Why such a big gap in price?

Okay I was talking to a friend who was saying how he thinks all in ones where going to take over desktops, I told him the performance difference was huge and that gamers will still stay to desktops and so will everyone else till laptop parts get cheaper. He asked why laptop parts and I explained how all in ones use laptop parts and that is how they stay small. Then he asked as to why there is a huge price difference between a All in on(IMac) and a laptop(MBP), since both use same components. That got me thinking why, Imacs at the most cost $2,200 the MBP that does not have the same processor or screen costs $3000. Can someone please explain?

 

laptops are harder to build, plus manufacturers cash in on the mobility factor.

 

One reason has to do with the fact that its a desktop vs. a notebook. Desktops don't move around as much, so they aren't subject to as much movement as a notebook does; all the bumps and normal usage wears a notebook and causes some to need repair. Because desktops don't need as much of this type of repair, it lowers the cost in general.

As for other reasons of the price difference, some of it does have to do with the fact that its portable. You can have an iMac for $1400, but if you pay a few hundred more, you can have a notebook with the same power as that desktop sitting over there, and you can move around and take the notebook with you wherever you go!

Of course, there's other reasons as well. I'm just listing two.

 

I wonder if it is possible to take an Imac apart and build a laptop just for kicks. And I guess the battery is worth some right?

 

That's silly. Why not just buy the parts separately instead of ripping them out of an iMac?

And of course, just building and designing a notebook is really hard too...you have to worry about how to put it together, you have to make sure it doesn't overheat, you have to make sure you know how to take it apart when you need to change something, you need to make sure the casing is thick enough to fit everything in...its just a silly idea if you ask me.

 

Heh someone took an Xbox apart and made it a laptop after I saw that now I think I can convert anything into a laptop!

 

The all in ones like the iMac use mobile CPUs.

Mobile CPUs are legit now and can play games.

Desktop CPUs can still overclock, reach higher clock speeds and draw more power.

The iMacs have much larger screens than a laptop, so there's that price factor.

 

I know the mobile CPU's can play games but the GPU of mobile cards will not reach the current desktop parts in performance.

 

Right, but desktop video cards don't have the same cooling, fan , power draw or size constraints as their mobile counterparts.

Everything about a laptop is slower, quieter, smaller, and more expensive for what you get compared to the desktop form factor.

 

I think most of the price comes from notebooks being hotter items right now the demand is there not in Desktops. To think which sounds cooler my dad got me a laptop or my dad got me a desktop?

 

No, the price comes from smaller, quieter, less power draw, good performance.

It's easier to make big beasty desktops faster since you don't face the above considerations.

Desktops have faster FSBs, larger faster hard drives, way more powerful video cards, are more expandable, come in with higher clock speeds and overclock to even higher clock speeds, and can use dual dual core, quad core and dual quad core CPUs.

"Cooler" has nothing to do with it. If I want to make a 1 hour long 3d animated movie, play the latest games with full features enabled, plug-in lots of video and audio capture cards, I'm getting a desktop.

If I want portability and find the performance of the laptop acceptable, then I'm getting a laptop.

I'm on the fence about building a desktop and it would cost under $1000 and would blow any laptop out of the water performance wise.

As always it just depends on what your needs are.

Besides, if you are worried about being cool, you'll do what all the cool kids do, and never admit that your dad bought it.

 

I am talking about the difference between an all in one and a laptop. As well i like to see you try to build a desktop that is under $1000 with the screen, that can beat a Clevo D901C with quadcore, and sli 7950GTX. Think before you talk!

 

That will cost at least $3000 though. You can build a desktop that will blow that away for around $2000, maybe less.

Not all components in the deskbooks are notebook components. The 20" and 24" screens of the iMac are good examples. They also use 3.5" hard drives, which are cheaper and larger than the typical 2.5" notebook hard drive.

 

WTF are you talking about? If I understand you, you think the d901c costs a grand? That thing is almost 2k WITHOUT a processor and ram.

It also is not using pure laptop parts. Clevo is known for using desktop parts. Those are DESKTOP processors in there, not laptop processors... same for ram.

So yeah, cost of that will be roughly 3k. And I could STILL build an equal, if not faster for half the cost.

 

The Big Bird vampire said that he can build a desktop for $1000 that will beat ANY laptop, which includes the best laptops there are out there.

 

ANY, omg! lolz

You got my point, you just wanted to be retarded about it.

 

Hrm... I wouldn't put money against that, but a $1000 is a bit low. But yeah... I wouldn't be too surprised to see that done. I'd just wonder about the quality of all the parts.

 

I wouldn't put money on it either I mean these days 8600GtX are fairly cheap and any latest desktop processors are fairly cheap and fast, but is it me or when building desktops the main problem funding it is when you buy the little gimmicks like keyboard mouse and screen? The stupid power supply costs $180, when you add it all up it costs a lot, and adds up quickly then you start to say hmm let me add more here and there then upgrade this then BOOM your $1500 desktop is now $2500!

 

Erm... no I don't run into that problem. I have a build on newegg thats around 1400, including all thsoe parts... the q6600, a great HSF to overclock... an overclocked 8800 gt (or 8800gtx if you wanted) 4 gigs of ram, power supply and case. Granted, already have a keyboard, mouse and monitor... but if I needed, that would only be about 300 more.
And if I got a cheaper mobo, ram, power supply and case, I could have the build for around a grand.

But I like higher quality parts myself :-D