The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide

This time of the year being the time when many of you will be going to college and many of you planning to buy a laptop in the upcoming sales,  we are here at your help.  Laptop being a very essential commodity in our life we must buy a laptop that suits all our needs.  It is among the most important (if not the single most important) devices that we use on a daily basis for everything from work to staying connected with friends and family. That’s even more true this year with millions of people now working from home for the first time. Hopefully, you don’t have to do the trouble of spending hours on internet searching for a laptop. We got you covered. 

FOR AHAN : https://amzn.to/3qrwkfk

Things to know before buying a Laptop.

1. SSD  (Solid State Drive)

This being the most important thing in the laptop according to us. You should always prefer SSD over the ages old HDD (Hard Disk Drive), the reason being SSD are lot faster than HDD could ever be. SSD don’t have any moving part in contrast to the HDD which have moving parts. SSD surely increases the performance of your laptop and decreases the boot-up time. It loads up your applications faster and are more power efficient meaning they tend to increase the battery life . One more thing is that they are strong and durable, see HDD being mechanical device can get damaged when your laptop gets jerks or falls down giving them a shorter life than SSD and the speed of HDD decreases over the time . While one can go for hybrid storage Laptop (i.e. SSD + HDD) and one can also buy external HDD for storage purposes. 

2. RAM

RAM is the core of you laptop, it will decide the how smooth your applications runs. Every piece of software requires a minimum amount of space and memory to be able to run smoothly. If your computer does not have enough RAM to support all the software systems you are running, or trying to run, they move so slow that it might not be worth running that software system. The most basic requirements for a decent laptop will be 8GB of DDR4 RAM, but budget laptop buyers should consider 4GB DDR4.  You may upgrade the RAM to increase the performance but that depends on you. You should also check whether RAM is in single channel or Dual channel . Don’t worry  we got you covered, lets suppose you have 8GB of RAM now laptops have two RAM slots  so the 8GB can in a single RAM stick occupying a single slot or it can be 4GB+4GB occupying both slots. The dual channel configuration provides slightly better performance .

3. Graphics Card

Graphics card or VRAM is a thing which a gamer or people who are into photo/video editing need the most. While most of the laptops comes with integrated GPU ( Graphics Processing Unit). Intel has its own Intel UHD Graphics and while AMD on the other has its own AMD Radeon Graphics which takes up your existing RAM and uses it as VRAM. But for games and photo/video editing one must have a dedicated graphics card be it. 2GB of graphics memory will do the jobs for most of works and you will be able to play games on medium-to-high settings giving you an average FPS. But we will recommend those games and visual enthusiasts to go for 4GB of dedicated GPU. which is more than enough for you college life.  It will allow you to play most games with high FPS  even AAA title games.  And yes don’t forget to plug you laptop while doing heavy GPU stuffs it surely increases the performance a lot.

4. Processors

This is the brain of your machine. The faster it is, the faster your computer processes stuff. It has a cache memory. its amount will affect your speed. The more , the better. In the market , you get two kinds of processors. AMD and Intel ones.The AMD ones are slightly better and are cheap. However , most AMD laptops do not come with a dedicated GPU. The instead use the RAM for Graphics. From 8GB of RAM , you get around 6GB as usable RAM. This isn’t the case with Intel laptops . But Intel laptops are costly. We would suggest, AMD processors would be a good deal for normal usage.

5. Some other things to consider.

• Laptop must have  a back-lit keyboard. This comes in handy when you doing some work at night.       
• It must have a good cooling system if you buying a mid range laptop as it affects your laptop performance. And if you want a GPU they a good cooling system is must.
• Ports, yes you have to check if your laptop has basic connectivity ports or not. a decent laptop should have at-least one 3.0 USB port , a LAN port and Type-C port. But some laptops lack a LAN port which can be solved by using a LAN to Type-C or USB adapter.

Some Hand Picked Laptops.

As most People before buying a laptop look for budget ,  so we have divided the laptop segment into 3 parts on basis of Your Budget.

1.Under Rs.40,000

If you are very tight on budget then you have to do some compromises with specifications and features. This section is for those who are lite users and who using for entertainment  purpose and internet suffering. 

• Avita Pura(Model no. NS14A6INV561-GPGYB )

• KEY specs

1. 14 -inch screen   (Full HD LED Backlit TFT IPS Display)
2. AMD’s Ryzen 3500U(Integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics)
3. 8 GB of DDR4 RAM
4. 512GB   SSD
5. 2.1 GHz with Turbo Boost Upto 3.7 GHz
6. 6 MB cache memory
7. 1.34 Kg (Lightweight)
8. 2 years of Domestic Warranty

• Cons

1. Poor plastic body
2. Lacks LAN port
3. No backlit keyboard
4. VGA Webcam
5. Poor Hinge Quality

If you want a Power house of specs then you can go for this laptop. But we advise you to take care of accidental damages and you may also face irritating fan noise and longevity of the laptop is not gauranteed
Price  – Rs 32,990   

Flipkart Link– https://bit.ly/314xUdg

2. Dell Inspiron ( Model No. 3505)

• Key Specs

1. AMD Ryzen 3 3250U (integrated AMD Radeon Graphics)
2. 3.5 GHz clock speed
3. 1TB HDD +  256GB SSD Hybrid Storage
4. 15.6 inch FHD display  (Anti-glare LED Backlight)
5. 4 GB DDR4 RAM
6. 1.83 Kg ( Lightweight)

• CONS

1. No Backlit Keyboard
2. Average processor
3. Lesser RAM

If you are lite user or  interested in light gaming and have sort of  ‘Good Brand’  inclinations.  Then this laptop is for you, it can handle  day-to-day task like internet surfing, programming, etc at ease. Also with Dell you also get good after service facilities.

Price– Rs 38,500

Link  – https://amzn.to/2T2LTw1

3. MarQ Falkon Aerbook

• Key Specs

1. Intel i5 8th Gen Processor
2. 1.6 GHz with Turbo Boost Upto 3.9 GHz
3. 256 GB SSD
4. 13.3 inch (Full HD LED Backlit IPS Display)
5. 1.26 Kg (lightweight)
6. 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM
7. 6 MB cache
8. Metal Chasis body

• CONS

1. No Backlit Keyboard
2. Smaller screen size
3. No LAN port
4. Slower RAM (1600 MHz)
5. User May face Thermal throttling issues

With this product you  get a budget friendly laptop with nice to have build quality. What more to say, you get metal body but thing is the RAM has a slower speed as compared to it’s competitors and you ant complain at this price range.

Price– Rs.34,490

Link –https://bit.ly/3k1rkvz

2. Rs 40,000 – 65,000

With thousands of laptops in this category it becomes the most confusing bracket. Most of the people tend to buy laptops in this range because  you get the best money to specs value . Also the laptops of this category tend to have  a longer lifespan which makes this bracket ideal for investment with higher returns. Our aim is to help you to get the best value for money. So we have narrowed down the list for your ease.

• Acer Swift 3 ( Model No.SF314-42)

• KEY SPECS

1. Powered AMD RYZEN 4500U Hexa core Processor  (Better than intel i5 10th gen and even i7 8th gen Processors)
2. Radeon Vega  Integrated Graphics
3. 512 GB NvMe SSD
4. 8 GB DDR4 RAM
5. 1.2 Kg (Lightweight)
6. Back-lit Keyboard
7. Fingerprint Reader
8. Magnesium alloyed premium Body.
9. Excellent Battery Backup (Upto 9 hrs)

• CONS

1. Bit overpriced (But sale is ahead )

This  laptop  comes with a very powerful processor which can do your everyday tasks on your fingertips.  Starting from multiple tabs browsing to Casual Gaming while maintaining adequate FPS. This laptop is a sure deal maker !
Price –  Rs 61, 000

Link – https://amzn.to/2SNJncz

• Acer Aspire 7(A715-41G-R6S8)

• KEY SPECS

1. AMD RYZEN 5 3550H Processor
2. 8 GB DDR4 RAM
3. 512 GB SSD
4. 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX  1650 VRAM
5. 15.6-inch FHD display
6. Backlit Keyboard

• CONS

1. Average Cooling System

If you are looking For a gaming Laptop  under 50 K Then this is the best pick for you. It can handle most games at medium-high settings while maintaining good FPS. This is a must grab offer this festive season !
Price – Rs 45,000(expected in Flipkart BBD sale)

Link–https://bit.ly/2SQwrTw

• ASUS VIVOBOOK(Model no. -F571GT-AL877T)

• KEY SPECS

1. Intel i5 9th gen Processor
2. 2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost Upto 4.1 GHz
3. 4GB Nvidia GeForce 1650 VRAM
4. 512 GB NVMe  SSD
5. 16GB DDR4 RAM
6. 15.6 inch 120Hz FHD Display
7. Backlit Keyboard
8. Finger Print sensor

• CONS

1. 2.14 Kg (Bit Heavy)
2. Fan Position is bad, it projects heat to the screen.
3. Poor quality Webcam

If you are a gaming enthusiasts  and want a Laptop which can handle most games at high settings and satisfactory FPS , then  this laptop is perfect for you.  You can go for this laptop if weight is not a big issue for you, because gaming laptops are bit heavy.

Price – Rs.57,990 ( Expected on Flipkart BBD sale )

Link –https://bit.ly/351qSqO

• Mi Notebook Horizon Edition 14

Key Specs

1. intel i5 10th gen Processor
2. 512 GB fast SSD
3. Nividia MX350 Dedicated GPU(2 GB)
4. 8GB DDR4 RAM
5. Lightweight(1.35kg)

CONS

1. No Backlit keyboard
2. Non-upgradable RAM
3. No Inbuilt webcam ( external webcam included in box )

Looking for a thin and light laptop . This one particularly has a very fast ssd. Also the dedicated GPU should handle most games in medium-high settings. However , you cannot upgrade RAM since it is soldered.

Price – Rs 55,000

Link – https://amzn.to/318mk10

• Acer Aspire 3 (Model No. – A315-23 )

• KEY SPECS

1. AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Processor(Better than intel i5 8th gen processor)
2. Integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
3. 8 GB DDR4 RAM (Upgradable to 12 GB)
4. 512 GB NVMe SSD
5. 15.6 FHD display
6. 1.9 Kg (Fairly Light)

• CONS

1. No Backlit Keyboard
2. Poor Quality camera

This Laptop remains on the lower side of our budget bracket. If you want a good looking, sturdy Laptop without much sacrificing the specs then this Laptop is surely for you. Yes you can also do light gaming on low settings which will give you low FPS thus giving an average gaming experience. But this laptop can do all the basic stuffs like Programming , multitasking , multi tab browsing at ease.
Price– Rs 42,000

Link–https://amzn.to/33QmZFY

• Lenovo Ideadpad (Model No. S340)

• KEY SPECS

1. AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor(Better than intel i5 8th gen processors)
2. integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
3. 14-inch  FHD IPS display
4. 8 GB  DDR4 Ram (Upgradable to 12 GB)
5. Backlit Keyboard
6. Lightweight(1.69Kg)
7. Metallic  Premium Body
8. 1TB + 256 GB SSD
9. Webcam Privacy Shutter

• CONS

1. Bit OverPriced (But Sale is Ahead )
2. No LAN port

This a laptop for the people for whom looks and privacy matter a lot and If you are inclined towards the brand name of Lenovo. It has a hybrid storage which will be useful in storing tons of series, movies, anime etc .

Price – Rs 56,000

Link – https://amzn.to/36VVdtE

• Acer Aspire 5 (Model no.A515-54)

• Key Specs

1. Intel i5 10th Gen Processor
2. 2 GB Nvidia GeForce MX 250 VRAM
3. 15.6 inch Display
4. 512 GB SSD
5. 8 GB DDR4 RAM
6. Back-lit Keyboard
7. 1.8 Kg(Lightweight)
8. Full-size Keyboard

If you are looking or a laptop with a  powerful processor and a dedicated GPU for decent gaming . Then this laptop is the best pick for you ! This lets you complete all your daily tasks smoothly and it can also be used for content creation like video editing , Photoshop etc and also helps in maintaining a good FPS while gaming  thanks to the Dedicated GPU and the 10th gen intel processor.
Price – Rs. 58,000

Link– https://ekaro.in/enkr2020101447991807

• ASUS VIVOBOOK 14(X412FJ-EK513T)

• Key Specs

1. Intel i5 10th gen Processor
2. 256GB SSD+1TB HDD
3. 2GB Nividia GeForce Mx230 VRAM
4. 8GB DDR4 RAM
5. Backlit Keyboard
6. 1.50 Kg (Lightweight)

• Cons

1.Average Speaker

If you are looking for a laptop under 65k which has great looks and has a dedicated GPU for lite gaming and productive work .Then this laptop is for you.

Price – Rs 59,000

Link– https://bit.ly/2H9bSyP

3.Above Rs.  65,000

This category has the top level specs and is the right place for students who like medium to heavy games as well as content creation. If money is not a problem , then these are the laptops for you.

• ACER Swift 3 ( Model : SF314-57G )

A light yet powerful laptop , the ACER Swift 3 is an ideal choice if you are a slightly heavy user. You can even do some gaming thanks to the dedicated graphics card.

• Key Specs

1. Powerful Intel 10th gen core i5 processor
2. 8 GB DDR4 RAM
3. 2GB Nvidia GeForce MX250 VRAM
4. Appreciably thin and light.
5. Back-lit keyboard
6. Thunderbolt 3 port offers superior connectivity

• Cons

1. Small display
2. Speakers not adequately loud.

Price-Rs.68,000

Link–https://amzn.to/3k9dSGh

• HP Pavilion Gaming ( Model : DK0268TX )

 A very stylish laptop from HP , this laptop is meant for mediocre- high end perfomance  games . 

• Key specs

1. Intel i5 9th Gean 9300H processor ( upto 4.1GHz turbo boost )
2. 8GB DDR4 RAM
3. 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 VRAM
4. Great thermal efficiency
5. Monochrome Backlit keyboard

• Cons

1. Display has just 45% NTSC , colour accuracy not so good
2. Average Battery Backup

Price-Rs.68,000

Link–https://amzn.to/3lHKGGr

• LENOVO LEGION 5i(82AU00G8IN)

• Key specs

1. Intel i7 10th Gen Processor
2. 120 Hz FHD  Display
3. 16 GB DDR4  RAM
4. 1 TB HDD + 256 GB SSD
5. 4 GB DDR6 NVIDIA GTX 1650 VRAM
6. Great Thermal cooling(Coldfront 2.0) With Quiet Fan noise

A great laptop for gaming enthusiasts. This Beast can Handle Most AAA games with Ease. If Money is not a great factor for you then go for it !
Price-Rs.90,000

Link–https://amzn.to/311PbUx

Note : The Gaming Section is vast so adding each and every laptop is not feasible. If you are confused or have doubts regarding any laptop feel free to connect us !

SOME PREMIUM ULTRABOOKS FOR HIGH PRODUCTIVITY

This section consist of laptops those are purely for High Productivity. These are Ultra light, Compact and high budget oriented.

• ASUS VIVOBOOK 14 (P4103FA-EB701R)

• KEY SPECS

1. Intel i7 10th Generation Processor(Upto 4.9 Ghz)
2. 16 GB DDR4 RAM
3. 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
4. 1.35 Kg(Lightweight)
5. Back-lit Keyboard
6. Good battery Backup(upto 10 hrs)

Price-Rs.85,000

Link– https://amzn.to/2GYCqmC

• ASUS ZENBOOK DUO

• KEY SPECS

1. Secondary  Screen For MultiTasking and Productivity
2. Intel i5 10th Gen Processor
3. NVIDIA  GeForce MX 250 Dedicated VRAM
4. Backlit Keyboard
5. Light weight
6. 8 GB DDR4 RAM
7. 512 GB SSD

Price– Rs 93,000

Link –https://amzn.to/3iW2T1k

• HP PAVILLION X360

• KEY SPECS

1. 2 in 1 convertible laptop
2. INTEL i7 8th gen Processor
3. 16 GB DDR4 RAM
4. 2GB Nvidia GeForce MX 250 Dedicated VRAM
5. 1.6 Kg (Lightweight)
6. 14-inch FHD IPS WLED Touch screen Display

Price-Rs.88,000 (for i7),  Rs.67,000(for i5)

Link (i7) –https://amzn.to/2IrIeFT

Link(i5)–https://amzn.to/34Y3rip

• APPLE MACBOOK PRO

Well MacBook Pro is MacBook Pro.

Price– 2,24,000 (16-inch, i9 , 16 GB Ram, 1TB SSD)

Link–https://amzn.to/3j4dl7b

Price– Rs.1,74,000 (13-inch , i5(10th gen),512GB SSD)

Link–https://amzn.to/3j4dRC9

Our Picks :

After going through all the above options, you must have made up your mind which one to buy.  Here are our picks from each price segment.

• Under Rs.40,000 :-  Dell Inspiron( Model No. 3505)
• Rs.40,000 – 65,000 :- Acer Aspire 7(A715-41G-R6S8)
• Above Rs. 65,000 :-HP Pavilion Gaming ( Model:DK0268TX )

Our Words For You

Buying a good laptop is not the best option. You may have the best laptop which can do every possible work you dream of, but along with a good laptop you need skills. So we highly recommend you to take Rs 2,000-5,000 off your budget and use that money to buy some online courses. Like you can learn any computer language or social media influencing or Photoshop or Premier Pro or even SEO. There are a lot of things that the college wont teach you. You could buy softwares required in the field which you want to learn or at the very east you should buy accessories for you laptop like  wireless mouse or keyboard laptop cooling pad buying a good laptop isn’t everything. Its like you bought the best camera out there in market and don’t know how to take photos. The world out side your house is constantly growing and to keep your identity you should have a skill set of your own.  

Hope our article helped you decide your ideal laptop. Please support us by following our Instagram account and help us bring you more content like this and to support this blog if you liked a laptop and want to buy it then don’t forget to add it in your shopping cart through our provided links !