As Black Friday approaches, laptop offers are everywhere and the product names are long and confusing. To avoid choosing by an appealing name or by price alone, start by asking what you will actually do with the laptop. This guide explains which specifications are worth your attention and which matter less.
Where to start: purpose and budget limits
Before looking at models, write down three things: what you will use the laptop for most often, the most you are willing to spend, and whether you will carry it every day. That makes it much easier to narrow down the many options in the laptops category.
- Study and homework: documents, browsing, video lessons. A comfortable keyboard and a good screen matter more than the most powerful processor.
- Office and remote work: lots of browser tabs, video calls, spreadsheets. Memory and battery life matter here.
- Creative work: photo and video editing, design. You need more RAM, more storage and a quality display.
- Gaming: the graphics card and cooling matter most, and they usually cannot be changed later.
Treat your budget as a ceiling rather than an exact figure: decide the most you would pay and look for the best configuration within that limit.
Processor and memory
Processor classes: Celeron, Core Ultra and Ryzen AI
Intel Celeron is an entry-level class. It suits simple tasks such as browsing, documents, watching videos and video calls. Many programs at once, or demanding work, may feel sluggish on it.
Intel Core Ultra and AMD Ryzen AI are newer processor families that, besides the usual cores, include a module designed for AI tasks. They suit office work, running many programs at once and creative tasks. The Ryzen AI family has different levels, for example Ryzen AI 7 and the more powerful Ryzen AI 9, so always check the exact model name rather than just the family.
A practical rule: the more demanding your tasks, the higher the class you need, but do not pay for power you will not use.
RAM and SSD by purpose
The figures below are general guidelines, not manufacturer requirements.
| Purpose | RAM | SSD |
|---|---|---|
| Study, simple homework | 8–16 GB | 256 GB |
| Office, remote work | 16 GB | 256–512 GB |
| Creative work | 32 GB or more | 512 GB–1 TB or more |
| Gaming | 16–32 GB | 1 TB or more |
Memory often cannot be upgraded later because it may be soldered to the board, so it is worth deciding at the time of purchase. An SSD makes a laptop feel quick when starting up and opening programs, so its size matters almost as much as the processor.
Screen and size
14 inch – compact, lighter and easier to carry. Good for students and frequent travellers.
16 inch – a good balance: more workspace on screen, yet not too bulky. A common choice for office and creative work.
17.3 inch – a large screen is comfortable if the laptop mostly stays on a desk. It is harder to carry around.
Resolution tells you how much detail fits on the screen. FHD (1920x1080) is the standard for everyday use. Higher resolutions such as WUXGA, WQXGA or WQXGA+ give more workspace and a sharper picture, which helps with photos, spreadsheets or text.
An IPS panel offers wider viewing angles and generally better colour than cheaper panel types. If you work for long periods or show your screen to others, IPS is a sensible choice. If a touchscreen matters to you, it is stated in the specifications.
Windows or ChromeOS
Windows is the right choice if you need the widest range of software: office suites, specialist programs, creative tools or games.
ChromeOS is a simpler, fast-starting system built around the browser and online services. A Chromebook is usually enough if you work with web apps, documents, email and video calls and do not need Windows programs. Before buying, check that all the apps you need will work on it.
Model examples by need
Below are a few models from the shop as examples of how specifications relate to purpose. This is not a ranking, just an illustration.
- Simple tasks and a big screen: HP Notebook 17-cn0136ng – 17.3 inch FHD IPS display, Intel Celeron N4500 and 256 GB of storage. Suited to documents, browsing and watching content at a desk.
- A Chromebook example: Acer Aspire CB516-1H-582S – 16 inch WUXGA display, Intel Core 5 120U, 16 GB LPDDR5, 256 GB SSD, ChromeOS. The manufacturer states up to 15.5 hours of battery life, and it weighs 1.7 kg. The keyboard is German QWERTZ.
- Compact 14 inch work: ASUS BM3406CGA-NZ0099X – AMD Ryzen AI 7 445, 32 GB DDR5, 512 GB NVMe SSD and Windows 11 Pro.
- Light and mobile 16 inch: Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro – Intel Core Ultra 5 226V, WQXGA+ touchscreen, 16 GB, 512 GB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, Windows 11 Pro. It weighs 1.56 kg, is 12.5 mm thick and is stated to last up to 21 hours on battery.
- An ultra-compact powerful device: GPD WinMax2 – 10.1 inch 2560x1600 touchscreen, Ryzen AI 9 HX370, 32 GB, 2 TB SSD, Radeon 890M and Windows 11.
- For gaming: MSI Crosshair 16 Max HX E2WGXK – a 16 inch model. Check the graphics card, memory and other parameters on the product page.
- For heavy workloads: ASUS ExpertBook P5 G2 PM5606CGA-PL0085X – 16 inch WQXGA display, Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, 64 GB DDR5, 1 TB SSD, Wi-Fi 7, Windows 11 Pro. It has a fingerprint reader, TPM 2.0 and MIL-STD-810H compliance, and weighs 1.85 kg.
If you want a very thin and light model, browse the ultrabooks. For work in a company, it is also worth a look at business laptops.
Tips before Black Friday
- Make a list in advance. Write down your must-haves: screen size, RAM, SSD, operating system and budget ceiling.
- Shortlist a few models. Compare them before the sale day so you are not deciding in a rush.
- Check the exact model code. Similar names can hide different configurations.
- Check the keyboard layout. Some models have a German QWERTZ keyboard, which may be awkward if you are used to a different layout.
- Look at the ports. Is there HDMI, USB-A and USB-C, and is that enough for your accessories?
- Look at weight and battery figures if you will carry the laptop daily. Manufacturer-stated battery life can differ in real use.
- Read the warranty and return terms on the product page and in the shop rules.
If you think about purpose first and price second, you will choose more calmly and regret it less often. Happy shopping!
