Does it use an nvme ssd ? If so integrate nvme drivers in the boot . wim <| sep |> Something that is quick responding and functional Aim at an SSD drive with a processor on the i 3 ballpark and 8 GB RAM . Not planning on gaming more than some old WoW emulators and another 2003 game Then ignore Nvidia ATI GPUs . You ' ll likely be happy and save money with a plain IntelHD card , which might help you save on battery too . Will be spending a lot of time traveling in Latin America , and want something to build lesson plans high functionality You ' ll likely need a light laptop for mobility , so a 13 inch might suit you . As for high funcionality , what are you talking about exactly ? Lesson plans seem like something you do with excel or powerpoint , and most laptops will run that with a hand behind their back . Still , aim at an i 3 or i 5 processor . Price range the cheaper the better , but could go up to about 800 A 13 inch work laptop i 3 will likely fit in that budget .