When shopping for a laptop, you must know some basic information. If you don’t, you’ll be trusting the advice of the salesperson alone. Follow the tips presented here to make a smart laptop choice. This will ensure that you get the best laptop for your needs.

If you want a good deal on a laptop, join an electronics forum online. The people in there are always sharing deals on various electronics, including laptops. That way, you can also get opinions on the laptop you might be interested in buying. A forum full of electronics aficionados will help you to know what will work for you.

If you’re a gamer, you’ll want to make sure that your laptop has a dedicated graphics processing unit. If it’s a standard (built-in) GPU, it may not perform well in the wild with the games you like to play. Look for an ATI or NVidia GPU. Both will deliver on graphics and speed.

Before purchasing a laptop decide what you will be using it for. If it will be more business oriented you can probably go for a cheaper model that can do word, excel, and basic internet functions. If it will be your portable gaming device, you’ll want to invest more to ensure performance.

When shopping for a laptop, be sure to consider a Windows model along with a Macintosh. You generally pay less for Windows, buy many people prefer Macs. Try them both out at the local electronics store. Once you have a feel for the models you might prefer, be sure to go online to read up on the reviews.

Count the number of USB ports. This is often overlooked. You might wish to connect a memory card, mouse, etc. that require a USB port simultaneously. Opt for at least four USB ports, but get more if you can.

Learn a little bit about specs before you purchase a laptop. Know the differences between various CPUs, hard drives, graphics chips, and RAMs. You do not need to know everything about each of these items, but understand what each is and what function they have in a laptop. You do not want to spend more for something that you do not need or not spend enough for something that you wanted after the fact.

The CPU is important when choosing a new laptop. The less expensive laptops have CPU’s that will struggle when working with productivity and media intensive tasks. They are more than adequate for simple web surfing though. If you are a gamer or use large programing files, then buy a laptop with a powerful CPU.

Because laptops are designed with mobility in mind, consider a laptop with a locking mechanism. Unfortunately, we live in a world where others may not value your privacy or personal property. A laptop that locks down can deter thieves and prevent others from trying to access the personal information you keep private.

Many factors go into the decision of a particular laptop. Don’t let the salesperson decide for you. Use the advice above to have the right information when you go shopping for a laptop. These tips will also help you get a great deal.