How to Buy a Laptop - Ultimate Guide (2024)

[@DriantX]

I'm 38. Still something in me hurts when I hear "back to school".

[@ARandomUserOfThisWorld]

Real as f***

[@LegionRRTX]

it's most likely your lower back, knee or hip...

[@BlackViperMWG]

Worst are the dreams when you dream about being late to the school..

[@hourparh587]

you should've waited around 10min more before commenting to avoid the risk of being banned

[@nah95]

Where I live, it increases traffic on the roads which means a worse drive to work.

[@JarrodsTech]

3:31 *painful flashback to months of testing* Haha hope people find it useful 😁

[@beqq]

you suffered in the name of finding helpful info and making it way easier for everyone else to access. thank you for your tech service 🫡🙏

[@smcazn]

Thank you for your hard work!

[@naufalap]

Thank you for becoming a mass tester for our sake

[@hyundongcho4328]

ayy jarrod is here!!!

[@hzo42069]

o7

[@johnathanclayton2887]

If you have a big family, something we found was helpful was trying to get laptops with compatible chargers. It doesn't always work, and it's a lower priority, but being compatible is nice for just grabbing any cord around.

[@Yahtzee9820]

To add to that, laptops that support charging over USB C are very convenient. But that might require some research into charging rates, proper wall chargers and USB C cables that support the wattage.

[@CyanRooper]

*Bruce Wayne disliked this comment*

[@marvnch]

USB C or bust

[@vadnegru]

​@@marvnchstill not so universal, especially on under 1000$ laptops. USB-C to DC jack converter costs like 5$.

[@NinjaArmy36]

I don't buy any devices anymore than cannot charge in some capacity with usbc.

[@UnbanMeNowOfficial]

It's refreshing to see a focus on teaching how to shop smart rather than just listing products.

[@oculus9561]

@RandomUser2401 true but this at least gets people thinking and not just listening to the Best Buy employee selling extended warranty

[@RefrigeratedTP]

My mom that knows nothing about laptops came home with a 13" M3 Macbook Air for $850. I should go shake that best buy sales dude's hand.

[@jamess.2491]

Damn that's a steal. Macs actually have had some pretty good sales recently.

[@YashMeshram16]

Lucky😅

[@digitalrebel7718]

Good deal. Ya they also didn’t mention how you can get good deals on Mac laptops during the holidays. I seen this year MacBook Pro’s M4, go for 2,3 and up to 4 hundred dollars off from Best Buy. Good deals last year too.

[@gabrielreisinger8047]

Dang. That mom actually got a good latptop. 👍 Impressive.

[@l.e.6263]

Costco had huge sale in Mar JLY 2024, then remaining stock Cyber Monday. So all M2-M3 sold asap. Then M4 with 8 ram. Need more with AI being released in 2025, unless get 1 T memory = thousands $$ more.

[@werlii]

10:24 Usually, Crucial lists if your laptop is eligible for an SSD or RAM upgrade aswell. They typically give information about that for even the most obscure laptops.

[@J_Tangent]

That’s some Crucial information

[@zerokun2655]

@@J_Tangent take my like and leave

[@jolioding_2253]

This really is very grat information and deserves to be spotlighted in some way

[@kcscustom9759]

Indeed! I just put a 2tb p3 and 16 gb ram in my new laptop and sheesh I couldn’t be happier.

[@techny3000]

Absolutely gotta check if it has an NVMe slot!

[@artemisDev]

SORRY YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME. Literally for the first time in my life I felt the need for a laptop and started doing a bit of research today. I have no words for this timing.

[@RobloxianX]

If you want to know what the fastest gaming laptop right now is, it's the XMG Neo 16 2024. The reviews for it show it being faster than any 18" laptop. To be honest, XMG did a really good job on the cooling

[@sergioregueiro6567]

I thought the same, but for different reasons i bougth my laptop 2 days ago

[@eimantas314-rblx]

SAME

[@amroallam9302]

Check your couch cushions Linus might be hiding in them

[@seasn5553]

Lenovo is having a sale on their Gen 5 T14s. Is you’re a student you get an extra 5%. That is definitely a great one to have. Make sure it’s a Gen 5 version which can be upgraded. You could get a base model and upgrade later on!!

[@mang0ne]

Trying to pick a laptop without knowing laptops is like riding a bike through a minefield but the bike has giant wheels and every mine you hit costs you $600

[@dragonmaster1500]

^^^ This, for real though.

[@stevealford230]

I used to build PCs for a living (until Cali's economy crashed in '09 and then nobody was spending thousands unnecessarily anymore)... and I've always told people that you can take financial shortcuts on almost everything: desktops, cars, clothing, appliances, food... but not laptops... if you want to have a good, reliable laptop, you could take a chance of being supremely lucky with 1 in a million chances on a budget laptop that over the next 3-5 years will probably cost you 2 to 3 times its price to repair/replace/upgrade to be able to keep it usable, but 99.999999% of people don't even get that lucky... or you can just save up 2 to 3 times its price from the start and buy a higher end gaming laptop with the newest or second-newest hardware components in it, and it should serve you very well for about 5 years without needing repairs, because it's designed to handle as much computing, calculations, and transfers per month as the average non-gamer (or light to normal gamer) will do in 3-5 years. And if you're a hardcore gamer, you don't need the advice: you already know that you have to buy top tier to be a hardcore gamer. I ran a Maxed-out Lenovo Y-70 Touch from its launch date for 8 years with zero issues, running all day every day except MAYBE 72 hours per year at most, not a joke, not an exaggeration, as the full entertainment center hooked to the tv for streaming and movies/shows/browsing and to a monitor for work; and then upgraded to a Maxed-out Lenovo Legion with R9, the 16GB 3080, and 32GB of ram, and it has been running for 2 years straight except for maybe 24 hours total, at most, counting power outages. You get what you pay for, and you cannot scrimp when it comes to laptops.

[@7amadabeta]

@@mang0ne 600$ is a good deal for a mine blast

[@choonblaze]

What's there to know? They are prebuilt. You just need to know which one offers the best hardware for money. Don't buy a shitty amd laptop then complain about trash performance

[@memerofblaviken6326]

Hitting a mine would already cost you way more in medical fees, if you live.

[@heheboi3969]

The fact that I have seen countless videos on laptops and this one was the most informative just showcases how much hardwork have they put into this video, TRUELY AMAZING!!!!

[@WilliamHaisch]

_”Give someone a laptop recommendation and they’ll eat for today.”_ _”Teach someone to eat a laptop and they’ll find their own way home.”_ -Confusedus the Pondered 😂

[@WildCanadian0_0]

@@WilliamHaisch i love you, homie

[@akshdesai04]

If I wasn’t told this was shot on a phone, I wouldn’t even know

[@RealOscarMay]

Yeah it’s crazy good quality

[@markman090]

I could tell instantly. Are you on a 1080p screen?

[@Fielith]

@@markman090 yes

[@RandomTheories]

whole video look like out of focus i mean..its OK for a phone, but the lack of proper lens and camera sensor is painfully obvious

[@Ericxx-yx4rk]

I watched the 4k stream scaled to my monitor's 1440p equivalent (it's a superultrawide). I kept forgetting it was filmed on a phone until the video kept reminding me. Somewhat ironically, I would probably have to use a Macbook or iPad display to pixel peep to notice a difference from their other videos. It's definitely impressive.

[@KarlToastbrot]

Maybe I didn't notice this, but there is no mention of USB-C charging? My laptop for school had a brick and it was a pain to bring it with me all the time. Now I'm using a laptop with USB-C for work and it made my life easier. If you forgot yours, someone will always have one available. The normal charger might still be large, but you can keep it home and get a separate 65W one, which may be a lot smaller and better to travel with. It is definitely more than a "nice to have".

[@tomh1556]

SlimQ gan charger is a great alternative for higher wattage laptops and can purchase multiple adapters for specific laptops for cheap

[@Chimichangazzz]

This is why I decided to nab a laptop off clearance instead of buying new. Type C charging is a must for me now

[@brandonthemartini]

Most non gaming laptops now have usb c charging, but I agree they should mention if a laptop has usb c charging

[@Linckel]

Small Adapters from USB-C to DC Power for any manufacturer are readily available these days

[@AbsusRex]

Something that also needs mentioning, when mentioning USB-C charging is that some laptops don't have a battery bypass, when charging via USB-C, usually those that can be charged either via USB C or barrel jack like the Zephyrus G14 (at least the older ones, dunno about 2024 model). That means that when you use it while connected to a USB charger, the battery continuously charges and discharges, which isn't very healthy for it and shouldn't be your everyday solution

[@itventures]

Another Slim Shady banger

[@12Cortana]

Hope SSTT turn back to brown hairs and beard and LTT...😂

[@0-B1]

​@@12CortanaNah LTT orange

[@CeeZee001]

SS1 ahhhh 😂

[@cameronbosch1213]

@@itventures "Hi, my name is WHAT? My name is WHO? My name is ... Slim Shady!"

[@jadusiv]

When did Eminem get into laptops anyhow, so cool

[@4RILDIGITAL]

It's true that getting the right machine requires more than just looking at specs.

[@kazi1]

Yup

[@TheLikeys]

13:24 those small pulsating _particles_ as “where to look”indicators are really thoughtful - nice!

[@JumboTrent]

Absolutely love the bit about showing them 'how' to buy and not 'what' to buy. I try to do this whenever I'm asked and both parties have time, but most people don't want to hear it.

[@VarjoPira]

Most people like to be told _what to do._

[@alnair228]

Glad Jarrod got a shoutout here. He does amazing work with his reviews, covering pretty much everything you need to know. You just can't go without him when talking about laptops.

[@MaishidaHD]

Ha, nice. As I was reading your comment, I just happened to notice Jarrod's comment on this video was right above yours. 👀

[@babylion122]

I did NOT expect to be told "Shot on iPhone" from Linus of all people. Wow.

[@harperwiccan475]

I mean, it's a sponsored ad. He was FORCED to do it.

[@jacks559]

He wasn’t forced at all, sponsors are completely optional, he’d have to accept it in the first place

[@ethanpenn5]

As he has mentioned probably 1,000-5,000 times on WAN show, he thinks Apple devices are incredible for what they do. Taking videos is something they do way better than any other phone. However, they don't do the other 50 things he wants them to do.

[@liamsz]

@@imnutrak130 i don't think there's a single phone that does video better than the iPhone, photos? sure, iphones have always just been the king when it comes to video. Especially now that apple has their own professional video recording app separate from the camera app

[@TankTheSpank]

I doubt all of the footage was shot from iphone, maybe the b-roll

[@jpierce1987]

Got a $650 Lenovo on sale for $320, upgraded the m.2, maxed the RAM and installed Linux Mint. It's been great!

[@pigalex]

i swear to god. i start looking for something good to buy and LTT comes out with a whole-ass guide.

[@noobiii]

i'm slim linus, and i know the only thought in your mind is "i need a laptop, but i don't got that kind of money, i'm not midas" by the end of this you will be feeling decisive if you follow all the steps, you will have a laptop so reliant

[@steventevoortwis]

"How to Buy a Laptop" - My mind: "maybe just use money"

[@Rockmaster867]

​@@MajorasWrath1 "money can be exchanged for goods and services" - Homer Simpson

[@handlemonium]

"You obtain tangible wealth by giving value and your claims on wealth to others." ~ Heresy Financial

[@jacobgames3412]

Real

[@JonitoFischer]

Slow down, Professor Brainiac, how does money work?

[@KimYoungUn69]

@@JonitoFischer money does not work

[@thomasmoustakas51]

Im not even looking for a laptop, I dont know why I clicked the video but I am glad I did. What an EXCELLENT job guys, really appreciated!

[@FLPRR.]

Now we need a video showing step by step set up to clean and optimize our new laptop

[@MigProPlayer]

1:44 that flip was SOOO SMOOTH

[@yassineaqallal8167]

3:34 Jarrod the GOAT

[@amartyapanja2235]

@@yassineaqallal8167 All hail jarrod

[@minominecrafter]

Thank you for making a update to this series a WEEK AFTER i bought my laptop love you guys 😂

[@cogspace]

Good news: You're probably still in the return window if you want to swap it out! =D

[@foreverduke97]

@@minominecrafter What did you buy btw?

[@minominecrafter]

@@foreverduke97 asus vivobook pro 15 oled Ryzen 5 5600H + rtx 3050 16/512 for 649$ usd(approx) 1080p 60hz 650 nits oled display

[@minominecrafter]

@@cogspace I don't think I would need to but still good to know

[@liamwilko9285]

I got mine a few weeks ago 😭

[@Izapertron123]

Just upgraded my 11th gen i5 framework to a 8 core ryzen 7 for my degree Buying a framework was easily the best tech decision I've made for years

[@saijyo8549]

Ur basically lying bro, ryzen 7 max at 8 core. Just ryzen 9 mobile 7940HX and 7945HX have 16core/32thread.

[@WholeHolyHole]

@@saijyo8549 probably meant 16 threads. Framework offers the Ryzen 9 7940HS mainboard upgrade but even that is 8 core. The names are getting out of control, you can barely keep track of what everything means now.

[@Izapertron123]

@@saijyo8549 Sorry meant 16 threads

[@russianbear0027]

How long have you had it for?

[@Izapertron123]

@@russianbear0027 Just about two years now

[@boltrex1923]

Bought a laptop last week, this week this video releases, what a timing.

[@mrupwardlymobile657]

LTT has really swung in the last two years toward being balanced on the Macs. It’s noticeable and refreshing to see the better comparisons to products.

[@majestyblur3668]

The video quality is just like a normal camera, I would not have thought I was shot on iPhone had you not mention it. Very cool

[@yellingintothewind]

Going to give Framework a mention, since you guys didn't. The price premium up front hurts a bit, but the case is quite solid for a thin and light, the performance with the ryzen chips is great, and the platform longevity _should_ mitigate that price premium. Even if framework doesn't come out with upgrades, the ability to source repair parts and fix what breaks means a reasonably cared for framework _should_ last a decade or so. Oh, and it's the first thin-and-light I've seen in a long time that doesn't cook its own battery under full load. Just note the 16" is supposedly not _quite_ as well polished as the 14".

[@Morphior]

Calling the 16" a thin-and-light is definitely a stretch, though I suspect you meant the 13" when you said that. My top-spec 16" was very expensive but I factored in future upgradability, quality of life (changeable input modules and expansion modules), and the open source nature of it all and haven’t regretted my purchase. I even swapped out my display already and that was an absolute breeze (took about three minutes).

[@yellingintothewind]

@@Morphior Yeah, not sure why I mentioned a 14 at all... I mean the 13 is a thin and light that hasn't tried to cook its battery. The 16 is kinda thin, for a 16, but not at all light. The major issue with the 16 is the longer length in the frame makes it slightly less rigid than the 13. It kinda goes with the territory, but might be an issue depending on how rough you are with your machines. Regardless, I made a similar calculation. Half the cost is the mainboard, the rest is screen, battery, case, and so on. Even if Framework folds next week, I am reasonably happy with the build quality of what I have now, and if in 3 years I can get a couple generations newer hardware for _only_ the board cost, I'll be breaking even on total system cost, with the better build quality.

[@qq_02]

On the i/o front, I know this is more Canada/U.S. focused, but in Europe, a SmartCard reader does not go amiss if you don't do mobile ID. For keyboard, do not forget to check the layout. Again, in Europe some companies (like ASUS) do still sell ANSI layout keyboards, which means you will be missing a key if you are used to the ISO layout. NumPad may be important to you, maybe requiring you to use Fn combinations or even a NumPad hidden in the trackpad. But the most important thing about buying a laptop, see it in person. It is like dress shopping, pictures and reviews can only do so much, you can only know if you love it once you try it. A lot of electronics stores have display units or if the model you are specifically interested in isn't on display, you can usually ask the store clerk if you can try it out, check how the screen looks (if you can see the black lines between the pixels, if the colours 'feel' off), how the keyboard feels etc. In that case, they generally allow it to boot to BIOS, but not to Windows or Linux. But you still get some idea of how it would feel like to actually use the laptop. Also the display aspect ratios going from 16:9 to a more vertical style have a lot to do with the display technology maturing, giving us thinner bezels. So a new 16:10 16" laptop can physically be smaller than a 16:9 15.6" laptop from a few yeaars ago. This is also noteworthy when checking for laptop bags or if wondering whether your new laptop would fit in the old one's bag.

[@Idiana_Kami]

hi , any u tell me , if it will be fine to runa remote desktop on a pc , in hostel dorm , and acess via my current laptop , it a decent machine , will it be smooth or i will become a expert in tech support ? if u know plz guide me how to do it

[@giovannifaglioni]

one thing to pay attention to: thinner screens don't have wireless antenna in them as laptops usually have, so their wireless quality won't be as good as other laptops with thicker screens.

[@zeroordie453]

Just bought a MSI Katana 15 B13VGK - 17.3" ... Only thing this video taught me was 4070 is slower.... Hard to believe. The price vs performance on laptops is insane. MSI is the sweet spot. Had one for 10 years and still kicking !

[@MaxRovensky]

0:55 Lexar is the only storage company whose memory cards *repeatedly* died and blackholed my photos and footage I wouldn't touch that company personally, even though SSDs are different

[@tallAldiProduction]

Also lexar closed its memory card devision years ago. Most of the employees went to Prograde. Then Lexar resurrected their Memory Cards. I absolutely don’t trust current lexar with my data, but Prograde is one I use almost exclusively

[@ContemplativeCat]

I like Sandisk, they've always been very reliable for me.

[@hugofontes5708]

@@tallAldiProduction thank you for the heads-up!

[@voltare2amstereo]

2 copies... Always. No back-up, no backup

[@mangitt]

the NM790 is awesome though

[@Commanderziff]

I bought a used workstation laptop on ebay. 17.4 inch 4k screen, two m.2 slots, 4 ram slots, the gpu is only a Quadro P3000, but it's MXM, so it's up-gradable!

[@robertmaxa6631]

Something I noticed with budget laptops, especially with Radeon graphics, is that they'll tell you that the laptop comes with 8 or 16gb of ram, but don't indicate if it's dual channel, or not.

[@ClaytonMathisVO]

I'm just shocked this was shot on an iPhone. It looks incredible, gosh it's amazing what these devices in our pocket are capable of.

[@pigster7560]

Don't forget a mux switch when talking about gaming laptops! if you plan on using an external display at all for gaming then a mux switch is a must have for many reasons, primarily so for me is support for gsync/freesync on an external display.

[@dillondoherty4307]

@@pigster7560 I am confused what is an mux switch

[@dillondoherty4307]

What is an mux switch as I don’t think I have heard that before

[@_DreamzGaming]

0:57 wasn't expecting that 😂😭

[@Fringedabyss97]

@@_DreamzGaming best part so far 😂😂

[@j_5244]

One of top considerations: how is the company’s support.

[@Kaifire7967_Miataboi]

Here's my answer, not every work laptop is a good gaming laptop, but a great gaming laptop is a great work laptop. -somebody I cant remember

[@zerokun2655]

I swear almost every person in my engineering class has an MSI gaming laptop and it's so funny xD

[@wanderingwobb6300]

​@@zerokun2655The gaming laptops are just so much cheaper than the "professional" ones and they have so much more IO as well. They're actually pretty cool.

[@dragonmaster1500]

Wierd isn't it? espeacially since Desktops are the other way around.

[@drishalballaney]

but this also depends on if you need battery life, then work laptop falls flat

[@ItzD3fW1sH]

Problem is a lot of gaming laptops are really thick and heavy, and look like crap.

[@netcowboy007]

Couple of things I would like to add if you don’t mind. Make sure the wifi adapter is a 2X2 and not a 1X1. Manufacturers like to sneak that one in there to cut costs. SSD: Usually, higher capacity drives have a greater life span due to TBW ( Total Bytes Written). I would recommend a 512 GB or a 1TB from a reputable brand.

[@dracodragon105]

"it has become too difficult for me as a tech reviewer to give you a direct recommendation, so I'll give you the tools to do it yourself" is such a statement on modern bespoke computer hardware

[@MrBizaaro]

Just a note to anyone looking to buy Dell or Lenovo laptops. They always go on sale during black friday, offer student discounts and if you call them they might give an additional 5%. A middle of the line last year legion has always been a great buy for me.

[@zeroturn7091]

Might look into Lenovo, I’m done with Dell and HP.

[@MrSirrr13]

i was just thinking “oh man linus looks a little strange” then boom shot on iphone

[@donc-m4900]

Linus always looks strange. 😅

[@Idiana_Kami]

hi , any u tell me , if it will be fine to runa remote desktop on a pc , in hostel dorm , and acess via my current laptop , it a decent machine , will it be smooth or i will become a expert in tech support ? if u know plz guide me how to do it

[@blackowlhu2212]

I bought my laptop like 1 and half week before this video for school, media and programming. It is an Asus Vivobook GO 15 (Ryzen 3 7320U 4c/8t, 8 gb lpddr5 and 512gb ssd, not the oled one because it was too expensive for me). It's perfect for most of the usual things that I do like programming, watching videos or playing simple games with an outstanding battery life. I could play Halo MCC (Halo 3) for 3 hours atleast with just one charging. Maybe it's not the fastest with it's performance with the price that I bought but it's way more comfortable than any other one that I had find buying new. I did not even consider buying an used laptop (even tho I did look at it) because of the battery life.

[@DasherStu]

@blackowlhu2212 On Amazon right now, there's a Lenovo Ideapad 1 with a 5500U, 8gb RAM, 15.6" screen, and 512gb SSD. With one slot open to upgrade RAM, but no extra slot to upgrade the Storage. All for $304.99. It's a 6C/12T processor and it'll beat the 7320U in gaming. Just an FYI for anyone looking.

[@man_like_tim]

I was thinking of buying a laptop too. I have the same use cases as you so I'll use ur specs as a bench mark❤

[@loudryka]

Picked up an Acer Swift Edge 16" with a 4K OLED, Ryzen 7, 16gb ram and 1tb SSD for $485. Best screen I've seen on a laptop

[@RangerSossh]

The videos lately have been amazing. I love the cutaways, they add a splash of comedy to the video that is really entertaining!

[@onkelklaujo]

I'm so lucky I purchased my Macbook Pro 2021 14' in early 2022. It fulfilled almost all of my need and runs great. Great battery life, performance in rendering and video editing and thanks to programs similar to wine I can even game a little bit (even though I mainly use gaming console or desktop pc for that). The best part is, that I usually don't have to search for power outlets in university with my laptop unless I do a lot of rendering and editing during courses.

[@jlatoo]

My M1 Air is still running as good as the day I got it, it's so nice not having to worry about the battery while at school

[@jafar217]

Wine is crap. If you manage to install windows using bootcamp, you can do a lot more with your macbook Pro. I had to download the bootcamp drivers though using bootcamp since the bootcamp installer itself didn't like the windows installer and the USB tool from Microsoft didn't recognize my ssd.

[@onkelklaujo]

@@jafar217 apple silicon Mac don't support bootcamp anymore. Wine based tools like crossover worked great for me in games. Recently I've seen people using Apple's Game Porting toolkit to run Cyberpunk fluently on apple silicon

[@Ok-kf8xg]

@@jafar217 Bootcamp is very unstable tho. for me every 6-12 months somethings goes wrong and Windows becomes unuseable. Wine support is meh

[@Alfred.Petersson]

Bought one this year. Went with a ThinkPad T430s for around €70 running Arch. Yeah it is 11 years old but it works and does what I need.

[@Nostalgia_Realm]

It's the same route that I usually take. An old business laptop, maybe upgrade to an SSD and some extra RAM install your Linux distro of preference and you have a perfectly functional laptop for years to come!

[@Pameliux23]

Great, but How is the screen? Is it ok to work with it?

[@Alfred.Petersson]

@@Pameliux23 It's acceptable, not *good* but also totally usable. Somewhat mid viewing angles though.

[@johnj4395]

I hope others can bump this comment up. In Australia, Lenovo has massive spring sales, 30% to 50% on almost all their laptops. I got legion slim 5 for $1800 from $3000

[@x0vg5hs1]

It's completely normal. RTX 40 series is entering Clarence sales as it's being pulled of the shelf with RTX 50 series around the corner. I would actually pity people who bought RTX 4050/4060/4070 scam at full price. I myself got extremely cheap ROG g17 strix on sale from 3k down to 800 USD. It was due to strix 17 being too large for majority of customers and thin and light design combined with Intel i7 11700h. Poor thermal and extremely power hangry hardware and history of failing devices. It's old g17 strix with 16:9 display i7 11700h and RTX 3070ti 12g vram

[@icyvelvety]

I've been researching for months since I'm going back to school for my masters and I can't thank you guys enough for making this easier for me, fr. The gasp I GASPED when I saw this video on my recommended.

[@VahnWyrde]

laptop display tips was the specific sht i was looking for. thank you linus techies

[@philippg.]

The laptop at 16:49 is a Dell XPS 13 9345 Snapdragon and not an XPS 13 Plus, which came out a year earlier with an Intel chip.

[@mikebroom1866]

Dell refurbished is where it's at. Picked up a less than 2 year old 6 core 2 in 1 with 16gb of ram for under $300.

[@GraysonZimmer]

Holy shit. This video looks great for shot on iPhone. Just goes to show, lighting and framing is almost nearly *everything*.

[@yeagerfolk796]

Nope it shows how far ahead iphones are when it comes to video especially with ProRes.

[@GraysonZimmer]

@@yeagerfolk796 The tool is nice and the iPhone does take good video but the rest of the production matters so much more. Source: I work in film.

[@youtube_bot839]

Were the frames interpolated or manipulated by any chance? It looked quite weird to me. Thought I had the frame booster thing turned on but nope it was the video.

[@rarpcprinter1641]

Kudos to the entire LTT team for this reference grade back to school special. Well Done!

[@husainhaider786]

This was much needed

[@Renchi]

18:06 Riley transcending to a higher state of being

[@ainunherlambang]

Lol thanks for this Linus. Imagine having triplets sister who were just entering uni and need laptops, each with different preference. I just forwarded this video and got the problem solved lmao.

[@ilmeridionaleitalian]

Absolutely no mention of framework laptops has me shocked

[@Ken_King]

They featured in some/one of the benchmarks though....the ryzen 7-7840u.

[@PAPO1990]

lol good point, you'd have thought it would have at least been MENTIONED. But it goes to show how little the investment affects what Linus does, The biggest change is just that he has to make an investment disclosure from time to time... and early or deeper access to some stuff, but that's a win for us too 'cause it's cool :P

[@LuckyFlanker13]

Well tbf, Linus has a financial investment in it. Including it would make the video look 10 times less credible.

[@pocketlint82]

It's likely that for price comparison it's not the best deal for students going back to school. But yeah I'm surprised they didn't even mention it for those that want to tinker or prioritize upgradability

[@ligorify]

I feel like if you're buying a framework, you do not need this video.

[@OrdinaryG33K-SF]

Linus, your channel is so awesome. This video was so informative, yet presented so well, and so entertainingly! Fantastic. Thank you!

[@Holycurative9610]

My 15 year old has an Tuf book we bought on sale for about £600 and it's been a great laptop. The laptop is currently in Spain on holiday with my son!

[@cake101cake101]

RTGame coming in clutch for the video when Alex is meant to be playing Stardew Valley haha

[@Jackamo6200]

3:50 was this one of @RTGame ‘s Stardew Valley streams/videos? I saw his follower notification art in the corner of the screen!! 😮

[@Silas276]

yes it was

[@mikaeluhl]

Good eye

[@Blockteen]

I caught the RTGame notification too

[@fifteen8]

3:10 So how do you find out how much power in watts the GPUs are receiving? Sellers' laptop specs pages don't seem to ever say.

[@offshorecomedy]

@@fifteen8 true. It'd be great if LTT provided a reliable way to check. Jarrod Tech does a good job though

[@andrerypl3318]

Loved your video - no-nonsense tips, loads of info, all broken down clearly. Thank you

[@Norrrtti]

you post this at the perfect time🎉

[@himynameisryan]

I’m happy with my 16” binned m3 max MacBook Pro with 36gb ram (lowest ram available in the m3 max chip) and 2tb ssd storage So a very middle of the road spec The second ever Mac I owned (I got the m1 air in 2020) and honestly it’s a great all around laptop (as long as you don’t need to game) It’s not for everyone, but I absolutely love it It’s possibly my favourite purchase I’ve ever made because every time I use it I enjoy every single aspect of the experience. I never thought I’d say this until I actually got an m series Mac, but Apple absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one

[@JustCallMeEm.]

You can still game a little bit, I have the same spec, just with the base storage and I can happily hop on and play giant minecraft modpacks with my friends, it runs great! it’s all about expectations I guess

[@himynameisryan]

@@JustCallMeEm. that’s true Light gaming works assuming your game is compatible But I’m sure you’re aware if the priority priority is gaming don’t get a Mac I’m fortunate enough to have a pc for gaming and the MacBook I use for pretty much anything else because it’s just fun to use

[@Logs_fr]

I LITTERALY GOT AN AD WITH YOU IN IT BEFORE WATCHING THIS

[@barajuboor]

Womp

[@Ghost_D4A]

Womp

[@NXYWar]

@@Ghost_D4Asorry he didn’t order a glass of your opinion

[@doggo.z]

Womp

[@NXYWar]

@@barajuboor​sorry he didn’t order a glass of your opinion

[@vjndr32]

00:30 Drax from Avengers: "I'm gonna do you one better. Who to buy a laptop."

[@LouisLungu-o6z]

I LIKE THE WAY ALEX CATEGORIZES IPS SCREEN AS IT DOESN'T SUCK

[@pyroslev]

So, a bit of an unconventional suggestion if you wanna buy in bulk. Buddy of mine bought a batch of 10 Lenovo laptops from a state surplus sale. They were 8th Gen Intel and all in perfect shape. He just added RAM and storage. When one dies, he just swaps to a new laptop. It's unconventional overall but if you're a tinkering type, just needing basics? It works.

[@Xenoray1]

11:24 that lexar nvme 256gb ssd is way to overpriced! you get crucial p3 plus 1tb and similar brand nvmes for even a less price around 60 bucks..

[@mrbobgamingmemes9558]

Wtf ? I pay like 35 $ for 512 gb ssd ,although not super fast it stil enough for anything but 8k video editing

[@R3AL-AIM]

My 990 Pro was less than that, I don't know if that's just CN pricing or what lol I meant what I said

[@mrbobgamingmemes9558]

@@R3AL-AIM i am sure it is canadian, i mean most expensive 256gb of ssd should not exceed the price of "budget and slow" 512 gb ssd

[@saumabhobagchi5547]

0:07 love Alex being an NPC😂😂😂

[@nothingleft99]

bought my laptop a few days ago, let’s see if i got a good deal this year

[@handlemonium]

My $800 TUF A16 with 32GB of RAM and a CPU/GPU on-par with a desktop Ryzen 3800X + RX 6600 should hold up until Strix Halo laptops start popping-up used on the cheap early 2026 🤙

[@bondjovi4595]

That's right. You stack them up in the corner of the room. Just grab one off the pile, change the motherboard inside, whatever. Change the ram, install the os, etc.

[@prof.person8853]

I was already planning on getting a laptop later today There could not be more perfect timing 👏😮‍💨

[@randomboiiii69420]

0:05 visual frustration lol

[@cl4589]

That has some meme potential!

[@gokussbkaioken5133]

I was gone for like 45 days just what the hell did he do now

[@maxxwellfoley4193]

Linus you’re 2 days late and I already bought a laptop for school 😔. Now I gotta watch and see how big of a mistake I made.

[@salifdiarra4906]

Can't you return it if you don't like it? Or did you buy it used?

[@rotmistrzjanm8776]

14:55 it would be nice if you include data for us metric system guys

[@sprinklednights]

22" is half a metre, which is the most important one.

[@chevydavidson9220]

Like these in-house collabs on videos. Keep up the good work

[@levelupwithsam]

Can't believe you guys didn't give a shout out to Lenovo's Slim 7x. I got that one and it's a stunner.

[@yeetd9175]

holy shit he did it again slim shady my goat fr

[@NanoFlame]

keep doing your best man

[@tyhen12]

0:55 had me dead

[@please-wake-up-now]

This guide is super helpful, but honestly, picking a laptop feels like a choose-your-own-adventure book 😂. And who knew an iPhone could film like that? Makes me wanna upgrade my phone too! 📱💻

[@Aerosklice]

It's good to note that in a lot of countries, (public) universities can't sell their old laptops as suggested, as it is public funds and they go through a completely different process.

[@GowLV]

13:30 Borat Approved

[@fpdomain]

I think with so many machines out there in the 2nd hand market and the increased tendency to "just get the last new toy", videos like these loose the amazing opportunity to educate people to get 2nd hand machines away from the landfill, recycle them, upgrading them to better spec and your audience would be most suitable/happy for it (maybe an idea for a video). Getting just another piece of future eWaste is not helping the problem at all that everyone tends to forget or ignore. Guys with your dimension have ethical responsibility too to encourage the consumers to change that, if they can and YOU definitely can. If is not LTT, I don't know who else would be giant enough for that good influence. Cheers and thanks for the video anyway.

[@AlvincoAetherlico]

@@fpdomain THIS And you can even save a lot.

[@AlvincoAetherlico]

oh @ 9:50

[@Idiana_Kami]

hi , any u tell me , if it will be fine to runa remote desktop on a pc , in hostel dorm , and acess via my current laptop , it a decent machine , will it be smooth or i will become a expert in tech support ? if u know plz guide me how to do it

[@fpdomain]

@@AlvincoAetherlico what was that? 30sec? 🤣🤣 Come on man, the issue it deserves much better attention from YT giants like these that's all I'm saying.

[@dopaminedreams1122]

@@fpdomain you didnt even watch the video, moaned about something that was in the video you ignored, and then act like its not good enough even though its always something LTT mentions... nah bro

[@Mcgg-zj2og]

It’s weird to know that this was recorded on a iPhone

[@harsh5424-wastaken]

I have to say, I DO NOT miss picking a laptop. I was going to upgrade my laptop last year after my old laptop became 4 years old, but the number of choices and the variables like battery, screen, availability, discounts etc etc, I just ended up getting a PC and using my laptop whenever I need portability more than performance.

[@Ok-kf8xg]

ngl best laptop for me was Macbook. Amazing screen and speakers for movies, battery lasts like 12 hours or even more (my macbook pro 2019 still lasts like 6-9 hours, no battery replacements), good build quality (not plastic + supports clip on cases), lightweight, no overheating issues... price tho is the bad thing. But u can also use Parallels/Bootcamp for Windows. Pair that with a desktop/gaming laptop (if u need portability with certain games/programs) to run heavier stuff and also upgradeability (can also get great deals on used PCs/laptops), and you are set.

[@Ok-kf8xg]

But yeah, picking gaming laptops is a pain, thats why macbook is good (intel macbook pro or any M1 Macbook) and leaving all that headache of choosing best parts for a desktop

[@cfnfl]

Really helpful thanks! Something I've tried and failed to find is a video that revisits a laptops a year on to highlight what still holds up what is trash and what deals are there to be had buying year old stock.

[@tbrayden3694]

No mention of Framework laptops?

[@malek6129]

@@tbrayden3694 framework laptops are not competitive in price, and generally people who care about framework laptops, don't really need this video

[@Ghostdude808]

Linus be looking like Eminem back in the day 🤣🤣🤣

[@---GOD---]

The only laptops I'd ever recommend to anyone: high end *Asus Zenbook,* high end *Thinkpad,* *Surface laptop,* or *Macbook.* Everything else, IMO, is a waste of money. Acer, HP, Dell, etc will give you great deals but those laptops don't last. I'd rather spend a little extra and know it was well constructed using quality parts. Now obviously if you're on a tight budget and just want a cheap laptop then buy whatever is in your price range and don't worry about branding.

[@Gateastrologykc]

suggestions around 700 800 dollars?

[@KittyKatKya]

​@@Gateastrologykc As the video says, it's going to depend on what you're wanting to actually use the laptop for. Without providing more info, no recommendations are gonna be of any really use.

[@Gateastrologykc]

@@KittyKatKya student occasional gamer, battery life is not a priority, neither is screen, ips 144hz will do

[@SharatS]

Eh, I've had great luck with HP and Dell laptops, my last 2 personal laptops have been HP, the older one is 8 years old, still works, I gave it to my dad though, and the newer one is 4 years old and still going strong. Been using a Dell laptop for work for 4 years now, haven't had any issues yet. To be fair though, I don't move them around much, they stay stationary connected to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse, I guess that helps with the longevity.

[@oov55]

if you suffer from bad circulation in the hands and need to keep them warm or, if you like to keep your food hot, and nearby to your machine .... then let me recommend the ASUS vivobook and similar models. You will neve be chilly in a cold apartment, ever again. Just turn on the Asus - and in a short while , everything within 3 feet, including you, will be toasty.

[@rhoffy101]

Great video Linus, great to see you made all OS' viable, using windows and chrome os, it's good to see your opinion change over the years.

[@cartamarpharious]

This got me motivated to get my university revision notes up. Thank you LTT haha.