If you are hesitating between a gaming laptop and a gaming PC, below are the factors that gamers need to consider.
Many people are still confused when standing between a gaming laptop or a gaming PC. Each product has different advantages/disadvantages.
Below are suggestions to help users make decisions about buying a gaming laptop or gaming PC from the perspective of Laptop Mag experts.
Price
Price and budget play an important role in every gamer's shopping. In general, gaming laptops are more expensive than gaming PCs. If you like self-assembly, users will save more money.
If you try on a gaming laptop, such as the MSI Titan 18 HX (2024), gamers will have to spend about 5,399 USD (about 126.28 million VND). This gaming laptop comes with Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 16GB GPU.
Meanwhile, iBuyPower sells a gaming PC for 3,619 USD (about 84.6 million VND) with Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GPU.
If you're looking at components that affect performance, get a better gaming PC. However, gaming laptops like the MSI Titan 18 also integrate quite good quality screens, keyboards, speakers and webcams. These are all components users will have to purchase separately with their gaming PC.
Buy a gaming laptop if : want a simpler purchase on a budget
Buy a gaming PC if : you don't mind spending time making a shopping list of accessories
Features and customization
Of course, gaming laptops get users a screen, keyboard, speakers, and webcam right from the start. Meanwhile, you will have to buy all those devices separately if you use a gaming PC. However, having all those features at top quality on a gaming laptop is extremely difficult.
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Meanwhile, users can choose the best when using a gaming PC. Buying a gaming laptop will be more compact and faster. Buying a gaming PC takes more effort but can be customized more flexibly.
On the contrary, if a part inside a gaming laptop breaks, users cannot fix it themselves without wanting to void the warranty. Meanwhile, if a problem occurs with a gaming PC, users can tinker and handle it themselves.
Regarding upgrades, with modern gaming PCs, gamers can swap out the CPU, GPU, or drive anytime they want to upgrade. However, with a gaming laptop, users will have to start saving to buy a completely new system. This is an unpleasant experience for laptop owners.
Buy a gaming laptop if : you want an all-in-one product that doesn't have to be disassembled
or
Buy a gaming PC if: you care about the quality of accessories; Upgrade and maintain your PC's operating status
Portability
Are you someone who often travels and likes to play games? With gaming laptops, users will have to worry about battery life, and if they want to experience the full power of the GPU, gamers will have to plug it in regularly.
With a gaming PC, users will always be plugged in and have no other choice. And obviously, gamers won't be able to bring their gaming PCs with them when they travel.
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Some gaming laptops have poor battery life while others like the Razer Blade 14 can last a full work day. A gaming PC can last a long time, as long as there is electricity.
Buy a gaming laptop if : you travel often; likes to move around the house; Use laptop to work
or
Buy a gaming PC if: feel comfortable playing games in one place, have full accessories to support gaming
Efficiency
Obviously, a gaming PC will most likely be more powerful.
With the RTX 4090 laptop GPU, the MSI Titan 18 HX meets Far Cry 6 (Ultra, 1080p) at 120 fps. Meanwhile, the RTX 4090 desktop GPU achieved 172 fps in the same test. On Assassin's Creed Valhalla (Ultra, 1080p), the laptop hit 169 fps while the desktop hit 220 fps. These are the major differences between laptop and desktop level GPUs.
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PCs are more powerful but also need a screen with high resolution and refresh rate. If you don't care about the screen and just want to play games at standard 1080p, 60 frames per second, a gaming laptop can completely satisfy. Furthermore, gaming laptops also have GPU-additional screens.
Buy a gaming laptop if you want quality performance without worrying about which monitor to buy
or
Buy a gaming PC if: want to experience the best performance on the best screen
Conclusion
Buying a gaming laptop or gaming PC is an important financial decision. Therefore, users should take the time to research carefully before making any purchases.
In addition to finding out the device's configuration in advance, gamers should also refer to laptop review sites or other gamers.
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Buy a gaming laptop if: Want easy portability, don't need the best performance
or
Buy a gaming PC if: Users like to upgrade to new technology, like to sit in one place