Laptop Buying Guide 2026

Students: Look for portable laptops (13-14") with good battery life (8+ hours) and sufficient performance for note-taking, research, and light content creation.

Business Professionals: Prioritize build quality, keyboard comfort, video conferencing features, and security options. 14-16" displays work well.

Creative Professionals: Need powerful processors, dedicated graphics, color-accurate displays, and at least 16GB RAM.

Gamers: Require dedicated graphics (RTX 4060+), high refresh rate displays (144Hz+), and robust cooling systems.

Intel (2026 options):

• Core Ultra 5: Budget to mid-range, good for everyday tasks
• Core Ultra 7: Best for most users, excellent performance
• Core Ultra 9: High-end, for demanding workloads

AMD (2026 options):

• Ryzen 5: Budget-friendly with solid performance
• Ryzen 7: Great balance of performance and efficiency
• Ryzen 9: Premium performance for creators and gamers

Apple Silicon:

• M4: Excellent for most users, superior efficiency
• M4 Pro: For creative professionals
• M4 Max: Maximum performance for video editing and 3D work

• 8GB: Minimum for basic use, web browsing, office work
• 16GB: Recommended for most users, multitasking, light creative work
• 32GB: Professional content creation, heavy multitasking
• 64GB+: Specialized workloads like video editing, 3D rendering, data science

Pro Tip: With Apple Silicon Macs, unified memory is more efficient - 16GB can feel like 24GB+ on Windows.

• 256GB: Minimum, suitable only if using cloud storage extensively
• 512GB: Better for most users, good balance
• 1TB: Recommended for media libraries, games, large projects
• 2TB+: Video editors, photographers, large app libraries

Always choose SSD over HDD - the performance difference is massive.

Size:

• 13-14": Maximum portability
• 15-16": Best balance for most users
• 17"+: Desktop replacement, minimal portability

Resolution:

• 1920x1080 (Full HD): Minimum acceptable
• 2560x1600 (QHD+): Sharp, good for productivity
• 3840x2160 (4K): Premium, best for creative work

Refresh Rate:

• 60Hz: Standard, fine for most uses
• 90-120Hz: Smoother scrolling, better for gaming
• 144Hz+: Gaming and esports

Target at least 8 hours of real-world use. Apple Silicon Macs lead here (15-22 hours), followed by efficient Intel/AMD Ultrabooks (8-12 hours). Gaming laptops typically get 3-6 hours.

• Under £500: Basic Chromebooks, entry Windows laptops
• £500-£1000: Good mid-range options for students and casual users
• £1000-£2000: Premium ultrabooks, solid gaming laptops
• £2000+: High-end MacBooks, workstation laptops, top gaming rigs