Guides

Laptop buying guides

Choose the right software, specification and condition for your budget.

Start here

Start with the essentials

Best first reads before clicking through to a retailer.

A 7-point checklist for price, spec, condition, warranty, seller and eligibility.

What to expect at £300, £500, £700 and £1,000+ in the UK.

Course software, portability, battery, platform choice and student discount caveats.

Platform and condition

Choose the right platform before chasing a discount.

How to judge refurb, open-box, ex-demo and used laptop deals.

Specs explained

RAM, SSD, CPU, screen, weight, warranty and restricted pricing basics.

Why 16GB is the sweet spot and when 32GB is worth paying for.

Weak RAM/storage, old screens, vague CPU names, refurb risks and other red flags.

Full HD, OLED, brightness, IPS, refresh rate and colour coverage explained.

Intel, AMD, Snapdragon and Apple Silicon without benchmark overload.

GPU names are not enough: check VRAM, TGP, cooling and screen refresh.

Everyday buying decisions

Practical choices that affect how a laptop feels after the discount has gone.

What advertised battery claims, Wh capacity and USB-C charging really mean.

13in, 14in, 15.6in and 16in trade-offs for travel, study, desk work and gaming.