Top 10 Laptops of 2011

People who are looking to get the perfect notebook, we at TechDeville have made a list containing the top 10 laptops to get your hands on this year. Today, when there are a lot of different options for everyone to choose from, everyone finds it really difficult to get the perfect notebook with the budget and required specifications being available in the form of so many different options.

So we did a little effort to narrow that list down to 10 laptops, making sure you get the gem you want. All the requirements have really been kept in mind making this list from Processor, RAM, and Storage to Screen Size and Battery Timing. I hope you’ll find this post very helpful.

 

10. Alienware M14Xz

A laptop from Alienware will always be unique for its build and design. Having the characteristics of something being out of this world, firm body and the curvy extraterrestrial nature. The design is incomparable with any other regular machine in the market. With a resolution of 1600×900, not being the best, graphics are pretty sharp and clean. The Corei7 runs like a phoenix loading up everything under 45 seconds without any change in any of the startup options. The specifications are:

• Display: 14.0″ HD 1600×900 pixels
• Storage: 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3GB/s
• Processor: Intel Core i7 2820QM 2.3GHz
• Memory: 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
• Graphics: 3.0GB DDR3 Nvidia GeForce GT 555M
• Battery and Power: 150W A/C Adapter/High Capacity 8-cell Lithium Ion
• Wireless: Intel Advanced-N WiFi Link 6250 a/g/n 2×2 MIMO Technology with WiMax
• Audio: Internal High-Definition 5.1 Surround Sound Audio

 

9. Dell XPS 15

The recently refreshed Dell XPS is a very good performance laptop that would get everything you throw at it done with ease. One of the highlights of the XPS 15 are the built-in JDL speakers which offer excellent audio performance. With the inclusion of a NVIDIA 425M graphics card the XPS 15 is a good gaming laptop as well which can play recent games on average settings. When buying the XPS 15 you also have an option of a 3D enabled display which make this a great multimedia laptop.

• Display: 15.6” 1366 x 768 pixels
• Storage: 750GB 7,200rpm
• Processor: Intel Quad Core i7-2630QM 2 GHz
• Memory: 8GB, 667MHz DDR3 RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GT540M + Intel GMA HD (Optimus)
• Wireless: Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, WiMax

 

8. Lenovo ThinkPad X220

The first thing you notice about the ThinkPad is its classic utilitarian design; this may be a pro for someone and a con for the other. The ThinkPad design hasn’t changed much in the last ten years and the reason can be explained in one simple quote, “Don’t fix something that isn’t broken”. The business oriented design may seem ancient but this is an extremely rugged laptop, tough as nails!  The notebook has exceptional battery life despite it’s heavy specs, a 2.7GHz i7 and 8GB of RAM, The i7 will handle anything you throw at it with ease. The laptop has a slightly unorthodox screen size, 12.5 inches but the display is simply amazing, equipped with a IPS Matte screen, it provides vibrant colors and excellent viewing angles. It’s also got a really wide and comfortable keyboard which doesn’t make your hands beg for mercy after hours of use. This notebook is highly recommended.

• Display: 12.5” TFT 1366 x 768 pixels
• Storage: 320 GB Serial ATA-300 7200 rpm
• Processor: Intel Core i7-2620M 2.7 GHz
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM – 1333 MHz
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology
• Battery and Power: 65 Watt AC/ 9-cell Lithium ion
• Wireless: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205
• Audio: CX20672 High Definition Audio

 

7. Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A

Samsung’s offering in the Ultrabook market, the Series 9, is a beautiful ultrathin piece of hardware. You’d think that to keep it this thin Samsung must’ve compromised on the specs,  but you’d be very wrong! The series 9 packs a Second-gen 1.4Ghz Core i5 Processor, 8 Gigabytes of RAM and a 128GB SSD to boot, the SSD being the cherry on top! This ultrabook can be considered a direct competitor to Apple’s offering in the same category, the 2011 Macbook air. Both machines have almost the same specs, notable differences are 4GB less Ram on the Air and a faster 1.7GHz processor on the Series 9 but the reason for the Series 9′s low position in the list is it’s price. The notebook is even more expensive than the Macbook Air; Apple’s products tend to be more expensive then its competitors but this time Samsung has even outdone them in this department.

• Display: 13.3” TFT 1366 x 768 pixels
• Storage: 128 GB Solid State Drive
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2537M 1.4 GHz
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM – 1333 MHz
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Battery and Power: 40 Watt AC/ 6300 mAh 6-cell Lithium ion
• Wireless: Bluetooth 3.0, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/a
• Audio: High Definition Audio, SRS 3D Sound

 

6. Toshiba Portege R835-P56X

The Portege gets your performance, good looks and excellent battery times perfect for people on the go. The Toshiba Portege is a very good Windows alternative to the Macbook Pro with both performance and battery life similar to the Pro which is very rare to see on Windows based PCs.

• Display: 13.3” 1,366×768 pixels
• Storage: 640 GB – Serial ATA-300 – 5400 rpm
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M 2.3 GHz
• Memory: 4GB, 1,333MHz DDR3
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Battery and Power: 65 Watt 3.42 A 6-cell Lithium ion
• Wireless: Bluetooth, WiMax,WiFi, and Intel’s Wireless Display

 

5. Asus U41JF-A1

The ASUS U41JF-A1 is an all in one package, featuring balanced performance and battery life. The laptop is very consistent and is priced well too and the 8 cell battery coupled with the low wattage consuming Core i3 processor is a blessing for travellers. There’s also a NVIDIA 425M present for when you’re bored and want to game or watch an HD Movie.

• Display: 14” 1366×768 pixels
• Storage: 500GB 5,400rpm
• Processor: Intel Core i3-380M 2.53GHz
• Memory: 4GB, 1,066MHz DDR3
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 425M + Intel GMA HD
• Battery and Power: 14.4V, 5800mAh, 85Wh, 8-cell battery
• Wireless: Atheros AR9285 802.11n Wireless LAN

 

4. Dell Vostro 3350

The legendary Vostro series is back this year and it’s better than ever. The Vostro is normally considered a business laptop but it packs exceptional media capabilities as well thanks to the built-in ATI Radeon 6790M graphics chip. The laptop is perfect for the traveling business man, the form factor coupled with the sturdy chassis is one hell of a package!

• Display: 13.3” HD LED 1366 x 768 pixels
• Storage: 500GB5 SATA 7200RPM
• Processor: Intel CoreTM i7 2620M
• Memory: 4GB4 DDR3 SDRAM at 1333 MHz
• Graphics: AMD Radeon™ HD 6490M GDDR5 memory
• Battery and Power: 90 Watt Slim AC Adapter/ 8-cell Lithium ion
• Wireless: 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth Combo

 

3. Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839

The Acer Aspire AS8950G-9839 is a great desktop replacement with a huge 18.4-inch full HD display and Core i7 processor along with 8GB of RAM and a dedicated ATI Radeon 6850M graphics chip. This laptop is perfect for watching movies with excellent sound quality thanks to DSS and occasional games. Don’t expect awesome battery life since this laptop is not intended to be used as a traveling companion.

• Display: 18.4″ Full HD Widescreen 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Storage: 750GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• Processor: Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor 2.0GHz
• Memory: 8GB DDR3 Dual-Channel 1066MHz Memory
• Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 6850M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM
• Battery and Power: 8-Cell Lithium-ion
• Wireless: 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking
• Audio: Dolby Surround Sound, Dolby Home Theater v4

 

2. HP Pavilion DV6-6013CL

The HP DV6 is one my personal favorites on this list. This year’s DV6 has a new super sexy design and comes packed with some serious hardware. The DV6 series is highly upgradable so you should buy the configuration which suits you best. Watching movies on the DV6 is a very enjoyable experience and the sound quality thanks to Beats audio is worth a mention.

• Display: 15.6” High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display 1366×768 pixels
• Storage: 500GB 5,400rpm
• Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M 2.1 GHz
• Memory: 4GB DDR3 System Memory
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000
• Battery and Power: 65W AC Adapter/ 6-Cell 55WHr Lithium-Ion Battery
• Wireless: Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN 802.11b/g/n WLAN
• Audio: Beats Audio

 

1. MacBook Air

Well guys Apple is Apple and everybody knows that they make excellent hardware. It would only seem fitting that a MacBook is at the top of our list. The new MacBook Air is cheaper than ever and is worth every penny. Even though the hardware is not what you’ll get with similarly priced laptops, the Air runs Mac OS which is perfectly optimized for it’s hardware so be assured your shiny new laptop will not slow down.

• Display: 13.3” LED 1440×900 pixels
• Storage: 256 GB SSD
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2557M 1.7GHz
• Memory: 4GB DDR3 SDRAM – 1333 MHz
• Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
• Battery and Power: 45 Watt AC Adapter/50 Wh Lithium polymer
• Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

 

Stay tuned to TechDeville for everything Tech! Follow us on Twitter (@TechDeville) and like us at Facebook.