Laptops , just like conventional desktop PCs, can serve many purposes . What are the main features to consider when buying a laptop? The very wide price range, the various and varied performances, the multiple screen definitions… you quickly get lost, especially when faced with a salesperson tempted to take advantage of your lack of knowledge and your hesitations.
Back Market helps you take stock: what are the characteristics of a high-performance laptop?
And if you’re looking for a new one, find all our laptops up to 70% off !
A laptop for what purpose?
First of all, clarify your needs: precisely define all of your future activities.
By basic or standard use , we mean:
Surfing the Internet.
Do office automation (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.).
But also for common multimedia uses such as streaming your favorite series, or reviewing your vacation photos in Martinique…
More advanced use concerns ultra-mobility needs, video afk arena tier list or advanced multimedia use. Finally, the ultimate use is reserved for video game aficionados.
If you intend your purchase for basic use, it is not necessary to turn to a large configuration. Conversely, for a gamer, a solid installation dedicated to the game is preferable.
Autonomy
Whether on a walk, on the train, in the waiting room of an airport, you will not necessarily have an electrical outlet at hand .
If you intend your new toy for mobility, you need a good autonomy in order to avoid the anxieties of the empty battery. This will also be the case if your daily use requires a lot of resources from your bike: video games or large software are very greedy and require a good battery.
Conversely, there is no point in aiming for a battery with a huge capacity if your use is light ! Like browsing the internet , and watching videos of lolcats.
In addition, the autonomies described by the manufacturers are (always) overvalued. So remember to subtract 10 to 20% of the autonomy announced in stores; for example for a self-proclaimed autonomy of 6 hours, understand rather between 4 and 5 hours.
The weight
When choosing a laptop , the weight of the beast can be a major concern. If your intention is to travel with it often , on public transport for example, the weight is essential. There are very light ones, hybrid PCs or ultrabooks , but you have to be aware that the miniaturization of computers is done to the detriment of other qualities: A reduced battery leads to low autonomy, a thin chassis dissipates heat less well, and limited connectivity can be frustrating.
So prioritize your daily use : will you be mobile or will your new computer stay at home almost permanently?
The average weight of a computer is 3 kilos, and computers under 2.5 kg are considered “ ultra portable ”.
screen size
For laptops intended for mobility, the screen can be a dilemma. The larger the screen, the more weight you will feel in your bag, but the more comfortable the viewing will be . There is a compromise to be found here. A 14 or 15 inch screen is ideal for all classic daily or professional tasks (office, word processing, internet browsing and watching videos). For games, movies with a good resolution or graphic tasks, prefer screens of at least 16 inches. 21 inches or even 24 inches will not be too much.
Another selection criterion at the screen level is its definition. Today, a Full HD definition is the norm: do not choose less, at the risk of degrading your reading comfort. Of course, higher definitions exist if your use requires it: do you do photo editing, web design, graphics, gaming…? If so, bet on a high quality screen definition. We recommend LED screens, which do not heat up, offer better contrast and consume less power.
