Finding the best HP laptops for your needs can be a serious challenge. Chances are that it will be your go-to device for work, play, and maybe even school if you’re a student. Yet you face so many choices for display, processors, memory, storage, battery life, and loads of other options. You’ll want to do your research to find the best laptop to buy for both your lifestyle and your budget.
How do choose a laptop? Start with this laptop buying guide to explore the best laptops from HP that click with your habits and budget.
What to Look for in a Hp Laptop
Before we get down to business, you’ll want to have a sense of what you’re looking for when you ask yourself “What’s the best laptop for me?” Do you need something lighter you can easily carry around with you? Or do you want a larger model with additional screen real estate that also offers more flexibility than your office desktop? Will you be running multiple power-hungry programs at once?
Here’s what to consider when buying a new Hp Laptops:
Form factor
It’s probably a good idea to first decide what the form factor of your laptop will be. They include:
Traditional Clamshell:
This is the standard configuration of laptops, with the keyboard and display at 90-degree angles.
2-in-1:
These may also be called “hybrid” laptops. These models are detachable to use as a tablet.
360-degree Convertible:
These laptops bend backward via adjustable 360-degree-rotating hinges that protect the display and keyboard, offering four convenient modes that include:
Laptop:
Angled display and flat keyboard, ideal for traditional usage such as typing, creating, playing, gaming, browsing, and more.
Tablet:
The display folds back against the back of the keyboard, offering touch screen functionality for reading, watching movies, note-taking, creating, drawing, and more.
Tent:
The screen is rotated and optimized for touch screen use, while the keyboard is hidden.
Stand:
The keyboard is flipped back as a stand for hands-free usage and presentations.
Mobile Workstation:
These laptops typically feature powerful processors and graphics, a generous amount of memory and storage, brilliant displays, and many ports. They are perfect for creative professionals who require high-performance processing power for visuals and number-crunching.
Screen size/Display
If you’re concerned with portability, aim for a laptop that’s between 12 and 14 inches. Anything smaller, like a tablet, won’t be as effective as an all-around computing tool. At the larger end of the spectrum, 15-inch to 17-inch laptops, you begin to lose some portability, though this range makes sense if you use your laptop as a desktop PC replacement, especially if you don’t bring it with you everywhere you go.
You’ll be looking at your laptop for hours at a time, which means you want to make sure you’re getting something you can comfortably view whether you’re watching a show, playing games, or hammering out your latest work or school assignment.
You’ll also want to consider the resolution of your screen. For example, a low-res screen means it’ll be harder to read text or watch videos. A 1080p screen (or FHD) is ideal for most people, while a 4K monitor (or 2160p) is better for photo and video editing.
Operating System
Windows is a familiar option that you’ll find on most HP computers in our lineup. Equipped with the latest version, Windows 10 laptops offer a range of tools like Cortana, the return of the start menu, and Microsoft Edge, which replaces Internet Explorer.
Chrome OS is Google’s operating system, which you’ll find in HP Chromebooks. This OS is much simpler than Windows and you will use the Google Play store to add applications to your OS. It’s ideal for people who don’t need much computing power and want to keep things simple. Bear in mind, though, that you’re limited to the Chrome browser and the Android and Google Play stores.
CPU/Processor
The central processing unit (CPU), or processor, is essentially the brains of the whole operation and controls all of the calculations your computer needs to do in order to carry out its functions. Processor quality plays a role in performance, but what you’ll need depends on your usage.
CPUs with more cores are more powerful and efficient than those with fewer cores. They range from dual-core processors (2 cores) to octa-core processors (8 cores). Both AMD® and Intel offer a host of choices when it comes to CPUs in laptops.
An Intel® Core i5, for example, will work for most users, while an i7 processor brings more power to the table and is best for people using high-demand programs or playing a lot of computer games. AMD Ryzen mobile CPUs are on par with the i5s and i7s.
To learn more about CPUs and how many cores you need, read our HP Tech Takes article on the subject here.
GPU/Graphics card
The graphics processing unit (GPU), which is also called the video card or graphics card, speeds the processing and rendering of images, graphics, and video. Just as critical as the CPU for many performance requirements in laptops, the GPU helps the CPU perform other tasks.
There are two kinds of GPUs, integrated GPU (or embedded GPU), which shares memory with the CPU, and discrete GPU, which has its own distinct memory. Integrated graphics are more common in smaller form factor systems like laptops, but you’ll also find them in desktop PCs for those who don’t need to run high-performing visual applications.
Both AMD and NVIDIA offer high-quality, top-performing graphics cards, some of which you’ll find are included in the laptops of this very guide. You can read more about graphics cards in our HP Tech Takes article here.
Memory
To run basic programs on your laptop, you’ll want to have at least 4GB of memory (or RAM). Ideally, 8GB is the sweet spot for memory requirements on your laptop and will let you easily and efficiently download, browse, and run programs. And if you’re a power user or gamer, 16GB and above will more than meet your needs.
Storage
Like the CPU, GPU, and RAM, the amount of storage on your laptop will either hinder or help its performance. Solid-state drives (SSD) are ideal in laptops since they use flash-based memory, which is faster than mechanical drives, plus they’re lighter and therefore better able to withstand jarring movements or accidental drops. And SSDs using the PCIe NVME standard are faster than traditional SATA drives.
Look for at least 256GB of PCIe NVME SSD. And if you’re looking for even more storage capabilities, and can afford to, increase that amount to 512GB and you’ll be set for a while.
Battery Life
If you’ll be traveling with your laptop, consider its battery life. This is an especially important feature if you’ll be in areas that don’t have the best internet connectivity options or if you lack easy access to recharging outlets.
Laptops with decent battery life offer at least 8 hours of charge to get you through the day. Those with 12 hours or more are even better.
Conclusion
LaptopsReviewes encourage you to look around to find what makes sense for you. Just factor in things like how often you’re commuting with your computer to how much memory and power you’ll need. We also offer weekly PC deals, so be sure to check out all of our laptops on sale. You never know, maybe the computer of your dreams is now at the right price, too.
