Laptops: How to buy the best laptop Audio and video on your laptop
Laptop graphics
Laptops come with either integrated or dedicated graphics. Integrated graphics, which operate using a chunk of the laptop’s memory (Ram), are fine if you’re just planning to do basic, everyday tasks.
However, if you want to play games (gaming) or use video-editing software on your laptop, for example, it’s best to go for a laptop with a separate graphics card.
Graphics cards, such as those from nVidia and ATI, have their own memory, so they don’t take up your laptop’s valuable Ram.
Expect to pay more (from around £700) for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card.
If you want to play the latest games on your laptop, make sure your graphics card will work with Microsoft’s DirectX 10 (DX10 compatible). For other less onerous tasks, any graphics card with 128MB of its own memory should be sufficient.
Laptop screens
All laptops come with their own built-in LCD screens. Screen size has a direct impact on the size of the laptop itself.
A 15-inch display makes for a pretty standard-sized laptop. A desktop replacement-type laptop might come with a 17-inch display – possibly even a widescreen one – and ultra-portables might go as low as the 12-inch mark, while mini-laptops, or netbooks, can be a squint-inducing 7 inches.
Widescreen displays are great if you want to watch TV or DVDs on the move, but can also give useful additional desktop space when running multiple applications.
Most laptops have an external VGA socket or even a DVI output so you can connect to a larger external PC monitor or TV.
Screens can either be glossy or matt. Try to check out laptop screens in-store, as gloss screens can suffer from annoying glare and reflections.
Laptop webcams
Many laptops come with a webcam built into the lid, just above the screen. The best laptop webcams have around 2Mp (megapixels) resolution. If you want to add a separate USB webcam, check out our expert webcam reviews.
Laptop sound
Most laptops have a sound card integrated onto the motherboard (main circuit board). This will be sufficient for playing MP3s, watching DVDs and most other tasks.
Laptops generally have 3.5mm audio jacks for headphones, and some have an integral microphone, which can be used for internet phone calls through providers such as Skype. They may also have additional sockets:
- Line out For connecting external speakers
- Line in For connecting external sources, eg for recording
- Mic in For connecting an external microphone
Read more on choosing and using laptops and mobile devices in our book Laptops and Mobile Devices Made Easy.
