Invest Wisely When Buying A Laptop

                      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 that’s 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 3.0 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 3.0 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 you’re 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 don’t 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.

                     Ryan Larson
                     About The Author: This article provided courtesy of
                     http://www.wifi-image.com