Laptop Glossary: Every Laptop Term from A to Z
This laptop glossary explains the terms you see on spec sheets and in Pakistani laptop listings, from A grade and box pack to TGP, MUX switch, NVMe and nits. Each entry is a short, plain-English definition, with links to our detailed guides where a term needs more space. Bookmark it and use it when comparing Non Custom laptops.
Updated 8 November 2026
A to C
- A grade: a used or refurbished laptop in very good cosmetic condition with only light marks. Grading is not standardised, so always ask for photos.
- Active (MacBook): a MacBook that has already been switched on and activated with Apple, usually by a previous owner, a retailer or for testing. A non-active MacBook has never been activated. See our active vs non-active MacBook guide.
- Backlit keyboard: keys lit from below, very useful during night-time load-shedding.
- Battery cycle count: how many full charge cycles the battery has done. Lower is better.
- BIOS or UEFI: the firmware that starts the laptop before Windows. A BIOS password or company lock can block use.
- Box open: a laptop that has been unsealed and usually lightly used, sold with its box. Sellers use the term differently, so ask what it means for that unit.
- Box pack: a brand-new sealed laptop in its original box. Our stock is box pack.
- Computrace (Absolute): anti-theft tracking built into many business laptops' BIOS.
- Convertible or 2-in-1: a laptop whose screen folds back or detaches to work as a tablet.
- Core i5, i7, Ultra 5, Ultra 7: Intel processor tiers. The generation matters more than the tier.
- Custom paid: a laptop on which Pakistani customs duty has been paid.
D to G
- DCI-P3: a wide colour range used for video and HDR; MacBooks and most OLED laptops cover it.
- DDR4 and DDR5: laptop memory standards, usually on removable sticks. DDR5 is newer and faster.
- Dedicated GPU (discrete graphics): a separate graphics chip such as an NVIDIA RTX 4060, needed for gaming and 3D work.
- Dual channel: two RAM sticks working together for higher speed. Two 8GB sticks beat one 16GB stick on many laptops.
- Dolby Atmos: a sound processing format found on many mid-range and premium laptops.
- eGPU: an external graphics card box connected over Thunderbolt.
- FHD and FHD+: 1920x1080 and 1920x1200 screen resolutions.
- Fingerprint reader: biometric login through Windows Hello or Touch ID.
- Generation (Gen): the processor family, such as Intel 12th or 13th Gen. See our generation guide.
- G7, G8, G9 (HP): the generation of an HP business model, not the processor generation itself.
H to M
- H, HX, U, P, V (Intel suffixes): U is efficient for thin laptops; P is mid-power; H and HX are high-power for gaming and workstations; V marks Core Ultra 200V chips with on-package memory.
- HDMI: the port for monitors, TVs and projectors.
- IPS: the most common laptop screen panel type, with good colours and viewing angles.
- ISV certified: workstation drivers tested for professional software such as SolidWorks; found on ZBook, Precision and ThinkPad P.
- LPDDR5 and LPDDR5X: low-power memory soldered on the board. Fast and efficient but not upgradeable.
- M.2: the small slot used for modern SSDs.
- Mini-LED: a bright LCD with many dimming zones for strong HDR, as on the MacBook Pro.
- MUX switch: a switch that lets the dedicated GPU drive the screen directly, raising game frame rates. Advanced Optimus does this automatically.
- MT/s or MHz (RAM): memory speed, for example DDR5-5600.
N to P
- Nits: screen brightness. 300 nits or more is comfortable indoors; 500 is excellent.
- Non Custom: a laptop imported without paying Pakistani customs duty. It costs less but carries no local brand warranty. See what is Non Custom.
- NPU: a neural processing unit for AI tasks, found in Core Ultra, Ryzen AI, Snapdragon X and Apple chips.
- NVMe: the fast SSD protocol used in M.2 slots. Much quicker than SATA SSDs and hard drives.
- OLED: a screen type where each pixel makes its own light, giving true blacks and vivid colour.
- Onboard or soldered RAM: memory fixed to the motherboard; cannot be replaced.
- PCIe 3.0, 4.0, 5.0: SSD interface generations; higher is faster.
- Panel refresh rate: see refresh rate.
- PD (Power Delivery): USB-C charging standard. A 65W PD charger can power most thin laptops.
- Privacy shutter: a small cover that blocks the webcam physically.
Q to S
- QHD, 2.5K, 2.8K, 3K: screen resolutions above Full HD, sharper for text and photos.
- Refurbished: a used or returned laptop repaired, cleaned and retested for resale. See our guide to check if a laptop is new or refurbished.
- Refresh rate (Hz): how many times per second the screen updates. 60Hz is standard; 144Hz or more for gaming.
- Retina and Liquid Retina: Apple's names for its high-resolution screens.
- RTX: NVIDIA's gaming and creator graphics line, from RTX 2050 up to the RTX 50 series.
- SATA: an older, slower interface for SSDs and hard drives.
- Service tag (Dell) or serial number: the ID used to check warranty and original specs on the brand's website.
- SO-DIMM: the small removable RAM stick used in laptops.
- sRGB: the standard colour range for web content; 100% sRGB is the minimum for design work.
- SSD: solid state drive, the fast storage used in all modern laptops.
T to Z
- TDP: the processor's rated power, which affects speed and heat.
- TGP: total graphics power, the wattage a laptop lets its GPU use. An RTX 4060 at 140W is much faster than one at 60W.
- Thunderbolt 4 and USB4: fast USB-C ports that support charging, displays and docks.
- TN: an older, cheap screen type with poor viewing angles.
- Touchscreen: a screen you can tap and draw on; common on 2-in-1s.
- Ultrabook: a thin, light laptop with long battery life.
- Unified memory: Apple's shared memory used by both the CPU and GPU.
- USB-C charging: charging through a USB-C port instead of a barrel plug.
- vPro: Intel's business management and security features, found on many EliteBook, Latitude and ThinkPad models.
- VRAM: the graphics card's own memory, such as 6GB on an RTX 4050 or 8GB on an RTX 4060.
- Wh (watt-hours): battery capacity. Higher means longer battery life, all else equal.
- Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7: wireless standards; newer is faster and handles crowded networks better.
- WUXGA: 1920x1200 resolution in a 16:10 shape.
Pakistani market words, quick reference
Listings in Pakistan mix brand terms with local trade words. The most common ones:
- Box pack: new and sealed.
- Box open: unsealed and usually lightly used, sold with its box.
- Non Custom: no Pakistani customs duty paid, no local brand warranty.
- Custom paid: duty paid, sometimes with local warranty.
- Used or second hand: previously owned, grades A, B or C by condition.
- Refurbished: repaired and resold.
- Checking warranty: a short period, such as our 7 days, to test the laptop and report faults.
- Active or non-active: for MacBooks, whether the unit has already been activated with Apple.
When in doubt, ask the seller for the serial number and check it on the brand's warranty site yourself.
