When you go to buy a laptop, you should be well informed about it. Failing that, you might end up relying just on the word of a salesperson. USe the information below to make a smart decision about how to buy a laptop. You want buy a laptop based on your specifications, not a laptop the store wants you to buy.

Before you get out there and buy your laptop, you need to have a budget in mind. As you set your budget, think about the sort of laptop you seek. Are you a Mac person or a Windows person? Macs always have good graphic technology and that’s why they’re good for people that need to work with graphics.

Think about the weight of the laptop. Hauling a heavy computer around can ruin your back, so try to find the lightest one that suits your needs. You might not have to pay more for a lightweight laptop. You should be aware that a lighter laptop may have a shorter battery life.

If you plan to play videos games and watch HD movies, buy a laptop that has a dedicated graphics chip. Make sure your graphics program is powerful enough to support the types of video games you play. Also make sure to get a processor that can handle the card, such as dual or quad core processor.

When purchasing a laptop online, don’t include additional software on your laptop. Most of the time it’s better to pay the full retail price for this kind of software. You can buy software from a less expensive retailer and install it yourself in minutes. You can save from 20 to 30 percent most of the time, but sometimes you can save more than that.

Think about the kind of work you want to do before you buy a laptop. Your budget will depend on that. If you just browse the Internet, getting something simple would be in order. Thinking about how you use your laptop will help you purchase a better priced laptop for you.

A cooling pad for your laptop will help it not to overheat. One of the reasons laptops fail is that they get too hot. These cooling pads are inexpensive and can keep your laptop running longer.

Invest in your laptop’s sound system. Some laptops are a little wimpy on sound since it’s not a full PC. Then, as you watch video or listen to music, the sound is not very good. The audio capability is one thing you need to check before purchasing a laptop.

Find out if you’re able to upgrade the hard drive and RAM on a laptop before you buy it. You may not see the need initially; however, these upgrades could be important later on. Upgrading costs a lot less than a brand new computer. Think about this before you buy a laptop.

Laptops that are transported frequently are at risk of damage, so think about buying insurance protection. If your laptop is dropped or damaged somehow, a protection plan might save your money. However, look over the fine print so you know what you are getting.

Larger screens may seem like a good idea; however, they are not easy to carry around. If a laptop has a seventeen inch screen, it will probably weigh around seven pounds. It also makes power deplete quickly.

Avoid buying a computer just because of the name. Companies you’ve heard of have fantastic products, but you might also be paying for the big name. Some lesser-known companies have good products as well. Take a look at the laptop’s specs to see if you can find the same hardware in a less expensive laptop that is high quality. It is often easy to find a comparable product with a less recognized company.

Think about purchasing a laptop from someone that give an extended warranty with it. Having to replace your laptop can be a very costly proposition. If you’re able to pay some to get a little extra warranty coverage, you could save yourself a lot of money in the future.

Want to save some battery? Dim your LCD screen to as low as you can tolerate while working. Minimizing the screen’s brightness will conserve battery life, allowing you to use your laptop longer. Go to your Control Panel to change your settings.

The internal speakers are of special concern if you will use your laptop to watch movies or play video games. External speakers can be annoying, so make sure the computer’s sound system is adequate.

When buying a laptop, find out how old the model is and when the newer version of it is coming out. There are a couple of good reasons to buy a new machine at the same time a new model is released. The first reason is that the existing model will have its price reduced, making it a bargain. Second, you can get better features on a much newer model.

If you desire a lightweight, affordable laptop, get one that has “no drive bay” as an option. Software will need to be installed via online password or USB key, but it is possible to realize significant savings in this way. You could also get a portable DVD drive to connect to your laptop via USB for less than a hundred dollars.

If you’re looking for an easy way to economize on your next laptop purchase, look at buying one with less on-board storage. For most purposes, a terabyte of memory is not necessary. Save money but make sure you have enough memory. You could use the saved cash for processing that’s better.

There is much that goes with purchasing a laptop. This is your decision, not the salesperson’s. Follow these tips to be a well informed laptop consumer. This can help you get the ideal laptop at a great price.