Useful Tips: Deciding Between a Laptop and a Desktop

Introduction

Deciding between a desktop and a laptop for your next computer purchase? Trying to weigh the pros and cons of each? Well, you’ve come to the right place for answers, there are a ton of advantages and disadvantages for each. In this post, the options are weighed so that you can choose the best option for your needs.

Which to Choose Between a Desktop and a Laptop?

In terms of performance, desktops are likely to be the winner, you can! With their ability to operate at full power and the much better cooling system, it allows the user to perform intensive tasks such as rendering, modeling, video editing, and doing up databases. If this sounds like it is suitable for you, you can check some desktop pcs here.

In terms of portability, laptops are the obvious winner. With their lightweight and battery pack, it allows you to work on the go; ideal for students rushing to various lectures or for businessmen who are often flying from one meeting to another.

Read on if you would like more detail about the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Advantages of a Laptop

They Are Very Portable

If you are someone who is often on the move, or like shifting between various places to do your work at home, then a laptop might be the one for you. Coming in compact sizes, laptops can be easily slotted into a backpack or a larger handbag.

Minimal Set Up Required

If you aren’t the type of person that likes to tinker around with various parts, then laptops are the choice for you. All you have to do is remove it from the box and switch the power on. As it runs on battery and many modern laptops have a built-in battery, you don’t have to assemble anything at all.

Lower Power Usage Compared to a Desktop

Being smaller and more compact, you can also expect your laptop to require less electricity to work. Further, as it has a battery, you won’t be affected by sudden power shortages or fluctuations. This means the risk of your unsaved work being lost is greatly minimized.

Of course, the battery will eventually run out. If you’re going on a long trip, then you still have to be sure to pack along the charging cable so you can recharge your laptop.

In regard with this, read about: The Ultimate Gaming Laptop Buying Guide

Disadvantages of a Laptop

Smaller Keyboard Size

If you are someone with particularly large hands, or if you are used to having a full-sized keyboard, you may find it difficult to use a laptop given its much smaller keyboard size, and trackpad. Though you can definitely purchase a separate keyboard and mouse, it adds to the weight and makes your laptop less portable.

Not Ideal for Gaming

Being more portable means that the physical space offered in a laptop is smaller. This often results in limited graphic capabilities. If you want a better gaming experience, you would have to shell out more money for a higher-end gaming laptop that can support the graphics and CAD-based applications which many games run on.

Moreover, you should also keep in mind that your laptop could overheat if used for gaming since the smaller chassis means that air is not circulated as easily. This could result in damage if you game continually while your laptop is overheating.

Difficult to Upgrade

Apart from the RAM and hard drive, it is unlikely that you will be able to upgrade any of the other parts. Further, since most modern laptops now have inbuilt batteries and motherboards, once any part is spoiled, you would have to buy a new laptop rather than sending just that one part for repair.

This could end up being more costly than simply purchasing a desktop, given that you might drop if you bring it out with you. They can easily slip out of your hands resulting in damages to the chassis or screen.

Laptops Can be Easily Stolen or Left Behind

Being light and portable, your laptop gives you the ease of access when bringing it around with you. On the flip side, it also means that other people can easily take it away with them. You could also forget your laptop, given how little it weighs, and simply leave it behind in a hotel room or a coffee shop.

Advantages of a Desktop

It is Likely to be Cheaper than a Laptop of Comparable Specifications

As desktops are made of a variety of customizable components, they also come in a variety of prices so there is bound to be something within your budget. The starting price of desktops is cheap if you opt for a very basic one, and with all specifications equal, a desktop will be cheaper than a laptop.

The Larger Screen Size Makes It Easier on the Eyes

With desktops, your monitor size is only restricted by the amount of space that you have in your room or office. Starting from 19” and going up to as large as a TV-sized screen, you will never have to worry about squinting to see all the figures on your screen anymore.

Disadvantages of a Desktop

Higher Power Usage

To run the larger monitor and multiple components, much higher power consumption is used by desktops as compared to laptops. This means that you must make it a point to regularly save your work since your desktop does not have a battery and is susceptible to power outages or fluctuations.

Larger Space Needed for the Setup

As a result of the larger screen size, this also means that your desktop setup will need significantly more space compared to the more portable laptop. Hence, be sure to consider if your working area has sufficient space to house a desktop permanently, given that it would be a permanent fixture in your room or office.

Conclusion

Ultimately, you must consider what is the reason behind your purchase and choose the option which checks the most boxes off your requirements list. Be it a laptop or a desktop, both are wonderful choices which are suited to people of different needs.