Screen size
Diagonal size of laptop display.
The larger the screen, the more convenient the laptop for watching high-definition movies, modern games, working with large-format graphic materials, etc. Large screens are especially important for multimedia and gaming models. On the other hand, the diagonal of the display directly affects the size and cost of the entire device. So if portability is key, it makes sense to pay attention to relatively small solutions; especially since most modern laptops have video outputs like HDMI or DisplayPort and allow connection of large-format external monitors.
In light of all this, the actual maximum for laptops these days is
17"(17.3"); however
larger devices (18") reappeared at the beginning of 2023. The standard option for general purpose laptops is
15"(15.6"), less often
16", a diagonal of
13"(13.3") or
14" is considered small by the standards of such And smaller screens can be found mainly in specific compact varieties of laptops — ultrabooks, 2 in 1, transformers, netbooks; among such devices there are solutions for
12 ",
11" and even
10" or less.
Colour gamut (sRGB)
The colour gamut of the laptop matrix according to the Rec.709 colour model or according to sRGB.
Colour gamut describes the range of colours that can be displayed on the screen. It is indicated as a percentage, but not relative to the entire variety of visible colours, but relative to the conditional colour space (colour model). This is due to the fact that no modern screen is able to display all the colours visible to humans. However, the larger the colour gamut, the wider the screen's capabilities, the better its colour reproduction.
Specifically, sRGB and Rec.709 are the most popular of today's colour models; they have the same range and differ only in the scope (sRGB is used in computers, Rec. 709 is used in HDTV). Therefore, the closer
the colour gamut is to 100%, the more accurately the colours on the screen will match the colours that were originally intended by the creator of the film, game, etc. At the same time, note that such accuracy is not particularly needed in everyday use — it critical only for professional work with colour; and even in such cases, it is more convenient to buy a separate monitor with a wide colour gamut for a laptop, rather than looking for a laptop with a high-quality (and, accordingly, expensive) matrix.
AMD compatibility
The laptop supports
AMD FreeSync technology and its more advanced varieties (FreeSync Premium, FreeSync Premium Pro). Here are more details about them:
– AMD FreeSync. This function is found only in models equipped with discrete AMD graphics cards. It serves to match the frame rate of the screen and the frame rate of the incoming signal so that the frequencies match. This allows you to avoid flickering, jerking and other image defects that occur due to signal desynchronization. This function is especially useful for games where the frame rate of the video signal can “float” depending on the load on the graphics core; in fact, most laptops with FreeSync are specifically gaming laptops.
– AMD FreeSync Premium. An intermediate option between the core AMD FreeSync technology and the advanced FreeSync Premium Pro implementation. The Premium version does not have HDR support (unlike Pro), but it works at the same frame rate (at least 120 fps at a resolution of 1920x1080) and uses LFC low frame rate compensation technology.
– FreeSync Premium Pro. The most advanced version of FreeSync technology, formerly known as AMD FreeSync 2 HDR. As the original name suggests, one of the highlights of this edition is HDR support. FreeSync Premium Pro claims a frame rate of at least 120 fps at Full HD resolution, as well as a low frame rate compensation (LFC) function. According to the creators, FreeSync Premium Pro works espec
...ially well in games; and many modern games are initially created to work with this technology.
NVIDIA video cards use a similar technology called G-Sync.Additional M.2 connector
The number of
additional M.2 connectors on the laptop motherboard.
In this case, any free M.2 connector is called additional (if there is an installed drive, the connector is considered the main one and its characteristics are given above — see "M.2 connector interface" and so on). There may be
several such free slots — therefore, our catalog specifies the number of additional M.2 connectors, and not just their presence.
Anyway, this parameter will be useful primarily if the laptop is bought for an upgrade. It allows you to estimate how many M.2 SSDs (or other peripherals with such a connection) can be additionally installed in the device. At the same time, when choosing specific components, you should also take into account the interface and the size of free M.2 slots (see below for more details).
Addittional M.2 connectors interface
A connection interface supported by the laptops optional M.2 connector (see above). Recall that this connector is initially free; so this information allows you to evaluate the compatibility with additional components and, accordingly, the possibility of upgrading.
Two main types of interfaces can be implemented through the M.2 connector: SATA and PCI-E. SATA was originally created for hard drives, its support is inexpensive, but the speed of such a connection does not exceed 600 MB / s — this is very low by the standards of SSDs and other modern peripherals. Therefore, in the additional connector (s) M.2, one or another type of PCI-E is most often implemented. This interface has several variations that differ in version, number of lines and, as a result, speed; Here are the options most relevant for modern laptops:
— PCI-E 3.0 2x. Connecting using 2 lanes of PCI-E version 3.0 gives a maximum speed of just under 2 GB / s.
— PCI-E 3.0 4x. Connection using 4 lanes PCI-E version 3.0. Provides a maximum speed of about 4 GB / s.
— PCI-E 4.0 4x. Connected using 4 lanes PCI-E version 4.0, throughput is about 8 Mbps.
— PCI-E. Connection via PCI-E, for which the manufacturer did not specify the details (version and number of lines).
It is worth noting here that in the case of M.2, different versions of PCI-E are quite compatible with each other (except that the speed of work will be limited by the capabilities of the slower side —...the drive or connector). Therefore, even if the specific capabilities of such a connector are not specified, this is generally not critical (these capabilities will not hurt to clarify unless if high performance is fundamentally important to you).
Additional M.2 drive size
The size of an additional slot for a drive (or other peripherals) with an M.2 interface provided in a laptop.
We emphasize that in this case we are not talking about the actually installed drive, but about the size of the bay (recall, there is no drive in it initially — for more details, see "Additional M.2 connector"). Knowing this size, you can estimate the maximum dimensions of the SSD module (or other component) that can fit in this bay. It is worth noting here that the most widespread nowadays are M.2 boards with a width of 22 mm, slots in laptops are usually made for this standard width. Therefore, the main indicator that determines size compatibility is length.
For bays on laptop motherboards, the length is most often 80 mm (marking 22x80 mm). This allows you to install 22 mm M.2 boards with a length of 80 mm, 60 mm, 42 mm and 30 mm — that is, all types of such boards, except for the largest, at 110 mm. The latter, however, is not a disadvantage, since 110-mm components are rarely used in laptops. If there are several additional (free) M.2 slots and they differ in size, these data are also specified in this paragraph, for example, “22x80 / 22x42 mm”.
Card reader
A device for working with removable memory cards. Usually, it looks like a characteristic slot right on the laptop case, into which the media is inserted. There are different standards for memory cards, a list of compatible standards is indicated in the note to this item. It is worth noting here that for modern laptops it is almost mandatory to support the SD format and its modifications — SD HC, often also SD XC; other options may also be envisaged, but they have not received such distribution. Anyway, this feature is convenient because memory cards are widely used in other types of electronics: for example, SD is the generally accepted standard in digital cameras, and microSD (compatible with SD slots through simple adapters) is used in smartphones. Accordingly,
the presence of a card reader greatly facilitates the exchange of data between a laptop and external devices.
USB 3.2 gen1
Number of
USB 3.2 gen1 ports provided in the laptop. Initially, this interface was called USB 3.0, later USB 3.1 gen1.
Be that as it may, USB is the most popular modern interface for connecting various peripherals to computer - from keyboards, mice and flash drives to very original devices. It can also be used to charge smartphones and other gadgets. And USB 3.2 gen1 is the successor to the popular USB 2.0. In this version, the data transfer speed was increased 10 times - up to 4.8 Gbit/s, and the power supply for external devices was also increased. At the same time, devices with other versions of USB can be connected to the USB 3.2 gen1 port - the main thing is that they have full-size USB A plugs and have enough power for normal operation.
As for the number of USB connectors, the more there are, the more peripherals you can connect to the laptop without using splitters.
Webcam
The resolution of the
webcam installed in the laptop. Such cameras are usually placed above the display; Initially, their purpose was video communication (for example, via Skype), but other applications are also possible — recording videos, live broadcasts of certain events on the Internet, etc.
The resolution of the webcam in this case is indicated by the maximum video resolution that it supports. The most low-cost options give out only 640x480 and are not suitable for anything, except for the mentioned video communication; in the most advanced, this indicator can reach
Full HD quality (1920x1080 pixels) and even
Quad HD.
There are also laptops that
do not have a built-in webcam. This solution allows you to protect the user from the threat of hacker attacks through the laptop's camera and minimizes the likelihood of personal data leaking.