Laptop buying checklist
Open a section, slide each spec to what you want, and print your own laptop wish list at the end.
The processor (CPU) sets how fast everything feels. Look at the family and tier, not the GHz or core count on the sticker.
Smooth for office work, many browser tabs and light photo editing. Same class as Ryzen 5.
An NPU is a small chip for AI features like live captions, background blur and photo tools. TOPS (trillions of operations a second) measures its speed.
Handles video call effects. Misses some newer Windows AI features.
Working memory. More RAM keeps browser tabs and apps open without slowing down. Many thin laptops cannot be upgraded later.
Rough idea: filled apps and tabs stay quick, the rest slow down or reload.
The comfortable minimum now, and required for Copilot+ AI features.
Space for Windows or macOS, apps and files. The system and updates take a big share before you save anything.
About 400 GB free: apps, photos and a few games
Rough free space after the system, updates and a typical set of apps.
Room for apps, photos and a few games.
How fast the storage reads and writes. You feel it every time the laptop starts, opens an app or loads a file.
The standard now. NVMe is a fast connection that makes starts and app loads quick.
The graphics chip (GPU) draws games and speeds up video editing and 3D. Integrated graphics share the processor; dedicated ones are a separate, faster chip.
Fine for work, streaming and light games. Newer chips manage older games at low settings.
How the laptop gets rid of heat. Under long loads like gaming or video exports, weak cooling makes the chip slow itself down.
Enough for office work and short bursts of heavy use.
Measured corner to corner in inches. Bigger is easier on the eyes, smaller is lighter to carry.
13.3″17.9 x 28.6 cm14″18.8 x 30.2 cm15.6″21.0 x 33.6 cm16″21.5 x 34.5 cmDrawn to the same scale. The coloured area is the screen.
A good mix of screen space and weight. The most popular size now.
How many pixels the screen has. More pixels means sharper text, which helps most on 14 inch and bigger screens.
AaSmall text on the screenand even smaller details in photosMagnified to show the difference.
Sharp enough for most people up to 15.6 inches.
The screen technology. It decides colours, contrast and how the picture looks from an angle.
Steady colours from any angle. The common choice.
How many times a second the screen redraws. Higher looks smoother when you scroll and matters most for games.
Slowed down so you can see it. Each dot is one frame.
Smooth scrolling and casual gaming. Common even on mid-range laptops.
How bright the screen gets, in nits. It decides whether you can work near a window or outdoors.
Your bank OTP is 482913
Can you read this in a bright room?
How the screen reads under bright light, roughly.
Comfortable in most rooms and offices.
How much of the standard web colour range (sRGB) the screen can show. Low coverage makes photos look dull and washed out.
Photos and websites look as intended. Enough for most people.
A screen you can tap and draw on. Handy for some, but it adds a little weight and glare.
Use the touchpad and keyboard. Often a matte screen with less glare.
Real hours of web, documents and video. Brand claims usually come from video at low brightness, so expect less.
A full day with room to spare. Common with newer efficient chips.
USB-C charging lets one charger serve your laptop and phone. Watts (W) show how much power the charger delivers.
Charges from most USB-C chargers. Enough for thin laptops.
You feel every extra half kilo when you carry the laptop daily. Do not forget the charger adds more.
Where most 14 and 15 inch laptops sit.
USB-C is the small oval port. Thunderbolt and USB4 are faster kinds of USB-C that drive docks and two monitors. HDMI connects a TV or projector.
Plug straight into a TV, monitor or class projector.
The Wi-Fi standard. Newer versions are faster and steadier on a busy network, if your router supports them.
Fine for nearly all home broadband.
The camera for video calls. An IR (infrared) camera adds Windows Hello, which unlocks the laptop by looking at it, even in the dark.
Sharp enough for daily meetings and classes.
Lights under the keys so you can type in a dim room or on a night train.
Keys light up in the dark. Most mid-range laptops have it.
What the body is made of. It decides how solid the laptop feels and how well the lid protects the screen.
A metal lid protects the screen, with a plastic base.
The software that runs the laptop. Watch out for listings that say "DOS" or "no OS": they come without Windows.
Runs the widest range of software and games. Most laptops in India ship with it.
How long repairs are free and how they happen. Laptop screens and boards are costly to fix, so cover matters.
Worth it for a laptop you plan to keep. Often a cheap add-on at purchase.
Your wish list
LAPTOP WISH LIST
by TechPP Insights
Your next laptop should have these minimum specs
Your picks will print here.
Scan to make your own wish list
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Choose at least one spec to print your wish list.
Confused by chip names? Intel names explained, Snapdragon laptop chips or Nvidia laptop GPUs
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