Why is the iPhone Xs better than the iPhone X, and is it so important? Game console Xbox One X. ⇡ Upgrade options and configuration selection

Anyone who follows news from the world of technology knows that Apple acted in a peculiar way this year. First, sales of the “boring” iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus began, and later the iPhone X will appear. The anniversary “ten” is good in all respects, the geeks are already itching to get the treasured toy, remove the film from the cardboard box, and smell it new phone.

Here's a story about a man who buys a new iPhone every year: the editor of The Verge shared his thoughts on this matter, and I offer you a translation of interesting material. His position is this: iPhone 8 Plus is better than iPhone X, and if so, why spend more money? Here are the arguments.

Screen

iPhone 8 Plus criticized for being too big sizes, by modern standards it is huge. In contrast, the iPhone X offers a large display in a compact body, but that's deceptive. Yes, the iPhone X has a larger screen than the iPhone 8 Plus: 5.8 inches versus 5.5, and the iPhone X has a higher resolution. But the iPhone X has a different aspect ratio, the display is narrow and elongated, so the space is iPhone versions Plus is used more efficiently. Apps, websites and other content use 414 horizontal pixels, while the iPhone 8 has 375 pixels, like a regular non-Plus iPhone. So, when launching applications, you will have to put up with the fact that the programs look like on a small iPhone, and not like on a large one, and you will also have to say goodbye to the landscape mode from the iPhone Plus.

The healthy frames of Plus models do not look modern in 2017, but this is already a familiar, convenient device format. Moreover, there are no problems with the screens, but who knows what complications may arise with OLED displays in the iPhone X? Just look at how the new Google Pixel is criticized for defective displays in the press. I hope that everything will be fine with Apple, but no one is immune from problems.

Touch ID

There was an incident at the presentation of the iPhone X when it was not possible to unlock the phone the first time. Then they explained that this was just a chain of events misinterpreted by the public, but the sediment remained. Moreover, Apple has already had cases when new services started very unsuccessfully; just remember the long-suffering Apple Maps. So, if Apple itself, for its own event, was not able to prepare everything perfectly, let alone ordinary users, there may well be problems.

But the good old Touch ID still works reliably. A simple, trouble-free and convenient thing.

Appearance

Apple says iPhone 8 looks different, it got new design. The company used the same words to address the iPhone 7, which became a development of the ideas of the iPhone 6. But, the most important thing is how you feel about the features. This is a chic glass case, a very beautiful new “golden” color, such an iPhone could be used by a charismatic Bond villain from the 70s. But phones in gray and white look simple, minimalistic, they are more modest than the iPhone 6.

Yes, the iPhone X looks more attractive and luxurious, but the iPhone 8 is also a beautiful thing in its own way.

Price

When you take a smartphone from an operator, buying a contract for 24 months, the price does not play a special role. The iPhone X is only $10 more expensive than the Eight, a small difference. But $200 is also money, and if you are used to counting it, then why overpay?

Try to buy

Do you want to buy an iPhone X despite all the above arguments? Okay, good luck with your purchase. According to rumors, Apple will not have time to immediately satisfy all the demand, there will not be enough smartphones for everyone, which means that they will have to wait several months until the boom finally subsides. In principle, if you don't change devices that often, you can survive this. But if you buy a new handset every year or two, what's the point? The longer you wait, the less time remains before the new model comes out.

Results

So you can go to the store and buy an iPhone with the same software, the same camera, wireless charging, a more practical screen and a convenient fingerprint scanner for less money than they ask for the iPhone X.

It’s clear that you want to get a new toy, I suffered from this myself. But when I thought about it, I realized that it's hard to justify buying an iPhone X. If you absolutely want a new iPhone, buy the iPhone 8 Plus. And let pre-orders for the iPhone X begin at next week, do just that. The iPhone 8 Plus may not be a wow smartphone, but it will be more useful.

When you buy an iPhone X, you're investing in Apple's future vision for the smartphone of the future. And when you buy the iPhone 8 Plus, you're paying for the best there is now. The first option is more interesting, but if you need a phone now, then the second option is more practical. Well, in a year it will be possible to buy the Apple iPhone X2 Plus.

• Processor - AMD Jaguar, 8 cores (2.1 GHz)
• Graphics - 32 AMD Radeon units (911 MHz)
• Memory - 8 GB GDDR5, 218 GB/s + 1 GB DDR3
• Performance rating - 4.2 teraflops

As you can see above, the hardware of xbox one is 42.8% more productive than that of ps4 pro, and more than 4.5 times that of standard version xbox one. Obviously, Microsoft decided to rely on power. This gap was achieved thanks to the increased volume random access memory and the use of a more advanced graphics core. But what does this give us? In theory, higher frame rates when gaming on 4K screens. More bandwidth means more frame rate.

The most important test is games

Since we paid due attention to design and other innovations in the reviews of each of the consoles: xbox one x review and playstation 4 pro review, we will focus on the most important thing, the games. Or to be more precise, on the graphics in games. We will split this part into two components: 4K gaming and FullHD gaming. This approach is due to the fact that both consoles offer to try new standard screen resolution, but with reservations.

4K gaming

Let's say right away that the 4K standard has not yet replaced FullHD - not everyone has a screen with such a resolution. Yes and games in real 4K/60fps at this moment very little.

Clearly the difference in HD, FullHD and 4K sizes

To achieve 3840x2160 resolution on PS4 pro, checkerboard rendering scaling technology is used. In simple terms, the console re-draws half of the pixels in a checkerboard pattern in the new frame, and the remaining gaps are filled with pixels from the previous frame, but in accordance with the new positions of neighboring pixels. Thanks to this technology, games such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Rise of the Tomb Raider look decent on PS4 pro at 4K/30fps. Honest 4K/60fps are available on a fairly small list of games. Basically, these are indie projects.

It would be logical to assume that the xbox one x with its power will produce 4K/60fps in all games. But, unfortunately, this is not the case. Some old games only received a patch, thanks to which games on xbox one will look better than on the standard version of the console. Some games received support for HDR (advanced color processing technology), which requires an appropriate TV, and which, by the way, is also supported by ps4 pro. Some games for xbox one x still support 4K/60fps, some have this resolution, but with 30fps.

Maximum resolution in some games on ps4 pro and xbox one x

For all its power, the xbox one x does not show anything outstanding when playing in 4K resolution. Subjectively, from a distance of two to two and a half meters from the sofa to the TV, the difference is no longer noticeable. But, in fairness, we note that there are significantly more games in true 4K on xbox one than on ps4 pro.

Good old, honest FullHD

But in FullHD, both consoles produce a stable 60 frames per second in all games, and even with graphical bonuses compared to playing on standard consoles. If you compare the graphics in this resolution on the xbox one x and on the ps4 pro (video below), then, firstly, it is difficult to notice the difference, and secondly, in some games the graphics are better on the xbox one x, in some - on the ps4 pro :

And this video proves that the graphics on xbox one are better:

Perhaps this has something to do with the peculiarities of the engine of a particular game. Perhaps with something else. But in fact, not much difference was noticed.

So let's summarize. Both ps4 pro and xbox one x fall short of “fair” gaming in 4K. Playstation 4 Pro falls short more. But both consoles do an excellent job with FullHD, also offering graphical goodies to their owners.

Results

What we end up with is that xbox one x is more powerful than its competitor and has support for 4K Blu-ray, and there are also more games in real 4K on Microsoft’s brainchild. But, as practice has shown, more power does not give anything significant except more power. Test Battlefield 1 loaded on xbox one x 3 seconds faster than on ps4 pro. This is when loading network game, which lasts more than a minute. Movies on 4K Blu-ray will be watched in best case scenario 1% of all users. The graphics in the games, unless you look closely under a magnifying glass, are the same. Except perhaps for 4K resolution screens.

As you can see, even though the xbox one x is more expensive, the console could be recommended for purchase by all owners of 4K TVs. The Americans managed to do it a good product. But there is one “but” that practically negates all the advantages. These are games. Just look at the list of all the ps4 exclusives you'll miss if you buy an xbox one x. Also, do not forget that PlayStation 4 consoles already have support for VR headsets.

Verdict

If the xbox one x had at least 3/4 of all the exclusives that are on the ps4 with the same quality, and the 4K standard was not the future, but the current reality, then the console could be recommended for purchase. At the moment, ps4 pro looks like a more interesting purchase for gamers, and the platform already supports helmets virtual reality, which cannot be said about the competitor. If you have a FullHD TV, then feel free to choose ps4 pro. If your TV supports 4K and HDR10, then feel free to choose ps4 pro, and use the $50 difference you saved to buy good game according to your taste. Most likely on game console You will be playing, and not peering at the clarity of pixels under magnification.

Consoles are meant to be played on. And in order to play them, they need games. And Sony remembers this.

See also comparison of all xbox versions one: how the xboxes differ - comparison of Microsoft consoles from regular to xbox one x.

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Over the past few years, with the advent of Windows Vista on the market, users have been faced with the question: what bit capacity? operating system choose? There are currently two options: 32-bit or 64-bit. Actually, what do these numbers mean?

Bit depth or width determines what size numbers the central processor can work with. Increasing the bit capacity of the processor and the software running with it increases the accuracy of calculations and the speed of calculations. In fact, increasing the bit capacity is a qualitative development of components, in contrast to increasing processor frequencies and increasing cache memory.

The first 32-bit processors appeared back in 1985, 64-bit processors appeared relatively not so long ago, in 2003. Moreover, developments in the field of computer components went far ahead of software. For example, the first 32-bit operating system was released only two years later (at the end of 1987). The situation was approximately the same with 64-bit operating systems, the first of which was released only in April 2005.

A little history

Why are 32-bit operating systems indexed x86? It's all about the series of the first mass-produced 32-bit processor. It was developed, as we wrote above, in 1985 (to be precise, on October 17) by Intel and had serial number 80386 (better known as the 386th processor). Later, the 486th processor was developed and became more widespread. Actually, this is how the x86 processor platform appeared (that is, there were numbers 86 at the end of the index).

With x64 platforms everything is simpler. They are named according to their digit capacity. The first processor for consumer computers was developed by AMD in 2003 and was designated Athlon 64. The production of such a processor was more of an image project, since software for a 64-bit processor had not yet been developed. Therefore, AMD needed to take into account compatibility with x86 operating systems and programs when developing the Athlon 64. By creating a 64-bit processor, AMD took the initiative from longtime industry leader Intel.

Problem with 32-bit systems

The main problem of 32-bit operating systems is how Microsoft Windows, and Linux – the limitation of the RAM available for work. For 32-bit systems, the maximum available memory is 4 GB. Moreover, this is in theory, but in practice the size of RAM is even smaller - from 2.75 to 3.12 GB. This is due to devices using a PCI connection interface (primarily video cards). The more powerful the video card, the less memory resources are left for the software shell.

A 64-bit system limits available memory to a theoretical 16 TB. But, for example, in Windows 7 Ultimate x64 the size of RAM was limited to 192 GB (on cheaper operating systems of the Windows 7 line there is much less available RAM, but this is more likely marketing ploy– want more fast system, pay more money).

Problems with 64-bit systems

The main problem is the presence or absence of drivers for peripheral devices for x64 operating systems. This primarily applies to old printers, scanners, bluetooth modems, etc. If there are no drivers, then these devices simply will not be detected by the operating system and will not work.

There are also still problems with launching some programs (the built-in compatibility with 32-bit software in the operating system often fails). Quite often this also applies to the compatibility of 64-bit systems with computer games, not only old ones, but also the latest ones.

Which system should you choose?

The 32-bit operating system is suitable for computers and laptops with up to 4 GB of RAM. If the RAM is 4 GB or more, then installing a 32-bit operating system does not make much sense. For most modern computer builds, a 64-bit operating system is the ideal option. 64-bit software fully reveals the capabilities of both powerful processors (and they are now all x64) and large amounts of RAM (the more RAM, the faster the operating system works, since goes less paging file requests on slower hard drives).

There is a very small “but” with the 4 GB RAM size on the computer. Yes, a 64-bit operating system (Windows Vista and Windows 7 are taken into account as more debugged options) uses all 4 GB, and this fact gives better performance than their 32-bit counterparts with trimmed RAM. But, due to habit, very most of Russian users can choose 32-bit Windows XP Professional SP3 (at least until its maintenance ends). Yes, it also sees only about 3 GB of RAM, but it also consumes many times less resources.

In our practice, there were frequent cases when users downgraded (switched to an older operating system) not only 32-bit Vista and 7, but even their 64-bit versions. These were mainly laptop users, but there were also desktop users. What can I say, force of habit.

What do we advise you to do? If you are a gamer, a designer, or just a person with a keen sense of time (you lose your temper when the computer starts to slow down), install 8 GB on your computer (optionally 12 or 16 GB, the difference is an extra seven hundred and one and a half thousand rubles, respectively), install a 64-bit operating system and disable the paging file on your hard drive. The feeling from work is indescribable.

If you do not have the possibility of such an upgrade or you are satisfied with the resources of your computer, then install a 32-bit operating system (if you have less than 4 GB) or a 64-bit operating system (if you have 4 GB and more is not expected yet), install large swap file. In this case, it will not be superfluous to configure and optimize system services and user processes. There are quite a lot of system utilities for this (so-called “tweaks”). To avoid harming your system when configuring and optimizing, consult “knowledgeable” friends or ask on our forum. Our staff are always happy to help.

What does the future hold for us?

In the future, we will most likely see a stratification of operating systems according to the types of devices used. More powerful desktop computers and laptops in the upper price segment will completely switch to 64-bit operating systems (otherwise there will simply be no point in having powerful and productive components).

32-bit operating systems will most likely remain on very old computers, netbooks (hardly soon they will begin to be equipped with powerful processors and a large amount of RAM), as well as tablets and Windows phones (smartphones and communicators running a mobile version of Windows).

Besides a more powerful processor, support for dust and water resistance, and a new gold color, one of the most noticeable changes compared to last year's flagship is the camera.

The famous journalist John Gruber decided to devote maximum time to this functionality of the new flagship. He spent dozens of hours comparing the iPhone X and iPhone XS. Well, it will be interesting to read his findings and decide whether it’s worth upgrading to the iPhone XS.

Photos are the main strength of the iPhone XS

Normal people don't upgrade their smartphone every year. Moreover, many do not decide to buy a new smartphone even after two years, waiting until their current gadget either breaks or becomes too slow.

So, by upgrading from iPhone 7 to iPhone XS, you can experience dozens of benefits. And the camera is one of them.

The iPhone XS has a major redesign and improvement of the wide-angle lens system. Everything is like in good retro optics: light passes through the lens and hits the sensor. But it's not just about optics.

HDR in iPhones has been around for quite some time. But, almost always, I disable this function. With the arrival of Smart HDR in the iPhone XS, it looks like everything will change. Here is a clear example of a comparison of a photo taken on the iPhone X and iPhone XS.

Regarding the exhibition, everything is clear without comment. Of course, I did not further process the images. Moreover, both files weigh approximately 2.2 megabytes. The difference is obvious.

Here's another example of Smart HDR at work: backlighting that puts the iPhone X on its back, but doesn't cause problems for the iPhone XS.

iPhone X on the left, iPhone XS on the right.

The difference is impressive. No additional processing. My wife just sat opposite and took two pictures. First on the iPhone X, and then, from the same angle, on the iPhone XS.

New wide-angle lenses and sensor

When I first started comparing pictures taken on the iPhone X and iPhone XS, I noticed that the iPhone XS was shooting at a slightly wider angle. That is, it covers more space, and the photographs turned out a little wider.

Apple later confirmed that the iPhone XS does have a different wide-angle lens. His focal length is 26 mm. Not much wider, but, nevertheless, it is noticeable during shooting.

If you look at the EXIF ​​data of photos from the iPhone XS, the change in focal length is only 0.25 mm: the iPhone X has 4.0 mm, and the iPhone XS has 4.25 mm. It would seem like a negligible difference. But do not forget that the focal length of the same “telephoto” (lens) is only 6 mm.

Purely in numbers the difference is insignificant. But it is noticeable directly when shooting. And the iPhone XS also benefits from the fact that the new flagship’s camera matrix is ​​larger.

The description of the iPhone XS on the official website says little about the smartphone’s camera:

Shoot finer details. The iPhone XS sensor has deeper and larger pixels. This contributes to a significant improvement in image quality. And it also gets on the matrix more light. What is the result? Improved photo quality even in low light.

From the official description of the iPhone XS

But what does Apple mean by "more"? To find out, I used special calculators that allow you to calculate the size of camera sensors.

Well, I did it impressive figure. If you believe the calculations, the iPhone XS has a sensor that is 30% larger than the iPhone X. At the same time, Apple did not follow the well-trodden path of OEM marketers.

Given that the iPhone XS has a larger sensor, the company could easily increase the camera resolution. For example, from 12 MP to almost 16 MP. Isn't that a great publicity stunt?

But no, Apple didn't do that. She took care to increase the “depth” of each pixel. As a result, the sensor has increased by 30%, but at the same time iPhone camera XS receives 50% more light.

And one more non-obvious, but no less important change. In the iPhone XS, the camera sensor is installed slightly deeper into the body. Apple moved it away from the lens group, thereby achieving a qualitative improvement in photographs.

This was the sensor in the iPhone 7.

Considering all these changes, which Apple itself practically does not advertise, one thing can be said. The company did not invent anything new and it cannot be called innovation. But iPhone XS buyers will receive a smartphone with best camera among iOS devices.

If you own an iPhone 6, 6s, 7 or 8 (as well as the “Plus” models), you'll notice dramatic improvements in everything when you buy the iPhone XS. Owners of the iPhone X should upgrade only if the quality of photos is the determining criterion when choosing a smartphone. Well, as a bonus, you can get an increased diagonal of the OLED display. [

2018 ends and nothing happens better than a laptop, when it comes to a computer that needs to be constantly carried with you, humanity has still not figured it out. However, if you compare it with something else, gaming laptops have changed noticeably. This is largely due to the emergence of mobile processors from the Coffee Lake family. And although NVIDIA has not yet presented new laptop GPUs, many interesting models have appeared over the past time.

Let's be clear right away: in this article, under the phrase “ gaming laptop » implied modern models with Full HD screen resolution and higher, which produce a comfortable number of frames per second in modern AAA-class projects, at least at medium graphics quality settings. In this article you will find everything you need to know when choosing a gaming laptop in 2018. In the first part, I will look at the main features of modern mobile PCs. In the second part, I will introduce you to the optimal, in my opinion, models that are present in adequate quantities on the Russian market.

⇡ Main parameters: video card, processor, RAM, cooling

A gaming laptop, like any other mobile PC, has big amount parameters. However, taking into account the fact that the processor and graphics chip in a laptop cannot be replaced so easily, the choice of a specific model must be approached thoroughly and immediately answer the most main question: Will the laptop have enough performance for my favorite games, as well as future projects?

It so happens that the gaming laptop market is now dominated by two companies: NVIDIA and Intel. There are very few solutions based on modern AMD processors and Radeon graphics, and most of these models do not fit the definition of a gaming laptop, which I gave at the very beginning of the article. As time has shown, the situation has not changed even with the advent of Ryzen chips. For example, it remained exotic. At the time of writing this article, it was simply not on sale.

Therefore, when choosing a processor, we focus on the range of Intel solutions.

	Core i5-8300H	Core i5-7300HQ	Core i7-8750H	Core i7-7700HQ	Core i9-8950HK	Core i7-7820HK
Generation	Coffee Lake	Kaby Lake	Coffee Lake	Kaby Lake	Coffee Lake	Kaby Lake
Production technology, nm	14	14	14	14	14	14
Cores/threads	4/8	4/4	6/12	4/8	6/12	4/8
Base frequency, GHz	2,3	2,5	2,2	2,8	2,9	2,9
Maximum frequency Turbo Boost 2.0, GHz	4	3,5	4,1	3,8	4,8	3,9
Overclocking	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
L3 cache, MB	8	6	9	6	12	8
Memory support	DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133		DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600	DDR4-2666, DDR3-2133	DDR4-2400, LPDDR3-2133, DDR3L-1600
Integrated Graphics	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630	UHD Graphics 630
Max. graphics core frequency, GHz	1	1	1,1	1,1	1,2	1,1
PCI Express 3.0 lanes	16	16	16	16	16	16
TDP, W	35-45	35-45	35-45	35-45	45	45
Official price, $	250	250	395	378	583	378

In the fall of 2018, Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake central processors are considered relevant. seven “coffee” CPUs at once. Among them are two Zeons - Xeon E-2176M and Xeon E-2186M, on the basis of which they are assembled. For the first time among notebook “stones”, a family of Core i9 processors has appeared - at the moment it includes only one model.

At the same time, there is nothing fundamentally new in Coffee Lake processors: the main thing in this generation, of course, is an increase in the number of cores and threads. The Core i5 series in the Coffee Lake generation now supports Hyper-Threading technology, meaning the chips now have eight threads. We see that mobile CPUs are evolving somewhat differently than their desktop counterparts of the same generation. Core i5 for desktops, as you know, do not support Hyper-Threading, but have full six cores. However, only a few Coffee Lake models have been released for laptops so far, and in gaming devices we will only see three chips - their detailed characteristics are indicated in the table.

Last year, all manufacturers used, in fact, only three Kaby Lake processors. Laptops with budget graphics were equipped with Core i5-7300HQ or Core i7-7700HQ processors. In expensive devices with level graphics GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080 were mainly used Core i7-7700HQ. In very “monsters”, sometimes equipped with SLI GPU arrays, there was a Core i7-7820HK with an unlocked multiplier. In isolated cases it was used Core processor i7-7920HQ. That's it, the choice of central processors ended there.

With the advent of Coffee Lake generation chips, the situation does not fundamentally change. The Core i5-7300HQ and Core i7-7700HQ were replaced by the Core i5-8300H and Core i7-8750H, respectively, and the Core i7-7820HK gave way to the Core i9-8950HK. Core i5-8400H and Core i7-8850H models running at more high frequencies and supporting vPro technology, we are unlikely to see them in gaming devices.

If we compare processors in the “before and after” mode, then, in my opinion, the Core i5-8300H model stands out the most. Compared to the Core i5-7300HQ, it not only doubled the number of threads, but also significantly increased the volume of the third level cache, as well as the clock speed in Boost mode. At the same time, the cost of the processor has not changed. The rest of the Coffee Lake mobiles seem to cost more than their predecessors, especially the Core i9 model. Gaming laptops powered by the Core i7-7820HK have never been affordable, but versions with the Core i9-8950HK will be even more expensive. But now the difference between the “coffee” Core i9 and Core i7 is visible, as they say, to the naked eye.

As a result, the majority of gaming laptops currently on sale come with one of six models installed: Core i5-7300HQ, Core i5-8300H, Core i7-7700HQ, Core i7-8750H, Core i7-7820HK and Core i9-8950HK. Most often we will deal with the first four - the performance level of these CPUs is indicated in the table above.

The difference in performance between the Core i5 and Core i7 families of different generations is colossal. This is especially evident in multi-threaded applications. At the same time, you can find models on sale with a pre-installed 6-core Core i7-8750H, but with GeForce GTX 1050 graphics. This laptop is suitable for those who not only play undemanding games, but also work.

I completely forgot to tell you that on sale you can find gaming laptops that use a Kaby Lake Refresh processor along with GeForce GTX 1050 graphics. , that such a CPU+GPU combination has a right to exist, but systems with a Core i5-7300HQ still look preferable. Therefore, we do not consider such processors.

The cooling system is included in the list of the main parameters of gaming laptops for a reason. The frequency at which the CPU and GPU will operate depends on its efficiency, and this point has become especially important with the advent of 6-core Coffee Lake processors. Throttling in gaming laptops is commonplace, but I think all users want both the processor and graphics chip to work at their maximum in their system. Unfortunately, for some reason external signs or from the characteristics table, it is impossible to determine how efficiently the cooling system of a particular model functions. They will help you in this matter.

And one more important point: I have not yet met gaming laptops that would work quite quietly under load. Many models have been in the test laboratory, but all of them are noticeably noisy in games. This applies to both inexpensive laptops with a Core i5-7300HQ processor, and far from budget gaming laptops with a Core i7-8750H and GeForce GTX 1080. If the noise level is critical for you, then I recommend immediately getting good headphones.

.

Today, six versions of mobile graphics suitable for gaming are available for sale: , GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB, and . In addition, you will find versions of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB, GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080 in Max-Q design - the GPUs in such solutions operate at a lower frequency. There are still laptops on sale with GeForce MX150 graphics, but the performance level of this chip is not enough for modern games in Full HD resolution even at medium graphics quality settings.

⇡ :

• The mobile version is suitable for modern games using medium graphics quality settings in Full HD resolution.
• The mobile version is suitable for modern games using medium and high graphics quality settings in Full HD resolution.
• The mobile version is suitable for modern games using high and maximum graphics quality settings in Full HD resolution.
• The mobile version is suitable for modern games using maximum graphics quality settings in Full HD resolution and high settings in WQHD resolution.
• The mobile version is suitable for modern games using maximum graphics quality settings in Full HD and WQHD resolutions, as well as high graphics quality settings in Ultra HD resolution.

On sale you can find laptops with SLI arrays GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080, but in today’s article I will not recommend such devices.

Comparison of GeForce GTX 1060 with 3 and 6 GB of video memory

Note: see game settings .

I will not recommend laptops whose graphics have less than 4 GB of video memory. For example, the 6 GB version of the GeForce GTX 1060 in Full HD resolution, when used in games with maximum graphics quality, turns out to be capable in nine out of ten applications, which cannot be said about the GeForce GTX 1060 3 GB. The difference in the potential of 3D accelerators, in my opinion, is noticeable.

Note: see game settings .

As I already said, laptops with GeForce GTX 1050, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GeForce GTX 1060 graphics are equipped with both Core i5-7300HQ and Core i7-7700HQ processors, as well as Core i5-8300H and Core i7-8750H chips. Testing shows that for such GPUs the performance level of a 4-core Core i5-7300HQ is quite sufficient. That is, overpay for a faster CPU if we're talking about exclusively about computer games, there is no need.

Note: more information is available .

At the same time, for graphics level of GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080, Core i7-7700HQ and Core i5-8300H processors are quite suitable - we can save a lot if we don’t rush to buy a 6-core Coffee Lake. Another thing is that new models with such GPUs are mainly equipped with a Core i7-8750H chip. However, you can still find versions with a Core i7-7700HQ processor and GeForce GTX 1070/1080 graphics on sale.

⇡ When choosing a gaming laptop, keep our following points in mind:

• For the GeForce GTX 1050, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GeForce GTX 1060 graphics, we take a Core i5-7300HQ or Core i5-8300H processor.
• For the GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, we take a Core i7-7700HQ or Core i5-8300H processor.

A gaming laptop will also have 16 GB of RAM. In 2018, in most cases, models with 8 or 16 GB of RAM are sold, less often - with 24, 32 and even 64 GB. : using only 8 GB in the system can, under certain circumstances, lead to a drop in performance during the game, since many modern projects require more than 8 GB of RAM at high graphics quality settings. Data that does not fit into the video memory is written to the laptop's system memory cells. And if there is not enough RAM, the paging file is used - it is this file that is used to store virtual memory pages. Using a Swap file on your hard drive will lead to noticeable drops in FPS. It will be uncomfortable to play, although the average number of frames per second demonstrated in a particular game may be quite acceptable. So it turns out that the ideal volume at the moment is 16 GB, this amount of RAM is enough for all games. You can save money and buy a laptop with 8 GB in one case: if it allows you to add more system memory over time. IN modern systems Kaby Lake processors use DDR4-2400 modules operating with latencies of 17-17-17-39, and systems with Coffee Lake use DDR4-2666 kits (19-19-19-43).

⇡ Important parameters: display, storage, input devices

We've sorted out the parameters that affect laptop performance in games. Now let's look at the characteristics that determine the ease of use of a laptop. For me personally, the SSD comes first. It significantly speeds up the loading of the operating system and all programs recorded in the SSD memory cells. Including games.

The graph above shows the game loading speed on the ASUS ROG Strix GL553VE laptop before and after the upgrade. At first, the laptop had one 2.5-inch hard drive with a spindle speed of 5400 rpm. Then I installed a Kingston SM2280S3G2/480G SATA drive into this laptop.

Observations show that inexpensive gaming laptops with graphics level of GeForce GTX 1050, GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GeForce GTX 1060 are not equipped with the most productive OEM solid-state drives. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to track this point when purchasing, since it is usually technical specifications they simply indicate that the system has an SSD of such and such size. As a rule, 128 and 256 GB models have low speeds records. Devices with a SATA interface are mainly used. However, laptops with Skylake and Kaby Lake chips support the installation of SSDs with a PCI Express x4 3.0 interface - such drives are used mainly in top-end devices costing 100+ thousand rubles.

When choosing a laptop, my advice is simple: take a model that, over time, will allow you to independently replace the drive with a more capacious and faster analogue. Nowadays, many games weigh 50, 60 and even 70 GB, so a 128 GB drive is only enough to accommodate the operating system, drivers and one (maximum two) games.

Note: read more about this .

Everything is clear with the laptop diagonal. If you need to constantly move your laptop from one place to another, then it is better to take a model with a diagonal of 15.6 inches. Now gaming devices weigh about 2.2-2.8 kg (plus a half-kilogram power supply), which should not become an unbearable load for a man (and even a woman) in the prime of life. If the laptop will be used mainly as a desktop PC, then it makes sense to pay closer attention to the 17.3-inch model. Still play on big screen somewhat more convenient. In most cases, gaming models use matte displays with anti-glare coating.

They took and forgot about laptops with a matrix with a resolution of 1366 × 768 pixels - only Full HD, only... hardcore? In my opinion, gaming laptops do not need hardcore (read Ultra HD). Because the graphics performance of the GeForce GTX 1070 and GeForce GTX 1080 is not enough to play in 4K resolution at maximum or close to maximum graphics quality settings. In addition, NVIDIA solutions support DSR technology - if someone still wants to get a clearer picture on a 15- or 17-inch screen. Interestingly, WQHD resolution is practically not used in gaming laptops: either Full HD or Ultra HD.

As for choosing a matrix in a laptop, it is better to look for a model with IPS. Inexpensive laptops tend to use very cheap TN displays. Of course, you can live and play with such a screen, but it’s not necessary. IPS often has a higher brightness level, higher contrast, better viewing angles and more accurate color rendition. As a rule, the manufacturer indicates only the type of matrix in the specifications, and the quality of the screen can only be found out in reviews or upon personal acquaintance with the device. There are also some pitfalls - sometimes the same laptop model is equipped with matrices of the same type, but from different manufacturers. Therefore, choosing a laptop with a truly high-quality display is not always possible. Even the price of a laptop does not guarantee the presence of a truly high-quality matrix.

Support for 120/144 Hz refresh rate and G-SYNC technology are some nice features in a gaming laptop, but I wouldn’t call these technologies essentials. Budget laptops feel quite normal without them.

In laptop reviews, the hardest thing to write about is the keyboard, because you have to share a purely subjective opinion with the reader. You can read hundreds of reviews in which the authors will tell you that the key travel of the keyboard of a particular laptop is smooth, clear, fast, responsive, tight, loud, quiet, pleasant, and so on, but no better way rather than trying out the keyboard for yourself. Therefore, I recommend going to some kind of Eldorado: even if the model you took note of is not on the stand, you can always study the keyboard of another model from the same manufacturer. As a rule, they provide laptops with similar input devices.

I don’t see any point in paying attention to the touchpad at all. In addition to a gaming laptop, you need to buy a good mouse.

⇡ Additional parameters: battery, interfaces, sound, wireless connection

You shouldn't expect record-breaking battery life from a gaming laptop, although some models are capable of operating without a power connection for 4 hours or even more while watching videos or surfing the web. If you need a gaming system with long battery life, then look for a model with a capacious battery - from 60 Wh. Just be aware that in offline mode, GPU performance is dynamically reduced, limiting rendering to 30 frames per second. It’s not always comfortable to play in this mode, but in any case you won’t have to play for long – an hour or an hour and a half at most.

I can safely call the remaining parameters of a gaming laptop - sound, wireless connection, interfaces - secondary. If on the sides of the laptop there are several USB A-ports, an HDMI output, an Ethernet connector and 3.5 mm mini-jacks for connecting a headset, then this set is quite enough for a comfortable pastime with the device. Newfangled USB 3.1 Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 are extremely nice additional options, but definitely not essential interfaces. The sound quality of most laptops is usually below average. Simply because good audio requires a spacious case.

⇡ Upgrade options and configuration selection

I would also like to mention the opportunity to upgrade your gaming laptop yourself. Our website is dedicated to this topic. As a rule, we can install additional memory in a laptop, as well as replace existing drives with faster and more capacious analogues. This upgrade is quite enough to significantly speed up the operation of the laptop.

Taking into account all of the above, it is better to buy a laptop that you can upgrade yourself over time without any problems. Especially if you don’t take the top-end modification - for example, without an SSD or with only 8 GB of RAM. If the laptop is difficult to upgrade (it is difficult or simply impossible to disassemble), then it is better to purchase such a model, as they say, as stuffed as possible - with a 256-512 GB SSD and 16 GB of RAM.