TOP 10 Best Laptops 2024

Laptop buying guide

When purchasing your next laptop, you must have good knowledge about the kind of laptop you want. Below we have provided you with everything you need to know when purchasing your next laptop.

The benefits of owning a laptop

When comparing desktops and tablet computers to laptops, you'll notice the differences quickly as laptops are portable and come in one piece. So why is a laptop a better choice for you when compared to PCs?

• Unlike the desktop, laptops need less power to operate

• Laptops are portable and easy to carry

• Laptops come with inbuilt batteries and thus can be used without power

• Laptops are pretty easy to set up as it takes only moments from pressing the power button for it to be up and running

• Laptops weigh considerably less than desktops as they weigh an average of 2-3 kilograms.

Operating systems

As you would guess, laptops come in various forms, models, and brands. These laptops may perform tasks equally but differ when it comes to their operating systems. Buying a laptop with the right operating system is crucial when purchasing a laptop as the difference in their operating grossly impacts how versatile the laptop is. Operating systems can be removed from your laptops or reinstalled if the need arises. Below we have provided you with the different laptop operating systems along with their benefits and flaws.

Microsoft Windows OS (Operating System)

The Microsoft Windows OS is a well-known operating system used in various laptops. Launched on November 20, 1985, the Microsoft Windows OS is a group of proprietary graphical OS families. We've provided for you some of the benefits and flaws of this OS below.

Benefits

• The OS is easy to use

• There is a wide array of software available for Windows OS

• The OS is backward compatible with older versions

• The OS has support for recent hardware

Flaws

• The OS requires high resources, meaning that customers will have to invest a lot in the hardware

• Weak security

• Prone to viral attack

Linux OS

The Linux operating system was launched on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. It is an open-source operating system linked to the Linux kernel. We've provided for you some of the benefits and flaws of this OS below.

Benefits

• The OS is open source in the sense that anyone can view its source code and tweak it to taste

• The OS doesn't need any anti-virus software

• The OS is perfect for multitasking

• The OS can run properly on a low disk space

Flaws

• The OS has limited hardware drivers

• The OS is not so easy to use

• The OS has a poor gaming support

Apple Mac OS

Released on March 24, 2001, the Apple Mac OS is a proprietary graphical OS created and distributed by Apple inc.

Benefits

• The OS comes with free inbuilt helpful apps

• The OS has a clean user interface

• The OS is perfect for multitasking

• The OS has a solid security system

• The OS is compatible with other Apple products and services

Flaws

• The OS is quite limited when it comes to third-party apps

• The OS is expensive

• The OS lacks customization

Choosing the right size

When thinking of the laptop to buy, the screen and keyboard sizes are of great importance. Depending on your needs, the choice of a smaller or larger laptop might be the line dividing your satisfaction or disappointment with the laptop. We've provided you with various sizes as per your needs below.

11-12 inches:

Laptops of this category are very thin and light. They weigh an average of 2.5 - 3.5 pounds and are a perfect choice for travelers since they don't take too much space.

13-14 inches:

If portability and usefulness are what you are looking for, then this category is for you.

15-16 inches:

This size range could easily be the most purchased laptop size as it offers a larger screen. If you don't plan on carrying a laptop anywhere you go, then this is for you.

17+ inches:

This category is perfect for gaming, video editing, photo editing, and other heavy-duty services. If you fit in this category, then this laptop size will meet your needs.

Important features

Laptops might be one-piece devices, but they are composed of numerous components. We will be discussing a few below.

Ports

The availability and number of ports on a laptop are of critical importance when purchasing a laptop. Apple Laptops or Macbooks fall short in this area. They have a limited variety of ports and require add-ons such as the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter to provide various ports. Some of the key ports include HDMI, USB, SD card slots, etc. The most important and commonly used port on a laptop will be the USB port, responsible for data transfer. The HDMI port is also critical if a clear display is what you need.

Web camera

Depending on whether you need a laptop for video conferences, face-timing family, or even work meetings, the quality of your laptop's web camera is something to consider. For a good quality webcam, you'll need a laptop with a webcam quality of at least 1080p resolution. Other resolutions like 720p might do the job, but if the video quality is what you need, 1080p should be the minimum.

Microphone

A quality microphone for your laptop is a must-have for users who do many work meetings via video. The better your microphone is, the better you'll sound to whomever you are speaking to. However, suppose you are looking for the best quality microphone for your laptop. In that case, you should use an external microphone, which means that whatever laptop you are buying must have the requirements for the connection of external microphones. You will also need a microphone with certain specifications, such as picking up mid-range and high frequencies.

Display

For more displayed content on your laptop screen, you'll need a laptop with more pixels. The majority of budget laptops come with a display of 1366 x 768. However, for a better display, there are laptops with display qualities of 1920 x 1080, often referred to as 1080p. For optimum display quality, more expensive laptops have a display quality up to 3840 x 2160, known as the 4k resolution.

Battery life

The battery life could be an essential feature because no matter how high-end your laptop is, the battery life is not great you won't have a good experience with it. When buying a laptop, you should consider a laptop with a battery life of at least 7 hours or more.

Laptop components to pay attention to

When buying a laptop, there are vital components that you must consider to use the laptop to its full potential. Below are key components to keep in mind.

Processor

Your laptop's processor carries out the primary logical operations in your laptop. The processor pretty much plays a part in basically every aspect of your laptop. From mouse clicks to the smoothness of games, the processor is a key component of your laptop, and you should ensure that you give it proper attention if you are looking to buy some of the best laptops available. Two of the best laptop processors are Intel and AMD, and you can find out why below.

Intel

If you use your laptop heavily, a laptop with an Intel processor may be the best for you as it consumes less power when compared to others. The Intel processor also generates less heat and is also compatible with various motherboards available in the market. For optimum performance, the best intel processor throughout the Intel generation is the Intel Core i9-11900K. One of the best ways to choose the best from the generations is to view its clock speed measured in GHz.

AMD (Advanced Micro Services, Inc)

If the security of your laptop is of top priority to you, the AMD processors are the best pick for you as they can detect viruses with a system called EVP, which means Enhanced Virus Protection. The ADM processor is also considerably cheaper when compared to the Intel processors. When running on an AMD processor, the best processor for the best laptop experience throughout the generations is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X.

Laptop RAM

The RAM (Random-Access Memory) is a critical component of laptops and computers in general. However, the prices of computers tend to go up as the RAM increases.  A minimum of 4GB of RAM is a good starting point.

4GB-8GB RAM:

This range is perfect for casual users who use their laptops for basic things such as surfing the internet, typing, etc.

8GB-16GB RAM:

This amount of RAM is perfect for video editing and photo editing. It will handle most intermediate-level computer applications perfectly, such as Adobe Premier.

16GB-32GB RAM:

If you are into gaming, this amount of RAM is the best fit for you.

SSD or HDD

Capacity and costs shouldn't be the only bases to consider when choosing the proper storage for your laptop. It will be advisable to pick the SSD over the HDD due to the speed of the SSD. The SSD uses electrical circuitry and possesses no moving parts, thus having a shorter waiting time. Depending on what you store in your laptop, an average of 1TB is sufficient.

SSD

The SSD hard drive is known for its speed and is used by many. However, the SSD is costlier than the HDD.

HDD

The HDD hard drive is considerably cheaper than the SSD is a perfect fit for storing large files such as video games and photos.

Graphics card

The motherboards of all most laptops have integrated graphic cards. The graphic card is an essential component in laptops as it enables users to play casual games and view some high-resolution movies without too much stress. Users will need powerful non-integrated graphic cards for their laptops if they run heavy-duty graphic programs. One of the best graphic cards you can use is the NVIDIA GeForce graphic card.

Integrated graphics cards

The integrated graphics cards are more economical and consume more power compared to the dedicated graphics card. When troubleshooting hardware, it is also necessary to use the integrated graphics card to boot your system. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU is what we will recommend for your laptop.

Dedicated graphics card

The dedicated graphics card doesn't depend on your laptop's RAM as it has its memory source. If you are into heavy-duty video editing or gaming, the dedicated graphics card is of critical importance to you. A dedicated graphics card or VRAM of 3GB is ideal for laptop usage.