How to choose a laptop and not regret it - practice tips

UserBenchmark Intel Core i3-7100U vs i5-5200U - performance comparison

Core i5-5200U vs. i3-7100U Processor Comparison - Technical City

You can also evaluate the performance of the CPU by the results of tests designed in the form of plates (you need to manually search for each of the processors in the plate and look at what place it is and what test results it shows, for example, on the screen below i5-5200U - 3361). Here are a couple of sites:

1. //www.nix.ru/hardware-review/cpu-benchmark-performance.html (there are not many processors here, but a detailed description). Also on this site there is a plate with video cards.
2. //www.notebook-center.ru/processor.html (there are more processors, but less description ☺). The graphics card label is also located in the menu on the left.

   

   Intel Core i5-5200U processor (Laptop-Center) - how many "parrots" scored (note: slang)

One more example.

The screenshot below shows two i5 processors (7th and 8th generation). Let's compare them ...

More to the question of the difficulty of choice

It turns out that according to the test results, the processors are approximately equal in performance, even more, Intel Core i5-7300HQ wins by a few percent. This is all I lead to the fact that assessing the CPU performance by "eye" for an inexperienced user in this matter is a rather difficult task (and deceptive).

UserBenchmark Intel Core i5-7300HQ vs i5-8250U

Here, in fact, having resorted to such simple methods - you can, even having a superficial understanding of the hardware, for an hour or two select the most productive laptops (in relation to the price).

By the way, you can also read about the comparison of processors, ratings and test tables here: //ocomp.info/kak-sravnit-protsessoryi.html

Important!

In my examples above, the CPU performance was about the same. But in stores for the same price, they often sell laptops that have a difference in CPU performance of 30-50% (and more)!

Therefore, nevertheless, go to the store to view specific models that you have estimated in advance (and already on the spot you can even check the honesty and competence of the seller ☺).

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❸ AMD or Intel. what it is better and more reliable

An eternal dispute, which is more than a dozen years old. It is believed that AMD is better for games, Intel is better for calculations. I still recommend choosing a CPU from Intel for a laptop, here's why:

1. firstly, they heat up less (it is very important for a laptop, where everything is located very compactly, and breakdowns often occur precisely due to overheating);
2. secondly, a not so powerful cooler is needed to cool them, which means the laptop will run quieter (this is usually the case);
3. thirdly, Intel processors are more energy efficient, which means that the laptop will be able to do without recharging for a longer time;
4. fourth, on average, laptops with Intel CPUs last a little longer (survivability ☺) than those from AMD.

And in general, today, there are much more laptops on CPUs from Intel on sale than from AMD - making the choice easier and faster ...

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❹ About the video card: what are there, which is more reliable

On performance and its assessment - I answered in paragraph 2 of this article.

In general, there are two types of video cards in laptops: integrated and discrete.

Integrated - suitable for normal work: Word, Excel, surfing the browser, watching movies (even in FullHD format), etc. But it will be problematic to play games and deal with video processing.

No, most of the old games should work fine, but with new ones there will be problems ... I note that if battery life is important to you, then laptops without discrete video cards work a little longer.

The evaluation of the work of integrated video cards - you can look at //www.youtube.com (for each model there are videos from games with the number of FPS). Well, for example, the integrated IntelHD 5500 graphics card provides 50-60 FPS in the game World of Warcraft at a resolution of 1366x768 with settings above average.

Intel HD Graphics 510 - 60 FPS in tanks in HD format

Discrete is more productive. Mainly required for working with 3D graphics (games).

Note that notebooks with a discrete graphics card are less reliable and durable than with an integrated one. They are also more susceptible to overheating, and are more noisy during operation.

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❺ Screen: IPS vs TN, matte or glossy. When and which one to choose

Most users do not pay any attention to the screen at all. And they do not notice any difference until they put in front of them 2 different monitors with the same picture (just below the photo shows 2 laptops with different IPS and TN matrices).

Bottom view - IPS matrix against TN

In short: the quality of the picture on the screen depends on the type of matrix. Now there are quite a few matrices on sale, but the main ones are TN and IPS (among most of the rest, these are various derivatives of these).

IPS matrices display colors with the best quality, moreover, if you look from the side / top / bottom, the picture will not change or worsen. True, they have a minus - not all have low response times, because of this, in fast games and dynamic scenes, you can observe fuzziness. IPS matrices are much more expensive than TN.

TN (or TN + Film) - the color reproduction is worse, but they have a slow response time and are great for games. Also, if you do not really like the fact that someone from the side is looking at what you are doing on the laptop - perhaps the TN matrix will help you - the picture on the screen is distorted, and it is comfortable to look at it only for the one who works at the laptop.

👉 Remark!

You can learn more about the IPS, TN (TN + film) and PLS matrix in this article.

Also, monitors can be of different types of surfaces: matte and glossy. On glossy - brighter and more vibrant colors, but in it you see reflections and glare. On a glossy monitor, you can only work in a room where there is no bright light that will be reflected on the screen.

👉 Remark!

You can find out more about glossy and matte surfaces here

Matte and glossy surfaces of monitors

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❻ About assembling / disassembling a laptop

Usually, no one ever pays attention to this either. Meanwhile, after a year and a half of use (when the warranty expires), you suddenly think that it would be nice to clean it (perhaps the laptop will start to warm up). Also, you will have to "climb" into the laptop if you want to add RAM, or install / replace a disk.

So, it is much more convenient to maintain those laptops on which, having removed a small protective cover, you can access the RAM, a radiator with a cooler, and disks. Simply, there are such designs of laptops in which, in order to get to the cooler, you need to completely disassemble it (sometimes you even have to remove the keyboard, etc.). In general, it is easy to damage something during assembly / disassembly (especially if you have never encountered this before).

In a laptop with a convenient protective cover, you can independently blow and clean it from dust (without spending extra money on services), install / change disks or RAM. Moreover, with minimal risk of damaging something.

A simple example of cleaning a laptop (Lenovo B70 line)

In general, there is no tendency - some lines go in such a way that you simply do not understand which engineer and why he developed them so; others - on the contrary, 2-3 cogs, and you can contemplate everything you need. Moreover, many manufacturers have both successful lines in this regard, and not so.

Another example (HP ProBook 430 line)

In general, the message here is simple, I recommend that you look at the review of your laptop before buying (especially in cases where you plan to install an SSD or expand RAM over time).

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❼ About manufacturers: HP, Dell, ASUS, Lenovo, Acer, etc. Which breaks less

In general, I hasten to disappoint that almost any equipment from any manufacturer breaks down. And I must say that in recent years (in my opinion), the quality of mid-priced laptops has dropped dramatically. Either manufacturers save money in pursuit of competitors, or because of the move of production to China, or because of something else ...

However, here are some thoughts on specific manufacturers:

1. HP - there are so many tempting models. As a rule, they are among the first to have laptops with a new generation of processors at affordable prices. Large selection of different layout options. But! I don't know why, but 4-5 out of 10 laptops that are being repaired are devices from this manufacturer (the Pavilion and Envy series stand out especially). Very unreliable and I would recommend just avoiding laptops from this manufacturer (at least for the time being ☺);
2. Acer - this manufacturer also has a very wide selection of inexpensive and mid-priced devices. However, I'd like to point out right away that Acer often has problems with cooling (especially on laptops with AMD processors). As a result, because of this, overheating is often observed, bridges "burn out", capacitors swell, and the Acer Packard Bell line does not get out of the rem. workshop (Aspire is better, but not by much. Plus, they are not easy to maintain).
3. Toshiba - there are not so many laptops of this brand. In general, laptops of this brand used to be of very high quality, as is the case now - it's hard for me to say ☺;
4. Samsung - the last year or two has practically not been seen in the mass sale (if there is any, they sell the "old" remnants). Laptops, on average, are not bad (although there are certain problems with drivers and BIOS settings (all non-standard)).
5. Lenovo - there are many laptops of various price categories, there are both very successful assemblies and not very good ones. I would recommend paying attention to the ThinkPad line (a very good line), slightly worse than the IdeaPad. As for inexpensive devices (without a discrete video card), laptops are quite reliable (compared to other manufacturers), as for gaming solutions - like the same Y520 series: there is a problem with cooling (despite the fact that the series is quite new, there are more than one the laptop was repaired precisely because of the problem of overheating);
6. Asus - one of the leaders in the production of laptops. I note that among the inexpensive models (without a discrete video card) - many laptops are simply not killed (I recommend the X series; VivoBook is also very worthy, although it is inferior to X и). As for gaming models (Asus ROG, etc.) - about an average level (in terms of reliability), in terms of the performance of such devices - one of the market leaders. By the way, I also note that notebooks of this brand are 5-10% more expensive than the same Acer or HP;
7. Dell - earlier the products of this company were very reliable (now they are worse, but also at a decent level). The very reliable Inspiron series 3 and 5 lines (without a discrete graphics card on Intel processors) are rarely repaired, although the line is present in sales in every store (many relatively affordable devices). Gaming models (also the Inspiron line on Intel) differ from this manufacturer by thoughtful cooling (the temperature rarely goes beyond the limits of what is permitted), however, noisy;
8. MSI - there are relatively few of them on sale, apparently due to the fact that such laptops are represented only by a line of productive devices.By the way, judging by performance, some of the market leaders, in terms of reliability, are in my opinion inferior to Dell gaming solutions (approximately on a par with gaming laptops from Asus).

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❽ About the necessary connectors: M.2, USB Type-C, microphone / headphones

Here I want to note the most, in my opinion, ports that are in demand, which will definitely come in handy (but which are not in every laptop, like the same USB or HDMI).

M.2 - this connector is required for connecting SSD drives (which will provide speeds several times higher than HDD). This connector is found on laptops of the mid-price category and above (as a rule, it is not in budget ones). When buying, I recommend that you pay attention to its presence. later, many users want to speed up the work of their "friend", and by installing an SSD, you can make the laptop much more responsive and faster!

USB Type-C - the port is intended to replace all existing USB versions. It can be used to connect flash drives, monitors, hard drives and other devices. I also note that the port allows you to quickly charge phones (for example), and provide data transfer rates up to 10 Gbps!

And yet, on laptops there are both classic microphone and headphone outputs, and headset connector. In my opinion, it doesn't matter which connector is installed on the laptop, but if you have the most ordinary (computer) headphones, and the laptop has a headset connector, you cannot connect them directly. To connect, immediately buy specials in the store. adapter.

👉 Remark!

More details on this topic in the article "One headphone and microphone input in a laptop - how to connect them"

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❾ About drives: HDD, SSD

There are two types of drives in laptops: SSD (solid state drives) and HDD (classic hard drives). SSD drives are significantly faster, on average 4-5 times faster! Thanks to their installation, Windows OS can boot in 5-6 seconds! Anyway, the system starts to work much more responsive and faster.

👉 Remark!

For more information on the advantages of SSD and whether it is worth switching to them - see this article.

In general, in laptops, there is usually only 1 slot in which the HDD is already installed. To install an SSD, you either need to replace your HDD or buy a special one. container and install an SSD instead of a CD-ROM drive, or use the M.2 connector.

👉 Supplement!

How to connect 2 disks to a laptop (HDD + HDD or HDD + SSD drive)

In general, personally, I would recommend choosing laptops with an SSD drive: they are faster, weigh less, allow your device to run longer on battery power, and are not so afraid of shaking and vibration as an HDD (and a laptop is still a portable device). And the reliability of SSD drives is higher ...

However, it is worth noting that laptops with SSD drives are slightly more expensive than those with HDDs.

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❿ Where to buy and how to return a laptop back (and is it possible ...)

1) New vs used

To begin with, I will say that you only need to buy a new laptop, which will have at least a year of warranty (now this is the average for the market). In general, I am an opponent of buying old used devices from strangers (since it is not known how the device was used, dropped / hit, etc., whether it was stolen and other moments). As a last resort, take it through some workshop, where they can diagnose the laptop.

How to protect yourself when buying a used laptop - //ocomp.info/pokupka-bu-noutbuka.html

2) Shopping

It is difficult to give a specific recommendation here (accused of advertising ☺). But in general, in general, I recommend buying a laptop in stores specializing in this technique: DNS, TechnoPoint, Citilink, Note, etc.

Avoid buying in such large stores as Eldorado, M-Vidio, Domo, etc., where they sell anything for the house in a row (there are many disadvantages, but if you take it as a whole, then very often the price tags in such stores are very high, the range of choice is not so extensive, and problems with returns occur more often).

3) Remember that a laptop is a technically complex product, and you can't just change it or return it to the store (even within the first two weeks)!

If you think that the laptop has problems, then within 2 weeks (after the purchase) it can be taken for diagnostics, and if the problem is confirmed, you will be refunded or exchanged the goods (in the return application, I recommend always writing that you demand to return the funds back, because there is such and such a problem (and not indicate that to replace the product with a similar one) - so, you are obliged to give an answer faster, within 10 days).

After 2 weeks after purchase - in case of a problem with the device, you will simply be provided with a warranty repair.

4) Is it possible to return a laptop if you just don't like it, but everything seems to be in order with it?

Quite a popular question. If a store goes to a meeting for you, then there is no problem (but, usually, most stores do not do this). Therefore, before buying, I advise you to find out in advance whether they are taking back the equipment, if suddenly after testing it turns out that it did not fit (some have a special guarantee for extended service for a fee, and there is such a service there).

Now about how to return the laptop if the store is against it (the sellers will forgive me ☺).

Firstly, you need to do this in the first two weeks after purchase (it is possible to do this afterwards, but much more difficult, only in case of already very serious problems with the device).

Secondly, you must keep all documents, box, receipts, stickers, etc. the device should look the same as it did after purchase.

Thirdly, I will say right away that you can find something to complain about with 9/10 devices in the mid-price category:

• screen quality - very often you can find very small flares, irregularities at the edges, etc. defects (for most users they are not significant, but they are);
• battery - in many stores in the description of the goods it is worth that the laptop will work for 4-5 hours, for example (and even the capacity is indicated) - in fact, the operating time is less;
• noise - some devices make noise during operation (grinding, squeaking, etc.);
• pay attention also to the keyboard (check absolutely all keys), all ports, etc.

Further in the store, write an application for the return of the goods, with a request to return all funds for the purchase in full (exactly the funds!), Due to the fact that, for example, the device works less time than in the description of the goods, and for you this is an essential characteristic goods. In general, it is rather difficult to refute this fact. (all the more, the batteries are in fact often hooked up and already have a certain "wear and tear") , and most stores meet you (no one needs conflicts and courts (and you can still appeal to the protection of consumer rights, and other instances, complicating the life of the store. So now everything can be done online) ).

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RESULTS (BRIEF ABSTRACTS)

1. before going to the store and buying a laptop - select for yourself several device models for which you evaluated the performance, looked at the reviews and roughly know what to expect;
2. in terms of reliability: choose a classic-type laptop (without unnecessary "krutilok") without a discrete graphics card on an Intel processor. It is also advisable to exclude the manufacturers HP and Acer (subjective opinion, but laptops of these brands are most often brought in for repair). Also pay attention to the warranty period (it also says a lot) - some laptops are given not a year, but two years (for example, Asus for some of its laptop lines);
3. if you want to save money: do not buy a laptop with Windows installed (this increases the cost of the device by 3000+ rubles at once). It is more profitable to take it from Linux and install it yourself (especially since 2 device models are often presented in stores at once - with and without Windows). In addition, evaluate your laptop on Yandex-Market - it is possible that some store sells the same model cheaper (or there is some kind of promotion);
4. if you are going to play: it is highly desirable that you have a discrete video card on board (although the latest integrated video cards from Intel show very decent results and are able to satisfy the user who sometimes likes to play old games);
5. If you need something powerful for gaming, it's best to opt for laptops from Dell (Inspiron) and Asus (ROG). In general, purely in my opinion, it is better to buy a system unit for this money - it will be somewhat more productive for games than a laptop (and take a laptop light and compact - purely for work);
6. about connectors: it is desirable that you have M.2, USB Type-C on your laptop (the first will help you connect SSD drives, the second is a universal and extremely fast port);
7. about service: ideal if you have a protective cover on your laptop, allowing you to quickly access RAM, drives and a cooler;
8. and the last : even if you need a simple laptop for everyday worries (document editing, browser, movies, old and simple games), I personally recommend buying a device with at least 5-6th generation Intel i3 processor (for example, i3-5005U is 5 -th generation) and at least 4 GB of RAM.
9. This is the minimum that will allow you to work quietly in modern Windows 10. If you don't have enough RAM, you can buy it in time ... The price for such devices starts from 350-400 $. To buy today something less productive is later to be disappointed in the device ...

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Add-ons are welcome ...

Good luck with choosing your device!

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First publication: 01/24/2018

Correction: 02/10/2020