Tech
I chose a gaming laptop instead of a desktop, and have zero regrets
I took the plunge recently and made the decision to buy a gaming laptop after years of being a dedicated tinkerer with a desktop PC tower. The change was necessitated by me being on the road a lot and needing a mobile workstation; being a gamer, I wanted something I could play on in my free time. It turns out it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Here’s why I decided to buy a gaming laptop instead of a new desktop.
It’s more portable
You definitely can’t beat a laptop for portability, which makes it the practical choice for long train trips, or even for shorter trips. Now that I’ve given my desktop the flick, I like the freedom of being able to work on my commute to the office.
On the odd chance that I have a meeting out of the office, I can travel light, with just my laptop as my mobile note taker. It’s also great for organizing my life, since I can access my work and my games wherever I go. It only takes me a minute to disconnect my laptop and pack it away in my bag, too.
It’s more convenient
I used to be the type of gamer who would plan my PC builds right down to the smallest components. Nowadays though, I’m way too busy with work and prefer buying a laptop from a trusted supplier that I know will have all the components I want in it. The fact that my laptop is a plug and play device is a huge load off. I don’t have to worry about the components being installed correctly and working, because I know they will be.
If there’s a problem with my laptop, I also know I can simply return the whole device and get a new unit rather than trying to diagnose what the problem was from among the different parts.
Performance is still good
When switching from my desktop to my laptop, I was worried that I’d be massively downgrading my performance, but that’s not the case. It’s true that my laptop’s mobile graphics card can’t compete with a full-sized desktop graphics card but in all other respects my laptop is a decent performer.
I mainly use my laptop for work and video, and it can do those things just fine. I’m happy that it also plays most games well and it’s 144Hz display keeps motion looking buttery smooth. I know what its limitations are and I’m okay with them.
Matt Smith / Foundry
I have more desk space
My tower was a true beast, and I’d get a kick out of showing it off to people, but its footprint was far too big for my desk. Because of its sheer size, it meant I was limited in what I could place around me. My 17-inch laptop, by comparison, has a much smaller footprint and takes up a fraction of the space that my desktop did. The extra space around me means I can fit external speakers and a desk lamp, which I couldn’t do before.
I still use an external monitor when I want the desktop-like feel. It connects easily to my laptop and I get excellent graphics on it. I also have the option of connecting to an external keyboard or to use the one integrated into my laptop. It’s nice to know I can pick and choose between them at my whim.
It works on the battery
Being able to use my laptop off the battery has brought a new dimension to my work and play. It means I can use it anywhere — outside, inside, or even at my local library. Whereas before I’d be tethered to my desktop at home, which needed to always be plugged in to the outlet.
Admittedly, I can’t play the latest triple-A titles because there’s not enough power for the GPU, but there are countless older more lightweight games that I can play off the battery that make for a highly satisfying gaming session.
Even though I only get four hours of battery life, the convenience of being able to work and play wherever I like is one of the biggest selling points of my laptop.
