Notebook Buying Guide
By: xAMDvsIntelx
I know this little article will never replace help given out by members on NotebookReview.com, but will give you a good idea of what to expect and how much to pay for notebooks currently. Use this as a guide; If you have a question, please feel free to post it in the hardware section, and don’t forget to fill out the notebook FAQ!
The Budget Notebook User (As low as you can go to $900):
Ok, you’ve just got $500 of birthday money from all of your relatives, and you decide to throw in another $300 of your own money to buy a new notebook – what kind of notebook can you buy for that and what performance will it have? What the heck can it do? Well, these are the things to expect from most low-end notebooks:
Processor:
A good old $800 laptop will probably have either an AMD Sempron processor, or an Intel Celeron. Try to avoid the Celeron if you can, as it has less power management features than a Sempron processor does. Basically a Sempron CPU will get much better battery life on average than its Celeron counterpart will. If you can score an Intel Core Solo, Intel Core Duo/Duo 2, or an AMD Turion 64/X2, go for that instead of the other two. You're not likely to spot a lot of Core Duos in this price range, however.
RAM/HD:
Most laptops in this price range will have decent sized hard drives (HDs) – probably 40-60GBs and a good amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) – usually around 512MB-1GB.
Screen Sizes:
These notebooks generally have screens varying from 14” to 15.4”, although there may be some exceptions to this.
Graphics Card:
NO dedicated graphics: Basically No dedicated Graphics Card (GPU) = Poor gaming/3D intensive experience; Do not expect your new $800 notebook to play Doom 3 or Battlefield 2 well with its integrated graphics chip. However, I have managed to play Battlefield 1942 on some integrated solutions, so older games may be O.K. with Integrated Solutions. Try to get a ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 or Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 in this price range – it’s probably the best you can do. The Nvidia 6150 GPU is currently the best integrated card as it actually has its own memory, ranging from around 32MB to 128MB of dedicated memory (Vista with Aero capable). ATI's Xpress 1150 isn't a bad choice either, but it doesn't have the extra "oomph" needed to play higher level games. Intel has also announced and introduced their new X3100 GPU, which is able to run Vista’s AeroGlass interface without kinks with enough RAM. Their new GPU should be able to handle a fair amount of gaming, so long as its not too intense.
General Tasks that can be Accomplished:
These notebooks are best suited for: word processing, internet surfing, listening to music, watching DVDs, light gaming (usually games that are a few years old will work just fine - ATI's, and especially Nvidia's cards, should be able to handle more than GMA cards), and other general productivity.
Weight/Size:
Budget notebooks aren’t going to be light as a feather and aren’t meant for anything but general productivity. Their weight range is 5-8 pounds depending upon your particular notebook. You can take these notebooks traveling with you, however, they aren’t meant for the road warrior.
Who this Type of Notebook is Meant For:
These types of notebooks are meant for mainly home/student users who are on a budget.
Amenities:
Not much with a budget notebook, but try to look for one that has an integrated wireless solution. Also, make sure your notebook has at least 3 USB ports; firewire is also another plus if you can find it on your notebook. In addition, you should look for a DVD-ROM drive to watch DVDs and burn CDs.
Notebooks to Look For:
1.
Compaq C500T- This is a good 15.4” budget notebook – it features Intel’s Celeron Processor and can be upgraded to Intel’s Pentium M (both are quite old, however). This notebook does come pre-installed with Windows Vista, but don’t expect to run the AeroGlass feature (at least not well), due to its Intel GMA 950 GPU. At its rock bottom price of $450, its hard to argue with this notebook value wise, but other notebooks come fairly close for a little bit more money
2.
Dell Inspiron E1501- This 15.4" notebook is virtually the same as a Dell E1505, except for its CPU and graphics card. The E1501 features an AMD Dual-Core Turion 64 CPU paired to an ATI Radeon 1150 Xpress. Not bad for a notebook that starts at $650
3.
Compaq V6000t/V6000z- Virtually identical to its HP counter part (dv6000 series), this notebook has a slightly reduced price over its HP brother. Like with most all HP/Compaq products, this notebook comes in two flavors, one offering a combination of an Intel Core Duo 2 and a GMA 950, and the other offering a Turion X2 paired with an Nvidia 6150 Go. The both start around the astounding price of only $450
The Mainstream Notebook/Cheap Gaming Notebook ($900-$1900):
Uh-Oh! Your old faithful desktop just blew up! But after 9 years of good dedication from this machine, you aren’t too disappointed. You’ve thought about replacing it with another desktop, but you’ve recently been interested in notebooks – they’re lighter, consume less space/energy, and are usually equally as powerful. But you’ve seen some high-end notebooks with gigantic price tags of $2000 and even more! You don’t want a low-end notebook either – you want something decent enough to run Battlefield 2 and maybe even Doom 3. You want a mainstream notebook/cheap gaming notebook:
Processor:
A midrange notebook will probably come with an Intel Core Duo/Duo 2 processor or an AMD Turion X2 processor. The Turion X2, while not being a bad CPU, doesn't quite have the prowess of a Core Duo 2 has and lags in the battery-life department when compared to its Intel counterpart. The Core Duo is an excellent processor and will handle all tasks very easily, especially when multi-tasking. The Core Duo (regular) will have increased battery life when compared with its AMD counterparts as well, due to its excellent power management features. Core Duo 2s are becoming the mainstream in this segment nowadays, replacing the older Core Duos, which will offer better performance than the Core Duo and 64-bit capability, but will take a small hit in battery life.
RAM/HD:
Most laptops in this price range will have 60-100GB HDs depending upon your preference. Beware of 4,200 RPM HDs if performance means anything to you, however. Try to get notebooks that have HD speeds of 5,400 RPM or greater for better performance in your laptop. Notebooks in this range usually have 1GB of RAM or greater installed, and are also usually upgradeable to 2-3GB of RAM. Look out for dual-channel RAM as well – it will give you a slight increase in performance if you're using integrated graphics.
Screen Sizes:
These notebooks usually can have screen sizes varying from 12” portables to 17” media powerhouses.
Graphics Card:
Most mainstream notebooks have decent dedicated GPUs installed in them, which will allow their owners to enjoy more recent games/GPU intensive tasks at a higher level of performance than those with Integrated GPUs. These graphics cards will usually allow their users to play games such as Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 at medium to high settings, depending upon your particular GPU. Good mainstream GPUs to look out for are the ATI Radeon X1400/1300 and the Nvidia GeForce 7300/7400. If you can score an ATI X1600/X1700 or an Nvidia GeForce 7700/7900GS Go, all the more power to you! However, if you’re look at notebooks 14” and below, your choice of a dedicated GPU becomes more and more restricted, so don’t be disappointed if you end up having to settle for an integrated GPU on your new 12” notebook.
(note: Nvidia’s GeForce 8-series is beginning to permeate the notebook marketplace – if you’re a hardcore gamer, look for a notebook that has one of these high-performance cards in it)
General Tasks that can be Accomplished:
These notebooks can handle everything a budget notebook can with extreme ease. However, their real advantage lies in overall better build quality and better hardware when compared with budget notebooks, and can be used more for gaming with a dedicated GPU.
Weight/Size:
These notebooks, depending on which one you buy, can weigh as little as 3 pounds all the way up to 10 pound behemoths. If you want to go for a lighter notebook, you can use it on the road more easily, but you’ll be limited in screen size and in power, in terms of a GPU, usually. If you’re a multimedia person looking out for a notebook, you’re in luck – most laptop sizes have a 15.4" or 17" display, perfect for all of your multimedia needs.
Who this Notebook is Meant For:
The average home/student user, the road warrior on a budget, and gamers who don’t want to dump their wallet on an insane notebook gaming rig.
Amenities:
These notebooks usually come with an integrated wireless solution and sometimes with Bluetooth as well. Look for 4 USB ports as well as other connectors such as an RGB monitor out port, plus a firewire port and a card-reader slot. A DVD-Rom drive is a must, but try to look for a drive that can Burn DVDs/CDs as well as view them. Look out for glossy and matte screens too.
Notebooks to Look For:
1.
HP Pavilion dv6500t/dv6000t/dv6000z- The HP dv6000 series sports a dual-core CPU and comes with a Nvidia 8400GS Go GPU (dv6500t only) or Nvidia 7400 Go (dv6000t only), both of which should be fine for moderate gaming. It also comes with some classy looks as well.
2.
Dell Inspiron E1520/Vostro 1500- An excellent 15.4" notebook that comes with Intel's Core Duo 2 technology and decent graphics from either the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT or 8400M GS (go for the 8600 for more gaming performance). This notebook offers a good bang for your buck, and also has a newer refreshed style after the years of the old Dell “box” look. (note: the Vostro comes without the usual Dell bloatware and has a black housing case)
3.
HP Pavilion dv9500t/dv9000z- A terrific 17” multimedia powerhouse, featuring dual HDs for up to 400GB of storage! It comes complete with an Intel Core Duo2/Turion X2 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS GPU. It's a direct competitior to the Dell 1720/Vostro 1700 and the Toshiba Satellite P200 series. It is slightly more expensive, however, and doesn't offer as much GPU performance as the Dell does.
4.
Dell Inspiron 1720/Vostro 1700- An excellent 17” gaming notebook featuring either the Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS or 8600M GS (go for the later if you want better GPU performance)! It also features an Intel Core Duo 2 processor with up to 4GB of RAM, and with Windows Vista, it’s a great multimedia notebook as well. Its updated, refreshed look is also a welcome addition as well.
5.
ThinkPad T and Z series- If you want durability with great business performance, you’ve got yourself a ThinkPad. These notebooks can take a beating and also include fingerprint security as well as the legendary Thinkpad keyboard.
6.
Asus W3J/V6J- Both these notebooks are of excellent quality and have fairly decent performance. However, the V6J is lacking in GPU power, and somewhat more expensive than the competition is. The W3J is an excellent 14" notebook that sports the powerful ATI X1600 GPU.
7.
Sony FE-Series- The new FE series is the replacement for the very popular Sony FS series and comes with newly updated hardware, which include the Intel Core Duo and the Nvidia GeForce 7400.
8.
Apple MacBook-
Apple's newest MacIntel notebook replaces the older iBook line and does it with some style. The new MacBooks are Core Duo 2 powered, but sadly are only offered with integrated graphics. They do come in two attractive colors, however - White and Black.
9.
Dell XPS M1330 - Dell continues on its redesign rampage (which is a good thing), with its M1330. It is probably the best looking product that Dell has come out with in a long while. It features Intel Core Duo 2 technology and comes equipped with an optional Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS for a decent gaming experience. It also one of the first notebooks that has made use of LED backlight technology.
10.
Asus G1 Ensemble- This stunningly stylish notebook from Asus dishes out a good amount of value and quality for a good price. At $1800, this notebook comes speced out with a 2.0GHz Core Duo 2 CPU, 2GB RAM, a Nvidia GeForce 7700 Go, 160GB HD and a WSXGA+ screen
standard. I would go check one out online if you want a gaming notebook that's stylish as well as powerful.
11.
Dell Latitude D240 - Another notebook from Dell - the Latitude D240 has everything a roadwarrior on a budget needs: excellent support, good durability/battery life, and of course, price. This 3lbs notebook can be had for only $1200 and comes equipped with either an Intel Core Solo or Intel LV Core Duo 2
High-End Notebooks (2000+):
High end notebooks range from super-powerful gaming rigs with an insane amount of power to some of the smallest notebooks on the market today for the super road-warrior. Thse notebooks usually have all the newest hardware and all the bells and whistles, making them a High-End notebook:
Processor:
In high-end notebooks, you’ll want the fastest Core Duo or Turion you can get your hands on. However, be warned of AMD Athlon X2 and especially Intel Core Duo 2 desktop processors if you want any kind of portability at all. Plus, both these processors suck battery life like none other and throw off enough heat to be a portable heater. In this price range, however, there are notebooks that are feather light and can’t have a power-sucking processor, but instead have Low-Voltage (LV) or Ultra-Low-Voltage (ULV) Intel Core Duo/Core Duo 2 processors in them. These notebooks are meant for the super road warrior.
RAM/HD:
If you’re looking at a gaming rig, 1-2GB of RAM is a must have, 3-4GB would be much better, however (although you’d be paying a pretty penny for some RAM). If you’re looking at ultra-portable notebooks, 1GB would be ideal, and some ultra portables have RAM built in, so no major upgrades here. The HD size for a gaming rig should be 60-100GB with a RPM of at least 5,400, if not 7,200. For road warriors, sorry no 100GB HDs for you! Look for notebooks that have 60-80GBs of storage with a power-saving RPM of 4,200.
Screen Sizes:
Here, screen sizes are usually at opposite ends of the spectrum, either a tiny 12”-10” screen for those road-warriors or a 17” giant for those of you who are gamers. You’ll rarely ever see a 14”-15.4” notebook in this category.
Graphics Card:
You’ll either be getting a power-sipping integrated GPU for ultra portables, or an insanely powerful GPU for gaming rigs. Look for Intel GMA 900/950 if your going for an ultra portable – its probably the best you can do. For gamers, look for the Nvidia GeForce 8600M GS/GT or ATI equivalent at the very least. A better graphics solution would be the GeForce 8800M GT. Games like Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 are going to be child’s play for GPUs like these.
General Tasks that can be Accomplished: For ultra-portables, basic computing and general productivity. For gaming rigs – virtually every computing task known to man. If your notebook can’t do it, it probably can’t be done.
Weight/Size:
Ultra-portables usually weigh less than 4.5 pounds and are easy to carry with you, almost everywhere. If you’re looking at a gaming rig, you’re probably not going to be able to take it everywhere with you – they usually weigh upwards of 8 pounds.
Who this notebook is Meant For:
The super-road warrior, the insane gamer, or the multimedia freak of course!
Amenities:
You can expect these notebooks to have basically everything on them. Integrated wireless, Bluetooth, 5+ USB ports, you name it and these notebooks probably have it. Of course ultra-portables won’t have 5+ USB ports, but will have all the other goodies, and some even come with Cingular/Verizon wireless internet access cards that can be used almost everywhere.
Notebooks to Look For:
1.
Asus W2pb- Featuring excellent build quality, blow-the-doors off sound, and an excellent 17” screen, this notebook is made for the media-centric freak. Asus, to the applaud of the notebook community, has updated the screen resolution on its largest Ensemble notebook, back to WSXGA format. This notebook features an Intel Core Duo 2 (T7200) and an ATI X1600 GPU.
2.
Toshiba Qosmio G45- Another outstanding multimedia notebook that closely rivals the Asus W2jb. It features a built-in, instant TV tuner with XP MCE and the best 17” glossy screen I’ve ever seen in my life. This notebook also has dual harmon/kardon speakers that won’t disappoint. The new Qosmio G45 sports an Intel Core Duo 2 CPU, a new HD-DVD Drive by Toshiba, and an optional WUXGA screen.
3.
Dell XPS M1710- This super powerful gaming rig won’t let down you down when it comes to GPU power. With its ultra fast Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX, this notebook will perform any task it is given with ease, and makes games like Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 look like child’s play. The XPS also features a flashy lid complete with lights that literally make this notebook “glow”!
4.
HP Pavilion HDX- This is HP’s foray into the notebook PC/desktop PC hybrid arena. This giant of a notebook (if you can even call it that), can come equipped with an Intel Core Duo 2 Extreme (overclocked) CPU for the ultimate gaming experience. This hybrid also comes equipped with an ATI Radeon 2600XT (512MB), making for a superfast GPU. It’s 20” touchscreen display is also another big plus.
5.
Sony TX-series- This ultra-portable laptop features a built-in Cingular Internet Wireless card and can get about 7.5 hours of battery life on a single charge. It also has an Intel ULV processor for the greatest amount of battery life.
6.
Asus G2 EnsembleLike its 15.4" cousin, the Asus G2 Gaming notebook offers a lot in terms of style and value. It comes well equipped with an ATI X1700 GPU and Core Duo 2 CPU. It also comes with some XPS-esque lighting on its sides.
7.
Apple Mac Book Pro 15"/17"- These foxy notebooks made by Apple have excellent costruction and feature numerous gizmos and gadgets along with an Intel Core Duo 2 CPU and a Nvidia GeForce 8600M GT graphics card. However, there have been reports of heat issues and an underclocked GPU because of the notebook's heat situation - some faults in an otherwise excellent notebook.
Another thing to consider...
When buying your notebook, you have to realize that there's always newer, better technology that's going to come out and trump whatever is currently the best in technology. To be honest, this is just the way the technology works - don't hold yourself back from buying if you really need the notebook. My golden rule when it comes to buying notebooks is: If you need it now, buy it - if not, then don't buy. Also, make sure you've done your research on which notebook fits your needs best and offers the most performance/amenities for your budget so you don't double guess what you've bought. Keep your ears open and look out for newer technology that's coming out in the attainable future - check our New Bits on NBR.com's front page, kindly updated by our Lead Mod., Chaz.
What the Heck are Doom 3 and Battlefield 2?:
Doom 3 and Battlefield 2 are current games that demand the most out of a user’s notebook – basically pushing the notebook to its limits. These games are used as benchmarks here at NotebookReview.com, usually to compare a notebook’s GPU.
Note: I’m sorry if I left your favorite notebook off of a particular list, or forgot to put in a certain fact. Please send me a message, and I’ll correct it. I also tried to keep this as unbiased as possible, so tell me if you think I’m biast! Feel free to PM me with questions, but make sure you've consulted the forums too!
Links:
Notebook FAQ/Guides:
Pulp's Hard Drive Guide
Pulp's Screen Guide
ChazMan's GPU Guide
Lowlymarine's Notebook FAQ
NOTICE:
3/22/06: Intel Core Duo update.
6/25/06: Changed "Notebooks to Look For" section.
7/14/06: Added "Another thing to consider..."
9/2/06: Overall Update
1/15/07: Updated "What Notebooks to Look For" section
4/27/07: Overall Update
8/10/07: Updated
Notebook Buying Guide
