Should I Get A Gaming Laptop or Desktop?

Is it better to spend the money on a gaming desktop or a gaming laptop? We’ve looked at the benefits and drawbacks of both PCs and laptops, and we’ve come up with a fast and convenient alternative for you.

Who might have guessed that almost half a century back, we would have devices a thousand times more efficient and smaller than when digital computers were first developed and took up whole rooms with hard drives that looked like washing machines?

Every year, machines get more powerful while still being smaller. The subject of the day, on the other hand, is gaming notebooks, with the mobile analogy simply being used to demonstrate how much technology has progressed. To be more precise, we’ll compare gaming laptops and gaming desktops on several different criteria to see which performs better in which region.

GPU Power

Nvidia Geforce RTX GPU

When it comes to gaming systems, the GPU specifications are almost always the first thing people want to read. Although fitting an i9 or Ryzen 7 CPU into a laptop isn’t tricky, GPUs are different.

High-end graphics cards are, by definition, massive. This isn’t a massive deal for personal machines, but the laptop’s biggest bonus is that it’s compact and light. As a result, there are several problems with fitting a large graphics card into a compact and narrow plastic case.

There is a little comparison in terms of raw output between a desktop and a laptop. Furthermore, the perception that a gaming laptop costs about twice more than a gaming machine of comparable specs is not inspiring.

Yet it’s not just doom and gloom! External GPUs are a perfect way to transform a standard laptop into a gaming laptop if you don’t mind the extra bulk and your CPU is capable of handling the workload.

Customizability

Desktop CPU with RGB

The ability to customize a gaming PC is perhaps its most important asset. Anyone with rudimentary IT skills can quickly open a computer, and the consumer is free to change, configure, and replace any part. Furthermore, it can be completed with just the most rudimentary instruments – usually, a screwdriver.

A laptop, on the other side, necessitates a much more sensitive grip. Yeah, they may be opened and pieces removed, although this will necessitate the usage of specialist instruments and materials that are not readily accessible to customers.

Portability

You can carry any laptop

In this case, there isn’t anything that needs to be mentioned. A gaming laptop, whether it’s an ultra-light workplace laptop or a 4lbs gaming laptop, would still be more compact than a gaming PC. After all, several laptop cases are heavier than the computers themselves!

On the other side, a full gaming PC is not only heavier and more extensive but also comes with a slew of peripherals and wires, including a display, keyboard, and mouse. It’s obvious that shipping it is a pain.

Speakers

Gaming desktop with speakers

One of the significant aspects of the gaming laptops on the market right now is how mature they are in sound output. A long cry from the laptop speakers of the past, where the most you could hope for without external speakers, was a muffled echo.

Any experienced gamer would inform you that rich sound output is essential to the gaming experience. Although your laptop speaker might not provide enough volume to block out all other sounds, it still does a fine job. Some versions can install a 2.1 bass speaker under the hood, which is a fantastic idea.

On the gaming desktop, you have a wide variety of sound quality choices – practically nothing keeps you converting your gaming den into a private amphitheater. Sadly, if the laptop fan constantly interferes with its continuous whirring when it comes to music, and otherwise strong laptop speaker might seem less successful.

Most game laptops have to control their fans to keep the temperature at their maximum capacity, and they always get very high, reducing the overall output.

Memory and Storage

Laptops typically have smaller RAM volumes compared to desktops and are difficult to load, although some allow additional RAM modules. Many notebooks, gaming or otherwise, have very challenging to navigate RAM spaces, and the only way to get to them is to disassemble the laptop’s foundation.

This is not only dangerous, but it also avoids the laptop’s warranties. The last thing you want to do is purchase a high-end gaming laptop and then destroy it when repairing the RAM.

The scale of laptops is also a challenge when it comes to capacity. There is no room for additional hard drives (HDDs) or solid-state drives (SSDs). You should still replace the original HDD/SSD or use external storage as an alternative.

On the other hand, a desktop has several SATA ports, enabling you to add more storage capacity of HDDs or SSDs, allowing for a much-improved gaming experience.

Display

Gaming desktop with dual monitor

The display on your computer has a significant effect on your overall gameplay experience. After all, the purpose of immersing oneself in a parallel universe is to feel as similar to it as possible in any aspect. Gaming desktops are likely to have the biggest benefit in this region!

The bulk of gaming laptops have full HD displays with 60 Hz refresh rates and are 15 to 17 inches diagonally. It’s one thing to prioritize a smaller laptop when you want it to fit into a pocket snugly. But would you still like to limit your experience to 17-odd inches of screen real estate and miss out on breath-taking views?

It’s simpler to bring together a top-notch gaming setup, equipped with a strong display, with a gaming laptop. Having said that, you should attach your laptop to an external display to expand your gaming experience outside the 17-inch limit.

Invest in a high-quality gaming display, whether you go for a gaming desktop or a gaming laptop. The advantages of doing so are many. This single aspect can make a significant difference in your game’s quality, providing color quality and resolution much superior to that of a laptop computer.

Conclusion

The most strong, upgradeable, and, in certain respects, cheap way to play games on a PC is still a gaming desktop. You can use standard desktop hardware, swap out almost all, and save money. You could play games on a PC in whatever form factor you like, but there’s an explanation that most folks assume of gaming PCs as desktops.

Chris Martin is a professional tech writer. He's been covering tech tutorials, hardware reviews, and more as a professional writer for over seven years now and it doesn't look like he'll be stopping anytime soon! In addition to writing about the latest gadgets on the market, he also covers topics such as how to set up your home network or troubleshoot any computer problems you may have.

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