Processor
The processor determines the speed you will get out of your laptop.
Depending on what you are planning to use the laptop for; if you want to use
the laptop for complex activities such as Video editing, crunching numbers,
playing games ,Graphic design using high end programs such as Adobe CS6
programs you need a very powerful and fast processor
A core i3, core i5 or core 2 duo Intel processors will do
these comfortably. If you are not planning on spending a lot of money you can
as well go for Intel Celeron or AMD processors. These low budget processors can
do tasks such as blogging, watching movies, typing etc. The speed range between
2.0- 3.0ghz.
Memory –
The memory of the laptop that is also called RAM will
determines the speed for loading programs thus affecting the performance. I
recommend getting a bigger memory if you can afford it. Memory chips range from
2GB – 5GB depending on your budget. The advantage with laptops RAM is the
flexibility to upgrade unlike processors. You can get fend up of your 1GB and
upgrade with 2GB.The RAM is also very affordable to upgrade. A laptop with a
big ram can load programs faster and support more Newer software that are being
developed everyday i.e. the latest Windows 8 Operating system.
Graphics and Sound
A graphics card is a chip that comes embedded on the laptop
to boast the video memory and improve the quality when watching high
resolutions graphics I.e. videos, photos and games. Most laptops come with
video graphics such as ATI Radeon HD(high definition) or Nvidia Geforce
8400.This basic graphics card will handle games that don’t require a very big
memory as they come with memory ranging from 128MB – 256Mb. Remember these is memory
of the graphics card.
Most laptops will come with HD audio internal sound card you
won’t need to upgrade. For gamers who run heavy games you must invest on a good
laptop with very good graphics card.
Hard Disk
The hard drive will determine the price for a laptop too.
The bigger the hard disk the pricier it gets. If you intend to store a lot of
information on your laptop you might consider getting a laptop with at least
500GB of space. If you don’t mind the size of the HDD then a laptop with 160GB –
320 GB will do the job. You can also opt for buying an external harddrive later;
they come in different sizes from 160GB to 2 terabytes. You can always upgrade
the hard disk if you feel that you are running out of space on your computer.
If you one to store Movies, Music albums, Tutorials etc. consider getting a
bigger hard disk.
Screen Size
The screen size will determine the ability of your laptop to
display videos or photos on your laptop. For normal activity a laptop with 14.0’
inch to 15.4’ will do the job. But if you are looking into other uses for the
machine such as Gaming, displaying Forex trade data, watching Movies and Video editing etc. You may need to get a bigger screen i.e. 15.6’
to 17’ inch wide screens. The only thing that you will have to bear in mind is that
the screen size directly corresponds to the size and portability of the laptop.
Other
laptop accessories included in checklist to buying a laptop
Wireless
Connectivity
These comes with most of laptops i.e. 802.1 wireless
networking (WI-FI), most laptops will have it displayed on the front face of
the laptop with the wireless sign. The cards range from 802.11a, 802.11g and
802.11 Draft N wireless standards. Some laptops also support Bluetooth networking
and file transfer. You can use Bluetooth dial up connection to connect your
laptop to the internet or transfer data.
Built in Webcam
Built in webcam on the screen is also another useful accessory
that you should include for doing Skype, Video chatting, or taking photos. Most
webcams have low resolutions and cannot be used to take good quality photos.
Optical Drive
Check to confirm that the laptop has a DVD ± RW that can
Write or Burn data on DVDs.
If you happen to have blue ray movies you might need a
optical drive that can read blue ray disks. If you want the drive to serve you
longer avoid using the writer to watch or burn movies a lot as these will wear
it out early by spoiling the optical reader. If possible get an external DVD
writer they are available too.
Card Reader
Most laptops these days come with an internal inbuilt card
reader allowing you to transfer data via Memory cards. You can transfer your
phones or camera memory card content to the compute directly to your laptop
Battery
The battery is a very vital when buying a laptop since it
keeps the laptop working when it’s not connected to a power source. A good
laptop should be able to conserve the power for many hours without connecting
to a power source. Gets a battery that has a cell ranging from 4cell to 6 cell.
There you have it.