What are Laptop Specs?

"Laptop specs" is short for laptop specifications. There are a number of different laptop specs that ought to be taken into consideration when purchasing a laptop — some are more important than others. It is not necessary to become a computer guru in order to purchase a good laptop, but a small crash-course in key components would probably help a great deal.

Since computer technologies advance so rapidly, the best way to know the latest and greatest specs is to run a basic search for laptop reviews on a search engine or technology website. Many websites let visitors compare laptops against one another to better pinpoint the right one according to the potential buyer's needs.

The first specification that will stand out is the processor. This is the engine, or the brain, of the laptop. Two things will be noted about the processor — the brand and model, and the speed. While the laptop should be fast, spending top dollar just to get the fastest processor might not be the right way to go. What's right for a given buyer, depends on how the laptop will be used. If it will be used for basic internet surfing, emailing, chatting, and creating basic documents, then the fastest processor available is probably not necessary. However, if a laptop is going to be used to play online-based games, then processor speed becomes crucial to the game's overall performance.

Another important laptop spec is memory. There are different types of memory, but when talking about laptop memory, random access memory (RAM) is usually the type being referred to. Memory is proportional to the processor speed — one needs to be increased to realize increases in the other. Increasing a computer's memory will enable it to handle more tasks at one time. Making a list of all the programs that are likely to be used on the laptop will help in determining the amount of memory necessary for the laptop to run efficiently.

Laptop screen size is the most important of all the laptop specs for some users, typically gamers and people who like to watch movies on their laptops. Nobody likes a screen that's too small, but if the laptop is not being used for movies or games, then one might consider getting a smaller screen in order to use the price increase towards other features. Sometimes, the main selling point for a laptop model will be the screen, and upon closer inspection it becomes evident that the screen has eaten up the bulk of the selling cost.

After considering the main laptop specs, peripherals will come into play. These are the other features that can be added to the computer to enhance functionality. This includes things like CD/DVD drives, disk drives, hard drives, sound cards, network cards, USB drives, and a host of other devices. While the quality of the peripherals that come with a computer is important, they can typically be added in the future. Most of them are “plug & play,” which means that you can just plug them into your computer and use them. Chances are that any laptop purchased from a store will have the latest key peripherals.

One peripheral that might play a more important role functionally is the hard drive. This is the space that the laptop will store all of its files in. The amount of space that is offered on hard drives is always increasing. Potential buyers should estimate what they will be needing in terms of hard drive space and purchase accordingly. If a hard drive becomes too small, one can purchase an external hard drive to supplement the laptop's existing one.

Even though having a basic knowledge of the laptop specs that are generally the most important is useful to the potential laptop buyer, it might not be enough. Knowing how the laptop will be used will also be key in determining what specs are required. When in doubt, online review sites or salespeople at computer stores should be used for collecting more information.