For a full look at what’s in your laptop, see our guide Choose the right laptop. Your budget is the most important factor because it determines the expectations of the equipment you purchase. But you should consider display size, chassis thickness, CPU, memory, storage and port selection. When you consider a laptop ranging from $200 to $800, the proper specifications may vary greatly, but I don’t recommend crossing some hardwire.
For example, do not buy a laptop if you don’t have a display resolution of at least 1920 x 1080. In 2025, there are no excuses. You should never buy a laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, either. Even in Chromebooks, these specifications have become the new standard. You can sell yourself by having less stuff. Another rule is to avoid Windows laptops using Intel Celeron processors and use them only for Chromebooks.
The specification is only half the battle. According to our years of testing, laptop manufacturers tend to compromise on display quality and touchpad quality. You can’t tell from photos or specifications listed online, but once you have your laptop in your hands, you may notice that the screen’s color looks a bit off or the touchpad will feel uncomfortable. It’s nearly impossible to find a laptop under $500 that is uncompromising in these areas, but this is where our reviewers and testers can help.
