Inexpensive Notebook Computers - Getting High Power For Low Prices

Inexpensive notebook computers are more common than ever these days due to general lower manufacturing and hardware costs. Gone are the days of all portable computers costing $2000 -- many can be found these days for less than $500. As a consumer, you should be aware of the features that a notebook comes with in order to be sure that you are getting your money's worth. Just because many are affordable does not necessarily mean that they are all worth your hard-earned cash.

Something that people have always paid attention to at when first looking at a computer is the hard drive space. Most computers come with 160 gigabytes to 500 gigabytes, with many of the higher tend models reaching up to 1 terabyte (approximately 1,000 gigabytes). Many of the inexpensive notebook computers available today have around 160 to 250 gigabytes, which is more than enough for any standard computer usage.

The RAM and CPU also play a big part in the price of inexpensive notebook computers, and they are something that you should pay more attention to when purchasing. Hard drive space can be added onto via external hard drives, the RAM and CPU are not so easy to upgrade.

One gigabyte of RAM is the pure minimum in the cheapest computer models, and it is not enough to support many of today's games or intensive work programs. Two to three gigabytes is what is most commonly found in many of today's notebooks, and with Windows 7 that should be enough to run most programs and mid-range games. Refurbished models that come with Windows Vista will run slower with two gigabytes of RAM, because that is the amount that operating system commonly uses itself.

The CPU is also a part that should be given much consideration, as it will affect how many processes (programs) you can run simultaneously without problems or lag. Dual cores are the standard these days, with quad core CPUs slowly trickling into the market. A quad core is not a must right now, and likely will not be for a couple more years. Some of the low end models will have a 1 to 1.5GHz or so CPU, which is the bare minimum with today's operating system's and programs. Mid-range CPUs will be from 2GHz to 2.6GHz, and while the price will be slightly higher, it is worth it if you intend to run multiple programs at once, play games, or run resource-intensive programs.

Because of the lower prices, most of the inexpensive notebook computers that you will find will not take your breath away graphically or speed-wise, but they will be more than enough to do work or casual web browsing on. The biggest benefit of notebooks is that they can be take anywhere, and in many cases that convenience is worth giving up a little bit of functionality.

Everyone needs a computer these days, and with the lower costs they are more available than ever. While notebook computers are generally less powerful than laptops, they are great for mobile computing. Inexpensive notebook computers [http://smalllaptopcomputers101.com/inexpensive-notebook-computers.html] do not need to be extremely low on processing power, and knowing exactly what you are looking for will make a big difference as to whether or not you will be getting your money's worth.

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