Get the Best Windows Laptop for Your Needs: An i7 Buying Guide

A Windows laptop with an i7 processor can be the best of both worlds, allowing you to get light work done when you need to, and then letting you switch to your favorite games or streaming movies when you’re ready to relax. But with so many options out there and so many confusing marketing terms (like octacore), it can be hard to know which laptop is right for you. To help, here’s a buying guide on what to look for in an i7 laptop, as well as our top picks in each price range—as well as why we chose them! Check it out now!

What Is an i7 Laptop?

Intel has two product lines of processors, which are listed in order of increasing performance. The first is their Core line and then comes their more expensive i series, starting with an i3 and going up to an i9. The letter simply refers to what number series that processor is in; a laptop with an i7 processor will have significantly better performance than one with an i5 processor. If you have a choice between getting a laptop with an i5 or one with an i7, it’s worth paying extra for the higher-performing option.

How Powerful Is an i7 Processor?

Most computers come with either an i3, i5, or i7 processor. For people who use their computers for watching movies, playing games, or just surfing Facebook (face it—we’re all guilty of that last one), any of these processors should be fine. But if you plan on editing videos and photos or doing some serious gaming, then you’ll need something more powerful. That’s where an Intel Core-i7 comes in. It is much more powerful than an i5 and has twice as many cores; it allows you to do things like edit 4K video quickly.

Should I Buy an i7 or a Ryzen CPU?

Most of our readers will probably be more familiar with Intel processors, and it’s an excellent question to ask. AMD CPUs have been on a tear in recent years, winning many over with their lower prices and performance gains. However, they are often slower than their Intel counterparts at multithreaded tasks like gaming or content creation. In other words, if you do a lot of things at once on your computer (like stream video while compiling code), go with an i7 processor. However, if you are someone who likes to buy pre-built PCs because you don’t want to build one yourself (and doesn’t mind paying extra for that convenience), most of those systems come standard with an AMD processor.

Do I Need All That Power?

You might have noticed that laptops, particularly on sale, can come with some serious computing power under their hoods. That processor is no doubt very useful, but if you’re buying a laptop primarily to surf the web or word process documents, all that extra muscle is going to go to waste. As a general rule of thumb, aim to get around 4-6GB of RAM and a minimum of an Intel Core i3 processor—and don’t be afraid to scour sales and discounts for even greater savings. In terms of graphics card performance, we recommend getting at least something capable of running GTA V without lagging or crashing. If you just want an affordable laptop to open Google Docs on your couch at night, these are totally acceptable specs.

Features to Look For in an i7-Powered Windows PC

Looking to power through a lot of work on your laptop? You’ll want to make sure you have enough power from your CPU. Intel® CoreTM i7 processors have been Intel’s most powerful processor options for laptops in recent years, and any high-end model is going to include a windows core i7 laptop. Most will include i5 or i3 as well, so you know how much power you can expect. If you plan on using lots of processing-intensive software like 3D modeling, CAD/CAM, or graphics rendering applications—or if you want a laptop that doubles as a gaming PC—an i7 model is likely your best bet.

Conclusion & Summary

While a laptop with an Intel Core i7 processor is great for getting work done, it can be pricey. In general, you can expect to pay around $500 more than if you bought a comparable laptop with a Core i5 processor. However, while power and speed are important when choosing your new laptop, there are other factors to consider as well. For example, not all laptops come with discrete graphics cards so if you’re planning on doing any heavy gaming or video editing then that might be something to keep in mind as well. Luckily there are plenty of choices out there so have a look around and find one that fits your needs perfectly!

Pros & Cons

People buy laptops with different needs in mind. For example, a person who is always working while they travel will want a lighter computer that packs a lot of processing power; on the other hand, someone who doesn’t use their laptop as much may be willing to sacrifice processing power to get a bigger screen and battery life. Because you can adjust some settings (such as how many programs are running at once), you’ll want to choose between an i5 and an i7 based on what your own needs are—but just because one number is bigger than another doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better. Read up on our guide for more info about which processor might be best for you.

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