While the tech landscape is constantly changing, laptops remain the centerpiece of many digital lives. However, buying a laptop hasn’t necessarily gotten any easier. This buying guide will help you choose the best laptop for your needs and budget.

Whether you’re looking for a basic laptop, a 2-in-1, a laptop specifically designed for gaming, or a laptop specifically designed for business, here are the key factors to consider:

In general, you get what you pay for, but there’s no need to pay more than you have to. Here’s a chart to give you an idea of what you can expect to get for your money:

Before you settle on specs and design features, you might want to zoom out and determine the form factor of the laptop you want. There are different types of laptops, and the one you want depends on what you plan to use your computer for (are you a big gamer, a light user, or will you be using it primarily for business?).