I decided to make a guide for all of you looking to buy a new notebook, its not done yet and I’ll try to update it as often as possible!
I higly suggest reading This thread if you have the time.
To shop for a notebook, you must first know what you’re looking for:
Notebook Screen Sizes:
7-10” notebooks, often called mobile internet devices, are typically low-cost lower-equipped machines intended to be used only for basic computing, such as word processing and browsing the internet. They are ideal for use as secondary machines or as primary machines for those who have very basic computing needs.
11-13.3” notebooks are usually stylish and intended for more power than the 7-10” machines but with a similar form factor and weight. In many cases due to the smaller size of these notebooks, you might end up paying slightly more for the same performance you could get in a larger notebook for less. However if you are looking for a notebook that is a bit more portable at the expense of some extras, most notably discreet graphics, then these can be a good purchase.
14-15.4” notebooks are the most common. These mainstream sizes incorporate the widest range of price and performance.
17-20” notebooks are generally engineered for multimedia and gaming. They are generally more expensive than those of more mainstream sizes and often have higher-powered components.
Notebook Processors (from worst to best):
Pentium 4 processors are the least efficient and require the most power to run.
Athlon 64 processors also take a lot of power to run and are more efficient than Pentium 4 processors. An Athlon 64 processor is comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.25-1.5x higher frequency
Turion 64 processors take little power to run and are also comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.25-1.5x higher frequency
Pentium M processors take little power to run and are more efficient. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 at 1.5-2x higher frequency
Turion 64 X2 processors are the first of the dual-core processors, which can do 2 tasks at the same time. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.5-2.2x higher frequency.
Core 2 Duo processors are more efficient dual-core processors. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 2.2-4x higher frequency
Notebook memory
DDR memory is manufactured in up to 1GB modules and up to 400 Mhz speed.
DDR2 memory is manufactured in up to 2GB modules and up to 800 Mhz speed.
DDR3 memory is not yet in notebooks but should be within the next year and could conceivably be made in up to 4GB modules and up to 1600 Mhz speed.
The type and speed of memory that can be used in your notebook is determined by the chipset on the motherboard. The manufacturer of your notebook should list the type of memory as well as the maximum speed and capacity memory that will work in your notebook.
Since memory is fairly inexpensive at the moment and since Windows Vista and OSX Leopard both require large amounts of RAM to work well, I generally recommend purchasing as much memory as possible for your notebook. For current notebooks, the maximum amount of memory is limited by the operating system. 32-bit operating systems can utilize a maximum of 3.25GB memory, while 64-bit operating systems can use more.
I higly suggest reading This thread if you have the time.
To shop for a notebook, you must first know what you’re looking for:
Notebook Screen Sizes:
7-10” notebooks, often called mobile internet devices, are typically low-cost lower-equipped machines intended to be used only for basic computing, such as word processing and browsing the internet. They are ideal for use as secondary machines or as primary machines for those who have very basic computing needs.
11-13.3” notebooks are usually stylish and intended for more power than the 7-10” machines but with a similar form factor and weight. In many cases due to the smaller size of these notebooks, you might end up paying slightly more for the same performance you could get in a larger notebook for less. However if you are looking for a notebook that is a bit more portable at the expense of some extras, most notably discreet graphics, then these can be a good purchase.
14-15.4” notebooks are the most common. These mainstream sizes incorporate the widest range of price and performance.
17-20” notebooks are generally engineered for multimedia and gaming. They are generally more expensive than those of more mainstream sizes and often have higher-powered components.
Notebook Processors (from worst to best):
Pentium 4 processors are the least efficient and require the most power to run.
Athlon 64 processors also take a lot of power to run and are more efficient than Pentium 4 processors. An Athlon 64 processor is comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.25-1.5x higher frequency
Turion 64 processors take little power to run and are also comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.25-1.5x higher frequency
Pentium M processors take little power to run and are more efficient. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 at 1.5-2x higher frequency
Turion 64 X2 processors are the first of the dual-core processors, which can do 2 tasks at the same time. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 1.5-2.2x higher frequency.
Core 2 Duo processors are more efficient dual-core processors. They are comparable to a Pentium 4 processor at 2.2-4x higher frequency
Notebook memory
DDR memory is manufactured in up to 1GB modules and up to 400 Mhz speed.
DDR2 memory is manufactured in up to 2GB modules and up to 800 Mhz speed.
DDR3 memory is not yet in notebooks but should be within the next year and could conceivably be made in up to 4GB modules and up to 1600 Mhz speed.
The type and speed of memory that can be used in your notebook is determined by the chipset on the motherboard. The manufacturer of your notebook should list the type of memory as well as the maximum speed and capacity memory that will work in your notebook.
Since memory is fairly inexpensive at the moment and since Windows Vista and OSX Leopard both require large amounts of RAM to work well, I generally recommend purchasing as much memory as possible for your notebook. For current notebooks, the maximum amount of memory is limited by the operating system. 32-bit operating systems can utilize a maximum of 3.25GB memory, while 64-bit operating systems can use more.
