Components[edit]

Main article: Personal computer hardware

Miniaturization: a comparison of a desktop computer motherboard (ATXform factor) to a motherboard from a 13"
laptop (2008 unibody Macbook)

Inner view of a Sony VAIO laptop

The basic components of laptops function identically to their desktop counterparts; traditionally they
were miniaturized and adapted to mobile use, although as of the present decade (2010-) an
increasing number of desktop systems use the same smaller, lower-power parts which originally
evolved for mobile use. The design bounds on power, size, and cooling of laptops limit the maximum
performance of laptop parts compared to that of desktop components, although that difference has
increasingly narrowed over recent years.
The following list summarizes the differences and distinguishing features of laptop components in
comparison to desktop personal computer parts:[30]

Central processing unit (CPU): Laptop CPUs have advanced power-saving features and
produce less heat than processors intended purely for desktop use; typically these days they will
have two processor cores, although 4-core models are available. For low price and mainstream
performance, there is no longer a distinction between laptop CPU performance and desktop, but

at the high end the fastest 4-to-8-core desktop processors still substantially outperform the
fastest 4-core laptop processors, at the expense of massively higher power utilization and heat
generationthe fastest laptop processors top out at 56 watts of heat, while the fastest desktop
processors top out at 150 watts.
There have been a wide range of CPUs designed for laptops available from both Intel, AMD and
other manufacturers. On non-x86 architectures, Motorola and IBM produced the chips for the
former PowerPC-based Apple laptops (iBook andPowerBook). Many laptops have removable CPUs,
although this has become less common in the past few years as the trend has been to increasingly
thin and light models. In other laptops the CPU is soldered on the motherboard and is nonreplaceable; this is nearly universal in ultrabooks, for example.
In the past, some laptops have used a desktop processor instead of the laptop version and have
high performance gains at the cost of greater weight, heat, and limited battery life. The practice is
largely extinct as of 2013.

A SODIMM memory module

Memory (RAM): Most laptops use SO-DIMM memory modules; these are about half the size of
desktop DIMMs.[30] They may be accessible from the bottom of the laptop for ease of upgrading,
or placed in locations not intended for user replacement. Most laptops have two memory
sockets, although some of the lowest-end will have only one, and some high end models
(usually mobile engineering workstations, and a few high-end models intended for gaming have
4.) Because of the limitation of DDR3 SO-DIMMs to a maximum of 8gb per module, this means
most laptops can only be expanded to a total of 16GB of memory until systems
using DDR4 memory start becoming available. Most mid-range laptops are factory equipped
with 4-6 GB of RAM. Netbooks are commonly equipped with only 1-2 GB of RAM and generally
only expandable to 2 GB, if at all. Increasingly, a small number of models (notably including the
2013 models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air) have memory soldered to the motherboard so
as to save space inside the case; this eliminates the possibility of expansion but allows a thinner
and lighter design.

Expansion cards: in the past, a PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) or ExpressCard slot for expansion
cards was often present on laptops to allow adding and removing functionality, even when the
laptop is powered on; these are becoming increasingly rare since the introduction of USB 3.0.
Some internal subsystems such as: ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a Wireless cellular modem can be
implemented as replaceable internal expansion cards, usually accessible under an access cover
on the bottom of the laptop. The standards for such cards is PCI Express, which comes in
both mini and even smaller M.2 or "Next Generation Form Factor" sizes. In newer laptops it is
not uncommon to also see Micro SATA (mSATA) functionality on PCI Express Mini or M.2 card
slots allowing the us e of those slots for SATA based solid state drives.[31]

Power supply: Laptops are typically powered by an internal rechargeable battery that is charged
using an external power supply, which outputs a DC voltage typically in the range of 7.2 24
volts. The power supply is usually external, and connected to the laptop through an DC
connector cable. In most cases it can charge the battery and power the laptop simultaneously;
when the battery is fully charged, the laptop continues to run on power supplied by the external
power supply. The charger typically adds about 400 grams (1 lb) to the overall "transport weight"
of the notebook, although some models are substantially heavier or lighter.

Battery: Current laptops utilize lithium ion batteries, with some thinner models using the
flatter lithium polymer technology. These two technologies have largely replaced the older nickel
metal-hydride batteries. Battery life is highly variable by model and workload, and can range
from 1 hour to nearly a day. A battery's performance gradually decreases with time; substantial
reduction in capacity is typically evident after one to three years of regular use, depending on
the charging and discharging pattern and the design of the battery. This large-capacity main
battery should not be confused with the much smaller battery nearly all computers use to run
the real-time clock and to store the BIOS configuration in CMOS when the computer is off.
Lithium-ion batteries do not have a memory effect as older batteries may have. Innovations in
laptops and batteries have seen situations which the battery can provide up to 24 hours of
continued operation, assuming average power consumption levels. An example is the HP
EliteBook 6930p when used with its ultra-capacity battery.[32]

Video display controller: On most laptops the video controller is integrated into the CPU to
conserve power and space; this was introduced by Intel with the Core-i series of mobile
processors in 2010, and similar "APU" processors by AMD later that year. Prior to that, lowerend machines tended to use graphics processors integrated to the system chipset, while higher
end machines had a separate graphics processor. In the past, laptops lacking a separate
graphics processor were limited in their utility for gaming and professional applications involving
3D graphics, but the capabilities of CPU-integrated graphics has converged with the low end of
dedicated graphics processors in the past few years. Higher-end laptops intended for gaming or
professional 3D work still come with dedicated graphics processors on the motherboard or as an
internal expansion card; since 2011, these almost always involve switchable graphics so that

when there is not demand for the higher performance dedicated graphics processor, the more
power-efficient integrated graphics processor will be used. Nvidia Optimus is an example of this
sort of system of switchable graphics.

Display: Most modern laptops feature 13 inches (33 cm) or larger color active matrix
displays based on CCFL or LED lighting with resolutions of 1280800 (16:10) or 1366 768
(16:9) pixels and above. Models with LED-based lighting offer lesser power consumption, and
often higher brightness. Netbooks with a 10 inches (25 cm) or smaller screen typically use a
resolution of 1024600, while netbooks and subnotebooks with a 11.6 inches (29 cm) or 12
inches (30 cm) screen use standard notebook resolutions. Having a higher resolution display
may allow more items to fit onscreen at a time, improving the user's ability to multitask, although
at the higher resolutions on smaller screens, the resolution may only serve to display sharper
graphics and text rather than increasing the usable area. Since the introduction of the MacBook
Pro with Retina display in 2012, there has been an increase in the availability of very-high
resolution (FHD 1920x1080 and higher) displays, even in relatively small systems, and in typical
15" screens resolutions as high as 3200x1800 are available.

Laptops commonly use 2.5" hard disk drives, which are much smaller than desktop hard drives.

Removable media drives: until recently. DVD/CD reader/writer drive was nearly universal on fullsized models, and it remains fairly common for now although the trend towards thinner and
lighter machines will probably eliminate it. It is very uncommon on subnotebooks and unknown
on netbooks or ultrabooks. Laptop optical drives tend to follow a standard form factor, and
usually have a standard mini-SATA connector (not to be confused with Micro-SATA used for
SSD cards); it is often possible to replace an optical drive with a newer model, or to replace it
with a second hard drive using a caddy that fills the extra space the optical drive would have
occupied.

Internal storage: Laptop hard disks are physically smaller2.5 inches (64 mm) or 1.8 inches
(46 mm) compared to desktop 3.5 inches (89 mm) drives. Some newer laptops (usually
ultraportables) employ more expensive, but faster, lighter and power-efficient flash memorybased SSDs instead. Currently, 250 GB to 1 TB sizes are common for laptop hard disks (64 to
512 GB for SSDs).

Input: A pointing stick, touchpad or both are used to control the position of the cursor on the
screen, and an integrated keyboard is used for typing. An external keyboard and/or mouse may
be connected using USB or PS/2 port, or wirelessly via a USB receiver or Bluetooth (if present).

Ports: several USB ports, an external monitor port (VGA, DVI, mini-DisplayPort or HDMI), audio
in/out (sometimes via a single connector), and often an Ethernetnetwork port are found on most
laptops. Legacy ports such as a PS/2 keyboard/mouse port, serial port, parallel
port or Firewire are increasingly rare. On Apple's systems, and on a handful of non-Appleproduced laptops, there are also Thunderbolt ports.

Cooling: Waste heat from operation is difficult to remove in the compact internal space of a
laptop. Early laptops used heat sinks placed directly on the components to be cooled, but when
these hot components are deep inside the device, a large space-wasting air duct is needed to
exhaust the heat. Modern laptops instead rely on heat pipes to rapidly move waste heat towards
the edges of the device, to allow for a much smaller and compact fan and heat sink cooling
system. Waste heat is usually exhausted away from the device operator, towards the rear or
sides of the device. Multiple air intake paths are used since some intakes can be blocked, such
as when the device is placed on a soft conforming surface like a chair cushion. It is believed that
some designs with metal cases, like Apple's aluminum MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, also
employ the case of the machine as a "gigantic" heat sink, allowing it to supplement cooling by
dissipating heat out of the device core. Secondary device temperature monitoring may reduce
performance or trigger an emergency shutdown if it is unable to dissipate heat, such as if the
laptop were to be left running and placed inside a carrying case. Such a condition has the
potential to melt plastics or ignite a fire.

Docking stations[edit]
A docking station (sometimes referred to simply as a "dock") is a laptop accessory that contains
multiple ports, and in some cases also expansion slots and/or bays for fixed or removable drives. A
laptop connects and disconnects easily to a docking station, typically through a single large
proprietary connector; in the past it was distinguished from a port replicatora simplified docking
station that only provides connections from the laptop to input/output portsalthough as of 2013 the
terms are generally used interchangeably, and the traditional docs with PCI or PCI-E slots are
vanishingly rare. Both docking stations and port replicators are intended to be used at a permanent
working place (a desk) to offer instant connection to multiple input/output devices and to extend a
laptop's capabilities.
Docking stations became a common laptop accessory in the early 1990s. The most common use
was in a corporate computing environment where the company had standardized on a common
network card and this same card was placed into the docking station. These stations were very large
and quite expensive. As the need for additional storage and expansion slots became less critical
because of the high integration inside the laptop, port replicators have gained popularity, being a

cheaper, often passive device that often simply mates to the connectors on the back of the
notebook, or connects via a standardized port such as USB or FireWire.

Charging stations[edit]
Laptop charging trolleys, also known as laptop trolleys or laptop carts, are mobile storage containers
to charge laptops, netbooks and tablet computers all together. The trolleys are predominantly used
in schools that have replaced their traditional static ICT[33] suites of desktop computers with laptops,
but do not have enough plug sockets in their buildings to charge all of the devices.
The trolleys can be wheeled between rooms and classrooms so that anyone in a particular building
can access fully charged IT[34] equipment. Laptop charging trolleys are also used to deter and
protect against opportunistic and organized theft. Schools, especially those with open plan designs,
are often prime targets forthieves and laptops, netbooks and tablets can easily be concealed and
removed from buildings. Laptop charging trolleys were designed and constructed to protect against
theft. They are generally made out of steel, and the laptops remain locked up while not in use.
Although the trolleys can be moved between areas inbuildings, they can often also be mounted to
the floor or walls to prevent thieves walking off with investments, especially overnight.[33]

Solar panels[edit]
Main article: Solar notebook
In some laptops, solar panels are able to generate enough solar power for the laptop to
operate.[35] The One Laptop Per Child Initiative released the OLPC XO-1laptop which was tested
and successfully operated by use of solar panels.[36] Presently, they are designing a OLPC XO3 laptop with these features. The OLPC XO-3 can operate with 2 Watts of electricity because its
renewable energy resources generate a total of 4 Watts.[37][38] Samsung has also designed a
NC215S Solar powered notebook that will be sold commercially in the US market.[39]

Standards[edit]
In general, components other than the categories listed above are not intended to be replaceable; a
few, such as processors, follow their own standards but are difficult to replace because of other
factors (for example, in the case of processors cooling and access limitations can make upgrades
very difficult or impossible.)
In particular, motherboards are almost always make and model-specific: locations of ports, and
design and placement of internal components are not standard. Those parts are neither
interchangeable with parts from other manufacturers (replaceable) nor upgradeable. If broken or
damaged, they must be substituted with an exact replacement part. Those users uneducated in the
relevant fields are those the most affected by incompatibilities, especially if they attempt to connect
their laptops with incompatible hardware or power adapters.

Intel, Asus, Compal, Quanta and some other laptop manufacturers have created the Common
Building Block standard for laptop parts to address some of the inefficiencies caused by the lack of
standards.[40]