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00:00Hey guys, I'm Tom the tech chap and there's a lot to think about when buying a new laptop
00:04But if you give me a few minutes
00:06I'll run you through everything you need to know and I'll support some of my recommended favorite
00:10My mom says favorite laptops in the description below and I'll keep updating it as well because well new laptops come out all the time
00:17And if you do enjoy this video, I want to see more from me
00:19Then give me a thumbs up tap that subscribe button
00:21But let's jump straight in with tip number one
00:24Which is well be smart with your money and as tempting as it may be
00:28I would suggest probably not selling a kidney just to get the latest and greatest
00:33brand spanky new laptop because there's really no such thing as a fully future-proof laptop new and better ones come out all the time and
00:40Sometimes you can get more bang for your buck if you go for last year's model
00:43Although on the flip side buying newer versions will mean it'll last a little bit longer before you need to upgrade
00:48It's the classic really annoying tip of buy the best one you can for your budget
00:53But really what I would say is that most laptops are released in the first half of the year
00:57So now actually while there's plenty of good reasons to upgrade there's some new hardware
01:01But it also means that last year's I guess that's 2020 now, isn't it?
01:05But last year's models will be discounted or if you're willing to wait then you can probably get some good discounts and deals on these
01:11New 2021 laptops around Black Friday and holiday season this year, although that still seems like a long way away
01:17Okay, next question and you probably already know the answer to this. But what kind of laptop do you want?
01:22Do you want a Windows 10 machine? Do you want an Apple MacBook running Mac OS or do you want a Chromebook?
01:29You're probably just gonna stick to what you're used to using
01:31But there are some good reasons that you may want to switch
01:34most laptops run Microsoft Windows 10 and it's a great option if you want a laptop that does everything and runs a massive range of
01:42Software and of course has the biggest library of games
01:45There's literally hundreds if not thousands of Windows laptops to choose from from basic to thin and light ultrabooks to proper gaming laptops
01:52But then we've got Mac OS and MacBook Air and Pro laptops make perfect sense
01:57If you're say an iPhone user as it all works seamlessly with Apple's ecosystem
02:01Including my messages and airdrop and FaceTime Mac OS also handles drivers and updates behind the scenes
02:07Making it just a little bit easier for non techie people to use. It also helps that MacBooks are just lovely to use
02:13I've got some notes on here right now and actually this MacBook Pro 13 with the M1 chip
02:18Which I'll talk about in a second. I would say is my go-to laptop at the moment
02:23But of course you will have to spend at least a thousand pounds or a thousand dollars for the MacBook Air to get that Mac OS
02:29Experience. So yes, they are expensive. Although they do hold their value longer than most Windows laptops
02:34So if you come to sell in a couple of years
02:36You'll get a bit more money back for your Mac and then at the opposite end of the spectrum. We have Chromebooks
02:41These are great
02:42If you just want a more basic laptop something for browsing watching movies and doing office or schoolwork
02:48Chromebooks are ideal for students and they're usually cheaper than regular Windows laptops
02:52The catch is the Chrome OS won't run Windows or Mac applications
02:57But there are often versions of major apps in the Chrome Play Store and also most recent Chromebooks can run Android mobile apps and games
03:04And most of the time with a Chromebook you'll be working within the cloud
03:08So there's Windows there's Mac there's Chromebooks which I have somewhere laying around here and then there's also the Linux operating system
03:15But really that's for more advanced users who like to tinker
03:18There's no right answer really is whatever you're more comfortable with and what kind of apps and programs you'll be using
03:24Okay tip number three and as you may have heard size matters as does the shape actually
03:31Two-in-one hybrids offer more tablet like experiences and versatility with detachable keyboards or 360 degree hinges
03:39Which means you can flip the screen round and then use it in a variety of different modes
03:42Including as a tablet and then because they're touchscreens you may want to use a stylus which makes them great for illustrators and designers
03:49Although two-in-ones tend to cost more and can sometimes come at the expense of battery life and performance
03:55Then there's dual screen laptops
03:57These are still quite rare
03:59But we've got the likes of the Asus ZenBook duos which have this big second screen underneath which helps with multitasking
04:04For say having a Premiere Pro project files down there or for your gaming you can have your discord or your twitch stream
04:11These are generally a lot more expensive, but if you could see yourself using it, then it may come in handy
04:16However, most laptops come in this more traditional clamshell design and sizes range mainly from 13 to 17 inches
04:23This is the Dell XPS 17, which is a pretty big laptop
04:27Although of course because of recent design upgrades the bezels are much thinner
04:31So we're getting a 17 inch screen in what probably used to be a 16 inch kind of overall chassis size
04:38But generally the most popular sizes are 13 14 and 15 inch laptops
04:43Generally speaking the smaller the screen the lighter and more portable a laptop will be however bigger
04:4815 or 17 inch laptops are more likely to have the option for more powerful processors
04:54and importantly dedicated graphics cards
04:56Alternatively if you're thinking all these laptops feel a bit old-fashioned and you want something really mobile
05:01You could consider an iPad Air or an iPad Pro and pair it with one of Apple's magic keyboards. This is the Pro 13 inch
05:08I'm actually using it as a remote viewfinder for my camera so I can see what the camera is seeing
05:14So with this magic keyboard you can just simply detach it and then use it as a tablet again
05:18Or just magnetically put it back on like that and you've got this great keyboard with a separate USB C port
05:23And a trackpad it does get quite expensive
05:26It's sort of in the same ballpark as a MacBook Air, but depending on how you use your laptop
05:30This could be a better option
05:32Although of course, you're not gonna have any of those desktop applications that you get on a Windows or Mac laptop
05:37This is much more mobile oriented. Although while this is the Pro
05:40I think if I were to buy this again myself
05:42I would go for the iPad Air the latest model and then the magic keyboard. It's a little bit more affordable that way
05:48Okay tip number four and when it comes to the screen
05:51We have to think about the resolution and if you're a gamer the refresh rate as well
05:55The vast majority of laptops use a 1080p aka full HD resolution and for nearly everyone. This is all you need
06:03However, higher-end laptops sometimes have 4k screen options, which are much sharper
06:08Thanks to having four times as many pixels and these are generally more color accurate as well
06:12Which is important if you're doing color sensitive work
06:15But it's all a balance because while higher resolutions are great and they look sharper and generally have as I say better color accuracy
06:22There is a trade-off when it comes to battery life and also performance
06:25The last thing you want unless you have a super duper powerful gaming laptop is to have a 4k screen if you're gonna be playing
06:31games because it has such an impact on your frame rate and on the flip side if you're thinking about getting
06:36Maybe a productivity laptop and you're eyeing up a 4k screen
06:39It'll probably have give or take your battery life compared to the full HD version
06:44So I think if portability or getting the highest frame rate possible is most important to you then stick with full HD 1080p
06:51I think Apple have a good balance because their resolutions their retina screens are kind of halfway house between full HD and 4k and
06:58On the flip side if we look at gaming laptops some of the brand new models for 2021 including this asus
07:05ROG G15 now comes with a quad HD resolution. That's not something we've seen very often on laptops
07:11It's kind of a good balance 165 Hertz refresh and quad HD
07:16So you're getting that sharpness and performance without having to go up to 4k, which just destroys everything
07:21Oh, and the last thing when it comes to screens that if I put these two together, this is actually a 17 inch
07:27This is a 15 inch laptop
07:29but you may be able to notice this is taller because the most recent Dell XPS is and also
07:35Apple's MacBook lineup and more and more laptops these days are coming with a 16 by 10 aspect ratio
07:41Compared to the more traditional 16 by 9
07:44But essentially with 16 by 10, you're getting just a little bit extra room on the top and bottom
07:48So especially when it comes to smaller like 13 14 inch laptops
07:51I think it makes quite a big difference to just how claustrophobic it feels to use 16 by 10 gives you noticeably more screen space
08:00Okay tip number five, let's talk about specs
08:02Although I will be keeping this quite high level because I don't want to bore you to death. Although no promises
08:08Let's keep things simple and a good spec to aim for as an all-rounder laptop
08:12Will be one that comes with an Intel core i5 or an AMD Ryzen 5 processor 8 gigs of RAM
08:19256 or 512 gigs of storage a 1080p screen and if you're doing more intensive
08:24Graphical work or playing games then maybe a dedicated graphics card
08:28Let's dig a little bit deeper into
08:30CPUs or the processors and what's funny is that until the last couple of years
08:35Most of the time I would have recommended an Intel chip in your laptop
08:39But now with AMD's 4000 series chips last year and now they're brand new 5000 series of processors
08:46Things have changed and while Intel's 10th and most recent 11th gen
08:50Processors are fantastic and really really good in terms of just sheer performance battery life
08:55What we're seeing recently is a shift to AMD
08:58They are kind of winning at the moment
09:00So very high level
09:01But I think if you are gonna buy a new laptop now or one from the last 12 months or so
09:05I'd probably look for one with an AMD processor
09:09But anyway, genuinely the higher the number the better
09:12So when Intel i7 beats an i5 and a Ryzen 7 beats a Ryzen 5 thanks mostly to higher clock speeds and maybe more core count
09:21But then late last year Apple entered the game with their own silicon
09:24We've got the m1 chip in here and it kind of blew everyone away
09:28They released new MacBook Air and pros with the m1 chip
09:32Which is basically a supercharged version of their iPhone mobile chip and it outperforms a lot of regular
09:38Processors and improves battery life at the same time. It really is a big deal
09:42I think if you are looking to buy a new Apple laptop
09:45Then I would definitely recommend the Air or the Pro with the m1 and if you after a MacBook Pro 16
09:50Then I would hold out for the new ones coming soon
09:53Now one question I get asked a lot is should I go for the Air or the Pro?
09:56Well, I actually made a whole video all about that, which I'll link to at the end
10:00But I think for 90% of people out there
10:03I'd recommend going for the Air and money that you save I would then put in upgrading the RAM or the storage
10:09Okay tip number seven. Let's talk about graphics
10:12Now most laptops don't use a dedicated graphics card instead relying on the integrated graphics built into the CPU and these are absolutely
10:20Fine for watching videos some light photo editing and maybe even basic gaming
10:25On-board graphics from both Intel and AMD have gotten much better
10:28To the point where you can play a bit of Rainbow Six Siege Overwatch or League of Legends pretty well
10:34Even without a proper graphics card, although these much faster integrated graphics are kind of limited to the most recent
10:41Generations of processors. So ideally you want 11th gen Intel or AMD 5000 although 10th gen Intel and AMD 4000
10:48I'm still pretty good, but really newer the better when it comes to integrated graphics
10:52But if you're really into your gaming now is actually a great time to upgrade because we've got Nvidia's new RTX
10:583060, 3070 and 3080 laptop graphics cards and offer a big boost in performance
11:03We're looking at 40 to 50 percent increases even over the previous RTX 2000 series
11:08And so with these brand new laptops
11:10We're getting that combination of new AMD processors and new Nvidia graphics cards in a system
11:15That's also got improved battery life better cooling a little bit of a refined design
11:19This top spec model, of course will be very expensive probably over two grand
11:23But actually the new 3060 laptops start from about a thousand dollars or 1,100 pounds
11:29So reasonably affordable actually and a good deal more powerful than previous
11:33RTX 2060 laptops
11:35but remember don't expect quite the same performance from a laptop graphics card as a desktop because
11:40Heat and power and chassis constraints all limited
11:44Okay, number eight and just a quick mention about RAM and storage. It's pretty straightforward
11:48The more RAM you have the more programs and browser tabs
11:51You can have open at once without it starting to chug or slow down
11:558 gigabytes is absolutely fine for casual or office use while gamers will benefit from having 16 gigs
12:01But power users such as designers and editors can benefit from 32 or even 64 gigs of RAM
12:07Depending on how demanding your workload is, but generally I'd say 8 gigabytes of RAM is absolutely fine
12:13But if you can just to make it a little bit more future-proof
12:15I would go with 16 if possible as for storage
12:20Well bigger drives means more room for your files your photos and your games
12:24256 gigs is fine and pretty standard
12:27But I think 512 gigs means you won't have to worry so much about deleting things and uninstalling games to make room
12:33But importantly depending on what laptop you have and you will need to double-check this
12:37The chances are that the RAM and the storage will be the two components that you could potentially upgrade yourself down the line
12:44But it is a bit different for every laptop. So double-check if you are thinking about doing that
12:48Okay, number nine and just a quick word on IO aka connectivity
12:52And there's really only one port that matters right now and going forward and that's USB C
12:58Especially if it's USB C that supports Thunderbolt 3 or the latest Thunderbolt 4
13:02Which are the fastest and most versatile types of type-c port although with the very latest laptops now supporting USB 4
13:09Which still uses this type-c connection
13:11Thunderbolts become a little bit less of a must-have because you can basically do everything you need with USB 4 and a lot of
13:18laptops these days including MacBooks as you guys know just have USB C so
13:22If you do have a older USB a peripheral, maybe it's a mouse or a dongle or something
13:27Then you'll probably need an adapter or you actually choose a laptop which has more ports
13:32So for example this g15 we have pretty much everything full-size USB a HDMI is Ethernet and also USB C as well
13:39So the bigger the laptop generally the more ports you have but on thin and lights these days
13:43You're most likely restricted to just USB C and you may need to carry an adapter with you
13:49Okay, last but not least let's talk about battery life because in the pursuit of the perfect laptop
13:54There's always this balance between performance and also screen resolution and battery life
13:59But really it all comes down to the specs of the laptop the more powerful
14:03The less battery life you're gonna have and also the size of the battery
14:06You also have to take the claimed battery life figures with a good old pinch of salt
14:10These are often carried out in idealized conditions that aren't really that reflective of real-world use
14:16Things are getting better or at least more realistic
14:19especially with laptops under Intel's new Evo branding because they have to
14:23Give battery life figures based on more real-world scenarios like watching online video rather than local video playback
14:30But generally speaking if a laptop say says it'll have 12 hours of battery
14:34I think you can probably expect maybe seven or eight
14:37But we have seen some quite big leaps forward with the last couple of generations of hardware
14:41So you can often now get 10 12 hour battery lives from good laptops
14:45But most impressive are the new MacBooks
14:47I know I keep coming back to this but the m1 chip is not only a lot faster
14:51But can in some cases give you double the battery life that the equivalent Intel model could give you
14:56So I think Intel and AMD have some catching up to do to Apple's own silicon
15:01So right now I'd say the MacBook Air and Pro are probably the best laptops for battery life
15:07And breathe we did it. We made it to the end of the video
15:10I do hope that was useful as I say if you've got any questions at all
15:14Let me know in the comments below and also be putting my favorite and recommended laptops
15:18We shall keep updating in the description
15:20Give me a thumbs up and hit that subscribe button if you enjoyed it and want to see more from me and I catch you
15:24Next time right here on the tech chat