What to Consider When Buying a Laptop in Ghana

Everyone can attest to the fact that computers have become a very vital part of our livelihood. We use different forms of computers in many different ways daily, sometimes without even noticing it.

Even though having a personal computer has somewhat become a requirement for our daily life routine, choosing the right one is another matter.

Meanwhile, in Ghana, there are a lot of trusted shops like Franko phones, CompuGhana, computerLand, and many others you can go to to get quality laptops like hp, MacBooks, Dell, etc.

However, you cannot just walk into these shops without knowing what exactly you want. There are so many factors to consider when buying a computer, like your budget, computer speed, PC storage, etc. 

Although your PC requirements needs may be different from someone else, having a fair idea of these factors will allow you to make a reasonable trade-off whenever you want to buy a good system. 

This is why today, we are doing a guide for you to simplify the process and help you consider some key factors anytime you plan to buy a laptop in Ghana.

Here are some key factors to consider when buying a personal laptop in Ghana.

Check your budget for the laptop

The first and most important thing to consider is your budget. You must know beforehand how much you are willing to invest in the system. It is arguably one of the most difficult stages for anyone looking to buy a laptop.

This is because, at any price point within your budget range, you can purchase a laptop. However, you should know that a smaller budget may correspond to getting lower PC components like RAM, Hard drive, battery capacity, etc, and a shorter lifespan.

Therefore, if you want to get a laptop you will want to be using for at least two (2) years or more, I’m recommending an initial budget of GHS 1,300 to GHS 1800.

However, if you still don’t want to spend much on a laptop, it’s advisable to buy a buying a system with a slightly higher spec than the cheapest model on the market.

What purpose will the laptop serve?

Yes, purpose. Most of the time people buy computers without actually giving the reason why they want to invest in the system.

You should set your mind clear on what you want to use the system for. This will help you determine the best computer to go in for. 

A software developer may need a higher RAM as compared to a graphic designer who will need a higher VRAM or an accountant who may only need higher storage.

For graphic designers & computer programmers, I usually recommend going for a MacBook Pro or a windows surface PC. 

These are newly built laptops with very high processors; MacBooks use the M1 processor while the surface uses an AMD Ryzen 5-7 processor. Usually, they come with a RAM of up to 64GB and rich resolution/ graphics that can handle high-intensity applications for your projects.

For normal users like me, who love to write blogs and watch movies, I could go for a cool “office-type” Asus or Acer notebook with an 8GB RAM a 500GB storage, and an intel i5 processor computer which could serve me for about 2-3 years. 

Be 100% sure about the Specs

This is where it becomes difficult for anyone looking to purchase a laptop. It may look easy at first but very tricky. Let’s get started. 

Getting a laptop with the right specs depends on three(3) things. They are; speed, storage, and graphics. 

Sometimes a trade-off has to occur to get a fair deal because going for a higher requirement for all might lean heavily on your budget.

Speed

You see, it’s 2022 and applications are coming with high processing power. That means new applications in the future will require even a much higher processing speed.

At least 8gig RAM with An intel i5 5th gen processor or AMD equivalent.

Graphics

At least 2gig VRAM or AMD equivalent 

To check the graphics property of your laptop on windows, Go to Run >>input DXDIAG >>run >>Direct x tool will open>> navigate to Display to see something like this.

Storage

Once again, it’s 2022 & new applications are making their way to the cloud. It is only reasonable to trade off higher storage for higher graphics or speed. At least 500GB -1TB storage is enough to make room for cloud investments.

Conclusion

Anytime you want to buy a laptop in Ghana, consider these three (3) things, it will guide you on how to get the perfect system for your projects.

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