Five Laptop Features that Matter Most

Laptops range in price and function from a simple $299 Netbook  to a $2,999 maxed-out portable gamer machine. Unfortunately, buying one can mean deciphering technical jargon and comparing hundreds of specifications. Yet, this complex task can be boiled down to just a handful of key factors, that aside from weight and  battery life, are CPU, GPU, HDD, RAM, and some carefully selected, Extras. Follow our simple pointers to cut through the guesswork so you can choose the laptop that is best for you, your wallet, and your sanity.

1. CPU (Processor) Find a CPU that suits your type of use, rather than just opting for the most speed.  While it was once a matter of more = better, manufacturers now design processors not only for optimum speed, but also  for different kinds of tasks. This purpose-driven development  means that two processors of equal speed can perform differently depending on the type of work you are doing. If you  anticipate some serious video editing or need to have lots of apps running at the same time (multitasking), you’re safest going with the Intel Core i7. For everyday computing, the Core  i3 or Athlon NEO X2 will suffice. There are many families of processors available, and each is tailored to a specific type of use. There is even a whole set of processors commonly found in Netbooks where long battery life is a high priority. To get a better lay of the land, have a read of our in-depth look at prevailing CPU technologies.

2. GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) Fraught with positives and negatives; Assess your needs  to pinpoint the right balance. Graphics processing is a big factor in price, battery life, and performance. The main technologies are integrated graphics  and discrete graphics. The average user, word processing and net surfing for instance, will be quite happy with the Intel  HD Graphics integrated solution that comes standard on  many laptops. However, HD movies and games call for more robust discrete graphics such as the Nvidia GTX - at a cost of reduced battery life and increased price. Some  technologies, like Nvidia Optimus and AMD Hybrid, allow  the user to turn the discrete graphics on or off depending on the planned task, but will likely exacerbate the price  quandary.

3. HDD (Hard Disk Drive) SSD is the next big thing, and so is the price. A standard  HDD could do the job.For a long time, the only real choice to make with regard to hard drives was capacity: The average user could save a few bucks by going with lower capacity, while the media-focused user needed to consider increasing storage. That changed when SSD, Solid State Drives, hit the market. SSDs have a sizeable  speed, noise, and security advantage over their predecessors, but these come at a very drastic price disadvantage. For instance, we found a 500GB HDD suitable for any music buff priced at $199. By contrast, an SSD of just half that capacity will set you back $699. If your data storage requirements are on the low side and you have the bucks, we recommend you consider SSD, otherwise go with the highest capacity hard disk drive you can afford. Of course, there's always the "cloud."

4. RAM (Memory) RAM can be a bottleneck or a floodgate. Buy enough, but not too much, yet. Tasks like editing video require moving lots of data around, which means you’ll need more RAM. If you’re doing this kind of work,  you may also consider DDR3 RAM, which can move more and move  it faster than the norm, saving you time. If you are like us, however, and just surf Retrevo all day, 4GB of DDR2 RAM will do just fine. The key to look out for here is, upgradeability, or the maximum amount of RAM the system can accommodate. As time ticks by  and your needs change, the ability to add extra RAM will extend  the useable lifetime of your laptop greatly. Here's a tip; RAM is  one of the easiest and cheapest upgrades that you can even do yourself. You can often save a few bucks on the initial purchase price and add memory later.

5. Extras Don’t plan for every eventuality, instead, add-on extras only when  necessary. Inevitably, you will find yourself debating multiple extras  and weighing the pros and cons of each against the other major factors. It becomes very easy in this situation to try to squeeze in  more features that seem useful or could “come in handy.” Instead,  you should focus only on what you need now. Extras like built-in  mobile broadband and fingerprint scanners, for instance, will provide a layer of security and keep you connected to your business network from nearly anywhere, but each come with serious sacrifices in weight, battery life, and price. In reality, you can add most built-in extras via USB connections, later, on an as-needed basis, so why not wait until then to buy them?

Summary Ultimately, you cannot consider all the positives and negatives of every feature. You might wonder about weight, battery life, screen size, etc, but these are just ancillary to the factors mentioned . You are better off focusing on the cake, than agonizing over the crumbs. Remember, if you try to get everything right, you will end up getting something wrong.