Ask you guys arh... if you all are still students and you need a laptop for not just school but gaming too, what kind of specs will you all give priority to or would prefer in your laptop?
For me,
1. Lightweight (<1.7 kg)
Regretted lugging a 2.1 kg mainstream 14" notebook around all day during my project work days...
2. Screen size (13-14")
Always wanted a 14" screen inside a current 13.3" notebook form factor. Was wishing Dell to release something like XPS 14 one day. As i find the regular 14" notebook form factor a tad too big and 13.3" screen a tad too small.
3. Battery life (>5 hours)
Most mainstream notebooks are still not as energy-efficient enough to last that long for normal work usage. I believe more than 5 hours is optimal for all day work. And i see it coming really near with battery life ever breaking record every year.
4. Screen and display panel (IPS on matte display)
I am videophile. I can't stand washed out images and dull colours, especially on a glaringly reflective screen.
5. Backlit keyboard
Finds it very tough to type under dim lighting on my first notebook without it. Then came second notebook with backlit keys and i instantly finds it very practical and loves it.
6. GPU with GDDR5 VRAM
Having fast VRAM is gonna be very useful at handling media processing tasks, but most current notebooks still offer useless humongous amount of DDR3 VRAM.
7. CPU
Dual core with hyperthreading seems more optimal than quad core for mobile since cores are still relatively power hungry on mobile applications.
8. Screen resolution (768p)
I actually prefer the lower the better down maximum to 720p as i find DPI scaling doesn't work that well and things seemed very small for my eyes. I even have to scale my home PC to 125% on a 21.5" 1080p screen to feel comfortable. I do not mind lesser screen real estate but i definitely need something visible. FYI i am not laohua. Still very young from that.
9. Web Camera (5MP snapshot, 1080p60 video)
Great for Skype and even selfies..
Add another level of security to make my notebook ever more secure if it comes with Intel RealSense 3D camera for Windows Hello and other security softwares.
10. Upgradable options (WiFi card, SSD, HDD, RAM)
As a HWC resident who does DIY PCs, it is impossible for me to accept something that offers no room for tweaking and upgrading. I always want to give the best to my notebook and my user experience and show it off with pride.
11. Notebook design
It's just like buying clothings! I always crave for stylish design notebooks as many of them seemed too mundane and have this "computer" look if you get what i mean. A nice looking notebook makes me feel proud. My first notebook was Sony VAIO CR, damn cool looking with its bold blue palette. Second notebook was Acer Aspire V5. Classy metallic silvery finish (on plastic) resembling much of old Samsung phones.
So in summary, this is my ideal specs for a notebook for both work and game:
14" 1366 x 768 AH-IPS screen in anti-glare matte display
Intel Core i5 dual core with hyperthreading
8GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce GT 940M/950M with 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
256GB M.2 SSD
1TB 5400 rpm HDD
Intel 3x3 Wireless-AC WiFi adapter
Keyboard with adjustable brightness back-lighting
Intel Realsense 3D camera
>5 hours battery life
<1.7kg light
