9 elements to pay attention to when buying a laptop

Laptops - laptops are the means to work effectively. So what is the most important factor to choose a laptop? The following article shows 9 factors that users should consult before deciding to buy a laptop.

Now, although smartphones and tablets are quite compact and can replace laptops when you have to move, but want the job to be highly effective, the operations are fast and accurate, you still can't lack laptops. . Jobs like fast typing, video editing, or graphic design, photo editing . always need a really professional tool.

The market currently has many types of laptops with sizes, features and prices. For users, this is a difficult choice, helpful advice for you to focus on the need to work to choose.

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1. Purpose of use?

Serving basic, non-intensive purposes: The laptop can be used for everyone to meet basic needs such as work, entertainment . You can only take from 400-800 USD for these popular laptops. Completely inexpensive.

For those who need productivity quickly and effectively: If you are a manager, student, office worker . Your main purpose is to type, edit text, use Excel or create articles Powerpoint presentation, you need a computer with a good keyboard, durable design and a sharp screen.

Laptop for gamers: You are a gamer, you need a laptop with a high-end processor like Core i7, a discrete graphics card, or a dual graphics card, a high-resolution screen and powerful sound quality. So the laptop you need to have performance must be good enough, the price for this model can be up to 1,000 USD.

Laptop for professional designers: Your job is to edit photos, videos, audio, graphics and many other types of media . you need a laptop equipped with a processor Powerful logic, discrete graphics card, excellent sound quality and large screen with high resolution (full HD or higher). This is the model that requires the price of the most "terrible" type. You must save at least 1,000 USD or more.

Laptops for Internet surfing and Internet use needs: Of course, any laptop will give you an Internet connection. However, for those who often use the Internet most of the time or do not have much demand for specialized software, it is possible to choose a computer running a Chromebook platform with good performance and a relatively low price.

2. The size of the screen

Types of laptops are usually divided according to the structure and screen size.

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11 - 12 inches: this is the thinnest and lightest model, weighing less than 1.5kg. Pretty much every Chromebook has this screen size. However, with this small screen, the keyboard is similar in size, so some people may feel cramped when used.

13 - 14 inches: This is a decent size of a laptop to represent a balance between portability and performance. The average weight of a computer with this screen size is 2-3 kg.

15 inches: The most popular size, 15 inch notebooks are usually the most affordable and usually weigh 4-5 kg.

If you don't have to carry your computer too often, the 15-inch widescreen model is the choice for you. Some 15-inch models have a DVD drive, but you'll have a lighter machine if you choose an optical drive.

17-18 inches: This is the laptop with the largest screen. This type of device is usually chosen by gamers or professional designers because of its powerful processor, high quality screen. Because of the large screen size, this type of laptop is usually equipped with high-voltage quad-core CPU, powerful discrete graphics card and multiple storage drives.

3. Keyboard and Touchpad

The keyboard is a pretty important part when testing a laptop. Try to see the keyboard I plan to buy with quick response? Is the keyboard suitable for your hand size? The touchpad part is smooth or erratic, with latency? Can you zoom in, zoom out images, text easily?

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You can check by using only the keyboard or just using the touchpad for basic operations to see the productivity of the device.

In general, according to many customers and experts, Apple and Lenovo are manufacturers that offer the best quality keyboards and touchpads.

4. Technical specifications

Laptop specifications such as CPU, hard drive, RAM and graphics chips can be quite confusing to users who do not master technical expertise. You can find out information about the specifications for the model you are going to buy before going to the store, check this information on the product or ask a professional to accompany it.

Especially with high demands such as using 3D games or editing media, HD videos need a strong CPU and the device will take away your money.

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CPU:

The cheapest laptops on the market have either AMD E Series processors or Intel Pentium / Celeron CPUs, suitable for basic tasks like web surfing, email and social networking. But it will be difficult for people who have high demands like playing games or handling graphics, media.

If you buy a computer with the latest Intel Core processor, you will definitely get a Core i4 or "Haswell" for the best combination of machine performance and battery life. You can recognize this type of CPU with number 4 (eg Intel Core i5-4200U).

If you can pay from $ 500 to buy a laptop, the Intel Core i5 processor is the right choice for users with high demands on the design and gamers should choose the CPU from Core i7, better is a quad-core chip.

RAM:

RAM of laptops is quite good now, even cheap laptops are capable of equipping up to 4GB of RAM. So, if you can choose a laptop with 8GB of RAM, you can easily handle high-end and multitasking applications.

Hard drive / SSD:

For most users, a fast drive is more important than a large drive. If possible, choose a machine with a Solid State Drive (SSD) drive, because the SSD has a high data transfer rate. However, SSDs are often more expensive than regular hard drives.

However, if only with the usual storage feature that does not require high transfer rates, you can still be satisfied with the hard drives that often have quite large storage capacity in current laptops. On average, current laptops have 500GB or more storage capacity.

Display screen:

Most of the display level will reflect the price of the device. Currently, most laptops will have a screen resolution of 1,366x768-pixels. However, if you can also choose some computers with display screens at 600x900, 1920x1080 or even higher. A good resolution screen gives you more enjoyable entertainment, web browsing, movie viewing, and photo browsing experiences.

Touch screen:

Using Windows 8 operating system is more suitable for touch screens. But you may not need this type of monitor on your laptop either because the price of a touchscreen model will be higher. You have to spend more money on a laptop equipped with a touch screen. In addition, the touch screen also makes the device heavier and the machine consumes more energy than a normal screen.

Graphics chip:

For most computers, an integrated graphics chip will be better for basic requirements when using computers such as surfing the web, watching videos and playing some common games. But if a laptop with a discrete graphics card from AMD or Nvidia will show you the big difference in 3D gaming. This processor will have dedicated video memory. In addition, a good GPU can speed up video playback on websites as well as speed up video editing when you use it for work.

DVD / Blu-ray drive:

Fewer laptops are designed with optical drives. Because now, we can download software and download videos easily from the website. Unless you burn a disc or want to watch Blu-ray movies, you don't need a computer with an optical drive and can opt for a lighter laptop because the design doesn't have this DVD drive.

5. 2 in 1 laptop or traditional laptop?

Since Windows 8 was released, the hybrid laptop design seems to double. We can tell the typical names like Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga.

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Hybrid laptops with this tablet have a separate touch screen, which can be attached to the keyboard to become a laptop. It allows users to flexibly choose the type of work and is convenient to travel a lot.

Consider your needs to be able to choose a traditional laptop or a 2 in 1 laptop.

6. Battery life

Nobody wants to use a laptop but have to search for an electrical outlet to plug in the charger. If you buy a regular laptop with a 15-inch screen. You must make sure the battery life of the device is at least 4 hours.

People who need to move, should choose a computer with good battery life, from 6-7 hours is ideal. The laptop has the longest battery life so far as Lenovo's ThinkPad X240, with a battery life of 10-20 hours.

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To determine the exact battery life of a laptop, in addition to reading the manufacturer's specifications, you should consult information from objective sources such as computer review sites. Because your actual battery life will vary depending on actual operation, whether you set the screen brightness, adjust the volume and what you will do with your computer (for example, watching videos will take more battery surf the web).

7. What is your money?

You can buy laptops under $ 500 for the most basic business and entertainment needs. But if you have more budget, you can choose for yourself a better quality computer, longer battery life, a better display and stronger performance. Of course it is his money.

400 - 600 USD: Under $ 600, you can choose an Intel Core i5 or AMD A8 CPU laptop, 4 to 8GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive, which are also very respectable numbers.

600 - 800 USD: When you have over 600 USD, you can aim for high quality models like metal casing, and many other attractive features such as better sound and backlit keyboard. You can also have flash cache and a screen with a resolution of 1,600x900 or higher.

Over 800 USD: With this price, you will have a powerful laptop configured with high resolution screen, faster processor, stronger and discrete graphics card.

Lightweight models, for extended battery life, like the MacBook Air and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, will cost you more than $ 1,000. Laptops for high-end gamers usually cost up to 1,500 USD, even up to 2,500 - 3,000 USD.

8. Brand problem

Technology support and other manufacturers' services are important factors when choosing a laptop brand. According to experts, over the past year firms such as Sony, Apple and Samsung (currently Samsung has not joined the laptop market) are the best brands in terms of support and services for customers.

However it is only a part of your choice. You must also see competition in design, performance, value and other standards. In 2014, according to experts, Apple is the highest ranked computer brand, followed by Lenovo and ASUS.

9. Mac, Chrome or Windows operating system?

This is not an easy question to answer, especially if you have never thought of switching from Windows to Mac or have never heard of Chrome OS. But overall, each operating system has its own strengths and weaknesses.

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Windows 8

Laptops running Windows are more affordable than Mac computers. Popular Windows operating system and for users a large range of product selection from many computer vendors. Unlike Apple, Microsoft and its partners allow users to buy laptops with touch screens, as well as conversion designs that allow you to easily switch from laptop to computer mode. table.

The new Windows operating system has replaced the Start menu with a screen with an interface for touch applications. However, Windows 8.1 still has a desktop mode to run all your existing applications. The biggest improvements in Windows 8.1 are easier search and multitasking features. A few computer manufacturers still offer Windows 7 to users if you customize the online computer configuration.

Google Chrome OS

If you regularly surf the web, access social networks and browse emails with most of the time you should buy a Chromebook laptop. Google's Chrome operating system provides a version of Chrome browser with Web applications. You can also save money because the price for Chromebook computers is quite cheap, only about $ 200 or more for an 11-inch Chromebook.

For cloud-sharing applications, Chrome OS is very safe, you no longer worry about your computer being infected with viruses, data loss and other risks such as using a normal computer.

Apple OS Mavericks

Apple's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have the Mavericks X operating system relatively easy to use. The rich, handy applications as well as the good interaction and display of the operating system are an advantage of Apple.

Laptops like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro often win most Windows machines when it comes to industrial design, touchpad and display quality. While Windows computers give users more diverse software options. However, Apple's laptop is quite expensive, users will have to spend from 999 USD to choose these products.

Finally, when considering the 9 essentials when buying this laptop, you must have understood quite a lot about the laptop lines available on the market and understand your own needs.