Thin-and-lights and mainstreams

These used to be separate categories using two different groups of chips.

The thin-and-light notebooks used Intel consumer-type processors, with names like SU3500 and SU9600.

These were ultra-low voltage (CULV) versions of the Intel Core 2 Duo processors used in mainstream laptops.

Thin-and-lights are about 12 inches to 13 inches in size - so they have more screen room than netbooks - and perform better too.

Naturally, they cost more - at least twice as much, from about $1,200 to $1,500. But they are still missing a built-in optical drive. One notch up is the mainstream laptop.

These 14-inch and 15-inch devices have built-in optical drives and cost from $1,300 to $2,500, depending on your specifications.

But the line between thin-and-lights and mainstreams will become blurred as both groups are migrating to Intel's Core i3 and Core i5 processors, which will also up battery life and performance.

Expect to see competitive offers in this category at the IT Show, with prices from as low as $1,300 for a capable all-rounder with an i3 Core processor, mid-range graphics card, DVD burner and 500GB hard disk drive.

Tip: The older 14-inch models of mainstream laptops are likely to go for as low as $800.

Desktop replacements

A serious gamer or someone who does lots of video editing and conversion cannot stint on quality graphics cards and processor chips.

Costing from about $2,500 to $4,000, desktop replacements rule the notebook roost, boasting the largest screens, most powerful processors and graphics cards.

Most of these machines will use either the new Intel Core i7-720M or 820M processor and either the Nvidia GTS 250M, GTX 260M or ATI Radeon Mobility 5650 graphics card.

That said, the GTX 260M is superior and is the minimum standard I would recommend for gamers who play graphics-intensive games like Crysis.

The Asus G51J (above right) is one machine I would recommend for its even better GTS 360M graphics with the faster DDR5 RAM.

Also note that the graphics cards use either DDR3 or DDR5 memory, with the latter revving up performance by a mile.

Screen sizes range from 15.6 inches to 18.4 inches.

The Toshiba Qosmio X500, for instance, is 18.4 inches.

Given that you will be spending top dollar if you buy a desktop replacement, it makes sense to invest in a Blu-ray burner rather than just a DVD burner.

After all, only high-definition movies will do for those at the top of their game.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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