The laptop market is in a good place right now, but if you’re on a budget, things get a bit inconvenient. Let’s break it down.
The High-End Laptop Boom
Today, laptops are more competitive than ever. If you’re considering a high-end device, chances are, you’re getting something great. There are four major chips leading the way:
- Apple’s Custom Silicon
- AMD’s HX 300 Series
- Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite
- Intel’s Lunar Lake Chips
All of these chips offer excellent performance, with energy efficiency and long battery life that are truly impressive. Apple, in particular, has held the crown for battery performance, but now, every major chipmaker has caught up, making it a great time to buy.
Energy Efficiency and Battery Life
The real benefit of these new laptops isn’t necessarily raw speed—it’s energy efficiency. These chips allow laptops to run cooler and more efficiently, which leads to:
- Better battery life: Even for thin and light devices, battery life is a standout feature.
- Better battery health: Fewer charge cycles mean longer-lasting batteries.
- Quieter devices: Laptops run cooler, which means quieter fans, and some (like the MacBook Air) don’t need fans at all.
But here’s where it gets tricky: Windows laptops are hit or miss when it comes to power consumption while the laptop is idle. Apple controls both the hardware and software, leading to much better optimization, while Windows laptops can sometimes suffer from erratic battery drain.
Graphics Performance
Another area where laptops shine is graphics. Apple’s M3 chips, Snapdragon, and Intel’s Lunar Lake chips all offer great GPU performance. While Intel’s Lunar Lake chips stand out for delivering solid gaming performance with excellent energy efficiency, other brands (like Apple and Qualcomm) still have some catching up to do, especially when it comes to gaming.
RAM and Storage
For most users, 16GB of RAM is the new standard, which is good news for Windows users. However, many new laptops now come with soldered RAM, meaning you can’t upgrade it later. This is fine for most users but disappointing for those who like to customize their systems.
Apple’s entry-level MacBook Air still starts with just 8GB of RAM, which can be frustrating, especially for developers or power users.
Displays: OLED vs IPS
When it comes to displays, OLED is the clear winner in image quality, and many Windows laptops now offer OLED screens. Meanwhile, Apple still uses IPS panels for their entry-level MacBook Air, which is perfectly fine but not as vibrant or fast as OLED. For gaming and media consumption, the difference is noticeable.
The Pricing Dilemma
Here’s where things get inconvenient: price. While high-end laptops with the latest chips are amazing, they’re expensive—starting at around $1,200 to $1,300. That’s not a problem if you’ve got the budget, but what about those with a more normal budget, say $600 to $800?
The problem is, in this price range, you’re stuck with older laptops that just aren’t competitive anymore. For example, a laptop with a 12th or 13th-gen Intel Core i7 might seem like a good deal for around $800, but it’s a significant downgrade compared to the latest models in terms of battery life, performance, and GPU.
So What Should You Do?
If you’re on a tight budget, you might be thinking of buying a last-gen device. But the gap between last year’s models and this year’s new chips is so big that you might regret it. In fact, I recently recommended a 2020 M1 MacBook Air to a friend as the best budget option, which is wild considering I’ve never suggested a MacBook for budget buyers before. But right now, it’s a better option than a similarly priced Windows laptop.
Conclusion
So, here’s the inconvenient truth: if you have under $800 to spend on a laptop, you’re pretty much locked out of the new tech, and buying anything last year’s model just doesn’t make sense anymore. While the new generation of laptops is amazing, especially in terms of battery life, efficiency, and performance, the price gap between budget options and high-end models is tough to ignore. You might have to settle for older tech or stretch your budget a little to get something that actually keeps up with the latest standards.
In short, it’s a great time to be a laptop buyer—if you’ve got the budget. If not, it’s a bit inconvenient.