How to Choose
the Proper Display and Graphics for a Laptop
When looking at
the video for a laptop there are four items to look over: screen size,
resolution, screen type and graphics processor. For most people, only the
screen size and resolution are all that will really matter. The graphics
processor really only tends to make a difference for those looking to possibly
do some mobile gaming or high-definition video but they can be used for more
than that.
Pretty much all
laptops use some form of backlit active matrix display to allow for bright fast
displays capable of video playback.
Screen Size
Laptop screens
have a wide range of sizes depending upon the type of laptop system that you
are looking at. Larger screens provide an easier to view screen such as those
for desktop replacements. Ultraportables tend to have smaller screens allowing
for a reduced size and increased portability. Almost all systems now offer a
wide aspect ratio screen either for a more cinematic display or to reduce the
size of the screen in the depth dimension for an overall smaller system size.
All screens
sizes are given in a diagonal measurement. This is the measurement from the
lower screen corner to the opposite upper corner of the screen. This will
typically be the actually visible display area. Here is a chart of the average
screen sizes for different style laptops:
Ÿ Ultraportable: 13.3" or Less
Ÿ Thin and Light: 14" to 16"
Ÿ Desktop Replacement: 17" to 19"
Ÿ Luggables: 20" and Higher
Resolution
Screen
resolution or native resolution is the number of pixels on the display listed
in the number across the screen by the number down the screen. Laptop displays
look best when the graphics are run at this native resolution.
While it is
possible to run at a lower resolution, doing so creates an extrapolated
display. An extrapolated display tends to cause reduced image clarity as the
system has to use multiple pixels to try and display how a single pixel would
normally appear.
Higher native
resolutions allow for a greater detail in the image and increased work space on
the display. The drawback to high resolution displays is that fonts tend to be
smaller and can be more difficult to read without font scaling. This can be a particular
drawback for people who have poor eyesight. It can be compensated by changing
the font size in the operating system, but this may have unintended results in
some programs. Windows has this problem in particular with the latest high
resolution displays and desktop mode applications. Below is a chart of the
various video acronyms that refer to resolutions:
Ÿ WXGA: 1366x768 or 1280x800
Ÿ SXGA: 1280x1024
Ÿ SXGA+: 1400x1050
Ÿ WXGA+: 1440x900
Ÿ WSXGA+: 1600x900 or 1680x1050
Ÿ UXGA: 1600x1200
Ÿ WUXGA: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200
Ÿ WQHD: 2560x1440
Ÿ WQXGA: 2560x1600
Ÿ WQXGA+: 2880x1800
Ÿ WQSXGA+: 3800x1800
Ÿ UHD: 3840x2160 or 4096x2160
Screen Type
While the screen
size and resolution are the primary features that will be mentioned by
manufacturers and retailers, the screen type can also make a huge difference in
how the video performs.
By type I am
referring to what technology is used for the LCD panel and the coating that is
used over the screen.
There are two
basic technologies that are used in LCD panels for laptops right now. They are
TN and IPS. TN panels are the most common as they are the least expensive and
also tend to offer faster refresh rates. They do have disadvantages including
narrow viewing angles and colors. Now, the viewing angles impact how well the
screen color and brightness looks the further off center you viewing the panel
at. Color refers to the color gamut or total number of colors that the screen
can display.
TN panels offer
less overall color but this typically only matters for graphics designers. For
those wanting higher color and viewing angles, IPS does both of these better
but they tend to cost more and have slower refresh rates and are not as suited
for gaming or fast video.
IGZO is a term
that is being mentioned more often regarding flat panel displays. This is a new
chemical composition for building displays that is replacing the traditional
silica substrate. The primary benefits of the technology is to allow for
thinner display panels with lower power consumption. This will eventually be a
major benefit for portable computing especially as a way to combat the extra
power consumption that comes with higher resolution displays. The problem is
this technology is very expensive right now so not very common.
OLED is another
technology that is starting to show up in some laptops. It has been used for
high end mobile devices like smart phones for some time. The primary difference
between OLED and LCD technologies is the fact that there is no backlight on
them. Instead, the pixels themselves generated the light from the display. This
gives them better overall contrast ratios and better color.
Touchscreens are
becoming a major featuring in many Windows based laptops thanks to the new
Windows interface design based around touch. It should be noted that this can
easily replace the trackpad for many people as they navigate the operating
system. There are a couple downsides to touchscreens through as they generally
add to the cost of a laptop and also draw more power meaning that they have
less running time on batteries than a non-touchscreen version.
Those laptops
that do have touchscreens might come with a display that has the ability to be
folded over or spun around to also provide a tablet experience. These were
often referred to as convertible or hybrid laptops. Another term for them now
thanks to Intel's marketing is 2-in-1. The important thing to consider with
these types of systems is the ease of use in the tablet mode as based on the
screen size. Often, the smallest screens such as 11-inch work best for these
designs but some companies make them up to 15-inches which are frankly
difficult to hold and use.
The majority of
consumer laptops tend to use glossy coatings over the LCD panels. This offers a
greater level of color and brightness to come through to the viewer. The
downside is that they are more difficult to use in certain light such as
outdoors without producing a large amount of glare. They do look great in home
environments where it is easier to control glare. Pretty much every display
panel that features touchscreen uses a form of glossy coating. This is because
the hardended glass coatings are better at combating fingerprints plus they are
much easier to clean.
While most
consumer laptops feature glossy coatings, corporate style laptops generally
feature anti-glare or matte coatings. They help reduce the amount of external
light from reflecting on the screen making them much better for office lighting
or outdoors. The downside is that the contrast and brightness tend to be a bit
more muted on these displays.
So, why is a
glossy or matte display important to consider? Basically think of common areas
where you will use a laptop. If they might produce a lot of glare, you should
opt for something with an anti-glare coating if possible or the laptop should
have very high brightness.
Graphics Processor
In the past,
graphics processors have not been much of an issue for consumer laptops. The
majority of users were not doing much graphically that required 3D graphics or
accelerated video. This has changed as more and more people use their laptops
as their exclusive machine. Recent advancements in integrated graphics have
made it less necessary to have a dedicated graphics processor but they can
still be beneficial. The primary reasons for having a dedicated graphics
processor is either for 3D graphics (gaming or multimedia) and accelerating
non-gaming applications such as Photoshop. On the flip side, integrated
graphics can also offer improved performance such as Intel's HD Graphics that
support Quick Sync Video for accelerated media encoding.
The two major
suppliers of dedicated graphics processors for laptops are AMD (formerly ATI)
and NVIDIA. The following chart lists the current crop of graphics processors
for laptop PCs from the two companies. They are listed in the approximate order
of estimated performance from highest to lowest. If you're looking to buy a
gaming laptop it is important to know that they should have at least a minimum
of 1GB of dedicated graphics memory but preferably higher. (Note that this list
has been shortened to just the latest versions of the graphics processors plus
one previous generation models.)
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080M
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070M
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M395X
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M485X
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M390X
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M385X
Ÿ AMD Radeon R8 M470X
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M380
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M470
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M375
Ÿ AMD Radeon R9 M365X
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R7 M360
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce 940M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R7 M340
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce 930M
Ÿ NVIDIA GeForce 920M
Ÿ AMD Radeon R5 M330
Ÿ AMD Radeon R5 M320
Ÿ AMD Radeon R5 M315
In addition to
these processors, AMD and NVIDIA both have technologies that can allow certain
graphics processors to run in pairs for additional performance. AMD's
technology is referred to as CrossFire while NVIDIA's is SLI. While the
performance is increased, battery life for such laptops is greatly reduced due
to the extra power consumption.
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