At iLogix Computer Solutions we have a lot of experience with different laptops, this is a question we get asked a lot.
Disclaimer: Anything we say in this blog is just an option. It is based on experience. We are not making recommendations and we are not accountable for any buying decisions and issues that you may have after reading this. This blog is a guide, it is educational but ultimately you must make your own decision following careful research. This blog was released on 28th December 2022 and Technology changes very fast.
iLogix Computer Solutions often get asked by customers looking to buy a new computer what we would recommend.
This is a very reasonable question and we are always happy to share our experiences.
One of the first things we will ask is what the client wants to use the computer for. This is extremely important because it will effect the hardware specifications of the computer. For example if someone wants to browse websites, check their email and create Spreadsheets and Documents the hardware requirements will be much lower than someone who is a graphical designer. The latter requires greater graphical processing and memory and if we try and run Photoshop, for instance, on the former hardware it will not be a good user experience.
There was a time when everything could be upgraded on a laptop. The battery could be changed easily, the CPU and memory could be upgraded as could the storage device (hard drive). There was a time when "an IT Pro" could change a CPU on a laptop as well as memory and the hard drive. In the following image of an old laptop system board the CPU sits in a socket, it was locked in place with a design making it removable.
In comparison the following image shows what a modern CPU looks like. This is from an Acer laptop that iLogix Computer Solutions recently repaired for a customer. This is the larger component on the system board, it is a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) and CPU (Central Processing Unit) on a single chip, the processor is soldered onto the system board with BGA soldering, ball grid array. This makes upgrades very hard to achieve for most and the risks are high therefore upgrading generally would not be desirable for a working computer.
This of course means that getting the hardware specification right first time is crucial, once you have your laptop you are generally stuck with it. New laptops have RAM and in some cases the storage device is also soldered onto the system board. Apple takes it a step further with their new Apple Silicon Architecture which introduces the concept of system on a chip which combines, CPU, GPU and RAM on one component.
Hardware:
Getting the spec right is clearly crucial. When we decide what resources our laptop needs we need to consider the following.
Processor. This is the CPU, central processing unit. This is the part of the computer that executes instructions and processes programs and data. The more power the processor, the faster it works and the more cores it has the better the performance, and you will notice.
Memory. RAM or Random Access Memory is where the computer stores data that it is processing, this is the operating system, applications and application data. When your computer is low on memory it pages data to the hard drive which means it swaps pages between memory and disk, the paging process can impede the performance of the computer therefore the more memory the computer has the less paging operations will need to be performed.
Hard Drive. The "disk" is where everything is stored. Older computers have an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) which works by storing data on a magnetic rotating platter. Read/Write heads read the data from the disk which is processed by the CPU. These old HDDs were slow, they had moving mechanical parts which made them perform poorly and they were prone to failure, however we used these for decades and got used to them. Modern computers come with a Solid State Disk (SSD), there are different formats of SSD but ultimately they offer ultra fast read/write and contribute massively to the performance of the computer. Being sure the computer has an SSD is important, however most new computers will have an SSD. Of equal importance, however, is the size of the SSD. Think how much data you have on your computer? how much you think this will increase ?
A quick way to see how you are currently utilising your storage for a Mac is to click the Apple Menu and select About this Mac, then Storage. The following shows a screen shot from macOS 13 Ventura which shows how much storage you have and how much is currently available.
For a Windows computer open File Explorer (usually the yellow folder icon on the taskbar) Locate your system drive, usually c:\ right click and go to its properties. You will see a chart showing free and used space.
As a rule do not under spec. It makes no sense to downgrade with an upgrade so why would you go from 500Gb to 256Gb when buying a new computer? Sure you can tidy up your file system, but the chances are if you reduce the size of the drive you will soon run into problems.
Usually an Intel Core i5 (Processor) with 8Gb RAM (Memory) and 500Gb SSD minimum is a good specification for a general use computer such as Social Media, web browsing, creating documents and spreadsheets and checking your email. Be sure that your new computer has the latest operating system which, at the time of this blog, is Windows 11 or macOS 13 Ventura. You are always better off with too much than too little.
If you are into gaming or graphical applications like Adobe Creative Suite then you will need more memory, high Definition graphics and usually a much larger display.
Applications:
Applications are an important consideration because this is why we have a computer.
Just because your applications run on your old computer it does not mean they will run on the new computer. The rule is new hardware is designed to run new operating systems and new operating systems are designed to run on new hardware. New applications run on new operating systems. Technology forces us forward and if you have an old application check the system requirements? for instance older versions of Microsoft Office will not work on Windows 11 so you will need to buy an upgrade subscription, although this is a good thing you will need to factor it into your costs.
Check the Application vendors website to see if your Application version requires an upgrade. Be sure you can locate any licence keys that came with the application. Old applications often came in a box with the licence key printed inside. For a Windows computer you have to install the application, you have to register the DLLs and create registry keys. This is done through the application installer. You can not simply copy it in most cases.
Antivirus software is not even a best practice. It is crucial because the Internet is full of criminals waiting to pounce. Make sure you have a subscription because Antivirus Software is only as good as its last update.
Backup your data. Again it's not even a best practice, it is make or break. iLogix Computer Solutions recently published a blog on Backups, please take time to read it here.
Hardware Manufacturer
Now this is where opinions will vary greatly. I am a Mac fan. To me there is no computing experience like it. It is as if someone has taken the concept of a computer and said "now... let's do this properly". But that's just me. If you have been using Windows forever going to a Mac is going to be a big change. Macs have their own operating system which you will need to learn, sure you can do something really silly like run Windows on a Mac through Bootcamp or Parallels Desktop but.... please don't. Some people can adapt very quickly whereas others prefer what they are used to, there is no right or wrong, we are who we are. Check out a Mac in the Apple Store, they are on display and the staff in the Apple Store are always very keen to help.
If you like Microsoft Windows then in our experience we would say to go with HP, Dell or Lenovo. We are not saying this will be trouble free, there is nothing more technical than a computer and as a result there are a million things that can go wrong with a one however if, in the rare event that something goes wrong, we see that these vendors offer world class support. They have first rate web resources and in our experience they are a good choice.
Summary:
To summarise, our advise would be to make sure that you have the hardware resources right. Struggling with a sluggish computer that you have paid a lot of money for would not be a good thing and we have learned that it is no longer a simple thing to upgrade. Cheap laptops come at a price.
Make sure your applications are going to run on your new computer and of course be sure that you can locate the licences and installers that were provided to you when you purchased the app.
Be sure that you select the manufacturer carefully. Your friends may rave about Macs but it might not be for you. Look for yourself.
iLogix Computer Solutions are available to assist with the set up of a new computer.
Please contact us for any help you may need. Our number is 01252 962898