Buying a new laptop

So, you want to buy a new laptop. Won't do you any good if you have no idea what to buy, or if you fall for Best Buy's insurance crap. If you're looking to buy a new computer or laptop, read on.

These are personal suggestions on what I think a person should do when buying a computer. At the very least, someone who has no clue what they're doing. In this guide, you'll learn about the basic components about a computer, what brands to look at, and what to avoid when buying a computer.



Buying a computer can either be easy, or rather difficult. For me, it was difficult, due to being extremely indecisive about what laptop to get. Rule #1? Don't wait for new tech to come out, or you'll NEVER buy a new computer. Unless you actually keep up with tech news, such as when I (tried to) held off on buying a new laptop when I knew a new CPU was coming out. Otherwise, don't wait. However, I'm not saying to be rash either, it's important to do some research before purchasing a new laptop.

Components
There are a few components that are important to look at when purchasing a laptop. The Processor (CPU), Storage Device (HDD or SDD), Memory (RAM), and  GPU (Video Card). Other components to factor in when purchasing a laptop are the screen size, resolution, etc... But I'll get to that later. The importance of these components varies from person to person. A gamer would prefer a better GPU over anything else. A video editor would prefer a better CPU over everything else. The uses differ. It is my belief that there should be a balance between all the components, mainly due to bottlenecking.

In my opinion, the GPU and CPU are the most important components to consider in a laptop. This is because in most cases, these components are irreplaceable. Meaning, you can't switch out the components or upgrade them. Even if it were possible, it would be an extremely difficult and tedious process. This is why you want to get the best parts for your price.

CPU
The CPU plays a huge role in computing, as such the better the CPU is, the better your laptop will run. It's important to make the distinction between the speed of a CPU and the performance. For example, an Intel Dual Core clocking at 3.0 ghz will not yield the same performance as a Intel Sandy Bridge i3 clocking at 2.23 ghz. This is due to chip size reduction in newer models, higher efficiency while reducing voltage consumption, use of cache, and overall better performance. Don't believe me? Check out PasskMark's benchmarks. 

As for what CPU you should get, there are many options. In my case, there are few. Recently, Intel launched the Sandy Bridge processors, which are improved over previous i series processors. I recommend getting either an i5, or i7, as they provide excellent performance for the price. An i5 generally runs at four cores, with an i7 at eight cores. However, outside of gaming or heavy editing, it shouldn't matter which one you get. To distinguish a Sandy Bridge processor from previous generations, it'll generally have something along the lines of i7-QM2XXX, with X denoting a number.

Finally, there exists power saving CPU's, such as the ULV or CULV Intel CPU's, and the Atom. The Atom are generally used in Netbooks, while the ULV's (Ultra low voltage) are used as a medium between Atoms and Normal CPU's.

TL;DR version: Get a sandy bridge CPU, gets you the best bang for your buck. Either an i5 or i7, i3 if you can't help it. Consider ULV's or Atoms for battery life.

GPU
Next up, GPU. For gamers, this plays a huge role in how their game runs. Rule #2 about buying a computer. DO NOT GET A COMPUTER WITH AN INTEL INTEGRATED GRAPHICS. If you plan to do any gaming at all, avoid it. It's come a long way since its shit days, but it still greatly hinders a laptop's potential in gaming.

Moving on, a GPU is a dedicated unit to rendering units and optimized for accelerating graphics. The GPU is exponentially better than the CPU in rendering, and as a result plays a huge role in 3D graphics. Though, for basic computing, you realistically only need the Intel graphics to get by. But beyond that, look for an ATI or Nvidia video card. My preference is ATI, but it shouldn't really matter. If you're buying a laptop with a Sandy Bridge processor, chances are the video card will be an ATI 6XXX series (another indication of whether or not you're buying a sandy bridge laptop). If you want a good site to compare video cards and benchmarks, look at NotebookCheck.

Finally, there exist video cards that has the purpose of saving battery life. For example, the nvidia optimus video card switches between the Nvidia GPU and the Intel GPU, depending on the application. For example, if a person is gaming, it'll use the Nvidia GPU, if just using word processors, it'll use the Intel. This can drastically save battery life.

TL;DR version: Avoid Intel graphics like the plague, compare video cards, get an ATI Radeon 6XXX series (preferably 6570 or higher). Consider Nvidia Optimus for battery life.

Finally, the RAM and Storage components
Again, priority of these components varies from user to user. For example, a heavy video editor will find benefits from having a higher amount of RAM (6-8gb), and also benefits from high storage due to the amount of space they'll use up. On a general basis, 4gb DDR3 ram or higher should work fine for any user.

For people who expect heavy hard drive use, I recommend a 7200 RPM or even a SSD, if affordable. A 7200 RPM provides a high disc read speed, and as such a gamer would avoid stuttering that would otherwise be prevalent in 5400 RPM hard drives. A SSD will grant you extraordinarily high speeds, but are expensive and provide little storage compared to HDD's. If getting a HDD, 500gb+ should work fine. For SSD, I'm unsure on what to recommend. Maybe 160gb or higher, again, price and storage plays a huge role.

With Memory and Storage devices, you at least have the capability to switch out the components for better parts if need to, hence why I put these components as a low priority.

Misc.
There are other things to look at outside of the above components when buying a laptop. Weight, size, resolutions, etc... In my opinion, the components should come first before looking at these other factors. However, if when comparing computers they are more or less the same, then I would look at Weight, then size, and then resolution. Resolution determines the amount of pixels you can see on the screen. Generally, a 15.4" laptop from HP would have a 1366x768 resolution. 1920x1080 resolution is ideal for entertainment, due to movies running at max 1080p resolution. However, you shouldn't strain yourself if you can't get a higher resolution. 1366x768 should work fine in most cases.

For weight, I would aim for a laptop as light as possible. For example, a 15.4" laptop should weigh no more than 6 pounds, a 17.6" laptop should weigh no more than 8 pounds, etc... Laptops that contain the ULV processor and/or Nvidia Optimus (or ATI counterpart) video cards will generally weigh lighter than the average sized laptops. Size generally corresponds with weight.

Coupons/Deals
 Now that you've learned a little bit about the components, we can finally move on to actually looking at laptops. In my experience, the best way to go is to look at deal sites. Two such deal sites I recommend looking at are Slickdeals and Deals2Buy. Slick deals is a day to day deal site that shows different deals each day, but you can use the search function to find a deal you want. Deals 2 buy is less forum like, and has all the deals in categories. You'll want to be looking at Computer Deals, or specifically HP, Dell, and Lenovo.

Some such deals are this HP laptop and this Lenovo laptop. Or this Asus laptop for the Optimus crowd.

In some brand's cases, they do provide student deals. For example, HP has HP Academy which merely requires a student discount to use. Dell has Dell University, and so on.

PC vs Mac
PC, shut the fuck up.
On a serious note, it depends on your major. For Engineering, I recommend the PC. However, I have friends in Electrical Engineering that are using Macs. More power to them.
Admittedly, you would get Macs for their editing software, but NOTHING more. The price differences between PCs and Macs are absurd, as paying for the same components on a Mac vs a PC is a several hundred dollar difference. There's nothing different between the two computers. They both have the same components, almost literally. You're paying for a shiny apple logo with an aluminum case, proprietary hardware, and an OSX that is safe (meaning locked down so you can't fuck it up.)

The whole "Macs don't have viruses" is like beating a dead horse. The primary reason they don't get viruses is due to the (previously) low marketshare. But on a technical level, Macs are far more vulnerable than PCs are.

But if you absolutely need a Mac, absolutely don't know how to take care of your PC, then by all means, go get one. Scrub.

Brands
Finally, brands. Last thing I want to talk about is what Brand of company to look for. My recommendation for brand, from best to worst, is MSi, Lenovo, Asus, HP, Acer, Dell, Apple.
Though, it's important to note that MSi, Lenovo, and Asus in my opinion are all worth getting. The Thinkpads from Lenovo, for example,, though shitty looking, are absolutely fantastic computers and will last you a long time. MSi and Asus have generally good computers that will also last you a long time. Asus, for example, will give you the best customer support. I can't tell you what brand to look at, so the best thing you can do is research.

Where to Buy
There are tons of places to buy laptops. The companies themselves, or retailers such as Best Buy. But it's generally cheaper to buy online off of the company's sites, or other online vendors such as Amazon, Newegg, or Buy.com. I'd recommend going through the coupon/deal sites first, and go through the online vendors as a last resort. It's important to note that when buying from Newegg or Buy.com, you may have to pay shipping and handling, adding on to the price of the laptop. Amazon generally has free shipping, bu it's not always the case. Company's such as HP usually provides free shipping and handling. 

If you do end up going in store to buy a laptop, MAKE sure to print out the price you found online. Generally they'll try to rip you off by putting a larger price tag on the laptop. However, if you show them proof of the cheaper price, they'll generally bring the price down to web price.

And avoid insurance or whatever crap they offer you. It only adds on to the cost of the laptop. And Geek Squad is useless.

Types of Laptops
There are several types of laptops out in the wild. The main ones, from heaviest to lightest, are:
Desktop replacements: These laptops are huge, usually 17.6" or over 7 pounds. Their purpose is to remain stationary on your desk, while providing beefy performance and general entertainment. Example: HP DV7
Notebooks: Lighter than Desktop replacements. Their size range from 13"-16", weighing in from around 4-7 pounds. Called notebooks, since you actually don't want to put them on your lap, due to the burning from the vents. For everyday use and bringing out on occasion, these will work fine for the average user. Example: Lenovo IdeaPad
Battery Saving Laptops: Such laptops are usually ligher than their Notebook counterparts, and have a long lasting battery life. They usually have either a ULV processor, or a switchable video card such as the nvidia optimus. These laptops are great for on the go user while still maintaining decent performance. Example: MSI FX
Netbooks: The low of the low. These are the most cheapest and lightest laptops you can get. However, don't expect the ability to play games well on them. For word processing, internet, and videos, these will work fine. Nothing more. Great for their lightweight build (2-4 pounds), size, and portability. Bad for everything else. Example: MSI wind
 

Last statements
The laptop you want depends entirely on you. My advice is to look at the price of the laptop, and the components first, then size/weight, and finally brand. However, if you have a loyal brand, then that's fine.

Other Resources
This isn't as comprehensive as you might thing. If you really want to research computers, or tech in general, then the following sites will do you good in the long run.
Lifehacker
Toms Hardware
Notebookcheck
Ars Technica