Some people may ask friends and family for advice when it comes to buying a new laptop. If you don't know any computer savvy people, what can you do to get great advice? This article has been written by those who know all about buying a laptop, so you can read it and enjoy the tips within!

If you're considering buying a laptop, remember that most laptops can't be used for gaming. Most low to mid ranged laptops lack separate graphics cards, instead relying on ones integrated into the CPU. While this works for most basic users, it's not powerful enough to play most games. So if you want one you can play a modern game on, you have to remember to find out if it has a regular graphics card or not.

If you typically only search the web, check email and handle small word processing tasks with your computer, consider purchasing a Netbook. These units are inexpensive and light to carry, but they are also limited in how they function. For the moderate user though, they offer a budget friendly option that is easy to travel with and gets the job done.

When you're planning your laptop budget, be sure to consider accessories that you may want. Items such as a wireless mouse or a carrying case can increase the price of your purchase. Look online to get an estimate of the price of each and build it into your budget one by one.

The CPU is important when choosing a new laptop. The less expensive laptops have CPU's that will struggle when working with productivity and media intensive tasks. They are more than adequate for simple web surfing though. If you are a gamer or use large programing files, then buy a laptop with a powerful CPU.

Be sure to get a case for your new laptop. The fact is that dropping it, having someone bump into it or watching helplessly as someone's coffee spills all over it will all break your heart. If you protect your laptop, it will last longer, so the investment in a case is worth it.

If you are a student, you may be able to use financial aid to buy your computer. Talk to an administrator at your school or a counselor about whether or not they have any programs which help students get laptops. While you may end up with a used model, the price will be right!

If you want to play video games on your new laptop, you'll have to buy one with a top of the line video card. The amount of memory on the card is key as the more memory is available, the faster the game will play, allowing you to quickly move without lagging.

Compare multiple brands of laptops. You may here that a certain brand is the best of the bunch, but until you test it yourself, you may not know if it's the best fit for you. Shopping for a laptop is like shopping for anything else. You need to test out multiple options.

Buying a factory refurbished computer can save you some money when you are shopping for a laptop computer. A company or store will take a used laptop and restore it to factory settings and update the electronics with the latest drives and components. Make sure to check out what kind of warranty is offered.

Understand what your hardware needs will be. If you are a gamer, sound and video cards will be important to you. This will also mean a faster processor and more RAM. If you are a more casual user, avoid the latest, greatest sound and video hardware. However, if you are watching movies regularly, they become a consideration again.

Find out which ports are available on each laptop before buying one. If you wish to plug in an MP3 player, a cell phone, a printer, and everything like that, then you'll need a lot of USB ports. Know how many ports you will need before you settle on a laptop choice.

Every time a new model of laptop is released, an older model will be reduced in price to clear the stock. If you are budget conscious the next time you need a new laptop, look for the previous model instead of the newest. There may not be a lot of difference except in the price.

Computers often go on sale around the holidays. If you can wait, buy your laptop on Black Friday. Look at all the sales ads and check prices online. You may be able to get a better quality computer at a lower price. Remember, these are usually one-day deals that must be purchased at a specific time of day.

Do you have wifi at home? If not, remember that your laptop will need an Ethernet port to connect to your modem or router. If you can't find a laptop you like which doesn't rely on wifi, instead purchase a new wifi router and use that to set up your home for wireless connections.

Try to purchase a laptop with a metal case, instead of purchasing one with a plastic case. Metal is more durable, and it will last you for a longer time period than plastic. This means your laptop is less likely to break or need to be replaced for some time into the future.

Solid State Drives, or SSDs, used to be a high-end option and not found on most laptops. Prices have came down, though, and they offer real benefits for laptop users. In addition to being faster and more efficient than traditional hard drives, boosting performance, SSDs also use less power, saving valuable battery life.

With each tip you've read today, your knowledge about buying a laptop has gotten a little bigger. As you go out and shop, you will find these tips easily play into making your process simple and straightforward. If you start to use them, your laptop will be in your hands in no time.