How to Buy a Laptop - Ultimate Guide (2024)
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Promos
Thanks to Lexar for sponsoring this video! This entire video was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro, recording directly to their Armor 700 SSD. You can purchase the Lexar Armor 700 and get 10% off with code LTTLEXPSSD at: lmg.gg (Coupon code is valid from 8/24 to 8/31 and can be applied to the Armor 700 and SL500 portable SSDs.) Back-to-school season is here! You might need a new laptop, but with all the options out there, it can make your head spin. That’s why we came up with the ultimate guide on how to buy a laptop. Watch along as we give tips on what to look for when purchasing your next laptop. Discuss on the forum: linustechtips.com
Check out some laptops you might want to consider: Budget Friendly Gaming Laptops: MSI Cyborg 14 - lmg.gg Acer Nitro V 15 - lmg.gg Dell G16 - lmg.gg Thin & Light Laptops: Acer Aspire 3 15 - lmg.gg HP Pavilion Aero - lmg.gg Framework 13 - lmg.gg Chromebooks: Acer Chromebook Plus 515 - lmg.gg Creator Focused Laptops: Dell XPS 9440 - lmg.gg HP Spectre 16 - lmg.gg High End Gaming Laptops: ASUS G14 - lmg.gg Dell M18 R2 - lmg.gg ASUS Vivobook S 15 - lmg.gg Samsung Book4 Edge - lmg.gg MacBooks: Apple MacBook Pro M3 14" - lmg.gg Apple MacBook Air M2 13” - lmg.gg Purchases made through some store links may provide some compensation to Linus Media Group. ► GET MERCH: lttstore.com ► GET EXCLUSIVE CONTENT ON FLOATPLANE: lmg.gg ► GET A VPN: piavpn.com ► SPONSORS, AFFILIATES, AND PARTNERS: lmg.gg ► EQUIPMENT WE USE TO FILM LTT: lmg.gg ► OUR WAN PODCAST GEAR: lmg.gg FOLLOW US --------------------------------------------------- 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 1:22 What do YOU need your laptop for? 2:30 A "faster" laptop isn't necessarily better 4:00 How to choose the right CPU 6:47 What about Snapdragon laptops? 8:10 Budget laptops and Chromebooks 10:12 Upgrade your old laptop 12:34 Laptop display tips 17:00 The all-important trackpad 17:30 Keyboard tips 18:23 Weight and battery 19:15 Nice to haves 20:26 Outro
The video tackles the complexity of buying a laptop in 2024 by shifting away from telling you a single best model and instead equipping you with a framework to shop confidently. It begins by setting the stage: the best value often isn’t the most expensive option and the ideal laptop depends on your actual use case, not your aspirational wishlist. The presenter emphasizes honesty about needs, noting that performance tiers like top-end gaming laptops often offer better cooling, upgradability, and price-per-performance than professional or creator-focused machines. He then explores CPU choices, comparing Apple’s ecosystem, AMD Ryzen options, Intel’s lineage, and the emerging Snapdragon ARM laptops, while highlighting battery life implications, architectural differences, and real-world performance caveats. A substantial portion of the guide is dedicated to practical insights: RAM and storage upgradeability, display types and brightness considerations, and the impact of panel resolution and refresh rates on usability and battery life. The video also covers essential peripherals and salvage paths, such as upgrading older laptops, understanding USB-C charging, and evaluating ports and IO needs. Throughout, the host uses concrete examples and real-world caveats to help viewers weigh tradeoffs, including when a Chromebook makes sense and when a Windows machine is the better bet. The sponsoring mention with Lexar Armor 700 SSD is integrated as a case study in portable storage for on-the-go use and content creation. The closing sections summarize actionable takeaways, encouraging viewers to test keyboards and trackpads in-store, assess weight and battery life for daily carry, and plan for future-proofing via RAM and storage choices, while reminding them to leverage reputable sources for battery life data and to consider budget-conscious upgrades or refurbished options when appropriate.
Topics · consumer electronics · technology · buying guides · laptops
Questions answered
- What CPU family should I prioritize if I want long battery life and decent performance for general use?
- Prioritize modern CPUs with strong efficiency, such as Apple M-series or Ryzen U-series with Zen architecture optimizations, and consider Intel Ultra 100-series if you value battery life along with solid performance. Snapdragon laptops can offer exceptional battery life but may require compatibility checks for native Windows apps.
- Do I really need 16GB of RAM in 2024, and when should I consider more?
- 16GB is a solid starting point for most users, especially if you do light content creation or multitask heavily. If you work with video editing, scientific software, or large datasets, plan for more RAM since many newer machines do not support easy upgrades later.
- Are Chromebooks a viable primary option for most students, and when should I choose Windows or Linux laptops instead?
- Chromebooks work well if your tasks are browser-based or rely on Linux apps, and they usually offer good value. If you need Windows-specific software, offline productivity, or specialized apps, a Windows or Linux-equipped laptop is the better fit.