Are you confused or not sure which one to purchase when Desktop Computer vs Laptop Computer? Want to know the difference, right? Sure, here is a summary of somethings that I believe are fundamental, and useful in order to distinguish them.
Mobility
The first one is simple. If you need a computer to take to anywhere you like, then get a laptop. However, if you just need a ‘Home Computer’ or one for the new office, then a powerful desktop PC is better suited.
It is easy to get lost when you say: “Uh.., I’d like a notebook to take to wherever I want!” Well, everyone would think about that! In my opinion, I would highly recommend you to get a PC if you practically don’t need the mobility. You’ll see my points in ‘Performance’ and ‘Upgrades’ sections listed below.
Additionally, be deep thinking the following few questions when choosing a laptop vs pc in order to clear your mind:
- What are the top 3 most important things you will be doing in the new computer?
- Is it extremely important or fairly convenient to proceed them anywhere?
- If yes, whereabouts? How often?
There is also a good option for you called ‘Netbooks’. I would only recommend this if you’ve already had a good computer and need checking mails remotely. Netbooks are usually small laptop computers that are used for light tasks like just surfing the internet, word processing, usage with internet-based tools and reading purposes. They are cheap but not that powerful.
Space
Secondly, think about the space of laptop vs pc. Are you severely space limited? Normally, the PC will occupy twice or even 3 times more than the laptop. So..for example, if you are having a very small desk or your room having no much space left, then probably laptop is a better choice.
If you are thinking about getting a PC, making sure you do a measurement to the following:
- Size of your Desk
- Monitor Screen
- PC Case
- Keyboard
There are also some other strategies to save space too. A good idea is to get a computer desk, which enables us to organize the PC components in a compact way. Or you may want just to relocate the furniture in your room in order to get more free space.
Performance
How good do you need the computer to be? Usually, a desktop PC is much faster than the laptop (by the same cost). However, the laptop has been able to handle most stuffs that we need. So if you getting a laptop, make sure it can run the particular software that you require.
For example, if your daily work is just about checking emails, surfing the web and occasionally, watching movies, then a laptop is good enough! Unless you are having demands for severe 3D Games and graphic design, a good graphic card is then very important.
So you really have to be sure with what you will be using your computer or laptop for, and pay attention to the following parts when choosing a laptop vs pc:
1. CPU
- what is the speed? 1.6GHz or 2.5GHz?
- How many cores? Dual-core or Quad-core?
- Low voltage? (laptop only)
2. RAM
- How much? 1GB or 2GB?
- DDR2 or DDR3?
3. Graphics Card
- Nvidia or ATM?
- What series?
- How much graphic memory? 256MB or 512MB?
- On-board or separate? (laptop only)
4. Hard Drive
- How big? 250GB or 350GB?
- what is speed? 5,400rpm or 7,200rpm?
Upgrades
For future upgrades when laptop vs pc, certainly the latter one gives you more choices. There are more stuffs you can add to the PC, and parts are cheaper as well. In comparison, the laptop can only upgrade the RAM and hard drive that’s the sad part about it.
If you’ve cleared what we have talked about in the ‘mobility’ and ‘Performance’ sections above, then don’t worry too much about this. Unless you’ve already know what equipment you are going to add to the computer.
And no one really knows exactly what we might upgrade in the future. And to leave options open, a PC is better. The following is a list of examples to upgrade for PC:
- 7.1 or 5.1 speakers system (laptops only do 2.1)
- A good sound card
- A bigger LCD Monitor
- Another hard drive
Well, don’t forget the sustainability. The PC is able to last longer by upgrading more advanced parts. Even if you upgrade your motherboard and getting a brand new system, you could still keep your monitor, keyboard and PC case. However, with a laptop, you can not do that.
Budget
Right, let’s think about how much you have to spend for now. If you are still confused about what we’ve discussed above, then the budget you claim could make a final balance to Desktop Computer vs Laptop Computer. Whether with a high or low budget, you can always get a better PC than a laptop as talked in ‘Performance’ above.
Well, if you decide to buy a PC, make sure you don’t need the ‘mobility’ firmly. However, if it’s a laptop, you have to sacrifice the speed you could get from the PC. Anyway, the idea is to get a suitable computer that is powerful enough and at a reasonable cost, do you agree? I guess its a yes!
In my opinion, if you care about speed, go for the PC. Otherwise, stick to the laptop. It’s good enough to run most programs we need, and you can take it wherever you like. 🙂