How to choose a laptop: budget, work and gaming in 2026

Choosing a laptop looks hard, because the catalogue has dozens of models at the same price with descriptions that look alike. In fact the difference can be seen in a few lines: the processor type, the memory size, the storage size and the screen panel. The Dona catalogue currently has 128 laptops, from 4,608,000 to 62,640,000 UZS. Below we explain how to read those four lines.

First, ask yourself#

A laptop is bought for one of three jobs, and the choice starts there.

The most common mistake is a person from the first row buying a laptop from the third row. A gaming laptop is heavy and hot and its battery runs down fast; it is awkward to carry to class.

The letters in the processor name#

Two different kinds of processor show up in budget laptops, and they are not the same. N-series models such as the Intel N100 and the Core i3-N305 and i3-N355 use little power and are cheap. They are enough for a browser, text and video, but slow down when dozens of windows are open at once. Models without an N in the name and with a U at the end, for example the i3-1305U and i5-1334U, are noticeably faster and meant for everyday work. Models ending in H (the i5-13420H) are the most powerful, and they are often found in gaming laptops.

One practical tip: if an N-series laptop with 16 GB of memory and a U-series laptop with 8 GB are at the same price, the second one is more comfortable for people who work with many windows.

Memory and storage are hard to change later#

In many new laptops the memory is soldered to the board and cannot be replaced. So buying an 8 GB model and planning to “add more later” can be a mistake. If the laptop is bought for several years, the 16 GB version works out cheaper in the long run.

For storage the rule is simple: 128 GB is too little today, 256 GB is the minimum, 512 GB is comfortable. One of the cheapest models in the catalogue has 128 GB of UFS storage. This is not an SSD but a slower type of memory; keep that in mind when comparing prices.

Screen: FHD and IPS are the two most important words#

FHD in the description means 1920x1080 pixels, while WUXGA is 1920x1200, which is taller and more comfortable for work. An IPS panel shows colours correctly even when you look from the side. If the description does not say IPS, it probably has a cheap TN panel that washes out when viewed at an angle. For gaming you need 144 Hz or 165 Hz; 60 Hz is enough for ordinary work.

Real prices (Dona, September 2026)#

Prices are taken from the app catalogue as of 11 September 2026. A seller can change a price at any time; the current price and availability are shown on the product page in the app.

• Lenovo V15 G6 ITN — Intel N100, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD — 4,608,000 UZS. The cheapest laptop in the catalogue.
• Acer Aspire Go 15 — i3-N355, 8 GB, 128 GB UFS — 5,256,000 UZS.
• Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15AMN7 — Ryzen 5, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD — 5,472,000 UZS.
• HP 15-fd0133wm — i3-N305, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD — 5,832,000 UZS.
• Acer Aspire Lite AL15-33P — i3-N355, 16 GB, 512 GB SSD, IPS — 6,408,000 UZS. 16 GB on a budget.
• HP 250 G9 (NK9) — i5-1334U, 8 GB, 512 GB SSD, IPS — 6,984,000 UZS.
• Lenovo ThinkBook 14 G6 — i5-13420H, 8 GB, 512 GB SSD, 14 inch — 7,920,000 UZS.
• HP Victus 15-fa2013dx — i5-13420H, RTX 3050, 512 GB SSD — 10,080,000 UZS. Entry level for gaming.
• Apple MacBook Air 13 (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — 13 inch, long battery life — 18,432,000 UZS.

If you use the laptop at a desk, adding an external monitor is the most noticeable upgrade: models are in the monitors section, and how to choose one is covered in the monitor buying guide. Memory type and size are explained in detail in the RAM guide.

Why a laptop is easier to buy in a live stream#

A laptop has many things a photo does not show: how much the body flexes, whether the keyboard is backlit, whether the screen washes out at an angle, what sound the fan makes. In a live stream the seller opens the lid, shows the screen from the side, presses the keys so you can hear them and counts the ports for you. You ask in the chat for what you need: “Is there HDMI?”, “Open the memory slot and show it”, “What is the charging power?”. This lets you find out in advance what the description does not say.