[CENTER][CENTER][SIZE=4]What to Know Before Buying Your Next Laptop
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The Purpose of it[LIST]
[]Gaming, Working (Email, Word, etc), Browsing the Web
[]This determines what type of computer you need (Also price to some extent)[/LIST]**Budget
*** Consumer ($500-$1200)[LIST]
[]This is quite good enough for the normal person who wants to use word, excel, and browse the web without any problems[/LIST][LIST]
[] Examples include the Dell Inspiron 1520 (Although these you can upgrade the GPU), HP Pavilion dv9500t, etc
Business (Roughly the same)[/LIST][LIST]
[]Primarily serve the same purpose as above. However, the designs are significantly different. IE the Dell Vostro.*
Gaming ($1000-$3000+)[/LIST][LIST]
[]These laptops are gaming machines. Usually are bigger than 15.4” and pack quite a punch.[/LIST][LIST]
[] Examples include the Asus G1s, Dell XPS M1710, most Sager laptops, etc[/LIST]Size[LIST]
[]19”, 17”, 15.4”, 14.1”, or 13.3”
[]Ties into what purpose you need it for, IE 17”-19” usually are gaming/multimedia laptops. 15.4” is the current standard for most laptops today.
[]13.3”-14.1” is basically for business/working. If you don’t need power, and mobility is what you need, this is for you.[/LIST]Components
*Screen*[LIST]
[]Max Resolution (Ex. 1680x1020)[/LIST][LIST]
[] This is important because it affects the using experience greatly. Probably can be based off of what resolution you use on your desktop. Or the purpose, for example you can do easier multi-tasking with a bigger resolution.
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Matte or Glossy*[/LIST][LIST]
[] Affects the viewing experience. This is mostly preference, I prefer glossy because it makes the screen seem that much more impressive. Although, the draw back is glare can be a problem.
GPU*[/LIST][LIST]
[]Nvidea[/LIST][LIST]
[] 8400 GS – 13.3”-14.1”[/LIST][LIST]
[] Part of the new 8 series, comes with DX10. But, really can only play current games if on Medium settings.[/LIST][LIST]
[] 8600 GT – 15.4”[/LIST][LIST]
[] Gold standard for most mainstream laptops. Can play all current games at high-extreme settings. However, not quite sure if it can play the newer DX10 game (Crysis, Bioshock) without lowering settings.[/LIST][LIST]
[] 8700 GT – 17”-19”[/LIST][LIST]
[] Basically an over clocked 8600 GT.[/LIST][LIST]
[]** ATI**[/LIST][LIST]
[*] (Can anyone fill in the gaps for me here? Never used ATI before so I have no idea…)
CPU[/LIST][LIST]
[]Intel Core 2 Duo[/LIST][LIST]
[] This is primarily the standard for all notebooks right now because it is proven much faster and efficient than the AMDs.[/LIST][LIST]
[] Doesn’t matter what model or Ghz your using, unless your gaming of course.[/LIST][LIST]
[]** AMD Turion 64 X2**[/LIST][LIST]
[] Save these for the desktops.[/LIST]Brand[LIST]
[]Major mainstream[/LIST][LIST]
[]Dell, HP/Compaq, Lenovo, Toshiba, Gateway, Apple[/LIST][LIST]
[]Less well-known[/LIST][LIST]
[]Asus, Acer, Avertec, Fujitsu, Portable One, Sager, Samsung, Zepto, CompalThe process of buying[/LIST][LEFT][LIST]
[][LEFT]Just because a company is mainstream does not mean their laptops are top notch. IE, Gateway and Compaq. In my experience, Dell and Lenovo (IBM) computers tend to last the longest[/LEFT]
[*][LEFT]Some companies worth noting are Asus, known for their “whitebook”
notebooks enabling anyone to build their own laptops. As well as their boutique computers such as the gaming machine the G1s, and G2s.[/LEFT]
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For mainstream laptops, buy directly from the companies, IE Dell.com, hp.com, Toshiba.com
For less well-known companies use sites such as excaliberpc.com, Gentech Computers, laptopsinc.com (portable one), Newegg.com (A bit overpriced but good selection plus user reviews)
Sites To Check Out
Forums, Review Sites, etc
http://www.notebookreview.com/ - Great resource for first time buyers, they even have an entire category devoted to buying laptops
http://www.tomshardware.com/us/ - Cool site for reading about new technology, as well as some articles on building computers
http://www.notebookforums.com/forums/ - Another great forum for discussing everything about laptops
http://www.legitreviews.com/index.php - Review site
http://www.resellerratings.com/ - CRITCAL SITE to read about retailer ratings. Make sure you use a good trustworthy retailer
http://www.notebookcheck.net/ - Great site for checking out good reviews and benchmarks. Sometimes the reviews are in German…
http://laptopvideo2go.com/ - MUST have site for people with Nvidea GPUs.
*Retail Sites
- http://www.newegg.com/ - best site for PC parts period… they even carry laptops as well
http://www.rjtech.com/ - Great sites to buy barebone laptops
http://shop2.outpost.com/template/index/ - Fry’s online store
http://1toppc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT – Gentech PC, great place to buy custom computers from companies like Asus, Compal, etc
http://powernotebooks.com/ - Great place to buy your next gaming laptop from
http://www.laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc - Portable One Laptops, rebranded/prebuilt whitebooks
http://www.excaliberpc.com/ - Highly recommended retailer for buying Asus laptops. Where I bought my G1s from.
http://www.discountlaptops.com/ - Sells gaming laptops for cheaper…not sure if they’re good quality.
http://www.ajump.com/ajump/default.asp? – Good place to buy any custom computers from, desktops included.
http://www.ewiz.com/index.php - A newegg sort of online retailer.
*Other Resources
- http://www.decalgirl.com/ - Great site for decals for your laptop
http://www.schtickers.com/ - Basically another decal site.
http://www.laptopdesignusa.com/ - Cool custom made laptop paint jobs/skins.
http://www.ebags.com/ - Great selection of bags to choose from.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=60914 – VERY GOOD thread about keeping your laptop COOLED at all times.
v1.01 Added Brand Info, plus some formatting… (8/14/07)
v1.02 Added A Ton of Links… (8/14/07)
[SIZE=7][COLOR=Red][SIZE=5]This is a work in progess stay tuned! If you have any suggestions please leave a comment![/SIZE]
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