Gaming Laptop vs Desktop PC - Which Should You Buy 2022?

We are here to answer the age-old question: Gaming Laptop Vs Gaming Desktop. It is time to answer the question to the fullest and even compare the differences in price vs. performance!

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-Gaming PC mentioned in this video-

CPU

MOTHERBOARD

GPU

RAM

SSD

PSU

CASE

Gaming Laptops We Recommend
Acer Nitro 5 AN515-57-79TD | RTX 3050 TI + i7-11800H

ASUS TUF Dash 15 (2022) | RTX 3060 + i7-12650H

Lenovo - Legion 5 | Ryzen 7 5800H + RTX 3050TI

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[GamingBadly]

Gaming Laptop is better for me due to space issues. If I had the space? Desktop all the way! but some of todays Laptops are so powerful!

[microtasker]

The discussion may be a bit misguided; I mean that a 'gaming' laptop is also a very high powered studio machine. A studio machine on the road is an invaluable tool that really didn't exist a few generations ago. Now you can edit native format video, do captures and stream off of the same machine. I used to have to haul my full size tower to do that just 7 years ago. So 'if you gaming on your road trip' is maybe not the question to be asking, but more like: 'what are your needs on the road for workload and oh, yeah btw, , , gaming.'

[guiT]

In my experience, the big differences between a laptop and a desktop are the display, the practicality and -- obviously -- portability.
"Upgradability", if I want to be honest, really isn't a relevant factor at all, at least not for me. If I spend a lot of money on a desktop, I don't want to upgrade anything for at least 5 years. And then, after 5 years, if I need to upgrade something, it will probably be the processor and graphics. But to upgrade the processor, you also need a new motherboard with the updated socket. In the end, you'll need to buy a new GPU, a new CPU and a new motherboard -- basically, lets be frank, a new PC. The only things you might actually keep will be the case, the PSU (maybe), the storage and RAM - and those are the less expensive items on a PC. That's it. Oh, and the display of course. And that's one of the reasons why I say the display is the big difference in a laptop. Once you have to replace your laptop, you'll have to replace your monitor, obviously. The second (but not less important) reason is the fact that usually, laptop displays are poor. Especially if you're in the market for a big boy $3, 000+ laptop, because with that budget you can buy a really nice ultrawide color accurate monitor for your desktop, while in a laptop you usually have to go with a 17' high refresh-rate 1080p, maybe QHD display. That kinda sucks.

There's also the resale factor. You can't resale a desktop, maybe some parts, usually just the GPU. But you CAN sell your used laptop. That's a relevant factor.

I built my desktop in 2014. Spent $4, 500 on the whole thing (monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers included). It was a top-tier build. 4-5 years later, games weren't running really well anymore (to run fallout 4 smoothly I had to switch to low graphics settings), so I decided to upgrade the GPU. Unfortunately, it really didn't make much of a difference. Even though I got a new GPU at the time (GTX 1660), I still couldn't go past medium settings, because my i7 4770k was old as hell. And one of the main reasons I had built a desktop was because of the so called "upgradability"... Today I see "upgradability" as complete bullshit. I had a much better time with my 2009 Alienware. I bought it, played a lot on it, used it for 5 years and sold it for a really good price. Meanwhile here I am with an old-ass desktop, can't sell it, can't do anything with it, every component is dated and it can barely run any AAA game AND require a lot more maintenance than a laptop (dust usually f*ks it up, must be completely cleaned every now and then).

Honestly, if I was a hardcore gamer, who played a lot on my PC, I'd build a monster desktop with a top-tier display and top-tier everything, water-cooling custom loop, etc. But since I'm not (I'm just a casual gamer), I'll probably choose the practicality and "straightforwardness" of a REALLY nice gaming laptop. It's easier, simpler, cheaper, a better cost-benefit overall in my opinion and experience.

[hishammse]

Sold my alienware m17 r4 two days ago and got a desktop with same exact specs. Best decision i ever made and one of the things about desktop i liked is its quiet and doesn’t get hot and looks really good with better performance 😍🙏🏽💯

[TheSpotify]

I would personally go with the desktop 100% of the time, regardless of cost, due to a few important factors:
1) Upgradability - upgrading CPU/GPU/RAM/Storage is much easier
2) Performance - gaming PCs tend to outperform laptops at the same spec as they can handle higher power components (i.e. not laptop specific components), since the PSU's are beefier
3) Replacing parts is very easy and a new motherboard won't make you have to abandon the entire machine
4) Modularity and customizability is more, so you can have a small desktop if space is at a premium or you can go for a full tower PC if required, there are still cases with support for 5.25in bays
5) Gaming laptops suffer really badly here as they have only a couple of heat pipes, a couple of fans, and the fans have to spin up really fast/quite loud. In addition, any dust accumulation blocking the vents will massively affect CPU temperatures (and performance). Tower PCs have much larger fans, and have better cooling on the CPU, including the option for AIO water coolers. They're also easier to disassemble and to clean parts.
Overall, tower PC wins any day, even if the laptop was cheaper.

[Note-bqly]

I bought a gaming laptop so I can bring it with me to school, as I'am a student. I think people should buy depending on what they wish to do with it.

[veraxis]

Big agree on a lot of the advice here. I think gaming on a larger monitor and dedicated keyboard via a desktop with a beefier GPU is a much nicer way to game for me personally, and I have an inexpensive, mid-performance laptop off the secondary market which I can use for a lot of day-to-day or travel usage. Everyone's use case will vary, but with GPU prices finally down, I think desktops may start making sense for a lot of people again.

[TyTystick]

I'm kind of stuck with getting gaming laptops as I go between multiple living locations frequently, but if I lived in one place, a desktop undoubtedly has better performance for less.

[WillMathematics]

The best choice is what’s best for you. I game mostly on console but have a few games on pc. My favorite pc games are older and do not require a top of the line machine. My rtx 2060 gaming laptop is perfect. It has 16gb of ram and 1tb of storage. Super fast. Ethernet connected for superior results.

[renegadeace]

Just get a really beast laptop, a vertical laptop stand, mouse, and keyboard, and hook it up to an external monitor. That way you get the best of both.

[Tech.Closet]

Great topic, gaming laptop and gaming PC are different things. if you need portability go for laptop. If you need maximum efficiency from hardware go for gaming PC.

[averagejackmedia]

If you know going in that the laptop version of the card is going to be nowhere near the desktop version of the card, you go in with reasonable expectations, you might even buy "more laptop than you need" for over head.

I have a desktop with a 3080ti and just bought a laptop with a 3070ti as a secondary gaming/workstation as I'm not at home nearly as much as I use to be. Honestly I've been super impressed with the laptop setup. I run games on a secondary 24" 1080p 144hz monitor and it's blown me away with the performance.

[ErinArchive]

I think for me desktops are better but due to my life situation i've been moving left & right (i've moved 3 times in 2022 alone) along with traveling, so being able to just put a laptop in a backpack be able to work (video editing) and game still without lugging around a giant tower (and being afraid of it breaking) is so nice. I think once I settle down and am not moving every 2 seconds the desktop would be ideal (with a decent laptop that can still work/game on the go). I also prefer the setup of a desktop over a laptop so I tend to convert my laptops to emulate that (keyboard, mouse, multiple monitors) but you can't do that the other way around. I think you get more bang for your buck performance wise from a desktop for sure though.

[calexfx]

Im building my first ever gaming pc today at age 12!!! Wish me luck toasty bros!

[Altsncro]

Optimally the best case would be to get a high-end desktop for all of your hardcore games and a laptop for more casual stuff. However if you must absolutely choose one then I would say the laptop is a good decision. The portability of the laptop is really important especially if your a student or if your always on the move. However if you already have a functioning laptop and you don't really use it to game then i would just say for you to get the PC.

Especialy now that the new 40 series laptop GPU's have been released, laptops can now compete with desktops in terms of performance. However if you want a high end laptop (A 4080 or 4090 laptop can easily set you back 3-5k USD) then you might aswell just get a high end desktop for that money. No one needs a desktop 3090 performance in a laptop especially at the pricepoint. Seriously though only consider those high end laptops if you really have money to burn or already have a god tier set up.

Now in terms of budget a good gaming laptop must reach a critical mass in order to be considered even worth it (Usualy areond 1.2k USD), If that doesnt fit into your budget then i would reconmend either saving for said laptop or going for a longterm investment into a PC (Technically you can run a barbone GPU/CPU then upgrade as you get more money). Although the PC pathway would require you to actively spend more money over a longer period of time, you would get better performance overall.

[Entertainment-evob]

Gaming pc requires: monitor, all pc parts, keyboard.
All of that makes it more expensive or the same as a laptop. If your just comparing Gpu prices without taking into account ssd monitor ram etc… obviously it’s misleading. Laptop comes with a monitor, pc parts, and keyboard :/

[JTCDesignStudio]

Thanks guys. The main thing for me why I'm considering a gpu laptop is because of my use case. I already have a monitor from working from home connected to my work laptop. I can use that no problem. If i build a desktop, i still can use that monitor but will be limited to 1. I need 2 as I'm modeling and rendering at the same time. One thing is mt desk is small to fit 2 monitors and a desktop, second it just becomes too expensive. Rtx 3060 laptops now is discounted for about £700 bnew and the same price for a desktop only would use some used parts.

[Supinejewel]

I basically prefer a gaming laptop due to portability go anywhere, but they can't be upgraded or modified like a PC tower would.

[charlesburris]

Desktops rule. The only reason to choose laptops is space or travel. If you're grown and have your own place, desktop all the way.

[g_dmodeyroblox]

keep it up your recommendations are AMAZING!!!