Working in IT, especially in end-user hardware, I get asked this question a lot. What's more, I really enjoy working with you to find a laptop that you will love, and that will work well for many years. 

My hope is that I will have to write this guide once - meaning, the advice here is general, and meant to apply to purchasing a laptop regardless of what new technology has come out. 

I will, however, update my Recommended Specs from time to time ;) 

In General, I recommend laptops that are typically produced for businesses. Typically, they come with 3y warranties, quality parts, are built to last 3+ years, are upgradeable, and are incredibly easy to fix.

I also typically recommend you look in the $1000 price range. Sure, decent computers can be purchased for a lot less, but they are typically built poorly and with sub-par components. You can break this rule if you're looking for 'just something to browse the web with' - but if you're going to be depending on your laptop for work or school, this budget is non-negotiable. 

Then, I'd typically look for the best processor you can afford in your price range. I say processor because it's the one component that's soldered to the motherboard (i.e. - cannot be replaced) and the faster the processor now, the longer the computer will continue to perform well. 

In terms of RAM and Storage - check out my Recommended Specs below, but remember, these are typically upgradeable down the line. 

So, what does that look like? 

Well, here in 2024, it would look like this: 

Recommended Specs

• The best processor you can afford 

  • Intel Core i7 are best, Core i5's are good. I would avoid Intel Core i3. 

  • Do not buy an Intel Pentium or Intel Celeron. 

  • AMD Ryzen 9 is the best, Ryzen 7's and 5's are good. I would avoid Ryzen 3. 

• RAM: 

  • 32GB if you're planning on doing heavy workloads, or going to be relying on this computer a lot going forward. 

  • 16GB is the lowest I would recommend in 2024. 

  • 8GB is.. well, call me for an upgrade ;) 

• Storage 

  • 1TB+ is excellent! 

  • 512GB is the minimum I would recommend. 

  • Storage is so cheap these days that upgrading can be very affordable. Let me know if you need help with that!