How Much Does a Laptop Cost? The Average Prices Explained
If you’re kicking around the idea of buying a laptop sometime soon, this question is likely swirling around in your head. The average laptop cost might determine whether or not you’re able to buy one in the first place.
As you’ll quickly find out, though, laptop prices tend to be all over the place. Some laptops will cost you just a few hundred bucks, while others will run you several thousand dollars.
There are many different factors that will come into play when it comes to answering the question, “How much does a laptop cost?” You should consider each of them before you even think about buying and owning a laptop.
Find out about the factors that’ll help to determine laptop prices below.
Laptop Type
One of the first things that you’re going to discover when you begin shopping for laptops is that there are many different types of laptops available today.
Most people will be able to get away with buying little more than a general purpose laptop. This type of laptop is going to be on the more affordable side, and it’ll do almost everything that the average person needs it to do.
But there are also more specific types of laptops out there that you should consider when you’re going to be buying one. Some of the most popular laptop types are:
- Small business laptops
- Gaming laptops
- 2-in-1 laptops
- Ultraportable laptops
- ThinkPad laptops
The answer to the question, “How much does a laptop cost?”, will be largely based on the type of laptop that you buy. The more advanced that a laptop is, the more it’s going to cost you.
Laptop Brand
Laptop sales top $100 billion on an annual basis. With this in mind, it shouldn’t come as a huge shock to hear that there are lots and lots (and lots!) of laptop brands trying to cash in on the laptop craze.
In a perfect world, you should try buying a laptop from a trusted brand like Lenovo that has earned a reputation for producing high-quality laptops. You might have to pay a little bit more for a laptop from a brand like this. But you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you have a laptop from a great brand.
Lesser-known laptop brands might be able to extend lower prices on their laptops. But it could come at a cost to you in the end. These laptops might not last you very long and might not have all the features that you need in them.
Laptop Size
Once upon a time, most laptops were the same general size. But nowadays, you can find laptops that are almost any size that you want.
There are some laptops that are thin and ultraportable. There are others that are very large and on the heavier size.
There is a case to be made for buying both of these types of laptops. But you should know that the laptop size that you choose could have an impact on what you’ll pay for a laptop.
If you settle on a laptop that has a big screen but is very thin and light, it could cost you a pretty penny. If you buy one that has a small screen and is somewhat heavy, it could provide you with a much better deal.
It’ll be up to you to decide what size laptop is going to work best for your specific purposes. It’ll give you a better idea as to what one is going to cost you.
Laptop Features
A big part of the reason why it’s so hard to come up with an average laptop cost is because all laptops have very different features found in them these days. It makes it almost impossible to say what a laptop is going to cost you definitively.
As a result, you’re going to have to think long and hard about which features you want to find in a laptop so that you’re able to inch your way closer to determining what one will cost you. The more high-tech features that you want in a laptop, the more you can expect to pay for it.
Things like a big hard drive and an ultrafast processor are going to make the cost of a laptop go up. So you should give some serious thought as to whether you need these kinds of features in advance.
Your best bet will be to make a long list of features that you would like to find in a laptop. You can use this list to shop around for a laptop so that you can get a better sense of what it’ll cost you.
Laptop Performance
From the moment that you start using a laptop, you’re going to want for it to be able to keep up with you at all times. You don’t want to buy a laptop that’s going to lag on you and struggle to deliver the kind of performance you expect.
This source can teach you all about what makes laptop performance so important. It can also help to break down why you should look for a laptop that’s going to give you the kind of performance you would expect.
You might have to spend just a little bit extra on a laptop that can give you the performance that you need. But it’ll be money well spent once you see just how much faster this type of laptop can work.
Laptop Warranty
Just about all laptops come with some kind of warranty on them in this day and age. This warranty will provide a new laptop with protection and ensure that you don’t get stuck footing the bill for any repairs that need to be made to it.
But it’s worth noting that not all laptop manufacturers include the same kinds of warranties on their products. Some will only offer you a very limited warranty on a laptop when you buy it.
The good news is that laptops with these kinds of warranties on them tend to be on the inexpensive side. But the bad news is that they’re also not usually going to last you for too long without starting to show signs of trouble.
It would, therefore, be worth spending just a little bit more money on a laptop with a better warranty. Even though it’ll increase the price that you pay for a laptop, it’ll give you peace of mind as you move forward with it.
Laptop Seller
Something as simple as where you buy a laptop from could have an impact on the answer to the question, “How much does a laptop cost?” If you buy it at one place versus another, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars on it.
You should always begin by seeing how much a laptop brand sells a laptop for itself. But from there, you should also shop around at different online and brick-and-mortar stores to see what other places sell a laptop for.
You might be able to get yourself access to a better deal on a laptop by taking this approach to buying it. You might also be able to earn yourself a better warranty on a laptop through the store that you buy it from.
Laptop Sales
There are certain times of the year that are better than others when it comes to buying a laptop. If you buy a laptop on Black Friday, it’ll typically cost you less than it would if you were to buy it on a random day in the middle of May.
For this reason, you should search for laptop sales when you know that you’re going to be buying one. By waiting just a few weeks to purchase a laptop, you should save yourself a nice chunk of change.
You should also conduct a quick search for laptop coupons and/or rebates before buying a laptop online or in a store. You might be surprised to see how much money you could save by putting a promo code to good use.
So, How Much Does a Laptop Cost? It All Depends on These Factors
It can be tricky trying to answer the question, “How much does a laptop cost?” As you’ve discovered here, there are just so many factors that go into it.
Everything from the type of laptop that you buy to the time of year when you purchase a laptop is going to change the laptop prices on you. It’s why you should carefully consider each and every one of these factors prior to setting out to spend money on a laptop. It’ll give you a much better idea of what a laptop is going to run you.
Get more great tips on buying a laptop by reading through the rest of the articles on our blog.
