The Best Laptops Buying Guide

The most important expectation from a laptop is the ability to run desired programs smoothly.

Laptops with better processing performance offer faster work speeds, can run multiple programs simultaneously without lag, and can handle high-end gaming or video editing with ease.

However, just as you “don’t use a cannon to kill a fly,” there’s no need to buy a high-performance laptop for basic document editing, web browsing, or video watching. This would be “overspec” – not fully utilizing the laptop’s capabilities.

Especially with laptops, as performance increases, prices rise dramatically. Therefore, it’s more economical to choose a performance level that matches your needs. A laptop’s processing performance is determined by the CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and storage device (secondary memory).

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1. Laptop CPU Fundamentals

Four Key Specs Determining CPU Performance
Cores/Threads/Clock Speed/Cache Memory

The most crucial component for processing performance.
Initial selection is important as upgrades are difficult.

CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, acting as the “brain” of the laptop. Just as the human brain commands various body parts to move, the CPU processes all necessary calculations from the center of the laptop, instructing each component to function. It’s the core component that determines the overall performance of a laptop.

CPU performance can be assessed by its detailed specs: cores, threads, clock speed, and cache memory. Generally, higher numbers or counts for each element indicate better performance.

Cores represent the number of tasks that can be processed simultaneously.
4-6 cores are mid-range, 8-10 cores are high-end.

Cores are the key components in a CPU responsible for computation, represented by the number of core units. Since one core can only handle one task at a time, having two cores means being able to process two tasks simultaneously, potentially speeding up performance when multitasking.

They’re labeled as single-core, dual-core (2), quad-core (4), hexa-core (6), octa-core (8), etc. For laptops, 4-6 cores are considered mid-range, while 8-10 cores are high-end CPUs.

‘Number of threads = Number of cores x 2’ is typical

A thread is a unit of work that a core processes, not a physical component but a work unit. Having one thread is like doing a task with one hand, while two threads are like working quickly with both hands.

Most recently released CPUs have 2 threads per core, though some cheaper CPUs in the same core class may only have 1.

Higher clock speed means faster performance, but comparison is only meaningful when cores and threads are the same

Clock speed is the number of cycles a CPU executes per second, essentially the speed at which the core works. It’s measured in GHz, and laptop CPUs typically range from 1GHz to 4GHz, with higher clock speeds indicating faster performance.

However, this comparison is only meaningful when other factors like cores, threads, and cache memory are the same. Different core or thread counts can’t be compared by clock speed alone.

For equivalent cores and threads, 1.5-2.5GHz is mid-range, while over 3GHz is considered high-end. Note that clock speed effectiveness also depends on CPU design efficiency, so newer CPUs tend to be faster even at similar clock speeds.

Cache memory is temporary storage for quick processing

Cache memory is temporary data storage within the CPU, one of the components that make up the CPU along with cores. The CPU primarily retrieves data stored in the main memory (RAM) for processing and displays the results on output devices like monitors.

To prevent performance degradation due to RAM not being able to provide data as quickly as the CPU can process it, frequently used data is temporarily stored in cache memory inside the CPU. While smaller in capacity, cache memory is much faster than RAM.

However, cache memory is very expensive per unit of storage, so CPUs typically have only 2MB to 24MB. As cache memory performance depends not only on capacity but also on brand and generation-specific implementation techniques, performance estimations based on cache memory are only valid within the same brand and generation.

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2. How to Choose a CPU

For general/office use: Core i3, i5 / Ryzen 3, 5
For gaming/graphics: Core i5, i7 / Ryzen 5, 7

Now that you understand CPU performance indicators, it’s time to choose a product. Keep in mind that laptops are typically used for 3-5 years or more. While RAM and storage can often be upgraded later if needed, CPU upgrades are usually not possible, so initial selection requires careful consideration.

Performance differences between manufacturers are not significant; AMD offers better value for money

Each manufacturer combines the four elements that determine CPU performance to create their lineup of CPU grades.

Excluding Apple’s MacBook series, most laptops on the market are equipped with CPUs from either Intel or AMD.

It’s generally agreed that there isn’t a significant performance difference between equivalent CPUs from these manufacturers. Traditionally, Intel has been more preferred, while AMD is known for offering better value for money.

One of the most expensive components with large price differences between grades; choose according to your needs, not overspec

–	Grade	Primary Purpose	Price
Entry-Ievel	Core i3 Ryzen 3	Web Browsing Document Work Low-spec Gaming	$300 ~ $400
Mid-range	Core i5 Ryzen 5	FHD Video Editing Mid-range Gaming	$400 ~ $500
High-end	Core i7 Ryzen 7	4K Video Editing High-end Gaming	$500 ~ $1100
Flagship	Core i9 Ryzen 9	High-end Gaming at Max Settings High-end Graphic Design Live Streaming	$1100↑

Intel and AMD’s flagship brands are the ‘Core i’ series and ‘Ryzen’ series respectively. These are the brands you’ll likely choose when buying a laptop with decent performance.

Both brands commonly categorize their CPUs into four grades: 3, 5, 7, and 9, with higher numbers indicating higher-end lineups. These grade numbers are marketing distinctions made by each manufacturer and don’t necessarily reflect exact performance differences. Generally, i3 and Ryzen 3 are grouped as entry-level, i5 and Ryzen 5 as mid-range, i7 and Ryzen 7 as high-performance, and i9 and Ryzen 9 as high-end CPUs.

Based on usage:

1) For smooth web browsing, office work, and low-spec gaming: i3 / Ryzen 3
2) For hobby-level video editing and most games: i5 / Ryzen 5
3) For high-option, high-spec gaming or graphics editing: i7 / Ryzen 7
4) For professional-level, top-spec work and personal broadcasting: i9 / Ryzen 9

While choosing too low a grade isn’t good, selecting a grade higher than necessary often results in underutilization. The CPU is one of the most expensive components in a laptop, and there are significant price differences between grades, so it’s best to choose according to your needs.

Within the same grade, it’s recommended to choose the latest generation

CPUs are further divided into generations within each grade, based on release time and manufacturing process, similar to how cars are distinguished by year models (e.g., 2022 model, 2023 model).

As of 2023, the Core i series is in its 13th generation, while Ryzen is in its 5th generation. Even within the same grade, higher generations offer better performance. Since price differences between generations are generally not significant, it’s advantageous to choose the latest generation when possible.

Intel Core i CPU Number Meaning

As manufacturers compete with their flagship CPUs, the model naming conventions (CPU numbers) are quite similar. Generally, CPU numbers provide four pieces of information: brand grade, generation, detailed performance indicators, and product features.

The detailed performance indicator distinguishes the performance of each product within the same brand/grade/generation, with higher numbers indicating better performance. Product features denote unique characteristics like integrated graphics, overclocking capability, etc. For laptops, the most common feature you’ll see is ‘U’, which indicates a low-power mobile CPU with relatively lower performance.

AMD Ryzen CPU Number Meaning (Up to 6th Generation)

AMD Ryzen series CPU numbers also indicate four elements similar to Intel: brand grade, generation, performance indicators, and an additional performance class information. 1-3 indicates standard performance, 4-6 high performance, and 7-8 top performance. Generally, 1-3 corresponds to Ryzen 3, 4-6 to Ryzen 5, and 7-8 to Ryzen 7/9 products.

AMD Ryzen CPU Number Meaning (From 2023)

Looking at the generations of AMD Ryzen series CPU numbers, you can see that 3rd/4th generations are mixed, making generation distinctions unclear. To eliminate this confusion, AMD changed its CPU numbering system from 2023.

Consider Intel N Line, AMD Athlon for Web Browsing or Online Lectures

While Core i and Ryzen are the flagship CPU lineups for each manufacturer, many mid-to-low-priced laptops under $400 include Intel’s N line or AMD’s Athlon. (Intel’s budget CPU lines, Celeron and Pentium, were discontinued in 2022 and replaced by the Intel N line.)

There’s a clear performance difference compared to Core i or Ryzen, but they’re sufficient for simple document work, web browsing, or watching video lectures. If you’re looking for an affordable laptop for basic uses, these can still be valid options.

Benchmark Scores for Easy Numerical Comparison of Overall CPU Performance

Choosing a CPU based on performance indicators like cores, threads, brand name/grade/generation is usually sufficient. However, with various detailed lineups and performance differences between manufacturers/generations, some people want to compare how superior one CPU is to another.

For example,
“How much difference is there between 11th gen Intel Core i5 and 4th gen Ryzen 5?”
“How much difference is there between Intel Core i3 and i5?”
“How much difference is there between 3rd gen and 4th gen Ryzen 5?”

In these cases, you can compare CPUs relatively by checking the benchmark scores of each product. Benchmark scores quantify CPU performance through a series of tests and simulations. While not entirely accurate, they’re widely used for relative comparisons between CPUs.

Testing tools vary, measuring overall computational ability, specific items like 3D game graphics, or performance through games. ‘Geekbench’ and ‘Passmark’ are among the most commonly used tools for overall performance and intuitive relative comparison between CPUs.

nosearch utilizes these tools to provide scores for CPUs installed in various laptops, so you can conveniently check the CPU score of the laptop you’re considering purchasing.

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3. RAM (Random Access Memory)

Recommend at least 8GB
16GB or more for heavy multitasking

Another key component that increases processing speed

RAM stands for Random Access Memory and serves as the “main memory” where the CPU stores all data being processed.

To understand RAM’s role, let’s first look at the term “Memory”. Generally, a computer’s work process involves:

1) The CPU retrieving data stored in the “memory” for processing
2) Displaying the results on output devices like monitors

Because the data provision speed of memory is much slower compared to the CPU’s processing speed, performance degradation occurs.

To mitigate this bottleneck caused by speed differences, other faster memories are placed as intermediate stages between the slowest memory (HDD, SSD) and the CPU. These store frequently used data temporarily, forming what’s called a “memory hierarchy”.

The intermediate stage connecting CPU and storage devices

–	Access speed	Processing speed	CPU comparison
CPU	0.4ns	1 second
Cache Memory (L3)	28ns	1 minute	about 60 times slower
RAM	~100ns	4 minutes	about 250 times slower
SSD	~25μs	17 hours	about 60,000 times slower
HDD	1~10ms	1-9 months	about 2.5 million times slower

The cache memory included in the CPU, as explained earlier, is also part of this memory hierarchy. RAM, while slower than cache memory, has a larger capacity. It receives data from SSDs or HDDs, temporarily stores it, and acts as the main memory by transferring data to the CPU when needed, hence it’s called the main memory.

SSDs and HDDs, which are the slowest but have the largest capacity and only store data, are called secondary memory or storage devices. To understand easily, you can think of secondary memory (HDD, SSD) as a bank, RAM as an easily accessible ATM near your home, and cache memory as the wallet you carry around.

For reference, comparing the speed of each memory hierarchy to the CPU: HDD storage is about 2.5 million times slower than the CPU, SSD is about 60,000 times slower, RAM is much faster than these but still about 250 times slower, and even cache memory (L3) is about 60 times slower.

The component most noticeably affected by insufficient capacity

Unlike CPUs which prioritize speed, RAM’s capacity is most important as it primarily provides storage space. If there isn’t enough capacity to store the data the CPU needs in advance, it frequently has to retrieve data from the slowest storage device, slowing down overall speed.

Therefore, RAM is the component most noticeably affected when capacity is insufficient, and it’s one of the components that most significantly impacts a laptop’s multitasking performance when doing various tasks. However, excessive capacity beyond what’s needed will just remain unused, so it’s best to choose an amount that matches your needs and work level.

For general/office use, minimum 8GB recommended
for high-end gaming and graphics, at least 16GB recommended

The boot process alone consumes about 1GB of RAM, and a similar amount is allocated to integrated graphics commonly used in laptops.

Therefore, it’s best to avoid RAM below 4GB. For multitasking with multiple browser windows or working on several Excel files simultaneously, 8GB is recommended. For high-quality video viewing, gaming, video editing, or streaming, 16GB to 32GB is recommended. RAM above 64GB is likely excessive unless for specific purposes.

As of January 2023, considering the price difference between 8GB and 16GB RAM in the same laptop model is around $50-$100, opting for a generous 16GB might be a good choice for future-proofing. Additionally, the currently widely used Windows operating system actively utilizes excess RAM capacity for disk cache, so 16GB might provide better perceived performance.

Often, when people feel their computer has slowed down, increasing RAM capacity can lead to noticeable improvements, such as faster text input response and fewer sudden freezes.

Clock speed (bandwidth) is the next important factor after capacity; 2666 (21300) or higher recommended

RAM type	Operating clock(MHz)	Bandwidth
DDR4-2666	2666	21300
DDR4-2933	2933	23400
DDR4-3200	3200	25600
DDR5-4800	4800	38400
DDR5-5600	5600	44800
LPDDR5x-6400	6400	51200
LPDDR5x-7467	7467	59736

Another important performance indicator for RAM is the operating clock speed (bandwidth). While capacity refers to the amount of available space, clock speed directly affects speed. Operating clock, like CPU clock, refers to the RAM’s operating speed, usually expressed in MHz.

Sometimes it’s expressed as bandwidth, which measures the amount of data that can be transferred at once in ‘Bytes’. The conversion is ‘operating clock x 8 = bandwidth’. So, a clock of 2666 and a bandwidth of 21300 (=2666×8) are the same spec. Occasionally, numbers might be rounded, but they represent the same value.

It’s best to prioritize larger capacity within the same budget, then choose higher bandwidth if possible.

Dual-channel configuration is advantageous even for the same capacity
i.e., two 8GB sticks are faster than one 16GB stick

Dual-channel configuration means using two smaller capacity memory modules instead of one larger capacity module.

For example, for 16GB memory capacity, you could use one 16GB stick or two 8GB sticks. In this case, if the bandwidth of each RAM is the same, the capacity remains 16GB, but the bandwidth doubles.

While dual-channel configuration doesn’t exactly double performance, it provides significant improvement. This is especially noticeable when using integrated graphics without a separate GPU, as GPUs are sensitive to memory bandwidth.

Currently, most laptops use DDR4
DDR5 is trending for high-end models

One of the first pieces of information you’ll see about RAM is the memory type, such as DDR4 or DDR5. This classification is based on the number of data transfers possible at once. DDR can transfer 2 pieces of data at once, DDR2 can transfer 4, while both DDR3 and DDR4 can transfer 8.

Most recent memory is DDR4, which can transfer the same amount of data (8 pieces) as DDR3 at once, but differs in operating clock speed. Currently, most laptops use DDR4, with DDR5 being introduced in high-end models.

※ LPDDR (Low Power DDR) is a low-heat, low-power version of RAM for mobile devices.