Optimal laptop characteristics for work. How to choose the right laptop: practical advice. Mandatory Intel Core i7

Any laptop user dreams that his gadget has maximum power, works quickly, smoothly, without creating any problems. So what determines the performance of laptops?

The speed of a laptop can be influenced by many different factors, including its configuration and proper maintenance, as well as proper operation of the equipment. We will tell you how to make your device much more productive and faster.

Firstly, the main attribute of good laptop performance is its processor. This is a microcircuit hidden in a plastic or ceramic case. Different types of laptop devices have different characteristics: number of cores, memory capacity, clock speed, etc. The larger the laptop's capacity and higher its frequency, the better it will perform.

If quite recently no one had heard of the concept of “multi-core processor,” now modern processors have two or more cores, and as a rare exception to the rule, the cheapest computer models are not the most popular. The more cores a processor has, the higher the performance of a given device will be. Do not forget about the need to maintain the processor; you must use good thermal paste for it and carry out regular maintenance, which increases both the performance and life of the laptop.

The second, no less important component that plays a role in performance is RAM. When you turn on your laptop, your data is loaded from the hard drive into the RAM, and only then does the processing of information begin in the central processor. Any program or tab opened by the user is written to RAM and only when you express a desire to save some information, the recording goes to the hard drive. Therefore, a large amount of memory is important for the smooth operation of a laptop. But, if you need, there is an opportunity to increase the RAM. Laptop components are sold everywhere; you can easily upgrade your laptop, giving it a second life.

In addition to RAM, you need to take a closer look at video memory, and here, a discrete video card would be an excellent choice.

The cooling system plays a vital role in the performance of a laptop and the normal course of its functioning processes. When buying a laptop, choose a model with good performance. The user must do regular maintenance of the laptop's cooling system to ensure that it does not overheat during prolonged use.

So, to summarize: if you need to buy a powerful laptop, pay attention to the parameters of the processor, RAM, video card, carry out regular maintenance of its main components, clean the cooling system, change the thermal paste on time, and your laptop will not let you down, serving faithfully long years.

Choosing a laptop for work is a pressing problem for a person who is forced to spend a lot of time at the computer and combine this with constant travel. In order for you to be able to work comfortably, we have formulated recommendations for selecting such a laptop, which will certainly pay for itself again and again.

What to rely on when choosing?

What should you pay attention to when choosing a laptop for work? Below are the main technical characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing a laptop:

Hard disk capacity
RAM
CPU frequency
Video card
Working hours
Availability of connectors for different purposes

If you don’t want to go into details, we offer you the optimal assembly of laptops for work:

What should be the size of the hard drive?

This parameter is especially important for designers, photographers, music video directors, etc. If you work mainly with office documents, then a large hard drive will only unnecessarily increase the price for something you will never use.

Hard drive capacity can be divided into three categories:

0-160 – work with documents.
160-500 – working with documents, working with images and videos in a small volume, watching and storing movies and music, computer games.
500-3000 – professional work with complex video and photo tools. Large amount of movie and music storage. Ideal for gamers, designers, architects, video makers, programmers.

For reference: a text of 40 pages fits in 150kb. On a regular laptop (500GB) you can fit around 3 and a half million documents, 40 pages each.

What kind of RAM should it be?

RAM is an equally important component. It largely determines how “fast” your laptop will work. This is where all the information that is used by the laptop at the “current moment” is stored.

Which choose a laptop for working with office documents? Laptop with at least 1400 MHz.

Integrated or discrete video card?

The video card is responsible for the quality of graphics. To watch TV series on the Internet, you will need a video card from almost any laptop. If your work involves image or video processing, or you are going to play modern demanding games on your laptop, then you need to choose a more powerful video card.

Most laptops use “integrated graphics cards” which help save power consumption. Such laptops are cheaper, but their parameters are quite sufficient for all basic purposes: office work, watching movies and various videos, playing games (at medium and low settings). Most Intel models have just such video cards. If you want to choose a cheaper laptop for work, we recommend that you pay attention to laptops with built-in graphics cards from Intel.

Discrete video cards (they are not built into the chipset) have more powerful performance, but they also cost more. In this case, it makes sense to overpay if you often work with graphics applications or videos, or if you are an avid gamer. Now on the market, the best of this series are considered to be ATI (AMD) Mobility Radeon series video cards and NVIDIA GeForce series.

If you want to know more about that, follow the link.

If the nature of your work involves constant travel or you simply have nowhere to charge your laptop, no matter where you are constantly away from home, then stock up on models with larger batteries that can withstand at least 6 hours of battery life. If you just want to work while lying on the sofa or in a chair on the balcony, where there is an outlet nearby, then you can take a less “hardy” laptop. Recommended time is at least 6 hours.

What connectors does a laptop need?

Determine for yourself what will need to be connected to the laptop during work. A mouse, an external hard drive, a couple of flash drives - this already requires at least four USB ports. Do you like to use an additional monitor? Check for the correct connector.

What else is important to check before finally choosing a laptop for work? We recommend that you test the laptop in use immediately upon purchase. Try typing some text and see how comfortable the keyboard is. Read something from the monitor to determine if your eyes are hard on you or if you are getting tired. Listen to the sound through the speakers. Also make sure that you have an optical drive - some models are already available without one.

Recommended characteristics of the optimal laptop for work

In our opinion, the most optimal criteria for choosing a laptop for work will be :

Hard disk capacity: 160 – 500
RAM: 4GB
Processor frequency: 2GHz – 3GHz
Video card: integrated from Intel
Working time: at least 6 hours
Availability of connectors for different purposes: 4 usb, Hdmi, monitor connector

Additional purchases: In addition to a laptop for work, we recommend immediately purchasing the following items: mouse, bag or case, installation discs with software, monitor wipes. I hope we helped you figure out how to choose a laptop for work.

Personal computers have become an integral attribute in our lives, like televisions, mobile phones, coffee makers and other household appliances. Previously, the abbreviation PC meant desktop computers, today it means laptops and laptops.

Owners of desktop computers, when upgrading their PCs, prefer multifunctional, compact and lightweight laptops

System units with monitors remain only in specially equipped places.

The buyer needs to make a difficult choice regarding the number of models and manufacturers that are presented on the market. The optimal choice for all parameters and configuration of your laptop can only be made by the future owner.

Important laptop parameters

There are a number of criteria for choosing a laptop. If you will actively use a laptop, then the most important thing when choosing is its purpose. Once you decide on its use, you can move on to the configuration. Choosing a laptop based on its characteristics is not easy.

According to their purpose, laptop computers can be divided into groups:

For home (small screen and basic set of tools: office applications, Internet mail). Compact, not heavy, moves freely around the living space;
For work (depending on the work). They are distinguished by their design, increased battery capacity (up to 12 hours), light weight and dimensions;
For games (large screen, powerful configuration, small battery life, stands on the table and almost never moves). Used instead of a desktop computer. It has a good monitor, a high-quality sound system, great weight and dimensions;

Users combine laptops according to their intended purpose, the balance is conditional, the decision depends on the owner. If you have enough money, it is better to buy several computers that will satisfy your needs and needs.

The second important parameter is the laptop configuration:

CPU. The processor in a laptop plays a vital role. The speed of processed information and, in general, the performance of the entire system depend on its power. Popular models are AMD and Intel.
It has been noticed that Intel processors work faster with office applications and programs

The AMD processor, due to the powerful built-in video adapter, works faster with games and video graphics

AMD or Intel is up to the owner to choose.

The AMD processor, due to its powerful built-in video adapter, works faster with games and video graphics.

Laptop diagonal. The size of the desktop depends on it. Monitors with a large diagonal are not suitable for business trips, but those with a small diagonal are suitable for watching movies. The laptop screen can be glossy or matte. Glossy monitors are used to visualize images; they optically increase contrast and color saturation (it’s nice to watch videos, play games). The problem with glossy monitors is glare from bright lighting. On matte screens the picture is visually worse, but they do not have reflections and the eyes are less tired; they are pleasant to work with. When choosing a diagonal and screen type, come to the store and choose which one suits you. Pay attention to the angle of the monitor. When working with a laptop on your lap, a roof opening angle of 130° or more will suit you;
RAM. To work normally with modern operating systems, you need at least 4GB of RAM. There is no such thing as too much RAM; the more you have, the less loaded the other computer components will be. When choosing a laptop, it is better to immediately purchase the required amount of memory. If you are buying for a possible upgrade, then pay attention to the expandability of the laptop. Please note that replacing or increasing RAM slots is not always easy (to get to the expansion slots, you have to disassemble the entire laptop). Due to the low price of RAM, equip your computer with all the necessary volume at once;
HDD. Huge information storage for a laptop is no longer relevant. Videos and music are available for online viewing on the Internet, working with documentation in the “clouds” is becoming commonplace, and photo storage is also external. It also makes no sense to install a hard drive less than 500 GB (for a gaming computer, the “weight” of the game is 15-30 GB and at least 10 GB for installation). For a hard drive, an important parameter is the type of HDD or SSD.
Solid-state SSD drives operate many times faster, are less noisy and generate less heat. But due to its price, it is not yet fully available to users;
Video card. It is needed for a gaming laptop. There are three types of it in a computer: built-in (built into the processor), discrete (separate device) and symbiosis (built-in and discrete at the same time). A built-in video card is used in home computers, and a discrete one in gaming ones. The simultaneous use of both video cards reduces the power consumption of the laptop (the built-in one works when working in office applications, the discrete one is turned on when working with powerful graphics editors and gameplay);
Availability of DVD drive, Wi-fi, Blutooth, necessary connectors. Laptop owners no longer use DVDs to store information and, accordingly, do not use DVD drives, but use flash drives. Before equipping your computer, determine whether you need it. If you need it, then pay attention to BlueRay drives with the ability to read any disc formats. When purchasing a laptop, make sure that it has all the necessary network tools on board for communication with the outside world and the necessary equipment (network card, Wi-fi and Blutooth adapters). As for the connectors, you can note USB (3-4 pieces should be enough, if there is a shortage, you can buy an additional splitter), D-SUB for connecting an external one - for connecting to LCD monitors. The rest, as a rule, are equipped as standard: audio output/outputs (one connector combined for headphones and microphone. It is better to take separately), card reader, and others;
Battery capacity. This parameter regulates the duration of the laptop operation. Accordingly, the larger it is, the longer the computer will work autonomously. A capacitive battery increases the weight of the laptop. Please note that the laptop’s performance without recharging, as specified by the manufacturer, is overestimated. As the batteries wear out, the operating time between charges decreases.
Keyboard and more. Here, when choosing, look and feel the buttons. They should not cause discomfort, with clearly marked symbols in two languages. The location of the buttons does not play a big role, you will get used to it over time. If you often use numbers, then a keyboard with a number pad may be suitable for you. On a keyboard without a block, the buttons are larger. The digital block is purchased as a separate device and connected to a USB connector. Standard keyboards have LED backlighting that can be turned off. Keyboards have a touchpad or multi-touch touchpad. The multi-touch touchpad allows you to operate it with two fingers. A high-quality camera has 1.5 million pixels. The sound quality on a laptop cannot be determined until you listen to it. The characteristics in the description will not say anything about this.

Laptop for home

A portable computer for the home is small in size, and thanks to its not average components, it has a long battery life.

Convenient: for study, transportation in public transport, business trips, vacations.

Based on the characteristics given in the section above, a laptop for the home is a highly mobile device. Waking up in the morning, you went to have breakfast, while simultaneously checking your email or news on the Internet.

The main characteristics for a home computer are considered to be basic power for working with office applications. The processor power is not high, the screen diagonal is from 10.1" to 15.6". RAM capacity is 2-4 GB, hard drive up to 200 GB. The video card is built-in.

Laptop for work

A laptop with a diagonal of 14" or 15.6" is suitable for work.

The laptop is equipped with a powerful configuration and can be used as a home laptop, and with a discrete graphics card installed, as a gaming laptop.

The screen diagonal allows you to perform typical tasks and participate in the gameplay, with undemanding software.

Laptop for gaming

For games, large-format monitors with a diagonal of 17.3" and higher are used. They are equipped with a powerful configuration. This type of laptop is expensive. They are considered large and heavy. They are not suitable for transportation. They are installed once and cannot be moved.

Used for viewing video files, powerful games and replaces a regular desktop computer

When working with graphical interfaces, gaming laptops make noise and get very hot. It is recommended to immediately purchase additional cooling stands for them. When working under load for a long time, without sufficient cooling, gaming laptops fail after 2-5 years.

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Laptops were invented so that computers could be used mobile, that is, they could be moved in space as simply and easily as possible. The mobility of any device imposes restrictions on its size and weight. Size restrictions force us to produce laptops with a much higher density of elements than conventional computers.

It is the high packaging density that creates the main difficulty in the manufacture of laptops. The fact is that all elements used in modern computers emit heat during operation. At the same time, the stability of operation of all components directly depends on the temperature regime - the hotter the element is, the less stable it operates and the shorter its lifespan.

In addition to heating, each element creates electromagnetic radiation, which also negatively affects the stability of neighboring elements. And the denser the arrangement of computer elements, the higher their mutual negative influence. Everything is aggravated by the fact that the current level of production of computer components does not allow the production of products with absolutely identical heat dissipation and thermal stability indicators. For example, central processors, even within the same production batch, have different heat dissipation rates.

Therefore, laptop manufacturers have to solve very difficult problems. It is necessary not only to properly design a laptop, but also to carefully select chips based on their heat dissipation and ability to operate stably at high temperatures. Therefore, the production of laptops is not only more expensive than conventional computers, but is also available only to a limited number of manufacturers. We are, of course, talking about good laptops.

Not everyone who sells laptops makes them themselves. For example, HP orders its laptops from OEM manufacturers. In order to buy a good laptop, you need to know two things:

Not all laptop sellers make them themselves.
Not everyone who makes laptops makes good laptops.

The ideal option is to buy a laptop from a seller (the company under whose label the laptop is sold) who produces them himself. Or from a seller who orders laptops from a good OEM manufacturer.

Laptop Specifications

Since a laptop is a mobile computer, its most important characteristics are:

Dimensions (size) - width, length, thickness (height). Smaller sizes make it easier to carry a laptop, for example mini laptops with a screen of 11.6 - 12 inches, can be carried in a regular women's or men's bag. A large laptop will have to be carried in a separate, special bag.
Weight. The lighter the laptop, the easier it is to carry.
Autonomy. This is the time that the laptop can operate on battery power, without being connected to the mains. If a laptop can last 4, 5 or even 6 hours on a single charge, this makes it much easier to use outside the home or office.

Thus, the defining parameters of a laptop are size, weight and battery capacity. In general, all other characteristics can be neglected.

However, in order to buy the best laptop, you need to start from the usage pattern of this laptop. If you plan to use a laptop for intensive work with documents, for example, you are an accountant, then, in addition to the three main parameters, you also need to take into account the screen size. Because the size of the image pixel depends on the physical size of the screen. The smaller the screen size, the smaller the dot size.

What does small screen dot size mean?

All image elements on the monitor screen will be very small. And if you need to work a lot with documents, then on a laptop with a small screen it will be harder on the eyes than on a laptop with a large screen.

Example. The Lenovo S205 laptop has a screen size of 11.6" (11.6 inches is the physical screen diagonal). And the Sony VPCEK2S1R laptop has a screen size of 15.5 inches. That is almost 4 inches (10 cm) larger. However, they have the same screen resolution - 1366 x 768 dots. Their screens contain the same amount of information, but the size of all elements (buttons, icons, letters) on the Sony VPCEK2S1R screen will be larger and, accordingly, working with text on such a screen will be easier and less tiring for the eyes. 17 inches, with the same resolution the image will be even larger, although most often on 17-inch screens a higher resolution is used, and the dot size is the same as on 15-inch screens.

And if you plan to work intensively on a laptop, then it might make sense to sacrifice the small size and get a more convenient screen in exchange.

If you are going to type a lot on a laptop, then you need to carefully look at such an option as the keyboard. Today there are two types of laptop keyboards:

“Old”, traditional - on it the keys are located closely and there are gaps between them right “inside” the laptop. In the top panel of the laptop case there is a large rectangular cutout into which the entire keyboard is inserted.
“Island” ones have been increasingly appearing on laptops in the last couple of years. The top panel of the laptop case has small cutouts for each key. In this case, the keys are located at intervals from each other.

“Island” keyboards are more convenient because it is more difficult to “miss,” that is, to press the adjacent key along with the desired one. And such a keyboard allows less dust into the laptop. And she looks more beautiful. In addition, the keys on a chiclet keyboard are more difficult to tear off because their bottom edges are inside the case.

Laptop performance

Laptop performance (working speed) depends on the following characteristics:

CPU frequency. The higher the processor frequency, the faster the laptop will work.
RAM size and RAM frequency. The larger the RAM, the faster the laptop will run. However, increasing the size of RAM affects speed non-linearly. The greatest tangible effect comes from increasing the memory size from 1 GB to 2 GB. But an increase from 2 GB to 4 GB already feels much weaker.
Disk read and write speed. It affects the speed of the laptop as much as the processor frequency. The hard drive, today, is the most “bottleneck” place in a computer. On mechanical hard drives, the linear read speed is slightly higher than 100 MB per second. And the recording speed is much lower. In real, working conditions, the read and write speed is only tens of megabytes per second. Good SSD (electronic) disks have read and write speeds two to three times higher than mechanical ones.

However, you need to understand that high performance affects the autonomy of the laptop. The more powerful the laptop, the less time it can run on battery power.

Inexpensive laptops

If there are strong financial restrictions, then first of all you need to consider Acer and Lenovo laptops. At the same time, it is better to buy a less stuffed Lenovo than an Acer with a more “tasty” filling if they have a similar price. With the same hardware, Lenovo will cost more than Acer.

Myths associated with laptops

Gaming laptop

Often salespeople in stores offer to buy a “gaming laptop”. There really are no such thing as gaming laptops. There are powerful laptops on which many games do not slow down. These are models with 2 or 4 core processors, 4 or 8 gigabytes of RAM and a discrete ATI-AMD or nVidia video card.

You need to understand that a gaming computer is not so much the amount of RAM as its frequency. Not so much the number of cores, but the frequency of these cores. 2 gigabytes of RAM with a frequency of 1.3 gigahertz and two cores with a frequency of 3 gigahertz is better than 4 gigabytes with a frequency of 800 MHz and four cores with a frequency of 2.4 GHz.

And for a gaming computer, the video card is very important, not by brand, but by performance. The sound card is also important. And the screen.

Due to the design limitations of laptops, it is impossible to install memory, processor and video cards that meet real gaming requirements. So, if someone tells you that this is a “gaming laptop,” then either he does not understand the issue or is deceiving you.

A powerful laptop is good

There are laptop models with a quad-core processor, an nVidia (or ATI) video card and 8 gigabytes of RAM. Windows 7 flies on this laptop. It's certainly nice. However, you need to understand that the price for this is brutal:

Heavy weight - usually such laptops weigh more than 3 kilograms.
Large size - usually these laptops are larger than 17 inches diagonally. It is more than 40 centimeters in length and about 30 centimeters in width.
Short battery life. If such a monster lasts three hours on the battery, that’s still good. Forget about going anywhere without a charger.

Big laptops are bad

By large laptops I mean not powerful laptops, but rather large ones, that is, 17-inch laptops. With a screen size of 17 inches. Not all laptops of this format are powerful monsters. There are also sane models, with built-in graphics and economical, cool processors. The autonomy of such a sane model can reach up to 4 hours. But size and weight, of course, cannot be helped, this remains. However, a laptop with a larger screen also has the advantage of larger images. And if the same matrix is used as on 15-inch screens, then the resolution is higher and, accordingly, there is more information on the screen.

There are situations when a large screen is more important than size and weight. For example, if you need to work a lot with documents on a laptop. So, a big laptop is not always a bad laptop.

Laptop cooling stand

When buying a laptop, sellers try to sell a bunch of other junk in addition. To “improve” the performance of the laptop. One of these useless gadgets is a laptop stand for cooling. Indeed, the laptop heats up and the heat generated by its components must be removed. But the stand won't help here.

The laptop body is usually made of plastic. The stands are also plastic. Plastic is a poor conductor of heat. In order for the temperature of the laptop to change through the stand, it needs to be made of something very cold. From ice, for example. If you place a laptop on a piece of ice, it will cool down even through the plastic case.

However, the idea of a laptop stand makes sense in some situations. If you place the laptop on some soft surface - a thick tablecloth on the table, a blanket on the bed, in this case it is better to put something flat and hard under it. To ensure that the ventilation holes in the laptop case are not blocked by fabric. But in such a situation, any solid, flat object of suitable size will do - a large book, a piece of plywood, a wooden cutting board from the kitchen, a piece of thick cardboard. There is no need to buy anything special.

Laptops by manufacturer

Personally, I divide all laptop manufacturers into two categories - the big four and everyone else. The Big Four are Lenovo, Sony, Asus, Samsung - companies that sell excellent laptops. Each of them has its own advantages, for example Sony are beautiful laptops, and Lenovo is the cheapest of the four. But in principle, you can buy any laptop from any of these four companies without going into details.

Everyone else is a pretty big list. Some of these "everyone else" make very good laptops, such as Toshiba, but from a pragmatic point of view, I personally see no reason to buy laptops from any label other than the top four.

I put Acer a little separately from “everyone else”; there is a very serious argument in its favor - low price. But it makes sense to buy Acer only if the price issue is primary and there is not enough money even for the cheapest laptop from the top four.

Lenovo laptops (Lenovo)

Although Lenovo is a Chinese company, it makes good laptops. The fact is that at the beginning of the 2000s, Lenovo bought the production of laptops from IBM. Factories, laboratories, personnel. So you can think of Lenovo laptops as IBM laptops, and they were good laptops. Discreet, not pretentious, perhaps even unprepossessing in appearance, but reliable and productive. Both the Ideapad and Thinkpad trademarks have been preserved since the days of IBM.

Ideapad laptops

A line of laptop models aimed primarily at home users and small businesses (SOHO sector). Price range from cheap to inexpensive. Almost all models in this line are priced under $1,000. Most models are priced under $700-$800.

Thinkpad laptops

A line of laptop models aimed primarily at the corporate market. More expensive and sophisticated than the Ideapad line. On models, these lines can be, for example, carbon fiber cases, fingerprint scanners, etc.

Overall, the Lenovo laptop is a very good choice. In terms of price, consumer characteristics and workmanship, probably no one else can argue with Lenovo. With the same hardware, Lenovo will be cheaper than Sony or Asus. And although it is more expensive than Acer, the quality of design and assembly is higher than that of Acer. In general, Lenovo is a laptop for those who value “travel” rather than “checkers.”

Sony laptops

Although Sony doesn’t make laptops itself, it doesn’t order them from just anyone - Samsung makes laptops for Sony, for example, and this is a high level of laptop production. So, buying a Sony laptop is a virtually risk-free option.

Vaio laptops

The Sony Vaio laptop is one of the best options in terms of workmanship and warranty period. And perhaps the best option in terms of appearance. Sony pays a lot of attention to the appearance of the devices it sells. Sony is not only about manufacturing quality, but also about visual and tactile pleasure of use. This applies most to white laptops. In fact, today only Sony offers a large selection of white laptops.

Black laptops do everything, but no matter how good a black laptop is, when you have a white one in your hands, it feels a little different. But the markup “per name” in this case is the highest.

However, Sony has a budget line of Sony Vaio models - the E series. These are models with the prefixes VPC-E (VPCE) And SVE. For example VPCEH2E1R, VPCEG1S1R, SVE1512D1RW. These models cost around $550 - $700 with a 24 month warranty. Sony Vaio E series is a very good option - high quality at an affordable price. However, with a caveat - it is better to look for white models. The black ones are no worse, you can just buy the black one from Lenovo, and it will be either a little cheaper or a little more stuff for the same money.

Note 2015. Sony has sold its laptop business to another Japanese company. And for now the release of new models has been suspended. But Sony laptops are still on sale and Sony will fulfill all warranty and service obligations.

Asus laptops (Asus)

Asus is a company that produces laptops itself. Moreover, she makes them not only for herself, but also for other companies - she is also an OEM manufacturer. The Asus laptop is one of the best options in terms of workmanship and warranty period. Buying an Asus laptop means, with a probability close to 100%, the ability to use it for years and years without having to worry or encounter any problems.

Asus laptops (Asus) are of high quality in design, manufacturing and perhaps the second, after Sony, premium “for the name”. I think Asus is worth the money and I recommend buying Asus laptops - it's safe. But for myself, maybe I’ll buy a Lenovo :)

Samsung laptops (Samsung)

Another manufacturer from the Big Four - Lenovo, Sony, Asus, Samsung - are companies that sell excellent laptops. Samsung makes laptops not only for itself, but also for others - it is also an OEM manufacturer. A Samsung laptop is one of the best options in terms of workmanship and warranty period. You can buy a Samsung laptop just as confidently as an Asus Lenovo or Sony.

A Samsung laptop can also be attractive in price - Samsung averages approximately between Lenovo and Asus.

Acer laptops (Acer, Acer)

Acer is another company that produces laptops itself. She makes them not only for herself, but also for other companies - she is also an OEM manufacturer. And in general, it makes good laptops, but this is already the second tier. An Acer laptop is an option only if the primary selection criterion is price, if there are very strict conditions on the amount that can be spent on a laptop.

You may run into troubles like Windows Vista pre-installed on a model with 1 gigabyte of RAM - Sony and Asus in this situation put at least 2 gigabytes. This increases the price, but allows you to use the laptop. Acer saves on everything, often going too far. The death of a component or part of a laptop in a couple of years can also very well happen to an Acer laptop.

But cheap. There are hardly any laptops cheaper than Acer that you don’t want to cry at the sight of.

eMachines Laptops

A label for cheap computers created in the USA in the late 90s. Gateway was purchased, then Gateway itself was purchased by Acer. Today, eMachines laptops are Acer laptops.

Packard Bell laptops

On the company's Russian website they write about 1926 as the year the company was founded, and that the company was one of the first manufacturers of personal computers back in the 80s. But this is all marketing deceit. In fact, Packard Bell is a trade name that has been resold several times. Initially it belonged to the Americans, then the Israelis bought it, then the Japanese.

The marketing trick with this name is that many people confuse it with such giants as Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Bell, Bell Lab. And they think that they are buying equipment from one of these giant companies.

It is now owned by Acer. Accordingly, Packard Bell laptops are Acer laptops.

MSI laptops

In general, good laptops. But more expensive than Acer and not at all better than Lenovo - Samsung - Asus - Sony. I don’t see the point in buying MSI. Only if you really like a particular model, and the Big Four don’t have a similar model.

Laptops Toshiba (Toshiba)

Toshiba is one of the few companies that makes laptops itself and it makes good laptops. But there are two arguments against:

In Russia there are few authorized centers for repairing Toshiba laptops (Toshiba) and this can greatly increase the cost of repairs, if any are needed. And it will complicate exchange or repair under warranty.
Price. With equal stuffing and manufacturing quality, the price will be higher than, for example, Lenovo or Samsung.

A Toshiba laptop is an option only for a big fan of this company.

HP Notebooks (Newlett-Packard)

The corporation is very serious. Makes very good printers. He orders laptops from OEM manufacturers, but is careless about the choice of manufacturers. Wonderful with construction and design. As a result, the quality ranges from very average to below average. The price is low, but overall it's not worth the money. If you need a cheap laptop, it is better to buy an Acer - there is a higher chance of getting a normal copy. At least it will be a first-hand laptop, from the manufacturer, and not from a middleman.

Not an option under any circumstances. No way as the Americans say.

Apple laptops

There is such a marginal company specializing in the production of show-off techno things. Apple's image markup on price is simply shameless :) while the consumer characteristics of Apple laptops are below average.

A macbook Air or macbook Pro laptop is an option for those who are “checkers, not driving” and “show-off is more valuable than money” :). And I don’t care that you will have half as much as the owner of Lenovo or Samsung, for twice the price :). Moreover, your macbook with a high degree of probability can be manufactured by Samsung :)

Moreover, the owner of an Apple laptop also gets permanent hemorrhoids for his money. Some little thing, easily achievable with a regular laptop, can lead to hysterical dancing with tambourines in the case of an Apple macbook.

They are beautiful, I have no doubt. However, a laptop is not needed to admire it - I think so. And from the point of view of use, any equipment under the Apple label is a pitchfork to the side :)

Laptops DNS

It is important to understand that DNS laptops are laptops sold under the DNS label. Because in general, laptops from all major manufacturers are sold on the DNS network.

It's even worse than HP. They also order from OEM manufacturers, but it seems somewhere in the fourth or fifth echelon. A laptop of normal workmanship is impossible at the prices at which they are sold in DNS. A DNS laptop can be extremely tempting in price, but with a very high degree of probability the owner will have problems with it.

How to extend the life of a laptop

It is important to understand that repairing a laptop is much more expensive than repairing a regular computer. Therefore, the more carefully you use your laptop, the longer it will serve you without repairs and thus will cost you less.

Laptop connectors

The standard set of connectors for a modern laptop includes:

HDMI- digital video and audio output. You can connect a TV or large monitor through this connector. The connector is designed for frequent use and for connection/disconnection while the laptop is running. However, you need to take into account that HDMI cables are usually very rigid and if the HDMI cable is not parallel to the connector, but at an angle, then it will “twist” the connector. If this happens frequently, the HDMI connector will become loose and may have poor connections. Therefore, before plugging the HDMI cable into the laptop connector, position it so that it continues one line with the connector.

VGA- analog video output. You can connect a TV or external monitor through this connector. This connector is not intended for frequent use or for connection while the laptop is running. Just like with an HDMI cable, correct placement of the VGA cable relative to the connector is important. Angular mechanical loads on the connector must be avoided.

USB- a large number of external devices can be connected through this connector. From mouse or keyboard to TV tuner. The connector is designed for frequent use and for connecting/disconnecting while the laptop is running. Some devices connect to the connector via a cable and this cable can be quite stiff. So, as with the HDMI cable, correct placement of the USB cable relative to the connector is important. In addition, you cannot connect several USB devices through an external USB hub that does not have its own power supply. The fact is that not only a signal is transmitted via USB, but also power for the USB device. And if you plug a hub into a USB connector, and plug several USB devices into the hub, this can lead to damage to the USB connector or even the entire controller due to overload in the power circuit. Of course, you can connect two or three flash drives through a hub. Or a mouse and a flash drive. But connecting an external HDD and, for example, a WiFi adapter at the same time will be risky.

RJ-45 (ethernet)- the network cable is connected through this connector. Connecting the cable to this connector is possible while the laptop is running. But the connector is not intended for frequent use. If you stick a cable into it every day, it won't last long.

Laptop case

Laptop cover (screen). The laptop screen is usually attached to the body with two hinges. These hinges have limited mechanical strength, so you need to open and close the screen carefully, without much force. You need to open and close the laptop screen from the middle, not from the corner. When you pull the screen around a corner, the load on the hinges is transferred unevenly - more on one hinge, less on the other.

Laptop case. Most laptops have a plastic casing, which means that it has little mechanical strength. If you do not want to damage your laptop, you need to avoid shock loads on the case. As well as bending loads - for example, placing a laptop on an uneven surface. Place something heavy on the laptop. You need to be careful about placing the laptop together with other objects during transportation - so that neighboring objects do not put pressure on the laptop body or bend it.

Moisture protection. Laptop cases are not protected from moisture in any way (with the exception of special models). Therefore, you need to carefully ensure that no liquid gets inside the laptop. Moisture getting inside the laptop can lead to failure of the motherboard, and replacing it is expensive.

Laptop temperature. Laptop components operate under severe temperature conditions. To extend their life, you need to avoid overheating the laptop. The most common reasons for laptops to overheat:

The laptop lies on the bed (sofa) directly on the blanket (plaid, etc.). Under its own weight, the laptop sinks into soft fabric and this fabric blocks the ventilation holes in the case.
Cooling in laptops is active - a fan draws air through the internal volume of the case. This leads to dust getting inside the case. Gradually she puts aside on all the internal elements of the laptop. And this worsens heat transfer. Accordingly, the laptop elements begin to overheat.

If you need to place your laptop on a soft surface, place something flat and hard under it, such as a piece of thick cardboard.

From time to time, check the degree of dust in the interior of the case.

Laptop drives

Laptop hard drive. This is the most vulnerable component. This is due to the fact that the disk is a rotating mechanical device with a very high density of rotating and stationary parts of the disk. Even a slight vibration of the laptop case or shaking it, or a blow to the case, can lead to mechanical failure of the disk. Do not place a running laptop on a highly vibrating surface. Do not place a running laptop on a shaking surface (for example, in a moving vehicle). A running laptop must not be moved, pushed, shaken or turned over suddenly.

However, instead of a mechanical drive, you can install an electronic SSD drive. It has no mechanical moving parts and therefore cannot be damaged as easily as a mechanical one.

Summary

Basic parameters of laptops

Characteristics of laptops that most influence the consumer quality of laptops:

Laptop manufacturer. The best laptops are sold by Lenovo, Sony, Asus, Samsung and Toshiba. But if you want to buy a Toshiba laptop, make sure that there is an authorized Toshiba service center in your city before purchasing.
Laptop dimensions. The right laptop should fit into a regular men's or women's bag. That is, to be slightly larger than a regular hardcover book.
Laptop weight. A proper laptop should weigh less than two kilograms.
Laptop autonomy (battery life). A good laptop should have at least four hours of battery life.

Secondary parameters of laptops

The characteristics of laptops improve the consumer quality of laptops:

Laptop connectors. A proper laptop should have at least USB and HDMI ports. The presence of HDMI will allow you to connect a TV through a laptop using the laptop as a media player. You can also connect a large external monitor via HDMI.
Physical screen size (diagonal in inches). The smaller the screen size, the smaller the laptop size, but also the smaller the image on the screen.
Laptop screen resolution(at horizontal and vertical points). A good laptop should have a resolution of at least 1366 x 768 pixels.
SSD drive. An electronic disk instead of a mechanical one greatly improves the consumer quality of the laptop. Firstly, such a laptop can be safely used in moving vehicles and carried around the room without turning it off. Secondly, SSD drives have higher read and write speeds, and this affects the speed of the laptop. Thirdly, SSD drives have lower power consumption, which means the laptop will last longer on battery power.
RAM capacity. A good laptop should have at least 2 gigabytes of RAM. This is due to the fact that modern Windows operating systems (Vista, 7, 8) “devour” hundreds of megabytes of RAM for their own needs. And many application programs are no less power-hungry, for example, Google Chrome and Mozilla FireFox browsers, which can take up more than a hundred megabytes of RAM. In general, the more RAM, the faster the laptop runs.
UEFI Secure Boot. If the laptop is sold with Windows 8 pre-installed, be sure to find out whether it is possible to disable the UEFI Secure Boot option. If this option is not disabled, then there will be problems with installing other operating systems on the laptop.

Which laptop to choose

Choosing a laptop is not easy. The main thing is to clearly understand what you need from a laptop. How will you use it? Determine your priorities - which laptop characteristics are important to you and which are not so important. Therefore, the question needs to be posed not in the abstract - which laptop is better? Specifically, which laptop is best for me?

If you are an accountant and you rarely need to use a laptop outside of your home or office, then you can buy a 17-inch laptop. It will have a large size and weight, but it will have a large screen and keyboard. It will not be difficult to work on it for a long time.

If you are on the road every day and need to use a laptop throughout the day, in different places and under different conditions, then the main selection criteria are size, weight and autonomy.

If you are planning to install Windows XP on your new laptop, then before purchasing, find out if there are drivers for this model for Windows XP. The fact is that now hardware manufacturers are no longer writing drivers for Windows XP. In particular, Intel did not make Windows XP drivers for its latest integrated graphics controller, the GMA 3600.

If you are planning to install the Linux operating system on your new laptop, then before purchasing, find out if there are any “contraindications” for this laptop model. Not all laptops are compatible with Linux.

It will be very difficult if you plan to install the Mac OS operating system on your new laptop. In this case, you will have to choose the model especially carefully.

If you are buying a laptop for a student, then it may be better to buy a cheap laptop. Children are not very careful when using technology, and if your child “kills” the laptop, it won’t cost you that much. If a child “kills” a $400 Acer, it won’t be as offensive as a $800 Sony.

In general, buying a laptop cheap is not a bad idea. You just need to understand certain maximum possible prices regarding the consumer parameters of the laptop. And if the price is below this limit, then the laptop has poor workmanship. For example, for an 11-12 inch laptop, a price of $400 means at least very decent workmanship. And the same price for a 15 or 17 inch laptop means the workmanship is below average or even poor.

The least risky option is purchasing a laptop from one of four companies - Asus, Lenovo, Sony, Samsung. If you buy a laptop from any of these companies, there is a very high probability that it will serve you for a very long time without creating any problems.

Laptops with touch screen (with touchscreen)

Don't confuse a touchscreen with a touchpad! A touchpad is a replacement for a mouse, a touch-sensitive rectangle next to the keyboard. A touchscreen is a touch-sensitive laptop screen.

There are interesting laptop models on which the screen is equipped with a touch panel. Such screens are called touch screens or, in short, touchscreens. Touch screens are familiar to all of us from devices such as smartphones. For portable devices without a keyboard and mouse, a touchscreen is a must.

However, a touch screen can be useful on a laptop as well. Especially if the laptop uses a GUI optimized for use on touchscreens - Windows 8 Metro, Linux GNOME 3, Linux Unity. Or it may be convenient when using some specialized application program. But even in ordinary cases, a touchscreen can be more convenient than a touchpad.

In general, this is an interesting idea. Of course, such models are more expensive, but perhaps the ease of use that the touch screen provides compensates for the higher price.

Here are several models of laptops with a touch screen (touchscreen):

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 15
ASUS X550CA and ZENBOOK UX302LG
HP Specter 13 Pro
Dell Inspiron 7737
Acer Aspire V5 15

Update 2015

Sony has sold its laptop business to another Japanese company. And for now the release of new models has been suspended. But Sony laptops are still on sale and Sony will fulfill all warranty and service obligations.

Today there are new, interesting options in this area. These are transformable laptops (with a detachable screen) and tablets with a full-fledged computer platform.

Microsoft Surface Pro- a tablet, but we can say that this is a completely full-fledged laptop only without the lower half (keyboard). A laptop display inside which contains all the computer stuffing. Based on the Intel hardware platform. Windows 8 operating system. The keyboard is wireless and is mounted together with a tablet stand.

Convertible laptops

This is a laptop whose screen detaches and this screen can be used as a tablet. There are two types of such laptops:

The main hardware (computer), Intel or AMD platform, is located in the lower half of the laptop. And in the screen half the platform is AWS and Android OS. That is, in tablet mode it is a regular Android tablet. And in its full version, it is a laptop with a full-fledged OS - Linux or Windows.
The main hardware (computer), Intel or AMD platform, is located in the screen half of the laptop. And the bottom one contains only the keyboard, additional batteries and connectors. Such a laptop is a full-fledged computer, both fully assembled and in a tablet version.

Note. There is no need to confuse convertible laptops with Android tablets that have a docking station with additional batteries and a keyboard. The AWS hardware platform cannot yet be called a computer platform because it is not supported by full-fledged operating systems such as Linux or Windows.

Microsoft Surface Pro tablets and convertible laptops are a very interesting option for purchase. They have an important advantage over traditional laptops - the ability to work in tablet mode, which gives serious advantages to mobility. You can work on a tablet in conditions in which you cannot use a laptop.

But there is also a minus. Screen and keyboard size. All these laptops have a screen no more than 10 - 11 inches diagonally. And the size of the keyboard, including the size of the buttons, is also small. This makes them uncomfortable for long, serious work. However, this disadvantage can be compensated for by connecting an external monitor (or TV) and an external (USB or Bluetooth) mouse and keyboard.

Update 2017

In Russia, the trend towards cheaper models on the market continues. Washing out expensive quality models from the market. Laptops from another good manufacturer, Samsung, have disappeared from sale.

Essentially today the choice comes down to three labels:

Lenovo

Another trend is the exclusion from the design among the cheapest models:

Hatches for replacing disk and RAM.
Removable battery.

Now the battery is pushed inside the case. And to replace the disk, you need to remove the entire lower or upper half of the case.

In general, not fun. It also adds to the almost complete absence, in the budget segment, of any variety in design and filling.

If you look at 20-30 models in the price range between 20 and 30 thousand rubles (about 300 - 500 dollars), then almost all of them will be like twins. Both outside and inside.

Almost all laptops cost around 20 thousand rubles. The Pentium N3710 processor costs dollars.

Almost all laptops cost around 30 thousand rubles. A Core i3 5005U or 6006U processor costs dollars.

All have a total of 4 GB of RAM. Many have only 1 memory slot. Moreover, the memory can generally be soldered to the motherboard.

Closer to 30 tr. Models with a discrete video card are appearing. And in this too everything is the same - usually it is GeForce 920M.

Batteries are installed at the bare minimum. Already close to 2000 mAh. Although you can still find a laptop with a battery around 3000 mAh.

On the other hand, if you look. Today, in 2017, you can buy a fully functional laptop for just $250. Just five years ago this was impossible - the cheapest ones cost around $500.

A couple of models that I would recommend buying:

Around 20 tr.

Acer Extensa EX2519-P0BD- in August 2017 exactly 20 tr. Pentium N3710, 4 GB RAM. Sad black body, but the battery is more cheerful - 3500 mAh.
ASUS X541SA, 90NB0CH2-M05440- in August 2017 exactly 23 tr. Pentium N3710, 4 GB of RAM, soldered onto the board! Sad battery. But it has a cheerful white body and good (for this segment) acoustics. And also a FullHD display. And also a USB 3 type C connector.

Around 30 tr.

ASUS X540LJ, 90NB0B12-M11240- in August 2017 exactly 30 tr. Core i3-5005U, 6 GB of RAM. So-so battery (2600 mAh). But a cheerful white case, discrete video card, USB 3 type C connector.

Alternatives to an Apple laptop, costing around $1000:

Microsoft Surface Laptop. Externally it looks no worse than Apple. Even the skin is glued near the touchpad. 4 GB RAM and 128 GB SSD. Screen with a resolution similar to Apple's "Retina". No PWM in the display.
Dell XPS 13 9360 FHD i5. The screen is only FullHD, but there is 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD NVMe drive. No PWM in the display.

Update 2019

Conceptually, nothing has changed since the last update to this article in 2017. You can still buy a laptop for $250 - $300. As before, in this lower range there are the cheapest designs.

As before, a more or less good laptop costs about $500 or more. Only the filling has changed, in the sense that new processor models have appeared.

Perhaps the only change is that there are more models with SSD drives, and there are such models even in the lower segment, less than 20 thousand rubles. Of course, the SSDs there are very tiny, 32 GB, but still.

Very cheap laptops

By this definition I mean laptops costing less than 20 thousand rubles. What problems can there be in laptops at this price?

RAM soldered to the motherboard. Without the ability to replace or increase.
If such a model has an SSD drive (usually 32 GB), it can also be soldered to the motherboard. Complete with a small amount of RAM and Windows 10, such a drive will die quickly, and repairs will be expensive.
If the memory and disk are removable, then it is likely that the laptop will have difficulty accessing the memory and disk. You will have to partially disassemble it to replace the disk or memory.
And of course, in this range there is a big risk that the laptop uses low-quality components. For example, a very slow disk. Or a very weak processor. Or a Wifi adapter that will periodically “fall off”. Or something else. Basically a lottery.

So, check your laptop configuration carefully before purchasing. And find out not from the sellers in the store, look for specifications on the Internet, on the manufacturer’s website.

An SSD drive in a laptop is, in my opinion, a necessity today. Especially in budget models, where there is little RAM and a weak processor. In this situation, the presence of an SSD can make using such a laptop not a very sad experience. However, you need to take into account the size of the SSD drive. They have specifics: the smaller the disk size, the less recording resource it has, which means the shorter its lifespan. If the laptop has a small amount of RAM (4 GB or even less), Windows 10 is installed and the SSD drive is 32 GB or 64 GB in size, this means that it will die quickly.

In general, now the minimum that is installed in laptops is 4 GB. Although there are very, very cheap models with 2 or 3 GB. Here you need to understand that for Windows 10, the minimum RAM is 4 GB. Of course, it will work on 2 GB, but it will be sad. And even with 4 GB, Windows 10 (like 7 and 8) will actively use disk swap. This means a noticeable slowdown when using an HDD. Read also Samsung SSD. An SSD drive is in any case a plus for speed, but if there is less RAM than 6-8 GB, the difference in speed (with HDD) will be even greater.

Several interesting models, 2019

HP 15-bs169ur. Removable memory (1 slot, up to 8 GB) and SSD (M.2 connector). Core i3 processor. On board there are 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB SSD. Cost less than 500 dollars (less than 30 thousand rubles).

HP 15-da0043ur. Removable memory (1 slot, up to 8 GB) and HDD (SATA connector). Quite a new Pentium N5000 processor. Separate GeForce MX110 video card. On board there are 4 GB of RAM and 500 GB HDD. The cost is a little more expensive than the model HP 15-bs169ur. You can immediately upgrade - 8 GB of RAM and install a SATA SSD. And it will be a good laptop.

HP 14-cm0013ur. Removable memory (2 slots, up to 16 GB), HDD (SATA connector) and SSD (M.2 connector). On board is a 4-core AMD processor, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB SSD and 1 TB HDD. The cost is more than 500 dollars, about 10 thousand rubles more expensive than. HP 15-da0043ur. Yes, this model has two disks, that's not a typo. With such minced meat, at its price it is difficult to find competitors.

Ivan Sukhov, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 .

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Modern life trends dictate new rules, and now the best assistant for most of us is a laptop. Therefore, it is very important to choose a truly high-quality device that meets all your requirements.

In this article we will try to give practical recommendations on how to choose a worthy portable friend. The main characteristics of laptops will not be left without attention, since it is almost impossible to choose a laptop correctly and not take into account the parameters.

For convenience and quick transition, a brief summary is provided:

Laptop manufacturer

Such a characteristic as the laptop manufacturer is not predominant when choosing. This follows from the fact that almost all laptop manufacturers do not have any distinctive characteristics regarding the hardware, since they use identical products from well-known manufacturers of video cards, processors, hard drives and other components. The only thing that remains with the manufacturer is the organization of a good cooling system, high-quality assembly, proper appearance of the device and a very small list of other little things. Therefore, you can safely choose from all well-known manufacturers: Apple, Sony, Lenovo, Asus, HP, Acer, Samsung, DELL, etc. Regarding Apple and Sony, this is a rather controversial issue, since they like to increase the cost “per brand”, but the quality is also appropriate. A well-known and reliable grant is the Asus company, with very affordable prices for products for the mass consumer.

Before choosing a particular model, I recommend that you read reviews and user reviews so as not to run into an unsuccessful model in terms of cooling or build quality. Unsuccessful models and even lines slip through all manufacturers without exception.

Selecting a laptop 2013. Hardware specifications

When choosing a laptop, hardware specifications are the most significant and difficult factor. First of all, you need to discard all aesthetic tastes and focus on the insides of the device in order to weed out all unsuitable models.

Before evaluating the hardware characteristics of the device, you need to give a clear answer to the question: what do you need a laptop for? That is, evaluate it from a positioning point of view. You can rank laptops based on a variety of parameters, but it’s better to highlight a few basic ones in terms of performance:

Entry level performance. Positioned for working with text, watching videos, simple games and other similar types of tasks. Their main advantage is their low price;
Average level of performance. Such laptops can already perform more resource-intensive tasks; to the tasks described above, you can add the ability to play most games at medium settings, the ability to work comfortably in some graphics packages, which as a result makes them more suitable for replacing a home PC. Their price is slightly higher than entry-level laptops, but they have much more features;
High level of productivity. This includes expensive laptops that can show fairly high performance in demanding games and programs. Such laptops can become an almost complete replacement for a home PC, but of course with a number of disadvantages.

So, we have completed the conditional gradation. The important thing to understand here is that entry-level performance laptops will be a very viable option for some, but for some, even mid-range laptops will not be enough. Therefore, we move directly to the hardware characteristics so that everyone can model the necessary device for themselves.

Choosing a processor for a laptop

Choosing the right processor is the key to success. We will not go too deep into the jungle of specific models, but will briefly talk about the main series.

It is worth noting that the processor in any system is responsible for computing performance, that is, to a greater extent for the work of programs aimed at this. For example, with a more powerful processor, file unpacking, video conversion, any type of encoding will be much faster; the operation of almost all types of programs (data processing time in them) depends on the processor. Now regarding specific lines from leading manufacturers AMD and Intel:

If you need a laptop for undemanding tasks, then you should choose among the Intel lines - Celeron, Pentium processors, or at worst Atom. In some cases, you can pay attention to the Intel Core i3 from those that are less productive and cheaper in price. If the processor is from AMD, then here we look at the Trinity A4, AMD E, AMD C series. Both Intel and AMD products look good in this class.
When it comes to the middle class of laptops, the Intel processors that come under our gaze are: again, the Intel Core i3 and some of the not very productive Intel Core i5, which are affordable. From AMD: Trinty A6,A8 and in some cases A10. Phenom – not recommended.
In this class, it is recommended to take a closer look at AMD Trinity processors, especially in conjunction with an AMD video card. Such laptops at an affordable price will provide the best performance in this class. So, if you want a cheap gaming laptop, the AMD Trinity is for you. But don't have any illusions about these processors: they will provide the best gaming performance for their price, but not exorbitantly and are only suitable for average games.
Gradually we have reached the class of high-performance laptops, here we will demand the best from Intel and AMD. Unfortunately, AMD in this class cannot compete with its competitor practically anything (the maximum is A10, and even then it will not be entirely correct here). From the Intel series, these are the top-end Intel Core i5 and i7. A powerful gaming laptop with these processors is a rather ambiguous thing. Often, it is better to complete the desktop and buy a mediocre laptop. The price won't be much more, but you will have the insane gaming performance of a desktop and good portability of a laptop.

But if you are serious about buying a gaming laptop and expect decent performance from it, then look at models starting from $1200. At the same time, everything must be balanced, and the main thing here is– powerful discrete video card.

Laptop video card - integrated or discrete?

To select video card for a laptop, you again need to build on the positioning classes. If the tasks assigned to the laptop are not high in relation to gaming performance: simple games, watching movies and listening to music, as well as working in simple programs (text editors, etc.), then an integrated (built into the processor) video card will be enough for you . Therefore, for the budget and middle class, laptops based on AMD Trinity are very good. AMD Trinity processors have the most powerful integrated graphics; they have no equal in terms of integrated video cards. As a result, in the price range up to $600-700, it is better to give preference to the integrated graphics of these processors, but, again, if the tasks are primarily not gaming, but computing, then in some variations the integrated graphics from Intel will be acceptable.

Rising into the slightly more expensive middle segment of $700-1200, we can already talk about discrete video cards. Here, in terms of graphics, a combination of AMD A10 + Radeon HD 7670 video card will look good and accessible. In this case, the operation of both the integrated and discrete video cards will be implemented in a joint mode using Dual Graphics. This combination will be good for graphic loads (games, high quality movies, etc.). If you need more computing performance, then some discrete video card from Nvidia with CUDA, paired with an Intel processor, would look better here.

Moving into the segment of high-performance laptops from $1200 and far upward, we completely forget about integrated graphics - it has no place here. Among high-performance laptops, we can mention Dell Alienware, but there is too much pathos, for which they want to charge a very large sum. But the characteristics are impressive: two HD7990M video cards in Cross Fire mode.

There are also less pretentious, cheaper models. It is advisable that they have a video card installed with a performance somewhere around GTX650M or higher, otherwise it will not even be possible to parody comfortable gaming and work in applications that are demanding on graphics resources.

Other hardware characteristics

Other hardware characteristics of the laptop include the amount of RAM and hard drive capacity.« There is no such thing as too much RAM» - It follows from this that it is worth choosing models with a large amount of RAM on board. But if we arrange gradation by class, we can distinguish the following dependence:

For entry-level laptops, 2-4 GB will be enough;
For laptops of average performance level, 6 GB of RAM will be quite optimal (if there are no specific tasks present);
For high-end laptops, 6-8 GB or more is required.

If we talk about the volume of the hard drive, then everything is purely individual. For one, 250 GB will be enough, and for another, 750 GB will not be enough. But, as a golden mean, we can call a volume of 500 GB.

Display selection

When choosing a display, you should, again, take into account the positioning of the laptop. When it comes to diagonal size, the golden mean is precisely 15.6 inches; such laptops can boast both the convenience of working in stationary conditions and good portability. If the focus is on portability, then you should take a closer look at 10-13-inch models. If you plan to buy a desktop laptop (desktop laptop for home), then you can raise the bar to 17 or 19 inches.

Resolution will be important here. It would seem that the higher the resolution, the better. But not everything is clear here, especially in the case of laptops with weak hardware. If an entry-level laptop (in terms of hardware characteristics) operates with a display resolution of 1920x1080, then its graphics subsystem (which most likely is integrated graphics) will simply die, even when watching high-quality movies. Therefore, balance is very important here. If this is an entry-level laptop, then with a diagonal of 15.6 inches, a resolution of 1366x768 pixels would be the best option.

For mid-range laptops, you can aim for 1600x900, but 1366x768 is also a good option, in this case the hardware will reveal itself even more effectively.

For the class of high-performance gaming and home laptops, it is reasonable to select a resolution from 1600x900 and higher, that is, you can aim for Full HD - 1920x1080, fortunately the hardware allows you to “pull it out”.

Displays with IPS matrices have the best image quality, so it is preferable to select laptops with such displays. But if you come across other types of matrices in budget options, you shouldn’t “twist your nose.” Now any of the matrices have fairly good image quality.

Extra options

Additional factors include the weight and dimensions of the device. You should pay quite close attention to this when choosing a laptop. For some, the device's battery performance will be the most important parameter. It is better to evaluate this characteristic based on reviews and reviews of various laptop models, since developers do not always provide objective information regarding this parameter.

There should also be a standard set of interfaces for communication with the outside world - Wi-Fi, USB, 3G, a sufficient number of USB ports, for some quite specific interfaces will be useful, such as Thunderbolt, used mainly in laptops from Apple. Here, too, everything is purely individual, and you need to determine, according to the characteristics, what you need and what you don’t.

conclusions

It remains to summarize all of the above. Of course, it was not possible to describe all the parameters and nuances of choosing a laptop. The most important thing is to clearly define for yourself the tasks of the future laptop, soberly assess your budget for the purchase and the capabilities of laptops in this price range. These factors are the key to a successful purchase.

Good luck in choosing a laptop! If you have any questions to choose from, you can leave them in the comments.