Cheap, High-Quality Laptops for Students to Consider

 

When it comes to laptops, students have a harder time going about which ones to buy. On the one hand, they are at an age when video games and media content are among the priority considerations for a computer, necessitating sufficiently powerful laptop components. On the other hand, they are also at that point in their lives where they are more often than not financially severely limited.

If you count yourself among them, below are some under-$600 portable PCs with fairly brawny laptop parts to help you get started. 

1.       HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition

The 15-inch HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition is one hefty laptop indeed, and I’m not just talking about its size. The laptop is powered by an AMD Fusion APU which grants it more graphical power than the average chipset with an integrated GPU.

For added oomph, there’s also the optional Radeon HD 7690M dedicated video card which you can get for just an additional $75. Granted, it puts the total price of the unit at $25 beyond the desired $600 price point (the base price of the laptop is $549); but if you really think about it, that’s still a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than other laptops with comparable graphics capabilities.

  

2.       Dell Inspiron 14z

If you’re not that big a fan of video games, the Dell Inspiron 14z may be your ticket. It is powered by an Intel Core i3 processor which is more than enough to run most current programs without a hitch. Also, the laptop is still able to run some of the more recent games if you are so inclined, although you’ll have to make do with lowered graphical settings.

It’s 14 inch, 4 pound chassis makes the Inspiron 14z one of the lightest and thinnest laptops around. It’s available in both Fire Red and Mocha Black variants, and its battery can last you as much as six hours.

3.       Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420

Like the Dell Inspiron 14z, the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E420’s internal laptop parts include the Core i3 CPU, 4 GB of RAM, and a hard drive with 320 GB of storage space. Furthermore, it even costs just as much as Dell’s machine.

The laptop components and the $549 price tag are where the similarities end, though. Whereas the Inspiron 14z has greater battery life and a lighter weight, the Edge E420 seems to be a bit lacking in those departments.

Still, it makes up for those shortcomings with its excellent control inputs; hardly a surprise considering this is, after all, a Lenovo computer. The keyboard’s keys are very comfortable to use, the touchpad is highly responsive, and the trackpointer gives a great alternative to pointer movement controls.

  

4.       ASUS U31 

What’s great about this laptop is that, at $600, the laptop components installed in it make it sound like you’re getting a great deal (which you are). The Intel Core i3 CPU and the GeForce GT 520M graphics card should be able to run most current 3D games at mid to lower-high settings. Moreover, the battery can last up to eight hours of continued use.

Compared to the Pavilion dv6z, though, the screen is smaller, measuring only 13.3 inches. Still, if you can live with that in exchange for a price tag $25 cheaper, then the ASUS U31 is for you.

5 Easily Overlooked Things That Can Damage Your Laptop

Laptops are among the most breakable things around. They aren’t breakable because they are fragile, though. If anything, laptop manufacturers make sure that laptop parts are encased in some of the hardiest computer chassis ever.

No; laptops are breakable because of their portable nature. After all, the more mobile something is, the more susceptible it is to outside forces. Often times, these outside forces even include user mishandling.

Below are five easily overlooked things that can surprisingly do a lot of damage to your laptop components. 

1.       Not providing adequate ventilation conditions

Laptop parts are housed in chassis that, if current trends continue, seem to be getting smaller and smaller. To counter this, said laptop parts are designed to be more efficient with their power-to-heat-generation ratio.

That said, heat is still generated. To that end, adequate ventilation has to be maintained, and this entails clearing the pathways for air to flow through, i.e. the laptops’ air vents.

 

The problem comes in when people place their laptops on collapsible “surfaces” (such as they are) like blankets. These tend to fold over and cover the vents, forcing the heat to accumulate inside the laptops and making them overheat.

2.       Too much shaking

While solid state drives are slowly but surely becoming the norm for laptops, many current ones are still equipped with hard drives. These HDs contain a lot of moving mechanical parts. When a laptop with an HD is shaken for prolonged periods, there is a very real danger of the HD’s parts moving too much, possibly leading to corrupted data; or worse, the HD itself being broken.

  

3.       Using the screen half of the laptop like a handle

Some people are just so irresponsible that they handle their stuff with less care than one would like them to. Some of them are just too filthy rich to care (although that doesn’t necessarily mean I condone their actions); but others are just unforgivably unaware.

And it doesn’t even stop at laptop screens. Some grab their laptops by one side of the chassis (increasing the chances for violent shaking, which leads to Item #2); while others shockingly dangle theirs via opened optical drives.

The only proper way to carry a laptop is with both hands, balancing the computer by carrying both its sides. Any other way is just asking for trouble.

  

4.       Cord-mangling

As many people whose “OC senses” tingle at the sight of tangled cords, there are probably just as many who couldn’t care less.

They should, though, because tangled cords do have a breaking point, after which they just become mangled. This is worse if the break occurs inside the wire and not out, since it could be a while before users can come to the conclusion that their laptops’ problems probably lie in severed connections.

  

5.       Foregoing a laptop bag

Finally, some people take laptop bags for granted, deeming them as mere accessories that most can do without. However, the fact of the matter is that laptops are meant to be taken outside; and when out, sufficient protection is an absolute necessity.

Step-By-Step Procedure in Replacing Your Laptop’s CPU

Laptop replacement parts sure have come a long way since computer manufacturers started making laptop components more accessible to casual consumers about a decade or so ago. With modern laptop designs not being as rigid anymore, more and more laptops have seen their expected lifespans increased with a few swaps here and there.

Not all laptop parts are easily replaceable, though. While most current laptops come with removable panels that allow access to RAM’s and/or hard drives, manufacturers are still wary of letting users tinker with GPUs. Still, they do indicate whether laptop GPUs are dedicated (individual parts, i.e. replaceable) or integrated with the motherboard, so at least that’s something.

CPUs, though, are a different matter entirely. Most laptop CPUs are even soldered right into their motherboards to really ensure that daring users won’t be able to mess around with them.

Preparations

If you’ve the mind to, though, it is possible to upgrade your laptop’s CPU, provided that it’s detachable and not soldered in. Consult with your laptop’s manual or the internet to find out whether the CPU is removable.

If it is, find out which socket type it has. Needless to say, you’ll want to replace it with a more powerful processor that has the same socket type.

Other things to prepare: A screwdriver, thermal paste, a lint-free rag, and a bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol. Also, wear an antistatic wrist wrap to prevent unwanted electrostatic discharges to the laptop parts.

Once all these are in order, proceed with the replacement.

Procedure

There’s a good chance that your laptop’s existing BIOS won’t be compatible with newer processors, so make sure to update it. You can go over to the laptop manufacturer’s website to download and install the necessary updates.

2.  Remove the hinges from your laptop by prying them off gently with the screwdriver. Make sure not to apply too much force, as you could irreversibly damage your laptop’s chassis.

3.  Once the hinges are removed, the keyboards screws will be uncovered. Unscrew these to remove the keyboard. Don’t forget to unplug the keyboard from its connector before completely removing it.

4.   Remove the laptop’s upper half (the one with the screen) by removing its screws at the bottom and the back of the laptop case. Unplug its connector and Wi-Fi cables as well.

5.  Remove the laptop’s Blu-ray or DVD drive. Some models allow you to simply unlatch the optical drives. With others, you have to unscrew them.

6. Unscrew the shell covering of the laptop’s bottom half.

7.  If your laptop’s CPU is placed under the GPU, promptly remove the video card first. Some laptop models have their GPUs screwed in place. If yours isn’t, simply pull it out of its socket.

8. Use the screwdriver to unscrew the heat sink off the top of the CPU.

9. Turn the CPU’s locking screw counterclockwise to unlock it, and gently lift the processor up. When putting in its replacement, make sure that it’s aligned well. Finally, turn the locking screw clockwise to lock it back in place.

Some laptops use locking bars akin to desktops instead of locking screws. Aside from the fact that you pull these bars up and push them down instead of turning them around, this step remains largely the same.

10.   Place the heatsink back on top. Before doing so, though, make sure that the thermal compound (the silver-gray gunk) on its bottom is wiped off. Do this using the lint-free rag and the alcohol. After cleaning it off, apply a new coating of thermal paste.  

11.   Put your laptop back together; and voila! Instant souped-up laptop! Enjoy the performance boost!

The Importance of Being Ergonomic

The portability of laptops renders them handy machines. When you need or want to take your video games, social networks, or (*gasp!*) work outside your house, laptops make sure that you can do so.

When all is said and done, though, it would seem that portability is all that laptops have going for them. In most cases, their laptop parts aren’t as powerful as desktop ones, decreasing their functionality comparatively. The diminished power of their laptop components is a necessary loss these computers must live with if they are to retain their main selling point: Portability.

Another important attribute that laptops have to sacrifice is ergonomics. Ergonomics as a scientific concept delves into the interaction between humans and elements of any given system, and how best to streamline the interfacing between the two. For our purposes though, we can simplify it as thus: Ergonomics means how comfortable a user’s condition is when using his computer.

Since desktops are chained to a wall socket anyway, manufacturers have designed them to be as comfortable to use as possible. Keyboards, mouse devices, and monitors are all separate components from the main desktop tower so that users may adjust their placement accordingly: Monitors at the appropriate eye level, and keyboards and mice spaced evenly apart and well away from the monitor so that they can be as close as comfortably possible to the user.

The corresponding laptop components, however, have to be bunched all together just like the other laptop parts: The keyboard’s keys are often spaced too closely together, a touchpad is used in lieu of a mouse which actually limits a pointer’s dynamic movement range, and the monitor is no other than the upper half of the laptop, placed too closely to the keyboard.

Another ergonomic problem of laptops is that on most of them, the screen is too small for comfort, straining users’ eyes after long periods of computer use.

So, what to do when you fancy using your laptop in a stationary location for extended periods? Here are four general guidelines when going about this:

 1.  Make its setup (how you place it on a surface, that is) as close as possible to your preferred desktop ergonomics setting.

2. Make sure your wrists are in as natural a position as possible when using your laptop’s keyboard. 

3. Adjust the screen accordingly to minimize craning your neck to get the best possible visual angle. This entails considerations regarding the screen’s position, its viewing angle, and the level of color contrast that won’t force you to squint. 

4. Be at your most relaxed. This means that ultimately, it’s the laptop that should adjust to your body’s comfort level, and not the other way around.

There are many ways to fine tune laptop ergonomics. If you can afford it, you may want to invest in a laptop docking station. If you don’t have the budget for that, you can just buy a mouse to relieve yourself of the rigors of touchpad usage. You can also add a separate keyboard after your mouse purchase if you still have enough cash, so that you can treat the laptop as a separate monitor altogether, with the keyboard and mouse acting as equally separate components.

And if all else fails, compromise with a bias towards your wrists. That is, your back and neck muscles (the ones you use to swivel your head around) can actually take much more punishment than your wrists.

Mileage may vary between users, but the goal remains the same: Being comfy with laptop usage for as long as possible.