Lifestyle #2

A great first step for many of you will be to look for a laptop that delivers a good value. Its crazy enough that books these days cost a fortune.

When we say good value we definitely don’t mean purchase a laptop that is going to under perform though. After all, many of you are going to be using your laptop throughout college and also as your primary computing machine.

Another key element to look for if you are a student is a laptop that isn’t going to cause you to need to see a chiropractor each week. Something small and light is often a great option so lugging it around campus isn’t a chore.

Key Features - Laptop Buying Guide Student Features at a Glance

• We recommend you look for an Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Turion 64, or AMD Turion 64 X2 processor.
  
  
• Most laptops are running Windows Vista so we recommend 2GB of memory for you guys unless maybe you are on a budget. If this is the case 1GB may save you a bit of cash but because memory these days is cheaper than ever it may not be worth it. Windows Vista is honestly a memory glutton so more is going to be better in the long run, especially if you are going to use you laptop through college.
  
  
• A 120GB Hard Drive is a good starting point also for student laptops. We know you guys are going to rack up that MP3 collection, aren’t you?
  
  
• A 14.1 inch laptop or smaller is going to be great for those of you who are going to lug it around campus all day. A 15.4 inch laptop is going to be fine for many of you who aren’t going to lug it around as much or if you don’t prefer smaller screens. Today many 15.4 inch laptops are lighter than they’ve ever been so if you look around you may find a good balance.
  
  
• A DVD burner is pretty much standard on notebooks these days but be sure to pick one up so you can backup important class projects or other data among other things.
  
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium is just fine for you guys.

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Traveler – Laptop Buying Guide Lifestyle #3

Since you are going to be spending a lot of time on the road, pay special attention to size and weight. Typically this also means you will have to sacrifice a bit of performance and features, but the good news is that thin & light and ultra-portable laptops offer more performance than ever these days.

Many thin & light or ultra-portable laptops use lower voltage mobile processors so they often get the best battery life. This is going to be great for airplane trips, business meetings, or even outings on the beach or rest at the local coffee shop in Tahiti. Because they are light, carrying it around isn’t going to be a chore either.

There are of course other factors to consider for not every traveler is going to benefit from a smaller laptop. The smaller screen may not be fit for some, the typically slower performance may be a drag to others, and they often have smaller keyboards which will be bothersome for traveling typists.

If a smaller screen isn’t your taste or you need something a bit more powerful, and a small keyboard just won’t cut it, picking up a 14.1 inch or even a light 15.4-inch may be a great compromise.

So in a nutshell, the general rule of thumb for travelers is to look for a laptop that is going to be thin & light, but if you are the occasional traveler or someone who simply doesn’t like the shortcomings of a smaller laptop finding the right balance is often easy enough because of today’s laptop selection.

Key Features - Laptop Buying Guide Traveler Features at a Glance

• We recommend travelers look for a laptop with pretty much any modern day Intel Core Duo, Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Turion 64, or AMD Turion 64 X2 mobile processor. The laptops with the best battery life or smaller physical size normally come with slower processors including special lower voltage mobile processors.
  
  
• Most laptops are running Windows Vista so we pretty much recommend 2GB of memory for travelers too. Of course if you primary perform word processing or other light duty tasks, 1GB may be sufficient. If the price premium isn’t much go for 2GB.
  
  
• A 120GB Hard Drive is a good starting point these days for any laptop.
  
  
• For the typical traveler we don’t really recommend anything bigger than a 14.1 inch laptop. Remember smaller is going to normally be lighter and not to mention it will typically get the best battery life too. Of course many 15.4 inch laptops are lighter than ever so there are plenty of options for pretty much any traveler.
  
  
• Definitely pick up an extra battery or two for cross country flights or outings on the beach even. Also look for batteries with more internal cells. Typically these longer life batteries are called Extended/Hi-Capacity batteries.
  
  
• Even today many ultra portable or thin and light laptops come with an external CD/DVD drive because of their size. If you have choices go for at the least a DVD-RW drive.
  
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium is ok for most travelers but if you are a business traveler you may benefit from Windows Vista Business depending on your needs.

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Business Professional – Laptop Buying Guide Lifestyle #4

As a professional your work demands the utmost productivity. To keep up with your intense demands you are going to want to look for a powerful but well balanced laptop computer system.

We advise you look for a laptop that has the performance to tackle all your applications but with the portability to keep you focused on your work when on the move.

A great option for many of you will be a thin-and-light laptop. Most are powerful enough to handle all your day to day tasks, small enough to be perfect for business meetings or travel, and most have excellent battery life to boot.

Key Features - Laptop Buying Guide Business Professional Features at a Glance

• For all around performance in speed and battery life we recommend the Intel Core 2 Duo. The AMD Turion 64 X2 is also a great performer for business demands.
  
  
• You laptop will most likely ship with Windows Vista so we recommend 2GB of memory. If you primary business is word processing or other light duty business tasks, 1GB may be sufficient. If the price premium isn’t much however get 2GB.
  
  
• A 120GB Hard Drive is a good starting point for business laptops. Definitely don’t go less than 80GB.
  
  
• For business laptops a good balance of screen size and notebook weight is a 14.1 inch laptop. Smaller is going to be lighter and normally it will get the best battery life also. If you are a business power user you may want to upsize to a 15.4 inch laptop as long as it is still reasonably light.
  
  
• Definitely pick up an extra battery or two for cross country flights, business meetings, or Starbucks business. Also look for batteries with more internal cells. Also called Extended/Hi-Capacity batteries.
  
  
• As a business professional you need a laptop with the latest wireless networking standards built-in. Wireless N is the newest standard and it offers longer range and faster data rates over previous standards. Standards include 802.11 a/b/g/n, and all are backwards compatible with each other. If you have the option get a wireless card that offers every standard.
  
  
• We recommend at the least a DVD-RW drive for all laptops. A DVD burner will be useful for important data backups and other business needs.
  
  
• Windows Vista Business is made for the business professional. If you are a business power user however Windows Vista Ultimate may be beneficial to you.

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Gaming/Multimedia – Laptop Buying Guide Lifestyle #5

For gaming and multimedia duties you are going to want the best components period. Gamers especially these days need insane hardware to push 3D graphics. For more great info on laptop gaming be sure to check out our Gaming Laptops and Laptop Gaming Field Guide.

In a nutshell all you gamers or multimedia power users will want to get powerful graphics cards, the fastest processors, very large hard drives, tons of memory, and gorgeous screens among other things.

A desktop replacement notebook is going to be the most likely choice for you. They are among the most feature and performance rich portable systems on the planet.

Key Features - Laptop Buying Guide Gaming/Multimedia Features at a Glance

• Advanced NVIDIA or ATI dedicated graphics card with 256MB or more dedicated memory. For ultimate gaming performance a dual NVIDIA SLI graphics solution is recommended.
  
  
• Intel Core 2 Extreme or Intel Core 2 Duo recommend for the best performance hands down. An AMD Turion 64 X2 is also a decent option.
  
  
• 2GB of memory recommended at the minimum. Get as much as you can afford to have the most rewarding gaming or multimedia experience.
  
  
• Get the largest and fasted hard drive that you can afford. Anything less than 120GB capacity and 7200RPM rotational speed is not recommended for hardcore gaming and multimedia chores.
  
  
• Most gaming notebooks are going to have at least a 15.4-inch screen or larger. A 17-inch is a must for hardcore users.
  
  
• We recommend a dual-layer DVD burner or Blu-Ray drive if you can afford or have the need for one. Currently Blu-Ray isn’t going to be worth the price premium for everyone.
  
  
• Windows Vista Home Premium or Ultimate is recommended for this class of notebook.

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Now that you have a better idea to what your specific laptop needs are, there is honestly a bit more research beyond this laptop buying guide that is necessary if you want to find your perfect laptop computer.

Because of this we have many more useful resources throughout our site that you don't want to miss. We definitely recommend you check them out after you are finished with this laptop buying guide.

But for your next step if you haven't already done so Click Here to jump to the top of this page to access our Laptop Buying Guide - Components List. It is here that you will find valuable details and advice regarding specific laptop components.

Brain and motivation is the key to finding the best laptop just as it is the key for success. We are confident you will find the best laptop if you are simply patient and persistent with your research.

We hope you are enjoying your Laptop Buying Guide - Happy purchasing!

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