The purchase of any equipment requires a serious approach, because it will serve us for more than one year. When choosing a laptop, it is not enough to be guided only by its physical characteristics.
(size, weight and ergonomics), it is important to pay attention to the technical parameters.
Depending on the purpose for which you purchase a laptop, these figures may vary, thereby narrowing the range of suitable models. Let's move on to the consideration of specific indicators, which will play a decisive role in choosing a model.
The most important parameters of laptops:
Screen size and matrix
Obviously, working on a laptop with a large screen will be quite convenient. The display with a diagonal of 15.4 - 17 inches is perfect for watching movies and working with text documents. But if you often have to take a laptop with you on trips, then a bulky model will create a lot of inconvenience. In this case, a model with a 10-12-inch display will be much more convenient. In this case, you need to pay attention to the screen resolution. For office models, the XGA extension will be enough, but if you plan to work with graphics or devote a lot of time to games, then the WUXGA extension will be the most preferable.
Speaking about the characteristics of the display, we should mention the properties and purpose of the matrix. It is the matrix that is responsible for the image quality, at the moment the matrix can be manufactured using one of three technologies. The most accessible, low cost technology is TN (Twisted Nematic). A TN-based display will have low power consumption and a good response time, but the overall picture quality leaves much to be desired. Due to the low color rendering and contrast ratio, watching movies or working with graphics will be very difficult. most suitable settings for a home laptop has a display made using MVA technology (Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment). In this case, the contrast will be on the level, and the color reproduction is excellent, and the viewing angle is quite suitable for working with video and graphics. Matrices made using IPS (In Plane Switching) technology are considered the best. Due to the rather high cost and strong power consumption, they have not received due popularity and are used mainly for professional purposes.
Regardless of the type of matrix, manufacturers can use additional coatings to improve picture quality. They not only increase the brightness of the image, but also protect against glare. If the monitor is matte and has a purple tint, then it has a reliable anti-reflective coating and can be considered quite safe and comfortable to work with.
Battery
Since one of the main advantages of a laptop is its mobility, battery life becomes one of the most important factors when choosing. Most models are designed for 2 hours of operation at an average load, and the most common type of battery is Li-Ion. For some models, an operating time of 8 hours is indicated, but it should be understood that in this case we are talking about a load below the average. If you want to insure yourself in case of a sudden laptop shutdown, it is better to immediately purchase an additional battery.
CPU
The most important part of any PC, including a laptop. The main indicator of the processor is the clock frequency, it determines the number of operations that the processor can perform per unit of time. The higher the clock frequency, the higher the speed of the computer. A model with a frequency of 1 GHz is suitable for the office, but for running games and graphic editors, the clock frequency must be at least 2 GHz. Intel models remain the undisputed leaders among processors, providing, along with a high clock frequency, low power consumption. AMD processors do not lag behind them, attracting buyers with a low cost compared to Intel.
Undoubtedly, it is worth giving preference to a model with a high clock speed of the processor. After all, the development of software does not stand still, and after a couple of years, the frequency indicator, which at the time of purchase was considered optimal, may not meet the requirements of modern programs.
Motherboard
The fact is that this is one of the few devices that excludes the replacement procedure. The motherboard is built into the laptop during assembly, and you cannot replace it. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to the presence of additional slots that allow you to increase the RAM. If the motherboard provides at least one slot (two are better), then you will have enough room for upgrading.
Winchester (hard drive)
This is the main storage medium, the volume of which directly affects the amount of data that can fit in your laptop. If a 40 GB hard drive is enough for office computers, then for a home laptop the volume should be at least 200 GB. Hard drive parameters also affect the cost of the model, but at the same time, a large hard drive will save you from additional expenses in the future. You do not have to buy additional removable drives and spend money on flash media in order to save an archive of photos or record your favorite movies. Changing a hard drive is far from always available, since the hard drives that come with laptops have different indicators than hard drives for PCs.
RAM
This is another indicator that characterizes the performance of the model. For comfortable full-fledged work, the laptop's RAM should be at least 256 MB. If you plan to run resource-intensive applications (new games or graphics programs), then the minimum RAM should be 512 MB. If the motherboard provides slots for memory cards, then in the future you can easily upgrade your laptop and install the RAM you need.
Video adapter
All laptops come with an integrated graphics card. options which affect both the cost and the capabilities of the model. The more powerful the video adapter, the higher the image quality, and the more opportunities for working with video and photo resources. It is worth noting that graphics card settings are one of the most important indicators for fans of computer games.
Sound card
As for the sound adapter, there are no specific differences here. Absolutely all laptops are equipped with a standard sound card that allows you to play any audio files. Sometimes a laptop may have built-in speakers, but they have very little power and cannot replace a full-fledged audio system. If the sound card provides an audio output, then you can connect speakers or headphones to the laptop.
Keyboard and touchpad
If you work a lot with text documents, then the laptop keyboard should be as comfortable as possible. Here you should pay attention to the size of the keys, which may be smaller than on a standard keyboard due to the compactness of the laptop. Sometimes part of the keyboard can be full-sized, while the other part has a reduced key format, which is also not very convenient.
Instead of the usual mouse manipulator, laptops have a special touch panel; when buying, you need to test it for sensitivity. Some models may have a small joystick, which is also quite convenient to use. But if these devices seem unusual to you, you can always buy a regular mouse and work with a familiar manipulator.
Communication options
Modern laptop models certainly have a built-in modem, a standard network card, and a Wi-Fi module. Thanks to these components, you will be able to connect to the Internet (including using wireless technologies), connect your laptop to a local network and, if necessary, expand its capabilities.
I/O ports
The presence of ports allows you to connect additional devices to the laptop. Naturally, the more ports, the more devices you can connect. There must be a USB port (it is better if there are at least three of them). This is a universal port used to connect a wide variety of devices: keyboard and mouse, printer, scanner, flash drives, and removable storage media. If the laptop is equipped with a Bluetooth module, you can easily connect a cell phone, wireless keyboard and mouse, which are very popular. The PCMCIA port allows connection of a number of peripheral devices: additional RAM, fax, modem, hard drive and other devices.
Case parameters and weight
The weight and size of the laptop is affected by the set of components, display options and the material from which the body is made. If you plan to use a laptop at home, then weight will not play a decisive role in choosing. But if you often have to take it with you on trips, then you should think about purchasing a mobile lightweight model, the weight of which should not exceed 5 kg. It should be understood that the metal case is much more reliable than the plastic one. Only he can ensure the security of internal devices.
These are the main points that you should pay attention to when choosing a laptop model. If you have any doubts about a particular indicator, you should seek the advice of specialists. Only they can help you understand the variety of computer innovations and make the right choice.