Choosing the Right Laptop

  • 24th Jul 2024
  • 6 min read
  • Tags: 
  • guide

Depending on your goals, you can either choose a slim and light business laptop or, if you plan to do graphics work, machine learning, or gaming, opt for a gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU. Whatever you choose, the details on how to pick the right one are given below.

Note:

  • Generally, avoid very cheap laptops as you will regret it sooner or later and end up spending more than necessary. If your budget is tight, consider looking into the used market.

  • You can indeed get a student discount on some laptops by using your university provided email ID. Availability varies by vendor, but companies like Samsung and Apple do offer student discounts.

CPU

You are going to write a lot of code, and the CPU handles the compiling. The more power you can provide, the faster the compilation will be.

As of this guide’s writing, there are three main CPU vendors:

  • Intel
  • AMD
  • Snapdragon

Intel

When looking at intel CPU’s there are three tiers {Core i3, Core i5, Core i7} with higher numbers denoting a higher performance tier.

The latest Intel CPUs use a new naming scheme: {Intel Core x and Intel Core Ultra x}, where “x” represents the CPU tier (3, 5, 7, or 9).

Note:

  • Stability issues with Intel’s 13th and 14th generation CPUs are primarily related to desktops, so laptop users are generally safe.
  • Intel CPUs ending with ‘H’ are more powerful than those ending with ‘P’ and also consume more power.
  • For more information on Intel’s naming conventions, click here.

If choosing Intel, opt for at least a Core i5 12th generation or higher.

AMD

When looking at AMD CPUs, there are three main tiers: {Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7}, with higher numbers indicating higher performance levels.

Don’t be misled by the Ryzen 7000 label; AMD often rebrands older chips with newer series numbers.

When choosing an AMD CPU:

  • The first digit from the left should be 7 or higher
  • The second digit from the left should be 5 or higher
  • The third digit from the left should be 3 or higher
  • The fourth digit from the left can be 0 or 5

For example, 7530U or higher

Note:

  • For more information on AMD’s naming conventions, click here.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon offers two tiers: {X Plus and X Elite}. These chips are based on ARM architecture (similar to what you find in smartphones), unlike x86 architecture used by Intel and AMD.

It’s advisable to avoid Snapdragon for now, as the chip is still in its early stages and Linux is not fully supported yet.

RAM

8 GB isn’t sufficient these days; you should go for at least 16 GB or higher.

Storage

Opt for a laptop with an SSD(Solid State Drive) of 512 GB or more, with 1 TB being the ideal size.

Note: For the love of all that is good, never buy a laptop with an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

GPU

The GPU in your laptop handles graphics, AI/ML tasks, and gaming.

In increasing order of power:

  • RTX 2050
  • RTX 3050
  • RTX 3050 Ti
  • RTX 2060
  • RTX 4050
  • RTX 3060
  • RTX 4060

Note:

  • Avoid 10 or 16 series GPUs, such as the 1050 or 1650.
  • Generally, opt for Nvidia (because of DLSS and Frame gen), but if your budget is under 55k, other options can be considered.

Laptop Recommendations

Under 30k

Note: Most new devices in this price range tend to be underpowered, so it’s best to consider refurbished or used systems.

30k - 50k

50k - 70k

70k - 90k

Above 90k

* - Varies from the guide due to comparable performance.

Macbook

If you want a MacBook, choose one with 512 GB of storage, and if your budget allows, go for the 16 GB RAM version.