22 things to consider when buying a new brand computer and explain
This post is not some kind of GEEK post, I just want to share things I consider when buying a laptop for myself or a friend. This is not a detailed analysis of the various components that make up a laptop, nor is it a review of a laptop model. But just a few tips to consider when looking to buy a laptop.
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| Source: Pixabay |
In this post, I don't need to explain what some terminology like having a 1 GHz processor or 2 GB of RAM, but rather to state the real applications for which such a system specification can be used.
Whether you're shopping for a brand new, used, or refurbished laptop, you may want to consider the features below before paying for a laptop:
1. Money
2. Processor
3. Aries
4. Operating system
5. Mother's council
6. Hard drive
7.SSD
8.GPU
9. Screen resolution
10. Speaker: Sound quality
11. Video Quality
12. Number of USB ports
13.Webcam
14. Slots for RAM expansion
15. Brand
16. Durability
17. Form factor
18. Design
19. Wireless card
20. Bluetooth
21. Ethernet Lan Port
22.VGA
Remember to always do an online search for the product specification of the laptop you want to buy. This will allow you to have an image of your choice or contact me directly by leaving a comment after the post.
Money
The first is money. It may sound trivial, there are different laptop brands and specifications that you can opt for depending on the money you are willing to part with. If you are in Nigeria, we have used laptops and brand new laptops of various specs and models that cost around 45k Naira. New mid-range laptops cost around 55 to 85 thousand Naira, while high-end computers can cost around 120 to 250 thousand.
Gaming PCs, PCs built with dedicated processors to meet graphics demands, can go for 250k or more. If you're in America, a thousand dollar laptop should get you a gaming laptop. $500 to around $850 can still get you a nice laptop with pretty decent specs.
Processor
To check your laptop's processor specification, check it in the BIOS menu or after system startup. In the case of a brand new laptop inside the box. It might be impractical to tell the seller to unbox it to check the processor specs before you buy.
So, to check the processor specification, copy the laptop model and its number and try to search for the laptop specification online on Google. In some cases, you may have the processor specification and some other system features written on the cardboard. The most important thing is to know the processor specification before buying a laptop.
There may be another situation where you have direct access to turn on the laptop for testing before paying. As in the case of buying used or refurbished laptops. If you have direct access to the laptop, load the computer's BIOS menu and check the processor specification. Alternatively, you can check the processor specification when the system boots normally.
To check the processor specification of a laptop with a Windows operating system such as Windows 7. Hold the Windows key and E together and go to My Computer, see the image below⬇
Then place the mouse cursor on any empty space and right-click. Click on “Properties” as shown in the image above. You should get laptop details that look like the image below:
If you looked at the image below, we can see that the processor frequency is 2.6 GHz and the model is a Core i5 Intel 3320M processor. That said, the processor is pretty decent to handle most of the tasks a laptop requires. Such as games, multimedia, office applications, etc. The most common frequencies that you will find in most laptops are between 2.0 GHz and 2.7 GHz.
The thing is, a processor clocked between 2.4GHz and 2.7GHz is a pretty decent spec to consider. However, in some situations, a 2.1 GHz processor can work with a 2.4 GHz processor, such as the 2.1 GHz INTEL Core i7 processor and the 2.4 GHz INTEL core i3 processor. Cores are multiple CPUs that are built into the same chip. Since 2002, we have only had single-core processors. This means that we can only execute one task or program at a time.
In order to run multiple programs or tasks at the same time, we need to incorporate the use of multiple processors to perform multi-threaded processes at the same time, that's why INTEL introduced the concept of hyperthreading. This means it will convert one processor into two virtual processors to have more cores for our given task. So a processor is a single unit disguised as having multiple cores to perform multiple tasks. There was a need to have a true multi-core processor acting on a single unit, which led to the development of multi-core processors such as the INTEL Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7.
A processor determines how quickly a computer is able to perform a given task, simply put. Laptop processors are usually in GHz, Giga Hertz. Traditionally, neglecting other factors, a laptop with a single-core 2 GHz processor performs faster at a task than a laptop with a 1 GHz single-core processor.
The two most common types of processors commonly found in laptops are INTEL and AMD processors. Both types of processors are good but in some parts of Africa like Nigeria. Some people have faced the problem of overheating old AMD processor computers in hot weather. Both AMD and INTEL processors are great, but INTEL adapts to hot weather in Africa compared to AMD, so INTEL runs cooler in some parts of Africa than AMD in hot weather.
Some INTEL processors are labeled core i3, i5 and i7. This was mentioned earlier between the INTEL Core i7 2.1 GHz processor and the 2.4 Core i3 INTEL 2.4 GHz processor.
If I'm buying a laptop, I simply go for the INTEL Core i7 2.1GHz processor because it basically has more multi-cores capable of running one thread/task or more simultaneously compared to the later ones.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
A higher RAM specification automatically makes your laptop faster and simpler. Two similar laptops of the same brand, design, operating system, motherboard and format with two different RAM specs, say 2 Gig and 4 GB. Obviously, a laptop with 4GB of RAM will run easily with 2GB of RAM.
Part of what RAM does is allow you to perform or open multiple tasks at the same time by providing temporary memory for the operating system to store data for execution and thus possibly speed up the laptop. When choosing a laptop, opt for a decent RAM specification, at least 4 Gig and above.
Therefore, when choosing a laptop, go for a higher RAM specification or you can simply upgrade the RAM. Because some laptops come with two slots depending on the motherboard design so you can add more RAM to your laptop.
To check your laptop's RAM size and specifications, use the procedure for checking processor specifications as above. Or if you are using Windows operating system (Windows xp, Windows7,………….Windows 10) Hold the Windows key and R together, type: systeminfo in the dialog box and press Enter.
From the picture you can see that the installed RAM is 8 Gig which is quite decent. At least opt for laptops whose RAM size ranges between 4GB to 8GB.
You will also see from the image that the amount of RAM usable by the operating system is 7.69 GB, but that is fine. You will also see from the image that the operating system is a 64-bit OS.
There are some cases where some laptops with Windows 32-bit operating system (Window Vista,———-Windows 10) already have 2GB of RAM installed. During a RAM upgrade, say by adding another 2 GB to the laptop to make it 4 GB. After placing an additional 2 GB of RAM, the usable RAM may show as only 2 GB usable, so the upgrade will be tedious because the Windows operating system can only use 2 GB of RAM. To overcome this type of situation, simply install a 64-bit version of the operating system on the laptop, and then you will have up to 4GB of usable memory, say 3.7 or so.
Therefore, when buying a laptop, get a laptop with 4GB or more if you really want to dedicate it to hard work, say gaming, programming, graphic design, word processing, rendering, etc.
But if you're the type of person that all you do with laptops is put on that new movie, play that new song, or do some small single-threaded typing in Microsoft Word, then you can opt for, say, some average 2GB RAM laptop. But make sure with the screen resolution being pretty decent, I'll get to that later to avoid some mishaps when playing movies.
Operating system
A laptop with any LINUX distribution which is usually called DISTROS will be faster compared to the same laptop with Windows operating system. The same applies to a computer with a MAC operating system. So the operating system also contributes to the speed and efficiency of the laptop.
However, the most popular operating system used by many people in Nigeria is the Windows operating system (Windows XP, Windows 7…………Windows 10) due to the familiarity of most of the software packages that come with the Windows operating system. If you have a low specification laptop, the best Windows operating system to install on it is Windows XP. Installing any LINUX distribution on a laptop will match the performance of Windows XP.
Windows XP runs faster with a low spec laptop compared to Windows Vista, Windows 7…Windows 10. But Windows XP is getting outdated and support is dropping, so why would you even want it.
So when you decide for a laptop, you either consider going for MAC (Apple) or PC (Wind0ws: Toshiba, HP, ACER, Lenovo, Sony Vaio) depending on your wallet, taste, task and usage, etc.
Motherboard
It can be thought of as having all the connections of the various components in the laptop. The way it is designed affects the speed and efficiency of the laptop in my opinion. So it's not just a matter of higher specification of everything, but it's also important to choose products with efficiently designed motherboards.
If you opt for a PC, a Windows laptop, you may find this Sony Vaio laptop model quite expensive, albeit in Nigeria. Lenovo, Acer, Dell and Toshiba. If you don't decide for PC, then you are definitely on MAC. MAC has it all, clean design and class.
Hard disk or SSD
I don't need to explain it, it can be referred to as hard disk or non-volatile memory. Basically, you store all your files in it, including the operating system. For laptops, they usually come in 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, 700GB and 1TB sizes. Hard drives are usually made up of a mechanical rotating system.
An SSD, also known as an SSD, does the same thing as a hard drive, but it does it better and more efficiently. SSDs do not have a rotating mechanism, so they use less power and are cooler. SSDs are faster than hard drives. So having a computer in which the operating system is installed on an SSD will work more efficiently compared to a computer using a hard drive.
SSD is a newer technology, but soon more laptops will have SSDs, making the hard drive a thing of the past. SSDs typically come in 80GB, 120GB, 200GB, 320GB, and 500GB. You can even have them in 1TB, but the laptop can be expensive. That's why the money is coming in again.
Check the size of your hard drive or SSD on your Windows computer. Hold the Windows KEY and E keys together. Then search for MY COMPUTER and check the size of the main drive, usually C. See the image below⬇
From the images below, since they does not allow us to embed images in our post, you will notice that the C drive is 133GB in size. The other partition with D is also 34GB, so adding the two adds up to about 170GB. So my laptop storage is 200 GB SSD.
A laptop with a large disk space such as 1 TB may be more beneficial to someone than a laptop with less disk storage depending on the purpose for which they put the laptop.
GPU (graphics processor)
Having a dedicated graphic design processor is an advantage. Laptops with dedicated GPUs are more brutal for gaming and rendering than laptops without them.
Having a laptop with a decent GPU VRAM or rather a dedicated GPU size is synonymous with having a beastly laptop that can handle high-end applications. Hence the cliché: "Gaming laptop".
Normal processors already have the memory to handle graphics requests, but additional dedicated memory is also a plus. The new INTEL processors come alongside the INTEL 4000 GPUs. But this may not be enough for high-end graphic design projects like rendering or high-end gaming.
The two dedicated graphics processors are AMD GPU and NVIDIA GPU. Any laptop with at least 2GB of dedicated AMD or NVIDIA memory is a good choice. It should definitely play most games and satisfy your graphic design projects. However, if you don't use your laptop for that kind of use, you might be the type of person who is more into multimedia and other office application programs, and then you don't need to invest the extra money to buy a gaming laptop or laptops with more dedicated GPUs (Nvidia and AMD).
Screen resolution
It is better to have a laptop with a screen with higher pixels. Adds more detail at the end of the view. We have some laptops with screen resolution of 1366*768 pixels which is fine but recent new laptops come with higher resolutions of 1080px and also 1600*900 pixels.
The point is that laptops with higher screen resolutions are better buys. To find out your laptop's resolution, look up the product specification online if you have access to the system and it's running Windows. Go to desktop and right click. Look for display settings and then screen resolution. An option for the maximum screen resolution allowed will appear. See image below.
Speaker: Sound quality
You might have heard of Dolby, Beats Audio by DRE, Altec lansing speakers, Sony etc. These are companies that provide quality laptop audio speakers. If your laptop has one of these types of speakers, the sound quality, output and beats will be better than laptops with only normal speakers.
So if you're into multimedia, DJing, music, remixing or anything else that really requires a laptop speaker that can really crank out that special sound and beat, consider the above point when choosing a laptop.
Number of USB ports
Don't ask what it is. The advantage is that you have multiple USB ports in your laptop to connect your phone, tablet, charge an external device, connect a flash drive and copy some content to an external hard drive at the same time.
Most laptops have 2, 3, 4 USB ports. And usually, some USB ports are faster than their counterparts when transferring data between a laptop and an external device. We have USB 3.0 port which is faster than USB 2.0 port.
Webcam
The front camera that is included in most laptops. You might want to consider the quality and FPS speed of the laptop webcam if you're the type who focuses more on video chat, Skype, business video conversation, etc. Well, that's just up to fate, because trivial. If the laptop performs very well in the specification above, it should certainly perform well in the webcam.
Ram expansion slots
A laptop with extra RAM slots is also an advantage as you may want to add more RAM to increase system performance so having an expansion is an advantage. Some laptops come with one RAM expansion slot. So if you want to upgrade you definitely need to replace.
The only way to tell if a laptop has one RAM slot or two RAM slots is to lose it. So don't worry about it, it's also trivial.
Mark
Some laptop brands are expensive, there are laptops that go over $1000. Some notebooks display their lifestyle and status. Having a MAC (Apple) can mean that you belong to the business class, that you care about the privacy and security of your data, and it can also show class. It can also mean that you are running multimedia and photography applications etc.
On the other hand, Sony Vaio, Lenovo, Acer………….. laptops are also known for their flimsy design. ASUS Rog, Alien ware and Razer blade laptops mean you belong to the gaming class.
Durability
Choose a laptop that will stand the test of time. Look at any laptop repair shop to know which products are the most dominant in failures. This should provide an overview of which product not to opt for.
Form factor and design
MAC and Sony VAIO laptops have this special design feature that makes their products very compact, thin, attractive and simple, which is very cool. So you can also consider it if you are after a laptop with some swag.
Wireless card
Having everything fast is a must in this 21st century. As more things evolve with fast time, everything has to be faster. The wireless card is no exception.
Check for wireless cards labeled 802.11 b/g/n WLAN or 802.11b/g/n/ac WLAN. A laptop with 802.11b means it can only connect to a router that only supports the 802.11b protocol. As a limiting factor, its wireless connection is slow compared to the notebook, which supports the higher and more versatile 802.11b/g/n and ac.
Bluetooth
A laptop with bluetooth is an added bonus and is very useful as it allows you to transfer files to your mobile phone without using USB.
Ethernet LAN port
Most laptops have LAN ports for establishing a wired local connection or Internet connection.
VGA/HDMI port
These ports allow you to connect and project your laptop screen to an external display. Most laptops have either HDMI ports or VGA ports or both.
Conclusion
Consider these little tips when choosing a laptop.
Please tell me the images are not formatted well, this post was originally written as a blog post so I had to overlay it into NL format, that's why I can't insert images into the post.
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