One of the classic queries for tech buyers is, “Should I buy a laptop or a desktop?” It has been around even longer than the Android versus iPhone debate. But every now and then it’s worth checking back in to see if the state of play has changed.
Some things have but the fundamentals have not, of course.
If you want a portable PC, you should buy a laptop. A desktop only really comes into contention if your computer will mostly stay at home or in the office.
There’s more to it, though, and there are solid reasons to pick a laptop as a home PC. And a few reasons some folks should still probably side with a desktop. Let’s pick this one apart.
What Is The Difference Between A Laptop And Desktop?
Desktops and laptops use the same core components. They have a CPU, RAM, storage, a motherboard and so on.
In a laptop these are baked into a relatively slim and light format, combined with a screen, battery, keyboard and touchpad. A desktop makes you get hold of the display, the keyboard and a mouse unless you buy an “all in one” desktop, also called an AiO, which crams all the essentials into a monitor frame.
Later on, there will be plenty of talk about why a desktop PC may be a better buy than a laptop for many. But remember to factor in added accessory purchases before buying.
Pros And Cons Of Laptops And Desktops
As with any binary choice of perfectly competent adversaries, it eventually helps to break laptops and desktops down to their pros and cons. Weight these up and you’ll be able to work out which is going to fit your lifestyle better.
If you’re the kind of person who thinks about terms like “lifestyle” when shopping for tech, there’s a good chance you’ll fall into the laptop camp.
Pros Of Laptops
The first pro of a laptop is obvious: It’s portable, even if you buy a larger and heavier performance-driven model.
You can use laptops anywhere, and they let you get a change of scenery whenever you like.
Cons Of Laptops
Laptops are not nearly as upgradeable as desktops, though. RAM is often soldered on, making that upgrade impossible. And while you can often upgrade the storage, most laptops won’t have a spare slot inside to let you add an extra drive.
Repairability is much worse too. With just a little tech know-how, it’s not too hard to replace desktop parts. In a laptop it’s more difficult because the components are crammed together and there are more custom or difficult to find ones.
Laptops also typically provide less power per dollar than a desktop. As well as having to factor in the cost of screens, laptop components have to balance performance with power consumption. This leads to less power-hungry, but also less powerful, processors.
Pros Of Desktops
Desktop PCs excel at delivering raw power. CPUs and graphics cards designed for desktops are almost always more performant than their laptop counterparts. There’s no battery life angle to consider in one of these PCs, and desktops can use far more effective cooling as there’s more room for it in the average PC case.
Pay attention to that and you can make a pretty quiet desktop PC too, where the most powerful laptops’ fans can be grating when under strain.
A desktop PC is basically a box of bits, and that means you can choose every single piece that goes into one if you like. Many people even choose to put them together manually. It’s not quite as simple as LEGO, but is not particularly difficult once you know the basics.
This also means upgradeability is excellent. And the average desktop PC motherboard will have room — slots — for additional SSD storage drives and RAM.
Cons Of Desktops
There are plenty of well-priced, pre-built desktops are available, but think twice before buying an all-in-one PC. These PCs bake everything into a slim casing, and some are great, including Apple’s lovely iMacs. They’re excellent for dedicated office rooms in your home, but in most models you lose most of the performance-to-price benefits of a classic desktop.
Upgradability options eventually exhaust themselves, of course. If your desktop has reached the end of its useful life, here’s what to do with your old PC if you have an older system to get rid of.
Which Is Better? Laptops Or Desktop Computers
If only a definitive answer will do, the response on this question will depend on who you ask, and who you are. Purists will argue desktop PCs are better as they deliver better value and better customisation.
For the average person, though, a laptop is likely to be more useful. A little like the old adage that the best camera is the one you have with you, a laptop can be used in far more situations, including being taken on trips and holidays. And it doesn’t have to command any long-term space in a room.
Bottom Line
Laptops and desktops have their place. For the average shopper, a laptop is likely to be a better fit. Their flexibility and ease of use should not be undervalued.
The appeal of a desktop kicks in when you want as much processor or graphics power as you can for the money, or if you are concerned about upgradability.
Desktops make the best gaming rigs and video editing machines, for example, thanks to their potential for great raw performance and excellent cooling.