Buyer’s guide: 13 questions you need to ask
Before investing hundreds of pounds in a laptop, there are some important questions you need to ask yourself
When will I get Windows 11?
One of our criteria for this group test is self-evident: the laptop must be capable of running Windows 11. Ideally, we wanted the laptops to ship with Windows 11, but those models sold at retailers will ship with Windows 10 for a while. Luckily, they should soon update themselves (with your consent) to Windows 11 via Windows Update. Check out the bottom row of our feature table on p76 to see each model’s status at a glance; where we were offered an update during the test, we say “Upgrade offered”. Where we were still waiting at the end of the test, we put “Waiting for update”. We also indicate if a laptop was supplied with Windows 11.
How good is the webcam?
Two years ago, the quality of webcams was rarely discussed. Now they’re of keen importance to anyone forced to work at home, but unfortunately laptop makers haven’t responded as quickly as we’d like to the shift in priorities. At best, the webcams here are passable and no more.
How do I choose the right processor?
We were surprised to see only one laptop with an AMD Ryzen chip inside. Providing you choose a machine with a Ryzen 4000 or Ryzen 5000 series processor then we think you’ll be pleased with both the performance and battery life. Some Ryzen chips also include more cores than Intel machines, which can slash the time taken to perform tasks that take advantage of multiple threads, such as video encoding.
However, Intel still rules this month’s court via its 11th generation Core processors. These are denoted by “11” at the start of their names, such as the Core i7-1135G7 in the
Acer Aspire 5. Look out for a “G5” or “G7” at the end, as this denotes an integrated Iris Xe graphics chip. Compared to the Intel Ultra HD graphics in older Core processors, this offers a big boost in games.
What about gaming?
If you want a gaming system, then you need a discrete graphics chip. Nvidia is your friend here, with its GTX and RTX families making a total of three appearances among this month’s group. The GTX 1650 Ti in the HP Envy is still a fine choice for modest games such as Fortnite, and will also allow you to up the settings in older firstperson shooters. For those with more demanding titles in mind, an RTX 3050 or RTX 3060 offers a route to high frame rates at 1080p.
Most gaming laptops include screens with higher refresh rates, too. Where laptops include discrete graphics, we cover these screens’ abilities in the reviews, along with the machines’ performance in demanding games such as Metro: Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
How much memory (RAM) doI need?
While Windows 11 will happily run with 4GB of RAM – as shown by the Geo GeoFlex – we recommend 8GB if you can afford it. Only those who use demanding applications will need 16GB or 32GB of RAM, but it’s nice to have the headroom. Note that few laptops include a way to upgrade the RAM, with the memory often soldered onto the motherboard and no available slots for adding more.
How important is portability to me?
If you’re constantly on the move – a student going to lectures or a worker who will one day return to the office commute, perhaps – then it’s worth choosing a laptop weighing 1.3kg or less. These also tend to be slimmer, so are easier to slip into a bag. Also take note of the battery life, as this will dictate whether you need to bung the charger in the bag, too; many lightweight laptops include USB-C chargers, and we include their weights in the feature table on p76.
If your laptop is going to spend most of its life on a desk, then there’s not much point worrying about weight. Anything under 2kg is fine, but as laptops approach this weight
We were surprised to see only one laptop with an AMD Ryzen chip inside. Intel still rules via its 11th generation Core processors
you won’t want to lug it about the house every hour. If you know you’ll be moving from room to room, then try not to go over 1.5kg. However, there is one more related question you need to answer...
What about screen size?
The yin to portability’s yang, screen size is one of the biggest decisions you need to make. If this is going to be your daily machine, then you may find a 13in screen a fraction too small; 14in screens are that much more comfortable to use, and by comparison 15.6in screens can seem absolutely enormous.
However, if you’re using a laptop for daily work at home, we strongly recommend that you partner it with a separate monitor. Ideally, you should choose a monitor with a USB-C connection and a laptop that can charge via USB-C (again, we list this in the feature table), as this will make your desk that much neater.
While you’re at it, mouse and keyboard sets are cheap and make a huge difference to posture.
If you’re using a laptop for daily work at home, we strongly recommend that you partner it with a separate monitor
Do I need a touchscreen – or even a 2-in-1?
Few people need a touchscreen on their laptop: it’s only a vital inclusion if you want to draw or write on the surface. It’s also one more thing to go wrong, and should the screen break it can be expensive to fix.
All that said, a touchscreen is nice to have. Once you get use used to a touchscreen laptop you star start instinctively using it to prod windows and swipe along, just like using a phone. And if you choose a 2-in-1 design such as the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 on p82, it adds a whole new dimension to your laptop: you can put it into tent mode for watching films, and use the screen surface surfa as a notepad or drawing surface. surfa
How much storage do I need?
Thankfully, the days of 128GB SSDs appear to be nearing their end: only one machine here includes such a drive (the Geo again), and it offers easy expansion. Drives with 256GB are the norm and fine for most people. The jump from 256GB to 512GB gives welcome space, but will pay particular dividends if you know you’ll be downloading games or handling large media files.
What about security?
All these machines include a trusted platform l tf module (TPM), as this is the foundation ion of many of Windows 11’s security rity features. For example, it’s s a key part in Windows
Hello facial recognition, where suitably equipped laptops lock the machine unless they recognise you. It’s also used in BitLocker encryption, which you can enable for the whole disk or for certain folders.
As well as providing additional itional security, fingerprint readers rs and facial recognition both make Windows ndows 11 more convenient as they remove the need for entering a password or PIN every time you switch on your machine.
What ports do I need?
Every single laptop here includes at least one USB-C port, but while these look identical they vary in their capabilities. Ideally you want a port that allows you to charge the laptop, connect to a monitor and speedily transfer data. We list their transfer rates in the feature table.
It’s also useful to have at least one USB-A port (a traditional USB port), as that makes it easier to connect flash drives, printers and countless other peripherals. HDMI ports are also useful for similar reasons: if your monitor doesn’t support USB-C, then that’s the next best way to connect.
What about extras?
Then there are the extras. For example, a backlit keyboard is unnecessary in well-lit environments, but a huge boon in darker conditions such as on a plane. Most people can also live without microSD card slots. But both these features (and others we mention in the reviews) are convenient at times.
Do chargers matter?
It seems a minor point, but we far prefer it when manufacturers (such as Huawei) supply compact USB-C chargers compared to the traditional “rat and tail” power supplies. The latter are cumbersome and heavy by comparison. Also look out for the power rating: as a rule of thumb, the higher the wattage, the quicker battery will recharge.
Finally, take a good look at the connectivity on offer. Some laptops offer USB-C connectors alone, which could be a pain if you still rely on USB-A peripherals (as a rule, we still like to have one USB-A port, just in case). However, buying a USB-C docking monitor or a port replicator will solve that problem at a desk.