Four Tips for Selecting the Best Laptop For Sale

So, you’re looking to buy a new laptop? The good news is that there’s a near-endless choice available. Similarly, upgrading to new tech is always exciting. Laptops, in particular, have never been more feature-packed or powerful.

But how do you choose the best one? Unless you’re already set on a particular model, the sheer range on sale today can be overwhelming.

If you can decide on at least one definite must-have, it’s easy to discount more than half of what’s on the market. By further eliminating devices based on any additional criteria, the search becomes even more focused.

Upsie has whittled down the decision-making process into four key areas to help you select a laptop for sale.

Screen size is an ideal place to start when selecting a new laptop for sale. A few inches here can make all the difference. Too small, and you may struggle to complete fiddly tasks. Too large, and a laptop quickly becomes inconvenient to carry around on a regular basis.

For most people, screens measuring between 12.5 and 14 inches represent the perfect choice. Unless you need a particularly compact notebook, consider discounting them from the list of possibilities. Eliminate any laptops with a 12-inch screen or smaller, and your search instantly becomes more focused.

At the same time, laptops with screens much over 14 inches can begin to feel cumbersome. Obviously, laptops are designed to be portable at their core. Unless portability isn’t important, don’t sacrifice this in the name of a slightly larger screen.

Much like screen size, undecided laptop buyers can use battery life to narrow down their search. As a general rule of thumb, bigger laptops have longer-lasting batteries. However, it’s not an exact science.

Battery life tends to be more crucial when portability is also a primary concern. If you spend 90% of your time hooked up to a power outlet, it’s less of an issue. That said, any laptop should be able to survive for a full working day without needing a charge.

Accordingly, shoot for a laptop with a tried-and-tested battery life of at least nine hours. Don’t feel pressed to shoot for too much longer, though. Newer Apple MacBooks, for example, claim to offer up to 18 hours of battery life. Yet, this comes at a cost that may be considerably higher than a more casual laptop user needs to spend.

Price, naturally, is another important factor in any laptop purchase. Price also goes hand in hand with performance – something that we’ll touch on in a moment.

Anyone purchasing a computer, laptop or otherwise, is likely to have at least a rough budget. But why blow that budget if you don’t need to? It’s invariably a huge waste of money.

Much the same goes for laptop warranties. An Apple Care+ package for a MacBook, for example, can cost hundreds of dollars. By contrast, an independent third-party warranty from a provider like Upsie can save laptop buyers up to 70%.

In Upsie’s case, any coverage is directly comparable or superior to what’s on offer from manufacturers and big-box retailers. However, by cutting out the middleman, it’s possible to save two-thirds or more on the cost of a laptop computer warranty.

By the same token, don’t shy away from looking for deals on laptops. In terms of suggested retail prices, for the majority of laptop users, the sweet spot as far as cost vs. requirements will be around $700. Generally speaking, the latest laptops in the $600-$800 price range should suit most people.

Performance should be a factor in any laptop purchase. Just like screen size and battery life, aim for a middle-ground benchmark. In this case, that’s 8GB of RAM and an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 CPU. These specs ought to coincide nicely with the $700 sweet spot suggested above, too.

At this sort of price, also try to hold out for a model with SSD storage. Cheaper laptops typically rely on traditional hard drives. That’s fine, of course, but at closer to $800, SSD storage can be expected, adding significantly to the speed at which any laptop performs.

Manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Microsoft all produce laptops that meet the above criteria. Consider exploring the latest models from Acer’s Swift range and Lenovo’s Yoga lineup. Expect to pay around $700.

Alternatively, several of HP’s Pavilion notebooks and Microsoft’s Surface laptops meet all of the same specifications. Again, prices start at approximately $700 for devices that match the optimal screen size, battery life, and performance figures outlined above.

Whatever you decide, don’t forget to pick up an extended laptop warranty at the same time. Purely by their portable nature, all notebooks are vulnerable to drops, cracks, liquid spills, and other accidents.

Many manufacturers’ extended warranties and service contracts don’t include insurance against accidental mishaps. Those that do are often hugely expensive. They may also lack all-important coverage for things like battery failures.

Instead, choose Upsie to lock in all of this and more. Upsie offers protection against everything from manufacturing defects and battery failures to cracked screens and liquid damage.

Further benefits include 24/7 claims, low deductibles. and local repairs. Best yet, you get all of that at up to 70% less than the cost of extended warranty coverage sold by manufacturers and big-box retailers. Upsie also promises to replace your laptop at no extra charge, if it’s not economical to repair on your first claim.