21 October 2018

Advice for buying a laptop or computer (Updated for 2025)

Razer.com


Processor


Intel i3, i5, i7, i9, or Core Ultra
Do not get Celeron or Pentium
Check the performance on www.passmark.com. Highest rating is ~176,000 which is a Xeon.
In 2025 you'll want a minimum of 10,000.

RAM

4GB RAM minimum for Windows 11

Other specs

  • SSD is 10x faster than HDD. Also consider NVMe rather than SCSI
  • WiFi 7 is the latest
  • Bluetooth 6.1 is the latest
  • Storage: Windows needs at least 50GB to upgrade on its own. Some games can be 200GB. Office takes 10GB.

Manufacturer

Dell, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Asus, Acer, in that order
For gaming laptops: Razer, Alienware, Zoostorm (eBuyer / Novatech)

Resellers

Amazon, eBuyer, Overclockers, John Lewis, Currys/PC World