It’s nearly not as complicated as it seems to be.
They measure the maximum power your CPU and GPU can draw from the system.
Generally speaking, the higher the power draw, the more powerful the CPU/GPU.
For example, you might see two laptops with an i7-13600K having identical specs.
Memory and Storage
Next in line is your RAM and storage.
At the time of writing, the best RAM you could get is DDR5.
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However, there’s more to RAM than just RAM throw in.
Memory frequency makes a big difference.
The higher this number, the better the RAM will perform and the more expensive it will be.
5200MHz is a good speed to aim for here.
As far as storage is concerned, 1TB NVMe SSD is the minimum you should aim for.
HDDs in 2023 are a strict no for a high-performance laptop.
High-end laptops, irrespective of brand, usually have good displays.
That said, there are a few minimum benchmarks you should aim for.
For starters, Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution might not cut it in the future.
You don’t necessarily need a 4k OLED display on a 15-inch laptop.
Manufacturers can pack powerful components in a thin, light chassis, but cooling them properly can be challenging.
This means that most, if not all, high-performance laptops will run hot to a certain degree.
Poor thermal performance can also affect the longevity of your machine.
Hence, finding a laptop with a good thermal solution is a must.
As mentioned before, judging a laptop’s thermal performance can be difficult by just looking at the specs.
Read the specs to find out what kind of keyboard the laptop you’re considering has.
Around 1.2 to 1.5mm of key travel will be more than enough for a comfortable typing experience.
The truth is the ports you require on your laptop will largely depend on your specific use case.
Carefully consider what you’ll be plugging into your laptop.
We have a quickexplainer on USB Power Deliveryfor your reference.
Battery Life
If you’re going to be on the move, battery life is critical.
Laptop batteries are measured in Watt-hours (Wh).
The bigger this number, the better the battery life.
If you’ll be traveling with your laptop, we recommend a 14-inch or similar gadget.
Sure, you won’t get the most powerful components.
However, you will see better battery life than laptops with higher wattage CPU/GPUs.
60Wh to 70Wh is a good spot to aim for if battery life matters to you.
And in some cases, that difference might be what you need.
