Gaming Laptops vs. Desktops: Which is the Better Investment?

Are you a seasoned gamer? Maybe you’re a novice just starting out and exploring the wonderful world of online and offline gaming. No matter your experience, you’re going to need some heavyweight gaming tech to dive into the rich world of gaming. What gaming adventure tickles your fancy? An important consideration to keep in mind is what kind of gaming tech you need to support you on your digital quests and adventures. This blog looks at the benefits and limitations of gaming equipment, specifically gaming laptops vs. desktops.

There are literally millions of games to choose from. Do your favourite games and their required specs fit into your budget and your lifestyle? On the surface, gaming laptops and desktops do the same work. Moreover, both are quite significant financial investments and it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to afford both (not you, Bill Gates!). While desktops are often pricier, we’ve written an extensive post about the expense of high-end gaming laptops too.

If you’re interested in purchasing either a gaming laptop or gaming desktop, but aren’t financially ready, have a look at Payflex. We offer a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service that lets you purchase all your gaming gadgets and gizmos up front and pay them off in 4 interest-free instalments.

Which brings seasoned gamers to the old age question –

Gaming Laptops vs. Desktops: Which is the Better Investment?

Well, it depends and isn’t such a straight-forward answer. Expect to go on your own vision quest to come to the place where you have weighed up the gaming laptop vs gaming desktop pros and cons so that you can rest easier in your decision.

Understanding gaming laptops and desktops

A gaming laptop is portable and suitable for those who travel a lot (cue local and international gaming conventions or a marathon games night at your best pal’s). It has built in features such as an integrated battery, keyboard and touchpad. These are convenient features and should be taken into account when tabling gaming laptop vs gaming desktop pros and cons. Furthermore, you can fit your gaming laptop into a normal laptop bag. Even the larger ones are much easier to transport than a desktop.

A gaming desktop, on the other hand, is better set up for one place (besides their size, they don’t have a built-in battery). You’ll have to shell out for the display, keyboard and touchpad, and have skills to set up your station with its extensive wired connectivity.

Notably, gaming desktops enable users to upgrade and customise their machines. Indeed, IGN reveals that you can dive deep into the world of mechanical gaming keyboards or purchase a better video card to keep up with the plethora of new games.

Gaming laptop vs. desktop performance and power

High end gaming laptops are equipped with superior processors and graphic cards and have good RAM capacity. Gamers can enjoy an immersive and rich experience. Gaming laptops can also come with advanced features like RGB lighting, macro keys and high-quality speakers.  For the gamers that pull all-nighters, laptops may be equipped with cooling systems to prevent overheating.

Modern gaming laptops allow you to choose from a variety of core components, such as storage and RAM, CPU and GPU. However, you can’t tailor-make the device to your exact requirements as laptops are not as customisable as desktops. You won’t be able to upgrade and swap out hardware very easily. Nevertheless, you can still work with what you have in a laptop if you decide on the pre-built way.

A gaming desktop provides several custom hardware options and a gamer has a lot of control over what goes into their system. Desktops can operate at peak performance with customisable hardware. One can install extra thermal solutions and visual designs, for example.

Gaming desktops can easily be upgraded owing to their modular layout and repairs can be carried out with ease. Intel reports that a gamer can update their PC with the latest hardware, when necessary, especially as the desktop begins to age.

What kind of gamer are you?

Desktops usually perform better than laptops in demanding situations. A desktop would be a wiser option not only for gaming, but for video editing and image processing. Gaming laptops don’t use the same hardware as gaming desktops (particularly when it comes to the processor).

A few seasoned and busy gamers believe that their games run smoother on a desktop. But it’s important to gauge what kinds of games you want to play. Games with a 4k resolution and maximum detail with Ray Tracing would likely require a gaming desktop.

Yes, but how much?

This depends on the specs. Sometimes a gaming desktop is cheaper than a gaming laptop should the latter have superior processing power.

But, you usually have to spend more on a desktop because it doesn’t have the built-in features of a gaming laptop. Again, consider your needs and your performance preferences.

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In conclusion…

There isn’t a right answer when it comes to gaming laptops vs gaming desktops. Here is a summary of each type’s benefits and limitations.

Both gaming laptops and desktops can be used for high-end gaming. A laptop is portable though and is considered a holistic solution.

A gaming desktop has a wider range of I/O ports and has an upgradable, modular design.

Are you searching for your dream machine and ready to embark on exciting adventures but the upfront costs are daunting? With Payflex’s Buy Now Pay Later service, you can invest in your high-end gaming laptop today. Search our selection. Purchase your gaming goods up front, and pay them off over 6 weeks in 4 interest-free instalments.

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