It is not always easy to figure out what you want when you are shopping for a laptop. You may not be familiar with many of the new technology’s features. You aren’t the only one who wonders what to look for. Fortunately, there is a lot of good information to be had, and you can find a chunk of good information in the tips that follow.

If you only play games casually, you don’t need a gaming computer. Most regular laptops have graphics that will work just fine with most video games. That extra expense you are paying to get a “gaming machine” is more than likely well over what you really need. Instead, you need to think about saving the money.

Find out if you’re able to upgrade the hard drive and RAM on a laptop before you buy it. You can save on your initial purchase by economizing on these features, but somewhere down the line you may want to improve your computer’s performance. It’ll be much cheaper to upgrade your old machine than to buy a new one. Think about this prior to making your final purchase decision.

When thinking about what to spend on a laptop, make sure that you include all the different accessories that you might want. A case, backpack or wireless mouse can all end up pushing the price way up. Do an online search to get a price-range, and budget for each item accordingly.

If you will be lugging your laptop to and from work, school, the office, and/or home, you want to be careful how you are carrying it. Make sure to have a sturdy carrying case to keep it protected. If it bangs around too much it can get damaged.

Protection Plan

A laptop computer which you’re going to need to carry around is going to get into more accidents than a desktop would, so you may want to get yourself a protection plan. A protection plan can save you big money if you should drop or other wise damage your computer. You should know the coverage details before buying.

If you can’t afford the laptop you want, you could get a refurbished one. Refurbished laptops are less expensive and often come with the same warranty as a new model. Most refurbished models work perfectly fine.

Consider getting an extended warranty on your laptop. It isn’t cheap to repair or replace a laptop. You can avoid this by spending a few dollars now to save yourself time, money and a headache later.

Always know how much memory is available on your laptop. This helps you remember to remove programs you aren’t using in order to free up space. The more memory you have available to you, the faster your laptop is able to run.

Many of the newer laptops are not coming with DVD/Blu-ray drives. This is happening because many people prefer to stream media from websites like Netflix. If you plan on ripping discs or watching DVDs in your laptop, make sure it comes with a Blu-Ray/DVD drive.

Start Menu

To make it easier to find your usual programs, there is a pin feature that lets you attach them to your Start menu. Once you’ve found the shortcut, you can right click and select “Pin to Start.” Once you do this, you’ll have a Start menu icon for each program you want instead of having to look for them in “All Programs”.

To optimize the power usage of your laptop, adjust its settings. On Windows laptops, the Control Panel has a “Power Options” interface that lets you adjust the electricity usage. Change your display brightness, how long you laptop stays on when you are inactive and tweak other things to get the most from your laptop’s battery.

Think about when a new model will be released prior to making a purchase. There are a couple reasons to buy new laptop models. The first one is that older models will drop sharply in price to save you money. However, the new model may have features that better suit your needs.

Get a laptop that has a webcam in it. Technology uses face to face communication now. FaceTime and Skype are two examples. This is especially beneficial if you have relatives who do not live near you. Your webcam will really come in handy.

Always allow your laptop to reach room temperature before booting it up. Sudden temperature changes can cause condensation within the laptop. If you turn it on too quickly, the moisture can damage the inner components of your system.

If you are interested in a laptop computer mostly for gaming, you are in luck. Most high-end laptop makers offer gaming versions that make it simple to get what you need. If you want a laptop for productivity instead, you will likely require a different set of features.

Look in the Sunday ads for a laptop. There are lots of different ads on Sundays. There may be some great deals to be had.

If you have to send your laptop through the mail, or with a shipping company, protect it well and put it in the right shipping package. Many parcel mailing places have boxes and padding specifically for shipping laptops. You should buy one of these, even if you plan to ship your laptop by regular mail.

Keep your laptop charging as often as possible. This will help you conserve the battery for when you really need it. Your battery lasts longer if you use the laptop plugged in more often than not.

Know the system specifications you want. If you are interested in playing advanced video games, you will want a powerful processor as well as a video card. If you’re just wanting to search the Internet and type a few things, then you can get a cheaper laptop if you’d like.

A laptop is often a big purchase. With advances in technology, you’ll need to know which features should be taken into consideration. You can only know this by having good information like the tips above. Use them, and you will be happy with your final choice of a laptop for some time to come.