How to choose a GOOD laptop

When taking your first steps in the IT field, you will probably face the problem of choosing a suitable laptop with good parameters․

We have prepared recommendations to help you choose a good laptop. Follow the steps:

CPU

Here we are dealing with two main brands: Intel and AMD. In Intel's "Core" brand of chips, after the "Core" name you will find a brand modifier such as i3, i5, i7 or i9. The higher the modifier, the higher the performance and capabilities of the processor. When buying a laptop with an Intel processor, focus on models with the i5 modifier and higher. As for laptops with Ryzen processors, of which there are not so many on the Armenian market compared to Intel, in this case we recommend choosing models with AMD Ryzen 5 or higher.

Processor model: Here we have to pay attention to the generation of the processor, in case of Intel processors, it is highly recommended to buy a laptop with at least the 10th generation. In the case of Ryzen, at least 5th generation. The generation of the processor is determined by the first / first two digits of the four-digit / five-digit number specified in the processor model, for example AMD Ryzen 5 5600H (5600, therefore we have the 5th generation here) or Intel Core i5 10210U (10210 in this case we have the 10th generation ). The processor core, which is also important, must be at least 4. Then another indicator that is included in the processor model is the product line suffix, which is expressed by the letters: G1, G7, H, U, Y... What does each one mean?

G - Includes discrete graphics on packaging

G1-G7 - Graphics level (only for processors with new integrated graphics technology)

H - High performance

U - energy efficient

Y - Extremely energy efficient In both cases (U, Y), the emphasis is on the energy efficiency of the processors, rather than on power and performance.

F - Discrete graphics required

Taking all this into account, it is necessary to understand which type you need so that you can then choose accordingly. Of course, it is recommended to buy laptops with H processor, but their price is quite high compared to others.

Screen

By diameter: 13.3 inches (33.8 cm),

14 inches (35.6 cm)

15.6 inches (39.6 cm)

17.3 inches (43.9 cm)

Depending on what you usually do and the purpose for which you use the laptop, you can choose the size that suits you best. A 15.6-inch screen is generally considered the optimal size, but if you're a graphic designer, for example, it may be more efficient to work with a larger screen. So it's more a matter of preference.

Screen resolution:

If you are a programmer or QA engineer for whom screen resolution is not a priority, choose at least Full HD (1920 x 1080).

By matrix display type:

TN- (low image quality, small viewing angle, poor color gamut) avoid buying computers with this type of matrix

IPS - (high-quality image display, wide viewing angle) we recommend choosing models with this type of matrix

VA - intermediate position between TN and IPS

Memory

RAM

The next important point to consider when buying a computer is, of course, RAM, which largely determines the capacity of the laptop. We recommend choosing models with at least 8 GB of RAM (preferably more - 12 GB, 16 GB, etc.). By the way, most models have upgradeable RAM, which means you can buy a computer with 8GB of RAM and then double that to 16GB, thereby paying less than any other model with a starting 16GB of RAM costs.

So, when buying a laptop, pay attention to this fact.

When choosing between DDR3, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, DDR4 processors, always choose DDR4 or if you want to save money, choose its energy efficient version LPDDR4.

Hard drive HDD/SSD. We recommend that you choose an SSD (512 GB or larger) as it clearly improves the capacity and efficiency of your computer.

Hard drives, being relatively old storage devices, are considered vulnerable and slow.

Please note that SSD, in turn, has its own types:

SATA, PCIe, M.2, U.2, each of which has its own characteristics and differs from others in its price.

More details: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-buying-guide,5602.html

Graphics card

Integrated Graphics / Discrete Graphics

As with processors, here we are dealing with two main brands: Nvidia Geforce and AMD Radeon discrete graphics cards, for example:

Extremely poor performance

GeForce 920M, 920MX, 940M, 940MX:

Radeon R5 M330, R5 M430, 520, 530:

Poor performance

GeForce MX110, MX130, MX150, MX230, MX250, Raedon 540, 540X

Average productivity

GeForce 1050, 1050Ti, Raedon RX 560X:

High productivity

GeForce 1650, 1060:

Extremely high performance
GeForce 1070, 2060, 2070, 1660Ti, 1080, 2080:

Ports

When choosing a computer, look for models that have at least 1 USB-C, at least 1 USB-A, HDMI, and microphone/headphone connectivity.