LAPTOP SPECIAL..... LOOKING TO BUY A LAPTOP?

LOOKING TO BUY A LAPTOP?

Best hardware specs you can expect for your money, and suggest a few laptops in each price range

UNDER Rs 30,000

Laptops within this budget are capable of handling basic tasks like web browsing, movie watching, office productivity (working with word processors, spreadsheets, presentation software), and simple photo-editors such as Paint and IrfanView. Opt for these computers if your usage is going to be limited to such tasks.

In order of preference, we would suggest you consider machines that come with the Intel Core i3-6006U6100U (sixth-gen), the AMD A8-7410, or the Intel Pentium N3710 processors. All these chips are almost evenly matched in handling everyday tasks though the Core i3 processor is the best overall performer of them all, and is also the most `future-proof ' of these three.

For laptops running Windows 10, we recommend a minimum of 4GB RAM and at least a 500GB hard drive.Now, in order to keep costs low, many manufacturers do not load these laptops with the Windows operating system so you will need to factor in the cost of installing the OS yourself, or opt to download and install a free Linux distribution such as Ubuntu.

Go for the 11.6-inch machines if you want a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge that will also allow you to use the laptop as a tablet. The 15.6-inch laptops are best suited for those who need a bigger screen and keypad, a DVD drive and 1TB storage.

Rs 40,000 Rs 50,000

Laptops in this price bracket are more than capable of handling advanced productivity tasks. The ones listed here are mostly equipped with Intel's seventh-generation Core i3 or Core i5 processors, 4-8GB RAM and may even feature an entry-level dedicated graphics card.

These machines can handle photo-editing, high-def videos, and fairly advanced processing tasks. For photoediting and movie viewing, consider a laptop with a 15.6inch screen and at least 8GB RAM. The entry-level graphics cards, available in this range, will let you play games that are oneto two-years old ­ like Doom 2016, Need for Speed 2016, Rainbow Six Siege ­ but at low-quality settings.

Configs that come with a touchscreen, will allow you to rotate the display all the way back and use as a tablet.They may also feature a backlit keyboard, which will come in handy when working in dark environs.

Machines may also include a solid state drive (SSD), which results in fast boot times, data access and transfers than a regular laptop hard drive. However, if storage space is essential then opt for a laptop with a 1TB storage.

Rs 55,000 ONWARDS

Depending on how much you are willing to spend, you can expect to buy a lightweight ultraportable for work and business, a high-end computer that's capable of running advanced software for professional graphics design, audio-video editing and 3D modelling, or a gaming rig that packs in all the modern bells and whistles.

Here, opt for laptops with Full HD (even Ultra HD) displays, new seventh-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, and 8-16GB RAM.

Laptops for gamers include a dedicated graphics card that can handle the current crop of games like Resident Evil 7, Prey, Ghost Recon and Dirt 4, albeit at medium quality settings for smoother gameplay. These machines will also come with a solid state drive along with a hard drive. This helps improve game and application load times.Plus, you get a full-sized, backlit keyboard with improved tactile feel.

Business professionals can consider the premium ultraportable laptops that offer superior build quality coupled with processing muscle that's more than adequate for productivity tasks.

Rs 30,000 Rs 40,000

Here, go for laptops that come with at least the Intel Core i3-6006U processor. In this range, these laptops ship with Win 10, and in the case of the Lenovo Ideapad 110 (see right), you even get 8GB RAM, which will help in process-intensive tasks such as image-editing with Adobe Photoshop.

Alternatively , you can also opt for current-generation processors like the Intel Core i3-7100U, the Core i5-7200U. The seventh-gen Core i3 boasts of at least 30% improvement in graphics processing over its sixth-gen predecessor. And when you compare the seventh-generation Core i5-7200U with its corresponding Core i3-7100U processor, you will see a greater improvement in graphics processing, where the former outperforms the latter by a decent 35%.

It should be noted that the machines with seventh-gen processors in this range are sold with DOS, so you will need to spend extra for your operating system.

If you're looking for a portable 11.6-inch laptop in this range, you could look at devices that come with the Pentium N4200 processor that's marginally better than the older Pentium N3710 processor. Here, of course you can also expect touchscreen capability , while the 15.6-inch computers even pack in a DVD drive.

TNN 22JUL17