You’re all set to buy some new gaming hardware. But should you go for a gaming PC or a gaming laptop?
Each option has significant advantages, as well as disadvantages. So, which one should you choose?
5 main differences between a gaming laptop and a gaming PC
There are five key differences between gaming laptops and gaming PCs:
- Equipment and Features
- Game achievements
- Upgrade options
- Portability and space requirements
- Cost
It’s a conundrum that every gamer faces when it comes time to upgrade their gaming hardware. A gaming laptop is obviously more portable than a gaming PC, but does it deliver the same performance? A gaming PC is more expandable than a gaming laptop, but will it cost you more in the long run than a gaming laptop?
With those questions in mind, let’s take a look at the top five differences between a gaming PC and a gaming laptop and figure out which one to buy.
1. Equipment and Features
Gaming laptops and gaming PCs are actually more similar than you think when it comes to equipment and features. Interestingly, the biggest difference is actually in your out-of-box experience.
When you buy a gaming laptop, it comes with everything you need. You go online or to your local PC hardware store, pick a gaming laptop, and it comes with all the bells and whistles, including a webcam, integrated speakers, Wi-Fi card, battery, and so on.
When it comes to gaming PC, you have to choose between more variables. A gaming PC is almost endlessly customizable (which we’ll talk about in a moment), but you also need more peripherals to get it going. For example, you need at least a keyboard and a mouse. Then you might want a microphone to talk to people and a webcam if you want to be seen. What about sound then? You need speakers. The list can expand quickly.
2. Game achievements
Which brings better gaming performance next: a gaming laptop or a gaming PC?
Usually the gaming PC wins out over the gaming laptop when you compare similar hardware. That’s because while you may be reading the same hardware on the product list for a gaming PC and a gaming laptop, there are differences in the capabilities between the two.
For example, a laptop GPU is not the same as a discrete desktop GPU. The laptop’s GPU is likely throttled for thermal control, which, like it or not, has a knock-on effect on in-game performance. It’s a similar story for laptop CPUs. Adding powerful hardware to a limited space will always result in compromises, and unfortunately game performance takes the hit.
The best way to see these differences is in the following video comparing an Nvidia RTX 3080 on a desktop and an RTX 3080 on a laptop.
Jarrod’s Tech also compared the RTX 3070 in a desktop and a laptop and came to the same conclusion.
You see, a gaming PC with the same hardware as a gaming laptop always wins.
Is that a problem now? Probably not for most people. If you’re still hitting 120FPS in Call of Duty Warzone on your gaming laptop, you’re unlikely to worry about a few missing frames per second.
3. Upgrade Options
Gaming performance leads us straight to another key difference between a gaming laptop and a gaming PC: upgrade options.
Simply put, upgrading a gaming laptop is nearly impossible in most cases. You certainly won’t be upgrading the CPU or GPU, the two most important components behind a gaming laptop experience. There are modular laptop designs, but they don’t usually focus on building gaming laptops (at least, not yet).
On some gaming laptops, you have the option to install faster RAM or a faster storage device, such as an M.2 SSD. But that will be the absolute limit on what you can upgrade on a gaming laptop. Gaming laptop manufacturers spend a lot of time streamlining their designs and making sure they can efficiently transfer heat from the case and don’t want end users doing anything that could compromise that design, even if you do it with the best of intentions. .
When it comes to upgrading a gaming PC, you are only limited by your budget and your previous decisions about building a PC. What we mean here is that you can decide to upgrade your existing hardware to a faster CPU. If so, you will be limited by the CPU socket on the motherboard, which determines which CPU generation you can install. For example, when AMD releases its new AM5 socket, it will not be compatible with older AM4 CPUs. That may lead some to upgrade from AM4 to AM5, but you’ll also need a new AM5 compatible motherboard.
In that regard, it’s a similar story for your system RAM. You can upgrade your memory, but you are limited by the type of memory your motherboard is compatible with, be that DDR3, DDR4, or DDR5.
You may have noticed that one hardware feature pops up more than most: the motherboard. Because the motherboard connects all of your PC hardware to keep your gaming PC running, it’s the heart of any gaming machine. If you think your gaming PC is aging, you can swap out the motherboard and potentially salvage bits of your older gaming machine for your new build.
A gaming PC can be upgraded infinitely better than a gaming laptop, and will continue to do so until modular laptops are seriously overtaken.
4. Portability and Space Requirements
Just as there was only one clear winner in the upgrade section, there is only one clear winner in the portability section. One of the driving forces behind the popularity of gaming laptops is their portability. Who wants to walk away from their gaming rig at the end of a weekend when you can pick it up, throw it in your bag and take it with you?
While some gaming laptops are on the sturdier side to accommodate more hardware and better cooling, the overall footprint of a gaming laptop is smaller than most gaming PCs.
In terms of space requirement, it is actually an interesting comparison. Sure, a gaming PC case generally takes up more space, but for most people, the tower lives under a desk or similar, and all that’s in front of you is your mechanical gaming keyboard and a gaming mouse. Of course, don’t forget your monitors.
A gaming laptop has a smaller overall footprint, but you can connect it to a secondary monitor, use a USB keyboard, a gaming mouse, extra speakers and so on, so the comparison between a gaming PC and a gaming laptop in terms of space is not entirely clear.
But hey, when it comes to portability, a gaming laptop wins hands down.
5. Cost and Value
The last comparison category is cost and value. What costs more: a gaming laptop or a gaming PC?
Usually a gaming desktop costs less than a comparable gaming laptop. There are two important factors behind this.
First, a gaming desktop doesn’t require as much development and streamlining as a gaming laptop. A gaming laptop manufacturer has to design and pack everything into a single, portable case, while making sure it doesn’t overheat and still function properly.
Second, while this relates to upgradability, a laptop’s performance will lag as it ages. It’s also not helped by a performance gap for gaming desktops to begin with, further depressing the long-term value of a gaming laptop.
When it comes to cost and value, a gaming desktop is often the best option.
Gaming Desktop vs Gaming Laptop: Which One Should You Choose?
The biggest factor that will influence your decision between a gaming laptop and a gaming PC is portability. If you don’t regularly sit at the same desk in your home, move regularly for work, school, or otherwise, or just want the extra freedom that comes with a gaming laptop, you’ll probably feel the extra cost is a worthwhile investment.
On the other hand, if you’re gaming at home, don’t have to move around and want the extra value and customization options, a gaming desktop is the right option for you.
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