foraas

Distinguished
Aug 27, 2010
9
0
18,510
Hi I want to buy a new laptop and I don't know which factor to check. I know screen size is larger=better, price is low=better, response time is low=better.
And refresh rate? is it important for a computer monitor? Is there any other things to put into consideration?

Thank you
 

mibix19

Distinguished
Most laptop refresh rates are 60Hertz so it is not too important. Try and get the highest screen resolution you can and if funds allow, a seperate graphics card/chip. Plenty of ram is also good and also a long warranty
 

Bolbi

Distinguished
Jul 11, 2009
733
0
19,060
Just to note, a larger screen size is not necessarily better. Bigger laptop means it's heavier, which is not good if you want to tote it around a lot.
As the others have said, refresh rate is really unimportant for a laptop. I agree with mibix19 that a dedicated graphics card is a good upgrade if you can afford it, but this is usually only found in $700+ laptops, and it's still rare at the bottom of that price range. A couple other suggestions:
1) Get a screen that's LED backlit.
2) If possible, get a laptop that uses DDR3 RAM (faster and uses less power).
 
My basic advice is to spend $100 - $200 above your preferred budget to buy the best video card / chipset as possible 'cause once you buy a laptop you are basically goona be stuck with the video chip until you buy a whole new laptop. There are a few exception on the higher end where the video cards can be upgraded. But those systems are relatively expensive to begin with. Additionally, a laptop video card will be expensive and difficult to find.

My guess is that a Mobility HD 5650v will cost you around $200. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating by $10 - $20. The desktop HD 5670 can be bought for $65 currently.