Refer to our guide to search for our full laptop In choosing the right laptop. Your budget is the most important factor because it determines what you can expect from the device you buy. But you need to consider the screen size, chassis thickness, CPU, memory, storage and port selection. While the right specifications can vary greatly when you have laptops from $ 200 to 800, there are a few hard lines that I do not recommend crossing.
For example, if you do not have at least 1920 1080 screen resolution, do not buy a laptop. In 2025, there is no excuse for nothing less. You should never buy a laptop without at least 8GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. Even in Chromebooks, these specifications are becoming a new standard. You sell yourself by getting anything less. Another rule is to prevent a Windows laptop with an Intel Celeron processor – only for Chromebooks.
Specifications are only half of the battle. According to our experimental years, laptop manufacturers tend to compromise in the quality of display and touch quality. You can’t tell the photos or specifications listed online, but when you hold the laptop in your hands, you may notice that the screen colors look a bit off or the touchpad feels using it. It is almost impossible to find laptops below $ 500 that are not endangered in these areas, but it is here that our referees and testers can help.
