These are the most important things to consider when choosing a new laptop. For a lot more detail, see the sections below. 12.5 to 14-inch screens offer the best balance between usability and portability. Larger screens are fine if you don't travel much and smaller models are great for kids. If you're spending over $600, shoot for these minimum specs: Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU 1920 x 1080 screen 8GB of RAM and SSD Storage instead of a hard drive. 9+ hours of battery life is ideal if you plan to take your laptop anywhere at all. Consider a 2-in-1 laptop (either a bendback or detachable) if you want to use your laptop as a tablet. If not, a standard clamshell notebook may be a better choice. Chromebooks are good for kids and students and their functionality is expanding rapidly. Windows 10 laptops and MacBooks both offer plenty of functionality; which platform you prefer is a matter of personal taste. Now that you know about the most important features that you should look in a laptop before making a buying decision, here are some of the additional specifications that you mustn’t miss out. USB Port: USB type-C offers speed and functionality. Display: OLED screen displays better than real life images. Touchscreen: Makes the interface simpler and eases access. 2-in-1 PCs: Next-gen laptops that can fold flat and even detach for a tablet experience. Wi-Fi:Get next-gen Wi-Fi 6 which is faster than the standard 802.11ac Wi-Fi. Graphics: Look for a laptop that has a Nvidia Graphic chip.