Introduction:
For die-hard gamers searching for a suitable gaming platform, the question of whether to invest in a gaming laptop or desktop machine can be an extremely difficult one to answer. Both gaming laptops and gaming desktops have their pros and cons according to experts, requiring gamers to do detailed product research and to consider individual requirements for their gaming setup. Before making a decision between the two, it is important to understand the differences between them.
Power:
The power of a gaming laptop or desktop is probably the most important factor to consider when deciding between the two. Generally speaking, gaming desktops are far more powerful than gaming laptops, and they are easily upgradeable too. Desktop components are also more powerful than the components you would find in a laptop, plus they give gamers more options for customizing their gaming rigs.
However, despite their weaker CPUs and GPUs, gaming laptops are becoming increasingly powerful and are now capable of delivering great gaming performance. Provided they’re well built, some gaming laptops can deliver more than enough power to satisfy gamers, plus they are still more portable than gaming desktops.
Price:
Price is also an important factor to consider when deciding between a gaming laptop or desktop machine. Generally speaking, when it comes to price, gaming laptops tend to be more expensive than gaming desktop machines due to their high hardware costs.
On the other hand, it can be cheaper to build a gaming desktop from scratch compared to buying a ready-made gaming laptop, plus it is easier to replace components on a desktop when required. However, if money isn’t an issue, then buying a powerful and well-crafted gaming laptop is the way to go for gamers searching for superior performance.
Portability and Space:
When it comes to portability and space, gaming laptops obviously have the upper hand over gaming desktops. By their very nature, gaming laptops are designed to be mobile and they don’t take up a lot of space. This makes them ideal for gamers looking to take their gaming rigs with them wherever they go.
Desktops, on the other hand, are much more stationary. Gamers can’t expect to lug their heavy desktops around in a suitcase, and they also require quite a bit of space too. For gamers who don’t move around much and are limited on space, a gaming laptop may not be the best choice.
Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of gaming laptops and gaming desktops can differ greatly. Generally speaking, gaming laptops tend to have shorter life cycles than desktop machines, meaning you can expect a laptop to last for around three to five years before it needs to be replaced.
Desktop machines, however, can last for much longer as you can build them up with powerful components and keep on upgrading as time goes on. When built from powerful components, gaming desktops can easily last for ten years or more before needing to be replaced.
Versatility
Although the majority of gamers purchase gaming laptops and desktops to play video games, they can also be used for other functions. When purchased with powerful components, gaming laptops and desktops can be used for tasks such as video editing, 3D rendering and even cryptocurrency mining.
Unlike laptops, it is much easier and more affordable to upgrade components in a gaming desktop to make it more powerful for such tasks. Moreover, users of gaming desktops have much more space to install additional components, from sound cards to multiple displays.
Heat and Noise
When running resource-intensive video games, both gaming laptops and desktops can generate quite a bit of heat and noise. That being said, gaming laptops tend to be much louder than gaming desktop machines due to their small fan design.
With gaming desktops, gamers can purchase components such as powerful graphics cards, drives and large fans to keep them cool and quiet. As such, desktop machines are much better at dealing with heat, meaning the fan noise tends to be much more bearable compared to laptops.
Graphics
Gamers are always looking for the best graphics possible when playing video games. Many gamers choose gaming desktops over laptops due to the fact that dedicated graphics cards tend to perform much better in gaming desktops compared to laptops.
However, not all gaming laptops have dedicated graphics cards. The majority of gaming laptops have integrated graphics chips, which do lack the power of dedicated graphics cards and can’t usually cope with the latest games.
Extras and Performance
Apart from power, gamers can also upgrade other features of their gaming laptops or desktops, depending on the model and budget. When it comes to gaming laptops, there are some models that come with multiple displays and lots of hard drive options too.
On the other hand, gamers can opt for powerful gaming desktop machines with custom cases, liquid cooling systems and extra bays for more hard drives if they need it. Ultimately, it’s up to the gamer to decide which platform they think would best suit their gaming needs.
Customization and Maintenance
One huge advantage of opting for a gaming desktop over a gaming laptop is the ease of customizing and maintaining it. With a laptop, gamers are limited by what components and software they can install and maintain.
On the other hand, a desktop gaming rig provides gamers with the ability to customize all of the hardware, from motherboards to processors, case designs and other components. Desktop PCs also require much less maintenance than laptops which can easily become dust-filled and require disassembling for repair.
Upgradability
The power of a gaming laptop or desktop machine can easily be increased by upgrading the components, meaning users don’t have to buy a brand new machine every time they want to improve their gaming performance.
With gaming laptops, users are only limited to upgrades that are approved by the manufacturer, and they are only capable of upgrading some components like the RAM and storage. On the other hand, users of gaming desktops can easily upgrade multiple components at once, and they can even build a whole new machine if they want to.
Conclusion
In conclusion, gamers should consider both gaming laptops and gaming desktop machines carefully before making a decision. Both machines offer gamers their own unique advantages and disadvantages depending on their budget, individual requirements and gaming needs. Ultimately, gamers should decide which platform would provide them with the best gaming experience before making a final decision.
