Laptop or Desktop for Gaming? Here’s Our Take
by Sayan Dey June 23, 2022 0 commentsIn a gaming PC, gamers have the most advantages in terms of options, customizability, and performance. Prebuilt gaming desktops come at different price ranges whether you are on a tight budget or you need a high-end one or even a semi-custom, mid-range one. You can also opt for a fully-custom PC if you have the budget and knowledge. While desktops remain the popular choice in this segment, gaming laptops are also becoming very powerful and becoming attractive alternatives. Here’s our take on how to choose the right one for your gaming needs.
Typically, gaming desktops provide better performance as they have more powerful GPUs and a wider variety of hardware and cooling options. Gaming laptops, and laptops in general, have limited space due to which they use miniaturized GPU versions that tend to overheat. But it is 2022 now, and the gap between these two has closed over the years. Modern GPUs and CPUs are less power-intensive and provide a better performance, and the overall thermal performance of laptops has also changed drastically over the last few years.
Gaming Desktops
There’s no doubt that desktops have been the go-to option for gamers since the beginning. Gaming desktops are cheaper than laptops when comparing similar specs. Desktops also offer convenient upgradability and wider compatibility. Check out the Victus by HP 15L Gaming Desktop TG02-0008in PC, which is a great future-proof gaming desktop for a competitive price.
Benefits of Gaming Desktops
● Price: Gaming desktops can be cheaper than gaming laptops. Depending on the peripherals used and components installed, gaming desktops can be costly also. However, for someone on a tight budget, desktops are a better option as they provide a better cost-to-performance ratio. Over time, you can upgrade the same desktop by adding more RAM and a more powerful GPU. With no option to upgrade to a better GPU and limited RAM upgradability, laptops are less cost-effective than desktops.
● Upgradeability: In a desktop, you can upgrade more components as compared to a laptop- CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage, Motherboard, Power Supply, etc. Also, if any pre-installed components like a sound chip or LAN chip start malfunctioning, you can replace them with a third-party mounted device on the motherboard. So, whenever the desktop needs a repair or replacement, it is easier to do as compared to a laptop. So, you can directly tie upgradeability with repairability. If any component breaks in a desktop PC, users can typically find a replacement from multiple vendors. Such ability saves money and increases the lifespan of the device.
● Customization: If you opt for a pre-built gaming PC like HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop TG01-2008, which comes with an RTX 3060, you can upgrade it later by replacing the GPU with a new one, and by adding more RAM. This will let you enjoy your games on the same PC even after many years of buying. On the other hand, if you feel your CPU is being overheated quickly, you can replace the stock cooler with a modular liquid cooler, and keep your CPU cool even under full load. The AIO coolers, modular CPU, and RGB lighting make the gaming desktops look cooler and perform better.
● Display Size: Laptops typically feature a 15.6-inch display and the user has to be satisfied with it. In some devices like OMEN Gaming Laptop 16-b0351TX by HP, you can find a 16.1-inch display and that’s the best of its kind. This device comes with great offers where you can get 10% (up to 10,000 INR) cashback instantly, and you can also opt for the easy 18/0 or 12/0 EMI options. You can choose SBI, HDFC, Pine Lab, and Bajaj Finserv as your payment partner.
But if you fancy bigger displays you can opt for various options up to 52 inches on gaming desktops. Mostly you would find gamers using 21.5-inch and 24-inch displays to enjoy their game on 1080p 144 Hz. Such monitors are also easy to replace in case of any malfunctions. In the case of laptops, you’ll have to buy an additional monitor if you need a larger screen for gaming.
● Cooling & Airflow: Desktops have bigger cabinets with lots of free space inside, which makes the airflow better automatically. Along with the use of multiple fans, users can bring down the temperature even more. The liquid AIO coolers are also there to help advanced gamers. However, adding more cooling devices can make the desktop noisier.
● Performance: Desktop runs with direct power access, hence it can afford to consume more power. So, all desktop components, especially CPUs and GPUs, are made in a way so that they can consume more power and perform at their peak capability. While playing on a gaming desktop, it is highly unlikely to face any frustrating performance issues. This advantage lets the desktop components perform better than the laptop components.
Advantages of Gaming Laptops
Gaming laptops offer unparalleled portability and simplicity. Everything from the monitor to the webcam and keyboard is integrated into a small form factor, so users don’t have to worry about buying them separately. Powerful gaming laptops can run the latest games and ensure a decent performance even on the go. Here are the main advantages of a gaming laptop:
● Portability: this is the biggest feature and there without a doubt. You can just shove your laptop in a bag along with a mouse and headset to enjoy your game anywhere you want.
● Plug & Play: Gaming laptops come with all the components under the same hood along with the OS and basic applications pre-installed. So, you don’t have to worry about installation or compatibility.
● Immune to Price Fluctuation: As OEM laptop brands deal with the component producers directly, even before the launch of the product, they get to cut a sweet deal. Which later on keeps their product prices steady, even if the market goes up & down. Due to the same reason in 2022, you can find a laptop with Nvidia RTX 3060 way cheaper than a desktop with the same GPU.
● Power Independence: laptops are not always power-dependent due to the presence of batteries. Gaming laptops like OMEN 16-c0136AX by HP feature 9+ hours of battery life, which is more than enough for a long-term gaming session (i.e. 3-4 hours typically). So, you can play the game on your device even if you are not at home, which is experience desktop users can’t share. This device is on offer with an extra discount on the MRP, and you can get an additional 10% instant cashback (up to 10000 INR) if you buy it from HP Online store using an SBI card. Also, any buy over 60,000 on the HP Store is eligible for a no-cost 18/0 EMI facility, so just don’t wait but grab it while you still can.
Things to Watch Out for
Whether you choose a gaming desktop or laptop, it’s also important to be aware of a few factors that don’t go in their favor. With gaming desktops, for instance, you don’t get mobility. You have to use them in one place and can’t carry them around. While upgradability is a huge benefit of desktops, it becomes harder to get OEM parts 5-6 years down the line. Also, due to the semiconductor shortage and the rise of crypto-miner, the price of CPUs and GPUs have both increased drastically, making gaming desktops more expensive. If you’re ready to shell out additional money, then this shouldn’t be an issue. Lastly, desktops use bigger components that are more power-hungry, meaning your electricity bills will increase more as compared to gaming laptops.
Gaming laptops on the other hand have limited upgradability, meaning you cannot change the CPU, GPU, or display. Overheating is another issue that’s more prevalent in gaming laptops as compared to their desktop counterparts. However, if you opt for premium gaming devices like OMEN by HP, you will find them to have decent cooling with almost no noise to disturb you. Many gamers also feel that the display size of laptops is not big enough. However, they should remember that for that price, it would be even harder to get your hands on a 144 Hz, 1080p, IPS display in the desktop segment. If you are still uncomfortable you can always add an external monitor of your choice and enjoy gaming on that. Lastly, due to the miniaturization of components, laptops cannot match the performance of their desktop counterparts. This difference will be more visible in multiplayer games. However, things are changing fast, and increasingly, the performance difference between laptops and desktops is gradually diminishing.
Which One to Choose?
The final answer depends on you. If you love gaming laptops but are considering a desktop due to cost and performance, you need not worry. Laptops in 2022 are good enough to deliver decent 1080p 60+ FPS gameplay on most AAA and multiplayer games. Many competitive gamers are choosing laptops as their partners-in-crime while on the go. So, just go for it. But if you want upgradability, overclocked performance and you love to play games in your shorts all the time, you should opt for a desktop.
If you are still undecided and love the experience of a laptop and desktop both, I will recommend that you go for a gaming laptop. Then you can turn it into a desk-laptop setup by adding a display and peripherals and enjoy the best of both worlds. Before investing browse for the upcoming VICTUS 15 GAMING LAPTOP that comes with 12th Gen Intel i7 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 in a real value-for-money deal.
Check out the HP Online store to find such suitable OMEN gaming laptops at a fair price.
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