Which To Pay For On A New Laptop, Video or Processor?

There are two laptop components that can't be added later, the video card and the processor. Sometimes you may have to decide which is more important to your buying decision, but hopefully you don't and can maximize both of them in your laptop purchase.

You can add RAM, a wireless modem, a modem, a higher capacity hard drive and external components to your laptop after you have purchased it. You cannot replace the video card or the processor after your acquisition. This means that these become the most important features to consider at the time of your laptop investment.

Today's video requirements are not any greater than any time in the past, there are just more options than before. A video card may or may not have onboard random access memory (RAM). I personally would not suggest that anyone buy a video card with shared memory (sharing memory with the processor of the computer). A 128 Mb video card is now the standard. This is double the standard of only two years ago. There is a significant difference in the visible speed of any computer, with a larger amount of video ram. Increasing to 256 or 512Mb is a MAJOR increase in graphics speed.

The central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is the primary determination of a computer's speed. Today's standard could be out of date tomorrow. At this point in time, the Dual Core processor is the minimum CPU requirement. A dual core processor has two CPU's attached to the same chip. The processor speed should be no less than 2.0GHz based on today's market and the ability of the computer to be viable in two to three years. You should try to maximize the processor to the highest you can afford at the time.

Here is the rub. The difference between a 2.2 and 2.4 to 2.6 GHz processor may not be enough to justify the additional $125 to $300. The jump to 2.8 or even 3.0 may be worth the increase in price, if you can afford to go there. You are better off in a fixed budget situation to increase the video card memory than to make a minor increase in the processor.

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Three Key Things To Consider When Buying A New Laptop

Buying a new laptop can be confusing, to say the least. Students and their parents have come to me in the past, as the liaison to the Virginia Tech School of Architecture and Design, wanting me to tell them exactly which computer brand and model to buy. I purposely withheld from doing this, because no matter what you buy, there is a chance of getting a lemon and I did not want to be held accountable for that decision.

I would instead tell them what areas were most important. There are three key things to consider when you start looking at the specs of potential laptop purchases. These three things are going to provide you with the most bang for your buck.

The bottom line is ... the processor, the video card, and the amount of RAM installed are the most important keys to getting the most bang for the buck when buying a laptop computer.


Processor - determines the overall speed of a laptop. You should try to get the highest processor speed you can afford at the time of purchase. This will provide some longevity to your acquisition. Taking this into account, the difference between a 3.2 GHz and a 3.4 GHz processor may not be worth the extra $100 to $200 wanted by the manufacturer.

Video Card - The video card determines how fast the graphics display on the screen. Today the minimum I would recommend is a 256mb graphics card. An upgrade to 512mb can cost from $250 to $500. Then too, if your needs are not too much into the graphics programs, there are some deals to be had with a 128mb graphics card.

RAM - This is a little different, because what I propose is to purchase your laptop with the minimum amount of RAM, and purchase an upgrade from an online source, such as MacMemory.com, Crucial.com, or NewEgg.com. Memory or RAM is very easy to install, and costs much more to have installed by the company you are buying the computer from, than to purchase and install yourself.

Apart from those three things, the accessibility to support services and the warranty is the fourth most important aspect to buying your laptop. Purchasing an extended warranty, is actually a very good investment, and may pay for itself in the first year.