If you rewind 10 years, the best computer performance was found in desktop computers and laptops were not bought unless someone had the need for portability. The technology in laptops was not up to the same level of quality as desktops and they were also more expensive.
Desktop computers were king; they could be very powerful and affordable. Many were equipped with huge hard drives and could run all kinds of games and programs. Recently though, there has been a power shift, for the better or worse? I may not hold the answer, but let’s explore and compare the modern-day desktop computers and laptops.
Why would you buy desktop computers?
In today’s day and age, desktop computers are typically bought for two reasons. The first reason is because of sheer power. Desktop computers can be fully customized to have lightning-fast processors and some can have up to 16 GB of memory. The other reason is because of the built-in feel. A lot of people like their computer to be hidden away so it looks nice. When you have a desktop you can hide away the computer and expose only the monitor, mouse, and keyboard. But today, this is gradually becoming an obsolete feature of what to expect from a computer. Today, our world is vastly moving towards a nano-focused ecosystem where smaller screens rule the game of computation – hence, in this clime, desktop computers are gradually becoming obsolete and uninteresting for today’s audience.
Why would you buy a laptop?
Laptops have one advantage over desktop computers, which is portability. A laptop can go anywhere and doesn’t need any cords to do so. Laptops don’t truly lack in anything that a desktop has either, which is what I conclude to be the sole feature of why laptops are becoming increasingly popular and becoming a major factor in the computer market. A laptop can have a seventeen-inch HD display, as well as a quad-core processor. At the same time, it can run on battery power, unlike a desktop.
Let’s compare products with similar features?
The Dell Inspiron 620 is a good computer for everyday computing and performing most tasks anyone would throw at it. It is $380 from Dell’s website and is considered their higher-end home computer. The Dell Inspiron 14R laptop has almost identical specs as the 620 but costs $500. If you add in the keyboard, mouse, and monitor you would need to but for the 620, they cost about the same. The only difference between these two products is that the 620 cannot go anywhere and must be plugged in. Where the 14R can be taken anywhere you want and run on a battery.
What about the higher-end desktop computers?
When you break into the highend of laptops and desktops things can be a little bit different. The Dell Aurora 6 desktop gaming computer is a 6 core, 15 GB RAM, 2 Terabyte hard drive beast of a computer. It comes in at a bold $2000 on Dell’s website, not including a monitor, mouse, or keyboard. The Laptop counterpart of this is the M18x, also by Dell. This has about the same specs except for it can only handle a modest 8 GB of memory. This does have a monster 18.4 four-inch display.
So is a desktop still a justifiable purchase?
It is debatable, but I would still say that a desktop computer is worth purchasing for people who work from home or need a very powerful computer for business, gaming, or other programs. If you work from home a dual monitor setup would be very beneficial, as well as the option to customize your RAM and hard drive without a space constraint. If you need a super-powerful computer there isn’t a reason to get a laptop, because a laptop isn’t always going to have optimal ventilation. Also, if your computer is extremely powerful, you will not be able to use the capabilities of a battery effectively.
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Going for desktop computers is a bit old-fashioned in this day and age. I agree there are some pros in buying desktop computer but I guess it misses one important feature that laptops have which is, as you mentioned, portability.
Hi Jian,
I really found your comment interesting and helpful. thanks for that 🙂
I am surprised to know this.. I really don’t have any idea about this at all.. Thanks for updating me buddy!!
Welcome here
I wouldn’t say they’re obsolete. There are just laptops out there that can match to the gaming rigs that we all know and love. I think the advantage of desktops is that it can easily be upgraded part by part. If you want to upgrade a laptop, the only thing you can add there is the RAM. The rest would be external. If you really want new specs, you would buy a new laptop, whereas in PCs, you just need to buy the part that you need, like a video card, a sound card, a processor, and so on.
Each of these gadgets has merit and demerits and you have just mentioned some of those recently here. Thanks for your comment 🙂
That $380 Dell Desktop probably would cost $250 if build part by part. On that note, a $2000 gaming laptop is probably an equivalent of a $1000 custom build desktop rig. Those “portable” laptops, mind you, weight like 20 pounds, and batteries last for very short time, so you can’t really whip it out on the bus because it wouldn’t be practical; well, you could but the battery would die rather quickly. They are more like desktop replacements. You would have to sit at a table and have the “laptop” connected to AC to get anything done. It is more like a desktop you can carry around with you. As far as mid end laptops go, those are perfectly fine but guarantee you that your new $500 laptop with be as efficient as my 3 year desktop which now costs $200
I love desktops i work on one power rig every day , it’s not a question of one or the other , It’s simple, you need both , Desktop for power computing easy upgrades and all that ,( i like to build my own rigs from parts ) and laptops are good for on the bus as you guys said but also for home , when i m done for the day , i power up the laptop in my bedroom to check emails or read the news : – ) so you can put it as my next buy will be both desktop+new laptop :)) ( provided enough budget )
You can leave a desktop on 24/7. After it gets dusty you can clean it yourself. When the power box goes bad you can swap it out.
Thanks Js for commenting here….Glad to read your message.