Gaming Desktop or Laptop?

I need to replace my current laptop for a good PC that can run games well. The problem is, I move from house to house and I don't want a large desktop to get damaged when I move houses 1-3 times a week. Would getting a desktop OK for my situation? Or should I just stick with the laptop? The games I would be running would be League of Legends, WoW, Diablo III, Minecraft, and maybe some high recourse games.

Why not both? :)

None of the games you listed require a really good computer, so probably a laptop. I wouldn't worry about damaging a desktop by moving it a lot, but it would probably be a huge hassle especially if you also have to constantly move a monitor as well.

@ekajarmstro: I was thinking about getting a LAN desktop. This one in particular: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/LAN_III_XTREME/

It looks like a good deal, but a friend also suggested to build my own mITX.

I use a gaming laptop because I live in different states throughout the year. It, however, generally stays in one spot- while it's much easier to move than a desktop, it's still way harder to pack and unpack than you might think. Plus, a desktop will always last you longer since you can just replace parts of it as time goes on.

Laptops may be easier to move than desktops, but it's cheaper to buy or build a desktop. You don't necessarily have to build a heavy, bulky system, someone suggested you build a mITX, which is definitely something to consider.1

I would say a laptop, I got a fairly high-end one for uni and haven't really felt the need for a desktop yet. On the other hand, if you build your own desktop you can make it fairly portable if you want, it'd just take a bit of effort.

if u prefers upgrades and overclocking get a desktop ...if u like 'gaming on the go' style and stealing internet from ur neighbours non-password routers get a laptop!‏

I have the same problem I live in MA, but travel to RI on the weekends to visit my parent's place. Are there PC's out there that are fairly easy to transport? I'm looking to build my own. Any lightweight but sturdy cases out there?

@bboys2231: the one tested used in their latest build?

Yup, that's the build I have as well. It can be more or less portable but if OP moves around a lot, a laptop would still be preferable anyway especially with the games the OP mentioned though with the money you can buy with the laptop you can put that into building a great mITX desktop that can play all games.

I did a gaming laptop once. Worst mistake ever. The heat issues are substantial. There are other things the heat affects, like where the power-supply plugs in the laptop. Running hot for a long time destroys that thing. Also have fun getting the dust out of one of those things. The parts aren't meant to be taken apart and put back together. There are many desktop cases that have handles. Get one of those. Just remember to take your Video Card out for long car rides.

Yup, also just to add with this, if you are planning to build a desktop to be taken out on the go and remove the video card, make sure to also have an Anti-ESD or anti-static bag to where to store the graphics card to protect it from static.

I would second this statement. I had a pretty sweet gaming laptop from Asus that burned itself out in just over a year. I could never use it as an actual laptop due to how hot it got in operation. The other thing is that you'll want to replace the video card long before any other components in the system need to be upgraded which you can do with a desktop.

If this is a long time investment and you don't plan to replace it for a good while then a PC is a good idea for the long run. Because PC games rely more on the GPU than anything else, you can get away with just upgrading the graphics card and keeping everything else more or less the same. I'm still rocking my first gen i5 from 2009, but I've been through 3 graphics cards since then.

Like @s10129107 said, laptop gaming is always less than ideal. Ventilation is always a problem and they get really hot, and I mean hot to the point where you can't hold it in your lap or touch the keyboard.

At the moment I have a pretty decent laptop that's my main PC and the only way I can play games comfortably on it is to hook up an external monitor, keyboard, mouse. So it's basically a desktop :)

@devildoll: thanks for the vid! That's exactly what I was looking for and thanks for the advice @GaspoweR

go the mITX route would be my advice. use pcpartpicker.com to help with sourcing an, pricing and most importantly compatability of the various parts.

I've done the gaming laptop thing, it's definitely sub optimal experience.

You'll get much, much, much better performance and 'bang for your buck' with a desktop PC than a gaming laptop. You can easily build a killer PC for $1,500 or even a bit less that will play everything made at 1080p 60fps or better. It's hard to find a laptop that can match that, and if you can, you're going to be paying $2,000+ (maybe even $2,500+) for it, and on top of that it will be big and heavy, and there is no way to upgrade it in the future. And don't even get me started on the whole overheating and battery life issues.

Get a gaming desktop, and then get a nice laptop (maybe an Ultrabook or a Macbook variant). Don't waste time on gaming laptops unless a) you've got a few grand laying around or b) you don't mind carrying a bulky 8+ pound laptop around all of the time.

@bboys2231: By the way, that is a mITX case. Since that time when the video was made almost a year ago, BitFenix also came out with a mATX version (Prodigy-M) of the same case so if you wanted a bigger motherboard with the same case, you can go with that version though I don't know what the reviews for that case are. Another alternative if you want to go with a semi-prebuilt, m-ITXcase (meaning the case already comes with an Intel-based MOBO and 450W PSU) and the only thing you need to buy is RAM, video card, and CPU is this:

I have the perfect mITX case for you :D

Entirely dependant on the laptop model, gaming laptops as a whole aren't bad. I have both a gaming desktop for when I'm at home, and a gaming laptop for when I'm at uni accom, because a 13" MacBook Air has nothing on a 17" laptop with an i7. It does get hot but not unbearably so, and mine is actually very easy to take apart for a clean. (never had to but seen it done online)

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But yes it's true you get better bang for buck from a desktop, by a very large margin.

Basically it's how important is an all in one, compact machine to you? For me, I can't be bothered having my PC at uni, I have a 27" monitor and a big tower, taking it from there and back is such a pain, it also takes up far too much room when you factor in the keyboard + mouse + monitor being on what is a freaking small desk. I can't work at my dorm room when I have my PC there, it feels too enclosed and I don't like having to have my keyboard covered in textbooks.

15-17" isn't exactly compact but it's far more so than a gaming PC + monitor, and watch out because some 17" ones weigh insane amounts, luckily mine is one of the lighter ones so taking it outside is an option. Many also have shitty battery life, mine falls over after about 4-5 hours of web browsing, but to be honest I don't really take it anywhere, I never took my MacBook Air out with me either.

My 17" will also be my primary machine when I move to Japan for a year, so that was a motivation for me to actually get a laptop that can play games newer than Portal.

Don't buy bad laptops. :)

I don't mean to sound like a dick but that sounds like a crippling design flaw and I can't imagine any laptop making the chassis that hot getting favourable scores or being a recommendation to purchase.

Buy wise, always. Dig on the Internet for all reviews, forum threads, user reviews, yadayada and form a consensus before buying a laptop, especially a gaming laptop.

You can only fit a low profile card in there right?

@pistolpete852: Move house 1-3 times per week? Not really sure how you do that but I would get a laptop to save the hassle of moving a desktop all the time. A desktop is far superior but if you are moving that much it doesn't sound reasonable. How much other stuff are the moving every week? What exactly do you mean by move houses 1-3 times a week? (sorry if i'm prying just trying to get a better idea of what to recommend)

My ultrabook runs Minecraft and Diablo III well enough. If mobility is that important to you (which it sounds like it is) I'd suggest getting a decent laptop. It may not run everything as reliably as a console can but it'll run the PC exclusives and the small games well enough.

@pistolpete852: How 'rich' are you? If you don't mind spending a little more, I would say a laptop. The mobility is a great plus. However, if you see yourself more as a gamer, I would go desktop. Way easier to play minecraft with, plus minecraft usually needs that beefier power if you want to go hardcore with it.

I agree 100% here. I was going to suggest a laptop because moving that much just sounds like a laptop would be way easier. But a mITX computer will give you more options to upgrade than a laptop ever will.

If you are moving between only two houses, probably you can buy two desktops for about the same price of a laptop. That won't be any annoying after you sync your saved games with something or decide to play different games at different places.

If you are moving between more houses, then a laptop is the way to go because a desktop is going to be utterly annoying about two times a week, carrying a desktop may make sense about once in a month at most, for me.