by You’ve been diligently saving for your next gaming rig and now it’s time to go shopping. Don’t you realize you don’t know which way to go between a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop. You start weighing them against each other but can’t clearly decide which one is best for you. This is where we come in and objectively help you narrow down where to spend your money. Either way, you’re not alone, this is a dilemma that many gamers have been facing for years.
The problem here is that the differences between a gaming desktop and gaming laptop are pretty obvious, but each has its strengths. And most players can only afford to buy one at a time. Others may be limited by available space, so they choose a gaming laptop. For others, it’s a matter of preference that they should have a huge RGB-lit tower next to their mechanical keyboard. This post is for the indecisive shopper who is open to both options. Let’s begin.
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1. Gaming laptops are more portable than desktops
I know this isn’t exactly breaking news to anyone, but it’s a very critical factor to consider before taking the plunge. Even a giant 17-inch gaming laptop can be folded up and fit into a backpack easily, which makes this an easy win for gaming laptops. On the other hand, even the smallest desktop will be very bulky to carry around.
This is because you have to consider the monitor, keyboard and CPU as individual components among other accessories such as a mouse. If you need a gaming rig that you can move around in comfortably, a gaming laptop will be the obvious option. What if mobility wasn’t a factor for you to take into consideration? The reason could be that you have a notebook for other work-related activities. Your options are still open, so let’s move on to the next factor to consider between a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop.
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2. A gaming desktop is more upgradeable than a laptop
In general, most desktop components are designed to be much more replaceable and upgradeable than laptops. You can basically change and upgrade every single component of a desktop from motherboards to CPUs and even power supplies. On the other hand, the very limited components of a laptop are upgradable. For example, it is not possible to upgrade the motherboard, cooling system or CPU of most laptops. A key point here is that during the purchase you get to create a completely customized gaming desktop for yourself.
With laptops, you can choose and buy from the limited options configured for you by the manufacturer. Savvy desktop gaming rig builders configure systems so they can keep upgrading to the latest components for the next few years—the same can’t be said for a laptop.
Also, beware of pre-built desktops that use proprietary motherboards that are not full-sized, therefore limiting their upgradability. Most laptops will limit the upgradeable components to memory and storage.
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3. Cost: Which is more expensive to buy
It’s quite difficult to directly compare the costs of desktops and gaming laptops due to the wide range of possible configurations. But by stacking several similarly equipped laptops and desktops against each other a trend will emerge. The trend will be that the gaming desktop will be slightly cheaper than the laptop with similar hardware.
But to be fair, that’s before you consider a desktop monitor and other accessories like a keyboard, mouse, or speakers. So when you factor all that into the cost of a gaming desktop, you end up with a similar cost to the laptop. I’ll be very happy to call it a tie between desktops and laptops because there’s no clear winner.
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4. Performance
Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, a gaming desktop will always beat a similarly priced laptop in terms of performance. I say this because performance will 100% depend on the specs you choose. This is to explicitly say that a $3,500 gaming laptop will most likely beat out a $1,500 desktop. That said, similar hardware will always perform better on a desktop than a laptop.
This is all due to the better heat dissipation due to the better cooling facilities of the large desktop chassis. Consequently, lower operating temperatures will lead to better performance. A desktop form factor also allows for liquid cooling. Performance-wise, we have to give it to desktop gaming rigs even though some laptop innovations are filling the gaps.
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Bottom Line: Gaming Laptop vs Gaming Desktop
To recap the above factors, we have found that gaming desktops are easily upgradeable and more powerful than gaming laptops. Desktops are also easily customizable during purchase because you can build whatever you want, your imagination is your limit. On the other hand, if you are looking for a computer to carry around while saving space at home, a laptop is the sensible choice.
If you want much higher performance on a laptop, you may need to spend more money than you would on a desktop. Also, since a laptop is less upgradable, you may need to dispose of it after a few years and buy a new one. That said, when it comes to gaming, are you leaning toward laptops or desktops? Let us know your alliances through the comments section below.
Featured Image Credit: indianexpress.com
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