Written by Deanne
Edited on
15 September 2026
·
11:10
Advice on the speed class of a laptop
Based on a number of different specifications, we've divided the speed class of a laptop into 3 categories: basic, mid-range, and high-end. In this article, we'll tell you want you can expect from the laptop speed.
How do we determine the speed class?
We determine the laptop speed class based on the processor and RAM. The processor is the 'brain' of a laptop and determines what kind of tasks you can run. The RAM determines how fast you can run those tasks. The more powerful the processor and the higher the RAM, the faster the laptop is.
Basic
Laptops with basic speed are mostly suitable for daily and light tasks. You can only browse the internet, process texts, or watch movies and series. With basic speed, you can only work with 1 program at a time. Choose a higher speed class if you use multiple programs at the same time.
A basic laptop has:
- An Intel Core i5, Core 5, Ultra 5, or AMD Ryzen 5 processor or lower
- An Apple M1 chip
- 4 to 8GB RAM
Mid-range
Laptops with mid-range speed are suitable for medium demanding to demanding tasks and light multitasking. You can smoothly work with light graphic tasks like photo editing in programs like Adobe Photoshop. You can also edit short videos in programs like Adobe Premiere Pro. In addition, you can work in large spreadsheets and make presentations. Smoothly work with multiple programs at the same time as well. If you perform demanding graphic tasks and often work in multiple demanding programs at the same time, you need high-end speed.
A mid-range laptop has:
- An Intel Core i5/7, Core 5/7 or AMD Ryzen 5/7 processor
- An Apple M2 chip
- 8 to 32GB RAM
High-end
Laptops with high-end speed are suitable for demanding tasks and demanding multitasking. You can smoothly work with demanding graphic tasks. Edit large photo and video files in programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro, for example. In addition, you can work in many demanding programs at the same time.
A high-end laptop has:
- An Intel Core i7, Core 7, Ultra 7, AMD Ryzen 7 processor, or higher
- An Apple M2 chip or higher
- 16GB or higher
Article by Deanne
Laptop Expert.
