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Product Survey: Laptops
Everybody has their own definition of the perfect laptop computer, but it often boils down to the age-old compromise between performance and portability.
We'll talk you through how the different components are likely to affect your computer so you can make an informed decision about which is the best model for you based on how you plan to use it.
We'll talk you through how the different components are likely to affect your computer so you can make an informed decision about which is the best model for you based on how you plan to use it.
Florent Alzieu
Updated: 2008-12-20
Updated: 2008-12-20
Our Tests
Before we look at its technical performance, we like to get a feel for each laptop, checking the case and finishing. Indeed, sometimes it's easy to get seduced by promises of high speeds, but sooner or later, a faster model will arrive at the same price as the laptop in question, so we think spending a bit of time thinking about what using the computer will be like is well worth it.
That's why we pay a lot of attention to the screen - you will be looking at it the whole time you use your laptop, after all - checking its viewing angle, how well it handles colors and whether or not adjusting the settings can give better results than the default configuration.
After that, before we get on with the benchmarking tests, we make sure the operating system is completely up to date and that any useless bundled software has been removed so we can ensure a fair test.
That's why we pay a lot of attention to the screen - you will be looking at it the whole time you use your laptop, after all - checking its viewing angle, how well it handles colors and whether or not adjusting the settings can give better results than the default configuration.
After that, before we get on with the benchmarking tests, we make sure the operating system is completely up to date and that any useless bundled software has been removed so we can ensure a fair test.
Manufacturers take a collection of components, often made in factories spread across the globe, and cram them into tiny cases to create very powerful machines that are often ready to compete with the computer sitting on your desk.
The very limited amount of space inside a laptop creates two problems though.
Firstly, it's hard for suppliers to innovate -- there's only a certain number of ways you can pack all of that electronics into one box, after all.
Secondly, because of the of the highly-specialized components designed to maximize efficiency, it can be hard to upgrade laptops or replace faulty parts with spares.
Your best bet, then, is to make sure you choose the right product from the off, ensuring you have the right combination of components to do everything you want to do with your laptop.
When you're shopping around, you'll probably want to look at the following parts, all of which will affect the performance of your laptop, but there's a more detailed list of what to look for here.
- Processor
The brains of your laptop are in the processor, or CPU, which performs all of the calculations it needs to keep running, and has a direct bearing on almost everything you might use your laptop for, from controlling the Artificial Intelligence engine in a game to providing the computing power needed to run advanced image editing software.
A general rule of thumb is that you'll want the fastest processor you can get, although speeds are increasing all the time so there's no need to get hung up about having the very latest processor out there.
More details on processors here
- Hard Drive
This is where all your data will be stored, and, naturally, the more space you have, the more you'll be able to save. 80 GB should suffice for office documents and photos, and anything above 250 GB is certainly very comfortable.
If you do run out of space and are using your laptop in a (relatively) fixed location, you will be able to add an external hard drive further down the line … not strictly an upgrade to the computer itself, but worth considering if you're worried about storage space.
More details on hard drives here
- Memory
Your laptop's RAM, or memory, will store the programs and the files that are currently being used at any one time.
Naturally, then, the more likely you are to need to multitask, the more likely you are to need plenty of RAM.
Just typing a few documents and surfing the web won't take up much space at all, but playing games or editing photos, audio, or video will require something a lot more powerful.
For Windows Vista, you'll need at least 1 GB, but we would strongly recommend 2 GB.
More details on memory here
- Graphics Card
Not just a concern for avid gamers, the quality of the graphics card in your laptop will affect how responsive it is in general.
A lot of laptops integrate handling the graphics onto the general processor without including a dedicated device to control what's on screen.
While this often saves space and money, resulting in a smaller, cheaper laptop, it does result in lower quality graphics.
More details on graphics cards here
- Screen
Ultimately, the size of the screen on your laptop will determine how big the whole computer is and how easy it is to carry.
Measured diagonally from corner to corner like TVs, laptop monitors go from 7'' all the way up to 20''.
They're perhaps the best example of the tricky compromise between size and power: the smaller your screen, the easier it will be to move your laptop around, but the harder it will be to use for extended periods of time.
Conversely, a larger screen will be a lot easier to use once you're in situ, but will be a lot less portable.
More details on laptop screens here
As we mentioned above, apart from the RAM and the hard drive, many laptop components are very difficult to replace. Even if it is possible to swap in a spare part, their delicate construction often makes repairing laptops a costly affair. A year's guarantee, which is what's usually offered, is often less than adequate.
Misleading Statistics
Putting blind faith in manufacturers' claims can often get you into trouble. Reducing the quality of components to try and save on power consumption or reduce heat is one widespread practice. That's why it's important to check our reviews of each laptop to make sure that the performance that's advertised is actually available.
Using Your Laptop
How far can you go on a laptop? In theory, absolutely anything you can do with a desktop computer is possible on a laptop, but where you position yourself on the classic compromise between size and computing power is up to you.
What you should know, though, is that any laptop on the market today will be capable of getting online and running simple office software.
Editing videos and photos should be possible on the majority of models, as long as you have 2 GB of memory.
Playing the latest games is going to require a little more oomph, and a careful choice of screen and graphics card will be needed.
