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The upgrader’s guide to buying a laptop in 2023 | Intel: Tech evolution

We don’t all upgrade our laptops every year. It’s more likely you’ve been sitting on your laptop for three years, five years, or even longer. A lot has changed in laptop technology in that time, so we’ve put together some of the must-have features to look out for if you want your new laptop to be ready for 2023 and beyond.

Bigger screens

Laptops have stayed at a comfortable sweet spot for screen sizes over the past five years, with that 14-inch screen becoming one of the most popular sizes for all kinds of uses. But one thing to keep in mind is that you can now buy a 15-inch laptop that uses almost the same physical space as older 13- and 14-inch laptops. The bezels around those screen edges have shrunk dramatically, creating more screen space without adding to size.

Great screen quality

Debates about whether LCD, LED or OLED is the best display for a laptop continue to rage. For image perfectionists, OLED is a winner, but it can suffer from glare issues in direct sunlight. For most users, LED remains the ideal in terms of balancing price and performance.

Big variations can be found in the screen resolutions and refresh rates available. A new laptop should offer a minimum of 1920 x 1080 (full HD) resolution, but a 2560 x 1440 (quad HD) screen can be an excellent choice for crisper images. You’ll find plenty of 4K laptops out there now, too, but don’t think you have to buy one. It can often be a better choice to buy full HD or quad HD with a higher refresh rate.

Typically a laptop refreshes its screen 50 or 60 times per second. With refresh rates of 120Hz or 144Hz (120 or 144 times a second), the screen starts to feel more natural and looks clearer than ever. Those fast refresh rates are particularly good for anyone who wants to feel fully locked in with their favorite games.

A man listening to headphones smiling at his computer.

SSD storage

You should seriously consider choosing a laptop with a solid state drive (SSD) rather than an older-style hard drive. SSDs deliver incredibly fast performance, from starting your computer to loading up an application. The cumulative time you’ll save over the life of the laptop will give you hours of your life back. SSDs are especially great for content creators working with large files and gamers enjoying fast-paced games.

Long battery life

All-day battery life is a reality with new laptops. No, it doesn’t mean from the moment you wake up until you go back to bed, but it does mean you can put in a solid eight-plus hours of work before you need to find the cable again.

If you’re buying a laptop with the Intel Evo sticker, you’ll also be guaranteed that your laptop can charge quickly – gaining at least four hours of charge in 30 minutes or less – which means you know that every time you plug in you ‘re going to get a lot more time away from the wall with minimal delay.

Networking with wifi 6E

Wifi isn’t just wifi any more. If you’re buying a laptop for 2023, look for one with the latest wifi 6E technology on board. This gives wifi access to a whole new wireless spectrum that delivers not only faster but more consistent performance and less interference.

If you’ve ever had a video call drop out even though everything else seemed to be working just fine, you’ll be pleased to hear wifi 6E can offer better wireless performance. This is another feature that is a mandatory inclusion on any laptop that features the Intel Evo sticker (although you do need to be on a 6E network to get the benefits).

The Intel Evo platform

Many factors contribute to making a laptop feel good to use on a daily basis. If you see the Intel Evo sticker on a laptop, you know it has met some premium laptop standards.

This is about more than just a list of specific hardware inclusions (although an Intel Evo laptop always has a fast new Intel processor inside). To earn the sticker, a laptop also needs attributes including the ability to wake from sleep in less than one second, and a battery that delivers consistent responsiveness.

Intel Evo laptops also offer dynamic background noise suppression for making video calls sound better, minimum webcam standards, and biometric login features. The sticker tells you the laptop designer has thought about the daily user experience – and real-world performance.

Intel Evo is a laptop evolved to have it all. Experience the power of a processor designed for real-world multitasking.