PC vs Laptop

Hello,
I'm thinking about if I really need a laptop or desktop will do just fine. Is it true that gaming PC are way more powerful than laptops? For example, if we compare laptop with 2630QM, 6990M and 8GB 1333, and desktop with i7 2600k, 6970 and 8GB 1600 what would be the difference in the gaming performance? What desktop configuration is similar to that kind of the laptop?
Thank you.

 

The 6970 scores about 50% higher than the 6970m in Vantage GPU.

Desktops are way more powerful than laptops, at a much lower price.

 

Buy the desktop unless you need frequent portability.

 

Desktop will always win vs mobile.

I was in the same boat though. I recently made the switch from desktop to laptop and don't plan on looking back.

If you get a decent high end laptop it can handle enough games you can toss at it. Yea it wont be as crazy as desktop but it has so many advantages.

A. Easy to move around with, so you can game or whatever any place
B. Makes less heat and uses much less power. My old desktop made my room almost 3-4 degrees warmer, not to mention sucks more power and made more sound. (unless I max laptop fans haha)
C. Take up less space.
D. No need for backup UPS
E. They are just cooler! haha

The downfalls are:
A. Can be slower
B. bigger pain in the azz when something breaks, generally more expensive to fix too.
C. Can be stolen, or dropped
D. umm.. I dunno, ran out of things.

 

My situation is-I'm a student and I study in a foreign country. I will be here for a year and then I'm planning to go for an exchange for a half a year. Then back here or to my home country. Actually, these movements are the only reason I'm looking at laptop. Now I'm in a big doubt, whether it will be a problem to take a PC (and a monitor, of course) to another country altogether with huge amount of other stuff. For mobility I have MBP and it suits me as a ready-to-go machine quite well because I don't play anywhere outside my flat. I just can't imagine how I will move a desktop. But paying 1500 euros for a machine, which can't even give me 60 fps in crysis 2 or bfbc2 on ultra settings with 1080p seems to be not a very good idea.

 

You can get around 50fps on bfbc2 with everything max out on ultra setting I believe.

 

A. Boot up speed on mine is really fast, much faster than my gaming desktop.
B. This is why getting a warranty is a must!

 

I played a lot of shooters and in my opinion 60 fps is the min edge for comfortable playing, especially in multiplayer.

 

I didn't know that, but with 1080p screen you really don't need to do full AA or so I heard from other. The smaller the screen, the less likely you will see jaggies.

 

Yes, I agree. But now I have to disable AA, and what will I have to disable in Battlefield 3? What do you think about taking a desktop with me when I travel? Will it be very difficult?
Btw, thank you for answers, guys.

 

It seems to me that the current mobile hardware at the price point you are looking at is not going to meet your (imo, high) requirements. You have to sacrifice something:

Portability: get a desktop.
Power/Performance: get a laptop.
Price: get a pimped out computer.

Games are always going to be graphically demanding. When gpus get more powerful, so does the games. We went from Super Mario Bros. to Crysis and TWII. I, for one, focus on the gameplay and not the eye candy. Its nice, but not the main reason why I shell out $60 of my hard-earned money for what I consider to be a luxury.

Mr. Mysterious

 

get a x7200 with i7 990x and gtx 580m sli or 6990x cf.
even when i7 2960xm releases, it can not beat 990x at all because 990x is a 6 cores cpu with 3.47GHZ and turbo to 3.72GHZ.
And 990x is so far a strongest cpu a laptop can get. I think there will be not any mobile cpu with 6 cores in 1~2 years. Unless there is a new laptop which can stuff in a 6-cores second generation desktop cpu(of couse you have to wait for a 6-cores snb cpu first). I guess a laptop like that will be a next generation of x7200.



Or you can want for P270 (I guess, the name of next x7200).

But, it will be better to get a desktop if you don't need any protability at all.

 

From what I understand of your situation, I would recommend getting a laptop. As you are already aware, going with a desktop in such a situation means you'll have to lug around a heck lot of things if you want to move your setup, which I don't think is worth the trouble.

TL;DR: The portability of a laptop should benefit you more in your case.

 

Thank you, guys.
To Mr_Mysterious: No doubts that gameplay is more important than graphics but when I'm to spend about 1500 euros (and it's much more money in my country's currency) "of my hard-earned money" on a gaming machine, I would like it to perform well in at least almost 1 year old games (bfbc2). After all, 1080p is not the best resolution available in games nowadays.

Nostalgia, I guess you're right. I'm still in a doubt but it seems that I don't have much choice. It's sucks because I could get a really good desktop.

 

Lol dude...no one is forcing you to spend that money. If you're going to pay it, do so happily and without regrets . Otherwise, wait for the 28nm GPU's; they'll pop up in 6months - 1year.

Mr. Mysterious

 

No regrets Spent one year with MBP and that year sucked. Now there are so many games to try but first I need to make this veeeeery difficult choice. It brings so much trouble when you have to move so often.

 

This is the most important factor that might influence your decision... After all - you would definitely be able to get a decent laptop capable of handling modern games (especially so if you are looking at a Sager), and I think you will survive if you won't be able to play some of those games totally maxed out - after all it is merely two years.

I travelled quite a bit and I am positive that it would be more convenient for you to bring a laptop with you, not a desktop. Even if your laptop is large - it won't be a problem to take it aboard the plane.

Speaking of a desktop - you would most probably have to disassemble it completely and bring it as separate parts you would have to put together when you arrive to your next destination.

As to the display (and you will need one if you get a desktop) - you would either have to buy a new one wherever you go - or confine yourself to a smaller, flat panel which may be allowed by cabin luggage regulations. I definitely won't recommend checking your display in as a hold luggage - people that handle it do not give two hoots about what is inside.

It is up to you to decide - but I would take a laptop anyday. The only slight advantage desktop might have in your situation is that it is less likely to get stolen (being a foreign student you might want to keep this in mind as well).

Last but not the least - why don't you compare the prices? Define what you will have to pay for both the desktop and the laptop at _your_ country - and what both figures would be if you buy it in the country you are currently staying at. It is very possible, that a high-end laptop would be significantly cheaper here than in your home country. On the other hand, desktop prices might be more or less similar. In this case you might want to get this additional advantage from staying abroad

Good luck!

 

I've been debating this same thing over the past few weeks. For me it's all about the portability, especially since my place isn't huge (so I don't have a separate office or anything).

 

Personally I will never use a Desktop for gaming again, but in your case, you should also consider those mini PC's or Shuttle.

 

Same with me as well. Don't care how inferior the notebook GPU is to a desktop GPU, it just much funner to play on a notebook!

 

I wish i could enjoy a powerful desktop computer, but with my current lifestyle a good laptop is my only choice since i dont stay put in one location!

 

Thank you for your opinions. After a long consideration I decided that I would stick with a laptop.