Five Laptop Features that Matter Most
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Laptops range in price and function from a simple $299
Netbook to a $2,999 maxed-out portable gamer machine.
Unfortunately, buying one can mean deciphering technical
jargon and comparing hundreds of specifications. Yet, this
complex task can be boiled down to just a handful of key
factors, that aside from weight and battery life, are CPU,
GPU, HDD, RAM, and some carefully selected, Extras. Follow
our simple pointers to cut through the guesswork so you can
choose the laptop that is best for you, your wallet, and
your sanity. |
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1. CPU (Processor |
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Find a CPU
that suits your type of use, rather than just opting for the
most speed.
While it was once a matter of more = better, manufacturers
now design processors not only for optimum speed, but also
for different kinds of tasks. This purpose-driven
development means that two processors of equal speed can
perform differently depending on the type of work you are
doing. If you anticipate some serious video editing or need
to have lots of apps running at the same time
(multitasking), you’re safest going with the Intel Core i7.
For everyday computing, the Core i3 or Athlon NEO X2 will
suffice. There are many families of processors available,
and each is tailored to a specific type of use. There is
even a whole set of processors commonly found in Netbooks
where long battery life is a high priority. To get a better
lay of the land, have a read of our
in-depth look at prevailing CPU technologies. |
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2. GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) |
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Fraught
with positives and negatives; Assess your needs to pinpoint
the right balance.
Graphics processing is a big factor in price, battery life,
and performance. The main technologies are integrated
graphics and discrete graphics. The average user, word
processing and net surfing for instance, will be quite happy
with the Intel HD Graphics integrated solution that comes
standard on many laptops. However, HD movies and games call
for more robust discrete graphics such as the Nvidia GTX -
at a cost of reduced battery life and increased price. Some
technologies, like Nvidia Optimus and AMD Hybrid, allow the
user to turn the discrete graphics on or off depending on
the planned task, but will likely exacerbate the price
quandary. |
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3. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) |
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SSD is the
next big thing, and so is the price. A standard HDD could do
the job.
For a long time, the only real choice to make
with regard to hard drives was capacity: The average user
could save a few bucks by going with lower capacity, while
the media-focused user needed to consider increasing
storage. That changed when SSD, Solid State Drives, hit the
market. SSDs have a sizeable speed, noise, and security
advantage over their predecessors, but these come at a very
drastic price disadvantage. For instance, we found a 500GB
HDD suitable for any music buff priced at $199. By contrast,
an SSD of just half that capacity will set you back $699. If
your data storage requirements are on the low side and you
have the bucks, we recommend you consider SSD, otherwise go
with the highest capacity hard disk drive you can afford. Of
course, there's always the "cloud." |
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4. RAM (Memory) |
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RAM can be a bottleneck or a floodgate. Buy enough, but not
too much, yet.
Tasks like editing video require moving lots of data around,
which means you’ll need more RAM. If you’re doing this kind
of work, you may also consider DDR3 RAM, which can move more
and move it faster than the norm, saving you time. If you
are like us, however, and just surf Retrevo all day, 4GB of
DDR2 RAM will do just fine. The key to look out for here is,
upgradeability, or the maximum amount of RAM the system can
accommodate. As time ticks by and your needs change, the
ability to add extra RAM will extend the useable lifetime of
your laptop greatly. Here's a tip; RAM is one of the easiest
and cheapest upgrades that you can even do yourself. You can
often save a few bucks on the initial purchase price and add
memory later. |
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5. Extras |
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Don’t plan for every eventuality, instead, add-on extras
only when necessary.
Inevitably, you will find yourself debating multiple extras
and weighing the pros and cons of each against the other
major factors. It becomes very easy in this situation to try
to squeeze in more features that seem useful or could “come
in handy.” Instead, you should focus only on what you need
now. Extras like built-in mobile broadband and fingerprint
scanners, for instance, will provide a layer of security and
keep you connected to your business network from nearly
anywhere, but each come with serious sacrifices in weight,
battery life, and price. In reality, you can add most
built-in extras via USB connections, later, on an as-needed
basis, so why not wait until then to buy them? |
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Summary |
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Ultimately, you cannot consider all the positives and
negatives of every feature. You might wonder about weight,
battery life, screen size, etc, but these are just ancillary
to the factors mentioned. You are better off focusing on the
cake, than agonizing over the crumbs. Remember, if you try
to get everything right, you will end up getting something
wrong. |
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