The laptop vs. desktop debate has been going on for ages. But it boils down to a lifestyle choice and your needs, requirements and whether you’re on the move.
Is it a bulky desktop with countless ports, an ultra-powered gaming laptop, or an ultraportable on-the-go platform for the jetset professional? This guide should help you make sense of these choices.
Desktop for Video Editing
You should use a Desktop computer to edit videos for the following reasons:
Video editing on a desktop is desirable over other technologies for the following reasons:
First, you have more advanced editing tools available using this system.
Moreover, it provides higher speed compared to the other options. Furthermore, the desktop is preferred due to its user-friendly nature, which makes it faster for editing.
- High-end Hardware: Desktops allow for the installation of powerful CPUs and GPUs to facilitate quick rendering and export of large-sized video files, which are vital to professional video editing.
- Upgradability: As a video editing system changes through software evolutions, desktops make it relatively easy to upgrade to meet new specifications.
- Multi Monitor Support: Desktops are capable of having more than one screen attached, which, if you do serious editing, is really useful.
Portable Workstation
As for people who need the functionality of a desktop but must be mobile, there are portable workstations that provide the solution.
- High Performance: Lenovo’s ThinkPad P series and HP’s ZBook are mobile workstations that provide desktop-class performance in a laptop shell.
- Specialised Hardware: These machines have professional-grade GPUs and CPUs, lots of RAM, and high-resolution screens that allow them to perform 3D rendering and scientific calculations.
- ISV Certifications: Some mobile workstations are certified by Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to run specialised software.
This article will set the record straight on the main differences between laptop and desktop computers, providing you with the right tools to help you choose the technology that complements your working style, whether it be a gamer, video editor or office professional.
Portability vs. Power
- Laptops: Better range of mobility. It is very important for professionals who have to travel a lot, but this is also a very good range of mobility if you have to work from various places, as modern laptops are extremely light and have long-lasting batteries.
- Power: Generally, for the same price, you receive more computer. Unless you need portability, desktops are hands-down the better option for high-powered tasks such as processing data, graphic design on a large scale, and complex computations.
Workstation Replacement
- Laptops: The performance gap between high-end laptops and desktops has narrowed to the point where laptops are workstation-class computing solutions, providing the best of both worlds in a hybrid home/work setting.
- Desktops: For work where you’re stuck at a desk, the desktop still dominates in performance and raw computing horsepower and can commonly handle large video-editing and design jobs easier than laptops of similar price points. They’re also usually easier to upgrade and repair.
Ergonomics and Setup
- Laptops: Despite their portability, they are often not sufficiently ergonomic, and an external stand, keyboard and mouse might be required to maximise ergonomics, particularly for sustained use.
- Workstations: You can tailor the ergonomics of your workspace – for example, you can pick the exact monitor, keyboard and mouse you want to use, creating a workstation that’s comfortable to work in.
Cost and Upgradability
- Notebooks: These are more expensive than PCs with the same specs. Replacing internal components (such as RAM or storage) might not even be an option.
- Desktops: Better value for the dollar and generally more upgrade-friendly. Replace or extend desktop components over the years and prolong the life of your investment.
They’re all separate, and it’s a choice between buying a laptop and buying a desktop for use at work. A better option for a laptop if your work requires you to move around a lot and you want to be able to use it anywhere, anytime.
Yet, if you want more power and upgradeability and definitely prefer to be in one place, then a desktop is the better option.
You have to understand how these preferences relate to your workflow to decide which is the best option.
Laptop vs. Desktop for Gaming
Today, the question of using laptops or desktops is a matter of performance versus portability for gamers.
- Performance: For your dollar’s worth, a desktop is going to typically be more powerful. Not only can it house more robust hardware and better cooling setups, but it’s also potentially more upgradeable, so you can better future-proof the hardware to the games you want to play.
- Portability: Definitely the laptops, given that today’s gaming laptops have high-powered graphics that formerly only desktop computers could house. Sure, said gaming laptops are more expensive than their desktop counterparts, but they seem to be gaining power day by day!
SUMMARY
Ultimately, whether you pick a laptop or a desktop is dependent on your individual case: the gamer is likely to prefer the raw power and upgradeability of a PC over the portability offered by laptops; the video editor to opt for the same raw power and upgradeability of a desktop over the portability of a laptop; and the professional requiring power on the move to likely choose a portable workstation. It is a matter of your workflow requirements, budget and mobility requirements.