Balanced Performance without Breaking the Bank

Laptop performance has come a long way over the past few years, and even more affordable laptops can keep up the majority of computing needs. AMD’s A-Series processors (particularly the A8 and upcoming A10) offer great all-around performance at budget-friendly prices.

Lenovo IdeaPad Z575 – The AMD A8 version of Lenovo’s Z575 is arguably one of the best values on the market. It’s very well built, with a sturdy yet still lightweight chassis, and at around $500, it’s easy on your wallet as well.

Performance that will Last

Since College will generally last at least four years, you probably want a laptop that can last that long as well. Solid construction and strong performance is one way to help ensure a laptop will still be useful several years down the line.

Sony Vaio SE Series – Configured with a 1920×1080 resolution display and Core i5 processor, the SE series is probably one of the best choices on the market right now. Currently available is the VPC-SE25FX, which, at less than $1000, offers stellar performance for not only productivity, but also gaming and just about everything else. It also has useful features, such as a backlit keyboard and USB 3.0. Sony also offers very good technical support.

Sony Vaio S Series – Similar to the SE series, the S series is a bit newer, featuring Intel’s 3^rd generation of Core i5 and i7 processors. A configuration closely matching the SE25FX mentioned above weighs in at just over $1000.

Ultra-Portability that doesn’t Skimp on Performance

When you’re darting around campus, running from class to class, you might not want to be lugging around a bulky laptop, but at the same time, tablets and netbooks aren’t really the best choice for productivity. Ultrabooks represent a middle ground which features the performance you’d get from a full-sized laptop paired with the portability and battery life of a netbook.

Asus ZenBook UX31 – The ZenBook UX31 is currently alaTest’s top rated laptop. It’s one of the top performing ultrabooks for around $1000, but its biggest appeal is its 1600×900 resolution display. The extra desktop space provided by a higher resolution is a major benefit compared to the 1366×768 resolution display of most ultrabooks.

Apple MacBook Air (2012) – The new MacBook Air is the first ultrabook to run Intel’s 3^rd generation Core i5 and i7 processors, which gives it an edge particularly in graphics performance over other ultrabooks. The 13-inch model also has a 1440×900 resolution display, which, while not quite matching the UX31, is still a great benefit.

What about Laptops We Haven’t Mentioned?

Just because we didn’t mention it in this article doesn’t mean it’s not a good choice. There are a ton of other laptop choices out there, so here are a few key things to consider when making a purchase:

Dedicated Graphics – A laptop with a dedicated graphics processor will almost always outperform a laptop with an integrated graphics processor when it comes to things like HD video and gaming; however, the AMD A-series and Intel’s 3^rd generation Core series with HD 4000 graphics are still strong performers.

Screen Resolution – Most laptops have a resolution of 1366×768. Laptops with 1600×900 and 1920×1080 resolutions often cost a premium, but offer much more on-screen workspace which helps considerably with productivity.

Backlit Keyboards – Backlit keyboards are amazingly useful.

Processor

The CPU is the heart of a computer, but it’s not easy to know which CPU models are best for which tasks. The following is your basic CPU hierarchy.

1: Intel Core i7 – The Core i7 makes up the top tier in CPU performance. It also makes up the top price bracket. You’ll typically only need this sort of power if you expect to do a lot of computationally intensive tasks, such as photo/video editing or high-end gaming.

2: Intel Core i5 and AMD A8 – The A8 series CPU represents AMD’s highest performance offering in the laptop sector, and it’s roughly on par with Intel’s Core i5 series. Both are just as capable as the Core i7 but are slightly slower. In every-day tasks, this speed difference won’t even be noticeable.

3: Intel Core i3 and AMD A4/A6 – This is the more budget friendly range of CPUs. They’re considerably slower than the other offerings, but if all you’re looking for is a laptop for web browsing, word processing, and multimedia, they’re more than capable.

Each series has range of models with slightly different performance. Searching CPU benchmarks can help give you a feel for performance hierarchy.

Graphics

Most laptops have integrated graphics ships, specifically Intel HD Graphics 3000. Integrated graphics limits you to basic tasks, such as web browsing and simple productivity. As a general rule, you should avoid integrated graphics of possible.

Dedicated graphics, such as AMD’s Radeon and Nvidia’s GeForce chips can provide much more performance than integrated solutions, but often cost more. The model numbers can be confusing as well, but the following chart can give you a rough idea of performance:

An exception to the integrated graphics rule is AMD’s A-series. While the A-series CPUs do have integrated graphics, AMD has fitted them with entry-level gaming-class GPUs. This actually makes the A-series a very good value.

RAM

When it comes to RAM (aka Memory), there’s no such thing as too much, but you still don’t want to pay for more than you need. 6GB is ideal, but for the time being 4GB is still sufficient. Memory speed also plays a small role in performance, but it’s really only important with high-end systems.

Hard Drives

Anywhere from 64GB to 2TB, how much space you need is entirely up to you, but hard drive speeds can also play a major role in overall performance. Most laptops come with 5400RPM hard drives. When compared to 7200RPM drives, these will have slower loading times, but only by a small percentage. 7200RPM drives are best for high-performance laptops.

There are also SSDs (Solid State Drives). These give significantly better performance compared to traditional hard drives, sometimes halving load and boot times, but cost quite a bit. Due to the price, SSDs typically come in small capacities, like 64GB to 128GB, making them mostly ideal for productivity tasks only.

Size

Display size and slimness are all a matter of personal preference. Any two laptops with the same internal components will perform similarly, regardless of size; however, size can have an indirect on battery life. Large screens tend to use more power and smaller chassis often have smaller batteries. Expert reviews can be useful for gauging realistic battery life.

Resolution

Screen resolution basically equates into how much workspace you get on your screen. Most laptops have 1366×798 resolutions. This is fairly low for those who prefer to display many things onscreen at once, but it is still enough for 720p video. Other resolutions, like 1600×900 and 1920×1080, can make for a much more productive system, but also cost considerably more.

The HTC One Series Smartphones

HTC used MWC as a chance to announce a new line of smartphones, the One Series – three Android powered phones.

HTC One X – Leading the pack is the One X, HTC’s new flagship smartphone. It will have a 4.7-inch 720p HD display, 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor (possibly the dual-core Snapdragon S4 in some markets), and 32GB of internal storage. If all goes as expected, it should be available by the end of April. This is definitely a phone to keep an eye on.

HTC One S – The One S will be the X’s little brother, weighing in a bit lighter with a 4.3-inch qHD display. Under the hood, it will have a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, so it ought to keep up with the X pretty well.

HTC One V – Intended as an entry-level device, the One V dials things back considerably. It will have a 3.7-inch display and only a 1GHz single-core processor, but despite its lackluster specs, this has the potential to be an excellent phone, as long as they get the price right.

Nokia 808 PureView

When we tell you about the 808 PureView, you’re going to think we’re nuts. Basically, it’s a smartphone with a 41MP camera – no, that’s not a typo. If you’re a regular reader of our blog, you’ll know that megapixels aren’t always everything, but as the PureView demonstrates, having a lot can be useful.

The 808 PureView actually only takes 5MP photo by default. For a smartphone, the ability to take giant 41MP photos that are typically 10MB in size isn’t exactly practical, so PureView uses the extra megapixels for a different purpose. All those extra pixels go towards things like lossless digital zoom and increased light sensitivity. This may very well be the first camra phone that can truly replace a point and shoot.

Samsung Galaxy Beam

We’ve seen those pocket-sized projectors; we’ve even seen Nikon stick one into a camera, but until now, we’ve never seen one in a phone. That’s exactly what the Galaxy Beam is, a 1GHz dual-core Android smartphone with an integrated projector. The projector unit itself only has a resolution of 640×360, but can project up to a 50 inch screen.

The Fancy New Mobile Processors

Both Intel and Qualcomm had a strong presence at MWC this year, and both had good reason. Intel got to showcase their brand new Medfield processor in an actual production phone, the Orange* Phone, built by Gigabyte.

In its current form, Medfield is only single-core, but don’t let that fool you. It uses x86 architecture, which is considerably more efficient than ARM. In terms of performance, the single-core Medfield processor is actually on par with some quad-core ARM chips. It will be very interesting to see how they truly perform when Intel powered smartphones hit the shelves later this year.

Qualcomm’s new processor is the Snapdragon S4. They’ve only so far announced dual-core versions, but quad-core variants will be out before the end of the year. But again, don’t let the core count fool you. The S4 processors showcased at MWC this year actually kept up with (and even out performed) Nvidia’s latest quad-core Tegra 3 offerings.

1: Asus Zenbook UX31

The Zenbook UX31E is considered an Ultrabook (aka an Ultra-Portable Notebook), and it is a direct competitor to the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air. Compared to the Air, the UX31E is just as thin, features the same Core i5 processor (or optional Core i7), same SSD storage, and same 4GB of RAM. Yet, the UX31E has a higher resolution screen, HDMI output, and USB 3.0, all while costing about $100 less than the MacBook Air. Oh, and did we mention it looks very chic with its aluminum chassis. We’re not surprised it took the Air’s #1 spot on our board.

2: Asus G74SX

Yup, another Asus, this time of the gaming variety. The G74SX weighs in at roughly $1650, depending on configuration. This usually includes the top-end Core i7 processor, 12GB of RAM, 1.5TB of storage, and the performance-packed Nvidia GTX 560m graphics chip. Even though the 560m isn’t the fastest video card on the market, the G74SX’s high-end components and 1080p display make for an excellent cost-to-performance ratio at its current price. It has a pretty bulky chassis, but that’s something most mobile gamers are used to.

3: Acer Aspire S3

The Aspire S3 is another MacBook Air competitor. Unlike the Zenbook which tries to surpass the Air in every way, the S3 looks to appeal to people’s wallets. At just $799, the S3 comes it at a third cheaper than Apple’s cheapest 13-inch MacBook Air; however, the Aspire S3 does this by using many of the same components found in Apple’s $999 11.6-inch model.  It sacrifices a bit in display resolution and build quality, and you don’t quite get that SSD storage performance. Still, other than that, it offers very nearly the same performance and form factor, and the price tag is hard to argue with.

4: Dell XPS 15

Until recently, the XPS 15 held the #1 (and occasionally #2) spot on our list for over a year. It’s actually quite surprising that it has dropped so far. Still, 4^th is quite respectable, and the XPS 15 still offers a heap of performance as well as customizability at relatively good prices. Starting at $999, you can get a very capable Core i5 based system; however, in the $1500 range, you can get features such as an industry leading 1080p display and Core i7 processor. Dell’s prices are slightly higher than similar offerings from Acer and Asus (likely why they have surpassed it), but the quality does speak for itself.

5: Asus N55SF

For those looking for a laptop that can do just about anything without breaking the bank, the N55SF-DH71 is by far one of the best choices, costing about $1200. It features a Core i7 processor along with 8GB of RAM, so you’ll never be lacking in terms of performance. Its 16-inch display is neither too small nor too big and sports an agreeable 1080p resolution (great for watching Blu-rays with its included Blu-ray drive). And for the PC gamers, its Nvidia GT 555m can handle most high-end games with the settings maxed. At 1.5-inches thick, it’s a tad on the bulky side, but not unreasonably so.

Smartphones

There were more smartphones than you could shake a stick at this year, and a few really stood out, like Fujitsu’s quad-core Tegra 3 prototype featuring a 4.6-inch 720p display and 4G LTE connectivity, and Nokia’s newly announced Lumia 900 which is a Windows Phone that might shake up the competition.

What really stood out to us, though, was Lenovo’s K800. While Lenovo is best known for their high-end ThinkPad laptops, they’re really entering the smartphone market with a bang. The K800 is the very first Intel based Android phone, utilizing Intel’s brand new Medfield Z2460 mobile processor, a 1.6GHz processing behemoth, and possibly the fastest smartphone processor to date.

Tablets

Tegra 3 tablets were rampant at CES, from Acer’s latest IconiaTab and Pantec’s waterproof Element to the Asus 7-inch MeMO and Samsung Galaxy Note (which is technically a 5.3-inch smartphone). Out of all of the choices, the one we absolutely couldn’t overlook was the Transformer Prime TF700T.

The TF700T is just like the original Transformer Prime in shape, size, and even most of its components, making it compatible with the same keyboard dock; however, it has a few key improvements over the original Prime. Most noticeably, it has a full 1920×1080 HD display which is absolutely stunning. It wasn’t the only 1080p quad-core tablet at CES, but the Transformer’s great track record speaks for itself.

Laptops

Laptops are always popular at CES, and this year was no exception. AMD in particular had a very impressive booth showcasing its upcoming Radeon HD 7000M series graphics capabilities, which for the budget-aware mobile gamer, will almost definitely be the way to go once they hit the market.

But when it comes to feats of both performance and battery life, Samsung’s latest Gamer Series 7 notebook takes the cake. It will come with Nvidia’s yet to be released GTX 675M graphics core, which is expected to shatter current mobile gaming performance records. On top of that, it also features a dial that allows you to switch between the high-performance Nvidia GPU when you need it and the battery-saving integrated Intel HD graphics core when you don’t.

HDTVs

We saw no clear winner when it came to HDTVs this year. Instead, we saw three amazing models, all featuring some amazing technology that we can’t wait to see reach the consumer market. OLED TVs are definitely going to catch some attention over the next year. Both Samsung and LG demoed 55-inch OLED displays that would take your breath away. LG’s demo unit was only 4mm thick, despite looking better than any display we’ve seen before.

Sony was also turning some heads with its own 55-inch prototype. While Sony didn’t choose to go with OLEDs in which each pixel is its own light emitter, it did take a similar approach which it’s calling “Crystal LED.” Essentially, each pixel has its own individual LED backlight behind it. This creates the same effect as OLEDs, but with a greater potential range for color.

Cameras

There were a lot of interesting and impressive cameras at CES this year. In terms of specs, the Nikon D4 certainly holds its own, but Polaroid definitely wins points for innovation, showing the world’s first “Smart Camera,” the SC1630.

The SC1630 takes the guts of your typical point-and-shoot camera (3x optical zoom lens, 16MP sensor, etc) and pairs them with the smartphone based Android operating system. The result is a wonderful compact digital camera with Wifi, Bluethooth, and even the Android Marketplace at its disposal.

Smartphones and Tablets

Over the past couple of years, smartphones have been seeing explosive progress in everything from performance to functionality. At the start of every year, someone makes the claim that it will be the “Year of the Smartphone.” Well, it looks like we’ll be going on the third “Year of the Smartphone” in a row this year, and I, for one, am not disappointed.

Intel Enters the Race

Intel has been talking about developing smartphone processors for a while, but now it’s official. In the second quarter of this year, Lenovo will be launching the very first Intel powered Android phone, the K800. While not quite as power efficient as the traditional ARM processors, Intel’s Medfield chip, now known as the Atom Z2460, will offer a new level of performance in smartphones, tablets, and ultrabooks. It will definitely be interesting to see how it compares to Nvidia’s ARM-based Tegra 3.

Nvidia and Tegra 3

Tegra 3, the first quad-core processor to be found stuffed inside a tablet (the Transformer Prime) has been on the market since December, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t make an appearance at CES. Not only were there several Tegra 3 tablets from manufacturers like Toshiba, Asus, and Acer, but Fujitsu stole the show by displaying the first Tegra 3 smartphone. And in case you were curious about Tegra 3’s performance, a Tegra 3 tablet was shown playing Skyrim on an HDTV. So yes, current generation console performance has officially been achieved in the mobile sector.

Tons of New Smartphones

Just about everyone had a new smartphone to announce at CES this year. Samsung announced its Galaxy Note (as well as the Galaxy S II HD for T-Mobile); Sony came out with the Xperia S; Motorola had the Droid 4 and new RAZR MAXX (claiming 21 hours of talk time); and Nokia showed us the Lumia 710, as Windows Phone that might actually compete with the iPhone and Android for once. And that’s just to name a few of the big players’ announcements.

HDTVs and Entertainment

Apart from all of the fancy gadgetry, CES has always been a staging ground for home entertainment breakthroughs. HDTVs specifically, as well as other home appliances, have always been popular topics.

HDTVs

For the last year or two, HDTVs at CES were all about 3D. That phase is finally starting to die down (I personally say “Good riddance”), and the TV sector is transitioning onto the next big thing: OLED. LG wowed the audience with a magnificent 55-inch OLED TV that had some of the most vivid colors, deepest blacks, and sharpest image ever. Plus it was only 4mm thick!

There were of course plenty of other products on display, including Dish’s new wireless satellite receiver boxes, some fun remote controlled surveillance equipment, and a ton of talk about a new wave of GoogleTV devices.

Video Games

Even though video game-related stuff is more of an E3 thing, there was plenty to go around at CES. For starters, the Wii U got some demo time, strutting its upgraded graphics and tablet-like controller. The PlayStation Vita also got some valuable face time, with Sony announcing a planned launch date of February 22^nd.

CES 2012 continues through Friday, so stick around and we’ll keep you informed of all the cool gadgets and technology that are headed our way this year.

If you are thinking about upping your computer’s graphics performance, here’s a list of some of the best dedicated video cards for popular price points.

Best GPU Under $100: AMD Radeon HD 5570 and HD 5670

The Radeon HD 5570 can turn just about any budget computer into a manageable gaming system, and at just $65, it’s easy on the wallet. It will play most titles with moderately high settings at 720p resolutions, and even 1080p for some. At just $10 more, the HD 5670 will give you about 20% more performance. The best thing about both of these cards is that they have very low power requirements, meaning it’s very likely that they will work in most commercial desktops.

Best GPU for about $120: AMD Radeon HD 5770 (and HD 6770)

The Radeon HD 5770 offers a perfect balance between price and performance, easily making it the best valued video card on the market. It can play most games at 1080p resolutions while keeping detail settings relatively high. The HD 6770 is simply a newer version of the HD 5770 and offers the exact same performance.

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Best GPU for about $180: AMD Radeon HD 6850

If you’re looking to get into some serious PC gaming but don’t want to spend some serious money, the HD 6850 is a great place to start. It’s capable of playing even the latest games at 1080p resolutions with nearly every settings maxed out. Nvidia’s GTX 460 1GB also offers similar performance, but the HD 6850 is generally cheaper.

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Best GPU for about $220: AMD Radeon HD 6870 and Nvidia GTX 560 Ti

Both the HD 6870 and GTX 560 Ti should be able to play just about any game at 1080p resolutions with the settings cranked up to the max. They’re even capable of playing some titles at 2560×1600, though may require some slightly lowered detail settings. Nvidia’s GTX 560 Ti edges out a bit more performance than the HD 6870, but it also costs about $25 more.

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Best GPU for $250 to $300: AMD Radeon HD 6950

Coming in both 1GB and 2GB flavors, the HD 6950 is about the highest performing video card that still carries a practical price tag. Expect to be able to play at 2560×1600 with detail settings maxed out for most titles, though you may have to settle for 1080p resolutions to play some of the latest titles maxed out.

Best GPU when cost isn’t an issue: AMD Radeon HD 6990 and Nvidia GTX 590

Once you go past $300, cost per performance becomes much less practical, making it difficult to recommend anything past that point, but if you want to play the most demanding of games at 2560×1600 with every feature and setting turned up to 11, regardless of cost, one of these cards is for you.