What to consider before purchasing a laptop.
What to consider before purchasing a laptop.
Entered Curry’s today and noticed 40 laptops, unsure what to choose as a replacement for my 2015 HP Pavilion. It operates very slowly and isn’t heavily software-driven, so I don’t wish to repeat the same error.
1. What is your budget?
I aim not to overspend but stay within £500.
2. What size notebook are you thinking of?
About 15 inches.
3. What screen resolution should I look for?
It’s fine, but it will be used for storing and occasionally viewing photos and videos.
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Portable.
5. How much battery life is required?
Not excessively long, just enough to avoid leaving home.
6. Would you like to play games with your laptop? If yes, please list the games you’d like and their preferred settings (Low, Medium, High).
No gaming.
7. What other functions do you want to perform on your laptop?
Photo/video editing.
8. How much storage capacity do you require?
1-2TB would suffice, more if possible.
9. If you’re thinking of specific retailers, please share their links.
Curry’s, Argos, Amazon.
10. How long do you intend to keep the laptop?
As long as it lasts, minimum 5 years.
11. Which optical drive type would you prefer?
DVD ROM/Writer, Bluray ROM/Writer, etc. – Not sure.
12. Could you mention any brands you like or dislike and why?
Any brand is acceptable.
13. In which country do you reside?
UK
14. Any further details you’d like to provide?
Avoid Window Pro; Home edition should suffice.
No requirement for Windows 11.
Minimize reliance on spinning hard drives if SSDs are within your budget.
Limit RAM usage to no more than 16 GB.
Consider testing a short period with a candidate to assess keyboard and screen responsiveness.
Raw CPU performance remains crucial, so compare scores from sources like Passmark online.
There is significant variation to consider.
Don't be misled by vague marketing claims you may not understand.
Thanks
CPU power isn't just measured in GHz; it depends on various factors. Your current laptop runs at 2.10GHz, but actual performance also considers other elements.
However don't assume a rating of 2.6 guarantees quicker perceived performance compared to 2.4. Other elements matter... like the number of cores, drive speed, etc.
Check the benchmark at Passmark.com.
Visit it now and look up your CPU's score on your current machine. Enter the full name in the search box at the top right.
If the score is 2000, a score of 2500 on a new machine might not feel noticeably faster for many tasks. A score of 3500 or 4000 would likely be more noticeable.
Consider how important Photoshop is to you—do you use it regularly? Do you earn from it? Would you spend 2 hours a week or 20?
Thank you for your assistance. I tried entering my processor into the passmark website, but no information appeared. My Intel® Core™ 3-5010U 2.10GHz processor is used mainly for photo editing, and I expect a good performance level from a laptop that will still work well in five years. My previous HP Pavillion was extremely slow at the time of purchase, which made me extra careful. I just hope there’s a clear way to compare performance on product pages!
It seems to be over budget even after applying the discount code. The AMD CPU is a solid upgrade at this price point. It also includes 16GB of dual-channel RAM. I've used two laptops from the Dell outlet before; my current one was refurbished, which is a great value. But once they sell out, it's gone. At the time of posting, there were still two available.
For casual Photoshop work and video editing, a modern Core i5 or Ryzen 5 will significantly boost performance, possibly more than double what you currently have, depending on the specific model and setup. However, having 16GB of RAM paired with a 1TB SSD is ideal, as costs rise quickly. If you're considering new laptops, an option to look at includes:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptops/...515-laptop
You can upgrade RAM and SSD later when you're ready. I didn't find much satisfaction with the refurbished models on the Dell site.
The CPU listed corresponds to your device on Passmark. The score is 2136, which is a single-threaded rating of 1227. It's a 2-core processor supporting 4 threads, released in 2015. Although I don't use laptops, newer models with at least 4 cores should outperform these results. Try to choose a model with four cores minimum and avoid using spinning hard drives whenever possible.