A gaming laptop is a powerful machine that can be used for playing games, editing video, and other tasks. But if you’re not sure which one to buy, here are some pros and cons of both types of machines.

The gaming laptop vs desktop reddit 2020 is a question that has been asked for a while now. There are pros and cons to both, so it’s hard to decide which one you should get.

Are you looking for a new gaming computer? Are you feeling a little overwhelmed by the options? Which one should you choose between a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop? You’ll want to think about a few things before making this purchase to prevent any serious buyer’s regret. Buying the appropriate gaming unit for your specific gaming tastes will be determined by a variety of factors, including your budget and customisation requirements.

To begin, decide which characteristics are most essential to you in a computer, such as cost, performance, portability, and so on. After that, you’ll need to figure out what kind of budget you’re dealing with. This will have a significant impact on the path you choose for your gaming machine.

Finally, evaluate what kinds of special requirements you have based on the games you usually play. How much screen space, for example, do you need to play your game? All of these factors will influence the choice you make and the effect it has on your gaming pleasure. Don’t worry, I’m here to guide you through the options. Let’s have a peek, shall we?

Price

Many gamers wonder what the price difference is between a gaming laptop and a gaming desktop. However, the cost of your setup is dependent on a few factors, since both choices will need some extra expenditures in the form of accessories, components, and peripherals.

Before choosing on one or the other, you should price out the whole package against your budget. There is a significant price difference between gaming laptops and gaming desktop PCs when it comes to the devices themselves. With the development of gaming laptops in recent years, these machines are now available at ever-increasing prices.

A gaming laptop now ranges in price from $1500 for mid-level technology to $3000 for considerably better quality. A mid-to-high-grade desktop setup with all of the necessary accessories, on the other hand, may be bought for between $1000 and $1500. As a point of comparison, a desktop gaming PC on Amazon now costs between $700 and $1000. (without the monitor, additional accessories, or peripherals).

However, if you know where to search, you can get a powerful gaming laptop for a very low price – we’re talking about the Asus TUF fx505dv, a stylish, sturdy gaming laptop with plenty of horsepower.

ASUS TUF fx505dv

However, deciding on a price does not always imply that your equipment has a personal worth. Your specific gaming requirements must be considered while deciding whether to go mobile or stay fixed.

Portability

The most obvious advantage of choosing a gaming laptop is mobility. A laptop would obviously be the ideal choice for your requirements if your gaming endeavors involve a lot of travel and you need a portable alternative for your computer. That isn’t to suggest you can’t carry a desktop computer – you certainly can!

A desktop PC, on the other hand, may not be the greatest choice if you want to optimize convenience and reduce travel space (and potentially expense for checked goods at the airport). With a laptop, you also have the advantage of instant gaming ready without the headaches of setting up a desktop computer.

Gaming laptops will arrive with pre-installed components and will be ready to use immediately after purchase. Newer gaming laptops are getting slimmer and lighter than ever, and many still provide excellent component quality and overall performance, so if portability and simplicity of use are your main priorities, a gaming laptop may be the solution.

Remember that there are some excellent portable desktop alternatives on the market as well, which may be a good compromise between the ever-evolving laptop vs. desktop argument. These tiny, compact gaming PCs are now available on Amazon for anywhere from $600 to $1200.

Take a look at the SkyTech Legacy Mini Gaming PC if you’re searching for a compact, portable gaming PC. It offers good specifications and the nVidia GeForce 1660ti graphics card enables for high-end 1080p gaming.

Customizability

Whereas laptops are superior in terms of mobility and simplicity of use, desktops are superior in terms of customizability. If you want complete control over the brands, sizes, and performance levels of all of your gaming components, a desktop PC is unquestionably the way to go.

A desktop allows you to pick and select your components, varying them piece by piece based on your preferred brands and performance needs. A laptop, on the other hand, usually has a consistent choice for all of the components on one machine, leaving limited opportunity for customizing each component to your particular preferences and requirements.

If you like one brand of CPU while preferring another brand for SSD choices, you may have the best of both worlds with a desktop PC, while a gaming laptop would have major restrictions in this regard. You may have to make do with what you have till your laptop dies (in a few years, one would hope). Furthermore, you may prolong the life of your desktop computer by simply replacing specific components when newer and better ones become available.

motherboard closeup

 

While the latest generations of gaming laptops come with some of the finest performance components and other features, you won’t be able to get your hands on the most recent releases in updated parts. In summary, you’ll have a lot more control over the customizability of your gaming experience if you use a desktop PC!

Performance

Because performance and customizability are often linked, some of the same considerations that we discussed for customizability will apply when assessing the performance potential of your computer. While gaming laptops have improved in recent years in terms of CPU, GPU, and other components, they still fall short of the level of performance that desktop PC components have consistently maintained.

Furthermore, as the quality of a laptop’s performance improves, the machine gets more costly, and the quality still falls short of that of a desktop. Aside from the greater price, another problem with some of the better-performing gaming laptops on the market is the increased risk of internal damage.

Some of the more powerful laptops produce a lot of heat when playing, which the machine isn’t designed to manage. If you don’t have a good cooling pad, for example, the high temperatures may damage the machine’s components, which can be expensive to repair.

A desktop PC has the advantage of being able to quickly add new hardware upgrades such as the newest and greatest GPUs, CPUs, storage, and so on, allowing you to keep your rig operating at its peak for extended periods of time.

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However, since replacing individual components on a laptop is almost difficult, you may be stuck with the same factory-issued components for the life of the device. While high-performance gaming laptops do exist, there are certain disadvantages to consider when it comes to pricing, damage control, and the possibility to modify when new upgraded components become available.

Your laptop’s performance components will ultimately become outdated, and there are usually no component upgrades available without buying a new machine.

Peripherals

There are certain differences to bear in mind when it comes to peripheral requirements between laptops and desktops. Some things, such as a gaming mouse, headphones, and extra storage, will be required for both choices.

While you won’t need to acquire PC-specific things like a desk chair or even a keyboard if you’re happy with the one that came with the machine, there are certain accessories that are unique to gaming on a laptop that you will need to buy.

gaming peripherals

A portable charger, for example, will very certainly be required. A typical gaming session can rapidly deplete the battery life of your laptop, therefore a portable charger will allow you to prolong your remote gaming session if you don’t have access to a power source. You’ll also need to consider buying a gaming backpack or travel bag that can hold both your laptop and all of your essential equipment for playing on the move.

Finally, you’ll want to consider purchasing an ergonomic lap desk as well as a cooling pad to keep your laptop from overheating and causing harm to itself while you’re gaming on it.

If you’re searching for a lap desk or a cooling pad, here are some options.

Desks for Laps:

Pads for cooling:

In order to play comfortably on a desktop PC, you’ll need certain PC-specific devices. A gaming keyboard, mouse, and a comfy chair are all required, as previously stated. You’ll also need a display (or several monitors) that meets your gaming requirements. Make sure you select the finest peripherals for your gaming setup from the best that are presently available!

While each choice needs some extra peripheral purchases, Amazon, Newegg, and other sites provide fairly priced alternatives for these things for both laptops and desktop PCs.

Display

I’m going to make an obvious statement: a monitor’s screen is bigger than a laptop’s screen. With that astute remark, I’ll add that when it comes to the size of your screen, it’s all about your tastes. If you like immersive and atmospheric games, you will most certainly appreciate them better on a bigger screen. If you like competitive action games, you may be able to get away with a gaming laptop’s smaller screen and lower quality.

If you’re using your laptop at home, though, a good compromise between the two configurations is to simply connect a bigger monitor to your laptop. This will give you more screen real estate. Keep in mind, however, that attaching a big monitor with greater resolution requirements may tax your laptop’s graphics card, forcing you to choose between visual quality and performance in this case.

A desktop PC has the advantage of being able to add several displays for a multi-screen configuration that is impossible to accomplish with a laptop, even with an extra monitor.

multiscreen setup

At the end of the day, if extremely immersive and visually stunning experiences are the most essential aspects of your gaming philosophy, a desktop PC will get you closer to paradise than a laptop will ever be able to provide. If, on the other hand, the size of your screen has little effect on your gameplay and there are other factors that are more essential to you, go mobile, buddy!

It’s up to you to make a decision.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the gaming industry or a seasoned expert with years of experience, making an impulsive purchase for your next gaming machine may lead to a world of regret. My recommendation to you is to think about your budget as well as the aspects of gaming that are most important to you, and then make a choice based on your own tastes.

If you’re on a tight budget, a desktop computer may be the best option. If you really must play on the move, a laptop is the obvious option. If you’re fussy about various manufacturers of components and have varied tastes across the board, a desktop is usually the best option. Laptops don’t allow you to be as selective, so a desktop is definitely the best option in this case.

Are unrivaled performance and a fully immersive experience your most critical requirements? My buddy, you can’t get the greatest of those characteristics on a laptop. When everything is said and done, your computer is your portal into the gaming world, and you don’t want to lose out on any important aspects of it.

When you’ve examined all of the factors mentioned and are ready to purchase your machine, make an informed decision and never look back!

If you are looking for a gaming laptop, the gaming desktop is what you will want to get. The major difference between the two is that the desktop has more power and performance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are gaming laptops better than desktops?

Gaming laptops are a lot more powerful than desktops, but they tend to be a lot bulkier and heavier. They also have lower battery life, so you will need to plug them in more often.

Are gaming laptops a waste of money?

Gaming laptops are not a waste of money. They are an investment that can be used for many years to come.

Is a gaming laptop a good investment?

It is a good investment, but it depends on the person.

Author

Holly is the smartest person you will ever know (Or so she tells us lol). She's a gamer by heart, and an author by soul. Writing for the website g15tools is a dream come true for her - she loves being able to share her thoughts and insights with others who love gaming as much as she does. When she's not writing or gaming, Holly can be found spending time with her friends and family.