Investing On A Laptop For Online Jobs? Look For These Specs, Says Work-From-Home Moms

If you’ve decided that you want to work from home, having the right equipment for your home office setup can make any job smoother and make you more productive in the long run. One of the gadgets you’ll need is a laptop or a desktop, but if you have a limited budget, how do you ensure that your purchase is a worthwhile investment?

Laptop buying guide

According to Filipina Homebased Moms (FHMoms), an organization that aims to assist and support Filipina mothers in their freelancing journey, more than the brand of the laptop or desktop, what you should be looking at are the specifications or specs, which determines the performance of your gadget when running multiple programs that you’ll need for work. Employers or clients would likely be asking for these specifications or would have minimum requirements when considering you for a job.

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Laptop specs for work from home

Here are the specs you should consider when buying a laptop or desktop:

For general office use (including light graphics design, Canva, Opeo, Google Suite, etc)

• Processor: For Intel-based laptops, the minimum requirement for most jobs would be Core i3 or Core i5 chips. But mom MK Bertulfo, the founder of FHMoms, recommends a Core i5 chip or AMD FX-8350. AMD Ryzen 5 can also be considered an equivalent of Core i5 chips.
• Ram: At least 4GB to 8GB is needed
• Storage: At least 1TB Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD) or 1TB Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Graphics Card (GPU): At least 512MB video memory or higher
• Operating System (OS): Windows 10 Home or Pro; Macintosh OS 10.11 or higher

If you’re heavy on graphic design and video editing and rendering

• Processor: Core i7 chip
• Ram: Minimum of 8 GB to 32 GB
• Storage: 1 TB SSHD or 1 TB HDD with 128 SSD or 1 TB HDD with 256/512 SSD
• GPU: GTX1050TI or higher
• Display: 15 inches to 17 inches
• OS: Windows 10

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Choose a laptop for online jobs

There are many reputable mall-based stores where you can buy your gadgets, including PC Express, Octagon, VillMan Computers, and brand stores like Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP, and more. They also have their online store counterparts in Lazada and Shopee. You can also consider Kimstore, a popular online gadget store known for its low prices.

A reminder about gadgets: Always make sure to ask about manufacturer’s warranty, which will cover repairs for any defects or electrical failures.

Here are some laptop models starting at Php26,500 that will meet the minimum requirements of most employers or clients.

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Acer Travelmate TMP249-G3-M-36PS (Php26,500)

• Processor: Core i3
• RAM: 8 GB DDR4
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home

Lenovo Ideapad S145-14API-81UV004LPH (Php26,995)

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 with integrated AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• OS: Windows 10 Home

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R1HQ (Php29,999)

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 with integrated Radeon Vega 8 Graphics
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB HDD + 256 GB SSD
• OS: Win 10 Home

Acer Aspire 5 A514-52G-32K1 (Php29,999)

• Price: Php29,999
• Processor: Core i3
• GPU: Nvidia GF x 250 2GB
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 1 TB HDD with 128GBSSD
• OS: Windows 10

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Acer TravelMate P249-G3-M-38PF (Php30,500)

• Processor: Core i3
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home 64-bit

Lenovo Yoga 520-141KB-81C800K6PH (Php30,995)

• Processor: Core i3
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage: 1 TB HDD
• OS: Win 10 Home

Acer Travelmate TMP249-G3-MG52YP (Php34,500)

• Processor: Core i5
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home

Asus X409UAFJ-FT851T (Php34,995)

• Processor: Core i5
• GPU: Nvidia GF MX230 2 GB
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 512 GB SSD
• OS: Win 10 Home

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Acer Travelmate TMP2410-G2-M-55CR (Php36,500)

• Processor: Core i5
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home

Acer TravelMate TMP249-G3-M-51MM (Php37,500)

• Processor: Core i5
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home

Huawei Matebook D15 Notebook (Php37,900)

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce MX250
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB HDD with 256 GB SSD
• OS: Win 10 Home

Asus Vivobook S53OUN-BQ138T (Php38,995)

• Processor: Core i5
• GPU: NVidia GeForce MX150 2GB
• RAM: 8 GB
• Storage: 1 TB
• OS: Win 10 Home

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Some moms recommend building your own desktop (meaning you can customize each spec requirement) in computer stores (like the ones located in Gilmore), which can be a cheaper option compared to buying a desktop or laptop package.

Apart from these computer requirements, you might also need to invest in the following for your home office setup:

• Wired Internet connection
• Headset with noise cancellation (for jobs with calls or online teaching) or earphones for interviews and meetings
• Speaker (optional)
• Smartphone or tablet (optional)
• Printer (optional)
• Wireless Internet connection (optional)
• Backup power source (optional)
• Office chair and table (optional)

Good luck, moms and dads!

For a complete list of the things you need to prepare for online jobs, click here.

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