
SSD: Otherwise known as a “solid-state drive.” You’ll store your files on these the same way you would on a more traditional hard drive, but SSDs can make accessing those files faster, and they’re less prone to damage if you drop your laptop.The M1 can be found in Apple’s sub-$1,500 laptops, while the new M1 Pro and M1 Max offer more speed to those who can afford it. Meanwhile, Apple now uses its own processors in all of its new laptops. AMD is gaining ground with its Ryzen mobile processors, ranging from the Ryzen 3 series (most basic) to the high-powered Ryzen 7 series. Many new models use Intel’s latest, 11th-generation CPUs, from i3 (the most basic) to i9 (the most powerful). Intel and AMD make nearly all of the CPUs in Windows laptops. CPU: A laptop’s brain, also known as the processor.


You’ll generally want at least 8GB, but get as much as you can afford. RAM: Think of this as a laptop’s working memory.
