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How to choose a laptop for games and work. How to choose the right laptop: practical advice. Inexpensive home solution

A large number of components are installed in gaming laptops: advanced hardware, a graphics card, a powerful cooling system, connection ports, a battery and other parts that ensure the full operation of a laptop. Often there is also a separate DVD or BluRay drive.

Recently, there have been two trends: manufacturers are releasing light, neat and moderately thin gaming laptops, as well as truly advanced machines filled with productive stuffing. Laptops from the first category weigh about 2 - 3 kg, the mass of the second can reach 4 - 6 kg. The cooling system alone in a gaming laptop can weigh more than a standard laptop.

CPU

Laptops can be equipped with an additional slot for installing a RAM module. If not, you can replace the modules with versions with more memory. It is only necessary to take into account the manufacturer's restriction on the maximum installed amount of RAM and the restriction on the maximum memory frequency.

Hard disk and solid state drive

Modern gaming laptops often cost both solid state drive(SSD), and hard disk drive (HDD). The operating system is installed on an SSD - the volume of such a disk is usually 128 - 256 GB, and the HDD acts as file storage, the size of which ranges from 1 to 2 TB. Since some games can take up 40-50 GB, and Full HD movies have a size of 8-10 GB, you should think about storage in a laptop in advance. A reasonable option would be to use an external hard drive, which can accommodate another 1 - 2 TB of information.

Computer games are a hobby of millions of people around the globe. They help to distract from the gray everyday life, have a good time with friends or just throw out the accumulated stress. However, progress does not stand still, and every year computer games place ever higher demands on hardware. How to choose a gaming laptop is the topic of our today's article.

When choosing a gaming laptop, you should pay great attention to the performance of the model.

Over the past few years, laptops with the prefix "gaming" have been increasingly born. From the name it is clear - this laptop is designed for games. What characteristics correspond to this proud title?

If we draw an analogy, then gaming laptops are athletes, and others are office workers. From this it follows that the machine for games should be stronger, more enduring, faster, etc. Let's analyze everything in detail specifications gaming laptop.

CPU

An athlete must have a strong heart that can withstand loads that are unbearable for ordinary people. It is the same with gaming laptops - a powerful processor is the core of the entire system. In the realities of the modern market computer technology there are two types of processors to talk about: Intel and AMD.

Intel

Intel is a giant in the computer industry. For many years it has been pleasing us with high quality processors. Intel provides its customers with a wide range of processors - from budget to super powerful. Since we are talking about a gaming laptop, you can forget about the Celeron and Pentium series processors. Machines should be considered starting from Intel Core i5 and above. Naturally, the more powerful, the better.

AMD

Advanced Micro Devices is another giant in the computer industry. It's hard to believe, but the company was founded in 1969. Now it could be called the buzzword "startup" (from the English startup company, startup, lit. "starting"), and as we can see, it is very successful. AMD can also offer you powerful processors that are well suited for a gaming laptop. You should start with laptops that have an A10 series processor.

You ask: “Which of the two companies produces the best gaming processors?” There is no single answer. Both Intel and AMD have their pros and cons. The choice should be based on personal preferences.

RAM

RAM (Random Access Memory) is one of the most important specs for a gaming laptop. If we continue the analogy with an athlete, then working memory is endurance. The more resilient an athlete is, the greater the load he will be able to endure. It is the same with RAM - the more it is, the more applications can simultaneously work in the system.

Modern computer games are very demanding in terms of quantity. random access memory. With new graphics engines, they demand it more and more. Now it is not uncommon to find a game that has minimal system requirements 8 GB will be indicated, and to play at maximum speed, all 16 GB will be required. It is worth buying a gaming laptop with at least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB is better), with a DDR3 or DDR4 slot. If the characteristics are lower, then you can forget about a comfortable game.

video card

As a rule, gaming laptops have a discrete video processor. It is a priori more powerful than the integrated one. Similarly with processors, two video card manufacturers lead the market: NVIDIA and AMD.

NVIDIA

It has been producing video processors and graphics accelerators since the distant 1995. It has established itself as a reliable manufacturing company. When choosing a video card from NVIDIA, pay attention to the name. There you will see the prefix GT or GTX. For a gaming laptop, a video card exclusively from the GTX series is suitable. They are much more powerful, and perform 2-4 times more operations per cycle than GT.

In addition to the prefix, take a close look at the remaining designations - they are also important. The name is followed by a combination of numbers. The first of them will mean the generation of the video card. The higher this figure, the newer the video card and, as a result, better. Next, you will see a two-digit number (60, 70, 80, etc.) - this is the video card model.

There is a little trick: if you have two video cards to choose from - GTX 950 and GTX 870, then you should give preference to the second, even despite the earlier release. The model number indicates the location of the video card in the model hierarchy - the higher these numbers, the more powerful the video card. For a gaming laptop, we recommend that you buy a video card no lower than GeForce 670M. The newer, the better, of course.

AMD

AMD label their GPUs similar to how it is done in NVIDIA. In order from left to right: family, generation, version, model. The bottom line from which to consider AMD GPU laptops is the "Radeon 8870M". This is not a very powerful video card, but it is suitable for low-budget solutions. If you have no financial restrictions, we recommend purchasing video cards like AMD Radeon R9 M290X.

I would like to note that the price of graphic AMD processors lower with approximately the same performance. As a result, the best value for money.

When choosing a video card, there are two important characteristics:

  • the amount of video memory;
  • memory bus width.

It is important that these two characteristics are matched harmoniously. There are video cards with a large amount of video memory, but a low bus width. Such a ratio will not allow using their potential at 100%.

HDD

The hard drive is where all the information on your laptop will be stored. For gaming laptop volume hard drive not so important. When playing computer games, 500 GB may be enough for you. However, if there is not enough memory, there is always the opportunity to buy an external one. HDD. Much more important characteristic will be the speed of the hard drive. There are only two types of hard drives - HDD and SSD. HDD - stores data using the principles of magnetic recording. The movable head writes information to magnetic disks built into the hard disk.

ADVICE. The only plus of HDD is the price. Otherwise, it is much inferior to SSD. SSD is a solid state drive. There are no moving elements inside, and flash-memory is used for data storage. SSDs have much better characteristics such as speed and durability, but they also have a corresponding price.

When buying a gaming laptop, we recommend buying machines with an SSD hard drive. Despite their fragility and high price, they will certainly provide a comfortable game.

Display

Poor display quality is a problem for many modern laptops. You can enjoy the game only with a high resolution and sufficient size monitor. Gaming laptops are not meant to be transported due to their size. So feel free to choose a large display.

There are two types of displays: matte and glossy.

On the glossy monitor juicy color reproduction - the picture is bright and saturated. However, with a bright light source, you still won’t be able to enjoy it. In cheap displays, you can look like in a mirror, they reflect so strongly from their surface.

On a matte monitor, the picture is dim - usually laptops with a similar display are purchased for work. For computer games We recommend that you purchase a laptop computer with a high quality glossy monitor.

Dimensions

As mentioned above, gaming laptops are not meant to be transported. Due to their "stuffing" they have impressive dimensions. The only exceptions are very expensive models.

Cooling

When buying a laptop, pay attention to cooling. The components of the gaming machine are very powerful and heat up intensely. If the cooling system is not powerful enough, a quick breakdown is guaranteed.

Due to its size, a laptop cannot always accommodate a good cooling system. However, there is a solution - a cooling pad. This device is placed under the laptop and connected to the network. It does not cause inconvenience in the game or work, but significantly reduces the risk of damage to the laptop from overheating.

In conclusion, I would like to add that it is undesirable to open laptops after purchase. Therefore, when choosing, be very careful - in the future you are unlikely to be able to change the configuration yourself. Make sure that all specifications are harmoniously combined with each other and fully meet your requirements.

This concludes our article. We've covered every aspect of choosing a gaming laptop and answered the most frequently asked questions.

Purchase of computer equipment domestic market causes not only a sea of ​​positive emotions, but also a number of problems associated with choosing a worthy product from a huge range of products. As practice shows, about 50% of users end up getting something completely different from what they originally wanted. One brings performance mobile device, others - ease of use or high cost.

In this article, the reader will learn how to choose an inexpensive but good laptop that can handle all the tasks. Tips, recommendations, reviews and reviews of worthy products will help a potential buyer quickly navigate the computer market and avoid becoming a victim of scammers and unscrupulous sellers.

Physical dimensions first

Before proceeding to the technical part of the question, the user needs to decide on the diagonal of the mobile device. The fact is that it is the size of the laptop that affects the final cost of the product. Read before choosing a laptop inexpensive, but good, expert reviews. They will clarify this issue:

  • devices with a diagonal of 8-11 inches are designed for entertainment on the Internet and are aimed at active people who always want to stay in touch;
  • a diagonal of 12-13 inches occupies the corporate segment (business, business trips, conferences, trainings);
  • consumer laptops are given a niche of 14-16 inch devices;
  • for lovers of resource-intensive games, as well as for creative individuals, a specialized niche has been created, which includes laptops with a diagonal of 17-20 inches.

From simple to complex

The cheapest devices on the mobile market that have a physical keyboard are netbooks with a diagonal of 8-11 inches. When choosing, it is better to focus not on performance, but on the autonomy of work on a single battery charge. Ideally, such a device should work on a single charge for about 6-8 hours.

Those who are interested in how to choose a good inexpensive netbook can be advised to pay attention to the display of a mobile device. It must be of high quality (IPS matrix), have a high resolution (at least 1366x768 dpi) and have decent brightness. The bonus here is the presence of a multi-touch sensor. Netbooks have proven themselves well in the domestic market Asus Transformer, Acer One, Lenovo IdeaPad and HP Stream.

Real businessman

Before you choose an inexpensive but good laptop in the segment of 12-13 inch devices, you need to decide on the list of tasks that will be set for the mobile device. The recommendations of experts in this matter are quite understandable - you need to divide all the requirements into two components:

  • work is the cheapest segment;
  • entertainment is an expensive class.

Then everything is simple - by choosing the desired category, the buyer focuses on the cost, appearance and ease of use. If the user wants to combine business with pleasure, then it is better to give preference to a more expensive device.

office kid

Stopping at the segment of mobile devices with a diagonal of 12-13 inches, many users do not know how to choose a good and inexpensive laptop for working with office applications. Indeed, for equipment of this category, it is difficult to name a low price (20-25 thousand rubles). If the user does not plan to play resource-intensive toys, then it is better to focus on the amount of RAM that is used when working with programs. The second selection criterion is the processor. give preference better device with two cores and an operating frequency of more than 2 GHz.

Don't overpay extra money for increased capacity hard drive and a discrete video adapter. All modern laptops have components that will not create inconvenience to the owner during operation. In this segment, the following are considered worthy: HP ProBook 430, Acer Aspire V3 and Asus Zenbook.

Work time killers

Many users are interested in how to choose a good one that can be used for business purposes. It is clear that a potential buyer wants to combine business with pleasure. Everything is simple here - you need to focus on the central processor and gaming graphics card. All other components (memory and hard drive) have already been selected by the manufacturer to increase the gaming power of the mobile device.

With processors, everything is clear - it is better to give preference to products of the Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 line, but with a video card you need to be extremely careful. It is better to focus on the game class. For Nvidia products, the label must have at least a 4 in the second position (for example, GTX 960M). Worthy products in this segment include: Dell Alienware 13 and

Segment of elite devices

Among users looking for information on how to choose an inexpensive but good laptop for games and work, there will certainly be fans of Apple products. In the mobile technology market, under the logo of this brand, there are just devices for combining work with leisure, equipped with 11-13 inch screens. Although the manufacturer does not please potential buyers with a large assortment, but there are no identical devices in the product line - finding the necessary gadget in terms of performance and price is quite simple.

In the inexpensive segment (from 80,000 rubles), you can look at MacBook laptops and Macbook Air, which will cope with any office tasks and multimedia work. But gamers should prefer the more advanced MacBook Pro devices in terms of performance. Mobile equipment of this class will cope with any resource-intensive games, not to mention the complex tasks invented by the user.

Inexpensive home solution

The cheapest 14-inch laptops are in price category up to 25,000 rubles. The task of such devices is to provide the user with access to the Internet and the ability to work with multimedia. And before choosing a laptop that is inexpensive, but good, for home, in this segment, you should get used to the idea that a mobile device will not be capable of more. No resource-intensive games, convenient transportation, or long battery life should be expected.

As for advice, there are simply none. The buyer must choose the cheapest laptop that he liked in the store window. The only advice given by experts to home users is that it is better to buy mobile equipment without a preinstalled operating system. In this case, the savings will be about 20-30% of the total cost of the laptop.

Hot Selling

Multimedia devices for work and great pastime with a diagonal of 14-15 inches occupy almost half of the market, and here the choice is made according to the specific tasks of buyers. The user, of course, is interested in the question of how to choose a good inexpensive laptop in this segment. There is a list of basic requirements for all laptops of this class, you should definitely familiarize yourself with them:

  • low price;
  • portability and autonomy;
  • high performance;
  • mobility, beauty and elegance.

And then the user has to choose the two most important criteria out of four provided by the experts. Having chosen the right items, finding a decent laptop will not be a problem. What you shouldn't do is claim 3 or 4 points. The fact is that it is impossible to find a device with all requests at the same time in this class of mobile technology.

The most productive devices

Before looking for answers to the question “how to choose an inexpensive but good laptop for games”, it is worth deciding on the gaming applications themselves that the user plans to run on a mobile device. The fact is that a high-performance gadget capable of coping with resource-intensive applications at maximum settings cannot a priori have a low cost.

You can play Dota 2 or drive a tank in World of Tanks on inexpensive devices with integrated video adapters or discrete solutions entry level, but to run FarCry 4, FIFA 16 or Fallout 4, you will need a very powerful laptop equipped with a modern processor and a powerful graphics card.

Ready-made solutions for players

Game lovers, before choosing an inexpensive but good laptop, you need to pay attention to the presence of a gaming video adapter. It is this device that determines the purpose of mobile technology in the market. AMD products must have the "R9" series, while Nvidia solutions are classified by the second digit in the label, which must be at least five.

The second criterion when choosing a gaming solution is the presence of a powerful central processor with 4 physical cores: Intel Core i5 / i7 or AMD A4. You shouldn't even look at platforms of a lower class - they are not adapted for resource-intensive games.

As for the RAM and hard drive, it’s already worth looking at finances, of course, the larger the volume, the better for effective work. In the gaming segment, Asus N752 and ROG series laptops, Acer Aspire Nitro and Predator, and Dell Precision and Alienware laptops have proven themselves well.

Computer for creativity

Many users, wondering how to choose a laptop that is inexpensive but good for gaming, find that gaming solutions are not at all in the expensive segment. Having a diagonal of 17-20 inches and high cost, mobile devices are not at all intended for games due to the lack of powerful discrete video adapters. But the amount of RAM is simply amazing (8-16 gigabytes). These devices are intended for designers, programmers, editors and other creative people.

The main criterion for such a device, in addition to RAM, is a high-performance processor that can quickly perform complex calculations. Users should not forget about the quality of the liquid crystal display, which is capable of excellent color reproduction (IPS-matrix).

Minimum RAM Requirements

The weak link in all portable systems on the domestic market is the small amount of RAM, which many device manufacturers are trying to save on. Before choosing a good one, the user needs to know that for the full operation of one operating Windows systems(8 or 10) you need 1.5-2 gigabytes of memory. Accordingly, to run even office applications in a laptop, 2 times more memory must be installed. For games, the multiplicity is four.

Do not forget about the possibility of increasing productivity - a mobile device must have at least one slot for installation additional modules memory. By the way, motherboard The laptop must also support an increase in RAM.

Constant in laptop

When wondering how to choose an inexpensive but good laptop for work, many potential buyers find some rather strange advice and recommendations in the media regarding the purchase of a mobile device with a weak processor. In the future, the user is offered to use the usual overclocking with the help of special utilities.

In fact, this is nonsense - the laptop is simply not able to work continuously at the maximum. The regular cooling system will fail at any moment, and the mobile device will burn. Repair and restoration are non-warranty cases.

The processor is better to choose the maximum allowable price, albeit to the detriment of the amount of RAM and hard drive. In fact, this is the only component in the system that cannot be replaced or duplicated.

Raising system performance

A potential buyer should not chase the speed of a hard drive, looking for an answer to the question of how to choose an inexpensive but good laptop. Expert reviews here come down to one thing - hard drive you still need to change after purchasing a mobile device to a solid-state SSD drive. Otherwise o high performance platforms can be forgotten forever.

Alternatively, you can initially purchase a laptop with such a drive, but the overpriced cost of such devices can scare even an experienced buyer. It is better not to trust such a question to the manufacturers of mobile equipment, but to take the process under your own control.

The Pursuit of Happyness

From year to year, more and more new gaming applications are released that force users to purchase more productive mobile devices in the computer market. Naturally, any buyer will ask the question: “How to choose an inexpensive but good laptop?” Asus (a Taiwanese manufacturer) approached this issue in a rather interesting way and offered the owners of portable devices the XG Station gadget, which plays the role of an external video adapter. The problem with resource-intensive games is fixed simply:

  • a laptop with a powerful processor and the presence of additional slots for expanding the amount of RAM is purchased;
  • you will need a monitor or LCD TV with an HDMI input;
  • the gadget "Asus XG Station" and a productive video adapter in the computer market are purchased.

Dropping all fantasies

Having studied the advice, recommendations and reviews of the owners of mobile equipment, the experts came to disappointing conclusions - most users, before choosing an inexpensive but good laptop, do not pay due attention to searching for information about the necessary device in the media. Hence the negative for mobile technology: heavy weight, slow operation, loud noise and similar problems related to the technical part.

laptop is normal Personal Computer, which is several times smaller in size and not so voracious in terms of power supply. You should not expect that an expensive mobile device will be able to perform additional functionality. The maximum is the provision wireless technologies(Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) and offline work outside the house. Everything. No need to fantasize about how spaceships surf the universe with a laptop.

Finally

Before choosing a laptop that is inexpensive, but good on the domestic market, the user just needs to get acquainted not only with the products, but also with the technologies that are used by the manufacturer when assembling a mobile device at the factory. The future owner, who wants to purchase a decent gadget at an affordable price, will have to abandon the abundant advertising in the media and study the basic components of a laptop and their purpose.

It is also worth trusting the recommendations of experts who are not interested in selling, but provide independent advice and reviews on products on their own initiative. Otherwise, it is unlikely that you will be able to purchase a laptop according to the "price-quality" criterion.