How to Buy a Laptop
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Check out the Drop + Infinity War Custom Keycap Set at dro.ps Learn more about MSI's CLUTCH GM41 Lightweight Wireless Gaming Mouse at lmg.gg Buy on Amazon at (PAID LINK): geni.us We wanted to do a Back To School Buyers Guide.. but the second we recommend something in 2021 it will be sold out. So instead we're giving you the tools to figure out what laptop is best for you. Buy HP Envy 14: lmg.gg Buy Dell XPS 15: geni.us Buy HP Envy 13: geni.us Buy MacBook Air M1: geni.us Buy Acer Nitro 5: geni.us Buy Alienware m15: geni.us Buy HP Omen 15: lmg.gg Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► AFFILIATES, SPONSORS & REFERRALS: lmg.gg ► PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg ► SUPPORT US ON FLOATPLANE: floatplane.com FOLLOW US ELSEWHERE --------------------------------------------------- Twitter: twitter.com Facebook: @LinusTech Instagram: @linustech TikTok: @linustech Twitch: twitch.tv MUSIC CREDIT --------------------------------------------------- Intro: Laszlo - Supernova Video Link: youtube.com iTunes Download Link: itunes.apple.com Artist Link: soundcloud.com Outro: Approaching Nirvana - Sugar High Video Link: youtube.com Listen on Spotify: spoti.fi Artist Link: youtube.com Intro animation by MBarek Abdelwassaa @mbarek_abdel Monitor And Keyboard by vadimmihalkevich / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mechanical RGB Keyboard by BigBrotherECE / CC BY 4.0 geni.us Mouse Gamer free Model By Oscar Creativo / CC BY 4.0 geni.us CHAPTERS --------------------------------------------------- 0:00 - Intro 0:27 - MSI Clutch! 0:40 - The XPS 15 is sick 1:05 - How much performance do you need? 1:48 - GPU Selection 3:36 - CPU Selection 5:30 - How much RAM? 6:00 - How much Storage? 6:50 - Apple M1 7:43 - Chromebooks 8:15 - Display Selection 12:05 - Keyboard & Trackpad 15:00 - Weight and Battery Life 15:56 - Drop.com 16:35 - Outro
The video begins by reframing the idea of a back to school laptop guide as a practical, start to finish buyer’s guide. It emphasizes that recommending a specific model in 2021 would quickly lead to it being sold out, so the presenter shifts to a framework viewers can use to evaluate any laptop. The initial segment covers how much performance you actually need and how that drives the overall category you should be looking at, from budget gaming machines to more portable work devices. The host cautions against chasing the highest-end GPUs if they are unnecessary for your use case, arguing that better cooling, power delivery, and overall system balance often yield more real-world benefits. The discussion then pivots to concrete options for different budgets, noting that gaming laptops, work laptops, and school machines each have distinct sweet spots and upgrade paths. Finally, the segment sets expectations for the rest of the guide and teases a deeper dive into related topics in a dedicated playlist, signaling that there is more nuanced discussion to come beyond this overview.
Topics · technology · laptops · consumer_electronics · buying_guide
Questions answered
- What is the most important factor to determine when choosing a laptop according to the guide?
- The most important factor is balancing how much performance you actually need with your budget, as this determines the laptop category you should target and prevents overspending on unnecessary power.
- Why does the guide caution against always chasing the latest CPU or GPU?
- Because performance is influenced more by cooling and power delivery, and the real-world gains from the newest GPU or CPU can be limited if the laptop cannot sustain it well.
- What display considerations are highlighted as crucial for a good laptop experience?
- Panel type (IPS preferable over TN and OLED for brightness and battery life), color coverage (aim for near 100% sRGB unless color work requires more), brightness, and especially refresh rate for gaming performance.