Lack of motivation to use desktop for gaming

Okay, so, I've run into a slight problem, but maybe it'll become more of an issue later on. I just recently bought an Asus G51VX-X3A.

At the same time, I built a desktop with these specs:

Athlon II X4 620
Gigabyte MA770-UD3P
2x1GB Ballistix DDR3 @ 1225
EVGA Geforce 9800 GT

The thing is, in the last 2 weeks I've had these 2 computers, I've spent 90% of my time on the laptop. I mean, I've been able to play World of Warcraft, Modern Warfare 2, Farcry 2, Crysis at decent framerates, plus all of the older Source based games run like a charm because the hardware is just...overkill.

So, I have this desktop that's just sitting there because the laptop does plenty to give me my gaming fix. Unless there's a point at which the desktop is capable of something the laptop isn't, gaming wise, I'm just at a loss since it's just sitting there. I'm wondering why I didn't buy this laptop sooner. I mean, do you guys have some insight into where the laptop falls short in terms of making some gaming doable that the desktop pulls ahead in?

 

Your Desktop falls short, that's why.

 

That's what I was thinking at first.

 

easy - its portable, doesn't occupy to much space on the table, much more practical
get a larger external desktop and an external keyboard, and you have a complete desktop experience
i don't wanna hear anything about performance differences, my core 2 duo 2,4 ghz and 9600m gt is capable of running any existing game on the market, with med-high details on 1280x1024 on my 19 inch external monitor, and will be so for the next 2 years at least
the only significat difference could be the price, since a high perfomance laptop costs really a lot comparing to the same desktop, but if you can afford, a notebook would definatly be a better choice, without mentioning the advantage of carrying it anywhere you go, or keeping it on the bed when ur ill (it feels like paradise not going to school for 1 week, and playing dragon age all day long in the bed)

 

When I had a desktop I purchased a high end graphics card for gaming to add to it and installed a few games but I found that I did not like being confined to the same area every single time I played. I hardly used the Desktop to play any games in the end.

As much as people go on about how much better Desktops are for gaming and how much cheaper they are, I don't really care when my current gaming laptop maxes out almost every single game I play and can be moved around easily.

 

It's a question of preference. A laptop/notebook gives you freedom of mobility; something which a desktop does not. For some, this bonus far outweighs the cheaper price/performance ratio and upgrade factor that desktops have over laptops.

As said before, your desktop isn't any better than your notebook so even assuming you had gaming needs which your notebook couldn't handle(ex: ultra high resolutions with lotsa AA), your desktop couldn't handle that better than your current notebook.

Seriously, laptops can max most games because hardware moves faster than the softwares that run on it most of the time. An easy example are games which would do well with a Quad Core or even an i7; there are few of them. Games don't move as fast as the hardware designed to play them so even if you "only" have the specs of a gaming laptop(which are still pretty good), chances are you can still max most games at decent FPS. I mean, we're talking about a GTX260M/GTX280M, those are roughly as good as a 9800GT/9800GTX. Those cards are more than 2 generations old in the desktop world and they can still max out games fine.

Only when you go into a more "extreme" level of visual eyecandy(ex: more than one monitor or extra large resolutions with lots of AA) will perhaps more powerful parts be needed.

 

these desktop specs look like they're from 2007. i'm not trying to offend but it looks like a budget desktop. there are many parts out now that far surpass it, although the build would be a lot more expensive.

 

I guess it just depends on what is comfortable for you.

Even though I have three laptops sitting in front of me with Core i7 Extremes and GTX 260M/GTX 280M video cards, I personally use my desktop for gaming because I find it more comfortable. 24" monitor, full-size keyboard . . . not quite as powerful as the laptops, but just more comfortable.

 

Ditto. Although I don't have the laptop arsenal that Mr. Jefferies' does, I still have a powerful one. I just love my 24" monitor as well. Laptop is nice most of the other time though because I can move it wherever I go with the little ones while they go beat each other up, I can run a round of BF2 or something else. But preference is the large monitor and full size keyboard as well.

 

I pretty much only game on my desktop. Partly due to the fact that my T400 only has a 3470, but mostly due to the fact that my desktop has a 9800GTX+. And a 22" monitor.

 

It was a build I got from PC Perspective( www.pcper.com) as a budget build. I mean, I ran 3dmark vantage on the desktop and get 8200, 13.5k in 3dmark06. I only noticed a difference in performance when I ran Crysis at full settings. The desktop handled it fine. The laptop, I could notice a drop.

Just trying to figure out what to do with the desktop. Both were sortof impulse buys.

 

For me it's cheaper and preferable to have a desktop at home for gaming and a notebook on the road for everything else. Being a college student, having a notebook that could handle gaming would be disastrous.

All in all though, I find desktops a better value for gaming, plus I love building them and being able to upgrade every single component.

 

Same as usapatriot for me. My C90S was a kind of nicegaming laptop 2 years ago but I never played outside of home so it wasn't worth it for me to buy a $2000 gaming laptop (Canada=more expensive $?$%/?/$%?$/).
I love my desktop. It even makes less noise than my C90S since the Radeon 5770 runs so cool. I also think that a 6-8 pounds laptop is heavy to carry with all the sciences books

 

Now that I set up the remote desktop on the desktop at home, I can RD into it from anywhere the laptop can get onto a hotspot. It's convenient for being able to get onto a computer that has a dedicated internet connection remotely.

 

I feel the same mate, i have a desktop with a nice 9800GTX, E8400 3,0 GHz, 8GB ram, but since i barely play anymore and the games i play, my laptop often runs fine so i just cant be arsed to actually boot my desktop and use it instead of my laptop lol... Its a , since my desktop really does perform better lol... i dont know i guess i just cant use two good computers at same time lol

 

i have a hot desktop which i blew 1200 quid on last year, yet i find more and more that i only play games on my laptop and the desktop has become nothing more than a 1200 downloading mule lol.

reason being probably i'm working long hours at the moment so only at home (and not asleep) for about 3-4 hours, and seems a bit wrong to go sit in the study and game leaving the missus on the sofa alone... plus this way i can watch east enders and play games at the same time.

joy.

i used to upgrade my pc every 2 years but i reckon now i'll be doing the same with my laptop and not my pc.

 

i actually game on the desktop alot more than i game on the m15x. On the m15x the screen is no where near as strong as my desktop. This makes it more fun to play on the desktop. MY desktop also has a 23 inch screen and a 24 inch screen so its more fun to play on a bigger screen and i have the other screen to aim or do work with.

The desktop imo is better than the laptop except that the laptop has the mobility. I rarely play games outside of my home so i like gaming on my desktop alot.

 

exactly
thats why I replace my desktop for 17" laptop with same specs
no more desktop for me

 

I prefer my laptop for gaming because my 3650 is better than my 8600 GTS. If I ever wanted to play on a 24" or larger, I'd just use my Dell E248WFP as an external for my laptop. Or my 46" Sony Bravia.

 

I don't use my desktop much anymore too. My 8800M GTS in my laptop is far better than the X1950XT on my desktop. There is also a lot less heat output from this laptop, so my room isn't a oven. I feel it is better to buy a laptop from now on for me, as a $1000-ish laptop will give me great use for 4+ years for all sorts of occasions. If I bought a $1000-ish desktop, I would just be wishing for that $1000-ish laptop when I'm downstairs watching TV and trying to play a game.

 

Is it just technology evolving that has caused this or just the people's preference, or both?

 

Unfortunately i share the opinion of most people here. My desktop sits collecting dust most of the time, and my laptop that cost me a third of what my desktop did gets most of the use. Not even for gaming as most of my gaming i do on consoles. I thought when I built the desktop I would prefer gaming on it because I had never had a powerful desktop before. I guess I just prefer the comfort of a reclined couch over my computer chair. Im planning on doing something with my bedroom soon so maybe that will change.

 

Feel free to send some components my way if you don't use your desktops!

 

Same here. lol

I use my desktop right next to my laptop at the same time. Desktop larger screen and better speakers. Laptop, faster graphics for gaming.

Soon to build a new desktop with slightly faster graphics (9800gt) and much faster CPU.

I much rather play on my desktop with a larger screen and better sound then on my laptop unless I go over to my friend's house then the laptop is really nice.

 

The last game I played on a desktop was Command and Conquer (yes the first one) so I don't know how different it would be. I couldn't imagine life without my laptop though, even without the gaming factor. It's just much more convenient for me to keep everything together on my laptop (Games, Movies, Music).

Also there's the factor of privacy where if I carry my laptop everywhere, people can't paw through it

 

I PC game purely on a laptop, but due to convenience.. 1bedroom apt with my GF and there's not much room for a desk and wires..well I personally wouldn't mind too much hehe but the gf feels a desktop in the living room with all my gear would be a bit messy..so my laptop does the job.

 

well my laptop is nice but my 3 22' monitors are something to behold when gaming on the desktop

if i am out gaming i use the laptop .... if at home i use the desktop .... simple as that

 

I'm pretty sure you would have no use for a Q6600 and 8600 GTS 256MB.

 

After buying a laptop i stopped using my desktop as well. That was like five years ago when i bought my first laptop.

Its way more fun to be able to game where ever you want instead of being limited to "a corner". Laptop, mouse pad and a flat surface for it and you are good to go

 

My laptop was already hooked up to my HDTV, and I did want a separate desktop machine for redundancy as well as for gaming well beyond what my Asus G50 could do. Right now, the desktop's hardware is pretty much on parity with the Asus, though it only has XP on it, but that was another reason I made it, for old school capabilities thanks to XP as well as future upgrades to Win7, a quad core, more DDR3 memory, and maybe soon to a Radeon 5870. I barely use my laptop now, especially since the screen is broken (I have to use my HDTV to use it) and I've thought about perhaps selling off the parts, and just getting a new lappy such as those new Sony Vaio CW Series. It's DDR3 and it's got a Geforce 230GT, which is good enough for what I would play on it (namely Battlefield 2 more than anything ). It's also compact and small, not to mention incredibly sexy looking and a great value for $850. If I had the proper know how and access to materials and tools, I'd probably make an all-in-one computer out of my Asus G50.

 

Although I realize I need at least two computers should you need to work on one or one dies, you always have a backup.

 

Yep, backup is good. I just bought a Samsung 24" HDTV Monitor and hooked it up to the laptop. Now I have a desktop experience at home and a laptop when I'm out. So, why use my desktop?

 

To the OP, one reason you most likely prefer your laptop is due to the fact your desktop has no real advantage performance wise. A huge factor in gaming is your gpu and the gtx 260m performs about the same as that 9800 gt in your desktop and that is only if you have a 9800 with 1 gig of ram on it. You have more ram on your laptop than your desktop as well. While other points of your system aren't the strongest if you added a stronger video card and more ram I think you would be pleased with the results.

Me myself, I play on my laptop a lot, it plays most games with high/max settings and it is nice to be able to set up anywhere or on the go. My desktop needed a rma so for a short bit my laptop was used for 100% of my computer needs.

But with that said, I do spend most my time on my desktop lately, one because its back in action and two because I set my desktop up for maximum comfort and performance when gaming. You really cant beat a well set up desktop when it comes to gaming but you can't drag that type of rig around easily so a powerful notebook compliments it quite nicely.