Whether you’re a student, a creative professional, a gamer or someone seeking a reliable work companion, there is a laptop for everybody. Moreso, with so many options to choose from when shopping for a new laptop, it seems like laptop computer technology is improving every second. You can help yourself stay ahead of the curve and choose wisely by narrowing down the type of laptop you need.

Some laptop types are defined by primary use, such as gaming laptops, which prioritize the elements needed to play popular video games—like a dedicated graphics card. Some types are based on specific design features, such as touchscreen laptops and 2-in-1 laptops, which combine some abilities of a tablet with traditional laptop features.

Whether if you are choosing the best laptop for a college student, looking for an ideal laptop for working from home or for a combination of work and play, you should start by making decisions about the type of design that will benefit you most. A touchscreen is very useful for photo editing and digital artwork tasks. However, it’s unnecessary for most other tasks. Similarly, if you’re mostly using your laptop for word processing or streaming movies, a gaming laptop with stellar specs might be heavier and less portable than you would like.

Once you’ve chosen a laptop type, you’ll want to think about what speed, memory, processing power and graphics capability you want. If you will be working with high volumes of data, you will want to prioritize processing speed and RAM. If you will mostly be using your laptop in one location, you can often get more storage and speed for less money by choosing a laptop with hard disk drive. But for a lightweight and highly portable laptop, consider choosing a laptop with solid state drive.

Don’t forget about battery life when making your decision. Some features will run through your laptop battery more quickly. For instance, a 4K UHD display laptop will give you great visuals, but it will also drain your battery more quickly than lower resolutions will. You might want to consider ENERGY STAR-certified laptops, which can benefit both you and the environment by running more efficiently.

Whether you are picking a gaming PC or a notebook computer for basic word processing, you should always take steps to protect your new device. Look into getting a laptop bag or case and review six ways to protect your laptop to learn more about recommendations for both physical protection and software security.