When looking for an answer to the question: “Laptop or desktop computer?” it is necessary to determine the purpose of the device. Looking ahead, if the goal is to get maximum comfort from gaming, then definitely a powerful desktop computer with a high-quality monitor. If you're working or studying, there may be some nuances, but overall the laptop is better. Read more in our article.
Please consider all calculations and conclusions to be the personal opinion of the author, who has been repairing computers and repairing laptops for the past 18 years.
Laptop or computer. Feature comparison table
| Characteristic | Laptop | Computer |
| Purchase price | Expensive | Cheaper |
| Hardware power | Less powerful | Powerful |
| Comfort for the eyes | Yes | Yes |
| Maintainability | Low | High |
| Damage | Often | Rarely |
| Overheat | Often | Rarely |
| Noisiness | More | Less |
| Connecting to Wi-Fi | Eat | No |
| Installing old Windows | More difficult | Easier |
| Installing Linux | More difficult | Easier |
| Distant work | Yes | No |
| Transportation | Yes | No |
| Upgrade | No | Yes |
| Customization | No | Yes |
| Autonomous operation | Yes | No |
| Select monitor matrix technology | No | Yes |
| — | — | — |
I left a few lines blank and I will be grateful if the comments suggest the pros and cons of laptops and desktop computers that I missed.
Let's compare the advantages and disadvantages
A desktop computer is a serious piece of equipment that is primarily suitable for professionals in various fields: graphic design, programming, etc. And the most important advantage of a laptop computer over a PC is its mobility.
| Computer | Laptop |
| Pros: | |
|
|
| Minuses: | |
|
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Main disadvantages of a laptop
Tendency to rapid overheating, low maintainability, high price for comparable power. When trying to install an outdated Windows operating system (this could be Windows 7, 8.1) or Linux, problems with drivers may occur.
I would also add the almost complete lack of opportunity to carry out an inexpensive upgrade or add a part with the necessary parameters. According to statistics from our service, physical damage is more common in laptops, so they have to be repaired more often. At the same time, modern laptops are becoming more often beyond repair.
What to choose for different tasks
Both a computer and a laptop are created for specific purposes. Each type of technique is good in its own scenarios.
Games
In terms of loading speed, image quality and convenience (large screen, full keyboard, powerful video card), the PC is clearly the leader. But there are also special gaming laptops. True, they will be expensive and weigh a lot, so you won’t be able to take them everywhere with you anyway.
Job
A laptop, even a budget version, can handle office tasks. But for more complex and resource-intensive programs (design, analytics, programming) you will need a stationary machine, for example, with a Core i7-i9 processor or its equivalent from AMD.
For those who work with visual content or large amounts of data, it is more convenient to work on a PC. In particular, because you can connect multiple monitors to it.
Studies
A laptop will be enough for a student to write essays, term papers and dissertations. It is especially relevant in a hostel where there is little space. It is also convenient for taking notes during lectures. But if your studies involve video editing, photo and audio processing, it is more logical to choose a more functional PC.
Choosing a laptop for a student
When choosing, pay attention to:
- size and weight – a large and heavy laptop is not as convenient to take with you as a small and light one;
- screen – choose a matte or anti-glare screen. Models with IPS and *VA-like matrices provide higher quality images than those with TN, since the latter have problems with viewing angle and color rendering. But laptops with IPS and *VA-like matrices have a higher price. At the same time, TNs can provide faster response and frame rates (and therefore are more suitable for gamers).
- power – pay attention to the processor, amount of RAM and type of video card (discrete is better than built-in)
- battery capacity - the more hours of operation the manufacturer promises, the better.
Here are a few options with average characteristics that may be suitable for schoolchildren not only for simple educational tasks.
ATTENTION! Laptops of these models are sold in different configurations, we are considering only one of them.
Laptop Lenovo IdeaPad L340-15 (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 2100MHz/15.6″/1920×1080/8GB/256GB SSD/DVD no/AMD Radeon Vega 8/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/DOS)
This “workhorse” is perfect for studying and will even handle not the most demanding modern games (after all, it has a built-in video card).
Pros:
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor
- anti-glare screen
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- opens almost 180 degrees
- The manufacturer promises an operating time of 8.5 hours, but when loaded it works autonomously within 4
- The board has a slot for an additional SO-DIMM DDR4 memory stick
Minuses
- poor viewing angle
- weight more than 2 kg
- The speakers are located at the bottom, which is why the sound is quite quiet. Can be supplemented with speakers or headphones
- built-in video card
Average price: 37,876 ₽.
Laptop HP 15s-eq0035ur (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 2100MHz/15.6″/1920×1080/8GB/256GB SSD/DVD no/AMD Radeon Vega 8/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/DOS)
This laptop has similar characteristics, but has longer battery life. The downside is that it does not fold out 180 degrees, and users complain about the flimsiness of the case
pros
- AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor
- anti-glare screen
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- The manufacturer promises operating time of 10 hours, but when loaded it works autonomously within 5-6 hours
- weight less than 2 kg
- SVA matrix
Minuses
- does not fold out 180 degrees
- The case and keyboard feel flimsy
- few USB ports
- built-in video card
Average price: 35,990 ₽.
Laptop ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 TP412FA-EC441T (Intel Pentium 5405U 2300MHz/14″/1920×1080/4GB/256GB SSD/DVD no/Intel UHD Graphics 610/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Windows 10 Home)
This is a convertible laptop that can be used as a tablet. Since the screen is touch-sensitive, you can draw on it. Not the most powerful, but light - only 1.5 kg.
pros
- transformer
- weight 1.5 kg
- Screen refresh rate: 60 Hz, IPS matrix
- The manufacturer promises operating time of 10 hours, but when loaded it works autonomously within 7 hours
Minuses
- 4 GB RAM
- weak processor
Average price: RUB 39,355.
Laptop ASUS M570DD-DM009 (AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 2100MHz/15.6″/1920×1080/8GB/512GB SSD/DVD no/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 4GB/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/No OS)
This laptop can be considered not only for fruitful studies, but also for games, since it has a discrete graphics card. But it’s better to buy more RAM (there is a slot for it).
pros
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
- weight less than 2 kg
- anti-glare screen
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- discrete video card
Minuses
- users complain about the flimsy case
- self-disassembly to install additional memory is labor-intensive
- There are glares near the screen frames
Average price: 51,870 ₽.
Laptop Acer Aspire 3 A315-42-R8GL (AMD Ryzen 7 3700U 2300MHz/15.6″/1920×1080/12GB/512GB SSD/DVD no/AMD Radeon RX Vega 10/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/Linux)
This model in this configuration has a powerful processor and a lot of RAM, but the video card is built-in.
pros
- fast AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor
- when loaded, it works autonomously within 5 hours
Minuses
- matrix type TN
- camera 0.3 MP
- users complain about the flimsy case
- built-in memory card
Average price: 45,890 ₽.
Laptop HONOR MagicBook Pro
pros
- AMD Ryzen 5 processor
- IPS matrix
- weight less than 2 kg
- metal case
- keyboard backlight
Minuses
- RAM cannot be increased
- when loaded, it works autonomously within 5 hours
- users do not like the touchpad implementation
Average price: 53,990 ₽.
What price can I meet when buying a PC?
We will highlight 4 price categories: up to $250, $250-300, $400-600, $800 and above. Which computer and at what price is best to buy for home in 2021?
- Up to $250 - complete compromises. Such a computer can handle working in office applications, with e-mail, browsing the Internet, music, movies, documents and other content, but with some effort. You will have to put up with long wait times for many operations. Without a lot of patience, it will be difficult to use such a PC.
- $250-300 - reasonable savings. For work tasks, such a computer is quite enough, but only if your work does not involve complex graphics or the creation of commercial products. It will be difficult for such a PC to handle professional photo processing and video editing; for such tasks, we recommend saving up more money for the purchase. The level of gaming performance does not allow for comfortable gameplay in modern games at medium or high settings. But old, simple games are always welcome.
- $400–600 - with a small margin of “strength”. Such a computer can perform complex work tasks much better than models from the previous price category. Professional programming, 3D modeling of moderate complexity, new games at medium settings, this machine will handle.
- $800+ - for any task. When deciding how to choose a computer for your home, this is the amount you should start from if you need a gaming and professional work “device.” Such a PC will cope with both heavy games and resource-intensive programs, and the power reserve is designed for many years to come.
Choosing a computer for schoolchildren
When choosing, first of all we pay attention to:
- CPU;
- video card;
- amount of RAM.
For educational purposes and simple games, dual-core processors , built-in Intel HD, AMD Radeon video cards, and 2-4 GB of RAM are suitable.
Faster machines that are suitable for simple work in video editors and resource-intensive games in low and medium settings should have an Intel Core i5 processor, AMD A8 / A10 / FX, at least 8 GB of RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 or AMD Radeon R7 260 or higher video cards .
Computers for serious work with graphics and effects, as well as for advanced games, are equipped with Intel Core i7, Intel Core i9, Intel Xeon processors, 16-32 GB of RAM, top models of video cards from the NVIDIA Quadro and AMD FirePro lines; Nvidia GTX 970, AMD RX 480 and higher.
If we talk about hard drives , then more often you will come across SSD drives. And the HDD format (more bulky, but cheaper and more reliable) is becoming less and less common in new models. Some computers use both formats. If the hard drive in the system itself is small, cloud services and external hard drives will help you with data storage. Teach the student to use them if he doesn’t know how. Also teach your child to clean the computer from debris.
Please note that many ready-made assemblies are equipped with DVD-RW, but not everyone uses it. You can save money by assembling the components yourself.
In cases of small formats, low-power power supplies Without replacing them, the computer cannot be upgraded, and they have a limited number of wires for connecting additional disks or input devices (for example, DVD-RW). For example, top-end video cards consume more than 300 W, and expensive HEDT processors consume more than 250 W (not to mention the needs of other hardware). Therefore, on expensive gaming computers, the power supply power is about 900 W.
Below we will look at several examples of ready-made assemblies of different performance.
ATTENTION! Computers of these models are sold in different configurations, we are considering only one of them.
Desktop Acer Veriton S2660G (DT.VQXER.037) Mini-Tower/Intel Core i3-8100/4 GB/1 TB HDD/Intel UHD Graphics 630/Windows 10 Pro
A mini-tower computer for those who don't expect too much from it. For studying and not the most difficult games - it’s quite suitable.
pros
- price
- hard drive 1 TB HDD
Minuses
- processor /Intel Core i3-8100
- RAM capacity: 4 GB
- power supply power: 180 W
- built-in video card
Average price: 29,954 ₽.
DELL Vostro 3471 SFF (3471-2370) Intel Core i5-9400/4 GB/1 TB HDD/Intel UHD Graphics 630/Windows 10 Pro
This model has a fairly powerful processor, but it is worth purchasing additional RAM, and if the child is interested in games, then a video card.
pros
- Intel Core i5-9400 processor
Minuses
- built-in video card
- 4 GB RAM
Average price: 37,900 ₽.
iRu Home 315 MT (1188141) Mini-Tower/Intel Core i5-9400F/16 GB/1 TB HDD/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660/DOS
This kit will allow your child not only to study, but also to play heavy games (even if not at the highest graphics settings). The filling is assembled into a compact case and pumping the unit can be difficult.
pros
- Intel Core i5-9400F processor
- discrete graphics card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660
- RAM capacity: 16 GB
Minuses
- Mini-Tower case means that changes in hardware will have to be made with the ruler
Average price: 48,950 ₽.
Lenovo V35s 07ADA (11HF000ERU) AMD Ryzen 5 3500U/8 GB/256 GB SSD/AMD Radeon RX Vega 8/OS not installed
For a student gamer, you will have to purchase a discrete video card and RAM for this assembly. If you plan to make a more sophisticated computer based on this assembly, you may have to replace the power supply.
pros
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
- standard size case
Minuses
- built-in video card
- power supply power: 90 W
Average price: 31,900 ₽.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M720e SFF (11BD006BRU) Intel Core i5-9400/8 GB/256 GB SSD+1 TB HDD/Intel UHD Graphics 630/OS not installed
As with the previous model, you can purchase an additional video card and RAM. If you plan to make a more sophisticated computer based on this assembly, you may have to replace the power supply. It may be twice as powerful as the previous model, but it’s still weak.
pros
- Intel Core i5-9400 processor
- 2 hard drives (256 GB SSD+1 TB HDD)
Minuses
- built-in video card
- power supply power: 180 W
Average price: 34,170 ₽.
OGO! Gamer FURY (304768) Intel Core i3-9100F/8GB/480GB SSD/NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650/Windows 10 Home
This computer is positioned as a gaming computer; it has a good discrete card, but the processor itself is not very powerful.
pros
- discrete video card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 (4 GB)
- power supply power: 500 W
Minuses
- Intel Core i3-9100F processor
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
Average price: 49,990 ₽.
HP ProDesk 600 G5 MT (7QM87EA) Midi-Tower/Intel Core i5-9500/8 GB/256 GB SSD/Intel UHD Graphics 630/Windows 10 Pro
This model definitely won’t slow down if used for educational purposes, but for games or serious work with video effects, it’s worth buying an additional video card and increasing the RAM.
pros
- Intel Core i5-9500 processor
- maximum amount of RAM – 64 GB
Minuses
- RAM capacity: 8 GB
- integrated graphics card Intel UHD Graphics 630
Average price: 57,743 ₽.
Lenovo Legion T530-28APR (90JY002HRS) Midi-Tower/AMD Ryzen 5 2400G/8 GB/128 GB SSD+1 TB HDD/AMD Radeon RX 570/Windows 10 Home
This is an entry-level gaming computer, but it could use more RAM.
pros
- AMD Ryzen 5 2400G processor
- two hard drives (128 GB SSD+1 TB HDD)
- power supply power: 450 W
- discrete graphics card AMD Radeon RX 570 (4 GB)
Minuses
- 8 GB RAM
Average price: 59,990 ₽.
Computer games
Desktop computer . Desktop computers can be equipped with the most powerful graphics cards, which consume more power and require the use of cooling systems (heat reduction/dissipation) to avoid overheating.
Almost any video card is available for desktop computers, and you can use not only one, but two or even more video cards at the same time. Thus, desktop computers will always have better performance for gaming.
Video card inside the system unit.
Laptop . Due to its compact size, physical space in a laptop is limited, which in turn limits the graphics capabilities of the device. Although high-end laptops may have above-average graphics—sufficient for gaming and CAD applications—their cooling options are limited due to the small space available in the device. The performance of laptops is also limited, which does not allow video cards to work at full capacity.
What to take for work
As mentioned above, for typing it is more convenient to use a desktop computer keyboard installed on a computer desk shelf. A number of tasks require not only a powerful system unit, but also a monitor with a diagonal of at least 22 inches. This includes video and sound processing, design in 3D Max or Autocad, image processing using Photoshop and other graphic editors. A laptop, even a powerful one, is not very suitable for such tasks.
For those who work a lot with documents and at the same time actively move around the city (for example, sales representatives or freight forwarders), a laptop computer is more suitable. A portable printer to print the necessary document at any time, and a USB modem to access the Internet will also be useful.
Easy to install and connect
Desktop computer . Before you start using a desktop computer, you need to install it, connect all the necessary equipment, start it up and configure it. All this will require some effort and time. In addition, a bulky desktop computer, along with its additional hardware, takes up significantly more space than a laptop.
Laptop . Laptops are designed to be quick to start and easy to use. To start working on a laptop, just take it out of its packaging or bag, connect it to the network and press the power button - in a minute the device is ready for use.
Price
Desktop computer . There are a variety of configuration options available for this type of computer, which results in a wide price range. Their minimum cost is relatively low. The price range starts at about $400 for the entire set, including a computer and monitor, while the low cost does not prevent desktop computers from remaining quite powerful devices.
Laptop. Laptops also have different configuration options, but their number is significantly less than that of desktop computers. A more sophisticated laptop (with better graphics, higher speeds, larger storage, etc.) can cost significantly more - $1,500 or more, depending on the manufacturer's brand.
If we consider devices with the same technical parameters, then a laptop will always have a higher price.
Gaming desktop computer
What are the advantages of this option?
- Size (don't get me wrong). The large case makes it easier to cope with cooling, and with any components, even the hottest ones. At the same time, it is not difficult to replace a fan that is annoying with its howling with a quieter one, or even install a water cooling system. In general, the variability of approaches to reducing the temperature inside the case makes it possible to increase operating comfort without compromising the quality of cooling. But try replacing the cooler in your laptop with another one.
- Wider possibilities for configuring the system unit. If we are talking about assembling a computer to order, or in general you do it yourself, then you can assemble a system exclusively for your needs and guided by your own ideas about what configuration is needed.
- Wide range of modernization possibilities. You can upgrade everything, from installing another memory stick to replacing a boring case with a more impressive one.
- The repair may be simpler. It is often more profitable to replace a failed part rather than repair it. Moreover, it is quite possible to do everything with your own hands, and not rely on craftsmen and not waste a lot of time.
- If you are no longer satisfied with the original set of ports, you can always install a controller that will expand the connectivity of various devices or replace the motherboard.
- Overclocking For some, these are sacred words, and in the case of a gaming computer, the opportunity to get a little more from the processor, video card, memory, improving performance, the number of FPS in games, warms the soul, and at the same time the computer components. True, this is a small problem, because cooling was written a little higher.
- There are no restrictions on the size of the monitor, as it is purchased separately. Or several monitors, it’s who can afford what. With a display of 24 inches or more, you can look down on 17-inch laptops.
Of course, it also has its weaknesses.
- Unlike a laptop, a desktop PC needs its own place of residence. You won’t be able to sit comfortably in a chair or on a sofa. Although, if you use a TV as a display (imagine how many inches it can have!), and a game controller in your hands, then mobility improves.
- For the amount you have to pay for a gaming computer, you only get the system unit. Perhaps a mouse and/or keyboard will be a bonus. The monitor and speakers will have to be taken care of separately. If there is none of this, then we add their cost, which as a result may exceed the cost of a comparable laptop. Some consolation may be, firstly, that you already have a monitor, and, secondly, the opportunity to purchase any monitor, even that size.
- Naturally, there is no built-in battery. If the home electrical network is not characterized by stable characteristics, then at least a weak UPS is highly desirable.
- More wires. Even wireless keyboard-mouse sets are not very helpful. One network cable, like in a laptop, is not enough.
- Electricity consumption is higher. It often turns out that the components used in laptops are more energy efficient than those that are included in stationary system units. True, this efficiency can be achieved with slightly worse characteristics.
Stationary and portable
When choosing between a laptop and a desktop computer, the first thing you have to weigh is whether you need a portable machine. The advantage of laptops is that you can easily move from one place to another without any hassle.
So, if you like to work in a coffee shop or on an airplane, you'll need a laptop. You might even need a laptop for a change of scenery while working from home. You can make a laptop stationary, of course, with a docking station, but the main reason people buy laptops is as a portable computer to move from place to place.
On the other hand, a tower computer will lack portability, but in many cases you'll get more power and other more productivity-friendly features in return. For example, you will get a larger monitor compared to a laptop screen, which can make your work easier.
