Are laptops good for gaming? Or do desktops have the edge? Selecting one between gaming laptops and gaming desktops can be quite puzzling as both laptops and desktops have their own plus points as well as drawbacks. Therefore, if you want to pick one of the two, by and large, it depends on which features you need in your PC and which ones you do not.
A gaming laptop is a mobile personal computer which is specially designed for gaming purposes. With better performance, an enhanced cooling system, and superior graphics, it outperforms a regular laptop when it comes to gaming. This article will throw light on various aspects of gaming laptops and desktops, highlighting their pros and cons, so that you are able to come to a conclusion in choosing the best one for you. You might also like the Best Gaming Laptops under £700.
Quick tips
- Performance: Gaming desktops outperform gaming laptops in all demanding situations.
- Portability: If portability is your priority, go for a gaming laptop so that you can use your PC anywhere, anytime.
- Hardware upgrades: Gaming laptops leave no room for degradation. Consider a gaming desktop if you want your PC to work efficiently for a longer period of time.
- Peripherals: You get the freedom to choose your desired peripherals like keyboard, mouse, and speakers without paying extra in the case of a gaming desktop.
- Other features: Other features to review include noise and heat production and power consumption.
Gaming Laptops vs Gaming Desktops
Performance
The performance of a gaming laptop as compared to a gaming desktop is not easy to distinguish. Earlier, desktops were considered better for gaming than laptops. But laptops, nowadays, have advanced a lot and perform almost as good as desktops. So, if you are not a keen observer or if you are an amateur gamer, you might agree that gaming laptops and gaming desktops are equal in terms of performance.
On the other hand, gamers who are very serious about their gameplay must have observed that gaming desktops still beat gaming laptops in all demanding situations. This is because gaming laptops and desktops do not actually use the same processor and graphics, as it might seem so.
To support this, let us take the example of a graphics card Nvidia RTX 3080. Apparently, the same graphics card is used in both gaming laptops and desktops but the one used in desktops has added features like more memory bandwidth, more Tensor units, etc. making the gaming desktop perform better.
Portability
Are laptops good for gaming? Keeping portability in mind, yes they are! The most important factor that will help you to decide whether a gaming laptop is better for you or a gaming desktop, is portability. When it comes to portability, undoubtedly, a gaming laptop wins. You can easily carry your gaming laptop anywhere along with you and use it anywhere you want as it has a built-in display, keyboard, touchpad and limited wired connectivity. But in order to play on a gaming desktop, you’ll have to dedicate a separate play space.
One more thing to take care of in the case of the gaming laptop is that it used an integrated battery as a power source that needs to be charged at regular intervals, which might be inconvenient for some. But if portability is your priority, then this issue of the battery can be compromised.
Hardware Upgrades
upgrading hardware is important if you do not want to change your PC every now and then. Gaming desktops prove advantageous here as they can be easily customised and upgraded. Unfortunately, gaming laptops are hard to even impossible to upgrade. At max, you can install a faster RAM or a better storage device that too in limited models of gaming laptops, which does not seem to be enough to upgrade your gaming PC.
This is because the laptop manufacturers design the laptops in a way to make them more and more compact, leaving no room for degradation. On the other hand, gaming desktops are compatible with upgrades and can be upgraded the way you want. You can expand the RAM and storage, upgrade the graphics card and do much more. So a gaming desktop can be made to work efficiently for a longer period of time before you need to replace it.
Peripherals
Gaming laptops provide you with an in-built display, keyboard, keypad, speakers, etc. But these peripherals provided might not always work out for you. the inbuilt keyboard may not always be comfortable and ergonomic as the keys are adjusted according to the size of the laptop. Using a keypad is far less convenient than using a mouse, particularly a gaming one. The sound quality of inbuilt speakers is not appreciable enough.
Although you do have the option of connecting your desired peripherals with your gaming laptop, but keep in mind that you’ll have to pay twice as much for each peripheral you add. Gaming desktops provide you with the option of choosing the peripherals of your choice without you paying extra.
Other features
Other features to take into consideration include noise and heat production and power consumption. All gaming PCs are noisy but gaming laptops are noisier. Due to the compact size of the laptop, the fan provided for cooling is small in size and needs to rotate fast, making it produce more sound. Talking about heat production, again, all gaming PCs produce heat but due to the small size of a laptop, heat gets concentrated. Heat affects the performance of your gaming PC to a great extent.
The power consumed by gaming laptops is less than the power consumed by gaming desktops. Gaming laptops consume 200 to 300 watts whereas gaming desktops consume about 500 to 1000 watts of electricity, making gaming laptops more energy-efficient.
Value for money
Gaming desktops are usually cheaper than gaming laptops. Besides, the option of upgradation makes desktops more valuable for money as they can be used efficiently for a longer time as compared to gaming desktops without the need of getting replaced. No need to pay extra for any of your desired peripherals you want to use your desktop with. Gaming desktops consume less electricity, making them more cost-effective.
Conclusion
So, are laptops good for gaming? It depends on the need of the user. Keeping in view all the above details, a gaming desktop does top the line in most of the features and seems to be more efficient. It performs better, can be upgraded, can be used with the peripherals of your choice and is cost-effective. But if portability is your most important concern, no doubt you should choose a gaming laptop.
