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.
Screen resolution
The resolution of the screen installed in the laptop — that is, the size of the screen in pixels horizontally and vertically.
Higher resolution, on the one hand, gives a sharper, more detailed image; on the other hand, it increases the cost of the laptop. The latter is connected not only with the cost of the displays themselves, but also with the fact that in order to work effectively at high resolutions, you need the appropriate filling (primarily a graphics card). This is especially true in games; so if you are looking for a laptop with a high-resolution screen that can effectively "run" modern games — you should pay attention not only to the characteristics of the display, but also to other data (the type and parameters of the graphics card, test results, the ability to work with certain games — see everything below). On the other hand, if the device is planned to be used for simple tasks such as working with documents, surfing the Internet and watching videos, you can not pay much attention to the “hardware” parameters: anyway, they are selected so that the laptop is guaranteed to be able to cope with such tasks on full resolution of the "native" screen.
As for specific numbers, the resolution options that are relevant today can be divided into 3 groups:
Full HD (1080),
Quad HD and
UltraHD 4K. Here is a more detailed description of them:
...— Full HD (1080). Initially, the Full HD standard provides a frame size of 1920x1080, and it is this resolution that is most often used in laptop screens from this category. However, in addition to this, other resolution options are also included in this format, where the vertical size is at least 1080 pixels, but does not reach 1440 pixels. Examples include 1920x1200 and 2560x1080. In general, Full HD displays provide a good balance between cost, image quality and laptop hardware requirements. Because of this, nowadays they are extremely widespread; matrices of this standard can be found even in low-cost devices, although they are mainly used in more advanced technology.
— Quad HD. A transitional option between the popular Full HD 1080 (see above) and the high-end and expensive UltraHD 4K. The vertical size of such screens starts from 1440 pixels and can reach 2000 pixels. Note that QuadHD resolutions are especially popular in Apple laptops; most often, such devices have 2560x1600 screens, although there are other options.
— Ultra HD 4K. The most advanced standard used in modern laptops. The vertical size of such screens is at least 2160 dots (up to 2400 in some configurations); the classic resolution of a modern UltraHD matrix is 3840x2160, but there are other values. Anyway, a 4K display allows for high image quality, however, it costs accordingly — including due to the corresponding requirements for a graphics adapter; in addition, to work with high resolutions, it can be more convenient to connect an external monitor to the laptop. Thus, such screens are used relatively rarely, and mainly among premium laptops.Refresh rate
The frame rate supported by the laptop screen. In fact, in this case we are talking about the maximum frequency; the actual frame rate may be lower than this value, depending on the content being displayed — but not higher.
Theoretically, the higher the frame rate, the smoother the movement on the screen will look, the less moving objects will be blurred. In fact, the situation is such that even in relatively modest modern laptops,
60 Hz matrices are installed — in general, this is quite enough for the human eye, since a further increase in speed (
90 Hz and higher) does not significantly improve the visible “picture”. However, in high-end gaming and multimedia models designed for demanding users, higher values —
120 Hz,
144 Hz,
165 Hz and even
higher, namely
240 Hz and
300 Hz.
Colour gamut (NTSC)
The colour gamut of the laptop matrix according to the NTSC colour model.
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, NTSC is one of the first colour models created back in 1953 for colour television. It is not used in the production of modern LCD matrices, but is used to describe and compare them. NTSC covers a wider range of colours than sRGB, which is standard in computer technology; therefore, even a small number of percentages in this case corresponds to a fairly wide coverage. For example, a value of
72% or more in NTSC is already considered a good value for use in design and graphics. At the same time, the same NTSC figures on different screens may correspond to different sRGB figures; so if accurate colour reproduction is decisive for you, these details should be clarified before buying.
Also note that among individual monitors, it is easier to find a screen with a wide colour gamut; while it will also cost less than a laptop with similar display characteristics. So choosing a laptop with a h
...igh-end screen makes sense mainly when portability is as important to you as high-quality colour reproduction.Passmark CPU Mark
The result shown by the laptop processor in the Passmark CPU Mark test.
Passmark CPU Mark is a comprehensive test that is more detailed and reliable than the popular 3DMark06 (see above). It checks not only the gaming capabilities of the CPU, but also its performance in other modes, based on which it displays the overall score; this score can be used to fairly reliably evaluate the processor as a whole (the more points, the higher the performance).
Advanced Optimus
In laptops, the image processed by a discrete video card first passes through the graphics built into the CPU, and only then is transmitted to the display. The MUX Switch on the motherboard of gaming laptop models allows you to choose between using integrated or discrete graphics. One of its advanced varieties is
the Advanced Optimus intelligent system, which works in conjunction with video adapters from NVIDIA. It allows you to literally choose on the fly the most suitable GPU for data processing, depending on the intensity of the tasks being performed.
Alternate Mode
The presence in the laptop of at least one
USB-C connector with support for Alternate Mode.
In accordance with the name, Alternate Mode is an alternative mode of operation of the Type C connector, when not USB, but other connection interfaces are implemented through it. The specific set of such interfaces may be different, it should be specified for each model separately. The most typical example is Thunderbolt v3 (see above), such a connection, by definition, works through a USB-C hardware connector. The Thunderbolt specification also includes DisplayPort support, but this video output can be implemented via USB-C and independently, without Thunderbolt functionality. Also, the list of the most popular Alternate Mode options includes HDMI — both in its classic form and in the "mobile" version of MHL (the latter, however, is more typical for smartphones and other handheld equipment than for laptops).
Monitors connection
The maximum number of monitors that can be connected to a laptop at the same time and shared.
Simultaneous connection of several screens allows you to expand the visual space available to the user. For example, it can be useful for designers and layout designers when working with large-format materials, for programmers to separate tasks (one monitor for writing code, the second for searching for the necessary information and other auxiliary purposes), and for gamers-enthusiasts — to ensure the maximum immersion effect.
Audio decoders
A decoder can be broadly described as a standard in which digital audio is recorded. For normal playback of such sound, it is necessary that the corresponding decoder is supported by the device. It should be noted that in the case of laptops, compatibility with one or another standard largely depends on the software used on a particular device. However, if support for a particular decoder is directly stated in the specifications, this means that the laptop is at least optimized for the use of this decoder and is able to realize all its capabilities without any problems. And some models can also be equipped with special software tools (for example, an advanced sound settings system built into a proprietary gaming software package).
Note that multi-channel sound formats are relevant mainly for games and watching movies; therefore, support for decoders is specifically indicated mainly in gaming and multimedia models. Top solutions include:
—
DTS X. One of the newest and most advanced modern audio decoders. It fundamentally differs from the classic multi-channel audio formats in that it does not use a strict division into channels. Instead, the recording uses data about audio objects — individual sound sources. For each such source, information is given about the position and distance relative to the listener it should be, how to move, what additional effects it should sound with, etc. And the playback device with DTS X su
...pport independently determines how exactly the sound needs to be distributed available channels to achieve the desired experience for the listener. Thanks to this, DTS X is not tied to a specific number of audio channels — theoretically, there can be as many as you like.
— DTS X Ultra. An advanced modification of the DTS X described above, created primarily for use in games, allows you to specify even more detailed data on audio objects, providing the most accurate positioning and, accordingly, a very pronounced and reliable presence effect.
Dolby Atmos. An analogue of DTS X from Dolby Laboratories. It uses the same basic principle of operation — processing audio objects without being tied to specific audio channels. In fact, for the average user, the difference between Dolby Atmos and DTS X (DTS X Ultra) is not fundamental, the question is rather in finding content recorded using a suitable decoder.
