InvestWisely When Buying a Laptop Computer
Have you priced a
laptop computer lately? Buying a new laptop is a big investment;
and just how big of an investment you want to make is entirely up
to you. Look in your Sunday newspaper flyers to see countless
models on sale each week. Initially selections were made by looking
at the specifications and the general appearance. However thats not
the sole criteria any longer. Everyday more and more people are now
stepping inside the mobile world. With so many models of laptops
now available, how can you be sure about the choice you make? Below
are several factors you should consider: CPU (Central Processing
Unit), Video Card, hard disk, noise, battery life and RAM (Random
Access Memory).
CPU is the main component which determines the performance of your
computer and also the heating and the battery life. There is a
trade-off between the CPU performance and the battery-life and
power consumption (heating). If you want a laptop which would
replace a desktop and if you are not planning to travel with it a
lot then there are several different offers with desktop CPUs
integrated in the laptop main board (such as a P4).
If you are fond of mobility and are going to use your new laptop
for your business purposes or school, then you should consider
buying a laptop with more suitable CPUs. AMD Athlon can be a
solution: Athlon processors are designed for users who are looking
for economical solutions, both purchase and usage. Older models of
Athlon are no where near Intel Pentium products from the point of
performance, and yet new models like 2800+ are potent enough to
compete with P4 2.8 GHz.
There is one more model of CPU that many of the customers prefer:
Centrino. Centrino is the new attempt of Intel to balance the
tradeoff between the performance and mobility issues. With the 2 MB
second level cash, the Pentium CPU is modified for the laptop which
eases the burden of the CPU and implicitly pulls down the levels of
heating and power consumption.
RAM and the graphic card are also two important factors for the
quality of the laptop. There are two kinds of RAM on the market: SD
RAM and DD RAM. In any case, there is no tradeoff, no comparison:
DD RAM is better, and yet, you still have to be careful about the
clock specification of the RAM. If you buy a RAM with 333 MHz clock
speed, you will see the performance improvement it supplies to the
whole system. Another thing to consider is that some computers have
512 MB RAM with two slots (256 x 2) which is not very good for the
new laptop you are going to buy. Overall, if you want a good
laptop, you should consider one equipped with a 333 MHz, 512 MB, DD
RAM.
There are various video cards on the market today. The first thing
you should check is the ON-Board specification in the video card.
These cards are integrated into the main board and generally use
your main RAM as for the video memory. If you are going to use your
laptop for general purposes, not for gaming or 3-D design which
would require 3D hardware acceleration, these laptops with onboard
video card are for you. However, if you are a professional Counter
Strike player, you would be disappointed with the screen delays and
freezes.
The last technical detail is the hard disk. While buying a hard
disk there is a detail which is much more important then the
capacity: RPM. Rotation Per Minute determines how fast the data
transfer rate is to the CPU to be processed so this specification
also plays a huge role while dealing with multimedia stuff.
So if youre in the market for a new laptop computer, one suggestion
is to consider buying a Centrino laptop with an onboard video card
with a big RAM if you are planning to use it for school or business
purposes and also randomly for movies and music. Nevertheless,
Pentium computers with AGP or PCI Express video off-board video
cards would give you the performance of a desktop if you dont mind
the weight, noise and the heating of the laptop.
With so many decisions to make, take your time; do your homework
and invest wisely.
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