If you are heading off to college, it might be time to look at a good laptop that will see you through the next few years.
Budget will be one of the biggest factors in making your choice. But once you pick your operating system – Mac, Windows or ChromeOS – you have more choices to make. What chip do you go for? How much RAM do you need? And do you really need a large screen?
Here are some tips on what you need to look for – and what you don’t.
The processor
Think of this as the brain of the operation. The choice of processor is important, as it will affect not only what you will be able to do with your computer but also how well it works. Chips can affect battery life, the speed at which your laptop works and how efficient it is.
RM Block
The clock speed is, as you might expect, an indication of the speed of the chip. Measured in Ghz (gigahertz), it indicates how many billions of cycles per second it can run. The higher that number, the more cycles it can run.
However, to confuse things, newer chips may have a slower clock speed but use power more efficiently.
Then there are cores – dual core, quad core – which means there are two or four parts within the chip carrying out processing work, allowing your computer to carry out multiple tasks at once.
So what should you go for? For basic tasks such as typing up essays and getting online, you don’t need much, However, it is a good idea to think ahead and get something that will last you into the future. More and more laptops available today are using chips designed to run AI in a more power-efficient manner.
So where does that leave you as a buyer? For basic tasks, look at the Intel Core Ultra 5 or AMD Ryzen AI 5. If you are planning to use it for heavy-duty video or photo editing, you might need to upgrade to the Core Ultra 9 or Ryzen 9.
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If you are going for an Apple device, the M5 is the latest processor that the company has released. For everyday work, the M5 is more than sufficient; those who need more power can opt for the Pro or Max versions – though they add significantly to the price of the machine.
Budget-conscious shoppers could pick up a bargain with an M4 machine; it may be the last generation of Apple silicon, but it will give you several years of support before it needs to be replaced.
RAM
While the chip is important, the amount of RAM in your machine is almost as critical. RAM stands for random access memory, and it is a form of short-term memory within your device. Your laptop will store information in its RAM temporarily to speed up tasks; the more you have, the more your computer can take on at once.
Some machines still offer 8GB of RAM, but this would only be suitable for the lightest of workloads – best to avoid it. You should get a minimum of 16GB of RAM if you want to make sure not only that your machine will run smoothly now but also into the future; 32GB is the standard for video editing and other heavier workloads.
Storage
Make sure to go for a laptop with solid state storage rather than a hard drive. Why the distinction? Solid state drives, or SSDs, work faster than traditional hard drives. They are also more reliable; hard drives have spinning parts that can wear out or break, leaving you with an expensive paperweight. And if you haven’t backed up your information, that could be a disaster.
SSDs are more expensive, though, especially for higher capacities, so it will be a balancing act with your budget.
Try to get something with at least 256GB of space; smaller capacities will work fine for most people but with video and photo files increasing in size, you might be better off going for bigger now rather than trying to upgrade later. If your budget doesn’t stretch to larger storage drives, cloud services can help you out with additional storage, or a portable storage drive can work too.
Laptop size
This is a delicate balance to get right. On one hand, you need something with a big enough screen and keyboard that you can use comfortably; on the other, if you plan on carrying it around, it needs to be light enough to carry without weighing you down. The difference a few hundred grammes can make is surprisingly significant when you strap it to your back for large chunks of the day.
Bigger screens and batteries will mean extra weight. A 13- to 14-inch display should strike the right balance of screen space and portability, but check out the overall weight of the machine too. Anything under 1.5kg is considered lightweight; under 1.2kg is classed as ultra lightweight.
Display
Speaking of screens, it is worth remembering that not all displays are created equal. Some have better contrast and colour, others fade into the background in bright sunlight. Touchscreens are also a nice extra but not essential for most students.
The standard screen is an IPS LCD, which gives good all-round performance, although blacks can look a bit muddy next to the best technology on the market. Laptops with OLED panels are available and these will give you better contrast, more vivid colours and truer blacks than its predecessors.
However, they have their own drawbacks; they can perform worse in bright sunlight, and can be prone to screen burn-in, leaving you with ghost images on your expensive laptop screen.
You also have a choice when it comes to display resolution. If you have opted for a 13- to 14-inch screen, then 1080p resolution, or full HD, will do fine for everyday use, such as writing essays or doing some research. You can get better – 2K, or 4K if you have a bigger budget, which means clearer images and sharper text – but that also means more pixels on the screen to light up, which in turn is tougher on the battery.
Webcams
It seems bizarre that, six years after a pandemic exploded the popularity of video calls, we still have to suffer substandard webcams. Poor low-light performance, grainy image quality and bad colour reproduction can be found in some surprising places, so be sure to check out the webcam before you buy.
Hold out for full, high definition, or 1080p, at a minimum, with a 30 frames per second frame rate or 60 frames per second for better quality video streaming.
If you want something with extra quality, look for webcams with HDR, which will help in situations with dimmer light.
And a physical privacy shutter doesn’t hurt, although there are plenty of DIY options on that front.
