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Ten Points Every Beginner Should Know
Credit for this article goes to DDDa from Notebookforums.com Home - Laptop/Notebook News, Reviews, Discussions and more
Various aspects can decide what equipment is better for you, and this tutorial
will try to cover, and hopefully it will, what you should know to understand
some basics of the experience that is to buy a notebook. Its goal is to be a
"what to ask" guide, so if this avoid one single question like the ones
presented right below, this text fulfilled its objective.
Start by not asking anyone "what computer should I buy", "help me find the
perfect laptop" or other generic variation like "help me find the perfect laptop
for me", don't giving any clue about what kind of notebook you need. This is
the mantra you must follow. I hope everyone will be polite to you when
you ask that, but when you do you are just wasting your and other's time. As
everything in your life, be objective. That's why this kind of tutorial is so
much appreciated on forums, specially if you consider that most of the active
users are here not to ask questions, but mostly to discuss and answer yours.
It's very common to see simple questions turning themselves into a valuable resource because experienced users
started discussing very pertinent arguments that end by improving the quality of
the threads here, or in other forums as well.
When asking for suggestions, don't ask like that, being generic. Instead, tell
what kind of computer you need, how much money you think you need to - and can -
spend and if performance is important or not for you. Be simple: tell as much
things as you can that help us to decrease the number of possible computer
systems that you would probably be interested in.
These tutorials save time, and here on notebookforums you can find lots of
external links that can further extend your research (see some on the end of
this tutorial). So, do your "homework" before anything. - Processor
Chances are high that you already know at least the basics of processor
performance. Forget the clock speed (those "my computer has more
megahertz/gigahertz than yours"). You can't trust only on that factor anymore. Today, other things like size of the L2 cache, the architecture, the data
size and all that can change processors performance. The clock is not the only
factor to consider anymore, like it used to be some years ago.
There are processors that can handle data at 64 bits, for example. 32 bits
processors can't process 64 bits, but "32 bits capable" 64 bits processor can
process the other way. As of now (August 2006), there are very good 64 bits
processors being offered by both AMD and Intel, but each has specific
characteristics. Be sure to research and choose the best one for your needs.
Although 32 bits processors like the Core line are probably enough today,
remember that this is going to change in the future. However, it's not easy to
guess exactly when it will be the default environment on the computer scene. Be
aware that most people paid more to buy 64 bits processors in the past, years
ago. While most of them had (and will have) benefits with 64 bits computing,
others are already ordering other notebooks (or even desktops, for that matter) and never even had a real use
for that feature, on their previous systems. Finally, it's not hard to conclude
that they paid more in the past without having a great - if any - advantage with
those processors. The best buyer is not the first one to buy a given technology,
it's the one that do it in the right moment.
You can find suitable, mobile processors of both types today. So, you will have,
mainly, AMD and Intel processors to choose from when buying. However, you can
still find specialized processors with specific goals. Be sure to choose one
that will fit your needs (it's always good to remember).
- RAM Memory
This is the most important overall upgrade on your computer. The one that will
most change your performance, financially speaking. There are some aspects of it
that you must understand to get most of your money:
- Size
More RAM memory can make your computer better when multi-processing, meaning
that your computer won't access your hard-disk so much, increasing the productivity of your
computer (decreasing the total time needed to do a given task or group of
tasks).
More RAM also helps your computer to run more stable and flawlessly. Windows XP
requires, at least, 128 MB, officially, and the next version of Windows, called
Vista, will require, at least, 512 MB to have a "good overall" performance (even
if it can run with less than that), according to Microsoft. You can find
notebooks being sold with even 256 MB. So, you should get nothing less than 512
MB, specially when you consider that you can find most people with one year old
notebooks with 1 GB or RAM.
- Speed
You must, too, consider the speed of the memory modules, as long as it's
supported by the system and as long as it - the system - will use the "extra
clock speed". So, adding faster memory won't make your computer necessarily
faster. The best buyer does not focus on only one component, but on all of them,
balancing the performance among the system. Only this way you avoid bottlenecks, as a single, poor piece of hardware
can ruin all those last model processors and graphic cards. Remember: it doesn't
matter if you have that Ferrari. If you tune it wrong, a good Mustang will crush
it.
There are several kinds of SDRAM modules (the most used today). They are
represented by the letters "PC" plus a number, as "PC2100", "PC2700", "PC3200",
"PC4000 and so on.... If you can, choose the memory with the higher clock,
specially because if you buy a brand new system now, probably it supports, at
least, PC3200 memory models. Don't be confused when you find a memory described
as either DDR400 or PC3200. The first scheme describes the maximum clock that
the memory supports (400 Mhz, in our example), and the second one describes the
maximum data transfer rate (in our example: 3,200,000,000 bytes per second, or
roughly 3.2 GB/s). So, you can find DDR266/PC2100, DDR333/PC2700, DDR400/PC3200
and such.
You must be wondering where this relation and the numbers come from. You can get the maximum data transfer rate of a memory by multiplying
the clock cycles by the bus size. DDR SDRAM memories have a bus that is 8 bytes
wide. So, if it can retrieve 8 bytes at each clock cycle, and it can perform
400,000,000 cycles each second (400 Mhz), it can send out 3,200,000,000 bytes
every second. Fairly simple, isn't? That's why a DDR400 is the same of PC3200
and a DDR333 is the same of a PC2700. It's just a matter of names.
- Temporization or Latency
Another thing that can affect the performance of your system significantly. The
temporization, or latency, of the memory. Depending on what you do and who you
are, you may don't even know a single person that knows what temporization is.
The latency of the memory is the time (measured in clock cycles) that the memory
module takes to complete one operation.
Think of a scenario: you have two groups of people to extinguish a fire with
buckets. What group of people would you choose? The one having very strong,
gym-addicted people with one old, very weak person; or one with not so strong people,
but all of them beeing definitely stronger than our old man on the first group?
Exactly the same happens with computers. Consider two facts: CPUs today are
faster than memory modules. The CPU need to wait the memory to access its stored
contents for that same CPU to process the data retrieved. Read this carefully
and it's not hard to guess that a memory module with high latency will make your
precious (read: expensive) CPU not critical to your system performance as you
once thought. It's simple: a high latency memory will leave your CPU "waiting" a
lot of time before it can process any information.
As said before, and it's doesn't hurt to put emphasis on it, the best buyer does
not focus on only one component, but on all of them, balancing the performance
among the system.
The temporization is an array of 5 items, as X-Y-Z-W-V. Actually, for us to
understand it better, we must write it as tCAS-tRCD-tRP-tRAS-CR. They are, respectively, Column Address Strobe delay, Row Address to Column Address delay, Row
Precharge, Row Address Strobe delay and Command Rate. These numbers describe the
amount of time the memory takes to perform different routines needed when
dealing with the memory array. All the time is measured using front side bus
clock cycles, so you will find 2-3-3-5 and similar variants. Note that the fifth
element was not present, and you won't find it explicitly expressed often
(normally, only the four first). Anyway, the Command Rate value is important to
the system performance, so you should always ask for those when buying a memory,
if possible.
- Video Card
Also known as, but not limited to, "Graphics Card", "Graphics Processor Unit" or
just "GPU", this component is, specially for gamers, one of the first
considerations when buying a new computer/notebook. The video card renders the
images that you see on your screen, and it appear in two form factors:
- Integrated Graphics:
This kind of video card is, as the name says, integrated to the mainboard and
usually doesn't have dedicated memory (or can have part dedicated and part
shared). Besides the fact that this kind of video card normally doesn't have
great performance and can't render graphics even like some of the cheapest
"non-shared video cards", the fact that the card shares memory with the main
memory of the system (RAM) just slows down things even more.
Any GPU can handle (some times just not flawlessly) operations like Photoshop
editions and simple CAD graphics. So, they are useful for two kinds of people:
those on a budget, that can't afford dedicated graphic cards; and mobile users,
since integrated video units are smaller and less powerful, thus requiring less
cooling and placement solutions like heatsinks and space, beeing ideal for small
chassis.
- Dedicated graphics:
This kind have its own processor. They make all the heavy-duty of rendering
graphics alone and don't use system's memory, increasing the overall system's performance.
If you don't mind the money spent, you will be amazed by how much better
graphics can be rendered with these cards. Photoshop and other relatively simple
renderings when did on these cards are a pleasure to do, and any gamer considers
this not just a must have, but they also will go for the lastest (or so)
generation of these.
What mostly determines the performance of the card is the processor unit for the
video card. Actually, a video card is essentially a computer in itself, with a
processor and memory. You can find a lot of cards with a given amount of memory,
but the performance difference between them can be abysmal, depending on what is
the processor on it. Choose wisely.
- Hard Disk
Hard disk, also known as "winchester" by the old school, or just "HD", is the
device that keeps your data permanently. Today's hard disks' capacities offer
much more than the average user needs. They have plenty of space and, if you
choose right, probably you won't run out of space, unless you need to process a lot of data, like what happens
when you make professional conversions of VHS to DVD, or if you store a lot of
multimedia files, like videos and high bitrate (higher quality) musics, on it.
- Capacity
The main question at this point is how much things (and how big they are) you
keep saved on your computer. 30 GB can represent plenty of storage to most
people that only uses one operational system and those whose main usage is
surfing the net and listening to some MP3s. If you play some light or old games,
keep some videos saved and like having some free space for, who knows, try that
Linux distribution that everyone is talking about, you want a minimum of 60 GB.
However, if you are the storage man, who keeps all your albums on your hard disk
to listen, deal with videos and uses more than one operational system, even 80
or 100 GB can run out of space quickly.
You probably want to consider, in certain circumstances, an external storage
solution, since it's not difficult to buy 3.5" hard disks, suitable for desktops, and
put them inside enclosures. Doing that, you will probably save a lot of money
than buying comparable internal storage for your notebook, as this difference
can be, for similar capacities, something between 2 to 3 times the amount paid
for a 3.5" hard disk on a good enclosure. And, by that, you must remember that
most capacities won't even be available in a form factor that is suitable for
notebooks, as the 2.5" is.
- Speed
The speed that your hard disk spins gives you an idea of how fast you can read
data from it. Although 10,000 RPM are quite common on the desktop world, you are
more limited when dealing with notebooks. If you don't mind to wait a few more
seconds each time you read a great file, you can choose one with 5,400 rpm
(those around 4,000 rpm are becoming slow and obsolete). But if you need high
performance, meaning less boot time and less "Loading" screens, settle for 7,200
rpm or more, if you can. However, be prepared to not just increase your computer's performance, but to increase the
amount of money you will spend.
Another factor that reflects how fast you can load things from them is the
capacity (resulting from the higher density). Since a higher capacity disk keeps
more data, the information stored on those disks are closer to each other,
meaning that the disk is more dense than one with less capacity. Since the drive
will waste less time to go from one point of information to another, you can say
that higher capacity disks can load things proportionally faster to the density
participation in the read process (keeping in mind that the density is not the
only factor that determines the speed when retrieving information) if compared
to a less capacity one at same speed.
- Media
Almost nobody uses floppy disks today. Their 1.44mb capacity is obsolete for
years now. Unless you have a very good reason, you can choose a notebook without
such drive, saving money. It's even rare to find a notebook with an internal drive today, but there is still the option for
externals. Anyway, remember that most companies will sell external floppy drives
well overpriced, so you can save money by buying internal drives and external
enclosures. After all, you are paying more only for someone to connect the drive
on an enclosure with screws, which is, at most, a 1 minute task.
Much more important than floppies are optical media. Almost every computer today
comes with a standard CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive, but in almost every situation, you
will find the option for a DVD burner. From some resellers, you can even have
only DVD burners, as these are becoming the standard. Since the price of 2.5"
DVD burners is dropping, buying external ones is not a great solution as it used
to be, unless you need to use the same burner on different computers. Also, all
new DVD burner models today have the ability to write to dual layer media, so
it's not too important to pay attention to that, unless you are buying an older
model.
- Screen
It can appear a simple detail, as you should think that all screens are almost
the same, since they just display what you're doing. You couldn't be more wrong.
Resolution (both pixels and pixels per inch), aspect, viewing angles and the
very own screen quality are subtle details that nobody can forget.
- Resolution:
The LCD screen on your notebook will have a given number of individual points,
and it's important to know how much points it have on both horizontal and
vertical directions. Every screen today has at least 1024 pixels on the
horizontal and 768 pixels on vertical. This resolution is known as 1024x768 or
just XGA. As you can see, an XGA screen can display an image using 786,432
points simultaneously. And the more points you have, more things you can display
on a screen at once. For example, icons are normally an image of 32x32 pixels. A
screen of 64x64 pixels can display 4 icons at a time, and another one of 128x128
can display 16 icons at a time, just to compare.
Another detail of the screen is the "pixels per inch" (a.k.a. "dots per inch",
or just DPI). Given the size of a screen, which is measured on its diagonal (a
15" screen has fifteen inches if you measure its in the diagonal axis), and the
amount of pixels, you have the DPI of your screen. Normally, a screen has a DPI
number of 80 to 110.
You are probably wondering: how the DPI number can affect my computer
experience? Did you ever noticed, specially on those common and bulky desktop
monitors (CRTs) that, when you change the resolution, the things on your screen
gets bigger (or smaller)? That happens because more or less information is
supposed to be displayed on that screen, but the real size doesn't change
(obviously you can't increase the monitor size). For instance, if you increase
the resolution (go from 800x600 - SVGA - to 1024x768 - XGA), more things can
displayed at a time on your screen, but since your monitor itself doesn't get
bigger, all the image needs to be "shrunk" to fit on the screen. That's the DPI effect on your life.
The ratio between the amount of pixels and the size in whom they are displayed
gives the DPI. Higher numbers means that things will be, in proportion to your
screen, smaller; and low numbers, bigger. You don't need to understand this
completely, but certainly, it's useful.
- Aspect:
The proportion between the horizontal and vertical sizes of your screen gives
you the "aspect ratio". Those "boxed", common screens, are defined as 4:3 (4
units at horizontal and 3 at vertical), while the "new wave" of home
entertainment screens are defined as 16:9, wisely marketed as "widescreens".
16:9 screens (you'll find "16:10" on almost all wide notebooks) are better
because they represent the image more naturally, with the same aspect of your
eyes. However, personal preference is imperative here, so choose what you like.
"Widescreens" can also display those DVDs you have at home using all the screen,
which doesn't happen with "Standard" screen, where the movie is displayed shrunk to fit or distorted.
- Viewing angles:
LCDs (specially cheaper ones) have a common problem: if you don't sit exactly in
front of the screen - "perfect spot" -, you will see images with some kind of
distortion (normally brightness and/or color). Better LCDs have greater "viewing
angles", which means that you can sit in a great "angle difference" in
comparison to the perpendicular imaginary line that gets out of the middle of
the screen. Putting it simple, if your screen has "limited" viewing angles, you
probably need to sit exactly in front of it to see images correctly.
- Dead pixels:
Not everything on a new computer is paradise, as most not-aware users will be
shocked. From such expensive items, you don't expect to get a defective system
in any way, but when talking about screens, it's different. I won't discuss the
very basics of image formation, but you must know that the image on a computer
is rendered by points (lots of!) on your screen, each one with its color. They are so tiny and so close one with other that your brain gives you the idea that
it's a "real image"..
But, resuming the main subject, a defective pixel occur when one of those points
is stuck on one color or just doesn't work at all. A defective pixel is quite
easy to spot on lower resolutions, but more difficult on higher ones, like UXGA.
It's very easy to check for them. Create a picture with the same - or bigger -
size of your screen resolution and paint it using just one color (strong, warm
colors are usually best, and more used, for this task). Display this image on
full-screen and if there is a defective one, you'll probably notice. When
changing the colors, the pixel will be stuck on one color, and won't change.
The bad news about defective pixels is that almost every reseller can ship to
you a screen with a certain amount of dead pixels, and it won't be considered a
defect on the product... others just charge to send a "No Dead Pixel" screen.
Make sure to check your reseller terms about dead pixels when buying a notebook, or even a standalone LCD screen, because the
same points apply for those, too.
- Glossy (reflective) screens:
Glossy screens are a different kind of the normal, matte ones. It has a
reflective appearance that will make the image on the screen to appear more
crisp. Personal preference is also a big factor to consider here. However,
glossy screens help eliminate the "screen door" effect, which consists on the
black spaces between pixels (just look close to the screen to detect this).
- Response time:
Since you can not choose freely (sometimes, just not at all) the screen on your
notebook, this may not be useful for this guide, but it will be addressed
anyway, for its importance to determine your computer experience. The response
time is measured in milliseconds, and represents the time taken by a pixel to
oscillate from fully active to fully inactive and then return to fully active
(black-white-black). There is a lot of confusion regarding this, specially because, as many already know, pixels will stay most of the times between shades of
gray, and not either black or white, and switching between shades of gray is
slower than the previous scenario, which is the ones that manufacturers use and
thus, normally, tell the fastest response rate, and not the average you will see
in your daily activities.
Slow response times will degrade image quality, specially on moving elements in
the image on your screen. So, if you have an image moving faster than how your
monitor can display it, you will detect and effect called "ghosting".
- Backlighting
The LCD needs a light behind the screen to illuminate it, and the brightness
control on your notebook or standalone screen will dim or not this light. One of
the problems related to backlight is specially noticed with completely black
screens. "Light leakage" is one of the terms when talking to the problem caused
by uneven illumination on the panel. Normally, this bad effect is noticed on the
bottom of the screen.
- Mobility
This is something that will be completely ignored by some, but can be well
considered the main factor of decision by most people. Executives, outdoor
technicians and all kind of mobile people knows what is being explained here. If
you travel a lot and/or need to stay away from an electrical outlet, you
probably are interested on these factors:
- Battery life:
To achieve great battery life, a notebook needs to be designed to consume less
power, so you can stay away from an electrical outlet for a long period of time.
Processors will be the main component to look at when deciding about power
consumption. The screen, while drawing a lot of power, is not a deal breaker
here, since you can't control much what kind of it you will get on your
notebook, unless you buy your equipment solely considering screen quality and
power consumption, but this last information is not widely available.
- Weight:
If you carry your notebook a lot, consider giving up performance and getting a light notebook. There are lots of notebooks below 4 lbs,
and due to the size of the components, it's impossible to put a high-performance
system on a 3 or 4 lbs chassis. If you buy a very light notebook (12" screen and
so), expect less battery life than mobile 15", for example, since the battery
size needs to be reduced to fit on such small chassis.
Needless to say, there are very small notebooks as well, with screens sizes
below 10" and 8". These computers are true hybrids between notebooks and PDAs,
and certainly have their advantages.
Remember that if you want raw performance instead of a light notebook that lasts
a couple of hours using standard batteries, you probably want to buy a desktop
replacement (DTR) model, with powerful, yet power-hungry, components.
- "Tablet shaped" computers:
Those computers are specially designed for all the people who need a very
portable system and need to make handwritten annotations. They are situated in
the transition point between PDAs and common notebooks, but closer to the last ones, since they can act as a
fully functional PCs, with performance more similar to these.
Since they need to be light to be carried and will be in contact with your skin
more often, they must dissipate a little amount of heat to not burn you, thus
the hardware performance is limited. Normally, you will, from those systems,
expect low voltage, mobile processors that improves battery life, and integrated
graphics card, since they don't require all the cooling that most dedicated ones
need. Besides that, most tablet PCs can act as an external monitor, too, which
can be useful at some occasions.
There are three types of tablet PCs: slate, convertible and hybrid. The slate
kind doesn't have a keyboard, but you can use an external one with most of them.
It is the closest "cousin" of the PDA that you'll find. The convertible,
however, has a keyboard, like common notebooks, and its screen can turn 180º,
then folding to "convert" it to a slate tablet PC. It's perhaps the most common kind. Along, there is the hybrid type, which has a
keyboard, like the convertible, but you can detach to use as a slate.
- Networking
There are three common available types of Ethernet connection (commonly
associated with wired networks, but they're not the same thing), different
mainly about speed. They are 10mbps, 100mbps "Fast Ethernet" and 1000mbps
"Gigabit Ethernet". Most notebooks will come with a network card that supports
both 10mbps and 100mbps, and that's probably much more than what you'll be using
for a long time from now, even if you find a notebook with Gigabit Ethernet
capable card. Those that only supports 10mbps speed transmission are practically
inexistent.
You can, today, find not just the various wired ports on your notebook, but you
have wireless options, too. With wireless networking, you can connect through
electromagnetic waves to a specific hardware, which is normally a wireless
router connected through wires to your existent network or cable/DSL modem. Don't think you'll connect to the Internet (or any private or
public network, for that matter) by an act of God. You still need a specific
hardware at the other "side", accepting your wireless connections. There are
different protocols used, and the most common is the 802.11 standard, which can
transmit data at 11 mbps, on the 802.11b standard; or 54 mbps is 802.11g and
802.11a. Watch out: it works through "waves", so they are susceptible to
interference from cell/cordless phones.
There are other protocols used, like Infrared, commonly used in older cell
phones; and Bluetooth, present specially in portable devices and wireless
hardware, as well as new cell phones.
- Features
You should consider other factor when buying your notebook. Different
manufacturers put flash memory readers (be sure to buy the same standard you
use), Firewire connections (a.k.a. "iLink" or "1394"), USB ports (how much of
them depends mainly on the notebook's size) using the USB 2.0 standard. Even ECP (printer) and serial ports can be absent, which seems illogical on a
desktop. Be sure to fit your needs.
- Payment
The most important item. Don’t think you need to pay all your savings to buy a
notebook. If you don’t know, you can buy a very good computer for much less than
simple Sonys and Toshibas that costs much more! And the quality is still the
same or better in most cases. Search the internet for more info. Or, even
better, ask the Oracle.
If the page you're buying is safe (have good encryption), you probably need to
consider the Credit Card payment, and not instant cash or checks, specially if
you don't trust that much on the reseller. If anything goes wrong, you can
dispute the charge, and for sure the Visa or MasterCard name carries more
influence than yours.
Those points won't get you the best notebook, but those are certainly the most
important ones for the beginner when researching models. Remember! Ask the
Oracle before asking questions to us. It's also
valuable to remember that your question can be very common, so it may had been
answered before. That said, use the "Search" option, on the top of all pages on
this forum, as often as possible.
If you want to know more, I highly recommend
this other
guide, provided by one knowledgeable user here (smilepak). It can be
useful as both a continuation to this one or as a first read. Enjoy.
DDDa ( e-mail removed due to abuse)
August, 23rd 2004
Last meaningful revision: January 20th, 2006.
Learn More about:
(*) - Notebookforums links.
Guide mostly based on advices given by the notebookforums.com users.
Thanks specially to: Tourney2112, kronus, Unleaded, abf, drawmonster, zlatanov,
Aikeo, compujas, Sharakkhal, a13antichrist, Schmohey (some inactive); and others who
have contributed with notebook questions presented on this guide.
Credit for this article goes to DDDa from Notebookforums.com Home - Laptop/Notebook News, Reviews, Discussions and more
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01-20-2006, 09:52 PM
