Suggestions for screen resolutions

[Batu Ozturk]

Hi guys!

soon i will buy a new laptop and i wanna draw maps on it. I think, im gonna use Krita oder Inkspace as a software for my carthography projects but i need some advices about the screen resolutions.

i would like to buy a laptop with 8th generation i5 processor, 8Gb ram etc... if i am right, CPU, RAM and Resolution are vital parts for map making. Did i forget something?

Do i really have to buy a laptop with 1920x1080 resolution oder 1366x768 could be enough for map making?

Regards

[Naima]

GPU is also important and the higher res the better, but consider to have also a large screen or you might get uncomfortable in work.

[joaodafi]

Hi, first, I really recommend buying a desktop instead of a laptop, it is much easier and cheaper to improve the hardware when necessary, for example you would not be stuck with the problem of resolution. Since you could simply buy a larger screen when you finished paying the pc.

Hi guys!
Do i really have to buy a laptop with 1920x1080 resolution oder 1366x768 could be enough for map making?

second, no, you do not have to, but it would be so much better for your eyesight and comfort. However it is perfectly possible to work at a low resolution.

GPU is also importan

And finally, as Naima said and I should emphasize, GPU is important, depending on what you intend to do, it is essential. In addition, you can play fancy games.

[Batu Ozturk]

oh i see... then i think i can buy a laptop with hd resolution but better GPU. and later i can combine them with and extra full hd monitor.

i can use this extra monitor for designing and laptop for main purposes.

right?

[Azélor]

I'd second buying a desktop unless you really need a laptop because you use it at different places.

What kind of GPU does the laptop have, is it integrated graphics? A dedicated card is always better but some graphic chips might be ok depending what your are doing.
Also, if you want a computer that you won'r have to upgrade for say 3-4 years, I would pick something with more than 8 gb or ram.
Today 8 gb is really a minimum and 16 gb if you intend to play pc games reasonably well.

[Batu Ozturk]

I'd second buying a desktop unless you really need a laptop because you use it at different places.

What kind of GPU does the laptop have, is it integrated graphics? A dedicated card is always better but some graphic chips might be ok depending what your are doing.
Also, if you want a computer that you won'r have to upgrade for say 3-4 years, I would pick something with more than 8 gb or ram.
Today 8 gb is really a minimum and 16 gb if you intend to play pc games reasonably well.

well. i play only football manager and league of legends on pc.

i wanted to buy that pc for my master education and map making. i have one wacom-Bamboo graphics tablet but my laptop is now old and weak for that stuff.

Some Specs of my new one:

CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6Ghz to 3,4 Ghz
Ram: 8GB DDR4 - 2133Ghz ( its possible to upgrade it to 32Gb, which i will definitely do)
GPU: AMD Radeon 530 DDR3 2GB and Intel UHD Graphics 620
Resolution: 1920x1080

i think with a 128GB SSD i can work perfectly with that laptop.

[Incredible HLK]

If you're sure you need a laptop, I would focus on getting better specs (GPU, RAM, etc.) rather than the screen resolution.

I agree that when you want to sit down and make a map, you could easily buy a cheap, larger external monitor if you need to see it up close. Sometimes it's also very useful to have a second monitor for work in addition to what your laptop screen can show.

Personally, I have a very large gaming laptop, but even its 1920x1080 screen isn't big enough sometimes. I bought a 32" HDTV from a thrift shop, and plug an HDMI from my laptop into it when I just want to see things a bit bigger. It's not as sharp as a computer monitor but it was very cheap.

I can also be very lazy and lay in bed with my wireless keyboard and mouse and draw on my TV.

[Arkidemis]

A bit late to reply here, you could feasibly buy a labtop for about 500$ that might get the job done, but will very quickly lead to issues down the road. Most inexpensive pre-built computers/labtops suffer from rapid degradation after their first year or two of a heavy work load.

If you are dead set on a labtop I would recommend something like this that will run you just about 1k. I recommend having an external HDD for any projects or games you may play.

If you are willing to spend 1.5-1.8k for a tower here you go. The price depends on if you want to have an SSD or not.

The labtop linked above should be solid for about 3 or 4 years of heavy usage and the increased heat stress labtops incure. However it is modular so the internals can be easily upgraded giving you a better service life. The desktop should be solid for about 5 to 6 years of heavy usage daily.

With proper maintenance you could even push those computers 2 or 3 years longer if you really needed to, replacing the thermal paste and monthly and\or quarterly internal dusting.

I will preface now that by trade I am a server admin and the next few statements are from heavy research, personal experience, and many workplace debates between fellow admins. Now for the contraversial statement, you do not need an SSD and should never use an SSD as your main Read/Write drive. HDD a cheap and last forever with the correct drive and proper maintenance, as long as you never turn you computer off unless doing updates and leaving for extended periods of time. They also have the best storage/dollar ratio, are very reliable and can easily handle millions on Read/Write actions. SSD are quick and great for an OS drive. With current technology they can not touch a HDD on longevity as they have a limited about of total Read/Write actions they can handle.

Personally I have seen HHD last as long as 30+ years, I once was an admin for a server back from the 80's and it only failed becasue we decomissioned it and shut it down for the first time since the server was booted and configured, the drives literally warping inside the caseing when they cooled down. On the other hand I have only seen a SSD, that is used as a primary storage drive, last about 2-3 years.

I apologize if this is to much detail.

[Stoj]

One thing I would really recommend you get if your budget allows, is an IPS screen. After using a TN panel for ages and swapping to an IPS screen, I can't imagine going back. I play Pathfinder sometimes and still have an old laptop that displays maps, as well as a friend with a brand new IPS laptop. The difference in the clarity and colour of maps is stunning to say the least, especially looking at them side by side.