What To Look For When Buying A Laptop

With so many fantastic laptops in the Samsung Galaxy Book series, how do you decide which to choose? We explore what to look for when buying a laptop, the latest laptop features to look out for and our top tips for making sure you pick the best laptop for you.

What should I check before buying a laptop?

Buying a laptop can be a significant investment and one that you want to get right. With so many great laptops available it can be daunting just knowing where to begin. Laptop specs vary greatly; whether it’s the CPU (that’s the brain of a laptop), the RAM (memory) or graphics cards (screen), it's no wonder so many of us don’t know which way to turn. We’re here to help. Check out these top tips for what to look for when buying a laptop.

Tips for buying a laptop:

1. Set a budget

Laptops can vary from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds so it’s a good idea to set your budget from the outset. This will help reduce the number of laptops to choose from and hopefully make your decision easier.

2. Choose a laptop screen size for your needs

When it comes to size it’s important to balance portability and usability. If you plan to mainly use your laptop on a desk at home, a large screen (14+ inches) is a great choice. If your laptop will be travelling with you, you may prefer a smaller, lighter laptop.

3. Do you need a 2-in-1 laptop?

2-in-1 laptop: A 2-in-1 laptop offers exceptional flexibility thanks to the 360 degree rotating keyboard. These laptops function both as a traditional laptop and a tablet.

Learn more about our latest Samsung laptop range, the Galaxy Book6, with breathtaking AMOLED touchscreen.

4. Choose the right operating system to power your tasks

Galaxy Chromebooks use the Chrome operating system and work in a similar way to a smartphone. They are great for students and those used to working with online applications. Galaxy Books feature the Microsoft Windows OS which provides full functionality for many of the programmes you know and love. If you are a student, you might want to visit our ‘Best Laptop For Students’ guide.

5. Is it fit for purpose?

Consider how you plan to use your laptop. Laptops are highly versatile but if streaming and gaming are more of your thing, you’ll want to focus on a laptop with a top-quality graphics card. If your passion is creative production, software development, or anything in between, a laptop with a super-powered CPU, like Galaxy Book6 Pro, is a great choice for juggling jobs.

6. Think about how much processing power you need

Your laptop's processor will have a big impact on its performance so it’s worth considering how you intend to use your laptop and therefore how much processing power you might need. You can find out more about processor speeds below.

7. Look for a laptop with a graphic card for gaming

If you are planning to use your laptop to play graphic intensive games, or to watch the latest entertainment series, opting for a laptop with a high-quality graphics card is important.

8. Consider laptops which connect with your devices

Innovative laptops like those found in the Galaxy Book series are fully integrated with other Samsung devices allowing you to effortlessly switch between them and pick up right where you left off.

Top laptop features

When it comes to premium laptop innovation, the Galaxy Book6 Series takes things to the next level. Built for the future of work, creativity, and entertainment, the latest Samsung laptops combine next-generation AI-powered performance with lightweight designs and immersive visuals. Whether you’re studying, creating, or multitasking, the Galaxy Book6 range delivers an incredible all-round experience.

Here are some of the standout features you'll find across the Galaxy Book6 Series:

• Improved Dynamic AMOLED 2X touchscreen displays for true-to-life, professional-grade hues and awe-inspiring clarity
• New Haptic touchpad for extra-precise control with customisable feedback and smarter palm rejection
• Latest Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3 processors with exceptional on-device AI performance
• Microsoft Copilot+ PC features like Co-create¹, Windows Studio Effects and Live Captions boost productivity
• Powerful Galaxy AI tools like AI Select and Intelligent Search support workflow
• Seamless Galaxy Ecosystem integration across your Galaxy devices, including your smartphone², Galaxy Buds³, and Galaxy Tab⁴
• Latest Wi-Fi 7 technology for faster, more stable performance⁵
• Long-lasting battery life and fast charging⁶
• Refreshed aluminium design, two-toned keyboard with Dolby Atmos

To explore the full range, check out our guide: ‘Samsung Laptop Series Explained: What is the best Galaxy Book for you?’.

¹Microsoft account and internet connection required.
²Galaxy smartphone with One UI 1.0 or above required. Requires the same Microsoft account.
³Compatible with Galaxy Buds series released after 2020.
⁴Compatible with Galaxy Tab S7 series, Tab S8 series, Tab S9 series, Tab S10, Tab S11 series and Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro.
⁵Wi-Fi 7-compatible router required, sold separately.
⁶Based on local 1080p movie playback, brightness, 150 nits and airplane mode on.

¹Microsoft account and internet connection required.
²Galaxy smartphone with One UI 1.0 or above required. Requires the same Microsoft account.
³Compatible with Galaxy Buds series released after 2020.
⁴Compatible with Galaxy Tab S7 series, Tab S8 series, Tab S9 series, Tab S10, Tab S11 series and Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro.
⁵Wi-Fi 7-compatible router required, sold separately.
⁶Based on local 1080p movie playback, brightness, 150 nits and airplane mode on.

What is a good processor speed?

A processor, also known as the CPU, is the brain of a laptop. It is responsible for making the programmes work, opening files and moving the mouse on the screen. There are 3 key elements that form a computer processor:

1. Clock Speed: determines how fast the processor runs (GHz). The higher the clock speed the faster the laptop.
2. Cores: multiple cores enable a laptop to handle many different tasks (known as threads) at the same time.
3. Memory Cache: responsible for temporarily storing data to enable fast data access."

So, what is a good processor speed for a laptop? In short, it will depend on what your requirements are. If you are planning to use your laptop for vast amounts of heavy gaming and demanding work, you’ll benefit from processors that have speeds of 4.0 GHz or higher. Samsung Galaxy laptops such as the Galaxy Book4 Pro and Galaxy Book4 Ultra have processing speeds in excess of 4 GHz. If you’re planning to use your laptop for more basic tasks such as light office work, speeds closer to 2 GHz should be sufficient. The Intel® Core™ processors found in Samsung Galaxy laptops have adaptive technology which alters the speed to match the programme requirements. This is ideal for optimised power consumption and maintaining battery life because it will only use the processing power when needed.

What are the best laptop processors?

Choosing the right processor is one of the most important steps when buying a new laptop. Every model in the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Series is powered by industry-leading Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, giving you the perfect balance of speed, intelligence, and efficiency. These new chips are built to handle everything from day-to-day multitasking to advanced creative workflows — all while maximising battery life.

Take performance to new heights with latest Intel® Core™ Ultra (Series 3) processors across the Galaxy Book6 lineup, featuring powerful graphics and intelligent NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS, delivering exceptional on-device AI performance.

Galaxy Book6 Ultra is purpose built for power-dependent pro creatives, developers, and gamers. The latest Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3 processor with 50 TOPS of NPU power delivers exceptional on-device AI performance, letting you gallop through video generation at full speed.

To make sure AI-powered tasks can run at full pace, the Intel® Arc™ GPU and integrated NPU deliver up to 50 TOPs.

Do more with the Galaxy Book6 series, the all-rounder AI-PC with plenty of power to go round to make multitasking a breeze.

Which Intel® Core™ processor is best for a laptop?

The latest Galaxy Book series takes performance to new heights. The latest Intel® Core™ Ultra Series 3 processor with 50 TOPS of NPU power delivers exceptional on-device AI performance, letting you gallop through video generation at full speed. The Galaxy Book6 Pro and Galaxy Book6 are all fully equipped to keep up, so you can jump between projects and programmes without slowing down. Run AI-powered tasks at full pace with the Intel® Arc™ GPU and integrated NPU, delivering up to 50 TOPs.

*CPU specifications vary depending on model, country, or region.

What is Samsung Quick Share?

Quick Share is a file-sharing feature found across the Galaxy Book range. It allows you to easily share photos, videos, PDFs, and other documents without the need for a cable or internet connection. In fact, you can simultaneously share your images and files, in their original quality, with up to 5 of your friends at the same time. You don’t even need to pair devices.

Quick Share allows you to share any file, image, video or document from your Galaxy Book. It is faster than Bluetooth and doesn’t require you to pair devices together beforehand, as well as offering a secure way to transfer files. If your recipient doesn’t have an Android device there’s also the option of sharing files via a unique Quick Share link which allows them to access, download and save the files.

You can find out more about using Quick Share on your Galaxy Book here.

What mobile applications are Samsung laptops compatible with?

Alternatively, you can use Phone Link to keep track of all your smartphone alerts and notifications right from your Galaxy Book — including text messages, calendar alerts and social media engagements. This means you don’t have to divert your attention back and forth. You can manage these alerts and notifications so that once they disappear off your Galaxy Book screen, they’re cleared from your smartphone as well. And if you have mobile apps you use throughout the day that you want to view on your laptop, Phone Link also lets your phone cast to your Galaxy Book, where you can interact with apps using your trackpad.