Pay the right price when buying a computer. More than the color, weight, look or price, below are major components to keep in mind.
PROCESSOR: This is the control center of your computer and usually cannot be upgraded in the future so it’s important that you get the right type for the purpose. A computer with less than Intel core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 for normal use is not worth the money. Core i5, i7, i9, Ryzen 5, 7 are more expensive and recommended for professional or heavy use.
RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY): If you use multiple applications at the same time, then the higher the RAM, the better it is. A RAM of 6GB is sufficient for normal use and 12GB+ for multitasking.
STORAGE: SSD (Solid State Drive) is preferred over the traditional HDD (Hard Disk Drive) as it has no moving parts and hence better performance. The bigger the size, the more expensive your computer will be. You could save the cost of a buying a new computer by just upgrading your drive.
SCREEN SIZE: Ranges between 11″ – 17″. For laptops, the larger the screen size, the less portable it is and heavier. Many also have touch built in.
SCREEN RESOLUTION: A resolution of 1080 x 1080 is recommended.
OPERATING SYSTEM: The differences between a Mac & PC is little today but designers tend to buy Macs for graphics/photo editing. Macs are more expensive but more reliable and less prone to virus/malware infections.