Which Should You Get? Laptop Vs Desktop [EXPLAINED]

Updated On: 05/13/2023
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Nowadays, it is very crucial to enter the world of technology, as everything is getting more and more advanced. Each work in every sector is technology-based, which has reduced the manpower and has made many things easier.

So, it is essential for a person to use computers or laptops for their work. In every business or company or in any sector, computers and laptops are just as everything is computerized these days.

So, choosing the best option is what everyone wants. Hence, it is essential to know whether a laptop is good or a desktop? Choosing a better option helps your work grow and run smoothly without any obstacles.

Determining all the important things which are essential for your requirements is very important, like low cost (budget), Battery backup, compatibility, screen, software, and many other functions.

Therefore, you should have an idea as to which you should choose between laptop and desktop? Think of every aspect, including portability, compatibility, etc.

Hence, tackling all these problems, you should be very clear on your mind as to which option is best for your need. Now, we’ll be talking about some of the major things that are important for discussing this topic.

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Comparison Of Laptop Vs. Desktop

Factors should be taken into care before deciding which option is best for you. So, here are some of the important points which should be compared.

Cost

It is one of the things which everyone thinks of before buying, whether it is a laptop or desktop. Budget plays a very vital role. So, talking about the cost range, laptops are more expensive if we compare them with desktops.

Even the desktop has many accessories like a keyboard, mouse, CPU, etc., which are the additional accessories that are provided with a  desktop. Whereas, in laptops, all these features are in-built in the system itself.

Hence, making it more expensive than a laptop. If we talk in a business sense, desktops are more durable than laptops, i.e., laptops can get damaged soon as every processor is working in one system.

Whereas, in desktop, all the additional accessories are different, making the parts get damaged, not the entire system.

Computing Power

Computing power is the most important thing which should be seen first before buying any desktop or laptop. This is because all your functions depend on the multi-tasking ability of your gadget.

Desktops are known for multi-tasking purposes because of their good processor and battery life. Also, laptops are taking high competition for multi-tasking purposes. For many of the cases, desktops are still in high demand for the best edge of the storage, processor, memory, etc.

But, if we talk about working every program simultaneously in your system to complete all your work, then desktops are recommended; even high-tasking laptops(which are more expensive) can also be used.

Also, high-tasking laptops are huge, making them less portable. Hence, this thing should be taken into the care of before selecting a desktop or laptop.

Size

Size also matters, which makes it easy to handle it anywhere we want. It is very obvious that laptops are smaller in size than the desktop. Also, to know that desktop has many additional accessories as we mentioned above, so it would not be easy to carry all the things together, everywhere.

Therefore, the laptop tends to be more portable than the desktop if we talk in terms of size. If we talk about the desktop, here, even though the size is big, you can easily connect your monitor to another monitor. You can easily work will different programs simultaneously.

This is a very important thing because this is though you would be deciding what you should buy as per your need and convenience. Hence, choose wisely.

Convenience

In terms of convenience, laptops are more portable and easy to use. You can easily take your laptop anywhere you go and can do all your work. Today, the advanced technology level is approaching, which helps your workload gets reduced (also an important point), wherein you don’t have to look up for the plug-in.

In comparison to this, the desktop has many additional things attached, which you cannot take anywhere as it would be a burden to take off the things and then gain organizing it.

But desktops can easily be repaired as there are different parts assembled so that different parts can get repaired soon. Therefore, laptops are more convenient than desktop in terms of convenience.

Life Expectancy

This tells us about the life durability of your gadget, whether you choose a laptop or desktop. Talking on a straight point, desktops have more life durability than laptops. There are various reasons which justify this.

These have more battery life than the laptops as they can get damaged soon. Desktops are placed only in one place, so there is no disturbance of taking it anywhere we want. Hence, they can be secured and maintained for a long time.

On the desktop, there are additional parts that are assembled, which can easily be repaired. In a laptop, everything is assembled in one system; hence, the entire system gets damaged, making its life durability less; you then have to buy a new system (laptop).

Advantages Of Laptops

Connectivity

Connectivity is the basic advantage of laptops. I.e., you can easily get connected to your device, wherever you want. You can get access to your internet by simply connecting with the Wi-Fi provided. Even if you are traveling, you can take your laptop and connect through your internet and easily do your work anywhere you want. So, this is one of the advantages which laptops have.

Portability

As mentioned several times, laptops have a smaller size, making them more portable than desktops. You can easily carry it in your bag to work wherever you want. Yon the contrary, you cannot take your desktop out even when you are traveling. Hence, the best choice would be a laptop because of its portability.

Power Usage

Power usage of a laptop tends to be less if we compare it with the desktop because in laptop everything is organized in one machine, hence has a smaller mechanism in it, which makes the use of power very less. If, by chance, electricity cuts off, then immediately your battery takes on. Whereas in desktop, if the supply gets off, then all your data gets lost; this is the biggest threat. Hence, this is a good advantage of a laptop.

Ease of Assembly

Laptops are very easy to use; you do not have to make a proper setup for it as we do it on Desktop. You have to take it out and switch on the button there, but on the desktop, you will have to assemble every part, starting with the CPU, Mouse, Keyboard, etc. So, Laptops are very convenient as compared to desktops in terms of assembling the parts.

Screen

This is also a big advantage which the laptop has. The screen size is almost the same as of desktop. Therefore, there is not much difference. Also, you can easily carry the laptop with you as it has a smaller size screen. You can even connect your laptop with the projector for any purpose you want. Hence, screen size is also a good advantage for a laptop.

Disadvantages Of Laptops

Cost

The cost will be a great disadvantage if we compare it with the desktop. If you require a high-tasking laptop, including all the multi-tasking features, then it would cost you a greater amount. Also, if your work is elated to graphics, designs, etc., those laptops have much higher rates than desktops. Therefore, depending on your requirements, it may cost you more, which is absolutely a disadvantage.

Keyboard

In laptops, the keyboard and the mouse are in-built, smaller in size, and may not be very convenient for some people to use. However, you can connect a separate keyboard and mouse to your laptop, but it would then be tricky for you to take it with you. Therefore, it may count as a disadvantage to buying a laptop.

Gaming

Laptops are also made for gaming purposes as this is also a very important feature in today’s generation. Therefore, gaming laptops are introduced, having different features if we compare with other devices. But the heating power is very high in laptops than desktops, which can affect the machine and can lead to system failure. Therefore, for gaming purposes, a desktop should be recommended.

Damage and Repair

Laptops can get damaged very easily, i.e., they are not placed at a particular setup, you can take it along with you anywhere you want, but it can get damaged, it can get dropped, and the parts may get damaged soon.

Also, if by chance something went wrong with the laptop, then there is almost no chance of repairing it. There are no parts which are available; also, if it is available, then the cost would be very high for the repair. Hence, you have to buy a new machine then.

Therefore, it is a disadvantage for a laptop.

Up-Gradation

All the parts of the laptop are in-built, and in desktop, everything we have to assemble (which is not in-built). Therefore, a problem may arise for the up-gradation. On the desktop, parts can be upgraded easily as every component is separated, but this won’t be able to happen on the laptop. You then have to buy a new machine for that purpose. Therefore, this may count as a disadvantage for a laptop.

These are all the Advantages and Disadvantages of a laptop, which are good and may not be good.

On the contrary, let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the Desktop.

Advantages Of Desktop

Price

The basic thing everyone looks into is the price and budget they have made to buy a particular product. The desktop has slightly less price if we compare with a laptop. You can get the best desktop with all the additional accessories for a very cheap amount. As compared to laptops in which everything is in-built, desktops have fewer prices. Therefore, it is an advantage of a desktop.

Processor

If we talk about the processor, then the desktop processor is very powerful than the laptop processor. It has a larger processor than the laptop (which is in-built). Going it more power and does not get damaged soon, unlike a laptop. Also, if new processors are introduced in the market, they are first used on the desktop and not in laptops. Therefore, it is an important advantage of Desktop.

Gaming

As we discussed in the disadvantage of the laptop, wherein gaming is not so good in the laptop, is an advantage here on the desktop. Gaming requires more power, which generates a huge amount of heat, which is only possible on a desktop (having a good processor). Since laptops may get damaged soon because of the huge amount of heat; therefore, fewer laptops are there in which gaming feature is present. Therefore, the desktop is best for this experience!

Up-Gradation

As mentioned above that upgrading is difficult in the laptop as the components are in-built into it. On the contrary, desktops have different parts which can easily be upgraded with the latest versions! The desktop has all the parts which can be easily separated off. Hence, upgrading it is very convenient. Therefore, it is a good advantage for desktop.

Repair

For the desktop, if it gets damaged, it can be easily repaired. All the components of the desktop are assembled separately, whether it is the processor, Keyboard, Mouse. If, for example, your processor gets damage, you can go and buy another processor and can easily replace the damaged one.

Install the new processor in your system easily, and then you are done! It is possible only on the desktop because every part is assembled here. Whereas, in a laptop starting with your processor, keyboard, or mouse, everything is in-built, which cannot be repaired once it gets damaged. Therefore, it is an important advantage of a desktop.

Disadvantages Of Desktop

Stationary

The great disadvantage of desktops is that you cannot carry them with you if you want. That is, they are not portable, unlike laptops. Once they are set up in a place cannot be taken to another place.

Although you can unplug those setups to place them in the other location, it would be tricky to assemble those components again. Hence, these things should be taken care of before you choose to buy a laptop or desktop. Therefore, laptops are more convenient than desktops, which is a great demerit of the desktop.

Power

The power of the desktop is of very high supply if we compare it with a laptop. Since a desktop requires high power, there is no battery which is installed in it, unlike a laptop. For example, if you are working on your desktop and suddenly the power supply gets off (electricity went off), all the data you were working will get lost and won’t be restored!

On the contrary, you will automatically turn into your battery supply on the laptop, and no data can be lost. Hence, this is a very important thing which you should look into before buying a desktop or laptop.

Space

If we talk about desktop setup, then a lot of space is required for the setup. Also, you have to place the setup where you have electric connections. Assembling the parts and giving them a proper location is also very important.

Therefore, you have to think of it first before placing up your setup. Although many of you may not be having this issue but remember you cannot take the entire setup with you, wherever you want.

All the parts then you have to take off, which would be the most difficult and trickiest task. Therefore, look into this consideration before buying a laptop or desktop.

These are the entire list of advantages and disadvantages that may be happening or occurring if you do not choose wisely.

Which One Is Better? Laptop Vs. Desktop

After getting all the detailed information, the pros and cons of each machine. Now we would be talking to the straight points.

If we talk about the performance of a machine, then desktops must be recommended as they have better performance than laptops.

If we talk about the gaming experience, desktops must be recommended as they can bear the heat, also having a good processor than a laptop.

If we talk about the machine's cost and repair, then also desktops must be recommended as the cost of desktops is cheaper than laptops. The repair is also done in the assembled parts of a desktop very easily, which is not possible on a laptop.

If we talk about portability, then, of course, the laptop can beat the desktop very easily. As laptops can be taken along anywhere we want, but you cannot carry the entire setup of your desktop with you.

Final Words

So, detailed information is provided to you in this article. All the advantages and disadvantages are discussed separately. Moreover, it depends upon you which one is more suitable for your requirements.

If you are more inclined towards the performance, functions, and cost, you should definitely buy the desktop. On the contrary, if you are thinking of portability, then go for the laptop, which would be convenient to carry along with you.

Both the machines have some of the other disadvantages and advantages which you have to think about, before buying a perfect machine! After reading the entire article, it is not up to you which one would be best to buy.

Michael Restiano

I support product content strategy for Salt Money. Additionally, I’m helping develop content strategy and processes to deliver quality work for our readers.

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