Choosing Laptops by Size
When it comes to laptops, screen size will be an essential factor in deciding which model is right for you.
Smaller (10- to 13-Inch Screen Size)
A 10- to 13-inch laptop is best for people frequently on the move.
Itās typically light enough to be carted around yet powerful enough to handle everyday productivity tasks with ease. Battery life varies, but you should be able to get through at least a full workday. The best models now deliver more than 15 hours of battery life, so you shouldnāt have to worry too much about being tethered to a power outlet.
Medium (14- to 16-Inch Screen Size)
This size range offers a compelling balance of performance, portability, and price for many users.
The models often have generous battery life and higher-end specs than those of their smaller counterparts, includingĀ dedicated video cardsĀ from Nvidia and AMD that make them appealing to gamers. But nongamers may find the cards useful, too, because they can speed up graphics-intensive tasks like high-res photo and video editing.
Larger (17- to 18-Inch Screen Size)
Laptops larger than 17 inches function more like ādesktop replacements,ā that is, laptops that are more or less tethered to your desk. Sure, you can take them with you to the local coffee shop, but you probably donāt want to do so too often.
Of course, the main benefit here is the large screen, which may come in handy if you tend to work with large spreadsheets or a series of windows open at once. Viewers of Netflix andĀ other streaming servicesĀ also benefit from the larger screen.
Other Types of Laptops
Lighter and less expensive than most laptops, these highly mobile devices offer an extra dose of portability.
Chromebooks
Chromebooks use Chrome OS, an operating system developed by Google with a user interface that largely resembles the Chrome web browser. Models are generally inexpensive, with some starting at just under $200, and designed for users willing to work on and store most of their files online. SeeĀ the best Chromebooks in our ratings here.
Chromebooks typically have smaller amounts of storage than other laptops, so be prepared to stream, instead of download, content like music and movies. You also need access to the internet to get the best work out of these machines, storing files in the cloud withĀ services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. And though these arenāt workhorse computers, theyāre fine for office productivity work, such as email, spreadsheets, and browsing the web.
Convertibles & Detachables
Laptops known as 2-in-1s have either a keyboard that can be bent around the back of the display or a keyboard that can be detached entirely. These are called convertibles and detachables, respectively. They may be useful if you want to use your laptop in bed while holding it like a tablet (say, to stream video) or if you want to prop up the laptop like a "tent" to more easily show off the display to other people nearby. You may even find scrolling through photos or merely swiping around the web to be easier than using a mouse and keyboard.
Apple doesnāt make a 2-in-1 laptop, but you could pair an iPad with a Bluetooth keyboard to have a similar experience.
Tablets
For some, a tablet can take the place of a laptop. SeeĀ our tablet buying guideĀ for detailed information about shopping for one. These machines are lightweight and highly portable. Theyāre multifunctional, serving as web browser, an e-book reader, a movie viewer, and a music player.
The weight can range from less than a pound to about 1.5 pounds. Touchscreens measure 7 inches or more (on the diagonal). In our tests, the batteries can last more than 10 hours per charge. A Bluetooth keyboard can be added to more easily handle productivity tasks, too.
Laptop & Chromebook Specs
Processors
Processors with multiple cores can process more data simultaneously, giving you more speed. Our ratings say how many cores a laptopās processor has.
Clock speed, measured in gigahertz (GHz), along with the number of cores and other factors, determines how quickly a processor can process information. Many processors can up the speed a bit for a brief time to yield maximum performance. Generally, within a processor family, the higher the clock speed, the faster the processor. Clock speeds typically start at around 1 GHz for a mobile processor.
For more info, consult our article on choosing the best processor for your new computer.
Another important factor when choosing a processor, especially for laptops, is that lower power consumption equals longer battery life.
If youāre looking for a very basic or budget computer for browsing the web, emailing, and working on Office documents, every processor on the market should be sufficient.
If you plan to watch high-resolution videos or play mainstream games, the Intel Core i5 and AMD Ryzen 5 line of processors should be your starting point.
Choosing an Operating System
Mac or PC? Itās really up to you. Youāll find models on both platforms that score well in our labs. Theyāll support the most popular software options, too, from Adobe Photoshop to Chrome, Slack to Zoom. But there are benefits to pairing a Mac with an iPhone or an Android phone with a PC. You may be able to answer a text message with your keyboard, for example, or share copy-paste data between a computer and a smartphone.
How Much Memory?
The more memory a computer has, the faster it is, up to a point. Memory is measured in gigabytes (GB). On laptops, 8GB has become common, with 16GB or more found on higher-end devices. Unless you regularly have multiple large apps open at the same time, 8GB should be your target.
All About Drives: Solid State, Hard, and Optical
- Solid state drives: SSDs are a relatively new type of storage technology thatās faster than traditional hard drives in part because they donāt have any moving parts. Getting an SSD instead of a traditional hard drive is also the single largest performance boost you can give a computer. In general, Consumer Reports recommends solid state drives over hard drives.
- Hard drives: Also known as a hard disk, this type of drive uses a spinning hard disk and uses more power than a solid state drive. It is also slower overall. Hard-drive sizes are measured in gigabytes and terabytes, and commonly range from 250GB to more than 1TB. Speed is equally important and is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). A slow hard drive will take longer to start up the OS and programs, and to complete tasks (such as installing programs or scanning your hard drive for viruses).
- Optical drives: A few laptops today ship with an optical drive, which saves weight and cost. If you need one, say, to install an old app or watch a movie thatās not available on a streaming service, you can find external optical drives that plug into a USB port for around $20 to $30.
The Battery
When not plugged into a wall outlet, laptops use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power. Laptops go into sleep mode when used intermittently, extending the time between charges.
You can lengthen battery life if you dim the display, turn off WiFi connectivity when itās not needed and use only basic applications.
An increasing number of laptops have batteries that cannot easily be removed by users, which means theyāll need to be taken to service centers when they can no longer effectively hold a charge, which shouldnāt happen for several years of use.
Laptop Buying Guide Video
For more details on specs and brands, watch our video below.
Laptop & Chromebook Features
Use this guide to help wade through your options. For more, check ourĀ laptop & Chromebook ratingsĀ (available to CR members).
Laptop Displays
A 15- to 16-inch display should suit most people. Displays that are 13, 14, and 17 inches are also common, and some manufacturers offer 11-inch displays.
The screens on most laptops areĀ glossyĀ instead ofĀ matte.Ā Glossy screens have more saturated colors and deeper blacks but are also more prone to glare. Like desktop monitors, most laptop displays are wide-screen to show wide-screen movies at their best.
Touchscreens
Inspired by tablets, many companies have begun including touchscreens on laptops. (The notable exception is Apple.) The touchscreen models have custom, touch-enabled multimedia apps and include multitouch capability, which lets you use your fingers to zoom, turn, and scroll. Just keep in mind that computers with touchscreens tend to cost more.
Networking
Laptops come with wireless connectivity built in, and some have a port for plugging in an Ethernet cable, although many are ditching that to save space.
Wireless Mouse
If you have a wireless mouse, you wonāt have to deal with a cord, but you will have to recharge or replace the batteries every few months.
Laptop Ports
The latest port to arrive on computers is USB-C. Itās reversible, so youāll never insert a USB-C plug the wrong way. It can also be used to supply power to your laptop. With an adapter, itās compatible with earlier versions of USB.
USB ports let you connect a variety of add-on devices, such as digital cameras, external hard drives, or flash drives.Ā
An Ethernet port or a wireless network card lets you link several computers in the household to share files, a printer, or a broadband internet connection.Ā
Thunderbolt, a very fast data-transfer port, is also used for connecting external devices. The latest version, Thunderbolt 4, uses a USB-C connector and enables connectivity to 4K displays. However, there are fewer compatible devices available for it than there are for USB.Ā
An HDMI output jack lets you run a video cable from the computer to a TV, so you can view a movie or stream from an online service to a TV from your laptop.
PHOTO: GOOGLE
Laptop Displays
A 15- to 16-inch display should suit most people. Displays that are 13, 14, and 17 inches are also common, and some manufacturers offer 11-inch displays.
The screens on most laptops areĀ glossyĀ instead ofĀ matte.Ā Glossy screens have more saturated colors and deeper blacks but are also more prone to glare. Like desktop monitors, most laptop displays are wide-screen to show wide-screen movies at their best.
Laptop & Chromebook Brands
When choosing a brand, consider a manufacturerās technical support, and take a look at reliability and owner satisfaction as shown in our ratings.
