Guide to Buying a Laptop - Part 3

Laptop Buying Guide - Part 1

Guide to Buying a Laptop - Part 2

Your laptop - When a laptop has become a popular accessory for modern life, the process of choosing a suitable computer can take you quite a bit. time.

Part 3: Which CPU type should I choose?

1. Intel

Core i7: This is Intel's latest mobile CPU line, inheriting the high-end graphics features and gaming features of the Core i7 desktop line, it is for those who want an absolute graphics power like professional gamers and those who like the power of graphics processing at the equivalent level of desktop computers. The Core i7 Mobile series has better power management than its desktop cousin, but they still consume large amounts of other laptop CPUs, and generally will only Find them in large laptops to replace desktop computers.

Core 2 Duo: This is Intel's most popular processor line, with many different designs based on processing speed and production scale. A newer line, the Core 2 Duo CULVs (ultra-low voltage processors), has slightly slower performance, but allows longer battery life, and is present in new ultra-thin laptops. , where space, cooling, and battery life requirements are critical.

Atom : These are Intel's single-core processors found primarily in popular Notebooks. With limited performance, they are best suited for simple tasks, single-task computing such as e-mail, basic Web browsing, documents and office work. They are also suitable for low-cost computers, but they cannot be played with 3D games or HD videos. Common Atom chips include Atom N270 and N280, and in general you should avoid the Z-series Atom chips, since this series is better suited for portable mobile devices than for laptops.

2. Also from Intel

Core 2 Quad: As the name implies, these are quad-core processors, which show outstanding power in multitasking tasks and calculations that require multiple applications to run simultaneously.

Core 2 Solo: Some Intel's ultra-low-voltage processors (ULV) still have only one single core. These processors are somewhere between Atom and Dual-Core ULV CPUs. They are often found in Ultraportable laptops with small size and good battery life but without optical drive. While these chips have a slight improvement in performance from Atom, the extra cost for this makes us suggest you use Dual-Core ULV processors.

Pentium Dual-Core: These are multi-core CPUs that do not qualify for a marketed Core 2 Duo CPU. We have seen these CPUs in laptops at very low prices, and they are a good value if you need a 14 or 15-inch Dual-Core laptop, for less than $ 600.

Celeron: There are still a handful of Celeron processors in cheap laptops. However, if you compare the Pentium Dual-Core and Celeron series to buy a Pentium Dual-Core laptop, you only have to pay a little more than 50 USD, so we recommend avoiding Celeron CPU. .

3. AMD

AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core: The AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core replaces the Intel Core 2 Duo processor to create a more affordable price for laptops, but we have found that Intel CPUs run stably. more in systems with comparable prices. This is not always true, and these two companies have swapped leading positions in performance more than once over the years.

AMD Athlon Neo : Found thin-and-light Netbooks and Notebooks, Neo is one of AMD's new processors. It helps extend battery life and low power consumption, similar to Intel's Atom processor. Unfortunately, the systems we have seen with single-core Neo are more expensive than Atom Netbooks, while only a small increase in performance. The new X2 version of Neo dual-core version and potential.

AMD Turion X2: This is AMD's low power consumption version for the popular laptop line.

4. VIA

Via Nano: This is a low voltage processor and a third choice for Netbooks. Nano is a product from Via chip manufacturer. Of the few Netbooks we have seen with the Nano, they offer a similar performance better than Intel's Atom, and Via says that these CPUs are even intended for a wider product area. Not just for Netbooks.

5. Note about GPU and Netbook

Although discrete graphics chips, like GPUs provided by Nvidia and ATI, are key to video editing and gaming, it's important to note that these two new Nvidia products will also be enhanced on the Netbook.

Nvidia Ion: This is Nvidia's first graphics option for Netbooks, Ion is the basic part on GeForce 9400M GPU in Apple's MacBooks. Enhanced graphics power can help Atom-Netbooks to playback HD videos smoothly, and even handle some basic games.

Nvidia Tegra: Nvidia's integrated CPU / GPU is intended for hybrid hybrid devices, these devices are smaller and more affordable than Netbooks, running a hybrid version of smartphone operating systems. Tegra focuses on smoothing out HD video and some graphics capabilities, and it also appears in mobile entertainment devices like Zune HD.