How to choose a laptop (2026)
By the Let’s Compare Editorial Team · 3 min read · 7 things that matter · Updated September 2026
Short answer: Start with what you'll actually do on it. For browsing, office work and video, almost any current laptop with 16GB of RAM is plenty, so put the money into a better screen, a comfortable keyboard and a lighter build. Pay up for a 'Pro' processor or dedicated graphics only if you game or edit heavy media.
A laptop for spreadsheets and a laptop for games are very different machines, so start with what you'll do on it. Below, each spec gets a plain explanation, its weight in our 0–100 score and what's normal today. Two caveats. Our numbers come from the premium thin-and-light laptops we track, so if you're after a budget machine or a gaming rig, expect heavier builds, bigger batteries and far more discrete GPUs than the medians below. And the old trade-off between power, battery and weight has largely gone away: modern efficient chips deliver serious performance and all-day battery in a body under 1.3kg.
What matters most, and how much
| Factor | Weight in our score |
|---|---|
| Display & size | 12% |
| Processor | 12% |
| Battery & weight | 10% |
| RAM & storage | 9% |
| Graphics | 6% |
| Ports, keyboard & webcam | 5% |
How much each factor moves our 0–100 laptops score.
Torn between the top two? See our head-to-head: Asus Zenbook A14 2026 vs Asus Zenbook A16 2026 →
Mac, Windows or Chromebook: decide this first
Pick a platform before you look at a single spec, because your apps, your muscle memory and your accessories all follow it. macOS on a MacBook is polished and gets years of updates, and Apple's M-series chips are ridiculously efficient, though you'll be doing things Apple's way. Windows runs everything and gives you far more choice at every price and size. ChromeOS is cheap, simple and secure if you basically live in a browser. Once that's settled, the rest is detail.
Display & size: you'll stare at it for years
The screen shares the top spot in our score, and its size sets the character of the whole machine. The 14-inch class suits travel best, while 15–16 inches remains the most popular choice if you want more room to work. Don't go below 1920×1200 (16:10); plenty of laptops in this class now come with gorgeous 2.5K or OLED panels anyway. The taller 16:10 shape gives you more usable height than old 16:9 screens, and matte beats glossy under office lights.
Weight in our score: 12%
Processor: match it to your workload
For web, email, office apps and video calls, any current mid-tier chip (Apple's M-series, Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen or a Qualcomm Snapdragon) is fast and will stay that way for years. Only step up if you compile code, edit video or work with big spreadsheets. Efficiency deserves as much attention as speed. The newer ARM-based chips (Apple Silicon, Snapdragon) run cool and can last roughly twice as long on a charge as older designs, and you'll feel that every day in a way you never feel a benchmark.
Weight in our score: 12%See the best for this →
Graphics: most people don't need a separate card
Only 17% of the laptops we track (mostly thin-and-lights) have a discrete GPU. They're far more common in the wider market, where budget gaming laptops sell in huge numbers. The advice is the same either way. Integrated graphics handle everyday apps, 4K video and even light gaming fine, and a dedicated card is only worth it for serious games or GPU-accelerated creative work. You pay for one in weight, fan noise and battery.
Weight in our score: 6%See the best for this →
RAM & storage: 16GB and an SSD
Treat 16GB of RAM as the comfortable baseline. 79% of the laptops we track already have it, and it's the cheapest way to keep a machine feeling quick for years. More and more laptops solder the RAM on, so you can't add more later; buy what you'll need up front. For storage, the median is 512GB of SSD, which is a sensible minimum for a premium machine. Go bigger if you keep lots of photos or video locally.
Weight in our score: 9%
Battery & weight: the specs you feel every day
If the laptop leaves your desk, weight and battery will affect you more than benchmark scores. The median laptop we track fits a big 70Wh battery into a light 1.29kg frame. That's premium-ultrabook territory, though; outside this tier, expect something closer to 1.7kg. Claimed battery hours are optimistic lab figures, so a bigger Wh number paired with an efficient chip is a better guide than the marketing claim.
Weight in our score: 10%See the best for this →
Ports, keyboard & webcam: the physical stuff you live with
Few things sour a new laptop faster than discovering it won't plug into your monitor or drive. 69% of the laptops we track include Thunderbolt/USB-C (data, charging and external displays over one port), but check for the specific ports you use, such as HDMI, USB-A or an SD reader, or budget for dongles. You'll be typing on it for years, and no spec sheet tells you how the keyboard and trackpad feel, so try one in person if you can. Don't overlook the webcam either. Premium models now ship 1080p+ cameras that are far better than the grainy 720p ones of old.
Weight in our score: 5%
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM does a laptop need?
16GB is a comfortable baseline that will last years. It's often soldered to the board and can't be upgraded later, so get enough up front.
Do I need a dedicated graphics card in a laptop?
Only for serious gaming or GPU-accelerated creative work. Integrated graphics handle everyday apps, 4K video and light gaming fine, and they save weight and battery.
Should I get a Mac, Windows laptop or Chromebook?
Decide this before anything else, since it dictates your apps and accessories. macOS is polished and efficient. Windows gives you the most choice at every price. ChromeOS is cheap and simple if you live in a browser.
Explainers for this guide
- USB-C, USB4 and Thunderbolt: what's the difference?
Same port, wildly different capabilities. How to tell what a USB-C port can do.
- How much RAM do you actually need?
Why 8GB now feels tight, where 16GB is the sweet spot, and who needs 32GB or more.
- SSD vs HDD: which storage should you buy?
Why an SSD transforms how a computer feels, and the job a hard drive still does best.
Ready to compare?
The figures in this guide are computed live from the 29 laptopsin our catalogue and update as it grows. Analysis by the Let’s Compare Data Engine.