How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap

Shopping for a laptop can be an overwhelming experience especially when  money is tight.  Cutting down on your budget could mean missing out on those awesome features and components  that could come in handy for your laptop. At the same time buying  a laptop  that has too many features could cause you to go over budget. The good news is that it's possible to buy a laptop without sacrificing crucial features that you need for your laptop. And you can afford to do basic tasks like email, web browsing and basic office needs. Let me show show you what to look for when shopping for a laptop on the cheap.

Dual Core Processors

Most low budget laptops come with dual core CPU'S like Intel Core's i3 or Core Duo 2 and AMD's A4 processors. you get longer life, better performance, and cooler temperatures. You could save a little money by opting for lower clock speeds which  produce enough power to handle most  operating systems.  

You Can't  Afford To Be Frugal About Memory

You may be on  a tight budget, but you cannot afford to be frugal about the amount of memory on your budget laptop.  Because inadequate memory can drastically compromise the overall performance of your laptop.Your laptop should have at least 2GB of RAM although 4GB would be even better. The more RAM you have, the more laptop and operating system performs better.

Laptop Must Be Equipped  With Integrated Graphics

If you're a  casual gamer your budget laptop must be equipped  with integrated graphics card  as opposed to dedicated graphics. Budget laptops with lower ended  dedicated graphic chips such as Radeon HD 2400 and nVidia GeForce 8400M may not have the highest resolutions, but they pack 128 or 256MB of  dedicated video RAM. This is quite appropriate for casual gaming.

The More  Storage The Better

With laptops, the more storage you can afford, the better, especially if  you have a huge media collection. Budget laptops are no different.  Some low costing laptops have hard drives as huge as 500MB.  At the same time you also have low-cost budget laptops with hard drive speeds in the region of 5,400rpm and 7,200rpm.However, you can also opt for budget laptops with SSD's or Solid State Drives. They offer faster boot time, lower weight and resistance to shock. The  popular drive size is 8GB.

Optical Drive

If you want to burn DVD's go for a budget laptop with a multi-format DVD burner(DVD+RW). If you have no use for burning DVD's then go for a budget laptop with a DVD-ROM/CD-RW. This burns only CD's.  

Weight

In terms of size weight budget laptops spun from 3 pounds(ultraportable) to 7 pounds(desktop replacement). What size you choose depends on your need for portability. A word of caution though:the plastic cases of budget laptops aren't the most durable. Although a lot of laptop cases look greyish, other low-cost laptops also spot exciting variety of colors and designs.

Wireless Connectivity

Wireless connectivity is an absolute necessity to have on your budget laptop. Make sure your budget laptop is equipped with a WI-FI card  with 802.11a, g, and Draft N wireless standards. Budget laptops typically do not include bluetooth connectivity although manufacturers give you the option of adding it.

Screen Size

Although the average screen size of budget laptops range between 14.1 and 15.4 inches, notebook screen sizes  can range from 7 inches to 17 inches.. Most displays come with a glossy coating which makes for better viewing when watching . If you want to do video conferencing, make sure your screen comes with a built-in webcam . OR you can opt for a system  with a webcam built into its display bezel.

So to summarize, here are the specs to look for when shopping for a budget laptop

Processors: Intel Core i3 or Duo 2, AMD A4
Memory: At Least 2GB(But 4GB is the norm)and 128/256MB of  dedicated video RAM.
Graphics Card: Must be integrated although lower end dedicated graphics such as Radeon HD 2400 and nVidia GeForce 8400M are also popular.
Storage:500 MB for standard hard drives, with speeds of 5,400rpm and 7,200rpm  of  8GB for SSD's.
Optical Drive: Multi-format DVD burner(DVD+RW)(if you want to burb DVD's or  DVD-ROM/CD-RW(If  you want to burn CD's only).
Weight:3 pounds (ultraportable) to 7 pounds(desktop replacement)

Wireless Connectivity:WI-FI card  with 802.11a, g, and Draft N wireless standards.
Screen Size:Average screen size is 14.1 - 15.4 inches although they can also range from can range from 7 inches to 17 inches

That's a wrap for "How To Shop For A Laptop On The Cheap." If you re looking to buy a cheap  laptop  head on to Amazon.com.