How to buy the best laptop [by CodeWithHarry]

Agenda:

● We will buy a laptop primarily for programming + Freelancing & productivity!

● We will discuss in brief the role of specific parts of a laptop in programming & other
purposes!
● We will breakdown 25k and 35k difference
● We will understand what we are paying extra for!

AMD vs Intel

1. Intel generation!
● Current 10th generation (you can consider 9th generation)
● Don't compare cross generation
● When shortlisting laptops, compare its CPU by typing the {model number A} vs
{model number B} on Google. Ex: ​amd-ryzen-3-3200u vs intel-core-i5-8250u
● Higher generation is better but sometimes older generations are available at
throwaway prices!

2. AMD Ryzen and Athlon, Threadripper!

● AMD Ryzen
● Intel has been ripped off by AMD Ryzen lately!
● Ryzen APUs are far more powerful than Intel’s iGpu
● Athlon is a low budget CPU from AMD
● Ryzen chips provide better value for money!
● Threadripper is only recommended for high end PCs (Threadripper is costly!)

How to buy the best laptop you need

1. Open two tabs
2. Go to Amazon and Flipkart
3. Shortlist some top rated laptops from your budget (>4 rating)
4. See which processor it has: Note down its name and compare it with other shortlisted
laptops based on the next section
5. If you can wait for upcoming sales/big-billion days/prime days etc. you can save a few
thousand rupees if you buy a laptop on these days!
Role of Laptop Components
1. CPU:​ CPU is responsible for processing the data. Better the CPU better computations
can be performed by it. More threads and cores means better
multitasking(multiprocessing). Higher generation CPUs (modern CPUs) are usually
better in terms of performance and pricing!
2. RAM:​ RAM is responsible for storing the programs temporarily in the volatile memory.
Higher and faster the RAM, better the multitasking performance.
3. Storage:​ Data and Operating System is stored in Hard Disk or SSD. SSDs are 10X
faster than mechanical hard drives and highly recommended these days. SSDs usually
have longer life compared to the mechanical drive as they dont have moving parts!
4. Graphic Card: ​If you are interested in gaming, video editing or graphic intensive
softwares like Blender, Premiere Pro/After-Effects, you will need a good graphic card.
Otherwise graphic card will not hamper your coding experience on your machine.
5. Brand: ​Brand plays an important role as you will need to get your laptops serviced quite
often. If your brand doesn't have a service center near your college/home then you
should consider this as a factor in buying your laptop. Extended warranty can save you a
lot of money!

What can you expect at your budget

➔ Under 30,000 Rs.:
◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, VS Code)
◆ No gaming

➔ Under 30,000-50,000 Rs​:

◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, VS Code)
◆ Low end gaming
◆ Low to Moderate Video Editing/Blender/Graphic Designing

➔ Under 50,000-70,000 Rs:

◆ All productivity apps (Skype, Zoom, MS Office, Chrome, VS Code)
◆ High end gaming
◆ Moderate to High end Video Editing/Blender/Graphic Designing

Minimum requirements for Programming/Other Softwares:

1. Android Studio(Java and flutter) minimum requirements:
● Microsoft® Windows® 7/8/10 (64-bit)
● 4 GB RAM ​minimum​, 8 GB RAM recommended.
● 2 GB of available disk space ​minimum​, 4 GB Recommended (500 MB for IDE +
1.5 GB for ​Android​ SDK and emulator ​system​ image)
● 1280 x 800 ​minimum​ screen resolution.
 2. Jetbrains Pycharm/IntelliJ & other IDEs
● 2 GB RAM ​minimum​, 8 GB RAM recommended
● 2 GB of available disk space ​minimum​, 4 GB Recommended (500 MB for IDE +
1.5 GB for ​Android​ SDK and emulator ​system​ image)
● 1024x768 ​minimum​ screen resolution.1920×1080 ​Recommended​.

3. Adobe Premiere Pro

● Processor: Intel® 6thGen or newer CPU or AMD equivalent Operating system
● Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit) version 1803 or later
● RAM: 8 GB of RAM
● GPU: 2 GB of GPU VRAM
● 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation(Additional high-speed drive for
media)

4. Visual Studio 2019

● 1.8 GHz or faster processor. Quad-core or better recommended
● 2 GB of RAM; 8 GB of RAM recommended (2.5 GB minimum if running on a virtual
machine)
● Hard disk space: Minimum of 800MB up to 210 GB of available space, depending on
features installed; typical installations require 20-50 GB of free space. to improve
performance, install Windows and Visual Studio on a solid state drive (SSD).

Note:​ I have added only those softwares which are resource intensive and essential for
programming/freelancing. Running other lightweight softwares like VS Code, Xampp, chrome
etc should not be a problem.

Some other tips:

● Don't go into analysis paralysis. Just find a good laptop and buy it!
● Amd gives better value for price compared to intel
● See the upgradability options. See if you can add RAM and SSD (now or later) to match
the specs you need.
● Build a pc if you are super low on budget(<25k) and don't need portability.
● Metallic body is better as wear and tear is slow
● 75k will mostly be enough
● Avoid buying online if you have a better offline option available from the local market
● Choose a brand with good serviceability
● Never buy refurbished product
Some Laptop Recommendations:

Disclaimer:​ These recommendations are based on my research and programming experience. All
product links mentioned in this pdf are non - affiliate links (i.e. I don't generate any revenue from these
links). Please conduct some personal research from your end before making a purchase!

1. Lenovo 2NIN Ideapad S145 [₹24,799]

● 8 Gigabytes of ram under 25 thousand rupees
● Dedicated m.2 slot for later storage upgradation

2. Lenovo Ideapad S145 Ryzen 3 Dual Core [₹28,990​]

● Ryzen 3 3200u at this cost is unbeatable 
● Battery backup is quite good (4 to 5 hrs, depends upon use),  
● It has m.2 nvme ssd port extra

3. Asus VivoBook 14 X412FA-EK362T [₹38,990​]

● Amazing CPU, SSD and Upgradable Ram 
● Average speaker. Bluetooth speaker works like charm, due to latest Bluetooth 
adaptor 
● Battery backup is around 5-6 hours, don't expect 10. 
● Screen is good but not the best 
 

4. Asus VivoBook 14 X412DA-EK501T [₹44,550]

● Base speed of ryzen processors is better!
● Storage : 512 GB SSD + 2.5 SATA expansion slot for 1 TB. I was not sure of a
slot in HP eq0024au, so I chose this.
● RAM : 8 GB as 4 GB soldered + 4 GB replaceable with 8 GB, so maximum you
can get is approx 10 GB out of 12 GB coz of Vega 8.
● In other options, either the RAM was non upgradable or 8 GB replaceable by 16
GB
● Build quality : Good quality plastic body; although the hinge creaks sometimes I
believe they are fixed tightly and are not so
● Keyboard : No other brand in the same price range gives a backlit keyboard.
 

5. HP Pavilion Gaming 15-ec0101AX [₹54,990]

● Has an amazing 1650 GPU at this price
● 2 Ram Slots
● The AMD Ryzen 5-3550H processor is amazing!
6. MacBook Air MVH22HN/A [₹1,22,990]
● Recommended only if your budget is ​high!
● You can buy if you are already in the apple ecosystem

7. Apple MacBook Pro Core i9 9th Gen [₹2,24,900]

● Recommended only if your budget is ​high!